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Chapter 229: Song Chuyi’s Lover

Changqing was dumbfounded.

There was one time when she couldn’t figure out why Song Chuyi would want to marry her in such a hurry despite racking her brains.

So this was the reason.

She knew it. Why would heaven give her a rich, handsome man who treated her well for no reason just when the Yan Family was struggling the most?

Indeed. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Besides, she didn’t find herself outstanding or beautiful, so there was no reason for Song Chuyi to fall in love with her.

Hence, it was good that she always had this self-awareness.

However, why was it that despite having this self-awareness, she still felt so terrible?

She licked her dry lips and nodded, saying mechanically, “Since they like each other, they should be together. Why must they implicate others, right?”

Song Chulang laughed bitterly. “It was me. All because of me. The three of us grew up together. It was when we first learned about love under the same roof that we grew feelings for each other. I don’t know when it started, but I was attracted to Yunyang. However, at the same time, I realized that Chuyi also liked her. Chuyi confessed to Yunyang but was rejected. Yunyang felt that she was living under the Song Family’s roof and my father was very strict with both of us. She didn’t want my family members to be disappointed, so she was very cautious. Chuyi was upset and in order to make Yunyang jealous and unhappy, he often teased girls in school, going out on a date with one today then going to the movies with another tomorrow. In the end, Yunyang was jealous. They got together when they were 17.”

Changqing thought to herself: Isn’t this the same kind of love story in youth romance novels?

How nice. A pity it doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to my husband.

“Their relationship was smooth-sailing because they didn’t lag behind in their studies either. I also helped them to keep it from our family. Chuyi took the medical school examination and in order to be with him, Yunyang also studied medicine. The two of them got into Stanford University in the States and their initial plan was to get married the moment they came back officially to work. However, it was just two years after when Chuyi finally found out that I had been carrying a torch for Yunyang. He felt guilty. He only found out when the three of us went to Detroit to play where we encountered a shooting incident. You know, in places like the States, everyone can carry a gun on them. It was a mentally unstable patient who was shooting people. Chuyi got shot in his lower back but he didn’t lose consciousness then. When Yunyang was in danger after that, he didn’t go over to her, perhaps out of fear. At that time, I was the one who stood in front of Yunyang and blocked a bullet for her. Yunyang lost consciousness then. When she woke up, I lied to her, saying that it was Chuyi who saved her.”

Changqing was shocked. She did remember that there was a scar on Song Chuyi’s back. She didn’t think it was a gun wound, and all the more, she didn’t think Song Chulang would make such a sacrifice.

“After that, for a very long period of time, Chuyi has been feeling guilty over this incident.” Song Chulang inhaled deeply on his cigarette. “After he recovered, he didn’t want to see Yunyang. He felt that he was useless and cowardly. At the most important moment when he had to protect the woman he loved, he cowered in fear. Yunyang could detect this difference and Chuyi told her that I actually liked her too. Yunyang probably didn’t expect that and felt that she owed me. Hence, the two of them came to the consensus to give each other five years. However, five years had passed and Yunyang was finally coming back, but Chuyi had yet to walk out from the shadows of that incident and he decided to withdraw by choosing marriage so that he could allow me to have Yunyang.”

Changqing nodded. There were an overturning river and crashing sea in her mind. Perhaps the sea crashed too much, causing her to remain so calm.

“I always wanted you to get a divorce with Chuyi so that he could go back to Yunyang.” Song Chulang saw her expression and sighed softly. “I didn’t want to tell you all this initially, but seeing how Yunyang is in this state... if I hadn’t set Yan Kehua up, his son wouldn’t have done something like this. Yunyang was a victim. She came back so that she could be together with Chuyi, but she didn’t think that you two would get married. She never thought of destroying your marriage, but she’s been living in agony every day. I want to return this happiness to both of them.

“Yan Changqing, I beg you, get a divorce. Even if you’re divorced, I can guarantee that the Song Family’s investment in the Yan Family won’t pull out. The Yan Corporation can still be in operation. You can still live life comfortably. If you don’t agree, I can guarantee that your Yan Family will be worse off than before.”

After he finished speaking in a cold tone, he pulled the photo album from Changqing’s hands. “Actually... Chuyi’s heart isn’t on you, right? Even if he’s willing to bed you, it’s just lust. What meaning does a marriage like that have?”

He got into his car, started the engine and drove off.

Changqing’s skin was really already numb from the stinging sun.

When she got back to her car, her nose, face, neck and arms were all red. Only her eyes were pale and filled with emptiness.

She blinked. So... right now... am I about to wake up from the sweet dream I’ve been having for a few months?

There was no Maldives, not to mention any wedding ceremony.

She drove slowly, cruising around the streets until she felt like she was about to suffocate before she remembered that she hadn’t turned on the air conditioner. She quickly switched on the air conditioner and the cool breeze blowing on her head began to wake her up.

She trembled as she took her phone out to call Ruan Yang. “Ruan Yang, where are you?”

“I’m in Shanghai. What’s the matter?”

“Are you busy? Can I go over to see you?” Changqing said while shuddering.

Ruan Yang was shocked and could detect that something was amiss. “I’m fine; come over. I’ll get my assistant to pick you up at the airport.”

Changqing couldn’t really remember how she got on the plane and how she arrived in Shanghai. Even when she saw Ruan Yang’s assistant and was brought to Ruan Yang’s hotel, she remained in a trance-like state.

When Ruan Yang returned to her hotel after work and saw Changqing rolled up in a ball on the couch with a dazed look, her heart wrung up in pain. She had never seen Changqing in such a desolate state in all the time she’d known Changqing. “What happened?”

“Ruan Yang, Song Yunyang is... actually Song Chuyi’s lover.” Changqing lifted her head up blankly.

Ruan Yang’s heart sank and she sat in front of Changqing, holding her hand lightly. She realized that it was icy cold and slightly trembling.

“What happened?” she asked.

Changqing told her the whole story while trembling. “Say... what should I do now?”

Ruan Yang blinked and looked at her. “Do you think Song Chuyi likes you?”

Changqing looked at a loss for a while and shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s never said it before. When he looks at me, he also doesn’t smile the way he does when he looks at Yunyang. At the airport, when he heard that Yunyang got into an accident, he left without even turning his head back. If I hadn’t called him, he wouldn’t have replied to me.”

Ruan Yang’s heart ached even more. She reached out to give Changqing a hug.

Changqing leaned on her and her tears started falling out as she choked.

She cried all the way until she was out of breath before she calmed down slowly. However, she was still in a daze. “I’ve thought things through. Actually, I’m not at a disadvantage either. I just slept with him a few times in exchange for improvements in the Yan Family’s company. My sister’s relationship with my brother-in-law is still great. It’s really pretty good. A divorce is no big deal either. We’re just making use of each other; it’s a business marriage, so I should’ve known earlier. I didn’t expect him to really like me too. Really.”

She said a few consecutive “Really”s as though she was afraid Ruan Yang wouldn’t believe her.

Ruan Yang lowered her head and looked at her. Other than feeling upset, she was also angry. “Even if it was a business marriage, you two already made it clear that you two wouldn’t interfere in each other’s lives. However, he was the one who broke that relationship between the two of you first. If he had someone in his heart, why did he have to touch you? What was the meaning of that? Are you a toy?”

Changqing’s face became even paler. She wiped her tears away hard using the back of her head. However, it seemed as though she couldn’t wipe them away no matter how much she tried.

“Also...” Ruan Yang was furious. “After so long, Guan Ying was just a spare tire who looked like Song Yunyang. The two of you turned from friends to enemies because of a man who never cared about you. It wasn’t worth it at all in the end.”

Changqing was completely dumbfounded. She lost all control of her tears.

Ruan Yang sat by the side and watched her quietly.

Changqing drained her energy from crying and fell asleep.

The next day, she woke up in the wee hours of the morning. The sky was still dark outside. Her eyes were so sore that it felt as though they didn’t belong to her. She sat up. Ruan Yang, who was beside her, woke up with a start. She asked with a slight sense of sleepiness, “Are you alright?”

“Ruan Yang, did I disturb your work by coming here?” Changqing felt guilty. She even disturbed her sleeping time.

“It’s okay. Isn’t it just a few hours of work? Money can be earned again but friends can’t.” Ruan Yang sat up and leaned on the back of the bed. “Right, your Dad called last night. I told him you came over to Shanghai to play. Your family members are still quite worried about you.”

“Mm.” Changqing lowered her head in desolation. “Ruan Yang, I’ve thought things through. I don’t blame anyone. It was initially... a transaction in which we would take what we needed. He never said that he liked me from start till the end and never made me any promises. I was the one who couldn’t help but fall for him. I thought too much. His Song Family helped us to overcome our debt crisis while I got married to him and slept a few nights with him. It was just that. I’ll bring up divorce after getting back.”

“You can bear to get a divorce?” Ruan Yang asked.

“It has to end whether I want to or not. Why must outsiders like us be embroiled in their love triangle?” Changqing lowered her head as she said sourly, “I’m just afraid that my Dad will feel bad and guilty. He always thought that Song Chuyi wasn’t bad.”

Ruan Yang stroked her hair. “Actually, I’m not in a good mood these days too. How about this—I’ll contact Duoyao, and at the end of the month, let’s all go out on a vacation. Aye, just like when we were in university. Didn’t we say that we wanted to travel together? However, we’ve always been busy with work after graduation and hadn’t had the chance. Let’s not go to the Maldives anymore. Let’s go to another island. Sri Lanka, Fiji or Mauritius, any one. We should not waste that suitcase of pretty swimsuits that you have. Let’s enjoy ourselves somewhere where no one knows us. If you want to find a boyfriend, we’ll find you a boyfriend. If you want to sing, we’ll sing. If you want to dance, we’ll dance.”

After hearing that, Changqing slowly didn’t feel that upset anymore and was even a little excited. After the excitement, she felt a sense of loss again. “However, does Duoyao have the time? Also, we agreed to go together as four back then. It would be great if Guan Ying could come along. Aiya, I’m so silly. If I had known earlier I got involved with a man like this, I should’ve given him up to her when Guan Ying said that she wanted him. Now I’m left with no good man and no friend.”