Chapter 120 Who hasn't had an ex?
Shi Yu's Chinese was not good enough to fully understand the meaning of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," and she was completely bewildered by Qu He's babbling.
However, she could still understand the phrase "lack of manners" and knew it was an insult directed at her.
Her bright blue eyes widened, and she snapped back angrily in a mix of Chinese and English: "What? Is that how you talk? So rude!"
She looked at Zhuang Bieyan for support, her face filled with disbelief, "Arthur, do you really allow her to talk like that?"
When Qu He heard her complaining to Zhuang Bieyan, a mocking smile appeared on her lips. "What? Weren't you just a champion of freedom? Does that mean you're allowed to be free to associate, but I'm not allowed to have freedom of speech? Isn't your standard of freedom a bit too double-standard?"
Shi Yu was speechless after being rebuked, and stomped her foot in anger. She said to Zhuang Bieyan urgently, "Arthur! You...you just watch her talk about Sister Yan Shu like that? Don't you care about our past relationship at all?"
Past relationships?
These words were like a thorn, making Qu He's heart clench, and a chill spread, even making her fingertips feel cold.
She looked at Zhuang Bieyan beside her; his jaw was taut.
So, there really was something between them.
But he had previously stated unequivocally that there was no interaction between them.
So, everyone present knew about their past, except for her?
This feeling of being excluded is awful.
Qu He felt a bitter taste rising in her throat.
She was still lost in thought when Zhuang Bieyan's voice suddenly rang out, deep yet cold and hard.
"What feelings do I have for her that I need to consider?"
My hand was suddenly grasped by a pair of warm palms, with a firm grip.
Shi Yu was taken aback by his question and stammered, "You...you..."
But when she saw his cold gaze, she involuntarily shrank back, her previously defiant face instantly paled, and her lips trembled, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Qu He was stunned.
I thought Zhuang Bieyan might consider the situation and gloss over it, but he didn't.
He didn't even give Shi Yu a chance to speak, turning his gaze to Yan Shu beside him, his tone showing no softening whatsoever: "Tell me yourself, what feelings do you and I have for each other?"
The air inside the private room instantly became tense.
Yan Shu was taken aback by his direct question. Her hands, which had been holding her in a composed manner, stiffened and she lowered them, clutching the hem of her skirt. She subconsciously lowered her head to hide the panic in her eyes.
Qu He stood to the side, watching Zhuang Bieyan's straight back, and the grievances in her heart suddenly dissipated.
She didn't expect that the farewell banquet would directly throw the problem back to the person involved.
It felt like she was hiding in a dark house, listening to the rain outside and having wild thoughts, shivering and afraid to go out.
But Zhuang Bieyan barged open the door, pulled her into the sunlight, and showed her with his actions that there was no heavy rain outside and it was all her imagination.
Shi Yu stammered, "You...how could you..."
Zhuang Bieyan had lost his patience. He looked at Duan Hengyang, who was wishing he could shrink into a crack in the ground, and said in a deep, cold voice with an unquestionable command: "Keep your people in check."
At that moment, all the gentleness and indulgence he showed when facing Qu He vanished, replaced by the authority and coldness of a superior, and the air pressure in the private room seemed to drop several degrees.
Duan Hengyang felt a chill run down his neck, and his scalp tingled instantly. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Shi Yu who was still trying to argue, and apologized to Qu He repeatedly.
He half-pulled, half-dragged the person away from the private room.
Only the three of them remained in the private room, facing off against each other.
Yan Shu's face turned red, then white, and finally a pale gray.
She pinched her palm hard, forcing out a bitter smile that looked worse than crying.
She looked at Zhuang Bieyan's cold and hard face, and finally her gaze fell on Qu He. "I'm sorry, we came uninvited today. I'm very sorry to have disturbed your gathering. I'll leave now."
She turned to leave as she spoke.
"stop."
Zhuang Bieyan's voice rang out again, his tone firm: "You haven't explained yourself clearly. Who gave you permission to leave?"
Yan Shu paused in her tracks.
Zhuang Bieyan tightened his grip on Qu He's hand, staring at Yan Shu's retreating figure. "I don't want any unfounded rumors to affect our relationship as husband and wife."
Yan Shu slowly turned around, her eyes red and brimming with tears.
Her eyes were full of grievance and accusation as she looked at Zhuang Bieyan.
"…..good."
She seemed to have used all her strength to utter that word, her voice broken.
Yan Shu looked at Qu He, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if each word was carved from her heart, "I'm sorry. Shi Yu's words made you misunderstand."
She took a deep breath, and tears finally streamed down her face. "Mr. Zhuang and I are just ordinary friends, nothing more. Please don't overthink it."
After saying that, she looked at Zhuang Bieyan, her voice trembling, "Is this alright, Mr. Zhuang?"
She pursed her lips and turned to leave.
Qu He looked in the direction she left, and the feeling of unease that had just subsided in her heart tightened again.
That wasn't a clarification at all; she was clearly forced into a corner and had no choice but to admit, under Zhuang Bieyan's firm stance, that the two of them had absolutely no relationship.
Her explanation that they were just ordinary friends made Qu He feel like a bad person.
An inexplicable sense of irritation welled up inside me.
That's really boring.
This feeling is awful.
It was as if she was the only one making a fuss, and he was the one who forced Zhuang Bieyan to make a statement and forced Yan Shu to admit that their relationship was just that of ordinary friends.
It seems that in their so-called British circle of friends, she was the newcomer, the one who interfered.
This inexplicably imposed hat left her feeling incredibly exhausted.
Qu He instinctively wanted to pull her hand away from Zhuang Bieyan's grasp, wanting to process these emotions on her own.
But as soon as she moved her hand, Zhuang Bieyan, as if he had a premonition, not only did not let go, but held on even tighter.
Qu He looked up at the man beside her.
The lighting in the private room was dim, making his silhouette appear somewhat blurry.
Even though they were so close, their fingers intertwined and their skin touching, Qu He still felt as if there was an invisible chasm between them.
On the other side lies a past that he may truly exist in, a past she neither participated in nor could comprehend.
This is the awkward and uncomfortable situation she was inexplicably dragged into.
A profound sense of powerlessness, difficult to describe, enveloped her.
The anticipation and curiosity before coming, and the pleasure of arguing with others, all vanished in the exhausting tug-of-war just now.
Qu He sighed, looked away, her eyes filled with indifference. "Let's go back. I'm tired."
Zhuang Bieyan didn't hesitate at all, and grasped her hand tightly, "Okay."
...
The car remained silent the entire way.
Qu He turned her head to look at the neon lights flowing outside the window, without saying a word.
Zhuang Bieyan tried to say something several times, but was blocked by the invisible, cold barrier surrounding her.
After arriving home, Qu He changed her shoes and went straight inside, giving Zhuang Bieyan no chance to explain.
Zhuang Bieyan followed behind, helping her put her shoes in the shoe cabinet. Watching her back, he felt a tightness in his chest.
She's angry.
"Ahe, about tonight..." He broke the silence and tried to take her hand, but she avoided him.
"Um?"
Qu He twitched the corner of her mouth, her tone light and airy, "What is it? Actually, you really don't need to explain. Even if you and Yan Shu really had something going on, it doesn't matter."
She shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. "After all, who hasn't had an ex, right? It's all normal, I understand."
Zhuang Bieyan felt a chill run down his spine.
It's over.
They're starting to say these sarcastic things now; they must be really angry.
Zhuang Bieyan felt flustered. He would rather Qu He question him and throw a tantrum than be like this, hiding his emotions tightly and not letting anyone get close.
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