Chapter 56 056 Necklace

【Yulin】

At the pinnacle of Suzhou City lies a cluster of villas nestled against the backdrop of mountains and water, a tranquil haven resembling a paradise. Those who can afford to settle here are likely members of long-established, prestigious families or powerful nobles.

Here, wealth is just the most inconspicuous admission ticket.

"I'm warning you one last time! If I find you hanging out with those scoundrels again, get out of here right now!"

Yu Jin raised his cane tremblingly and growled angrily, "Look at what you've become! A grown man with pierced ears, tattered clothes, and a life of heavy drinking. You're already 23 years old. Can you be more ambitious and show me a project like your brother did?"

He took a deep breath, slammed his cane down on the ground, making a dull thud. He insisted, "Accompany me to meet a client tomorrow. Remember to dress respectably. If you dare to fool around again, go back to your mother!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Yu Zeyuan froze in place, clenching his fists to suppress his trembling body. He finally squeezed out three words from between his teeth: "Got it."

He turned back to the room, and with a loud bang, all his anger and depression were vented against the door.

*

In a dessert shop in the city center, Xue Yi had been waiting for nearly half an hour. The agreed time was 2 p.m.

She was about to send a message to ask when the door of the shop was pushed open. Lin Wei, who had arrived late, walked over quickly with an apologetic look on her face: "Sorry, Sister Yiyi, I kept you waiting for so long."

Xue Yi smiled and said calmly, "Nothing. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Lin Wei took off her sunglasses, and a hint of doubt appeared on her young face full of collagen. She asked directly, "Sister Yiyi, can I ask why you broke up with Brother Aze?"

Xue Yi picked up a small spoon, scooped a spoonful of dessert into her mouth, but the sweet aroma failed to suppress the bitterness in her heart: "There are many reasons, and I can't explain it clearly at the moment."

"Okay, I won't force you. But do you know... that Aze-ge has been forced by his family to go on a blind date recently?"

Xue Yi paused holding the spoon, and a seemingly nonchalant smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Now I know."

Lin Wei continued unwillingly, "She's the daughter of Shengtian Group, and she has connections in the political and business circles. The Yu family will definitely not miss this opportunity for marriage. Do you really intend to watch Brother Aze marry someone else?"

At first, she didn't like Xue Yi, thinking she was old-fashioned, boring, preachy, and even looked down on her. But as they gradually got to know each other, she found herself being quietly changed by Xue Yi. Not only her, but even Yu Zeyuan had become much more mature and calm, no longer the angry little master.

She began to envy Xue Yi, as these qualities were what she lacked. Especially after knowing that they were together, she accepted them from the bottom of her heart and sincerely wished them well.

But who would have thought that within less than a month, the two would go their separate ways. These days, Yu Zeyuan spends all day at the bar, listless, and when drunk, he keeps asking, "Am I terrible?"

She saw it with her own eyes and felt even more pain in her heart.

After much deliberation, he decided to find Xue Yi, hoping to save the relationship.

Xue Yi raised his eyes, met her gaze calmly, and said firmly: "Yes."

Lin Wei's breath was choked.

She couldn't comprehend how the person she cherished and pursued so desperately could become dispensable in his eyes. An indescribable feeling of grievance and anger welled up in her heart: "Why?! He likes you so much! Did you know he's been drowning his sorrows in alcohol these past few days? Those people in his family are such ruthless people, they all want to find something to hold against him! They even brought his mother into the picture to force him to go on a blind date!"

Xue Yi had heard something about Yu Zeyuan's mother, but she didn't know the details. She only knew that the word "mother" was extremely sensitive to him.

Lin Wei took a few deep breaths to calm her excitement and continued, "You probably don't know, right? Brother Aze's mother is Uncle Yu's fourth wife, a full twenty years younger than him. She once won the title of 'Miss Huaqiu' for her beauty. This marriage between an old man and a young wife attracted much attention in the circle at the time.

Brother Aze was born when Uncle Yu was fifty. This late arrival naturally pampered him, but he was also met with intense jealousy from his older siblings. He was marginalized and even the target of ridicule from his peers. Uncle Yu was too busy with work to care for them, so Brother Aze and his mother struggled.

When Aze was eight years old, Uncle Yu found a new love. His mother was furious when she found out and decided to divorce him. Uncle Yu gave her a large sum of money, but on the condition that she keep Yu Zeyuan. She actually agreed, took the money, and left young Aze behind to go abroad.

From then on, Aze's already difficult situation became even worse. He had almost no friends and was always alone. When I saw this, I took the initiative to approach him. At first, I simply wanted to be with him, but gradually, this companionship turned into possessiveness, and then into love...but he only treated me as a sister.

Lin Wei lowered her head, her usually bright almond-shaped eyes losing their luster, a trace of loneliness flashing across them. "Later, I wanted to take Brother Aze away from this suffocating family and suggested that we study abroad together. At first, he was happy to do it, but for some reason he changed his mind and chose to stay in Sucheng alone.

Dejected and disheartened, I traveled abroad alone, where I met Azege's mother. She told me that Azege had secretly come to see her, but she had rejected him. She was dating a boyfriend ten years younger at the time, and it was inconvenient for her to see him. This explains Azege's subsequent aversion to relationships with men who were older than him.

"I think, at that time, Brother Aze must have felt that he was redundant. He felt that it didn't matter where he went, so he finally chose to stay in Sucheng. However, since then, he has closed his heart and become a different person. He learned to drink and smoke, and hang out in nightclubs, trying to numb the emptiness in his heart with the hustle and bustle of the environment."

Lin Wei excitedly grabbed Xue Yi's wrist, pleading in her eyes: "Sister Yiyi, Brother Aze wasn't born wanting to escape! He's become like this because he tried and struggled and found it useless! Can you give him another chance?"

Xue Yi pursed her lips.

It would be a lie to say that I don’t feel sad, but this relationship has ended. This is the result of my careful consideration.

She slowly withdrew her hand: "Lin Wei, we are all adults. Relationships are not playing house. Since you have chosen to break up, I naturally have my considerations."

Lin Wei pressed on: "What are you considering? Could it be that in your heart, Brother Aze is really not as good as those illusory things?"

Xue Yi frowned and corrected him, "First, that's the dream and career I pursue, not something illusory. Second, there's no way I'd give up my current freedom and wade into his family's mess. Third, we've only known each other for a few months, so naturally our feelings aren't as deep as you imagine. I'm not a saint, I'm a human being, and everyone has a selfish side. Even if I choose to be with him now, with Yu Zeyuan's personality and way of doing things, we'll definitely fall into endless quarrels, and no matter how much we like each other, it will eventually wear out, and we'll end up in a falling out. It's better to cut the loss before our feelings deepen. Even if it hurts, it's only temporary. Am I right?"

Lin Wei opened her mouth and wanted to refute, but found that her words were so pale and powerless. She could only bite her lip and remain silent.

Xue Yi's frighteningly calm voice rang in his ears again: "I listened to what you just said and made a brief analysis. According to Yu Zeyuan's current situation, marriage may be his best choice. It will not only consolidate his position in the family, but also provide a strong backing for his career development.

After all, Shengtian is a top-tier resource in the business world. Who wouldn't want a piece of the action? With this support, he'll definitely be able to make a name for himself, and his brothers and sisters will also be wary. "Besides, I've seen Shengtian's daughter. She's stunningly beautiful and comes from a similar family background. They're a perfect match."

"However, every advantage has its drawbacks. The Shengtian Group has connections in both the business and political circles, and they are extremely strict with their family members. They will never allow any news that would damage the family's reputation to be leaked, so the pressure they have to bear is even greater. Being a son-in-law in their family is not easy, and the Tan Shui family may be even more involved than the Yu family. Of course, the premise of all this is that he must have a strong sense of professionalism."

Lin Wei widened her eyes in shock.

She couldn't understand how Xue Yi could accept these facts so quickly and even analyze the pros and cons for Yu Zeyuan in an orderly manner! This woman was so scary!

"You can convey what I just said to Yu Zeyuan. If there is nothing else, I will leave first. I still have a lot of luggage to pack at home. Waiter, pay the bill."

Xue Yi stood up, scanned the code to pay, and pushed the door open.

The heat wave outside hit me like a sauna, instantly melting my forced calmness.

She quickly got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and tried to divert her attention.

When I got home, the raindrops rushed up to me happily.

Xue Yi had no intention of dealing with it. He strode into the room, fell heavily on the bed, and did not move.

She needs a quiet space to digest all the information and negative emotions.

Growing up, her grandmother taught her to put her own feelings first. Therefore, whenever she faced a decision, she would habitually prioritize herself. If the negatives of something far outweighed the positives, she would decisively choose to give it up.

But this time, she was a little hesitant.

Xue Yi suddenly sat up from the bed and remembered the gift Yu Zeyuan had given her before.

She took out the velvet gift box from her bag, hesitated for a moment, and then untied the ribbon.

Inside was a limited edition necklace from B, with a rose gold body, a pink four-leaf clover pendant in the middle, and tiny diamonds inlaid around it, sparkling under the light.

She picked up the necklace and was surprised to find that there was something engraved on the back of the pendant. When she looked closer, she saw that it was the initials of her name.

Usually, this kind of custom necklace that needs engraving needs to be booked at least a week in advance, which means that he had prepared this gift long before Chinese Valentine's Day.