Wu Yang certainly knew he was in the wrong. It’s just that when he heard about what happened to Qu Miaomiao, his concern got the better of him.
In the dimming twilight, his face turned various shades of red, as if he were blushing with embarrassment. Thinking about how close Cong Qi and Qu Miaomiao were, Wu Yang swallowed his pride and offered his apology.
“…I’m sorry, can we call it even now?”
Cong Qi rubbed the palms of her hands that had been scratched by the wall.
Hearing his perfunctory tone, she turned around and looked at him sideways, and sneered coldly: “I don’t want to, do you think your apology is worth a thousand pieces of gold? Who cares?” After that, she didn’t argue with him, just picked up the garbage and walked away.
Wu Yang: “Hey Cong Qi, I want to ask you something, Miao… Qu Miaomiao, is she okay? Is she at Dr. Long’s Clinic or the Third Hospital?”
Dr. Long’s Clinic is located at the main gate of No. 4 Middle School. Everyone usually treats minor illnesses and wounds there.
Cong Qi tilted his head, surprised by the unabashed concern in Wu Yang’s eyes.
Strange, what’s going on? Miaomiao and Wu Yang, the school’s top bully, didn’t really have much interaction.
Although everyone grew up in No. 4 Middle School, they were not that familiar with Wu Yang.
After all, it is difficult for boys and girls to play together.
Moreover, Miaomiao was introverted and, under Aunt Geng’s strict supervision, she focused solely on her studies, and determined to be a good role model for her younger siblings. Every time she saw Wu Yang, she would flee like a mouse running from a cat.
Cong Qi had asked her a few times, but she always shook her head.
She described a scene where she witnessed Wu Yang getting into a fight with someone, and she felt that he resembled the popular “triad member” or “Young and Dangerous” character that’s trending among young people recently. This made her fearful.
Cong Qi also privately guessed that Yang Wu must have been mean to Miaomiao.
But now, looking at Wu Yang’s nervousness, it’s not quite like that. Instead, he looked like a timid young man who didn’t know how to approach his crush.
Cong Qi shook her head, silently chastising herself. Come on, snap out of it! What was she thinking? Wu Yang, a pursuit of love? He was a player, revving his motorcycle’s throttle, picking up girls effortlessly. Who wouldn’t call him “Brother Yang”?
If he really liked Miaomiao, would he continue to act this way?
Cong Qi quickly pushed those absurd thoughts out of her mind. She hesitated for a couple of seconds.
“Right, she’s at the Third Hospital, but she should be on her way back…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Geng Youqin and her daughter appeared.
Geng Youqin walked briskly ahead, obviously upset, while Qu Miaomiao followed silently. It seemed like they had had an unpleasant argument. Miaomiao hung her head in dejection, and Cong Qi could see a small bloodstain seeping through the gauze on her left forehead.
“Auntie Geng, Miaomiao, you’re back.”
“Miaomiao, are you feeling better?”
Qu Miaomiao didn’t raise her head and responded in a sulky tone, “Mm… I have a bit of a headache. I’ll head home first.”
“Alright, rest well, and I’ll see you later,” Cong Qi replied with a cheerful smile, feeling that something was amiss but not having the time to dwell on it.
This was because, for the first time ever, Wu Yang had greeted Aunt Geng.
He stood still without moving.
“Hello, Aunt Geng,” he said calmly, hands hanging by his sides, looking seemingly composed.
However, the clenched fists and the slightly stiff posture betrayed his nervousness.
While he was addressing Aunt Geng, his gaze was uncontrollably drawn toward Qu Miaomiao as she walked by.
Seeing this, Cong Qi instinctively furrowed her brows. This guy was usually so carefree; Aunt Geng must really dislike him. Now, his attention toward Miaomiao was so obvious. Aunt Geng would definitely overthink this, and Miaomiao might face another scolding later.
Cong Qi was still contemplating how to help her friend out of this situation when she saw Aunt Geng restrain her anger and a bright smile appeared unexpectedly. With surprising warmth, Aunt Geng said, “Oh, it’s Wu Yang, right? Are you here to see Miaomiao? Come, let’s go upstairs and talk.”
“Is… is that okay, Aunt Geng? I do have something I want to discuss with Miaomiao,” Wu Yang stammered.
Wu Yang scratched his neck uneasily, clearly taken aback by the unexpected warmth he received. Cong Qi was utterly baffled. In this scenario with the four of them, it felt like she was the only one lost in a fog of confusion.
She looked towards Qu Miaomiao, who had lowered her head and was heading inside with a heavy heart. Aunt Geng nodded at Cong Qi and said, “Dispose of the garbage and hurry up.”
Cong Qi responded with an “Oh” and walked a few steps before turning around for another glance. Suddenly, she had a revelation. It seemed like Aunt Geng’s attitude towards Wu Yang was akin to a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, growing more pleased with him the more she looked.
Cong Qi’s lips twitched, feeling that the world was truly magical. Miaomiao, who was reserved and introverted, was being set up by Aunt Geng with Wu Yang?
Wu Yang is really unreliable. They were in the same year—Miaomiao went to university, She’s been working at the pharmaceutical factory for over two years, but he’s still living off his parents.
He likes to ride his motorcycle around town and hang out, he is not really a troublemaker, but not exactly a model citizen either. Even though his father is the school principal and his mother works at a bank, their family is among the top in terms of financial status among school staff, but Cong Qi still doesn’t think he’s a good match. And why is Miaomiao so afraid of him—
‘Wait a minute, what did Miaomiao call me just now? Cong Qi instead of ChongChong?’
The dull thud of the garbage landing in the trash can echoed in Cong Qi’s ears, like ripples spreading out when a pebble is dropped into water, amplifying and expanding infinitely.
The next day after work, Cong Qi went to the third floor to find her friend, intending to ask about her injury and also inquire about how she resolved the situation with Yu Lekang.
To her surprise, Miaomiao was not there. She found out from her mother that Miaomiao had decided to live in the dorms.
You see, the normal university Miaomiao attended wasn’t far from their high school, just about an hour by bus. University class schedules weren’t as packed as high school, with mostly no professional classes in the evenings, so Miaomiao didn’t choose to live on university after enrolling and didn’t pay for the dormitory.
Why on earth did she suddenly decide to live in the dorms? She didn’t even tell me, making me feel like an insignificant friend.
She didn’t even say anything to her, which made her feel unimportant at all.
To be honest, Cong Qi felt a little uncomfortable and a bit sad.
She had it all planned out; the next time Qu Miaomiao came home, she was going to question her thoroughly about why she didn’t say anything to her.
However, for the next two months, Qu Miaomiao didn’t come home even once. It wasn’t until late June when summer vacation started that Cong Qi finally saw Qu Miaomiao again.
At that moment, she was watering the plants in the yard, and there was an unknown boy standing next to Qu Miaomiao, helping her with her luggage. The two of them seemed to be having an intense conversation, and Qu Miaomiao was smiling coyly.
Cong Qi could tell from the way she was blushing that she had probably fallen in love again. So, instead of rushing out to greet her, she waited until the boy left and then called out to Qu Miaomiao, “Miaomiao.”
Qu Miaomiao was taken aback. She turned to look behind her instinctively.
“Did you see him?” she asked Cong Qi.
Cong Qi found the question a bit strange. She lived on the first floor, and from the yard, she had a clear view of the entrance to Dexinyuan housing complex. Of course, she could see them talking.
“Yes, I saw him. Why, do you need me to keep it a secret from Auntie Geng?” Cong Qi teased.
Qu Miaomiao’s face grew anxious. She cautiously asked, “What do you think of him?”
Cong Qi casually replied, “Hmm, he seems pretty good, tall, maybe around 1.8 meters, and he looks decent from the side.”
She was just being polite. Little did she know that with each word she said, the smile on her friend’s face seemed to fade a bit.
“Do you really think he’s great?” Qu Miaomiao pressed.
Cong Qi was puzzled. Was there any way she could say otherwise in front of her good friend?
“He seems nice, at least…” She was about to add ‘better than Yu Lekang,’ but Qu Miaomiao cut her off.
“So, is he your type?” she suddenly asked, her expression turning sour.
Cong Qi was taken aback for a moment, can’t comprehend how this topic had anything to do with her own preferences. She looked at Qu Miaomiao in confusion and noticed that her expression had soured.
Realizing that Qu Miaomiao was likely guarded due to the past incident of someone approaching her but writing love letters for Cong Qi, she understood her friend’s cautious attitude. Despite understanding, she couldn’t help but feel upset.
Cong Qi was always transparent about her emotions, and if Qu Miaomiao’s lack of trust and defensiveness had hurt her, she was determined to address it directly.
“How would I know what type he is? I don’t even know him. Miaomiao, what do you mean? Do you think I would steal your boyfriend?” Cong Qi’s cheeks flushed with anger.
Qu Miaomiao, realizing she had overreacted, looked embarrassed. She wanted to say something but didn’t know how to explain her own anxious feelings.
In Cong Qi’s eyes, their relationship was open and honest, where they could discuss anything. But from Qu Miaomiao’s perspective, they were no longer close friends.
At the age of twenty, she didn’t dislike Cong Qi. She believed in her own potential, knowing that with her higher education, she would likely have a better future than Cong Qi.
By the time she reached thirty, she envied Cong Qi’s lifestyle but still held onto her own sense of worth. In fact, she might even look down on Cong Qi for being a full-time housewife.
At forty, as her husband’s career soared, Cong Qi enjoyed a prosperous life. Meanwhile, her own life was marked by fading love, meager savings, a rebellious son, and an increasingly distant husband. She couldn’t fathom why she, who excelled in many aspects, was living a worse life than Cong Qi, who seemed to lack depth.
Every encounter with Cong Qi deepened her confusion and slowly led to resentment. Cong Qi’s privileged life felt like a negation of all her years of hard work.
What an ironic reality it was.
She worked diligently, but couldn’t compete with someone who married a good man. Qu Miaomiao felt like she wanted to rid herself of this friend entirely. Just when she thought her future would be filled with envy and darkness, an impulsive car accident didn’t take Cong Qi’s life but instead sent her back to twenty years ago.
Now, she was a promising college student, and Cong Qi was just a factory worker, completely unaware of Lu Cheng, and far from being the enviable Mrs. Lu, enjoying a life of comfort and marital bliss.
By the following year, the pharmaceutical factory introduced foreign investment. Everyone believed it would thrive under this new arrangement, but little did they know it was a trap. The foreign investors were after exclusive formulas, and once they got their hands on them, the pharmaceutical factory declared bankruptcy. Cong Qi became one of the unemployed.
Seeing that Cong Qi didn’t have the same future as the prosperous Mrs. Lu, Qu Miaomiao’s restless heart began to settle.
“…I’m sorry.”
Her eyes held a strange mix of sympathy and elusive satisfaction. Cong Qi couldn’t quite understand the peculiar look in her eyes, but she sensed a condescending tone, which made her feel oddly irritated.
“Miaomiao, have you noticed that you’ve changed?”
Qu Miaomiao’s heartbeat slowed for a moment. “Have I?”
Cong Qi said, “Yes.”
“Before, you used to say whatever was on your mind, even if you were unhappy, you’d tell me directly. But now, just because of someone you’ve known for a short time, you’re guarding against me. Is our friendship of over ten years so fragile in your eyes?”
“Do you think so lowly of my character?”
Qu Miaomiao remained silent.
Thinking that her home and Cong Qi’s home were in the same building, Lu Cheng would often visit Dexinyuan in the future.
She wasn’t sure whether Lu Cheng would fall in love with Cong Qi as he did in his previous life. After all, Cong Qi was indeed very beautiful, so beautiful that even women would be moved when they saw her.
And feelings are always the most uncontrollable. But she knew what kind of person Cong Qi was.
——Cong Qi will not be interested in the boyfriend of a “friend”.
Now they are good friends. As long as she shows that she loves Lu Cheng very much, even if Lu Cheng still falls in love with Cong Qi in the future, Cong Qi would never accept him.
She had education, good looks, and a respectable family background. She was the kind of daughter-in-law that parents favored.
The Most importantly, she knew the changes that would occur in the next twenty years, and she could provide career assistance to Lu Cheng. She doesn’t believe that with so many benefits, Lu Cheng can still choose Cong Qi over her, who is destined not to respond to his feelings.
She realized she owed Cong Qi for taking away the stable life that belonged to her, just this once. With this thought in mind, her gaze steadied, and she took a deep breath.
“Because you’re so beautiful,” she confessed, “Whenever we stand together, everyone’s eyes are always on you. I’m afraid Lu Cheng might…”
