Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Yes, he’s a treasure of the Zhu family, but I’m not sure if he’s anyone else’s treasure. You already knew that Brother Zhai was at my house this entire afternoon. What do you intend to do then?” Wait, something was not right. “Why did you suddenly come to my house?”

  “Because I’ve been to Brother Zhai’s house and I heard that Qiu Chenxi came back. There’s no reason that Qiu Chenxi arrived home but not Brother Zhai,” Shi Qing said sullenly.

  She had caused inconvenience to the Zhai family for the whole morning. She only left after she could no longer endure a bursting bladder.

  When she arrived home, she found out that Qiu Chenxi had returned from the army and even came to look for her at her new house.

  If Brother Zhai was not out of the camp, Qiu Chenxi would definitely not look for her.

  Since Qiu Chenxi had already arrived home, Brother Zhai should have arrived home even before Qiu Chenxi did.

  After thinking, Shi Qing thought of a possibility. She thus went to the house of the Qiao family to try her luck.

  Never did she expect that she would hear Zhai Sheng’s voice coming from the house even before she could knock the door. With that, she guessed that Zhai Sheng was in the house without going into it.

  There were a few times that Shi Qing mustered her courage and wanted to knock on the door and enter the house. She could at least meet Brother Zhai and have a chat with him. However, when she realized that Brother Zhai’s tone and voice was something that she had never heard before, Shi Qing lost the courage to knock on the door.

  “.……” Shi Qing was really good.

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  “I don’t want to give up.” Shi Qing’s pained voice came from the phone.

  Qiao Nan sighed. “Although I don’t know if this happiness eventually belongs to me, at the very least, I don’t wish to give up now.”

  “You don’t seem quite confident.” Brother Zhai clearly liked Qiao Nan so much. What did Qiao Nan have to worry about?

  “Not confident.” Qiao Nan smiled bitterly. “In front of Brother Zhai, I’ve never had much confidence. I don’t think I’m much worse than Brother Zhai, but my thinking does not represent that of others. Subsequently, it does not represent what the Zhai family thinks. China is a very conventional society. Who will be able to completely ignore how others see you and live in a carefree way? Shi Qing, I may not be confident when I’m facing others, but when I face Qiu Chenxi and you, I’m still quite confident. This is because all three of us are not accepted by Auntie Miao.”

  “Why?” What was wrong with her that Auntie Miao did not like her?

  “I can only say that you wouldn’t be here if Auntie Miao could accept you. Most likely, Qiu Chenxi would have gotten engaged with Brother Zhai long ago. The reason why Qiu Chenxi and Brother Zhai’s matter was dashed was mainly due to Auntie Miao. On the other hand, it’s also partly due to Brother Zhai’s attitude.”

  “No wonder……” It was no wonder that Auntie Miao behaved strangely when she visited the Zhai family this afternoon. “Auntie Miao doesn’t accept you? Why?”

  “Tell me, what else can it be?”

  “I don’t think so. We’re already in this era. Do they still have so many conventional excuses?” Shi Qing did not believe it. “Since Brother Zhai is such a good man, Auntie Miao must be an elder who’s very understanding and morally principled. Can it be that you’re just being paranoid?”

  Qiao Nan leaned on the sofa. She did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Auntie Miao can’t accept me. Why do you care about the reason? Shouldn’t you feel happy about this?” Shi Qing even had the mood to chat with her. Didn’t she seem like she had been dealt with a tremendous blow earlier?

  Shi Qing leaned on the chair listlessly, rolling her eyes sullenly. “Brother Zhai doesn’t like me. There’s nothing that I can do about it. Even if he doesn’t pick you, he’ll eventually get married. Compared to letting him marry another woman, it may be better if he marries you. At the very least, you’ve won against me once. If the woman that Brother Zhai is going to marry is not better than me, I’ll feel more depressed. Therefore, if that person is you instead of someone else, I’ll be more able to accept it.”

  “Do you mean that you’ve given up?” You had persisted for ten years, yet you’re giving up today?

  “Miss Shi, you said that you’ve loved Brother Zhai for ten years, didn’t you? I’m eighteen years old this year. You’re one year older than me at most. Does that mean you started to like Brother Zhai when you were nine years old and have always wished to marry him ever since?” At such a young age, Shi Qing was so mature?

  Shi Qing’s face turned red. “What do you know? That’s because my intelligence quotient and emotional intelligence quotient are both top-notch. Since a young age, I’ve already known what I want. And don’t laugh at me. At that time, Qiu Chenxi was only older than me by a few years, yet she told me shamelessly that she was already Brother Zhai’s fiancée, saying that when we grew up, she would be Brother Zhai’s wife. Because of what Qiu Chenxi said, I did not come to Ping Cheng for almost ten years!”

  “Oh my god, it’s true that I don’t really understand.” Qiao Nan felt ashamed. Compared to Qiu Chenxi and Shi Qing who matured at such a young age, she was simply too far behind.

  “Qiao Nan, since you’re the one that Brother Zhai likes, I hope you can take good care of Brother Zhai in the future. Don’t let Brother Zhai down because of another man. Otherwise, I’ll definitely ensure that you suffer.” After thinking for some time, Shi Qing then gritted her teeth and added, “Don’t think that I’m giving my blessings to Brother Zhai and you. Don’t hope for it. I only wish that Brother Zhai will be happy. I don’t care whether you’re happy or not.”

  Qiao Nan raised her eyebrows. “You…… have really given up?”

  In comparison to Qiu Chenxi, or even Chen Jun, wasn’t Shi Qing giving up too quickly? It was so quick that she felt that she might have fallen into a trap.

  “You don’t know anything!” Shi Qing slammed the phone with a loud bang.

  Once she hung up, Shi Qing ran to the bathroom and cried.

  She had known and liked Brother Zhai for a long time. Although she had not seen or interacted with Brother Zhai that many times, judging from what she heard this afternoon, Brother Zhai was truly very happy when he was at the house of the Qiao family.

  That cold, aloof, and emotionless child from back then could, in fact, have feelings when he found someone he liked. He could actually become that happy.

  For the entire afternoon, Shi Qing continuously asked herself what would happen if she used all ways and means or stoop to anything to snatch Brother Zhai.

  She had already seen the fact that Zhai Sheng really had such a side to him. If Zhai Sheng was together with her in the future, was she confident that she would be able to make Zhai Sheng show that happy and carefree side of him?

  If she could not, yet she knew that Zhai Sheng was also someone with feelings, could she face a stoic Zhai Sheng who was like a block of wood? Could she really accept it? Was she even willing to sacrifice everything to maintain such a relationship that would not be reciprocated?

  The final answer was apparent: No!

  Shi Qing was an intelligent and sensitive individual. From every perspective, Shi Qing concluded that even if she had the chance to be together with Zhai Sheng, she could not make Zhai Sheng happy, and neither could she accept the fact that Zhai Sheng would behave like a piece of stone in front of her.

  Rather than causing everyone to be unhappy, she would let go as soon as possible to avoid that situation.