Chapter 2-6

6

After leaving the hotel one after the other with He Yajun, Qiao Ruo returned home. In the afternoon, the weather became unusually cold and windy. After lunch, she didn't go anywhere and stayed in her bedroom reading. During this time, she received a call from Qiao Min, who still wanted to invite her to dinner.

"When I heard you mention He Yajun yesterday, I still couldn't believe you actually liked him. But after all these years, your indifference towards me has been so resolute. I think I must have really hurt you badly." Qiao Min sighed. "Qiao Qiao, I'm very sorry about this."

It was truly rare to hear her put aside her pride and say such things in her lifetime, but so what? Qiao Ru smiled bitterly and said listlessly, "Forget what I said, it has nothing to do with you anymore."

"Whether I forget or not is not important. What is important is that you obviously haven't moved on and have made up your mind to blame me for the failure of this relationship that seemed to have reached its end before it even began. That's my business."

"Believe it or not, I have no feelings for you now." Qiao Ruo was telling the truth. She clearly realized that she no longer hated Qiao Min. Perhaps it was because she already had He Yajun, or perhaps it was because she had already bowed down to fate and compromised. In any case, she didn't blame anyone.

"But I must apologize to you. No matter what, the step I took blocked your path. To be honest, I don't really believe in love. It's too illusory and too fragile. I prefer something tangible to something intangible." Qiao Min smiled bitterly. "Although I don't believe in love, I understand the feeling of heartbreak. That feeling of not being able to eat, not being able to sleep, and having a constant, dull ache in your heart is really unbearable."

Qiao Ruo was a little surprised. When they were still close sisters, they had shared many secrets, but they had never talked about their romantic experiences. She had never thought about whether Qiao Min had had any romantic relationships with other men before she met He Yajun's father. But she was in no mood to ask at the moment and just wanted to end the call as soon as possible: "It's all over now, there's no point in saying anything more. Let's just leave it at that."

“If you want to be with He Yajun in the future, then this matter still has meaning.” Qiao Min paused for a moment, then continued slowly, “I asked He Qingyang about He Yajun’s current situation today. I can tell you clearly that he is currently single. He just returned to China recently and is at home these days.”

Qiao Ruo was bewildered by her calm narration: "What do you mean?"

"It means: You need to find a way to talk to him as soon as possible and tell him that you like him and want to be with him."

Qiao Ruo was stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment. After a while, she calmed down and said, "Are you planning to help your sister pursue your husband's son?"

The mocking tone did not deter Qiao Min's determination: "I don't intend to watch you continue to waste your time on this man. You either be brave and try your best, or simply forget about him."

"You really are a doer. Do you think that as long as you follow your heart, everything is right and you don't need to care about other people's feelings?" Qiao Ruo couldn't help but admire her way of thinking, but at the same time she was very confused. "Have you ever thought about what my parents would think if I really dated and married He Yajun? What would other people say about us?"

"Does it matter what they think? To put it simply, I've heard of men marrying their brothers' wives after their deaths; to go further back, there were even cases of sisters sharing a husband in ancient times. The world is so big, there are too many unusual people and things. Besides, He Yajun's father and I will be officially divorced soon, and we will no longer have any legal relationship, so you can't talk about dating my stepson; if you two really do get together, at worst, Xin Xin and I will just avoid you when we see you, and we will never make you uncomfortable."

The word "stepson" sounded very harsh, and Qiao Ruo couldn't help but be taken aback.

Qiao Min added, "I've always felt that it's too tragic if a person doesn't even dare to fight for what they want while they're alive. Putting other people's feelings before your own is a very foolish thing. After all, you have to live your own life. No matter how much others praise you, it's just empty talk and has no real use. When you really encounter trouble, those people can't offer you any help at all. You still have to rely on your own resources and strength to solve the problem."

Qiao Ruo's mind was in turmoil. She had to admit that Qiao Min's words were very tempting. She actually started to think that if she were walking hand in hand with He Yajun on the street and ran into an acquaintance, she could greet and chat with them openly and generously, without having to pull her hand away like a thief and go to great lengths to cover it up.

Qiao Min seemed to sense her softening and quickly added, "Qiao Qiao, there are a few more things. Let's talk about them when we meet tonight. Don't refuse me anymore. I promise that what I'm about to tell you will only benefit you, not harm you."

Qiao Ruo didn't know how she had agreed. Looking at the phone that had just been hung up, she couldn't help but wonder if she had gone crazy. But since she had already agreed to the appointment, going back on her word would only make her seem like she was acting out of spite, which was unnecessary. Besides, learning more about He Yajun wouldn't be a bad thing.

Qiao Ruo arrived at the restaurant Qiao Min had mentioned at the agreed time. The restaurant was in a very remote location, opposite the back gate of a residential area. There weren't many shops around, and at first glance, it seemed that only this restaurant had been carefully renovated, while the other shops had rather old-fashioned facades.

The restaurant doors were open, and two women were chatting by the counter. The one with her hair up was Qiao Min.

Qiao Min happened to be facing the doorway. When she saw her, she waved and said, "Qiao Qiao, you're here."

Qiao Ruo hummed in agreement.

Another woman turned around at the sound, saw her, and immediately greeted her with a beaming smile, looking her up and down: "Xiaomin, this must be our little sister, right? You must know, she's really beautiful."

Qiao Min seemed to be in a good mood, smiling and nodding: "Sister Li, see, I didn't lie to you, she's much prettier than me."

“You’re all beautiful, you’re all beautiful,” said the woman Qiao Min called Sister Li. She looked to be about forty years old and dressed very simply in a gray short coat and black trousers. Her hair was plain and undyed, just hanging loosely over her shoulders. She wasn’t wearing makeup, and her features were quite ordinary, but her fair skin gave her a special charm when she smiled. She continued to look at Qiao Ruo, smiling as she said, “Your sister and I are friends, so I’ll call you Qiao Qiao, just like your sister does. My surname is Li, so you can just call me Sister Li.”

Qiao Ruo nodded slightly: "Hello, Sister Li."

Sister Li happily agreed, picked up a very exquisite teapot from the counter, led them upstairs to a small private room at the end of the corridor, opened the door and invited them in.

The private room wasn't large, but it was decorated very elegantly. A long, gray-white marble table for four was placed by the window, and in the center of the table was a small, spherical, transparent glass vase with a white orchid in it. The room seemed to be scented, as a light, unidentifiable floral fragrance wafted in the air.

Sister Li invited them to sit down and filled their equally exquisite white porcelain cups with tea: "This is newly arrived Pu'er tea in the shop. It tastes good, please try it. I was afraid it would disturb your sleep at night, so I brewed it a little weak."

Seeing Qiao Min pick up her teacup and take a small sip, Qiao Ruo followed suit and took a sip as well.

Qiao Min exclaimed, "The taste is really good; your taste is as good as ever."

Sister Li smiled broadly: "If it weren't for you coming to support my business so often, no matter how good my taste is, I wouldn't be able to get my business off the ground."

Qiao Ruo listened to them silently, without interrupting.

Qiao Min was clearly a regular customer here. She picked up the menu and handed it to Qiao Ruo, expertly introducing the dishes to her. Qiao Ruo wasn't particularly interested in what to eat and politely declined, saying, "You decide, I'm fine with anything."

Qiao Min didn't force her. She looked up at Sister Li and said, "Then let's have a spicy spare rib, stir-fried bamboo shoots, a mutton soup, and a serving of shredded flatbread."

“Okay,” Sister Li turned to Qiao Ruo and said, “Our mutton soup is very authentic and is only available this season. Your sister loves it. She orders it every time she comes over in winter.”

After Sister Li left, Qiao Min looked at Qiao Ruo, who was silently sipping her tea, and spoke first: "You look very well, you don't seem to be troubled by love."

Qiao Ruo resisted the urge to touch her face and smiled, "I sleep well at home."

Qiao Min raised her eyebrows: "Your mindset is much better than I thought. You should have already prepared yourself for the possibility of being rejected after confessing to He Yajun."

Her direct and ruthless way of speaking always left Qiao Ruo speechless. Qiao Ruo looked at her face and couldn't quite understand why there was such a strong personality beneath her gentle and quiet appearance.

"I'll say it again: my business with He Yajun has nothing to do with you."

Qiao Min picked up her teacup again, took a small sip, and smiled: "Even if I'm trying my best to make amends, I have what I want, and you have what you want, but fate is cruel, and these two things are contradictory. Although I ended up with a divorce, I finally achieved my goal. You also have the right to pursue your own happiness."

Qiao Ruo turned her face away and looked out the window, remaining silent.

Qiao Min cut to the chase: "I've heard He Qingyang mention before that He Yajun has had girlfriends, but it seems he has no intention of getting married, which is a real headache for him. Don't let He Qingyang's successful and open-minded approach to love fool you; deep down, he's very traditional and firmly believes that for both men and women, not getting married is a grave transgression, and men especially should bear the responsibility of carrying on the family line. This time when He Yajun came back, He Qingyang even arranged a blind date for him. The girl is the daughter of one of He Qingyang's friends, who also owns a company and is much wealthier than him. During the Chinese New Year, he even took me to his friend's house to pay my respects. I've met the girl; she's very beautiful. She also studied in the United States and returned to China this year after graduating from university. She's currently interning at her father's company. He Yajun met that girl just the day before yesterday."

She recounted this in one breath without any expression, then suddenly shook her head with amusement: "But He Yajun really didn't give his father any face. After meeting the girl, he told her directly that love was dispensable to him and that he had no interest in marriage whatsoever. The girl went home and relayed He Yajun's words to her parents, who were very distressed. They immediately contacted He Qingyang, who flew into a rage upon hearing this and gave He Yajun a severe dressing-down. But He Yajun was completely unmoved, which only made him even angrier. Hehe."

Qiao Ruo composed herself: "It's normal for him to go on blind dates, and it's normal for him to reject others. I don't see anything worth mentioning about this."

"There's nothing wrong with blind dates in themselves, the problem is what he said to that girl. Since you're willing to meet me, it means you still have expectations about being with him. He really doesn't want to get married right now and doesn't have a girlfriend, but his view on love is negative no matter what. I'm afraid that if you, silly girl, actually go and confess to him, you'll get hurt even more."

Qiao Ruo suddenly regretted coming here. She forced a smile and said, "You and his father are about to get a divorce, yet you still managed to find out so much about him from his father. That's quite impressive."

Qiao Min shrugged: "To be honest, He Qingyang and I don't really have any conflicts. He betrayed me and became infatuated with new bodies. It might sound like I should hate him, but I really don't hate him. I didn't marry him because I loved him, and I don't have any emotional possessiveness or desire to control him. Whoever he wants to be with can't hurt me. He's determined to divorce me, and there's no point in me trying to hold him back. It's better to politely discuss the terms of the divorce with him. Fortunately, he's quite generous with money, so we can part amicably, complement each other, and get what we need. Without any further conflict, we can naturally get along peacefully."

Qiao Ruo couldn't help but wonder, is it true that the easiest marriage is one without love as its foundation? But what is the point of a marriage if there is no love and only an exchange of interests?

Qiao Min tapped the table lightly, pulling Qiao Ruo back to reality: "You need to listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Yes, the blind date the day before yesterday is temporarily off, but the girl had a good impression of He Yajun when she saw his photo before the date, and she was even more satisfied when she met him in person yesterday. The girl has already told her family that she will go to New York as soon as possible and apply to study for a master's degree at a university there, so that she will have more opportunities to contact He Yajun in the future. You can probably guess without me saying that He Yajun works in New York now."

Qiao Ruo froze. During her previous conversation with He Yajun, she learned that he worked at a large bank in New York City, and was even the head of a department—she wasn't quite sure which department, but it didn't matter; in her mind, every part of a bank dealt with money. At that time, she realized the enormous gap between them in life and career development. Now, hearing that other girls could easily study in New York and visit He Yajun anytime, she couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat, and felt even more strongly that the chasm between them was insurmountable.

Qiao Min continued, “I have He Yajun’s mobile phone number in China, I’ll send it to you later. My suggestion is this: contact him tonight and ask him to meet you tomorrow. If he refuses, wait for him downstairs at his apartment building—I’ll send you his address as well. In short, you must find a way to see him in person and tell him your feelings. If he accepts your confession, that would be best; but if he rejects you—I guess that’s the most likely outcome—then you’ll have to quit your job immediately, go to the US, apply to a school in New York for a few years, and find every opportunity to get close to him. It’s easy for a woman to pursue a man, and you’re pretty, so with a little effort, you still have a chance to win him over.”

Qiao Ruo stared at her in astonishment, unable to believe her ears: "Do you know what you're saying? This is insane! How could I possibly go to America? Either you're crazy, or I am."

Qiao Min leaned towards her and said earnestly, "We're not crazy. I'm talking about what you should have done a long time ago. You don't need to worry about the expenses. I'll cover all your expenses when you go to America. From now on, you only need to do one thing: think carefully about how to show your good qualities to He Yajun and how to win this man's heart. If you don't do this, there's a high probability that this man will be won over by the girl he met on a blind date. After all, people are fickle, especially men in relationships. One second they might reject you, and the next they might be sleeping together. Not to mention, that girl is rich, beautiful, and several years younger than you."

Qiao Ruo began to imagine He Yajun being intimate with other women, and found herself utterly resistant and terrified. How could the man she loved hold another woman's hand, kiss another woman's lips, and share a bed with another woman?

She sat there blankly, her mind a jumble of thoughts, unable to distinguish right from wrong.

After a while, Sister Li knocked on the door and finally brought out the dishes they had ordered one by one. However, the delicious food in front of her did not whet her appetite at all. She only took a few bites and then put down her chopsticks, not wanting to eat anymore.

She let out a long sigh and said wearily, "Thank you for your kindness, but I won't take your money and go to America to pursue love. Even if I were to go, I would rely on myself. You can eat slowly, I'll be going now."