Chapter 983 - 956: You’d Better Run Quickly
"For your younger brother."
In Qian’s eyes, marriage was just a shell. Her own abilities were already enough for her to live securely in society; it was only because of him that she was willing to enter the community of marriage, to step into this world inside the walls.
"Yu Laomao is an asshole."
"Tell me, if I’d thrown a tantrum today, who would be the saddest, who would be the most guilty?"
Qian didn’t join her in badmouthing Xiaoqiang, because she knew Mingxi was the same kind as her: she could complain about her own younger brother, but if someone else did, she’d hold a grudge in seconds.
Mingxi seemed to have understood something. She stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at Qian.
Qian patted her shoulder. "I’m heading back this afternoon. If you don’t want to step into this besieged fortress called marriage, you’d better run, fast."
Mr. Yu froze. "You mean...?!"
Qian stretched out a hand and made a gesture for five.
Mrs. Yu had been waiting all this time, planning to use Laomao’s wedding as a chance to pin down Mr. Yu for blind dates. From a stack of photos she had carefully picked out at least five candidates; after the banquet she would definitely launch a full-scale siege on Mr. Yu.
"I’m leaving right now." Mr. Yu nodded to Qian. "I’ll remember this favor."
Qian’s lips curled.
If there is a type of person in this world who’s not cut out for marriage, it would definitely be someone like Mr. Yu. She loves freedom too much, loves being loose and untethered, and is unwilling to make sacrifices or concessions for anyone.
Besides, in the corner of her heart where feelings are kept, there must be a secret unknown to others.
"Oh right, this is for you. Congratulations on the wedding. I wish you and Laomao love and war all the way to old age." Mr. Yu quickened her pace, then turned back, pulling a small box out of her pocket and stuffing it into Qian’s hand. It was the wedding gift she’d prepared for Qian.
Qian opened the box; inside was an exquisitely made brooch, probably diamond and white gold from the look of it.
Mr. Yu was a big star and made quite a lot, and she also followed people into investing and financial management, but even so, her finances weren’t really up to buying a gift like this.
Qian still spotted the problem at a glance.
"Xiaoxi." Qian called after her.
Mingxi turned around. "Something else?"
"This gift, you didn’t buy it yourself, did you?"
"Someone gave it to me. I hardly ever get a chance to wear it. Giving it to you is just right."
"Keep it for yourself. Next time give me something else." Qian shoved the box back.
"Since when did you get so polite?" Mingxi frowned. She remembered Qian as a very free-and-easy person—how come she was suddenly acting all fussy about accepting a little something?
Mingxi acts straightforward and enjoys having straightforward people as friends.
"It’s not about being polite. Do you even know what this brooch you’re giving me means?"
"What meaning can a piece of jewelry have?"
"A green diamond symbolizes bringing you faithful, unwavering love. Are you sure you want to hand over someone else’s fidelity to me?"
Just one look at the diamond, and Qian knew who had given it to Mr. Yu.
Because back then, that man had gone to endless lengths, using a year’s profit to buy this rare green diamond at an overseas auction. Over it he’d been so happy he treated her and Xiaoqiang to drinks.
The setting afterward had also taken him a lot of thought.
Now that Mingxi had casually given it away, that man’s heart must be shattered, right?
"Fidelity? Haha, that’s hilarious." Mingxi flipped her hand and shoved the box back into Qian’s grasp.
"Ms. Psychology Expert, how can you still be so naïve after studying that field? Don’t you know there’s no such thing as fidelity in this world, it’s just that most people can’t afford the cost of betrayal? I’m giving it to you, so take it."
She turned away again, clean and decisive, leaving Qian alone, rolling the small box in her hand, her gaze deep as she watched Mingxi’s departing direction.
What she’d just said seemed to carry a lot of information.
"Qian, Auntie asked me to check if you’re ready. We still have guests to see off."
Hai Zhao walked over from the other side, his eyes obviously searching for something.
He had clearly seen Xiaoxi go out with Qian just now, so why was Qian the only one in front of the restroom door?
"Is Xiaoxi still inside—wait, isn’t that?!"
Hai Zhao saw the box in Qian’s hand.
Nothing could be more familiar to him than something he’d given away himself—how could it be in Qian’s hand?
"She gave it to me as a wedding present."
With that one sentence, Qian drained the color from Hai Zhao’s face.
He’d poured a year’s turnover into that green diamond.
These past two years, Hai Zhao had been doing very well in Lishi. His hotpot chain had already expanded into several locations, and he also had his own appliance store in Q City.
Although in the family he was the one who’d developed the worst, the child who never made the elders proud, these years he’d been working himself to the bone just to win Xiaoxi’s heart.
Green diamonds of that carat are already exceedingly rare.
He felt that vibrant green was perfectly suited to the wild, free Xiaoxi, and only a rare stone at that price could be worthy of such a peerless beauty.
What’s more, green stood for steadfast, unwavering love—yet his own steadfast love had just been handed off by her in an instant, with no hesitation.
Qian looked at Hai Zhao with a trace of pity. The guy must have taken a serious blow.
Hai Zhao didn’t bother saying much more to Qian. He took the box from her hand and then broke into a run. He had to ask her himself, to know why—why she’d done it!
After sprinting all the way, he finally saw Xiaoxi on the street, just about to get into a car. Gasping for breath, Hai Zhao grabbed her by the arm. When Mingxi saw it was him, she greeted him with a cheerful smile.
"What, you want to drive me home? Fine, taxi, you go on ahead."
The yellow taxi pulled away.
Watching her smile just like she always did, Hai Zhao felt his heart grow colder.
In her eyes, was he nothing more than a driver she could summon and dismiss at will?
"This—I want to know, why did you give this away?" He held up the box in his hand, suppressing his anger as he asked.
Xiaoxi glanced at it and gave an "oh." "This one, huh."
That same completely careless tone, that same indifferent expression.
For a very long time, no matter how much Hai Zhao gave to her, this was how Xiaoxi responded.
She wasn’t exactly cruel to him; she even treated him as a friend. But beyond that, there was nothing.
She was always lukewarm with other people, but she would smile at him—only it wasn’t the smile he wanted.
On such a scorching day, that smile of hers was enough to freeze his heart solid in an instant.
"You know, I put a lot of effort into finding this. I went overseas, went through two different auctions, and then—you just turn around and give it away?"
She could give away anything else, but not this. This one she couldn’t. It was his fidelity to her, yet in her eyes it was so utterly insignificant.
"This, you’re saying you gave it to me?"
"Yes!" How could he ever forget how he’d felt searching for that diamond? However much money he had, he would spend it on her without the slightest hesitation. He didn’t expect her to respond to his feelings right away, but could she at least not be so cruel?
"Since you gave it to me, then it’s mine. I have the right to dispose of it, don’t I? Hai Zhao, you’re upset? Since when did you get so stingy?"
"Stingy... you’re calling me stingy?"
Hai Zhao felt this was the cruelest day he’d ever lived through, because the woman he’d loved for so long had used such a trivial expression to say something so heartless.