Chapter 7 Could it be that they broke up?

The night rain has just stopped.

The next morning, when Qu He entered the company, many people's eyes lingered on her.

The gleaming elevator mirror reflected her outfit for the day, and Qu He felt somewhat unfamiliar with herself in the mirror.

This was the first time in five years that she hadn't worn that somber black business suit.

"bite."

The elevator doors opened.

The crisp sound of high heels echoed through the office area and reached the secretariat.

Qu He paused slightly in her steps.

Qiao Mian was surrounded by several colleagues. Her exquisitely made-up face showed an undisguised coquettishness and pride as she held a large bouquet of cappuccino roses in her hands.

The pinkish-brown petals were still glistening with dew, clearly indicating that they had just been delivered that morning.

Familiar packaging, familiar bouquet.

Qian Zhaoye, do you love her that much? So much that even while you're in the police station, you still remember to send your lover flowers?

"Qiao Mian, your boyfriend is so great! He sends you flowers every few days!"

"Yeah, yeah, compared to that, my boyfriend's taste in flowers is terrible."

Qiao Mian listened to the praise from others with relish, proudly holding the flowers.

"Oh dear, actually, the first flowers my boyfriend gave me weren't the kind I liked. He only found out later when I told him I liked cappuccino."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet, but to Qu He it was like poison laced with honey.

It turns out, it wasn't that I couldn't tell the difference.

It turns out, it wasn't a bad memory.

In the face of the truth, all reasons seem so pale and meaningless.

In Qian Zhaoye's heart, he never cared about her thoughts, and her preferences were never worth taking seriously.

The faint scent of roses seemed to turn into a pungent poison at that moment, and Qu He barely managed to steady herself by gripping the back of the sofa.

"Qiao Mian, your boyfriend is so good to you! That necklace you're wearing is a new design from brand A, isn't it?" One of the colleagues leaned closer and exclaimed, holding out her palm. "It costs at least 50,000! And you have to order it three months in advance!"

Qiao Mian covered her mouth and smiled, gently fiddling with the rose gold heart necklace around her neck. "It's alright, he just gave it to me the day before yesterday, saying it looks good on me!"

The necklace shifted between her fingers, and the diamonds set in it shone brightly under the light, stinging Qu He's eyes.

Her gaze seemed fixed on the necklace.

This necklace...

Three months ago, when her birthday was approaching, Qian Zhaoye saw her browsing pictures on A's official website. At that time, he hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, and asked, "Do you like this one? I'll give it to you for your birthday?"

At the time, she only said that she was just browsing and didn't need to spend money recklessly, but deep down she was still hoping for his feelings.

How can you take a man's casual promise seriously?

On my birthday, he frowned and said, "That necklace needs to be ordered in advance, and it's all sold out. Besides, it's not appropriate for a secretary like you to wear such a flashy necklace."

Finally, what was handed to her was a twill silk scarf, along with the words, "Ahe, this scarf suits you better."

Because of his words, she treasured the scarf in her wardrobe like a precious gem.

Looking back now, I realize how incredibly stupid I was; I was completely blinded.

That brightly colored silk scarf was probably just an accessory to the necklace.

Oh.

Recalling the luxury items that occasionally appeared on Qiao Mian's body, and thinking about what she had given and received over the past five years.

Qu He's eyes were filled with coldness, and even the blood in her body felt cold.

A notification sound rang on my phone.

The message came from the housekeeping company: "[Dear member Ms. Qu, your booked 360-degree comprehensive house cleaning is in progress. You can click the live stream link below to watch it live.]"

The sudden sound of a phone notification broke the atmosphere.

Administrative assistant Xiaolin was the first to notice Qu He standing not far away, her voice trembling with surprise, "Sister Qu... Sister Qu He!"

Several colleagues turned around after hearing this, and gasped when they saw Qu He.

This is... Quhe?

No... is this still the same Secretary Qu who usually dresses in a stuffy and old-fashioned way?

Colleagues privately discussed how Secretary Qu always wore her professional attire, 365 days a year, because they had never seen Qu He in casual clothes since they joined the company.

She's so beautiful!

Her hair, which was usually neatly styled in a bun, was now unusually styled into large waves. The hazy blue fitted dress accentuated her slender waistline, and her collarbone was faintly visible beneath the V-neck. The silver high heels she wore made her look tall and aloof.

You should have dressed like this earlier!

Who doesn't love beautiful women!

Qu He stepped forward, feeling the gazes coming from all directions, and Qiao Mian's face gradually darkening.

"Sister Qu looks so beautiful today!"

"This dress makes your skin look so fair!"

"Sister Quhe, you look so much better in a dress than in your business attire! You look great! I love seeing you like that! Wear it more often!"

Administrative assistant Xiaolin approached with a grin, "Sister Quhe, is that Chanel's early spring new style dress? It's not cheap!"

Qu He smiled faintly, and when she caught a glimpse of Qiao Mian's crumpled rose wrapping paper, she swayed her skirt and said, "You have good taste."

Wow! Did your fiancé buy this for you?!

Qu Hexin shuddered, but did not answer.

Actually, this was a birthday gift she bought for herself three months ago.

She had kept it hidden deep inside her wardrobe, and no one knew about it except her.

Over time, she almost forgot that the dress existed.

I've almost forgotten what I used to look like.

Yes! How can you trust a man's promises?

You can just buy what you want yourself.

Her silence was interpreted by others as tacit agreement, and everyone continued with a new round of flattery.

Qu He watched Qiao Mian's increasingly distorted smile and did not deny it.

"Sister Quhe, are you dressed so beautifully today because you're going on a date with your brother-in-law?" Administrative assistant Xiaolin winked, full of curiosity.

The air fell silent for a moment after the question was raised.

Everyone in the company knows that Qu He has a boyfriend she's been dating for many years and they got engaged last year. However, no one has ever seen what the man looks like. Recently, there have even been rumors that her fiancé is a balding nouveau riche man in his fifties.

Qu He had heard these unfounded rumors about the company before.

Any woman would feel bad hearing such slander and rumors. She had talked to Qian Zhaoye about going public with their relationship, but each time she was met with his impatience.

“Ahe, why do you care about what others think? Going public with our current relationship isn’t a good thing. Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Ahe, you know I love you very much, but if others find out we're together, there will definitely be gossip, and it will also affect the company's development. Can you think about me and wait a little longer?”

She believed it.

I've been waiting.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

From initial anticipation to complete indifference.

She thought things would get better with time, that as long as she was with Qian Zhaoye, nothing else mattered. But it turned out to be all a lie!

For five whole years, she was like an invisible person, playing the role of the "perfect secretary" by Qian Zhaoye's side despite the rumors, while he was flirting with other women behind her back.

Seven years of dating, five years of secret relationship.

If her wedding ring hadn't been discovered by her colleagues recently, no one would have known she was getting married soon.

yes!

They're getting married soon.

But why, in the end, is she still someone who can't be seen in the light of day?

Qu He's silence made the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Qiao Mian resumed her arrogant demeanor, saying innocently, "Sister Qu He, you didn't break up, did you? I noticed you weren't wearing your wedding ring today."

All eyes fell on Qu He's fingers, and she subconsciously touched the mark on her left ring finger.

A slight smile played on her lips as she said in a light, airy tone, "I'm planning to get a bigger wedding ring soon."

Qiao Mian refused to back down, "Really? Then when are you going to bring your fiancé over so we can meet him?"