Chapter 59: Heartache and great pity for her
"Link left me on the road." Qiao Ruoqi answered her sister's call and sniffed several times like a baby bird that suddenly found a nest that was sheltered from the wind and rain.
At first, Qiao Ruoying thought she had misheard. She hurried towards the bathroom, hoping to find a secluded place to find out what had happened to her sister.
It turned out that today was the last day of New Year's Day, and the young couple Link and Qiao Ruoqi rented a car and went on a self-driving tour to Songzhuang.
On the way back, the two of them somehow talked about studying abroad again.
Link once again said, "It's all your family's fault. You're so poor. If only you had some money." Qiao Ruoqi finally lost her patience and blurted out impulsively:
"If you let me off, I'll pretend I was blind and never looked for you."
I originally thought it was just a quarrel caused by anger, but Link suddenly braked and the brake valve made a harsh sound when grinding on the road.
If it weren't for the seat belt fastening her tightly, Qiao Ruoqi would have crashed directly into the windshield.
The huge anger and strong sense of self-esteem made her tremble all over. She turned the car door handle and got out.
With a "bang", the car door slammed shut.
The car started and Link drove away without looking back.
Qiao Ruoqi covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief, tears falling silently.
At this moment, she just wanted to be in the arms of her loved ones, to lie in the arms of her mother or sister.
So, she called Qiao Ruoying. She heard her sister's soft but trembling voice, constantly asking her "Qiqi, where are you? Is your phone still charged?"
Qiao Ruoqi pinched her palms hard, forcing herself to calm down.
She was impulsive and called her sister, making her worry for no reason.
"Sister, I'm fine. My phone still has battery... I can just take a taxi back."
"No. Find a crowded place to wait, I'll pick you up." Qiao Ruoying blurted out.
Her heart was filled with intense worry. She imagined the situation on her sister's side. Was she standing alone in the dark night, helpless and helpless?
Besides, it was already ten o'clock in the evening, and she was worried about her sister taking a taxi back alone.
But how could she go to pick up her sister in the way she was dressed?
She could only ask Jiang Zongye for help.
Hesitantly, she dialed Jiang Zongye's number. After a busy tone, a sweet robotic female voice responded: "Hello, the number you are dialing now cannot be connected. Please call again later."
Unable to get through to Jiang Zongye, Qiao Ruoying didn't know whether to be worried or relieved.
Today's dinner made her realize the huge gap between her and Jiang Zongye.
Even Link could say something like "It's all your Qiao family's fault for being poor", which made Qiao Ruoying instinctively resist Jiang Zongye's interference in her family.
She planned to go out by herself and take a Didi.
At this moment, Mina placed a cold, slender hand on her arm and said softly:
"You look like you need help."
-
Ten minutes later.
A Mercedes-Benz G-Class drove out of the Second Ring Road and headed eastward at lightning speed.
It drove through a sea of dazzling, gorgeous, dignified and magnificent lights, leaving those solemn ancient buildings behind, as if it was driving away from a golden sea woven by prosperity and desire.
It was not until the car had driven away for a long time that Qiao Ruoying rubbed her ears, and the lascivious sound of musical instruments in the banquet hall completely disappeared from her ears.
She had a trance-like sense of separation, as if she had stepped out of the hustle and bustle and returned to reality.
At this moment, Qiao Ruoying had taken off her mica white evening dress and diamond necklace, and locked them neatly in the cabinet in the banquet hall.
She changed into Mina's yoga clothes and lowered her head to touch the elastic fabric.
"Thank you so much today." She looked towards the driver's seat and sincerely thanked Mina.
"It just so happens that I don't really feel like attending the dinner party today." Mina held the steering wheel with both hands and sighed deeply. The memories made her eyes misty.
"Actually, I have a younger sister too, so I understand your feelings."
The two chatted for a few more sentences, and at this moment, Qiao Ruoying's phone rang. She picked it up and saw that the name displayed on the screen was "Jiang Zongye". Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a deep breath before picking up the phone.
Although I don't want to admit it, I have to admit that having Mina, a stranger, sitting next to me is much better than having Jiang Zongye.
Because there were some things she didn't want to explain to Jiang Zongye, for example, she didn't want to explain to Jiang Zongye the reason why her sister and Link broke up.
"Yingying, where have you been?"
On the other end, Jiang Zongye's voice was heard, low and blending with the foggy night outside the window. Tiredness, anxiety, a little bit of worry and panic were obvious.
"My sister called me. She...had a breakup. So I want to go over and be with her."
Qiao Ruoying said.
"Where are you now? I'm going to come find you. My phone just died."
Jiang Zong also fell silent, and his voice gradually became lower at the end.
In the banquet hall, Qiao Ruoying wanted to find him, and there were definitely more ways than just calling him, but she just called him symbolically, and didn't even ask the waiter to look for him, nor did she look for Li Zheng.
He was blaming himself at this moment, wondering why he didn't answer her call at that time.
As perceptive as he was, it was impossible for him not to sense Qiao Ruoying's avoidance in this matter, as if she was very reluctant for him to intervene in her sister's affairs.
"No, you don't need to come to me." Qiao Ruoying quickly shook her head.
"Okay." Jiang Zong had no choice but to give up and asked again:
"Who are you with now? Are you safe?"
Qiao Ruoying glanced at Mina who was concentrating on driving. Mina had her lips curled up, revealing a smile that seemed both sarcastic and amusing.
"It's a girl I met at the dinner party."
She added deliberately that at this juncture, she had not forgotten Jiang Zongye's outrageous jealousy and possessiveness.
"Okay. Send me your location so I can help you if there are any problems."
Qiao Ruoying agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Mina put one hand on the steering wheel, snapped her fingers loudly, and said with a smile: "It sounds like he cares about you."
“…”
Qiao Ruoying nodded.
She actually felt that something was wrong with Jiang Zongye tonight. He was so gentle with her. If it were in the past, he would have driven over if he had to ask her "what happened?"
"However, a man's concern is worthless. It's the man's money that lasts."
Mina said again.
She couldn't help but think that this Miss Qiao looked like a naive person. She wouldn't really believe in "true love", right?
In her opinion, true love is bullshit, and money in hand is the real thing.
Qiao Ruoying said "hmm".
After spending a night together, although she did not agree with some of Mina's values, she also felt that Mina was a good person, at least, she was very good to her.
She took out her phone. "I'll add you on WeChat and mail your clothes to you later, okay?"
"Can."
-
Dinner hall.
Chen Luyao played the piano for a while, exchanged greetings with the guests, then went upstairs to carefully fix her makeup and changed into a champagne-colored off-shoulder long dress.
Having been exposed to the power struggles and business ups and downs of her father and brothers since childhood, Chen Luyao knows when to show her tough and resolute side, so she wears a women's suit when she makes her debut;
In front of Jiang Zongye, she also wanted to show her feminine and gentle side, so she would change her skirt.
After changing into her skirt, Chen Luyao looked around but couldn't find Jiang Zongye's tall and handsome figure in the crowd.
She asked her brother, but Chen An shrugged and said, "Jason has left."
"Leave?" Chen Luyao squinted her nose slightly and said unhappily, "Didn't you tell Jason that I wanted to see him?"
"I did. But Jason's girlfriend had something to do and left temporarily, so he went to chase his girlfriend."
“…”
After hearing this, Chen Luyao became more determined that she would go and meet the girl named "Qiao Ruoying".
She immediately said to her brother:
"After this New Year's Day, I would like to perform the duties of an independent director on behalf of Chen and conduct an on-site inspection and supervision of Taiheng Group."
Chen An thought for a moment and said, "Supervision is unnecessary. Jiang Zong won't like us interfering in his affairs. But you should stay closer to him and improve your relationship."
Chen Luyao straightened her back and said proudly, "Brother, don't worry about this. I have my own ideas."
Fifteen minutes ago.
Jiang Zong also looked at the location sent by Qiao Ruoying. The location showed that they were on the North Fifth Ring Road, moving southeast.
He loosened his blue tie with gold patterns on the collar of his shirt and strode out of the banquet hall. The whistling cold wind instantly swept over him, ruffling his hair.
In the dark night, his voice was like rime condensed on the green pines.
"Uncle Li, let's go to the North Fifth Ring Road, faster."
The Rolls-Royce drove onto the North Fifth Ring Road at lightning speed.
Jiang Zong also lowered his head to check the location, until he saw the blue dot representing his own location getting closer and closer to Qiao Ruoying's red dot. His heart, which was restless like boiling water in his chest, seemed to calm down a little.
That night, Qiao Ruoying was chasing her sister and kept watching her sister's location, while Jiang Zong was also chasing Qiao Ruoying and kept watching her location.
They are completely united in their anxious hearts for the ones they love.
Old Li drove the car steadily and quickly, and the distance between the Rolls-Royce and the Mercedes-Benz was getting shorter and shorter. When the distance between the two cars was only five kilometers, Jiang Zong hesitated and sent a message to Qiao Ruoying:
"Yingying, have you found your sister now?"
"Do you want me to come over?"
He was always worried about her.
Two minutes later, a message came back: "I'll be at my sister's place soon."
"You don't have to come over. You've been busy all day and must be very tired. Go back and rest first. Hug/hug/hug"
As usual, Qiao Ruoying sent him three more little green men with the words "hug".
But now Jiang Zong also felt that this "hug" expression was simply a placebo that Yingying used on him, and it was a very ineffective and perfunctory one.
She didn't let him come over, which was within his expectations, but it still made him feel a little lost.
It seemed as if he had always been excluded from Qiao Ruoying's family world.
"Uncle Li, drive slowly and keep a distance of 5 kilometers from the target car."
After a pause, he gave instructions to the driver, Lao Li, in a deep voice.
"yes."
Old Li responded.
He had never heard a voice like Jiang Zongye's, deep and rustling, as if he wanted to touch her but then pulled his hand back, making his heart swell as if the tide was rising.
After receiving instructions from her sister, Qiao Ruoqi obediently waited for someone at a nearby bus stop.
The old locust tree behind the station had lost its leaves, and its bare branches stretched toward the sky like burnt, blackened fingers.
The tall street lamp cast a dim yellow light, illuminating her eyes, which were wrapped in her hood and swollen and red from crying.
From time to time, passers-by would pass by and glance at her curiously and inquiringly. Qiao Ruoqi would turn her face away, holding her cell phone tightly in her hand.
From a distance, Qiao Ruoying followed the location given by her sister and saw her lonely and slender shadow stretched by the street lights. Her heart seemed to be crushed into pieces by wheels.
Mina parked the car, Qiao Ruoying quickly unbuckled her seat belt, put on the black down jacket Mina gave her, opened the car door and got out.
She walked forward and hugged her sister tightly, while Qiao Ruoqi buried her face in her sister's neck and cried loudly, crying like a baby who couldn't find his home.
The north wind blew stronger and stronger, destroying the branches on the roadside and making the dead branches and leaves rustle. From time to time, dead branches fell down, making crackling sounds, like bursts of ghosts crying.
Qiao Ruoying reached out and touched her sister's back, saying distressedly:
"I've been standing in the wind for so long, I'm cold. Let's get in the car if you have anything to say."
Not far away.
A Rolls-Royce was hidden in the shadow of the trees.
Jiang Zong also looked at the girls hugging each other tightly through the car window, and his heart felt like lemon juice was squeezed into it, sour and bitter.
His Yingying was wearing a loose, ill-fitting down jacket, which made her look even thinner and more fragile than before. The north wind blew her long hair, which was stained yellow by the dim light.
Even though she was so weak, she hugged another girl tightly in her arms and clumsily stroked her sister's back with her hands.
He is like a little adult, like a standing tree, like a backing that will not be knocked down.
In an instant, a huge amount of pity and heartache surged up, corroding Jiang Zongye's heart as if it had been eaten by insects and ants, leaving it full of holes.
It turns out that Qiao Ruoying, who had always been treated as a little girl by him, was in the position of a "protector" in her original family.
He watched Qiao Ruoying coax her sister into the car.
The Maserati's headlights lit up, and it turned around, exited the open-air garage in the green belt, and drove back onto the road.
Jiang Zong also watched it pass in front of him and disappear into the darkness.
After a while, he told Lao Li: "Keep a distance and follow that Mercedes."
In the car. Qiao Ruoying and her sister were sitting in the back seat. Qiao Ruoying's eyes were swollen like peaches. She used up the tissues one by one, blowing her nose until it turned red.
In fragments, Qiao Ruoqi explained the whole story of the quarrel with Link more clearly.
When Qiao Ruoying learned that Link had complained to his sister more than once, "If only your family were richer" and "It's because your family is poor," she was so angry that her body was shaking. She pressed her delicate fingers on the leather seat until the edges of her nails turned white, and she bit her lips tightly.
The three of them, mother and daughter, of the Qiao family, formed a small "matriarchal clan". Although they were a little poor, Ms. Qiao Li was optimistic by nature and the home was always filled with a cheerful atmosphere. The sisters never felt that there was a big gap between their family and other families.
However, Link's ruthless words were like sharp knives, cutting through the curtain of life and revealing the harsh reality underneath.
Qiao Ruoying said to her sister firmly:
"Break up with him and stop associating with him. He doesn't love you enough."
Mina, who was driving the car, also snorted, her words revealing her disdain for the mundane world:
"It's better to trust a dog than a man's love for a woman. Men are much more sober and realistic than women when it comes to interests."
She just said it casually, but Qiao Ruoqi raised her head and asked seriously:
"Really? Men...are they that realistic?"
"I'll tell you a little bit, and you'll understand." Mina scratched her ear with her long nails.
"I know a girl who followed a rich second-generation man for three years. In the third year, she finally got pregnant. She thought she could use the child to gain status and move up the ladder. However, the man refused to acknowledge the child as his. His family would never allow this girl to enter the house."
There was a hint of loneliness in Mina's voice. Actually, the girl in her words was herself.
It was only after she had the abortion that she realized that in terms of scheming and ruthlessness, how could she compare to those wealthy generations who sat in high positions?
The second generation of rich people spend more money than anyone else when they go out, but when it comes to marriage, they are more clear-headed than anyone else and insist on marrying someone of equal social status.
"Men are profit-seeking creatures, so let's be more open-minded."
She could hear her sister sobbing softly in her ears. Qiao Ruoying sighed softly. Thinking of herself and Jiang Zongye, she felt a little confused for a moment.
In the past, when she and Jiang Zong were just friends, they thought that becoming boyfriend and girlfriend would be the end of their relationship.
Now it seems that this is just a starting point.
Where will their relationship take her?
Mina walked Foxi to the west and sent the two sisters to the gate of Beiyan University.
Qiao Ruoying was worried about her sister being alone, so she booked a hotel online and planned to go back to Qiao Ruoqi's dormitory to pack some toiletries and clothes, and the two of them would stay in the hotel together.
After packing up the clothes, Mina had already driven away, so Qiao Ruoying and her sister took an online taxi.
The online taxi drove out of the school gate and headed towards a nearby express hotel.
They didn't notice that there was a Rolls-Royce Phantom following them all the way.
The two sisters went to the hotel front desk, entered their identity information, and waited for the elevator to go upstairs.
The Rolls-Royce was waiting on the road. Jiang Zong also opened the car door and then closed it with a "bang".
The carved street lamps stretched his tall figure to be extremely high and long. A crescent moon in the sky was slanted between the clouds, as if it was high above, overlooking all living things on the earth.
Jiang Zong also looked up at the four bright neon characters "Joy Luck Hotel" sticking out from the door frame. The dazzling red color blatantly announced the cheapness of this hotel.
The glass windows at the hotel's entrance were dim, revealing a long-uncleaned, grimy quality. Couldn't this even be considered a three-star hotel?
After his Yingying left him, she lived in this shabby place.
He wanted to change the hotel for her and her sister, but then he thought that maybe Qiao Ruoying had not yet told her family that she was with him and had "upgraded her consumption".
Thinking of this, he suppressed the idea.
In fact, Qiao Ruoying did not tell the truth to her sister.
Because her relationship with Jiang Zongye was not very proper at the beginning, she was afraid of setting a bad example for Qiao Ruoqi.
So, when Qiao Ruoqi asked her sister why she knew Mina who drove a Maserati, Qiao Ruoying only vaguely told her sister that she met Mina by chance.
As for Jiang Zongye, she didn't even mention him in front of her sister.
While Qiao Ruoqi was taking a shower in the bathroom, Qiao Ruoying thought carefully and sent a message to Jiang Zongye:
"My sister and I have settled down in a hotel. I want to stay with her tonight and not go back to Manhe."
Jiang Zong quickly replied, "Okay, Yingying, just stay with your sister and don't worry about anything else."
"As for work, I'll have Li Zheng contact his supervisor to help you get a few days off."
Originally, Qiao Ruoying was still worried about asking Lily for leave, but when she heard Jiang Zong say this, she instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Zong hesitated for a moment, but still sent a message asking:
"It's cold in North City, so it's not convenient for you and your sister to stay in a hotel. Why don't you tell me your address and I can send someone to deliver something to you?"
"Clothes, quilts, shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries are all useful."
If possible, he wanted to replace all her hotel equipment for tonight so that she and her sister could live comfortably and peacefully.
After all, isn't the reason he makes money to protect his loved ones and give them a better quality of life?
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The author has something to say: Tonight, Brother Jiang was the wife-waiting stone all night [burst into tears][burst into tears] But it was what he deserved, because it was his fault for not answering Yingying's call.
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