Chapter 42 Xia Qianqian, do you really want to marry someone else?
As soon as Qin Yan stepped into Xiangyang Village, his gaze swept over the crowd, and he frowned.
He never imagined that his business trip to this remote Xiangyang Village would lead to his encounter with Xia Qianqian.
I heard from the Xia family that Xia Qianqian had returned to her biological parents' home, but I never expected that her biological parents would live in this rural area.
Xia Qianqian, dressed in a plain white dress, stood gracefully among a group of villagers whose faces were tanned dark red by the scorching sun. Her appearance was completely out of place with her surroundings.
Initially, upon hearing that the Xia family planned to change their marriage partner, the Qin family intended to sever all ties with them. However, at this moment, looking at Xia Qianqian, who had fallen to such a state, Qin Yan felt a strange pang of pity.
He walked towards Xia Qianqian and said softly, "Xia Qianqian, let's talk."
The brigade secretary was walking with Qin Yan through the village when he heard Qin Yan's words and immediately stopped: "Comrade Qin, do you know Comrade Xia?"
Qin Yan nodded: "Yes, we are all from Nancheng."
The brigade secretary quickly smiled and said, "Then you two chat first."
As he spoke, he wisely took two steps back.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding villagers looked at the two of them curiously. Seeing this, Xia Qianqian frowned slightly and asked, "Why did you come to Xiangyang Village?"
Qin Yan pointed to the riverbank not far from the paddy field and said, "Let's talk on the other side of the river."
After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and walked towards the river.
The distance wasn't far, but it wasn't close either. The two walked silently, the only sound being the soft crunch of their feet on the mud.
Qin Yan looked at Xia Qianqian walking beside him and felt a little uncomfortable seeing her so silent.
When they were together before, he was always quiet and reserved, while Xia Qianqian was like a tireless, cheerful little bird, chirping incessantly around him. Back then, her talkativeness even annoyed him, but now, this excessive quietness made him feel empty inside.
Qin Yan stopped and spoke first for the first time: "Qianqian, I heard from the Xia family that they don't mean to send you away. You can still come back to the Xia family if you want."
Xia Qianqian looked at him in confusion, not understanding why Qin Yan was suddenly saying these things to her.
Does he really think he'd be interested in being a fake heiress in the Xia family?
In a few days, the Xia family will probably be in dire straits, and she now wishes she could sever all ties with the Xia family and stay far away from them.
Xia Qianqian knew that even if she told Qin Yan, he wouldn't believe her. After all, in his eyes, she was just a fake heiress who had been kicked out of the Xia family.
So, she pursed her red lips, ignoring Qin Yan's words completely, and instead asked the question that mattered most to her: "Why did you come here?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yan glanced at her and thought: Does she think I'm here to take her back to the Xia family?
Although they were engaged in name only, it was merely a transaction of interests between their families. Now, with the political landscape shifting dramatically and the Xia family no longer enjoying its former glory, how could he possibly marry her again?
His family had already arranged a new marriage for him—the daughter of a military leader. Although she wasn't as strikingly beautiful as Xia Qianqian, her family's influence could greatly benefit his career.
Xia Qianqian certainly didn't understand the intrigue and power struggles of officialdom. Seeing her looking at him expectantly, Qin Yan suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
He said gently, "I'm in the village on official business today and will be returning to the city this afternoon. If you'd like, I can give you a ride home?"
Hearing Qin Yan's gentle words, her heart trembled violently.
In the past, she tried every means to appear by Qin Yan's side, preparing gifts for him, accompanying him to various parties, and hoping that one day he would see her goodness and treat her as gently as he does now.
However, she ultimately did not live to see that day.
Now, Qin Yan should be getting married to Xia Wenwen soon. Thinking of this, when Xia Qianqian looked at Qin Yan again, her eyes were as calm as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple.
Now that she has Lu Zheng, all those passionate feelings and humble expectations of the past have become fleeting memories and have nothing to do with her anymore.
Thinking of Lu Zheng, Xia Qianqian smiled faintly and shook her head: "No need, I'm doing very well in Xiangyang Village. I'm getting married in a few days, and you're welcome to come to the wedding if you'd like."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yan was stunned, as if struck by a thunderbolt.
He never imagined that Xia Qianqian would be getting married so soon. Looking at the simply dressed, dark-skinned villagers around him, he simply couldn't imagine that Xia Qianqian would live among them and become one of them.
In his mind, Xia Qianqian should stay in a bustling city and live a life of luxury, instead of marrying someone whose background he didn't know in this remote and impoverished place.
Is she getting revenge on herself?
The thought flashed through Qin Yan's mind, instantly causing him to lose his composure.
He strode forward, pinned Xia Qianqian against the willow tree, braced himself against her side with one hand, and growled angrily, "Xia Qianqian, you are my fiancée, are you so eager to marry someone else?"
Xia Qianqian was a little confused. She looked at Qin Yan in disbelief. Wasn't it him who wanted to end the relationship?
He was always indifferent to her at first, and even a little impatient with her always being around him. Now that she's stopped bothering him, he's become the one bothering her.
Seeing that Xia Qianqian didn't speak, Qin Yan became even more certain that Xia Qianqian was throwing a tantrum at him, but when he saw the mud on her sandals, his heart softened.
"Stop fooling around. Go back and pack your things now, and come back to the city with me this afternoon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and Aunt Xia will be overjoyed to see you home. By the way, the crabs are plump right now, so I'll bring you a basket of them when we get back."
He specifically mentioned Xia Qianqian's favorite food, crab, hoping to cheer her up.
Xia Qianqian was surprised that Qin Yan still remembered that she loved eating crabs, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, but—"
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Yan interrupted him.
Qin Yan said, "There's no need for such formalities between us. I need to take care of some business first, and we can talk again later."
After saying that, he strode toward the brigade secretary. Xia Qianqian didn't want to stay there and be watched by the villagers, so she went back to the clinic, thinking that she would have to find an opportunity to explain things to him after he finished his business.
Because the place where the two were standing was hidden by a big tree, the villagers did not know what had happened between them. They thought it was just fellow villagers meeting, and seeing that there was nothing to gossip about, they all dispersed.
Huang Zhaodi was originally planning to go find Lu Zheng when she suddenly heard someone call out "Qin Yan". Her eyes lit up instantly. She never expected that this person was Qin Yan!
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