44 Chapter Forty-Three
A triumphant smile spread across her face once more.
The lights along the riverbank gradually came on, making the river surface shimmer with gold, glistening and supporting the moon in the sky. The barbecue stalls gradually quieted down, until only their table remained.
Even the boss, who had been working shirtless all night, couldn't help but steal a few glances at them—the two men were facing each other without moving, one leaning back in his chair, the other standing ramrod straight the whole time, locked in a fierce standoff, as if they were negotiating some tough international treaty. The boss felt so cold that he unconsciously started looking for clothes to put on.
Li Yingqiao found it absurd. After he said, "I've never dated," her PR persona kicked in. One of the common ways men try to win a woman's favor is by cultivating a persona of deep affection. And the fact that he hadn't had a girlfriend in ten years proved his obsessive approach to relationships. If the person sitting opposite her wasn't Yu Jinyang, she would have stood up and run away long ago. Because dating someone like that would either lead to marriage or result in a tragic end in court.
This would be a major turn-off for Li Yingqiao. But he is Yu Jinyang, so she would be much more tolerant of him. It's not just because of their childhood friendship, but actually because of the ups and downs of those ten years; their thoughts and habits have influenced each other, shaping their current values and personalities.
Actually, one can glean some clues from the relationship between Yu Renjie and Li Wusheng. Their natures are incompatible; one is gentle and peaceful, the other competitive. Yu Jinyang disliked her cunning and competitiveness from a young age, and even refused to be paired with her in games. She, in turn, disliked his calmness and excessive gentlemanly nature, believing that being paired with him always dragged her down.
He certainly had aspects she disliked, but he also had aspects she admired. They simply ran and jumped together year after year. As they grew, they absorbed each other's traits, like two trees planted nearby—how could their branches not intertwine?
They spent ten years together and ten years apart. Growth was their shared foundation, but during those ten years of separation, both of them grew new branches, some that were not so compatible, or that might hurt each other.
But a decade of shared experiences wouldn't cause them to drift too far apart, which is why Li Yingqiao hasn't left yet. However, she did have a lot of unpleasant things to say, and finally, looking at the excessively pleasing face opposite her, she sighed and said:
"You keep asking me why I came back, and whether I'll leave again. I can tell you clearly, I will leave again. It might not be Beijing, it could be Guangdong, or Shanghai, but I won't stay here. But I know you probably won't leave again, and I know about Uncle Yu. I'm sorry, I haven't been able to find a reason to see him, and I'm afraid that if he sees me, he'll be reminded of my uncle, and that seeing me will make him even more upset. I'll get you a document tomorrow. I've wanted to give you this for a while, but I haven't had the chance."
"Since you want to be frank, then I'll be frank with you too. In these ten years, I haven't tied your hands or bound you. Whether you date or not is your freedom and choice. Just because you've given more doesn't mean I should pay for your efforts, and it's not a reason or excuse for us to hold each other hostage. I would feel pressured. Do you agree?"
“Of course,” he suddenly laughed helplessly, and also revealed the truth, “I didn’t mean to tell you that you were just trying to trick me into talking, right? I even guessed how you would retort. You didn’t even let me finish. I didn’t date in college because I was thinking about how to get Brother Si Yi to accept you, and I wasn’t sure what you really thought of me. But later when I went abroad, I was really struggling to survive, so I didn’t think about dating.”
“If I tell you I don’t mind, what are you going to do then?” she asked.
He didn't say anything more.
She chuckled and went straight to the point: "You can't do anything, Yu Jinyang. I know you too well. After that kiss at Fengtan Mountain, your dad made me so angry that I blocked you, but did you really not find me? It's just a matter of whether you want to or not. If a kiss doesn't prove that I liked you back then, I don't know how else a girl like me could take the initiative. You just calmed down and thought that Li Yingqiao was too unpredictable, so it's better that she disappeared."
"Because you are such a calm and restrained person, you would never allow anyone or anything to cause your life to get out of control. It's not that I didn't wait for you; I went back to Fengtan every winter and summer vacation during university. But the things that happened when I was eighteen are long gone for me. It's more appropriate for us to be friends now."
He slumped into his chair, silent for a long time. Li Yingqiao assumed this meant he was tacitly approving of the relationship. Just as she picked up her bag to leave, she suddenly heard him ask her in a low, self-deprecating voice, "Li Yingqiao, do you have many friends like this?"
Li Yingqiao put down her bag again and looked at him in confusion: "What?"
Did you ever think we were just friends when you touched me in the car? Or do you actually have many female friends like that? But looking at her calm and collected attitude, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He was afraid he might get something in return that would make him even more upset, so he could only give her a cold glance.
Li Yingqiao met his gaze the whole time, accepting both his cold and warm stares without complaint, and said frankly, "Did I make you misunderstand? Then I can be more direct, and I hope you won't be angry. I really didn't intend to have the kind of relationship with you that would be blessed by both sets of parents, but I don't mind naturally sleeping with you. Is that direct enough?"
He almost looked up at her in astonishment. Without even thinking, he knew she was furious, her anger was undeniable, and it was even more intense than the crackling of the embers. Yu Jinyang almost sneered, "Li Yingqiao, you don't need to say things like that to provoke me."
Li Yingqiao laughed: "See, I told you, you would definitely get angry if I told you the truth."
Yu Jinyang was so angry he laughed. His breathing became heavier, his chest heaving slightly. If their gazes were swords, they would be like two chilling swords pressing down on each other. But she was attacking his lower body with every move, and he couldn't stand it any longer, so he finished speaking in one breath.
"Thinking about it this way, I admit that I'm not a very good person. I always think that I can have the best of both worlds, and it would be best if I could embody all six virtues of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. I admit that. But I never thought of such nonsense as 'Li Yingqiao is a very unpredictable person, it would be good if he disappeared from my world.'"
“Li Yingqiao, in front of you, I always feel that I am not good enough, that I am always inferior to you. You say I am restrained and calm, but aren’t you? Apart from being bold in your actions, you, Ms. Qiao, are so independent in personality and spirit that you could almost fly on your own to wander the world. Have you ever lost control of your mind? Have you ever succumbed to temptation? No, right? We are evenly matched.”
“I never expected you to come down from your pedestal. Apart from having a father like you, I’ve never been as smart as you. You can easily get into Tanzhong High School from a bottom-ranked middle school with just a little effort. My grades drop when I don’t work hard. In college, without you studying with me, I almost didn’t even get a spot for an exchange program abroad. Meanwhile, your mother said you easily got a full scholarship and haven’t asked her for living expenses since your sophomore year.”
“You have such a good business sense. If you were my dad’s daughter, maybe our family wouldn’t have had so many problems. So you see, I’m always trying to make myself better and better. I always want to be prepared for any battle, but every time I’m ready, something happens. Our family has been through so much these past few years, and I’m never ready.”
"Later, during my sophomore year, I accompanied my dad to Mount Wutai to burn incense and ran into the master who had changed my name. My dad asked him to tell me if I was destined to go abroad. You know, business people are superstitious about this. The master said I was, but I would marry late if I went abroad."
“My dad made the final decision, regardless of whether I was getting married late or not, he insisted on sending me abroad first. He even promised me that if I came back from abroad and still wanted to go to Beijing to see you, he wouldn’t say anything. But he was standing on solid ground when he said that to me. That’s probably all. I couldn’t control myself to that extent.”
Li Yingqiao didn't interrupt him, but listened quietly until he finished speaking. Since their reunion, the two of them hadn't had such a serious conversation with each other. This place was a minefield that they had been carefully avoiding since they met at the barbershop, because once they said everything, this was the result.
It wasn't a complete break. After he finished speaking, seeing her staring blankly at him, his heart softened. He had originally planned to slam his fist on the table and storm out, but seeing her expression, he sat back down. However, when they found their eyes locked, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
They were like that in their senior year of high school, especially when they were arguing. When they were angry, they could hold their tongues and remain tense, but once they calmed down and their eyes met, they couldn't help but laugh.
Of course, some people are still not convinced.
"What are you laughing at? Hold it in."
"You just told me not to hold it in and to say it all at once. I don't have anything to say right now, I just want to laugh. I realize we're both really silly, Yu Jinyang, seriously, what was that all about? What do you mean by saying my personality and spirit are so independent that I could fly a solo to The Wandering Earth?" Li Yingqiao said, eating the last skewer of squid he had left.
"Then mine." He still had a stern face and tapped the table with his knuckles, but he was just looking for trouble.
"I ate it all, why would I spit it out on you?"
"Don't be disgusting, friend, why are you doing something so presumptuous?"
Li Yingqiao threw her head back and laughed heartily, "To be honest, Yu Jinyang, you're much more interesting than when you were a kid." After laughing, she looked at him seriously, scrutinizing his expression, and added, "You're not angry, are you?"
Yu Jinyang didn't say much. After paying the bill, he walked along the riverbank towards the parking lot, where the neon lights were dazzling but not as vibrant as his expression. He reached out to open the passenger door and said to her, "I understand what you mean, but it won't work. Don't even think about it. From now on, we'll only be friends, with me driving and you sitting in the back seat."
Seeing him reflexively pull on the passenger door, Li Yingqiao laughed and said, "Is this the last time today?"
Without turning his head, he got in and said coldly, "You've been drinking. Call a designated driver. Go to the back seat yourself."
Li Yingqiao: "It's settled, Yu Jinyang."
He rolled down the passenger window and glanced at her: "It would be a dog to back out."
Li Yingqiao stood outside the car door, her eyes slightly narrowed, when a wicked idea suddenly struck her—she abruptly bent down, cupped his face, and planted a loud "smack" on his lips. Since things were going to be like this from now on, she figured she wouldn't get to sleep with him or eat him anyway. She was reckless; before he could react, she was already running away, even hailing a taxi that was just speeding by. Before getting in, she turned back to smile at him, a triumphant smile spreading across her face once more. "Meow, bye!"
[Author's Note]
I had diarrhea again today, almost to the point of collapse... I went to the hospital to get an appointment, so I was late. [Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying]
Kneel here and keep cursing seafood. (Fix a bug)
Three hundred red envelopes~
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