67 When a person is driven to the brink of despair, dignity becomes the most luxurious thing.
The relief he had longed for seemed so close. Cheng Boyan could almost picture Xu Junxian signing the divorce papers, and the scene of this relationship that had bound him for so many years finally coming to an end.
This was the sense of relief he had long awaited.
However, the conditions that followed were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing that faint flame of hope. "Persuade Secretary Qiao to drop the charges against her," this requirement made his handsome brows furrow deeply, and the slight relaxation he had just felt was suddenly replaced by heavy shackles.
Seeing Cheng Boyan pause for a moment, Attorney Song took a half step forward and lowered his voice even further: "Mr. Cheng, Miss Xu also specifically mentioned that Secretary Qiao has always been loyal to you. This is not just the friendship between superiors and subordinates, but also carries a heartfelt awe and respect. Given your importance in her heart, if you speak up personally, she will definitely consider it carefully."
Cheng Boyan was silent for a moment. Yes, he couldn't deny it. If he really tried to persuade Qiao Lanyue, that kind and resilient girl, she might very well choose to swallow this enormous injustice and give up using legal means to defend the justice she deserved, out of consideration for past favors.
She might actually nod with tears in her eyes, and then swallow all the bitterness and pain alone.
But is this fair to Qiao Lanyue?
That innocent girl suffered an undeserved calamity simply because she was wrongly targeted for emotional revenge, and her body and mind were severely traumatized.
That criminal charge was the last vestige of justice she and Fang Xiyi could seek for their baby in their extreme grief and anger. How could Cheng Boyan, for her own sake, personally destroy their possibility of seeking justice?
Using the pain of others as a stepping stone, such freedom, even if obtained, is destined to be so heavy that he will never be able to live with peace of mind for the rest of his life.
Cheng Boyan raised his eyes, his gaze now devoid of its usual firmness. "No. My answer will not change. Please tell Miss Xu that this path is not viable."
A hint of obvious disappointment flashed across Attorney Song's face, but he quickly composed himself, took a business card from his suit pocket, and handed it to him with both hands: "I understand. However, Mr. Cheng, please consider this carefully for a few more days. My number is on this; I'm available to call you anytime." His posture remained respectful, yet carried an unwavering determination to achieve his goal.
Cheng Boyan did not take the business card. "No need," he said succinctly, then turned away, giving the other party no further chance to persuade him.
Attorney Song lingered for a moment, then quickly left.
Silence returned to the corridor, leaving Cheng Boyan alone. Cheng Boyan took out his phone and saw a message from Fang Xiyi saying he was in the restroom.
He stood by the window, waiting for Fang Xiyi, while his gaze drifted to the sparse figures in the garden below, his thoughts uncontrollably drifting back to many years ago.
At that time, Qiao Lanyue was just a junior in college intern, inexperienced and hardworking, even more so than Zhou Yun, Cheng Boyan's full-time secretary. That day, near the end of the workday, Cheng Boyan overheard her making a phone call in the hallway, borrowing money, otherwise she might face dropping out of school.
He had to catch a late-night flight for a business trip, and before leaving get off work, he called Qiao Lanyue to his office.
"Secretary Qiao, I heard you've been having some trouble lately? Is there anything I can help you with?" He tried to keep his tone casual.
The girl suddenly looked up, a hint of panic and embarrassment flashing across her face: "Mr. Cheng, yes, there's been a sudden change in my family situation, and I don't know how I'll pay for next semester's tuition. But I don't want to drop out of school. I've already asked relatives and classmates for some money, but it's still not enough..."
He raised his hand to stop her from explaining further, and while quickly packing his briefcase, he said, "I have some cash at home, I'll give it to you to tide you over later. Don't let it interfere with your studies."
Mobile payment was far less developed back then than it is now.
Qiao Lanyue was stunned, her eyes reddened slightly, and her lips moved a few times.
"I need to go home now to get my luggage and head straight to the airport. I have a business trip tonight." He glanced at his watch. "Why don't you come back with me? It'll be faster that way."
He remembered clearly that the girl's face had lost all color, and her eyes were filled with shock, struggle, and a complex mix of emotions he couldn't fully comprehend at the time. She was silent for a few seconds, and finally, she answered in a voice barely audible: "...Okay."
The atmosphere was unusually somber on the way home.
Cheng Boyan was busy answering client calls and didn't pay much attention to the intense inner turmoil of the girl beside him. Halfway there, Qiao Lanyue suddenly spoke softly, "Mr. Cheng, I'm sorry, I'm feeling a little dizzy and would like to buy some medicine. Could you ask the driver to pull over for a couple of minutes? It'll only be two minutes, very quick."
Cheng Boyan looked up at her; the girl's face was indeed a little pale. He then told the driver to pull over.
At the time, Cheng Boyan only thought she was genuinely unwell and didn't think much of it.
Standing in front of the dazzling array of products in the pharmacy, Qiao Lanyue's thoughts were in turmoil. She recalled the various situations she had encountered while borrowing money from her classmates recently.
"Lan Yue, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I haven't paid back all the money you borrowed from me last time, and my allowance is limited." Her classmate Zhang Jingyun had already lent her a thousand yuan, but Qiao Lan Yue's internship salary wasn't high. Despite being frugal, she could only pay back six hundred yuan after receiving her salary last month.
"Isn't your dad quite wealthy? Why is he asking us for a loan?"
"I earn more than you working part-time at a bar at night. Do you want to consider it?" Gu Caiyue, a classmate, works part-time at a bar because her family is poor and she has a younger brother to support. However, she also admitted that she has been sexually harassed many times and felt helpless.
At that moment, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the family planning supplies section. The neatly arranged boxes on the shelves seemed to silently mock her predicament. If this was the price, at least she could continue her studies.
"Miss, what do you need?" The pharmacist's question sent a shiver down her spine.
Finally, she picked up a box of condoms, and then, almost involuntarily, added a box of birth control pills. Her fingers were trembling as she reached the checkout counter.
What if President Cheng is unwilling to take precautions? She knew that President Cheng was always serious and decisive in the company, so she couldn't take the risk and bought some pills.
Her cheeks burned as the barcode scanner beeped. She stuffed the small plastic bag into the innermost part of her backpack and walked out of the pharmacy.
At this moment, Qiao Lanyue especially understood her classmate who went to work at the bar, even though she was taken advantage of time and time again.
When a person is driven to the brink, dignity becomes the most luxurious thing. It started raining outside, and the raindrops slid down the car window, much like the tears she couldn't shed.
She nervously reassured herself that at least Mr. Cheng was cleaner than those bar patrons who tried to grope her roommates.
Upon arriving home, Cheng Boyan opened the door and stepped aside to let Qiao Lanyue enter first. Under the warm light of the entryway lamp, he noticed fine beads of sweat on her smooth forehead.
He bent down and took out guest slippers from the shoe cabinet. "If you feel hot, you can take off your coat. Don't worry."
These words made Qiao Lanyue even more nervous. Was he about to get down to business? Was he about to begin this deal she least wanted to face so soon? Her fingertips unconsciously touched the buttons on her trench coat.
Unraveling the mystery means accepting everything that's about to happen; but if she doesn't, how will things end? She told herself she needed the tuition fees, not to drop out of school.
Just as she was struggling with her inner conflict, Cheng Boyan had already changed into slippers, straightened up, and pointed towards the living room: "Sit on the sofa for a bit, I'll go to the study to get the money."
Qiao Lanyue stood there, stunned, watching Cheng Boyan turn and walk towards the study, his back straight and upright.
In less than two minutes, Cheng Boyan brought her an envelope containing a stack of cash and handed it directly to her: "Here is eight thousand yuan. Use it first. Let me know if you need more. I can lend you money every semester until you graduate."
Qiao Lanyue originally thought that President Cheng would only pay her after he finished the job. Now, as she took the heavy envelope, her fingers trembled and her face was full of disbelief.
To her even greater surprise, before she could even unbutton her trench coat, Cheng Boyan added, "I need to get my luggage and head to the airport now. Do you live at school or somewhere else? It's not safe to carry so much cash. If it's on my way, I can have the driver give you a ride."
After she finished speaking, Cheng Boyan saw tears well up in the girl's eyes without warning, rolling down her cheeks in large drops. She hurriedly lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Cheng Boyan was somewhat surprised at the time, thinking that she had lost her composure because she was moved by the money that was "a timely help in her time of need," and gently comforted her, saying, "Don't cry, the difficulties are only temporary, just work hard in the future."
Many years later, just a few days ago, he learned the other side of the story from Fang Xiyi.
Why did Qiao Lanyue think that way? It turns out that at the time, besides a girl working at a bar in Qiao Lanyue's dormitory, there was also a girl in her class who was academically excellent but chose to be kept by a boss due to financial difficulties. This incident greatly shocked Qiao Lanyue.
Both of these girls need to support their younger siblings, so student loans alone are not enough.
Therefore, when Cheng Boyan, her boss, suggested taking her "home to get money," she immediately misunderstood his intentions, thinking that he had the same idea.
She hesitated, but the thought of her suddenly deceased mother and the impending interruption of her studies made her unwilling to give up. And because her father was wealthy, she was also ineligible for student loans.
Cheng Boyan only learned from Fang Xiyi a few days ago that on the way that day, she pretended to be dizzy and bought medicine, but actually bought condoms. She went through great inner torment because of this.
All her fear, struggle, and humiliation transformed into overwhelming shame and gratitude when she received that pure, unconditional loan and heard him inquire about her address and arrange for a driver to take her there.
Qiao Lanyue's scalding tears contained too many emotions that Cheng Boyan failed to understand at the time.
It was this goodwill that began with misunderstanding and ended with respect that initiated Qiao Lanyue's absolute loyalty and protection of him for many years.
Qiao Lanyue respected him, not only because he was her boss, but also because he provided crucial help to her during her most difficult time in a way that did not compromise her dignity, thus protecting a young girl's fragile bottom line. In the years that followed, Qiao Lanyue remained very dedicated to her work.
Even when the Xu family wanted to ask her for information about Wen Xueyan, she didn't reveal a single word.
Recalling this past event, Cheng Boyan's resolve hardened. How could he betray such a weighty trust and loyalty?
Just then, Fang Xiyi emerged from the restroom at the other end of the corridor, his face still damp, clearly having just washed it with cold water in an attempt to refresh himself. He walked over to Cheng Boyan, his voice weary: "Have you been waiting long? I just got a call from the company, and I had to deal with something urgent."
Cheng Boyan turned around and looked at his partner who had always fought alongside him, deciding to tell him about the incident that had just happened.
Fang Xiyi's brows furrowed instantly, his eyes revealing clear resistance and difficulty. It was a mixture of protectiveness and anger; how could he accept the further injury to Qiao Lanyue, who was already traumatized?
Cheng Boyan didn't give him a chance to express his painful struggle: "Don't worry, what I think is exactly the same as yours. I will never ask Lan Yue to make any concessions. The person responsible for this injury must bear the full cost."
Fang Xiyi's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and a look of relieved gratitude flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath, his voice slightly hoarse: "Thank you, President Cheng. I know what divorce means to you, and I know how long you've waited..."
"It's alright, let's go."
*
Xi Mingyuan's black sedan smoothly merged into the traffic and headed towards the hospital. Wen Xueyan leaned back in the comfortable back seat, took out her phone, and habitually dialed the payment counter for her mother's ward. Every Monday at this time, she would check the account balance and promptly pay the outstanding hospital deposit.
"Hello, I would like to check the balance of my mother Wen Xiali's account."
The nurse on the other end of the phone quickly responded: "Wen Xueyan, right? Your mother's account just received a deposit of 100,000 yuan this morning. The balance is currently sufficient, and you won't need to make any more payments for the next few weeks."
Wen Xueyan was slightly taken aback. "One hundred thousand?" she repeated softly, this number far exceeding her usual payment amount. "May I ask who made this payment?"
"She is a woman surnamed Qian, and her registered name in the system is Qian Haiping."
Qian Haiping. That's Cheng Boyan's mother.
In an instant, she understood everything. Cheng Boyan considered that he was still in the midst of divorce proceedings, and if he personally paid the medical bills for her mother, the opposing lawyer would inevitably find out. So he asked his mother to help, thus ensuring the medical expenses were covered while avoiding all possible troubles in this thoughtful way.
After all, the Xu family's lawyers did not have the authority to directly investigate Qian Haiping's accounts.
This thoughtful consideration stirred a warm feeling in Wen Xueyan's heart.
"Thank you for letting me know." Wen Xueyan ended the call softly and slowly put her phone back into her bag.
Xi Mingyuan was focused on driving, ignoring the news about Wen Xueyan's mother's medical expenses and continuing to be stingy.
Soothing classical music filled the carriage as Xi Mingyuan's gaze fell through the windshield onto the approaching hospital building.
"We're almost at the hospital," Xi Mingyuan said.
She nodded, then asked, "At the company, can you be as gentle as you were this morning when you defended me? You said you'd explain things to me in detail on the way."
"Wen Xueyan, there's something I need to clarify. The gentle demeanor I showed you at the company was essentially an act. But I'm not a professional actor, so too much acting inevitably leads to flaws."
He paused, then continued, "Therefore, in the workplace, I will still treat you the same as other colleagues. In other words, I believe that less acting reduces the chances of slipping up. Moreover, this is my principle: official business must be handled officially. I have always believed that mixing personal feelings with work responsibilities is a major taboo in management."
Wen Xueyan nodded slightly, feeling that she needed to get used to his clear-cut way of handling things.
“A show like today,” he continued, “is enough to be performed only once in a while. Its purpose is clear: to make everyone understand your importance to me. To establish your authority, some boundaries only need to be drawn once, and smart people will understand.”
A knowing smile appeared on Wen Xueyan's lips: "I understand. It seems that you will still not hold back when criticizing me in the conference room from now on."
“Of course.” Xi Mingyuan suddenly turned his head, a rare hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes. “Otherwise, with my handsome appearance, if I were to be paired with my meticulous gentleness, what if you couldn’t help but fall in love with me? I don’t want our cooperative relationship to become complicated.”
This sudden display of narcissism made Wen Xueyan chuckle. She shook her head with a light laugh and said, "President Xi, you're dreaming. You're just dreaming."
Just then, Xi Mingyuan's phone screen lit up. He glanced at it, his expression regaining its usual composure: "My grandmother and assistant have arrived at the hospital entrance."
The car came to a smooth stop. Xi Mingyuan got out first and went around to the other side to open the car door for her.
His hand gently rested on Wen Xueyan's lower back, the gesture appearing intimate.
"Grandma." Xi Mingyuan's voice rarely carried a hint of genuine warmth.
The elderly woman with silver hair standing at the door turned around upon hearing the sound. She wore an elegant cashmere coat and a string of lustrous pearls around her neck. Although she was over seventy years old, her eyes were still clear and bright. This was the matriarch of the Xi family.
Just then, the hospital's glass doors slid open to both sides. Cheng Boyan and Fang Xiyi walked out side by side and met Xi Mingyuan and his group.
Cheng Boyan's gaze involuntarily fell on Xi Mingyuan's hand, which was gently resting on Wen Xueyan's waist. He paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace, politely nodding to Old Madam Xi.
"Madam Xi, Mr. Xi." Cheng Boyan's voice was calm and composed, without the slightest hint of anything amiss.
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Are Qiao Qianyue and Qiao Lanyue half-sisters?
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