Chapter 57 Amidst the ridicule, is Qu He already married?
The call ended, and Qiao Mian chuckled softly as she stared at the darkened screen.
She picked up her phone again, found the contact, and sent a few words.
Almost simultaneously, the phone rang.
Seeing the word "Anda" flashing on the screen, Qiao Mian clicked her tongue and answered the call at the last second before the call ended.
The moment the call connected, Anda's hurried voice came through.
"Are you going to have surgery again?"
Qiao Mian leaned against the dressing table, her tone calm yet firm, "It's none of your business. You just need to manage your time."
"Do you know you're pregnant?!" Anda's voice held a hint of cautious pleading. "Having this kind of surgery during pregnancy isn't good for the baby, could you...?"
"No." Qiao Mian interrupted decisively, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
She looked up at the mirror in front of her, her fingertips sliding from her brow bone to her chin as she adjusted her expression. "Do you think... if I were to get my nose augmented a little higher this time, I'd look more like her?"
"You're really crazy!"
"Isn't Qian Zhaoye still thinking about Qu He? Then I'll become her. I'll make him look at me and never be able to tell who's who again."
Qiao Mian suddenly laughed, with a hint of madness in her voice.
Anda's voice trembled, "I won't agree, this child..."
"It belongs to Qian Zhaoye!" Qiao Mian suddenly raised her voice. "It can only be his!"
Her voice trailed off again, carrying a deliberately feigned vulnerability: "Anda, please help me one last time, okay? The doctor said this is the last time. After it's done, I'll give birth to the baby safely. You don't want... this child to be born without a mother, do you?"
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, then Anda's breathing became heavy: "The last time."
After hanging up the phone, Qiao Mian looked down at her slightly protruding belly and revealed a triumphant smile.
In the mirror, the light shone on her stiff face, which had not yet fully recovered, making it look distorted and terrifying.
......
On the second day after Zhuang Bieyan left on a business trip, Qu He received an invitation to the university's anniversary celebration.
In previous years, she had focused all her attention on Qian Zhaoye and her work, but things were different now. After thinking for a moment, she clicked "Accept Invitation".
After Si Yue learned that she was going to attend, she quickly called, "Senior, are you really going to the school anniversary celebration? I just heard it in the group chat, you're not kidding me, are you?"
Qu He sat on the sofa and laughed, "Why would I lie to you? Why are you so agitated?"
"How can I not be excited!" Si Yue's voice couldn't hide her joy. "I'll go shopping with you this afternoon to pick out a dress! We have to show those people how well you're doing!"
Qu He tightened her grip on her phone.
She knew all too well the "those people" Si Yue was referring to.
From the day she became Qian Zhaoye's secretary, their relationship was kept secret. Sometime later, rumors began to circulate that Qian Zhaoye had broken up with her, but because of her persistent pursuit, he had no choice but to keep her by his side.
In an instant, all the rumors shifted to her shamelessly following Qian Zhaoye.
They said she was using their years of college relationship to blackmail Qian Zhaoye.
She listened to those gossips for seven whole years.
"You didn't see how lively the university group chat was when Qian Zhaoye announced his marriage a few days ago."
Si Yue's voice deepened, "Senior, now that you're going, you have to show them who's really doing well!"
Qu He smiled helplessly.
After hanging up the phone, she got up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, but as soon as she stood up, her calf bumped into the corner of the coffee table in the living room. When she looked down, she saw that her skin was already bruised.
She's been like this lately; she sometimes seems dazed while walking, as if she hasn't woken up properly, and she doesn't seem to sleep well at night either.
Two days after the school's anniversary, Qu He drove to pick up Si Yue.
As soon as she got on the bus, she stared at her dress, her eyes shining: "As expected of a senior, this dress is so beautiful."
Today, Qu He is wearing a beige halter-neck fishtail dress that Si Yue picked out for her. In her words yesterday, it makes her walk like a lotus flower.
"That means you have good taste."
I'm serious!
Si Yue fastened her seatbelt and suddenly pointed at her elbow, "Hey, senior, what happened to this bruise? It wasn't there when I tried on clothes yesterday."
Qu He looked down and saw that there was indeed a new bruise there.
She turned the steering wheel casually: "Maybe I bumped into something and didn't notice."
Si Yue leaned closer and poked the bruise with concern: "Why are you always bumping into things lately? If President Zhuang finds out, he'll think you've been out doing something shady."
Qu He chuckled and said, "He won't be here for another two days. By the time he gets home, this injury will have healed long ago."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered that the pink lychee petals in the vase at home seemed a little wilted before she left.
The school anniversary ceremony was held in the school's auditorium. Qu He and Si Yue had just found a seat when they heard a commotion in the front row.
Qian Zhaoye walked in arm in arm with Qiao Mian. He was wearing a custom-made suit, while Qiao Mian was wearing a pink dress with rhinestones studded on the hem.
The dress perfectly concealed her pregnant belly.
The two walked to the front row of VIP seats and sat down, their posture intimate. When the camera cut to them, Qiao Mian even shyly snuggled into Qian Zhaoye's arms.
"Pretending to be something she's not," Si Yue muttered to Qu He. "What's she doing here 'singing and dancing' for our school anniversary?"
Qu He didn't speak, she just looked at the stage.
When Qian Zhaoye, an outstanding alumnus, went on stage, he gave a special hug to Qiao Mian next to him, showing their close relationship.
Qu He noticed that people around her were subtly glancing at her.
The reception after the ceremony was held in the banquet hall. Qu He had just received a message from Zhuang Bieyan saying that he had ordered flowers for her and was about to reply when she heard a few sarcastic remarks in her ear.
"Oh, isn't this Qu He?"
Several former college classmates gathered around her, looking her up and down, their tone undisguisedly sarcastic. "I never expected you to come. I thought you were too ashamed to show your face."
The people around laughed, "That's right, Qian Zhaoye is going to marry another woman, so there's no point in some people following him."
"Qu He, did you ever think about this day when you chose to be with Qian Zhaoye? I thought you were so capable, but it turns out he's married to someone else now."
The man speaking was the club president who had once pursued Qu He in college. After learning that she was with Qian Zhaoye, he started spreading rumors that she had cheated on him.
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around him to hear.
The crystal chandeliers overhead in the banquet hall were so dazzling they made people dizzy, and the sarcastic and mocking remarks were so hurtful they made people's eardrums ache.
"I heard that she gave up her major to get close to this big shot. Later, even though Mr. Qian wanted to break up with her, she kept pestering him and was willing to work as his secretary to stay there."
"To put it nicely, she's a secretary; to put it bluntly, isn't she just a mistress who's at your beck and call? Tsk tsk, what a losing proposition. It's too late to regret it now, isn't it?"
A short-haired girl next to her scoffed, "That's right. She clung to him for seven years, and in the end, she didn't even get a proper title. If I were her, I wouldn't have the face to come here."
They spoke with an air of superiority and sarcasm, but only they knew how much resentment was hidden in those words.
Back when Qian Zhaoye was unknown, they looked down on him. Now that he has become the "President Qian" that everyone admires, they have begun to envy Qu He, who was once closest to him, and they are jealous that she once had the opportunity that they now long for but cannot obtain.
The news that Qian Zhaoye was going to marry Qiao Mian provided an outlet for their frustrations, allowing them to openly and legitimately criticize Qu He.
Si Yue was so angry that her face turned red. She clenched her fists and was about to step forward to argue, but Qu He gently pressed her wrist down.
She took half a step forward, her moon-white skirt swaying gently with her movement, her face expressionless.
"What kind of skill is it to say these things in front of me? If you have the guts, say them to Qian Zhaoye's face!"
One of the girls, dressed in a pink dress, paused, probably not expecting Qu He to speak up suddenly. She retorted, "Aren't we telling the truth?"
“The rumors you spread about me back then don’t mean I won’t pursue them. I’ll say it one last time: I have nothing to do with Qian Zhaoye anymore. How you fawn over him or envy Qiao Mian now has nothing to do with me.”
"That sounds nice! Who would believe that? She's probably just pretending to be high and mighty because she got dumped!"
Qu He's gaze fell on her, and after a moment's thought, she seemed to suddenly remember something.
She scoffed, "If I remember correctly, the person who's been running to Zhaoye Technology every day for the past few years under the guise of discussing cooperation, but actually wants to climb the corporate ladder, isn't that you? You were stopped by security at the door three times. Do I need to recall this for you more clearly?"
The woman's face flushed instantly. She seemed surprised that Qu He still remembered this. She shrank back and dared not utter another word.
Si Yue, watching from the side, felt a sense of satisfaction and couldn't help but chime in, "Exactly! My senior is doing great now, and..."
She deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, a mysterious and smug smile on her face. "My senior is already married. She's being pampered and cherished by everyone now, unlike some people who are still gossiping here!"
"Married?" someone exclaimed in a low voice, clearly not expecting the news.
"Really?"
"It's fake, right? They're just saying it to make a good impression. Who gets married without wearing a wedding ring? It's definitely an act."
Some people, unwilling to give up, pressed on: "Who did you marry? Tell us if you dare!"
Si Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense: "I'm afraid it will scare you if I tell you, but anyway, I'm much better than some self-righteous 'ordinary men'."
Before they could say anything more, they heard a commotion at the door.
Qu He subconsciously turned her head to look.
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