Chapter 71: I Want To Marry You
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“I'll talk with my sister. Wait for me a bit, okay?” Qin Shiyue thought for a moment, and she didn't want a knot left in her heart.
“Mm, go.” Lin Qingyi smiled and nodded. Although her Baby was a silly baby, she liked her active way of solving problems.
After ending the video with Lin Qingyi, Qin Shiyue went to knock on Qin Shilan’s door.
Qin Shilan’s hair fell loose. One button of her shirt was undone. Her skin was just as snow white as Qin Shiyue’s. Her sleeves were rolled up a little. Her look was casual, but it carried a gentle charm that was hard to explain.
“I thought you should be on a warm phone call with Movie Queen Lin, so you had no time to see me.” Qin Shilan teased in a natural tone. Her attitude toward Qin Shiyue was no different from before.
Seeing her younger sister come so fast made her feel a bit happy. She knew her sister had processed some of it. Her marriage to Kong Huizhi would make her sister think more or less. This was what she least wanted to see. But when she made the decision, she already expected it. She even prepared for the worst. Luckily, Lin Qingyi appeared in time, so everything didn't look that bad.
“After meeting her, I learned how wrong I was before.” When Qin Shiyue spoke about Lin Qingyi, the sweetness in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
“Shiyue, I'm sorry.” Seeing her sister so happy, Qin Shilan felt less guilt. But she wouldn't avoid her fault. She had to admit she was a jerk. She coveted her sister-in-law. Even if during their marriage, she held back and did nothing out of line. But just having that thought was already wrong.
“Sister, don't rush to say sorry. Maybe the one who should say sorry at the end is me.” Qin Shiyue spoke in a serious tone.
“Baby has no responsibility. All the fault is the sister’s.” Qin Shilan never felt Shiyue was wrong. Her marriage with Kong Huizhi was pushed by her alone. The one who used power to bully others was only her.
“Sister, let's not talk about right or wrong first. I want to ask you one question. Before I married Kong Huizhi, did you already like her?” Qin Shiyue asked the question she wanted to know most.
Qin Shilan froze for a moment. She didn't expect Shiyue to ask this. She didn't know how to answer. She didn't want Shiyue to feel burdened. All choices were hers. No one forced her.
“These things aren't important. Don't think too much.” Qin Shilan coaxed.
Her sister only wanted to change the topic and didn't deny it. So Lin Qingyi’s guess was right. At this moment, Qin Shiyue felt annoyed. She noticed nothing at all. Compared to her sister’s care and love, she seemed used to being cared for. Yet she didn't even know her sister liked Kong Huizhi for so long.
“When did you start liking her?” Qin Shiyue asked again.
Qin Shilan felt that Shiyue had grown a lot these past few months and wasn't so easy to coax now.
“I don’t know the exact day. When I realized it, I seemed already trapped in it,” Qin Shilan had to admit to her sister.
“Before this, why didn’t you tell me?” Qin Shiyue asked again.
“Your situation was already difficult. I didn’t want to make you feel worse, and she didn’t like me either.” At that time, Shiyue often worried about how to make Kong Huizhi like her. She really didn’t want to make things harder for Shiyue. Most importantly, Kong Huizhi didn’t like her either, so her own feelings didn’t seem that important.
Three years ago, her older sister had helped her get what she wanted, catering to her needs and feelings at that time. So Shiyue knew that any dissatisfaction she had now would be wrong. Looking back now with a clear mind, she had to admit that both she and her sister had been wrong.
“Sister, you’ve always let me have my way since I was little. Don’t let me anymore. I want to live like an adult, I want to be a responsible adult,” Qin Shiyue said to her sister with a very serious tone.
“Shiyue really isn’t a baby anymore, you’ve grown up. Okay, I’ll treat you as an adult from now on.” Shiyue didn’t blame her at all, and Qin Shilan felt Shiyue was truly a kind baby.
“For me now, I actually regret forcing her. Married for three years, I wasn’t happy, and I made her unhappy too. I feel a bit sorry for her. So there’s no need to keep going in a dead end. I’ve been through it, and I don’t want my sister to make the same mistake. A forced melon is never sweet.” Qin Shiyue spoke as someone with experience, advising her sister not to force Kong Huizhi like she did. Being with Lin Qingyi, the feeling of mutual love was so good, so she didn’t want her sister trapped inside walls like she had been. The world outside is big, and her sister was so outstanding and beautiful. Surely, the right person would be waiting for her.
Whether it was for her sister’s good or Kong Huizhi’s good, Qin Shiyue felt obliged to advise her.
“The reason Shiyue can speak so openly is because she has someone new she likes. I’m happy for you. But my feelings now are the same as Shiyue’s three years ago. This is probably what they mean by the one involved is confused while the observer sees clearly. Shiyue only knew after trying, and I want to try too. If it really doesn’t work, I accept it.” Many people understand this logically, but when it happens to yourself, it’s a mess. Even knowing your choice is wrong, you still want to do it.
Her sister’s words left Shiyue with nothing to argue. Three years ago, no one could convince her either when she married Kong Huizhi. So she fully understood her sister’s wish to act stubbornly.
People are probably all like that, they won’t turn back until hitting a wall.
Shiyue thought her ex-wife must have had terrible luck for eight generations, ending up forced to marry the Qin sisters twice. Between helping family or helping reason, Shiyue chose family, mainly because she had no standing. After all, three years ago her sister had supported her without hesitation, so Shiyue didn’t dare oppose.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“Shiyue, don’t worry too much. She and I had a marriage agreement, three years. If I can’t make her love me in these three years, I’ll set her free after that. But keep this secret, don’t tell Mom and Dad yet,” Qin Shilan added.
Shiyue thought, it’s just three years, two or four would also work. Her sister didn’t need to make it so symmetrical. It felt a bit odd. Of course, having your ex-wife as your older sister-in-law felt strange too.
“Okay, I’ll keep it secret for you. By the way, sister, how did you get her to agree to marry you?” Shiyue felt that, compared to her, her ex-wife seemed more averse to her sister.
That story was a long one.
….
“Looks like even the ring knows how to recognize its owner."
Kong Huizhi felt a chill in her heart and had a bad premonition.
Upon hearing this, Kong Huizhi felt a chill run down her spine, sensing something ominous.
“This isn’t funny at all.” Kong Huizhi said coldly, and yanked the ring off her finger hard, as if afraid it was some monster that would trap her.
“Then I’ll say something even funnier.” Qin Shilan saw how violently Kong Huizhi pulled off the ring and thought to herself that this woman was not gentle with her at all.
“I don’t want to hear it.” Kong Huizhi finally got the ring off, but the spot where the ring had been on her ring finger was red from her force.
Seeing her finger all red, Qin Shilan felt a bit sorry. She resisted the urge to rub the reddened finger, thinking it wasn’t the right time.
“Why struggle so much? You’ll just put it back on sooner or later.” Qin Shilan said the first half with concern, the second half with certainty.
Her words made Kong Huizhi’s pores prickle, giving her a quietly terrifying feeling.
“Yeah, that’s even funnier.” Kong Huizhi said, pretending to be indifferent, but her heart was racing.
Qin Shilan didn’t argue.
“Just this pair of diamond rings.” Qin Shilan had the clerk pack the rings.
Watching the clerk pack the rings, Kong Huizhi felt more and more uneasy. Originally, Qin Shilan having her pick the rings felt strange, and now saying all this crazy stuff made her feel like this crazy woman was plotting something.
“The rings are bought. I’ll go home by myself.” Kong Huizhi just wanted to get far away from Qin Shilan.
“Since I brought you out, I’m obliged to take you back.” Qin Shilan’s tone was gentle but carried an undeniable strength.
“I said it’s fine, don’t you understand human language?” Qin Shilan’s strange behavior made Kong Huizhi irritated. She was usually calm but now her tone was sharp.
Not controlling her emotions, Kong Huizhi immediately felt some regret. Probably because no one had ever made her feel so uneasy like Qin Shilan.
Qin Shilan smiled at her, her gaze like she was looking at a whining child.
Meeting Qin Shilan’s gaze, Kong Huizhi realized that even if Qin Shilan had dug a big trap for her, she couldn’t avoid it. Clearly, resisting was useless, and she had to wisely compromise, following Qin Shilan down to the underground garage.
Kong Huizhi stayed silent the whole way, as if silently protesting.
Qin Shilan didn’t force her to speak, concentrating on driving.
“What exactly do you want?” After Qin Shilan dropped her at the apartment, Kong Huizhi demanded, knowing Qin Shilan’s nature. This wasn’t just about buying a ring.
“I want to marry you.” Qin Shilan looked at her as if announcing something very ordinary.
“I just divorced your sister, and you want to marry me? Are you crazy?” Kong Huizhi thought this was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard.
“I’m serious.” The person being called crazy showed a normal expression, calm and steady in tone.
Kong Huizhi quickly realized Qin Shilan really wasn’t joking.
Qin Shilan used her usual tactic again, letting the Zhang family apply pressure.
Kong Huizhi thought that three years ago, marrying Qin Shiyue had repaid the Zhang family, her uncle’s family, for their favor.
But the Zhang family didn’t see it that way. Raising seven- or eight-year-old Kong Huizhi to adulthood was a favor. Paying huge medical bills for her mother was another favor. Two favors in total, meaning Kong Huizhi had to repay them twice. This time, the Zhang family was even more eager and wouldn’t let go. Last time, they hadn’t faced a crisis; they were just after the benefits promised by Qin Shilan, lying to Kong Huizhi that their cash flow had problems and had to seek help from the Qin family. This time, the Zhang family desperately wanted to sell Kong Huizhi at a good price because they were in big trouble.
The youngest son of the Zhang family, Kong Huizhi’s cousin, had just returned from studying abroad. He was ambitious in finance but inexperienced, added leverage, and clearly his skills didn’t match his ambition. He hit a huge loss, almost blowing the Zhang family’s savings. With the Zhang family badly damaged, they needed a financial lifeline.
Two years ago, after Kong Huizhi’s mother passed away, the Zhang family lost effective control over her. The benefits Qin Shilan promised three years ago had long been secured. Qin Shilan didn’t take the Zhang family seriously. It seemed she had already bought out Kong Huizhi three years ago. Any good project, the Qin family would not let the Zhangs participate, leaving them unable to gain real benefits from Qin Shilan.
Kong Huizhi divorcing Qin Shiyue hadn’t been reported to the Zhang family. With the Zhang family’s financial bomb not yet exploded, they were unhappy but it caused no real harm to them, so they didn’t step in.
Once the Zhang family’s big loss happened, they regretted not stopping Kong Huizhi’s divorce. With that family tie, their chances of getting help from the Qin family would have been higher. Even if the shrewd Qin Shilan didn’t want to help, Qin Shiyue, a popular rising star, had plenty of cash on hand.
In business, helping others in good times is common, but lending a hand in trouble is rare. No bank would lend money, and nobody else would help the Zhang family.
The Zhang family had dealt with Qin Shilan before and knew she was sharp and hard to deal with. Asking her for help had almost no chance of success. So they pinned their hopes on Qin Shiyue, making Kong Huizhi ask her for money. After all, they had just divorced, and there might still be some connection from their past marriage.
Just as the Zhang family was preparing to use their past favors to force Kong Huizhi to borrow money, Qin Shilan took the initiative and offered help, on the condition that Kong Huizhi marry her.
Qin Shilan offering help herself was much more reliable than making Kong Huizhi borrow from the recently divorced Qin Shiyue. The Zhang family was overjoyed and naturally couldn’t pass up this lifeline. They intensified their use of favors to trap Kong Huizhi, forcing her to compromise.
Kong Huizhi naturally didn’t want to compromise. But the Zhang family insisted she and her mother owed them two favors: raising her and paying her mother’s medical bills, using both soft and hard pressure. Her uncle even knelt, piling favors and moral pressure on her, making Kong Huizhi miserable.
Just when Kong Huizhi was about to be driven crazy by the Zhang family, Qin Shilan once again took the initiative to reach out.
But the Zhang family didn’t think so. Raising seven- or eight-year-old Kong Huizhi to adulthood was one favor, and paying huge medical bills for her mother was another favor. Two favors in total, so Kong Huizhi had to repay them twice. This time, the Zhang family bit down even harder. Last time, they weren’t in real trouble. They just wanted the benefits Qin Shilan promised and lied to Kong Huizhi that their cash flow had problems, so they had to ask the Qin family for help. This time, the Zhang family wanted even more to sell Kong Huizhi at a good price, because they had fallen into big trouble.
The Zhang family’s youngest son, Kong Huizhi’s cousin, had just returned from studying abroad. He aimed high but had weak skills. He wanted to do finance and even used leverage. Clearly, his ability couldn’t match his ambition. He stepped on a huge landmine and almost lost all of the Zhang family’s foundation. Badly hurt, the Zhang family needed fresh money to survive.
Two years ago, after Kong Huizhi’s mother passed away, the Zhang family lost effective control over Kong Huizhi. The benefits Qin Shilan promised three years ago had already been secured. Qin Shilan didn’t take the Zhang family seriously. It was as if she had bought out Kong Huizhi three years ago. Any good project, the Qin Group wouldn’t let the Zhang family join, so they couldn’t get any real benefits from Qin Shilan anymore.
When Kong Huizhi wanted to divorce Qin Shiyue, she didn’t inform the Zhang family. At that time, the Zhang family’s problem hadn’t exploded yet. They weren’t happy, but it didn’t cause real harm to them, so they didn’t step in to stop it.
After the Zhang family’s huge disaster broke out, they regretted not stopping the divorce. If that marriage tie still existed, their chances of getting help from the Qin family would’ve been higher. Even if the sharp Qin Shilan refused to help, Qin Shiyue, a popular rising star, had plenty of cash.
In business, there’s always more help in good times and less help in hard times. With no bank willing to lend money, no one reached out to help the Zhang family.
The Zhang family had dealt with Qin Shilan before and knew she was smart and hard to handle. The chance of getting help from her was slim. So they placed their hopes on Qin Shiyue and had Kong Huizhi go ask her for money. After all, they had just divorced, and there might still be some bond left from their marriage.
Just as the Zhang family was about to use past favors again to force Kong Huizhi to borrow money, Qin Shilan took the initiative and offered help, on the condition that Kong Huizhi marry her.
Qin Shilan offering help herself was far more reliable than making Kong Huizhi borrow money from her ex-wife Qin Shiyue. The Zhang family was overjoyed and naturally wouldn’t let go of this lifeline. They doubled down on using favors to pressure Kong Huizhi, forcing her to compromise.
Kong Huizhi didn’t want to compromise. But the Zhang family insisted that she and her mother owed them two favors, raising her and paying her mother’s medical bills. They used both soft and hard tactics. Her uncle even knelt before her, piling favor debts and moral pressure on her. Kong Huizhi suffered greatly.
Just when Kong Huizhi was about to be driven crazy by the Zhang family, Qin Shilan once again came to her on her own.
“Wanting to marry me is a lie. Wanting to drive me crazy is real. Everything is part of your plan. You must be very pleased now,” Kong Huizhi said sarcastically. She felt like a fish on the chopping board in front of Qin Shilan. She never believed Qin Shilan truly wanted to marry her. She thought revenge was the real goal, just because she had abandoned the sister Qin Shilan loved most.
“I truly want to marry you. As long as you sign this marriage agreement, you can completely break free from the Zhang family. You can treat it as a three-year wife contract. Trade three years for a lifetime of freedom. That’s not a loss,” Qin Shilan said. After years in business, she knew making Kong Huizhi compromise again wouldn’t be easy. She also feared that if the rabbit was pushed too hard, it would bite. So she had to leave Kong Huizhi some hope and turn the marriage into a deal. Three years wasn’t too long, nor too short.
Under the constant harassment and pressure from the Zhang family, Kong Huizhi, after considering for a few days, had no choice but to sign Qin Shilan’s marriage agreement. She also signed an agreement with the Zhang family to repay all favors and sever ties.
Three years. After three years, she could fully regain her freedom.
Author's Note:
Although the secondary CP clicks and comments are much lower, I still want to write. Recently, I’ve felt excited about writing a secondary couple with a marriage-before-love story.
