Coincidentally, as soon as the two left the school gate, Zhen Yu saw President Qi open the car door for Shuyan to get in. Zhen Yu was excited and immediately pointed at Shuyan. She said loudly to Yang Lan, “Yang Lan, we just mentioned Shuyan and President Qi, and President Qi came to pick Shuyan up. I said it was impossible for them to break up!”
Yang Lan followed Zhen Yu’s gaze and saw President Qi open the car door for Chi Shuyan to get in. At that moment, she forced a smile on her face, which was very stiff and unsightly. Her eyes were cloudy and she immediately lowered her head without saying anything.
Zhen Yu didn’t think much of it. She pulled Yang Lan to dinner and changed the subject.
In the cafe, Qi Zhenbai’s cold and stoic face had changed. He was in a good mood as he sat by the window and talked to his wife.
Chi Shuyan stirred the coffee in her cup and took a sip. As she replied, she observed the man’s face. His expression and mood looked normal and fine. It seemed that he was in good spirits today, and she heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, the atmosphere was good. If the two didn’t talk about their relationship, there were plenty of other things they could talk about, just like ordinary friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time.
Chi Shuyan felt that she shouldn’t have agreed so easily to date the other party back then. Instead, they should have become ordinary friends or just one step above that, just like her relationship with Brother Feng.
It was better than a romantic relationship, which was the most unstable kind. It was good when things were good, but once both parties broke up, past friendly relations would crumble and things would become awkward.
Moreover, Chi Shuyan realized that what she couldn’t bear to part with wasn’t the man in front of her, but how well the Qi family treated her. Mother Qi in particular treated her like her own daughter.
She hadn’t had motherly love in her two lifetimes, but Mother Qi had given her that.
She was really grateful to the Qi family.
If she had maintained a light friendship with Qi Zhenbai back then, she might have been able to visit the Qi family as a good friend. Now that they had broken up, however, she had to avoid the Qi family no matter what in the future.
Thinking this, Chi Shuyan sighed. However, since she had already made up her mind, she didn’t plan to drag things out anymore.
Chi Shuyan was lost in thought. After taking a sip of coffee, she stirred it and stared at the white foam on top for a long time without saying anything.
The tall man sitting opposite her clearly sensed that something was wrong with his wife’s mood. He also vaguely knew that because of their previous breakup, his wife still felt some estrangement toward him.
He thought of how his wife had suddenly taken a taxi back to the villa alone two days ago. He had been holding back his anger for the past two days, but now that he really saw her, the anger in his heart was swept away. His eyes darkened and he tapped his finger rhythmically on the table. With a calm face, he took the initiative to say, “Are you free this weekend? Grandpa and everyone else asked me about you recently. They said that I haven’t brought you back to the Qi family residence for a while! They asked when you would return. Can you come back with me tonight? Wife?”
The man’s tone was absolutely gentle at that moment. His cold eyebrows were soft, and his gaze was gentle and indulgent.
Chi Shuyan got goosebumps all over her body under the man’s gaze. She automatically ignored his scorching gaze and came back to her senses. She didn’t answer him directly, but asked, “Grand… How is Old Master Qi and everyone else? Have they been well recently?”
Qi Zhenbai paused when he heard the words “Old Master Qi.” He was stunned, but quickly regained his composure and said, “Grandpa and the others are in good health. Speaking of which, Grandpa has been in good health recently. I have to thank you for the Nourishment Pills which you gave to him before. Grandpa said a few times that they’re especially effective!”
Chi Shuyan heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “That’s good. If Grandpa finishes taking the Nourishment Pills, tell me, and I’ll send him a few more bottles!”
When Qi Zhenbai heard his wife subconsciously call the old man “Grandpa,” his stoic face and gaze softened. “Wife, Grandpa is fine and doesn’t need the Nourishment Pills. He just wants to see you!”
Chi Shuyan nodded. “I’ll definitely go when I have time.”
Qi Zhenbai, on the other hand, wasn’t satisfied with this answer. He had the vague feeling that his wife didn’t want to go back to the Qi family residence with him, but he also felt that it was unlikely. In Qi Zhenbai’s heart, the issue of their breakup had long been resolved, or rather, he subconsciously ignored the fact that they had broken up.
Even now, he didn’t know how he could be so heartless as to say the word “breakup.” When he thought about it, Qi Zhenbai felt uneasy in his heart. On the surface, however, he was as calm as ever, but the aggressive and anxious look in his eyes betrayed his current mood. “Why don’t you come back to the Qi family residence with me tonight? Grandpa and my parents miss you very much!”
The man’s tone was a little coaxing.
Chi Shuyan’s hand trembled slightly when she heard this. The man quickly grabbed the coffee cup for her before it spilled.
She stared at the man’s slender and powerful hand under the light, and was lost in thought for a while before she quickly came back to her senses.
She knew that she couldn’t run away anymore. Besides, she hadn’t come here today just to run away. She had already thought about what to say in the past two days, but just in case, she looked again at the calm man in front of her.
The man sat upright without the slightest bit of anxiety in his posture, his face calm and unmoving; even sitting down, his tall and strong figure inexplicably exuded a sense of oppression that made people afraid to look at him.
Chi Shuyan restrained her emotions. It was best to make a decision. She suddenly said, “Qi Zhenbai, why don’t we break up like this? I’ve thought about it, and I don’t think we’re compatible. As for Old Master Qi and the rest of the Qi family, I’ll visit them when I’m free in the future.”
