Return of the Antagonistic Lady Boss

Chapter 271 - 259: Entering the Heart

"It’s me who’s not good enough for him... Forget about that, tell me about your ’good girl’ situation." Qian was now desperately in need of a topic to divert her half-empty heart.

"There’s really not much to say, she’s a woman you can live life with; neither particularly pretty nor plain, has a stable job, a decent family background, the kind of ideal daughter-in-law my parents would approve of."

"That sounds great, so why haven’t you settled with her?"

"Chen Xiaoqian, do you think marriage or dating is all about these things?"

"What else is there? What is love, if not a mutual attraction between hormones? And how long does that attraction last? Three months. That’s why so many people find love dull after the honeymoon phase; even the traits that once attracted them become annoying flaws. I’ve seen so many force themselves to endure for years or even a lifetime for the sake of those three wonderful months. In the end, they stick to marriage out of habit. Why not find someone you have no feelings for from the start, live with matched backgrounds, no ups and downs, or live alone, which is also good. I believe women or men who are strong to a certain extent don’t need a spouse."

Qian downed her drink in one go and grabbed the bottle to fill up her glass again.

Zheng Xu clicked his tongue twice, circling around Qian from left to right.

"Your intelligence is back, huh? I thought you wanted to be all lovey-dovey with that husky of yours forever. You’re so rational with what you just said."

"I’m just objectively evaluating marriage and love from the perspective of a psychologist."

"You’ve been with that husky for more than three months now, haven’t you? Has your hormonal attraction disappeared? If it has, would you still be here, using such empty words to convince yourself you’re free? Wait a minute, Chen Xiaoqian, let me find you a mirror so you can see how reluctant your own expression looks—it’s really irritating."

Qian slammed her hand on the table.

"Zheng Xu, are you even a friend? I’m like this, and you can’t say a few words to comfort me? You’re such a pain— I shouldn’t have cured you in the first place. I should have let you be scared of saws like a grandson. Now that you’re better, you come over here acting all wise to irritate me?"

"Are you embarrassed and angry? Fine, then I’ll pretend you’ve moved on. So, this already-moved-on beautiful lady, are you willing to accept my pursuit?" Zheng Xu grabbed Qian’s hand and kissed it.

Qian instinctively raised her hand to slap him, and after hitting, she felt inexplicably sad.

She still hated being touched by others, even by close friends like Zheng Xu.

But the only person she could touch was already driven away by her.

She now realized why anyone else’s touch bothered her yet Minglang’s didn’t.

She finally knew who the benefactor was who changed her life back then.

Fate had reached its hand out long ago, and neither she nor he managed to escape.

"Look at you, you might as well carve ’Mr. Yu’s woman’ on your face. How can you be as carefree as me? I can ditch multiple women and still have fun; you break up with one husky and feel life is unbearable."

"I feel I owe him too much, so much that I don’t know how to repay him."

"However much you owe, I’ll repay it for you."

"A heart, a feeling, a life, half a lifetime of time — how can I repay that..."

Zheng Xu was completely baffled by what Qian was saying, looking at her in disbelief.

"How long have you known him for you to talk about a lifelong connection, let alone bringing up a life?"

"You don’t understand, no one will understand." Qian raised her glass and drained it.

"Fine, I don’t get it, but if you truly feel you owe him that much, then get back together with him. Get physically close if you have to, but don’t torment me with your half-dead demeanor!"

Zheng Xu didn’t understand why Qian was so sorrowful, but he could see that Qian simply couldn’t let go of Yu Minglang.

"What’s the best way to treat someone well? Stay with them? But if staying with them holds back their future and constantly puts them in danger, what kind of person does that make me? He’s not mature, but am I not mature either? I’m old enough to know that he can’t make the hard choice, so I should. How can someone who’s meant to achieve great things be so indecisive?"

Qian grabbed the bottle and started drinking straight from it.

Yu Minglang was such a righteous man; Qian had known this since her past life, yet here she showed up during his career’s rise, becoming an obstacle.

"So young, yet you talk like an old lady, so world-weary. Look at how that husky has ruined you." Zheng Xu shook his head.

"I ruined him..." Qian grabbed the bottle for another swig, only to find it empty.

"To be ruined by you is his fortune; many people would love to be ruined by you but never get the chance." Zheng Xu originally wanted to hug Qian but then confusingly looked at his own raised hand.

"Chen Xiaoqian, did you do something while hypnotizing me? Did you pass along your dislike for physical contact to me?" Why does his heart clog up at the thought of making any contact with Qian?

"If Mr. Yu has offended you anywhere, I’ll gather people and beat him up, stop fooling around."

Qian looked up, seriously addressing her issues, wondering why Zheng Xu thought she was just messing around.

"Chen Xiaoqian, what you’re trying to convey to me today is, essentially, you want to break up because you think he’s too good and you’re not worthy. But why do I feel like you’re acting for your own benefit?"

The spiritual understanding of twin souls is not something most people can grasp; Qian’s actions, as observed by others, seemed akin to a self-sacrificial K-drama heroine.

But Zheng Xu saw through the facade and penetrated Qian’s heart, reaching a place she herself hadn’t even realized.

"Acting? I’m so miserable I’m about to die, and you say I’m acting?" Qian thought, maybe it was time to end the friendship with this guy.

"You’re trying to show you’re noble by attempting a separation, but if you can’t actually stay apart, you’ll just feel justified continuing your life with him. Don’t ask me how I know, you give off the vibe of a glutton standing before a feast, finding every excuse not to eat, fighting with yourself just to appease your guilty conscience. In the end, do you think you’ll eat or not?"

Chen Xiaoqian is indeed remarkable — not only can she perform for others, when pushed, she can fool herself as well!

"Why would I lie to myself?"

"What kind of person is Mr. Yu, I know. Don’t tell me you don’t. Do you think he’s going to let go of the food that’s in his mouth? Can you say ’break up’ and expect him to just agree? That punk, ever since he was little, he knew how to guard his food. He wouldn’t let go even when his dad chased him around with a stick for stealing his brother’s food. This guy grew up, do you think he’d go for a break-up if you suggest it? If you’re really willing to break up with him, there are plenty of ways to truly leave, so why choose the weakest approach unless you’re lying to yourself — even ghosts would laugh at that."

When Zheng Xu spoke to Qian, she felt as if she was talking to herself; what he said was undoubtedly a part of her subconscious. Finding one’s mental twin among billions, as it turns out, is incredibly useful in crucial moments.

Damn useful, Qian felt an inexplicable guilt.