She said, "It's just common social etiquette. Besides, he's Lianyi's friend.""I know, but you couldn't take your eyes off him just now," he said."I... I was just curious. After all, he doesn't look like Lianyi's colleague. Besides, you're the one I love. I'm not interested in other men at all!" Ling Yiran explained quickly.He looked at her with a smile as if he had gotten her to say this.Ling Yiran blushed again.Yi Jinli leaned over slightly. Moving a little closer, he said, "Yiran, say it again." His husky voice was full of temptation.Ling Yiran's face became even redder. Even after so many years, she would still blush and her heart would still pound whenever she saw him behaving this way—just as she did at the beginning."You're the one I love," said Ling Yiran."Say it again." His voice grew hoarser, strumming her heartstrings."You're the one I love. You're the one I love..."She repeated it over and over again as he wished.On the other side, Yulai Bai, who was ch
Bai Tingxin's figure suddenly flashed through Qin Lianyi's mind.She shook her head hard. 'What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking of Bai Tingxin when I’m supposed to get over him?!'When the two chose their cakes and returned to Ling Yiran and Yi Jinli's table, Qin Lianyi saw that her best friend was blushing slightly. Yi Jinli was feeding her cake one bite at a time.This public display of affection is...' However, Qin Lianyi was glad to see her best friend so happy now. Even if she could never have a perfect romance herself, it was good enough that Yiran could have a happy ending. During their chat, Qin Lianyi learned that her best friend planned to start a law firm in Shen City and immediately showed her support. "I'll be there to support you when you open for business."Ling Yiran smiled and replied, "Okay. Mr. Bai, you can come as well if you’re free.""Sure," answered Bai Yulai.During their conversation, Ling Yiran learned that Bai Yulai held a middle management positio
Yi Jinli turned to his subordinates and said, "Those who failed to do their duty today will be punished later. Also, find out what's going on with these people.""Yes,” said the subordinate.Just then, one of the men subdued by Yi Jinli's men struggled to raise his head and shouted, "Ling Yiran, you damned lawyer! Don't think this is over just because you ran to Shen City. You and your mentor conspired to put me in prison for two and a half years, causing my wife and children to leave me. I want you to pay the price!"Only now did Ling Yiran recognize the middle-aged man who was screaming in front of her. He was the defendant in one of her cases, and she had been the plaintiff's lawyer.The plaintiff won the case, and the defendant was sentenced to two and a half years in prison."I did nothing wrong. You got what you deserved in this case.""It was you! You and your mentor used me as a stepping stone to make names for yourselves in the legal world. You're just a shameless—"Bef
"I don't want Lianyi to get injured again. Besides, I caused today's conflict. It’s all the more reason I can't ignore Lianyi!" said Ling Yiran."If you're really worried, then I'll have someone find out where Bai Tingxin has taken Qin Lianyi to..."Just then, Ling Yiran's phone rang. The caller ID showed Qin Lianyi's name.Ling Yiran quickly answered the phone and heard her best friend's voice on the other end of the line. "Yiran, are you okay?""I'm fine. What about you? I heard from Jin's men that you were taken away by Bai Tingxin. Do you want me to come and pick you up?" Ling Yiran said quickly."No. I... I'll go back by myself later. Don't worry. Bai Tingxin won't do anything to me." Qin Lianyi could not help looking at Bai Tingxin, who was standing in front of her, as she spoke. She happened to meet Bai Tingxin's eyes.Instantly, Qin Lianyi looked down and continued to ask about Ling Yiran's current situation. After confirming that her best friend and Yi Jinli had already
All of a sudden, he sneered. "Because you have someone else now. Is it Bai Yulai?"When he uttered the name, Qin Lianyi's expression changed immediately. She had only mentioned Bai Yulai's first name during the phone call earlier, not his last name.However, Bai Tingxin knew his full name.Which also meant... "You looked into him?""So what if I did? What about you? How much do you love him? Is it like what you used to feel for me?" he asked with restrained struggle and jealousy in his tone."It's none of your business," said Qin Lianyi.His face seemed to darken under the light of the lamp above them. "You're my ex-girlfriend, after all. Can't I be concerned about you?""You just said I'm your ex-girlfriend. Mr. Bai, if you want to be concerned about someone, why don't you pay more attention to your current girlfriend?" said Qin Lianyi.Bai Tingxin was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Have you ever hated me?"She was stunned for a moment. She stared at him in bewilde
"Now, you have the Bai family and are living the life you wanted, which also proves that you made the right choice.""My life isn't hard. I have friends and family who love me. They were there for me when I was in pain, and now my life has gone back to normal. In the future, I'll get married, have children, and have a normal but happy life."So I don't hate you. I just want to get over you. Maybe when we're old and surrounded by children and grandchildren, we can smile at each other if we ever meet on the streets. Wouldn't that be nice?"She whispered. Her tone was calm as if she were merely telling a story, but his heart ached.Her lack of hatred only deepened his pain!He had always felt that meeting her and falling in love with her was the best thing that ever happened to him. She was so nice that she was even considerate of him after their breakup.If he had stopped her from leaving Shen City and not been overconfident, or perhaps if he had been better prepared… would they no
Sometime later, the bathroom door opened. Qin Lianyi had changed into the clothes Bai Tingxin gave her and walked out of the bathroom. She said to Bai Tingxin, "Show me your QR code, I'll transfer you the money.""I already told you, there's no need for that," he said."I also told you we have nothing to do with each other now, so it's better not to owe each other money." Qin Lianyi insisted.The two looked at each other, and there seemed to be something depressing in the air.Qin Lianyi bit her lip slightly. "Bai Tingxin, now that we’ve broken up, I... don't want to owe you anything, so don't let me owe you anything, okay?"His body trembled a little, but he finally took out his phone and showed her his QR code.Qin Lianyi scanned his QR code and keyed in the number.After all, when he gave her the clothes, the price tags were still attached, so she knew the prices. Qin Lianyi could not help but feel a burst of pain at the thought of it. The outfit she was wearing cost two mont
However, when he walked out of the bathroom, he saw Gao Manlin sitting on the couch with a meaningful smile on her lips. "It seems you still can't get over your sweetheart. You saved her today, but it's a pity you can't be with her no matter how reluctant you are.""I just happened to be passing by and helped her out. Now that I've decided to marry you, don't worry about it," Bai Tingxin said lightly."That would be best." Gao Manlin got up and walked over to Bai Tingxin. "You should know how much I've done for you. I helped you regain control of the Bai family and persuaded my parents to let you keep your position as president after we marry and merge our companies. Qin Lianyi can never do what I've done for you. She can never have your back or help you with anything."She was the only one who could help him.Gao Manlin put her arm around Bai Tingxin's neck as she spoke.Bai Tingxin's body stiffened slightly, and his eyes glimmered a little. However, he did not push her away this
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he