Chapter 156 A Happy New Title: Pre-Husband

Zhuang Bieyan stood a few steps away.

He was wearing a simple casual shirt and had a tall, straight figure, but there was an inexplicable tension and loneliness about him.

His gaze fell directly on Qu He.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The fragrance of osmanthus was still rich, but the silent gaze between the two people gave the fragrance a slightly sour taste.

Qu He finally understood where the noises coming from next door these past two days, as well as the two flowerpots and vases that had just fallen, came from.

It turns out that this careless neighbor was actually Zhuang Bieyan.

“Ahe.…”

Zhuang Bieyan called her name.

Qu He, however, acted as if she hadn't heard his voice or seen him.

She turned to look at Zhou Shi'an and responded to his invitation, "Sure, I should be free tomorrow."

The moment Zhuang Bieyan turned away from Qu He, the tenderness in his eyes vanished instantly.

Just now on the second floor, he clearly saw Zhou Shi'an's gaze towards Qu He, as well as his subtle footsteps.

This kind of underhanded scheming is utterly despicable!

The first flowerpot was accidentally knocked over when closing the window, while the second vase was deliberately thrown down by him when he couldn't control his jealousy after seeing Zhou Shi'an raise his hand.

He had long seen through Zhou Shi'an's feelings for Qu He, but he never expected that this person would dare to take advantage of the situation and chat and laugh with Qu He right under his nose, trying to steal her away.

This kind of mistress behavior is utterly shameful!

This jealousy and anger had been building up inside him for a long time, and now he could no longer hold back. All that remained in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Shi'an was warning and hostility.

But Zhou Shi'an seemed oblivious to the look he was being given, his gaze remaining calm.

He nodded gently to Qu Hewen, "Okay, I'll send you a WeChat message tomorrow."

"Um."

After receiving her response, Zhou Shi'an looked at Zhuang Bieyan beside him, nodded slightly out of politeness as a greeting, and then turned to leave.

Qu He watched Zhou Shi'an leave.

His figure disappeared at the alley entrance, leaving only two people at the door.

She felt the air around her become oppressive because of someone's presence, and even the fragrance of osmanthus in the wind became cloyingly sweet.

After watching Zhou Shi'an leave, Zhuang Bieyan's gaze fell on Qu He again.

She seems to have lost weight again, even though it's only been a few days.

A gentle breeze blew by, and her dress swayed slightly.

His heart tightened; the person he had finally managed to recover from had become thin again because of this illness.

“Ahe”.

Qu He seemed not to hear, and opened the door to walk into the courtyard.

Zhuang Bieyan stepped forward and reached out to stop her, but stopped when his hand touched her arm. He pleaded, "Ahe, please talk to me, okay?"

He pleaded cautiously.

"Are you feeling alright? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" he asked, finally unable to resist gently taking her wrist in his hand.

Her wrist was very slender, and Zhuang Bieyan dared not use force, yet he was reluctant to let go. "Can you say something to me? Just one sentence, these past few days... I..."

He choked up, and although he didn't say the rest of the words, the pain on his face said it all.

Qu He's back stiffened for a moment.

But she didn't turn around, instead coldly mocking, "You live next door, don't you see everything I do? Why are you still pretending to ask?"

She twisted her wrists forcefully, trying to break free from him.

"let go!"

She finally turned around and waited for him.

Those eyes, once brimming with tenderness and affection, once held him wholeheartedly, now held only indifference and coldness.

Zhuang Bieyan was burned by that gaze and subconsciously let go of his hand, but his body still stubbornly blocked the doorway.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, it's all my fault for making you feel bad and sick..."

He stared at her greedily, longing for her to look at him again, even if it was just a look filled with hatred.

“I didn’t intend to hide the fact that I moved to Yujia Ferry from you. I called you but no one answered, and you blocked me on WeChat.” He explained why he moved there.

“Ahe, did you see the clarification on Weibo? I didn’t lie to you. I’ve never dated Yan Shu. The fireworks video was just an angle issue. I stepped back when she hugged me, but the video only captured the first frame.”

"Ahe, please believe me just this once, okay? I really have nothing to do with her."

Zhuang Bieyan carefully observed her expression, his tone humble yet filled with anticipation.

Qu He looked at his eagerness to clear his name and suddenly wanted to laugh, but her lips were stiff and she couldn't bring herself to smile.

She turned her head to look at the osmanthus tree in the yard.

It doesn't matter?

Is it okay for you to keep someone else's ceramic swallow in a safe like a treasure?

It's okay, just because someone makes a phone call, you'll run out to see her in the middle of the night?

It's okay for the two of you to be pulling and tugging at each other and hugging in the hotel corridor?

It's okay, you can set her birthday as the safe's password?

It's okay, you can embroider the swallows she drew on your tie and wear it every day.

It's alright, she's wearing a jade pendant around her neck, a heirloom from the Zhuang family.

Wow, what a pure and innocent relationship!

Each rhetorical question was like a knife, cutting into Qu He's heart.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and her chest felt tight and painful, as if she had returned to the feeling of difficulty breathing when she had a fever.

"Zhuang Bieyan, if you tell lies like this too often, no one will believe you anymore. I was stupid enough to be fooled by you using me as a stand-in, but now you're still using this same old excuse to fool me. Don't you think it's getting a bit boring?"

"I never considered you a substitute!"

Zhuang Bieyan frowned and denied it.

A question arose in his mind: if Qu He really saw the contents of the safe and recognized them, why would she react this way?

He stepped forward, wanting to take her hand, but then stopped, asking urgently, "Ahe, you saw what was in the safe, didn't you?"

Qu He looked at him incredulously.

What's the meaning?

Is this a provocation?

She knew everything, yet she was still helpless?

Fire comes from within.

Zhuang Bieyan changed his questioning approach, guiding her to recall, "That ceramic swallow, that little picture book, and that letter..."

Qu He interrupted her directly, "So what if you saw it?"

"So you don't have anything to say to me?" Zhuang Bieyan's eyes lit up with anticipation. "I thought you understood everything?"

Qu Heqi's temples throbbed, and her head ached so badly she thought she had a fever again.

He's provoking her!

She took a deep breath. "I understand! Of course I understand! I understand now, so this is what you meant by 'it has nothing to do with her.' Best wishes to you both..."

Qu He paused, swallowed back the wish for a long and happy marriage, and uttered, "I wish you two a lifelong bond, I wish you happiness."

"No!" Zhuang Bieyan instantly realized something was wrong and grabbed her hand. "Ahe, there must be some misunderstanding between us, listen to me..."

"What misunderstanding? What other misunderstanding?" She forcefully pried his hands away.

"The things in your safe are fake? I was dreaming when you went to see her in the middle of the night? Or did the swallow in your tie fly up and embroider it with needle and thread? Wow, that would be the ninth wonder of the world!"

Qu He clapped twice on the spot.

There was no emotion, only mockery.

"How...how did you know I went out to see her? No, I didn't go to see her! No, I can explain anything. Please give me another chance to explain, okay? Please believe me one more time," he pleaded.

Qu He was tired and didn't want to argue with him anymore.

She smiled dismissively, "Okay, okay, I believe you. I'll believe you even if you say the sun is square, is that alright?"

"Anyway, who you're with in the future has nothing to do with me, just like who I'm with in the future has nothing to do with you, my ex-husband."

Ex-husband?