Chapter 139: Chapter 139 - 139 139 Unlikely Couple

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Unlikely Couple Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Unlikely Couple Fu Han and Luo Qinghe exited the elevator one after the other, and she bid him goodnight before heading straight to her own room.

The light from above the corridor cast down upon Fu Han, making her long black coat shimmer as if edged with gold, accentuating her tall and slender figure, like a bamboo that would never bend.

As she moved, the light-reflecting floor seemed adorned with the blossoming of black petals.

Her hand was already on the door handle when Luo Qinghe’s detached voice arose from behind her, “Fu Han, what’s going on between you and Su Cheng?”

Fu Han paused for two seconds and turned around with a smile, “Why do you ask that?”

Luo Qinghe’s handsome eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What exactly is the matter with you two? You didn’t talk all night, and you don’t at all resemble a couple.”

Before Fu Han could answer, Luo Qinghe chuckled, “Perhaps, I’m just overthinking it. You and Su Cheng have never been like a typical couple, so it’s normal for you not to talk.”

If it were any other day, Fu Han would’ve probably responded with a gracious smile and ignored the comment, but today her mood was far from good. She blinked twice, “That might be true, we naturally can’t compare to you and Bai Wei. You’re not a couple, yet better than one.”

Luo Qinghe hadn’t expected the conversation to turn back on him. His face flushed, and even someone as thick-skinned as him couldn’t figure out what to say for a moment.

Click, a door next to them opened, and Bai Wei’s head poked out from the crack.

She looked at Fu Han with a bright smile, “You sure have a way with words. I’ve got new spa equipment in my room; why don’t you come and enjoy it?”

Luo Qinghe looked visibly upset, but Fu Han’s smile broadened, “Sure, I’d love to.”

In the blink of an eye, the spacious corridor was left with only Luo Qinghe standing alone. He sighed helplessly and, thinking of something, his lips curled into a slight smile as he headed back to his room.

…

Amid the roaring din, the plane slowly ascended.

Nan Qing leaned against the glass, looking out at the dark night sky, void of any stars.

“Xiaoqing, what are you thinking about?” Nangong’s wife touched her arm, her tone gentle but unmistakably caring, the cabin lights falling from above and illuminating the fine lines on her face, yet she radiated a saintly glow.

Nan Qing wrapped her arm around Nangong’s wife, affectionately leaning on her shoulder, “Mom, I’m thinking about our future journey.”

A sigh escaped Nangong’s wife, and she managed a smile, “Xiaoqing, I think Qinghe is also a good kid, won’t you consider him at all?”

“No, both Brother Qinghe and I have better options. I’m just a dream of his youth, not someone he could share his life with.”

Nan Qing turned her gaze back to the window, her thoughts drifting to a few hours earlier.

That evening, Nan Qing and four elders arrived at the restaurant first, awaiting the others. Luo Qinghe was the first to arrive; he didn’t return to the hotel to change clothes but simply took off the makeup from his performance and changed into his own outfit.

When Luo Qinghe arrived, Nan Qing was just in the Lobby, ordering food. Luo Qinghe naturally took a seat beside her, and they chatted casually.

She ordered two coffees, handing one to Luo Qinghe with an apologetic expression, “Brother Qinghe, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what flavor you liked, so I just ordered one at random.”

“It’s okay, I’m not picky,” Luo Qinghe laughed appreciatively, a stark contrast to his usually indifferent demeanor.

Nan Qing was suddenly reminded of what she had told Fu Han a few days earlier: “Love should never be forced.”

She looked at Luo Qinghe with a hint of sadness. This carefree, life-of-the-party kind of guy, when had he become so cautious and restrained? That wasn’t him at all; he was supposed to be the brightest sunflower under the sun.

Nan Qing set down her coffee, her round eyes fixed on Luo Qinghe, “Brother Qinghe, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?” Luo Qinghe set his tea down too, his smiling face indulgent, just like how he’d always looked at her through the years.

Nan Qing’s heart ached, but she knew some pains are better dealt with quickly. She mentally organized her thoughts before speaking, “Brother Qinghe, I know you like me, and I’m grateful for your feelings, but…”

“Stop,” Luo Qinghe’s smile had vanished, his face pale under the chandelier’s glow like gardenias, his voice tinged with a plea, “Xiaoqing, I know what you want to say. There’s no need to continue.”

“No, I need to say this.” Nan Qing persisted, each word clear and deliberate, “Brother Qinghe, you and I will never be a couple. In my heart, you are my brother, and that will never change.”

Luo Qinghe bit his lip, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. Yet he still forced a smile, “Xiaoqing, actually you don’t have to tell me. I get it, and I won’t be mad.”

Nan Qing wished he would show his anger, but he didn’t, which only made her sadder. Her eyes reddened, tears uncontrollably streaming down, “Brother Qinghe, please don’t misunderstand, my words have nothing to do with Su Cheng… I’ve already decided to give him up. Some things can’t be forced, and you should… You should give up on me too.”

Luo Qinghe’s eyes reddened as well. With a stretch of his arm, he pulled Nan Qing into an embrace – the first and possibly the last time he would ever hold her.

Nan Qing compliantly leaned on his shoulder, “Brother Qinghe, cherish the one you have now. Don’t be like us, not knowing what you have until it’s too late to regret.”

“Xiaoqing, are you listening to me?” Nangong’s wife touched her arm.

“Ah, yes, I’m listening.” Nan Qing hastily curbed her untimely daydream and looked at Nangong’s wife with her signature sweet smile, “Mom, what did you just say? Could you please repeat it?”

Nangong’s wife shook her head, smiling indulgently, “I didn’t say much, it’s late already. You should sleep for a bit.”

“Okay, mom,” Nan Qing wasn’t in the mood to talk, and though she wasn’t sleepy, she closed her eyes anyway.

She never imagined a day would come when she’d feign sleep in front of her parents.

…

In the hospital,

Xia Ning’s wound had been treated. Her head was wrapped in a thick bandage, and anyone unaware of the situation would think she’d sustained a serious injury.

But in reality, though she’d hit the back of her head and it bled, the wound wasn’t serious. She had pleaded with the emergency room Doctor to make her condition seem more severe, to wrap her head like a glutinous rice dumpling and to put her on an IV and admit her to the hospital.