Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Do You Care About Me?
On Friday afternoon, Ruan Xiangyi appeared in the show hall with Zhou Xunyin wearing a high-end dress. Today was a jewelry show with the theme of forest girls. The gem necklace displayed on the model's neck attracted many people's admiration.
Afterwards, there was a banquet.
It had been a long time since Chou Xunyin had attended such a banquet. As soon as she showed up, many wealthy ladies, many of whom she couldn't name, came to greet her, just to make themselves known. Chou Xunyin smiled and greeted them, saying that it had been a long time since they'd seen each other and that she looked younger. They also asked about her projects.
They were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.
Ruan Xiangyi stood by and took a sip of orange juice.
A lady named Lin laughed and said, "I heard from the organizers that you bought two sets of high-end jewelry right after the show." The total value of those two sets exceeded 20 million.
Xun Yin smiled modestly and said, "I thought it was nice, so I bought it for my daughter-in-law."
The topic turned to Ruan Xiangyi.
I cast an inquiring glance and finally saw the rumored "Mrs. Xiao Zhao".
Everyone had previously assumed that Zhao Qingshi and Li Wenyin were a perfect match, but no one had anticipated that he would end up marrying a mere daughter. That's fine, but the Ruan family had at least publicly announced that this daughter was a legitimate daughter, though she'd been kept out of public view and rarely brought to banquets. Who would have guessed she was actually a stepdaughter? Perhaps the Ruan family had some leverage over her that forced her into marriage? It wasn't just Ruan Fu's divorce, but now the Ruan family's stock price had plummeted, prompting speculation that the two families hadn't reached an agreement for some reason. By making this public now, Ruan Fu was just throwing in the towel.
But now it seems that Zhou Xunyin attended today specifically to express her attitude that the Zhao family recognizes this daughter-in-law.
"She's so beautiful, she's a perfect match for Qing Shi." They were all smart people, and after understanding this, they also picked up nice words to say
Someone noticed and was slightly surprised: "Xun Yin, are you going to have a grandson soon?"
Now everyone understood the reason for this marriage, and there was a hint of other meaning in the look they gave Ruan Xiangyi, but no one dared to say it out loud.
After a sigh, he laughed, "Xun Yin, you are so lucky. Unlike my husband, he is already in his thirties and still has no plans to get married. It drives me crazy."
Xun Yin smiled and said, "There's no need to rush this matter. I'm just lucky to have found a good daughter-in-law like Xiangyi."
Zhou Xunyin tilted her head and introduced Ruan Xiangyi one by one, and Ruan Xiangyi called for them obediently.
As he spoke, the brand's boss walked towards her. He was a fair and elegant foreigner. He greeted Zhou Xunyin in fluent Chinese. Also accompanying him were Mrs. Li, Jian Hong, Li Wenyin's mother.
Now it's time to watch something interesting. As everyone knows, Chou Xunyin and Jian Hong are best friends. The marriage contract between the two families was made by them. I wonder what their relationship is like after what happened.
Jian Hong glanced at Ruan Xiangyi's belly. Even though her dress was loose, she could tell she was already very pregnant. She pursed her lips and said, "Xun Yin, congratulations! You got ahead of me on this."
Xun Yin stepped forward and took her hand: "Remember to come to the full moon banquet then."
After all, I am a decent person, so I have to pretend to be decent. I can't let others laugh at me.
Jian Hong smiled and said, "That depends on whether your boy will invite me." This sentence is very meaningful.
Xun Yin frowned: "How dare he?"
"There are many things he dares not do." Jian Hong let go of her hand, her smile faded and she looked at Ruan Xiangyi, who called her aunt.
"When you have time, ask Qingshi to bring you home for dinner." After saying this, she turned and left.
Ruan Xiangyi was sitting alone in the lounge area when the waiter brought her a small, delicate cake. She tried one and it was delicious. Suddenly, the sofa next to her sank and someone sat down. She looked and saw it was Jiang Ruzhi.
"I can see from a distance that you're distracted. What's wrong? Are you worried?" After not seeing each other for a long time, Jiang Ruzhi had lost weight, and her dress still had a little room at the waist. Ruan Xiangyi raised her eyebrows, "You're here too."
"My mom dragged me here. Why are you sitting here alone?"
"I'm just a little tired."
"My mom told me that you were pregnant. Were you pregnant during your internship?" Jiang Ruzhi asked.
"Hmm." Ruan Xiangyi said softly, "Do you think I'm scheming, ruining other people's marriages, and... getting pregnant before marriage?"
In this place, everyone looked at her as if to say that it was she who had used some trickery to marry Zhao Qingshi.
"Do you know what I was thinking when I was in Guizhou and I didn't know what your relationship with Zhao Qingshi was?" she asked.
"What are you thinking about?"
"If you insist on having a relationship with Zhao Qingshi, it must be him who provoked you first," Jiang Ruzhi comforted her. "They look at you with hostility because they're jealous of you, jealous that you can easily get him without any effort. And I think the person who should have put in the effort should be Zhao Qingshi. You got pregnant for him before you even graduated from college. To be frank, scolding him is the least of your words. But he must really like you. I saw it when we were in Guizhou. He cares about you very much."
Ruan Xiangyi nodded: "I understand."
Life is her own, let others say whatever they want, she can't care too much. Thinking of this, she felt relieved.
"I heard from Brother Zilang that you also left the TV station?" She suddenly remembered this.
"I didn't plan to stay long, but my uncle insisted that I go. I'll be studying abroad soon and can only come back during the winter and summer vacations." Jiang Ruzhi took her hand, "You can come and visit me during this time, otherwise you'll have to wait until later."
"OK."
"I heard that a big star is also here today. Come on, you accompany me to take a photo."
…
Zhao Qingshi had an appointment tonight to discuss a business deal with Gu Suyan. When he arrived at the place, he found that the old man Ruan Fu was also there.
Zhao Qingshi suddenly lost interest.
Ruan Fu found a middleman to negotiate a deal with Zhao Qingshi, but Zhao Qingshi had nothing to say and rejected his cooperation on the spot.
Ruan Fu's face suddenly looked a little embarrassed.
Gu Suyan said at this time: "Boss Ruan, Boss Zhao won't cooperate with you, you can find me to cooperate with."
Ruan Fu regained hope, but he didn't know that this was a trap set up by the two men.
Zhao Qingshi raised his wrist to check the time, figuring the meeting was almost over. Ruan Fu was still chattering away, so he frowned, drank his wine in one gulp, then grabbed his coat and walked out. "I have something else to do, so I'm leaving now."
The moment he stood up, Ruan Fu winked at the man next to him.
The man immediately stood up and said respectfully, "Mr. Zhao, I'll take you there."
The corridor of the private club was silent. Zhao Qingshi suddenly felt a little hot all over. He tugged at his tie. The man next to him took the initiative to support him: "Mr. Zhao, you are drunk. There is a room upstairs. I will take you to rest first."
When they got to the room upstairs, Zhao Qingshi pushed his hand away and told him to close the door and get out. Hearing the door close, he walked into the bathroom, turned on the bathtub faucet, lay down in it, and made a phone call.
"I'm sending you my location. Come here quickly. I suspect I've been drugged."
He put his phone aside, listened to the sound of running water, and closed his eyes. He didn't notice that the lock on the door had been opened.
Li Yingxue received a call from her agent, saying a boss wanted to meet her. Seeing the address she had sent, she assumed it was for a private room. She took the key card handed to her by the waiter. She knew exactly what this meant. Her agent told her that after tonight, she would be the face of the world's top luxury brand.
There was no one in the room. She walked in carefully. It looked as if no one lived there. She sat on the bed, feeling very uneasy. There were two little people fighting in her mind. The room was quiet. She heard the sound of running water in the bathroom. Someone was there.
She stood up and saw that the door was not closed. She hesitated for a moment and walked over. Through the open door, she saw a man inside. She was shocked. It was actually...
Hearing the noise, Zhao Qingshi looked towards the door warily, his voice already hoarse: "Who?"
Li Yingxue didn't dare to move.
Zhao Qingshi sat up with one leg propped up, his shirt pressed against his chest, revealing the outline of his body underneath. There was indeed someone standing at the door, not Qiu Boyu, but a woman.
His suspicions were confirmed, and his expression darkened.
"Get out."
When Li Yingxue saw the people inside, she was panicked for a moment and didn't dare to move. At this moment, she thought of Ruan Xiangyi. She hated this woman. How was she inferior to her? Why could Zhao Qingshi treat her so gently? Before she met Ruan Xiangyi, Zhao Qingshi had been very patient with her. She had even endorsed a brand he had invested in.
Li Yingxue became bolder and stood at the door to negotiate with him: "I can help you explain to Ruan Xiangyi, but you have to give me the top luxury endorsement."
She wasn't stupid. Even if she had sex with a man like Zhao Qingshi, he wouldn't take responsibility and would even block her. She wouldn't do that kind of business.
Zhao Qingshi frowned: "Who do you think you are?"
"Boss Zhao, I'm not the one who set up this scheme. I'm just helping you."
Zhao Qingshi closed his eyes and didn't bother to pay attention to her.
Li Yingxue pushed open the door and walked into the bathroom. She squatted beside the bathtub, looking at his fascinating face, and was lost in thought for a moment.
Zhao Qingshi's eyes snapped open at the pungent scent of perfume. The phone next to him rang, and Li Yingxue kindly handed it to him. She saw the name Xiangyi ticking on it.
"Mr. Zhao, would you consider this?"
Zhao Qingshi took the phone, glanced at Li Yingxue, and put it to his ear. Before he could speak, Li Yingxue made a small sound, as if she was irritated by something. Zhao Qingshi took away the phone that had been hung up long ago, and clenched his fingers slightly into a fist: "You think I can't see through those tricks, threatening me? You got to where you are today by selling yourself? Are you cheap?"
"You misunderstood me. This is my first time today." Li Yingxue smiled. Even though he insulted her like that, she was still mentally strong enough to consider him. "Mr. Zhao, I have your wife's circle of friends. Tell me, if I post something and she sees it, will she think too much?"
Zhao Qingshi scoffed, "Okay, it's just an endorsement. Call your agent and I'll talk to her in person."
Li Yingxue smiled happily: "Really?"
The man clicked his tongue impatiently: "Why are you talking so much nonsense?"
There was movement at the door again. Qiu Boyu kicked it open, walked in and shouted, "Zhao Qingshi!"
Zhao Qingshi raised his hand and replied weakly, "Here."
Hearing his response, Qiu Boyu walked in. Seeing Li Yingxue beside him, and then looking at their clothes, both intact, he breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled the person out of the bathtub and carried her on his shoulders.
His whole body was soaked with water. Qiu Boyu threw a blanket over him and said, "What's wrong with that woman in the room? Who has the guts to drug you?"
Zhao Qingshi supported his head, opened his cell phone, and called Ruan Xiangyi again.
"Are you home?" he asked after the call was connected.
The other side replied: "No, it will take a while."
Zhao Qingshi hummed and explained, "I was just talking to someone and didn't mean to hang up your phone."
"It's okay, then you go ahead with your work. Let me know when you come back." She said considerately.
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Qingshi rubbed his head. He felt like he was on fire and threw away the blanket irritably: "Go to your house and call a doctor."
Qiu Boyu glanced at him and asked, "Why don't you tell Xiangyi?"
"I'm afraid she'll worry."
"Aren't you afraid that what happened tonight will get out? If she sees it online, it won't be the same as what you're confessing now."
"He can't get out," Zhao Qingshi said. "I've already sent someone to arrest the guy squatting at the door."
"You handle this kind of incident so easily, it seems you have a lot of experience." He smiled.
"Anyone with a bit of intelligence should have guessed what the other party's purpose was. Fortunately, the person who came tonight was Li Yingxue. She knows what not to do."
"From what you said, you don't plan to pursue her?"
"She's sensible, but she shouldn't threaten me with Xiangyi."
"Then she really hit the nail on the head."
During the few hours that Zhao Qingshi hadn't returned, Ruan Xiangyi received a call from Lin Manshu. She sounded anxious and seemed to be crying, so she thought something had happened. Then, Lin Manshu told her, "Zhao Qingshi went to check into a hotel with someone."
Ruan Xiangyi didn't believe it.
Lin Manshu threw a few photos at her. Not long after Zhao Qingshi entered the room, a woman also came in. Thinking of the call that had just been hung up, as if confirming something, Ruan Xiangyi asked with trembling hands, "Where did these photos come from?"
Lin Manshu said it was given by Ruan Fu.
Ruan Xiangyi wanted to say that this was photoshopped, but she opened her mouth and couldn't say anything. She just said that she would ask him when he came back.
After finishing her call with Lin Manshu, Ruan Xiangyi called Zhao Qingshi, but he didn't answer. She continued to call, but after three calls, still no one answered. Her hands were getting colder and colder. She looked at the clock hand which was set at twelve o'clock. He usually didn't come back so late.
On this side, Qiu Boyu had just sent the doctor away. Zhao Qingshi was still lying in bed with an IV in his hand. After thinking for a while, he called Xu Jingzhi.
Xu Jingzhi called Ruan Xiangyi and told her that Zhao Qingshi was at Qiu Boyu's place, and used Qiu Boyu's excuse to tell her that they were drunk. Ruan Xiangyi said she knew.
After a bad night's sleep, Ruan Xiangyi was awakened by a noise before six the next morning. She opened her eyes and saw Zhao Qingshi had returned. He came out of the bathroom, still damp with moisture. Seeing that she was awake, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek: "Sorry for waking you."
Ruan Xiangyi turned her back and covered her face with the quilt. She was a little unhappy about being woken up. After a while, the bed behind her sank, and her entire back pressed against the man's chest. He hugged her: "Go to sleep, I'm back late."
At half past eight, the sun shone in from the balcony. The legs exposed outside the quilt bent their toes, and Ruan Xiangyi woke up. The hand was still under her neck. She turned over and looked at him face to face. He was not awake yet, his eyelashes drooped quietly, his eyebrows were soft, and his lips were rosy. She couldn't help but raise her hand to stroke his brow bone. What she didn't notice was that the man's lips curled up.
"What are you doing?" She withdrew her hand, and Zhao Qingshi caught it, opened his eyes and stared at her with a smile.
"Nothing." She muttered.
"Are you unhappy that you didn't come back last night?" he asked.
Ruan Xiangyi shook her head: "I'm not unhappy. I know you're very busy every day."
After a while, she asked again: "Did you drink a lot of wine last night?"
Zhao Qingshi thought about it.
Does a glass of baijiu with something added to it count? That thing made him lie down at Qiu Boyu's house for half the night.
"Yeah, I did." Qiu Boyu recalled what he had said before leaving. He said Jing Zhi had called last night to say she was drunk and staying at his house, and he thought she minded. "Don't worry, this won't happen again next time."
"I understand." Ruan Xiangyi lowered her eyelashes.
Zhao Qingshi stared at her head for a while and felt that something was wrong with her, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.
"Are you still going to school today?"
"Yes."
"I send you."
"No, there's a driver." She pulled his arm away and closed her eyes again. "I want to continue sleeping."
Zhao Qingshi looked at her quietly for a while: "Then I'll go to the company first. Call me if you have anything."
Ruan Xiangyi muttered, "Yeah."
The atmosphere at the company wasn't very good today, especially for Xia Li. Amelie came over and pulled her aside early in the morning, saying, "Your boss is in a bad mood today. Be careful."
Her boss's temper has never been good, Xia Li is used to it.
"No, no, no, his temper is different today."
How different, Xia Li thought.
After a busy morning, three questionings, five phone calls, and four angry outbursts from the boss, Xia Li admitted that today's boss was different.
"Were those photos from yesterday destroyed?" Zhao Qingshi suddenly asked in silence.
"It was destroyed..." Xia Li instinctively felt his anger would intensify after saying the last part, "But that person leaked the photos in advance."
Zhao Qingshi frowned: "Who did you pass it to?"
Xia Li: "Ruan Fu."
Zhao Qingshi sneered: "It really is this old guy."
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Ruan Fu received a notice from his subordinates saying that there was a problem with their goods and they were still stuck at customs and could not get through. The partner was now demanding payment. Not only that, someone revealed Ruan Fu's affair with his secretary Su Shunyi, and the company's stock price plummeted. Now many media outlets gathered downstairs of the company.
Ruan Fu sat on the leather chair. He didn't expect Zhao Qingshi to be so cruel.
Zhao Qingshi thought about it all day. He felt that Xiangyi was not in the right state today. She didn't answer the phone and replied to messages late. This had never happened before. After dealing with the people, he calmed down and carefully considered the details.
After receiving a call from Lin Manshu saying she was downstairs, Zhao Qingshi asked Xia Li to go downstairs to pick her up. Lin Manshu walked into his office and sat on the sofa with a bad look on her face. Zhao Qingshi asked Xia Li to get a glass of water and sat down and asked, "Mom, what's the matter with you coming to see me today?"
"Mom just wanted to ask you how you and Xiangyi are doing lately."
"Xiangyi and I are doing well recently, you don't have to worry."
"Very good?" Lin Manshu laughed angrily, "So good that you're going to cheat on me?"
Zhao Qingshi paused, "Mom, how can you say that?"
"What do you mean?" Lin Manshu threw the photo at him. "Look at it yourself. Do you still remember what you promised me? How long have you forgotten it? Are you worthy of Xiangyi? She's waiting for you at home with a big belly, and what are you doing out there? I've only been divorced for less than a month, and you're so impatient to see your lover. What's the difference between you and Ruan Fu!"
As she spoke, Lin Manshu choked up: "My poor daughter, she was kept in the dark by you."
Zhao Qingshi clenched his fist: "Mom, who gave you these photos?"
Lin Manshu wiped her tears and said, "Does it matter who gave it to her?"
Zhao Qingshi: "Is it Ruan Fu?"
Lin Manshu paused: "How do you know?"
Zhao Qingshi resisted the urge to tear up the photos and gritted his teeth, "Because he set me up."
After explaining the whole thing to Lin Manshu, her expression improved, but she still had doubts: "You really didn't lie to me?"
Zhao Qingshi asked Xia Li to send her the copied surveillance footage: "You can take a look."
After reading it, Lin Manshu was shocked: "Why would he do this?"
"I guess he wants to tell you that if you leave him, your daughter will be hurt by your decision, which will make you regret it. This is his way of punishing you and making you live with self-blame for the rest of your life. Maybe he also wants you to go back and beg him, beg him to help you, beg him to remarry you. He wants to control you."
Lin Manshu's pupils dilated and she murmured, "He must be sick."
Lin Manshu then realized what a fool she had done and asked anxiously, "I also sent this photo to Xiangyi last night. Did she ask you anything?"
Zhao Qingshi stared at her without blinking: "You mean, she knows?"
Ruan Xiangyi left school very late today. When she was waiting for the driver on the roadside, she received a message from Zhao Qingshi, saying that he was waiting for her on the roadside. Ruan Xiangyi looked at the car with its hazard lights on and walked over.
Zhao Qingshi drove and asked her what she wanted to eat tonight.
She was a little tired and wanted to go home.
Zhao Qingshi didn't say anything.
She slept all the way to Xiangshan No. 1. The car stopped at the door, and she was still asleep. With both hands on the steering wheel, he looked at her sleeping face in the courtyard light, lost in thought. Ten minutes later, Ruan Xiangyi woke up. She rubbed her neck and was about to ask why she didn't wake me, but she heard him say, "Why didn't you ask me about what happened last night?"
ah?
Ruan Xiangyi was so sleepy that she didn't react for a moment.
The moment I met his eyes, my heart was a little flustered. His eyes seemed to contain words of sadness and disappointment.
Ruan Xiangyi understood what he was saying and smiled: "Because I believe in you."
She was hesitant at first, but after receiving that phone call, she believed it.
"Xiangyi, I'm asking why you didn't ask me." Zhao Qingshi asked dejectedly, "Since you knew about the photo, why didn't you ask me?"
"I believe why you ask."
"It's different." He looked away, the hair on his forehead hiding his disappointment, "You don't care about me at all."
"I just don't want to quarrel with you because of this."
"Do you know why I didn't come home last night?" He said to himself, "Ruan Fu had someone tamper with my wine. I realized something was wrong and immediately called Qiu Boyu to pick me up. I didn't expect him to arrange for someone else to come. You know that person, Li Yingxue. From the time she entered the house to the time I left, the whole thing took less than five minutes. I checked the surveillance footage and you can send it to me if you need me. Later, I was afraid you would worry, so I went to Qiu Boyu's house. Because I was allergic to some ingredients in the medicine, I was unconscious for half the night and didn't wake up until almost six in the morning."
"You said you believed in me, so I should be happy. But," Zhao Qingshi's expression faded, and he was silent for a while. The last bit of hope in his eyes also disappeared. "I feel very uncomfortable."
"Xiangyi." He took her hand and placed it on her heart. "Do you have me here? You never said you loved me. I thought you were just reserved. You knew other women had entered my room, but you kept silent. Do you care about me?"
Ruan Xiangyi: "Does love need to be expressed?" Can't you feel it?
For a moment, Zhao Qingshi was stunned by her words.
Zhao Qingshi was defeated: "I might need to think about it myself, you go in first."
After people walked into the villa, Zhao Qingshi looked up and thought for a few minutes, then received a call from Gu Suyan and finally drove away.
Gu Suyan had organized a party, and the group was having a blast in the middle of the dance floor. Zhao Qingshi leaned back on the sofa, sinking deeply into his mood. Qiu Boyu was drinking with him, but seeing that his interest was waning after just two drinks, he asked, "Did you have a fight with Xiangyi?"
quarrel?
He thought, how could they quarrel when she was so soft-tempered.
"No."
"You say no, but your face shows it all." Qiu Boyu took his phone away and exposed him without leaving any room for doubt. "You've stared at my phone so hard that it's almost broken. How could Xiangyi come out of it?"
Zhao Qingshi: “…”
A few seconds later, Zhao Qingshi explained to Qiu Boyu the cause and effect of their quarrel today.
"I'll go and give you a false testimony. Will Xiangyi hold a grudge against me?"
Zhao Qingshi was impatient: "You're in a relationship and Gu Suyan donated his brain to you as a dowry?"
Qiu Boyu laughed: "Look at what you said, you are not joking, you look so serious."
"If something like this happens to you, will Xu Jingzhi ask you?"
"It's hard to say, after all, it hasn't happened." Qiu Boyu said, "You can ask Gu Suyan."
Zhao Qingsheng looked over disdainfully. Is there any need to ask him? Shen Tingwan's personality probably weakened him.
It's meaningless.
"Give me the phone."
"Don't look at your phone. Nothing's happening."
“…”
"That's because I muted it."
"Instead of looking at your phone and waiting for someone to comfort you, why don't you change your nature of running away from home after an argument? When you were a child, you argued with your parents, and now you're an adult, you argue with your wife."
"We didn't quarrel." Zhao Qingshi corrected lightly, "We just need to calm down."
Qiu Boyu shrugged and said "oh".
Zhao Qingshi turned off the mute button, threw it aside, and closed his eyes. The music gave him a headache. Just as he was about to speak, his cell phone rang. The string in his head tightened. He picked up the phone and took a look, only to find that it was not him.
The string broke.
Qiu Boyu felt very uncomfortable when he saw the frustrated look on his face.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I don’t want to write separately, for fear of being criticized for being melodramatic, so I’ve written it all in this one chapter. This should be the final breaking point, and I want to wrap it up.
Good morning, I have two hours left to go to the company to work overtime [burst into tears]. The next book I will start reading is "A Girl's Prayer", which is a secret love story. If you are interested, please collect it, considering how hard I work.
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