Chapter 128: Concession

Guan Wei arrived quite quickly. Once inside, she even made a show of looking around. “Lu Fengzhou really isn’t here?”

Qiao Jiu turned and sat down on the sofa. “Miss him? I could call him over if you like.”

Guan Wei giggled and came to sit beside her. “Don’t talk nonsense. Why would I miss him? He already has a boyfriend.”

Qiao Jiu took the opportunity to ask, “How did your conversation with Xu Yi go? Were you the one losing your temper, or was she?”

Guan Wei pulled out her phone. “Losing my temper? We were both perfectly calm.”

She tapped the screen a few times and played a recording—the entire conversation she had had with Xu Yi in the hospital room.

Qiao Jiu’s expression remained composed during the beginning, but by the latter part, her eyes had widened. “She was pregnant with that man’s child?”

Guan Wei pursed her lips. “I was surprised too. She said she and that man were only fooling around. He didn’t take precautions, and yet she was just as reckless.”

There were many things Xu Yi did that Guan Wei could not understand. She seemed carefree, yet there was an obstinate streak in her as well.

Qiao Jiu hurriedly asked, “Liang Xiujin still doesn’t know about this, does he?”

Guan Wei could not make sense of it either. “He may not.”

She had spoken with Liang Xiujin for a while the previous night, asking him about things related to Xu Yi.

For instance, why Xu Yi had run away from home the last time, what she had really wanted to say when she called Liang Xiujin this time, and even why she had broken up with the man she had been with before.

Liang Xiujin had known nothing about any of it. He truly had never cared enough to find out.

He said that since he no longer loved her, he had also let go of her past betrayal and no longer wanted to hold it against her.

After waiting a while, Guan Wei licked her lips. “I used to be a very exacting person. I couldn’t tolerate even the smallest flaw. But thinking about it now, some things are better left blurred and allowed to pass.”

If she insisted on settling every score, she and Liang Xiujin would have endless arguments and never-ending quarrels.

Take the matter of Liang Xiujin taking Xu Yi to the hospital. Their relationship was complicated enough as it was, and Guan Wei hoped Liang Xiujin would avoid suspicion and take several steps back whenever Xu Yi was involved.

But she also knew that Liang Xiujin probably could not do that.

It did not seem as if he harbored any other feelings for Xu Yi. So if they argued over such things, they would only wear each other down, with no other purpose at all.

Guan Wei turned to look at Qiao Jiu. “I used to look down on you so much. I thought you had completely lost yourself in front of Lu Fengzhou. But now, all of a sudden, I understand everything.”

She knew very clearly that she was walking the same old road Qiao Jiu had once walked—lowering herself and abandoning her principles for a man, tolerating him without limit.

Qiao Jiu leaned back against the sofa, the corner of her mouth twitching. “The wise do not fall in love. There’s truth in that.”

Now that she was no longer shackled by love, she felt that her mind had become much clearer.

In the past, whenever Lu Fengzhou showed her the slightest kindness, she had been moved to the point of helpless confusion.

Not anymore. Now she could only watch coldly from the sidelines, with a hint of mockery and a hint of sorrow.

Qiao Jiu asked whether Guan Wei wanted to let Liang Xiujin hear the recording. Guan Wei shook her head. “I haven’t thought about it for now. After all, I didn’t obtain this recording in an entirely honorable way. If he truly no longer cares about Xu Yi, then whether he hears it or not makes no difference. Giving it to him would only make me look petty and underhanded.”

Qiao Jiu glanced at her. “You really are a lot like the old me.”

Always looking ahead and behind, forever wavering and hesitant.

After a while, Qiao Jiu brought up Jiang Qingchen. Guan Wei knew that Jiang Qingchen had taken leave, but she had not known he came from that sort of family.

Her gloomy mood immediately lifted. “Good heavens, I never would have guessed. He’s the heir of the Jiang family?”

There was a mocking edge to the phrase “heir of the Jiang family.”

Qiao Jiu said, “His mother must have gone to the Jiang family yesterday. I don’t know what happened, but someone slashed her twice.”

Guan Wei clicked her tongue. “There aren’t many decent people in the Jiang family. They may have kept a low profile in recent years, but the inside is still rotten.”

After hesitating, she added, “Jiang Qingchen is a pretty decent person. He works at my bar, and with so many women throwing themselves at him, he still keeps himself clean.”

A person’s private life could reflect his character. He probably was not a bad man.

Guan Wei let out a breath. “I’ll make time to talk to him. He’s also attracted a wave of women to my bar. I wouldn’t call him a money tree, but he’s earned me quite a bit. The least I can do is help him.”

…

Toward evening, Liang Xiucheng called. He sounded somewhat hesitant over the phone. He first asked whether Qiao Jiu was free that night, then said there was something he wanted her help with.

Guan Wei happened to be going to see Liang Xiujin, while Qiao Jiu was home alone.

“Why don’t you come to my place? We can talk face-to-face.”

Liang Xiucheng agreed. “All right. I’ll come over now.”

After hanging up, Guan Wei stood and stretched, twisting her waist as she said, “Ah Cheng is coming over? Just look at you two—alone together, a man and a woman.”

Qiao Jiu rolled her eyes. “Stop talking nonsense.”

Guan Wei let out a long, mournful sigh. “I once wanted to play matchmaker between you and Ah Cheng. But since you clearly don’t feel that way, forget it. I won’t go and ruin things for my future brother-in-law.”

Qiao Jiu laughed at that. “Get past your future mother-in-law first, then you can start talking about your future brother-in-law.”

“Future mother-in-law.” Guan Wei reached the door and laughed aloud. “Xu Yi practically shrinks her neck into her shoulders whenever she sees her. I don’t know where she found the confidence today to say that as long as Ah Jin stood firm, Madam Liang wouldn’t be a problem.”

Qiao Jiu walked her to the door. “I’m not saying this to criticize you, but you turn into a mouse when you see Madam Liang too. So don’t talk about anyone else.”

Guan Wei turned around and glared at her. “You really have no tact when you speak.”

She said no more. After Guan Wei left, Qiao Jiu returned to the sofa and idly scrolled through her phone.

While she had been chatting with Guan Wei, Lu Fengzhou had sent her a message saying he had something to do that evening and would not be coming to see her.

The way he put it made it sound as though she had been eagerly waiting for him to come.

Qiao Jiu deleted the message without replying. After waiting a little longer, she heard the doorbell ring.

She quickly got up to open the door. “Don’t you have the fingerprint lock?”

“Oh.” Liang Xiucheng nodded. “I deleted it. You’re living here now, so why would I leave my fingerprint on it?”

That man truly had an impeccable sense of propriety and boundaries.

Guan Wei had said she wanted to set the two of them up, but how could Qiao Jiu possibly be worthy of him?

Once they sat down, Liang Xiucheng got straight to the point. “I won’t beat around the bush. I’ve run into a bit of trouble, and I want to ask you for help.”

He paused and took a breath. “You know how the woman my family introduced me to came over for dinner yesterday…”

“Does she like you?” Qiao Jiu interrupted before he could finish. “You want me to help scare her off?”

Liang Xiucheng’s expression froze. He looked at her with complete seriousness. “You’ll help me, won’t you?”

How could Qiao Jiu refuse when he put it that way?

Still, she asked first, “What’s the woman like? If she managed to pass the test of your family, her circumstances can’t be bad. Why don’t you give it a try?”

Liang Xiucheng looked at her, and his expression suddenly turned solemn.

Qiao Jiu felt a little awkward. “Then—then if you really don’t like her, I’ll definitely help you.”