Chapter 70
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Li Xin drove the flashy red sports car to pick up Yan Ruowen. This could be considered a gift from Li Yuandong when she went home.
Seeing the brightly colored flashy car, Yan Ruowen couldn't help but furrow her brows. She prefers to keep a low profile, but Li Xin is flamboyant and high-profile. Parking at the hospital entrance was truly conspicuous. If the Qian family sees it, she might get drowned in their saliva again, considering the commotion caused by the incident with Li Xin last time
“What's going on?" Li Xin asked, unable to stand Yan Ruowen's furrowed brow.
"Nothing," Although Yan Ruowen wasn't fond of some details about Li Xin, she always voiced her dislikes. It's precisely because of this that those bits of dislikes added up to form Ruowen's not-so-good impression of Li Xin.
"Do you like red?" Yan Ruowen suddenly asked. In her memory, Li Xin often appeared entirely in red, almost no one could overlook Li Xin's allure as much as Yan Ruowen did.
"Do you not like the color of this car?" Li Xin realized her sports car was now the center of attention.
"It's okay, just a bit too flashy," Yan Ruowen said tactfully, but Li Xin understood that Yan Ruowen didn't like the color of her car.
"Then I'll take it for a repaint tomorrow," since Ruowen doesn't like this color, she'll get it changed.
"No need to bother, as long as you like it." Li Xin is driving the car, so she can choose any color she likes.
"People always have a color that suits them. Like Zuo Qinghuan suits pure white, and Qin Wanshu suits noble yellow. You suit the proud blue rather than black," Li Xin, quite knowledgeable about aesthetics, confidently stated.
"Oh," Yan Ruowen responded calmly. Her wardrobe always consisted of two colors: black and white, mostly composed of professional attire. She wasn't particularly concerned about dressing up, as long as it was not inappropriate.
Yan Ruowen vaguely remembered Zuo Qinghuan, Li Xin had mentioned her before, and she had seen her once or twice. Zuo Qinghuan's appearance was more likable than Li Xin's, with clear and pleasant features. Yan Ruowen was somewhat surprised that Li Xin knew Qin Wanshu.
"I've actually bought you a lot of clothes. I think you'd look really good in them..." Li Xin still believed in changing Yan Ruowen's dressing style. She thought clothes could alter one's mood, and Ruowen dressed too old-fashioned, making herself look rigid and lifeless.
"How do you know Qin Wanshu?" Yan Ruowen wasn't interested in Li Xin's clothing theories but shifted the conversation towards someone she found intriguing – Qin Wanshu.
"Do you have a favorable impression of Qin Wanshu?" Li Xin asked as if facing a formidable enemy. It's not a good sign that Yan Ruowen, who rarely shows interest in others, is actively inquiring about Qin Wanshu.
Yan Ruowen nodded. Her admiration for Qin Wanshu was genuinely simple, purely appreciating Wanshu's style of dealing with life – a rare woman whom Yan Ruowen admired. It was different from Shi Yunyang's style, one emanating nobility from the soul, while the other being a fob. However, Yan Ruowen's straightforward admiration, when heard by Li Xin, took on a different flavor. Li Xin didn't expect Yan Ruowen's preferred type to be someone like Qin Wanshu, sparking a sense of crisis in her. After all, Qin Wanshu was exceptionally formidable.
"Forget about Qin Wanshu; she's together with Zuo Qinghuan," Li Xin felt it necessary to immediately curb Yan Ruowen's favorable feelings.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Upon hearing Li Xin's response, Yan Ruowen realized the misunderstanding. Yan Ruowen believed that women being together was incidental, while Li Xin seemed to imply it was inevitable, highlighting the difference between someone naturally inclined and someone initially straight. However, when Yan Ruowen heard that Qin Wanshu and Zuo Qinghuan were a couple, she was genuinely surprised. She was well aware that Qin Wanshu was married, and her demeanor didn't suggest someone who would mess around outside of marriage. This revelation slightly shook Yan Ruowen's positive impression of Qin Wanshu. Yet, considering her complicated relationship with Li Xin, she found some solace, thinking that perhaps Qin Wanshu had her reasons.
"In fact, Zuo Qinghuan was originally Han Shibin's mistress. Later, Qin Wanshu found out, probably got disappointed with Han Shibin, and somehow ended up with Zuo Qinghuan." Despite the potential formidable rival, Li Xin wouldn't engage in maligning her. She explained on behalf of Qin Wanshu.
"It's really complicated," Yan Ruowen said after uttering three words, choosing not to dwell on their affairs. She wasn't one to gossip about people's lives. Little did she expect that even the most typical golden couple in high society wasn't as harmonious as it seemed.
"Qin Wanshu seems to be getting a divorce from Han Shibin," Li Xin shared the firsthand gossip, subtly delivering it to her bedside companion.
Yan Ruowen was genuinely surprised.
She knew many seemingly virtuous couples in high society had their own affairs, but actual divorces were rare due to the interests of both families. For someone like Qin Wanshu, the epitome of high society, a divorce would undoubtedly shatter many people's illusions. Yan Ruowen never expected that Qin Wanshu, with her background, would divorce over such a discreet relationship, leaving her unsure how to evaluate the situation.
"Is love really that important?" Yan Ruowen asked. Was it significant enough to make such sacrifices for someone? Yan Ruowen always thought Qin Wanshu wouldn't let love cloud her judgment. From her perspective, it seemed unbelievable, knowing the intricacies of their social circle.
"Some see it as a seasoning – enhances the flavor if present, and fine without. But I think it's more like a drug, not easy to quit. Just like how you can divorce and become my mistress for Qian Shaowen," Li Xin raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly sour. Comparatively, what Li Xin did for Qian Shaowen was far less than what Qin Wanshu did for Zuo Qinghuan. Moreover, Li Xin believed that while part of what Qin Wanshu did was for Zuo Qinghuan, another part was for herself. Living with someone you no longer like or even feel repulsed by, isn't easy to endure.
"That's different," Yan Ruowen immediately retorted. She didn't like such an equivalency in their relationship.
"What's different?" Li Xin asked when Yan Ruowen claimed it was different, the sourness in her tone slightly subdued.
Yan Ruowen pursed her lips, offering no response.
"When will you divorce Qian Shaowen?" This was the question Li Xin was most concerned about.
"After Shaowen is discharged, I'll talk to him. Rest assured, I'll fulfill all the promises I made to you, including holding a press conference. But I need some time to arrange things," Yan Ruowen replied without evasion. She acknowledged that all her past efforts and struggles might go in vain. Claiming she felt no reluctance would be deceiving.
"Alright, I'll give you time. I'll wait for you," Li Xin said. She had waited for five years; waiting a bit longer presented no difficulty.
"Thank you," Yan Ruowen politely responded.
Li Xin frowned; she didn't like hearing the words "thank you." The distance created by those two words soured the mood. It seemed she had been too triumphant too early. Regardless of whether she took advantage of the situation or not, it wasn't the first time, and she knew her impression of herself wasn't great – it couldn't get much worse.
The meal wasn't a pleasant one for Li Xin, and Yan Ruowen remained silent throughout.
….
Zuo Yan's funeral was very quiet, without any relatives. Only a few sisters who were Zuo Yan's colleagues attended. Apart from Wang Qi, there were only Aunt Xiao and a young woman who came together with her.
"My condolences," Xiao Qinan solemnly expressed to Zuo Qinghuan.
"Thank you, Aunt Xiao." Zuo Qinghuan's mood had somewhat stabilized. Looking at the woman beside Aunt Xiao, who seemed close to her age, Zuo Qinghuan found her vaguely familiar but wasn't sure if it was the same person. After all, the timid Jin Hua from the past was entirely different from the confident woman before her.
"Qinghuan, I'm Jin Hua, but Aunt Xiao changed my name. Now, I go by Xiao Yuandao." Though the name sounded somewhat neutral, she liked it.
"I almost didn't recognize you," Zuo Qinghuan politely remarked, speaking the truth.
"Aunt Zuo was a very good person; it's a pity she's gone," Xiao Yuandao was actually not very familiar with Zuo Yan. Since she had come to the funeral with Xiao Qinan, she felt obliged to say something appropriate.
Qin Wanshu was somewhat surprised to see Xiao Qinan. She had a good relationship with Qin Teng and was a formidable figure. They had crossed paths before. Qin Wanshu was not unfamiliar with Xiao Yuandao either. As a current high-profile socialite, she was almost on par with Shi Yunyang in terms of the buzz around her. Xiao Yuandao played between the young masters of major financial conglomerates, a rare woman who managed to stay respectable in these circles. If one were to draw a comparison, she was like an exceptional courtesan from ancient times, rumored to retain her purity until the right offer came along.
Xiao Yuandao had the kind of appearance that was enduring and understated, fitting the aesthetic preferences of the East. If one were to describe her as beautiful as jade, she would probably be the epitome of it. This was the general impression people had after seeing Xiao Yuandao.
Zuo Qinghuan was quite shocked to witness Xiao Yuandao's transformation. This was the woman Aunt Xiao had cultivated – truly extraordinary. If she had stayed under Aunt Xiao's guidance, what would she have become? Zuo Qinghuan was curious, but one thing was certain – she would have turned into a dazzling commodity. A woman like Aunt Xiao, who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, had a heart that wasn't ordinary. Zuo Qinghuan believed her choice was indeed wise.
Xiao Yuandao might have initially been unaware of her own worth, but now, how could she not know? Even if she pretended not to, wasn't Xiao Qinan a constant reminder of her value?
Author's Note:
Yeah, Xiao Qinan and Xiao Yuandao are CPs…
Huanhuan, as the protagonist, must be under a lot of pressure. There are too many kids trying to steal the show…
