Chapter 24 - 24 Lin Qinghuan

Gu Qiaoqiao entered the private room at a leisurely pace, Bai Yun and Ning Yuli had already left.

Some of the people in the room found it dull and followed suit, while others were still drinking and singing.

Though only a bit more than half remained, the atmosphere was still lively.

Plots and schemes, drugging and setting traps, these ideas seemed too far-fetched for these people.

No one would bother to think too much about it.

They all just saw it as a bit of fun.

Gu Qiaoqiao picked up her down jacket when a girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking about seventeen, suddenly leaned in, smiling, “Gu Qiaoqiao, you are nothing like what Bai Yun and the others said about you.”

Another girl pulled her back, winking, “Shang Qing, stop it.”

Shang Qing shook off her hand and glared at the girl, “Bai Yun and Ning Yuli are full of malice, you should hang out with them less.”

The girl was at a loss for words.

Shang Qing looked at Gu Qiaoqiao, “It seems what my dad said was right, ‘Hearing is false, seeing is believing.’

Gu Qiaoqiao’s hand paused on the zipper of her down jacket, the girl opposite her had a goodwill in her eyes that she had never seen before, and she smiled, “Sometimes, what the eyes see, may not necessarily be true.”

Shang Qing blinked, scratching her head, feeling as if what she heard was quite profound.

It was very much like talking to her second brother.

She decided to let it go and grabbed Gu Qiaoqiao’s arm, “Anyway, that Bai Yun loves to put on airs and pretend, I got a beating from my dad last month because of her lies, but nobody believed me. If I had done what you did today, I wouldn’t have suffered. I’ve made up my mind; you’re my friend now. My name is Shang Qing, with “Shang” from ‘dynasty’ and “Qing” from ‘clear sky’.”

Gu Qiaoqiao understood, this girl had a grudge against Bai Yun.

No wonder they say, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’

However, she thought she wouldn’t have much to do with these people in the future, so she smiled, “You guys have fun, I’m going to leave.”

“Stay and play for a while,” urged Shang Qing, who was clearly very outgoing. She clung to Gu Qiaoqiao’s arm, saying admiringly, “You sing so well, when you opened your mouth, I was completely stunned, I was mesmerized…”

“You flatterer,” Gu Qiaoqiao wouldn’t turn down the kindness, “But I really do have to go. Qin Yize is waiting for me outside.”

As soon as she said this, a few people’s gazes became quite peculiar.

However, Shang Qing laughed loudly, “Haha, then you should go quickly, I’ll come find you in a few days to hang out.”

Gu Qiaoqiao didn’t say anything. She just nodded, wrapped her scarf, and left with grace.

When she stepped out, Qin Yize was nowhere to be seen, and Gu Qiaoqiao felt an inexplicable sense of relief as she walked towards the KTV’s main entrance.

Standing at the entrance, Gu Qiaoqiao was stunned.

It was actually snowing outside.

Under the blurred yellow light of a streetlamp not far away, Qin Yize and a strange woman were standing face to face.

With a distance of two steps between them.

At that moment, the woman slightly tilted her head up, and even from dozens of meters away, Gu Qiaoqiao thought she could see the affection in the woman’s eyes.

The tall and handsome man, the petite and beautiful girl, the fluttering white snowflakes, the dim yellow light, the sparse passersby, all frozen in time to create a stunning tableau.

Gu Qiaoqiao found the scene particularly jarring.

And Qin Yize, his lips tightly closed, his expression still indifferent, but his eyes locked with the woman’s.

Gu Qiaoqiao felt she had never seen Qin Yize’s gaze linger on a woman’s face for so long.

She stopped in her tracks.

Her past life’s misfortunes, a large part of them came from this Qin Yize.

Having lived once more, Gu Qiaoqiao found these rotten peach blossoms around him unbearably laughable and annoying.@@novelbin@@

She adjusted her scarf and turned indifferently to walk in the opposite direction.

Qin Yize suddenly turned his head and saw Gu Qiaoqiao; he called out, “Gu Qiaoqiao…”

Gu Qiaoqiao stopped in her tracks.

And turned around.

Only to see Qin Yize walking over unhurriedly, glanced at the woman who followed him, remained silent for a moment, and then said, “This is my wife, Gu Qiaoqiao.” Then to Gu Qiaoqiao he said, “She is my classmate, Lin Qinghuan, who studied abroad.”

The woman was taken aback and looked up.

Gu Qiaoqiao also got a clear look at Lin Qinghuan’s appearance.

She had to admit, she was truly beautiful.

Her brows were like distant hills, her eyes like autumn water, her small face the size of a palm glowing under the dim yellow streetlights.

She wore a simple and stylish beige coat, wrapped in a red plaid scarf.

Every move she made exuded nobility and elegance.

Gu Qiaoqiao thought this must be the most beautiful of the women who liked Qin Yize.

Only, she had no recollection of her from her former life.

She did not know what kind of presence this person was.

But, it had nothing to do with her.

Gu Qiaoqiao, seeing the fleeting tears in Lin Qinghuan’s eyes, understood, yet softly said, “Hello.”

“Miss Gu, hello.”

She evidently had also reacted.

And displayed an impeccable smile.

Lin Qinghuan was very smart; she knew that talking to Qin Yize today was impossible. She looked at Qin Yize intently and flashed a playful smile, “Ah Ze, it’s getting late today; I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll invite you and Miss Gu for a meal another day.”

Still not calling her ‘sister-in-law,’ still addressing her only as Miss Gu.

Gu Qiaoqiao scoffed inwardly, but her expression did not betray her thoughts.

“No need to be polite,” Qin Yize said, unconcerned with the form of address. He glanced at Lin Qinghuan and then asked, “Do you have a companion?”

Gu Qiaoqiao cast a surprised glance at Qin Yize; indeed, this woman was special to him.

“I have a companion; he went to get the car. Then I’ll be leaving first.” Lin Qinghuan concealed the reluctance in her eyes and with a complicated look at the gracefully standing Gu Qiaoqiao, turned and left.

A very elegant woman, as she turned, her waist-length hair traced a beautiful arc in the air, the scent of perfume wafting out.

Qin Yize frowned. Lin Qinghuan had started using perfume as well.

He absentmindedly withdrew his gaze, quietly looking at Gu Qiaoqiao.

At that moment, Gu Qiaoqiao had wrapped her scarf around her mouth and nose, leaving only a pair of eyes as clear as mountain springs and a delicate set of brows exposed.

Yet her demeanor was as calm as still water.

It seemed that she no longer had the curiosity she once had about him and the people and things around him.

He seemed to be finding it increasingly difficult to see through his wife in name only.

His eyes darkened, he put his hands in the pockets of his coat, and took the lead toward the direction of home.

This place was only a ten-minute walk from the Qin Family, which felt much more comfortable than taking a bus in winter.

Gu Qiaoqiao silently followed behind.

The heavy snow was still falling.

Near and far, everything was covered in a vast expanse of white, making the world seem a lot cleaner.

And Qin Yize’s tall shadow cast on the snow was inadvertently stepped on by Gu Qiaoqiao, stirring an indescribable emotion inside her. She took a couple of steps back, distancing herself from him.