Chapter 50 No one looked back
Qiao Xing wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked back at Qin Ce.
He remained as calm and collected as ever, as if nothing in this world could stir his emotions.
"Let's take a walk," Qiao Xing said sullenly.
Qin Ce remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
There is a sidewalk outside the residential area, and the trees on both sides have started to shed their leaves, covering the road with a thin layer of leaves.
The two stepped on the leaves, making a faint sound.
Qiao Xing had her hands in her pockets, and a breeze was blowing, ruffling the stray hairs by her ears.
“When I was very young, my parents divorced. They didn’t want to take me, their child, with them, because they were both looking out for their own future.”
“They were very sexist and never gave me a kind look from the moment I was born. After they divorced, I stood in the middle of the road and watched them walk down two completely opposite paths.”
"None of them looked back. I just stood there and watched them walk further and further away until they disappeared completely."
“I was starving in that rented room for two days. Finally, my grandparents found me and brought me back here.”
Qiao Xing paused, then suddenly reached out and caught a leaf falling from the tree. Seeing this leaf was like seeing herself from years ago.
Helpless and adrift, without roots.
She played with the leaf and murmured, "My grandparents were very good to me. They didn't discriminate against girls; on the contrary, they really liked girls. My uncle was also very good to me because he had a good relationship with my mother since I was little."
My aunt was actually more snobbish back then than she is now, but with my uncle and grandmother protecting her, she didn't mistreat her much. She would just secretly scold Qiao Xing when she was alone.
As a child, Qiao Xing tried very hard to fit into the family. She was very diligent and did all the housework. Every day after school, she would cook, do laundry, and only then do her homework.
Later, her aunt and uncle went out to work, and only Wang Ye played with her, and her life became much better.
His grandmother would force him to do housework with her.
Later, my maternal grandfather passed away, and my uncle and aunt returned. My aunt wanted the savings my grandfather had left behind, which caused a conflict between her and my maternal grandmother.
As Grandma was about to leave, she pulled Qiao Xing aside and gave her the savings book.
She said that once her grandmother passed away, Qiao Xing would have no relatives left. Girls need money in their hands to have confidence and not be bullied.
The total was 200,000, with her and her uncle each contributing 100,000.
“When my grandmother passed away a few years ago, my aunt suspected that my grandmother had given me money. She tried to find out in various ways, but gave up when she couldn’t find out anything.”
"Her attitude towards me only changed after we went to university."
She probably felt that Qiao Xing had grown up and was still a college student, so she naturally wanted to build a good relationship with him, but it was only because there was something to gain from it.
"So you and your aunt have never had a good relationship?" Qin Ce suddenly asked.
Qiao Xing stopped and saw a bench nearby, so she walked over and sat down.
"It's not a good situation, but we still have an uncle and cousin between us. No matter how bad it is, we can't fall out with each other."
Qiao Xing sighed. She didn't get along with her aunt, but she got along well with her uncle. She always remembered that when she was a child, her uncle would often secretly give her pocket money when she was in school.
"Besides, this is my cousin's wedding, so I can't just ignore him. I don't know what I'm thinking, but I feel really annoyed right now."
Qin Ce looked at her profile; her eyes were still a little red, probably from holding back tears.
“You’re annoyed because you can’t ignore Wang Ye, but your aunt takes it for granted that you’ll make sacrifices and has never considered things from your perspective.”
Qin Ce paused for a moment, then said the most crucial sentence, "What bothers you is that you've never integrated into their family."
She wasn't annoyed; she was sad and heartbroken.
Qiao Xing was slightly taken aback, then suddenly turned her head and met Qin Ce's deep gaze.
His words made Qiao Xing's heart tremble, because he was right.
"Then, what should I do?" Qiao Xing stared blankly at him.
She was truly at a loss. It seemed wrong not to agree, as that would make her appear selfish, but if she agreed, she would feel guilty.
“Simple, just let them take back the money they used to buy the house and let them apply for a loan themselves.”
Qiao Xing frowned. "What's the difference between this and turning against each other outright?"
"Then there's no other way. Either you compromise or you turn against them. If you can't bear to part with this family bond, then help them."
"However, you need to consider the consequences. Given your aunt's personality, if the house is mortgaged in your name, they will face a lot of mortgage pressure in the future and may not be able to pay it back. In that case, you will have to pay it back."
Qiao Xing opened her mouth; she had considered this point.
Qin Ce added, "If they can't pay it back in the end and you just abandon them, you'll still end up turning against them. And if you can't pay the loan, in addition to losing 400,000 yuan, you'll also lose this house."
Qiao Xing stared in astonishment, his mouth agape. Yes, this was indeed a very serious consequence.
"Then I'll go back and ask them for the 400,000 back?"
"This is the best way: get out in time and cut your losses. Otherwise, you might end up with nothing and still have to turn against us."
Qin Ce shifted his gaze to the sky elsewhere, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to Qiao Xing, "Sometimes, it's better for people to be a little selfish."
Qiao Xing opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
She longed for a home, but no one was willing to give her one. Everyone in this world weighs the pros and cons, and self-interest always trumps everything else.
She lowered her head silently and remained silent for a long time. "Then we're leaving here. Should we rent a place to live? Or... stay at Grandpa Qin's house?"
Qin Ce glanced at her and said, "I can talk to Grandpa about selling his house and buying a house in the city."
"This... isn't a good idea." Qiao Xing felt that Grandpa Qin had lived in that house for so long and had developed feelings for it. Although he might compromise for his grandson, it wouldn't be fair to the old man.
If things hadn't developed to this point, leaving no other choice, Qiao Xing wouldn't have wanted to give up the house.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. We’ll live together, which will make it easier to take care of him. The main thing is, you and your uncle have fallen out, and you’re still living in that place, seeing each other all the time. Don’t you feel awkward?”
Qin Ce was telling the truth. Just thinking about that scene made her scalp tingle. Her aunt was alright, but what if she ran into her uncle or Wang Ye? How would she face them?
"Then... let's discuss it with Grandpa, but we can't force him."
Qin Ce nodded slightly. He hadn't found a suitable reason to move, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He was determined to move out no matter what.
If it weren't for the difficulty in explaining things to the old man, he wouldn't even be able to come back every day. Living with those shady characters is simply torture.
"Then I'll go back and discuss it with him first." Qin Ce stood up and left immediately, seemingly in a great hurry.
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