Jianjun complained and discussed the agreement. Mr. Qiu listened and asked about his feelings.
"Don't think about it! No matter how wonderful your reasons are, you are still married! How are you going to explain to your wife? The cooling-off period is to let you calm down and try your best to save a relationship, a marriage, and a family! But what about you? Liking someone is your own business, but as a married person, you don't have the qualifications to like others now! I'm sorry, as you said, since you have this idea, talking about being friends is really just covering your ears and stealing the bell! Then we can talk about being friends when you give up this idea! Sorry, Mr. Qian, I want to be alone!"
"Oh, okay, I won't bother you anymore. Sorry." Xue Jiuyue ordered him to leave, and Qian Jianjun could only get up in disappointment.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Qian."
Qian Jianjun hurriedly stopped and turned around, but what he heard was Xue Jiuyue's more polite but distant voice, "Your flowers, and the agreement. I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"
Qian Jianjun returned to his seat in frustration and slumped onto the sofa. Before he could calm down, a visitor arrived.
"Jianjuner!"
Seeing that it was Mr. Qiu, Qian Jianjun quickly sat up. "You are here too!"
"Well, not only was I here, I also happened to see what just happened."
"What happened just now?" Qian Jianjun was a little confused, but when he saw that Mr. Qiu was not as kind as usual, but was looking at him with a sullen expression, his heart tightened and he asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"
Elder Qiu pointed to the rose bouquet Qian Jianjun had thrown on the table and said sternly, "I've always heard you're a good family man, never fickle or philandering, and I've never heard of any scandals about you. Why are you breaking your promise today? I've been here for almost two years, and in that time, Xiaoyue has been very close to my husband and me, like your own daughter! I won't let you follow the example of others who think of having mistresses after getting rich, and I certainly won't let you have such evil thoughts towards Xiaoyue!"
"You, you misunderstood me! Don't you know who I am?" Qian Jianjun said with a wry smile. "It just so happens that my parents passed away a long time ago. I have always treated you like a father. If you have time, I would like to talk to you about my troubles."
Qian Jianjun had been swollen with emotions for so long, stretching him like a balloon ready to burst. Today had only added fuel to the fire. Even if he were as tough as steel, his heart, already rusted and riddled with holes, couldn't withstand it. Now, Elder Qiu had given him an outlet, and so Qian Jianjun poured out all the heartache he had experienced with Mei Rugu over the past few years. Several times, the excitement choked his voice, forcing him to pause, his eyes reddening as he fought to suppress further loss of composure.
Old Qiu hadn't expected the child before him to have such great grievances and so much bitterness. When Qian Jianjun started his business years ago, he had faced so many ups and downs, but he had never seen him like this. Old Qiu couldn't help but be moved, and his usual kindness returned. "Didn't you talk to Xiaomei?"
"Why haven't you discussed it? We've discussed it countless times, and nothing happening is the best outcome! Either we're talking at cross purposes, or it gets worse. I'm scared."
"Alas, even a judge can hardly judge family affairs. If I have a chance, I can help you persuade Xiaomei." Mr. Qiu could only be a listener and was not good at emotional matters. He thought of Xue Jiuyue's matter again, but his attitude was a little gentler than before. "You and Xiaoyue have only known each other for a few days. Why did you involve her? I won't allow you to bully her!"
Qian Jianjun said nothing, but handed the "Agreement" under the bouquet to Mr. Qiu. After Mr. Qiu finished reading it, he explained, "It's not what you think. I'm just deeply attracted to Xiaoyue and I want to pursue her, but that doesn't mean I will hurt her or disrespect her!"
"You're still married after all. Even if you have an idea, you have to wait until you're completely single! Besides, Xiaomei is a good kid. Why can't you sit down and think of a way to solve the problem?"
"I finally have the chance to take a month off. After everything settles, I might not have the time to spend as much time with Xiaoyue as I do now. Talking about other feelings then would be unrealistic! And now that I have this idea, I'll always feel like I'm guilty if I don't tell Xiaoyue. That's why I've resorted to this desperate measure!"
"Is that really all?" Elder Qiu stared into Qian Jianjun's eyes and said forcefully, "Or are you trying to find another partner while you're still with her, or are you using Xiaoyue to distract yourself from the pain of your broken relationship with Xiaomei?"
Qian Jianjun lowered his head in shame at Mr. Qiu's soul-piercing gaze and words, and then uttered a low voice, "I, I, I. I'm sorry! I was wrong, Mr. Qiu."
Elder Qiu's voice continued, "Your mistakes don't stop there! Pain and a yearning for beauty led you to make the wrong decision. But you're a kind-hearted child, so you drafted this agreement as both a constraint on yourself and compensation for Xiaoyue. But you were also wrong in underestimating Xiaoyue. You deliberately offered a high compensation, but wasn't that just an attempt to tempt her?"
Qian Jianjun felt completely transparent in front of Mr. Qiu. All his secrets, even his own vague thoughts, were seen through and revealed. He could only explain palely, "I really like her. Xiaoyue is so outstanding, you know, I couldn't resist her temptation."
"If you weren't married, you and Xiaoyue would indeed be a good match. But Xiaoyue is far more outstanding than you think. Outstanding people always have their own temper and persistence! She won't change because of the conditions you set. Your innate conditions determine that she will definitely reject you. We can't even be friends."
"Yes, she did just as you said. She rejected me and even sent me back. Do you really mean we can't even be friends anymore?"
"If you can really put aside your other thoughts, we should still be able to be friends. After all, you're a kind-hearted child, and these little actions of yours," said Mr. Qiu, pointing to the "Agreement" he had placed on the table, and continued, "Although they can't escape Xiaoyue's eyes, I believe she can also see your sincerity and kindness!"
Before Qian Jianjun could breathe a sigh of relief, Elder Qiu said solemnly, "The prerequisite is that you must put aside those frivolous thoughts. Otherwise, not only will Xiaoyue be angry, but I will not let you off easily!"
"Look at what you said. Everything I do must be true to my conscience! No matter how Xiaoyue looks at me, just like you, I will never let her suffer any offense or harm!" Qian Jianjun quickly raised his head and made a promise while meeting Mr. Qiu's gaze.
Mr. Qiu comforted Qian Jianjun a few more times before he stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving, he said with a worried look on his face, "I won't just listen to your one-sided story. I'll ask Xiaoyue!"
Xue Jiuyue also saw most of what Elder Qiu knew. She rationally rejected Qian Jianjun, even letting him go, simply to distance herself from the married man. After all, "one doesn't put shoes on in a melon field, and one doesn't adjust a hat under a plum tree." She wasn't angry, perhaps a little disappointed. A variety of emotions blossomed, but they were all understated: a subtle sweetness, a touch of sourness, a touch of astringency... The combination created a subtle ripple. Ultimately, there wouldn't be a major upheaval, not to mention the warning from "Spit Star."
The avatar of "Spitting Star" immediately flashed, in my mind and on the computer screen.
"Oh my god! What did I see? It's so early in the morning? The moon is up before it's even dark!"
This kind of "poor" was just the beginning, especially when Xue Jiuyue told him that her inference about Qian Jianjun was correct, she couldn't help but show off and acted arrogantly the whole night...
A light green dress, a goose yellow umbrella, and a graceful figure come alive in the misty rain.
Xue Jiuyue stepped into "Inch by Inch of Time" under Ke Yike's gaze. Looking around, it was a weekday, raining, and there were few customers in the store, but Mr. Qiu had arrived early.
He must have been waiting for Xue Jiuyue, so as soon as the "smiley face" appeared, Mr. Qiu walked over.
"Xiaoyue, want to chat for a while?"
"Mr. Qiu, please take a seat. I've told you before that you are always welcome to give me advice. It would be my honor!" Xue Jiuyue respected this wise and kind old man from the bottom of her heart.
"Oh, you're being so polite! It seems so awkward!" Old Qiu smiled and sat down. He asked directly without beating around the bush, "Did you have any trouble with Qian Jianjun yesterday?"
Qiu Lao's concerned tone and eyes made Xue Jiuyue quickly feel the warmth of care. "Thank you, it's okay. I saw you talked to Mr. Qian for a while yesterday. He must have told you the truth."
"You do trust him. Did he really not harass you or force you?" Mr. Qiu was still worried.
"Really not. If Mr. Qian is just a friend, he is quite a gentleman."
"That's good, that's good! Whether it's now or in the future, if he does anything that makes you uncomfortable, don't worry, just tell me and I'll take care of him! I'll even risk my reputation to help you deal with him! Of course, if you have any other difficulties, you can tell me. Although I'm old, I still have many friends in Xialin."
As Mr. Qiu spoke, he leaned slightly towards the sofa and looked at Xue Jiuyue more comfortably. Finally, his gaze was lingering on the platinum necklace on Xue Jiuyue's neck.
This is the necklace Xue Jiuyue has worn since she was a child. It's a platinum chain with a round platinum pendant about 1.5cm in diameter. It's a fairly standard design. But the only novelty is the rugby-shaped oval in the lower right corner, studded with tiny diamonds.
I remember that more than a year ago, when Mr. and Mrs. Qiu first came to the store, Ke Yike and Zhou Ying were out one time, and Xue Jiuyue went to serve the couple food. When Mr. Qiu saw the necklace hanging down when Xue Jiuyue bent over, he praised it as beautiful.
Mrs. Qiu also thought it was beautiful and asked, "Miss, your necklace is so beautiful. Where did you buy it?"
"I don't know where I bought it, but I've had it with me since I was a kid."
"Oh? Does it have any special meaning?"
"My father told me that the night I was born coincided with a famous partial lunar eclipse that year, and a business used this as a gimmick to launch this necklace, so my father bought it for me."
Later, as the Qius came more often and chatted frequently, they gradually became familiar with each other. Although they were guests, the couple treated Xue Jiuyue with great concern and care, and often wanted to give her gifts, but Xue Jiuyue politely declined. However, the wife often brought her homemade cakes, wontons, and other snacks, which Xue Jiuyue could not refuse.
At first, Xue Jiuyue also suspected that the couple wanted her to be Qiu Nian's girlfriend. Later, when Qiu Nian made it clear that he only had eyes for Lin Yiyi, the couple continued as usual.
During one chat, Xue Jiuyue wanted to express her gratitude, but Elder Qiu said, "We should be the ones thanking you. Thank you for providing us with such a place, a paradise for us to enjoy our time." As he spoke, Elder Qiu pointed to the croissants in front of him and said, "Even the most ordinary croissants taste best when eaten here. Xiaoyue, you are such a good child. Thank you also for your silent concern for us. Don't think I don't know. That time when we left Xia Lin for a few days, you were worried about us and went to Qiu Nian to ask about us. Also, I heard that since I've been coming here so often, you've specially prepared cardiovascular emergency medicine and an AED."
Whether in the past or now, Xue Jiuyue was always moved by Qiu Lao's words. "Thank you so much, Qiu Lao. I'll offer you coffee instead of wine."
An old man and a young man clinked their coffee glasses happily.
After taking a sip of coffee, Mr. Qiu finally felt relieved. After savoring the aroma, he leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Xiaoyue, if you're sure it's okay, I do have something to trouble you with."
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