Volume 1, Chapter 123 Sister?
Xu Jingmo never expected that one day he would be so calm and rational.
Du Ruo was leaving at the end of the month at the latest, so he booked two tickets for next Saturday, and he would send her off.
It was a nearly 15-hour long flight, and he didn't want her to be sad alone on the plane.
He then took another flight back five hours later to catch his class on Monday.
It's not that he couldn't take some time off to spend more time with her, but he knew that he would have to face the reality sooner or later and there was no way to escape it.
It would be better to return to normal life as soon as possible, work hard to improve, and find her earlier.
The countdown to the day when the two officially parted began, with only 10 days left.
Of course, he also has his selfish motives.
When he had classes, he asked Ji Yunbai and Wen Fei to accompany Du Ruo to play around.
When he didn't have classes, sometimes they would be alone together, and sometimes they would hang out with his roommates and friends.
He took her to play scripted killing, took her to participate in college night riding, took her to visit night markets, took her and her friends to hike, raft, camp, fish, visit exhibitions, play go-karts, go to music festivals, listen to talk shows, take photo booths...
He arranged all kinds of indoor and outdoor activities to make her daily time full and exciting.
He remembered that Du Ruo's original intention of returning to China was to make friends, not just a boyfriend.
He hopes that every memory she has here will be happy and beautiful.
This way...will it make her more concerned about this place...
No matter what happens in the future, when you think back to the good times we once shared, your heart will soften a little...
*
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it's already a week later.
It was another Wednesday, and Xu Jingmo had a full class in the morning. Du Ruo wanted to give these new friends a gift before leaving.
In order to keep the surprise, she went shopping alone without asking Wenfei.
It was still the Xu family's shopping mall. Du Ruo prepared corresponding gifts for each person based on the information he knew.
Wen Fei is more concerned about beauty, so Du Ruo bought her a limited edition bracelet from a well-known brand.
Jian Yu likes taking photos, so Du Ruo bought her a Fuji mirrorless camera.
Li Qianyue likes painting, so Du Ruo bought her a set of 30-color gift boxes from Old Holland.
Du Ruo didn't have much contact with Dai Ziyi and didn't know what she liked, so she bought her a practical makeup gift box.
Bought Ji Yunbai a Martin guitar.
I bought a 4090 graphics card for Shi Rui, Meng Senyang and Chu Cong.
The remaining boys who were not so familiar with each other bought a Switch game console each.
Du Ruo makes purchases with a purpose and arranges for the store manager to deliver the goods to her door after purchase.
Then she sat on a lounge chair in the mall and sighed absentmindedly.
For her, giving gifts is easy. Just give the best gift within her means and cater to her friends' preferences. It's a simple thing. As long as her friends are happy, she feels it's worth it.
However, giving gifts will not make Xu Jingmo happy...
They don't need gifts to maintain their relationship. What they want most is time and distance that money can't buy.
They both pretended to be strong tacitly.
Xu Jingmo was afraid of putting pressure on her, so he pretended to be normal and told her from time to time that he would visit her during the summer vacation and go to certain places.
She had been pretending to be normal, following his arrangements, playing with her friends every day without a care in the world, not daring to reveal her reluctance. After all, she had always been such a stable person, and if she collapsed, Xu Jingmo would also be under great pressure.
But…
How can I not see...
They know each other so well, how could they not see each other's caution.
Just tacitly not mentioning it...
Every night they kissed each other passionately, wishing they could melt each other into their blood. Every night they slept tightly together, their bodies silently expressing their reluctance to part.
This was not the first time they had separated, but it was the first time they did not want to separate.
Before this, Xu Jingmo had silently endured the pain of separation for several years...
This was the first time that Du Ruo felt such a painful feeling of powerlessness.
There are thousands of truths that can comfort oneself, but no matter how many great truths there are, they will seem pale and powerless in the face of the pain that cuts like a knife in the heart.
She allowed herself to stare blankly in the deserted corner for a while, numbing herself.
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind.
"What a coincidence, it's you."
Du Ruo heard the voice and turned to look over.
What a coincidence, we meet again, that lady with wavy hair.
This was the third time Du Ruo had seen her. The first time she was arrogant and domineering, and the second time she was cruel and vicious.
This time, there is a sense of calmness after going through so many hardships.
Her once long wavy hair has now turned into neat shoulder-length black hair, and her previous heavy makeup has now turned into light makeup. She is holding a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, looking gentle and calm.
Du Ruo nodded slightly: "What a coincidence."
She walked over with the boy, smiling and saying, "Beicheng is so big, and I have run into you so many times. Don't you think we are destined to be together? I know your name. Let me introduce myself. My name is Qi Qianqian. This is my son, nicknamed Shuai Shuai."
Du Ruo nodded politely and introduced himself, "Du Ruo."
Not far away, staff were making balloon decorations for the May Day shopping mall event. Shuai Shuai wanted to go and see the excitement, but Qi Qianqian let go of his hand and said softly, "Mom is chatting with my sister here, and I'll watch you from here. You can see me when you turn around. Don't run away. Do you hear me?"
Shuai Shuai nodded in assurance and ran over to watch the staff assembling the balloons.
Qi Qianqian sat down on the other side of the lounge chair and said softly, "I'm divorced and I'm going through the formalities."
Du Ruo said calmly: "Well, congratulations."
Qi Qianqian turned her head to look at her, couldn't help laughing, and said, "You are the first person to congratulate me on my divorce."
Du Ruo didn't respond. In her eyes, divorce was the best option for her marriage. But it was obvious that they were not the same kind of people, and there was no point in talking too much.
Qi Qianqian seemed to know her temper, and she didn't feel embarrassed, so she just kept talking: "I don't know where you got your sharp eyes from. You are so young, but you can see through people's hearts so thoroughly."
"I was indeed a mistress. I was his secretary and followed him when I was 22. I was his lover for 8 years. In the end, I was promoted to the position of mistress because his first wife could not have children after she had a miscarriage."
"I have never felt guilty. I think he just loves me. He and his first wife had no choice but to marry for the sake of marriage. He introduced me to people and resources, helped me grow, and I relieved his worries and boredom. His first wife could only be a housewife like a nanny at home. She seemed to have no value except spending money and being jealous every day. Who is the true love? Isn't it obvious?"
"It wasn't until I married him because of my son's status and became a housewife for the sake of my child that I realized how ridiculous I was."
"Not everyone can handle the job of a housewife. There are so many chores at home, such as taking care of her husband's parents, maintaining his daily social life, the crying of the children, and worrying about every social event that her husband attends and every time he stays out all night."
"I was so worn out by the trivialities of life that I didn't like to dress up anymore. I complained about his neglect of the family and became irritable and angry. I was no longer the sweetheart he had imagined. Even when we were intimate, he would say that the caesarean scar on my body was ugly."
"Later, when I first noticed a woman's hair on his shirt, I began to feel that he really disliked me. No one is young forever, but there are always young people. Men, especially those in high positions, how many of them are not unfaithful..."
"I know the pain of being a lover, so I will never divorce him. As long as I don't divorce, the third party will always be a third party who is despised by others. I started to do beauty treatments and dress myself up to maintain my shaky marriage with him, not to mention that we have a son."
"He seemed to enjoy this exciting life with a prosperous family and colorful flags flying outside, as if it could show his success as a man. I stayed in this marriage for 4 years."
"I told myself that I either have a lot of love or a lot of money. Since I don't have love anymore, I'll spend his money."
"Until I overheard his phone call with his lawyer. He wanted a divorce. I asked around privately and found out that he had been dating Ji Qingmei recently. The good relationship between the Ji family and the Xu family would be good for his career. At least, Ji Qingmei is more useful than me."
"What happened next was what happened to you. I wanted to make the Ji family lose face and make it known to everyone. I couldn't give up my position to her. I didn't expect that you would interfere."
Du Ruo hummed softly, "Sorry."
Qi Qianqian laughed at herself, "I didn't think that much when the police took me away that day. I knew that no matter how much trouble I got into, he would protect me. Who calls me his wife?"
"But you're right. He didn't complain about me for causing trouble. He complained about me for not being able to deal with the aftermath of the trouble, which brought shame to him. His wife was taken to the police station for beating up her mistress, which made him lose face. He thought I was so sensible."
"I owe all this to you. If you hadn't meddled in my business, I wouldn't have done this."
Du Ruo did not respond. Talking to someone with different values was like playing the lute to a cow.
If she wants to blame someone, let her blame someone.
Qi Qianqian sneered again, her tone full of resentment, "However, later, I heard that Ji Qingmei's leg was broken by her father and she was hospitalized. The Ji family would never allow such a shameful thing to happen. It's impossible for them to be together."
"No matter what the outcome is, my marriage is saved for now."
"But he still asked for a divorce. I offered him my child to keep him, but he didn't show any mercy."
"I secretly hid a recording in his car and found out that... he had another family outside. The woman, who was not sure whether she was his mistress, gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, at the end of last year."
"Look, whether it's me, Ji Qingmei, or his previous wife, aren't we all like a joke?"
Du Ruo had a calm face and was not very interested in their gossipy experiences. He just commented lightly: "Don't insult jokes. Jokes are meant to make people happy. The personal experiences you talked about make me feel like you are stuffing garbage into my head. They are not even a laughing stock. I am not interested in listening to your tragic experiences. If you want to find someone to confide in, you have found the wrong person. You should tell your grievances to someone who cares about you. I don't care about you. I won't be soft-hearted and pity you. After all, you deserve this."
Qi Qianqian said helplessly, "You are really cold-blooded."
Du Ruo did not comment.
Qi Qianqian added: "But you can stand up for your friends. I really don't understand."
Du Ruo turned his head and looked at her. "What's there to not understand? Didn't you have a friend helping you fight that day?"
Qi Qianqian raised the corner of her lip in self-mockery. "She, maybe. I don't know whether she considers me a friend or enjoys the benefits of being my friend. She doesn't agree with my divorce. She said that if I get divorced, all the years of forbearance and grievances will be in vain, and it will be very difficult to raise the children alone in the future. But I still divorced, and she hasn't contacted me much recently."
Du Ruo didn't say anything, mainly because he couldn't understand this kind of people, just like those around Xu Daiyue.
In her opinion, anyone who can provide her with happiness and positive emotional value can be considered a friend.
Isn't it the duty of friends to help when times are tough? Within your ability, you should help.
Of course, you can turn a blind eye, but you shouldn't be sarcastic when others are in trouble.
What does making friends have to do with money, status, and education? Shouldn't the first thing to consider be whether you are comfortable with it?
Qi Qianqian suddenly said seriously: "Thank you."
Du Ruo looked at her in confusion.
She let out a long sigh and explained, "Thank you for letting me know how pathetic I am. We divorced, and the property is 70% for me and 30% for him. The child is mine. Over the years, I did have a lot of leverage over him, and he agreed. I will be a wealthy and beautiful single mother in the future! I took over a sold-out early childhood education center on the top floor of this shopping mall. My goal in the future is to let my son grow up healthy and happy and become a good person. I don't ask for a lover or a friend. I will love myself."
Du Ruo calmly repeated, "Congratulations."
Qi Qianqian added: "If I had a friend like you by my side, maybe I would have let myself go and lived a different life."
Du Ruo: "That's unlikely. I only started making friends recently. But it's never too late to stop the loss."
Qi Qianqian said, "I really didn't mean to sow discord. The Xu family is not suitable for you. I went to you because I was in a bad mood that day because someone threatened me with Shuai Shuai, saying that it was a lesson for me because I provoked you. I felt that you were bullying too much and taking advantage of the power of others, so I wanted to teach you a lesson. Now that I think about it, you seem to disdain to do such a thing. Then aren't you curious about who is doing such a thing under the banner of the Xu family?"
Du Ruo: “Not curious.”
Qi Qianqian: ???
Du Ruo turned to look at her and said confidently, "Because I have your inestimable confidence. The rat in the gutter complained in the rat hole about how bad the sun is, but it can only say it to the rats. Would it dare to come out and spread the word? It is an unlucky thing that everyone hits. Is it afraid that others will not be able to step on it to death?"
Qi Qianqian shook her head and laughed, eyes full of envy, and echoed: "I hope I can become as confident as you."
At the same time, a corner of the shopping mall.
Li Mancen and Xu Daiyue looked at the two people talking on a bench in the distance.
Li Mancen's hands unconsciously clenched slightly, and a hint of fierceness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She spoke casually, "Sister-in-law, isn't that the person who went to your store to cause trouble? He looks like a friend of Du Ruo."
Xu Daiyue narrowed her eyes and turned to look at her.
Li Mancen had never seen her look like this before, and was confused for a moment, blinking innocently, "What's wrong?"
Xu Daiyue: "How do you know who went to my store to cause trouble? You were not in the store that day, right?"
Li Mancen blinked and quickly found an excuse to say, "I heard from Sister Feifei that Du Ruo protected her so well, so I asked a few more questions out of curiosity. Now it seems that the troublemaker is a friend of Du Ruo. I was wondering, how could a little girl with no background be so deceiving? Maybe she directed and acted it out herself, sister-in-law, you have to be careful."
'Pah'---
Before she could finish her words, Xu Daiyue suddenly slapped her in the face unexpectedly.
Li Mancen's eyes widened in disbelief and she asked loudly, "You hit me?!"
Xu Daiyue didn't answer, but slapped her on the other cheek symmetrically with her backhand.
Li Mancen covered her face with her hands, shocked for a moment, then quickly pursed her lips in grievance, crying, "Sister-in-law, I was worried that you were deceived, and you actually hit me? If my brother knew about this, would you be worthy of him?"
Xu Daiyue looked at her coldly and laughed contemptuously: "Then call him now to complain and see whether he will help you or me."
Li Mancen didn't dare to fight. Li Jiayi usually followed Xu Daiyue's lead, so how could he help her...
She cried and said aggrievedly, "I am your sister. How can you treat me like this? How have I ever let you down?"
Xu Daiyue rubbed her wrist and said sarcastically, "Sister? Why, your cousin from the Li family is a sister, but my sister-in-law from the Xu family is not a sister?"
"Who gave you the guts to say bad things about my brother and sister-in-law behind their backs? Get in your own place. I still have the surveillance video of you freezing to the point of peeing blood outside my front door."
"For Jiayi's sake, I won't tell Xu Jingmo about this. If I hear it again, you will bear the consequences yourself!"
Xu Daiyue ignored Li Mancen's red and swollen face and turned to walk towards Du Ruo.
She heard that Du Ruo was going abroad, so does that mean he can't attend her wedding? ?
Did he leave early on purpose because he hated her? ? No, she should apologize...
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