After Xia Wan left, she called the public relations manager and asked them to suppress the trending topic. They understood without her saying anything more.
After hanging up the phone, I checked Weibo again and found that the online buzz had surged, and her account had been exposed.
Fortunately, she doesn't post on Weibo much, so no scandals can be found.
I thought I could let it go, but now her account is flooded with 99+ private messages and comments, so it's impossible to just let it go.
In order to stop those who randomly call her "sister-in-law", Xia Wan issued a clarification on Weibo.
—Just friends.
The Weibo post was seen by Gu Qian in the hospital ward as soon as it was published.
His already gloomy face grew even more somber, and he pursed his lips tightly.
After posting on Weibo, Xia Wan called her father.
Upon receiving the call, Xia's father gave Xia Wan a severe scolding: "What were you thinking? Not only did you run away from the engagement banquet to the hospital to be with Gu Qian, but you were also seen and the photos were posted online! Do you know how much trouble this has caused the company?"
Xia Qingshan always dotes on his daughter and would never raise his voice normally, but now he's so angry that he's grabbed his phone to yell at her. You can imagine how furious he is.
Xia Wan remained silent until she heard heavy breathing coming from the phone, then said, "Dad, I know I was wrong. I'll go back and apologize tonight. As for the Zhuang family..."
"The bookmaker wouldn't dare say anything to you."
"What about Zhuang Yan? I heard he wants to break off our engagement."
"You're quite well-informed."
Judging from her father's tone, he was clearly unaware that people online already knew that Zhuang Yan had broken off the engagement.
“Even his parents don’t dare to break off the engagement, do you think a mere kid like him would? He’s not even grown up yet.” Xia Qingshan said with disdain. “Zhuang Yan doesn’t have many good points, but he loves you, treats you well, and is filial to his parents. His decision to break off the engagement today is just a momentary impulse. He’ll be fine once he calms down. You were in the wrong first, so try to coax him privately and make him back down. Don’t let things get too ugly. Our Xia family doesn’t need him.”
Xia Qingshan's words implied that he was manipulating Zhuang Yan, implying that Zhuang Yan was reluctant to part with her.
It seemed that everyone thought so, including her friends and her father, which made Xia Wan feel more confident.
"I understand, I will talk to him properly."
Xia Qingshan reminded her, "Come back early, and don't get too close to Gu Qian, lest you make a fool of yourself in the industry and it will be hard to clean up the mess."
Although the Zhuang family is not as powerful as the Xia family, they are still a prominent enterprise in Rongcheng. Zhuang Yan is a second-generation rich kid who has enjoyed a top-tier life since birth, far superior to Gu Qian, the driver's child. Moreover, he has a good personality, is obedient, and is intelligent. Xia Wan will not have to worry about being mistreated after marrying him.
He was very selective when choosing a son-in-law. Xia Wan was an only child, and the huge family fortune would eventually be handed over to her. How could he not find someone capable and sensible?
Xia Wan had heard these words countless times, but she had never taken them to heart. To appease her father, she could only hum in response.
Xia Wan felt much more relaxed after calling her father.
She called Zhuang Yan again, but the call went through and no one answered. Xia Wan thought about it and didn't take it seriously, figuring he was probably busy.
Back in the ward, Xia Wan's first words to Gu Qian were concern for his leg: "Does your leg still hurt?"
"The anesthesia has worn off, and it's starting to hurt now."
Should we call a doctor?
"I can bear the pain, even without this little bit of pain." Gu Qian pretended that nothing had happened. He and Xia Wan had known each other for more than ten years.
Gu Qian came from a single-parent family and grew up with his father, who was the driver for the Xia family. When Gu was six years old, his father drove Mrs. Xia to another city for business. On the way, an accident occurred, and both of them died in the car crash. Neither of them could be saved.
From then on, Xia Qingshan disliked him. Gu Qian knew that he blamed his wife's death on his father, but he didn't think that if Madam Xia hadn't insisted on going on a long trip and had the driver take her, his father wouldn't have died in the car accident. So whose fault was it?
Fortunately, Xia Wan did not accept this hatred and treated him as kind as ever, even regarding him as one of her own kind, because they had both lost their closest loved ones.
At the age when they were just beginning to experience romantic feelings, they developed feelings for each other. Their relationship transcended friendship, became closer than lovers, and was more like family.
Six years ago, Xia Wan would never have shown favoritism towards Zhuang Yan just because of him.
Xia Wan is beautiful and intelligent, standing out among her peers. As the only daughter of the Xia family, she has enjoyed the best of everything since birth.
The excellence that money can buy is something Gu Qian could never catch up to, no matter how hard he tried.
When Xia Qingshan sent him abroad, he thought that he would return to her side when he became mature and outstanding enough, and maybe then no one would say that he was not good enough for her.
But he underestimated the time and distance. When he heard that Xia Wan was going to marry Zhuang Yan while he was abroad, he felt an intense hatred for his own weakness.
He rushed back to China, and although Xia Wan still cared for him as before, he had to admit that their relationship had faded over time.
"Has the public relations been arranged?"
"Um."
"Did Zhuang Yan call you? Didn't the internet say he wanted to break off the engagement? He made such a big decision without even discussing it with you. Isn't that incredibly disrespectful?"
"After all, I was the one who broke the promise first, so it's normal for him to be angry." Zhuang Yan had never lost his temper in front of her before, so Xia Wan found it quite strange.
Xia Wan wasn't being magnanimous; she simply didn't take Zhuang Yan's attitude seriously at all.
Gu Qian continued, "Zhuang Yan is just being pretentious. He's a grown man, yet he's so petty. He brings up the issue of breaking off the engagement at the slightest provocation, showing no regard for the Xia family or your reputation. If he dares to slap you in front of your relatives and friends now, he might dare to lay a hand on you in the future. Don't take him too seriously this time. It's best to ignore him for a couple of days so he'll take the initiative to apologize to you."
Both her friend and Gu Qian said so. At first, Xia Wan had some doubts, but now she felt that what they said made some sense.
“You are the daughter of the Xia family. Even his parents have to give you some face. Why should Zhuang Yan embarrass you? He even announced in public that he wanted to break off the engagement. Isn’t he afraid of messing things up?”
Gu Qian understood Xia Wan; she was arrogant. The better he portrayed her, the less she would back down, and gradually she would start to believe that she was right.
Gu Qian refused to believe that they couldn't be broken up.
Is this really a good idea?
Gu Qian smiled and said, "I'm a man, I know him well. If you take the initiative to back down this time, he will become even more aggressive. You need to understand that your status will always be higher than his."
"My calves are a little uncomfortable, could you massage them for me?" Gu Qian propped himself up, pretending to be unable to move. He was handsome, and by showing weakness, he could evoke a woman's maternal instincts, making her care more about his feelings.
Xia Wan didn't have time to think before her attention was quickly diverted. She stood at the corner of the bed and touched his calf.
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