Inside the apartment, Xu Qingqing rushed to the bar in tears, haphazardly opening a bottle of wine and pouring herself a large glass.
Xie Lianqing had just walked in and saw that the bottle she had casually picked up was actually one of his prized collections. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.
However, as a gentleman, witnessing a lady crying her heart out, he naturally wouldn't say anything to disappoint her further. So, he just let out a soft sigh and slowly walked over.
He watched as Xu Qingqing wept, quietly handed her a tissue, and comforted her gently, "You will meet someone better."
Xie Lianqing had accompanied Xu Qingqing to meet Zhang Shiyi out of concern for her safety, but he personally didn't want to get involved in other people's relationships. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, he had stood alone at a distance, neither too close nor too far, and hadn't heard the conversation between the couple, let alone known about those final words Zhang Shiyi had said.
He thought Xu Qingqing was grieving the end of this relationship. Even though she was the one who initiated the breakup, crying afterwards was perfectly normal.
Unaware of his thoughts, Xu Qingqing, upon hearing his comfort, sobbed as she took the tissue and said matter-of-factly, "Of course! He's already the worst. It can't get any worse than him, right?"
Xu Qingqing felt she must have had a streak of terrible luck to have ever dated a trash can like Zhang Shiyi!
She wasn't crying now because she was heartbroken over breaking up with the scumbag, but because of his comment that everyone else associated with her only for their own gain.
Xu Qingqing knew she could be a bit of a handful, but she still couldn't accept such a devastating critique, especially coming from her ex-boyfriend, someone who had once adored her.
One could imagine how big of a blow this was to the always-proud Xu Qingqing.
The more Xu Qingqing thought about it, the more frustrated she became, pondering in her heart how to deal with Zhang Shiyi after returning to China... No, she would start taking action later!
Xu Qingqing's life principle was to settle scores quickly. What if the person she held a grudge against had an accident someday? Then she would never get her revenge!
So, she decided to make sure Zhang Shiyi had a perfect vacation in this country. She knew he wouldn't return home so soon because his passport and ID were still with her.
Zhang Shiyi had kicked over the suitcase and stormed off in a rage. The seemingly delicate Xu Qingqing had gone to pick up the suitcase alone and thoughtfully brought along his luggage. Of course, it wasn't because she was being considerate and wanted to win back this ex-boyfriend; it was because she knew their visas were still inside.
Xu Qingqing decided she would take out his ID and passport later and make them as shattered as her heart.
You started it, I'll finish it. Xu Qingqing was never one to swallow insults.
As for what she would do afterwards, Xu Qingqing hadn't quite figured it out yet, and she wondered if Xie Lianqing could introduce her to a few people to give Zhang Shiyi a taste of some physical action.
Although such behavior danced on the edge of the law and seemed somewhat contrary to her law-abiding persona... But she wasn't American!!
Xu Qingqing had an epiphany. She wasn't a citizen of this country, so of course she didn't need to keep wearing the "red scarf" (being a model citizen)! She decided, starting today, she would be Xu Qingqing, the outlaw!
Even though Xu Qingqing had figured out how to deal with Zhang Shiyi, she was still crying because those parting words of his were truly hurtful. She was even starting to doubt if her friends secretly disliked her behind her back.
Xu Qingqing sobbed quietly, couldn't help but hold the wine glass and take a small sip.
"It's actually quite tasty," she said amidst her tears, suddenly inserting an unrelated comment.
Xie Lianqing, who had been worried about her condition, found the situation both amusing and exasperating. He stopped worrying about whether the bottle was from his prized collection and generously said, "I have two more bottles at my vineyard. You can take them home to enjoy if you like."
Xu Qingqing, however, shook her head and said, "Forget it."
She wasn't the type to drown her sorrows in drink. The sudden urge to drink came because earlier that morning, while on the phone with Zhang Shiyi, she had seen Xie Lianqing pour himself a glass at the bar.
At that time, Xie Lianqing was wearing a tank top and shirt, looking relaxed and leisurely, and the liquid in his glass seemed very enticing.
Xu Qingqing had silently grown curious and felt a bit of a craving. But in the morning, she still had to go meet her scumbag ex-boyfriend. On the eve of battle, she was too busy putting on makeup and aroring herself to get drunk.
But now, Zhang Shiyi was a thing of the past, and she was currently heartbroken, so having a small glass of wine wasn't a big deal!
In fact, Xu Qingqing was usually very cautious. Under normal circumstances, she would never drink alcohol while alone in an apartment with a man. But the person beside her now was Xie Lianqing, Zhou Chenyu's childhood friend, the heir to the Xie family.
Judging from Xie Lianqing's gentlemanly offer of help at the airport, his considerate move to leave the apartment and stay at a hotel overnight, and how he had stepped forward to stop Zhang Shiyi when he tried to lay hands on her, his character was beyond reproach. He was a good person in her book.
Xu Qingqing might seem naive, but she had her own shrewd calculations. Even though she was wounded by Zhang Shiyi's words and crying pitifully, these thoughts still flashed rapidly through her mind.
Xu Qingqing sipped her wine while lying listlessly on the sofa, silently shedding tears.
Although she had figured out how to target Zhang Shiyi, she was still utterly heartbroken, feeling deeply wronged. The level of her sadness was comparable to failing the CET-4 exam three times in a row.
Crying and crying, Xu Qingqing suddenly felt something was off. She turned her head, looked at Xie Lianqing, and asked curiously, "Why are you staring at me? Is my makeup smudged?"
By the end of her question, Xu Qingqing had no time for sadness and immediately nervously touched her eyelashes. Relieved to find no black smudges from runny mascara, she let out a sigh.
Even though Xie Lianqing was a good person, she would still feel a bit embarrassed if she made a fool of herself in front of him.
Seeing Xu Qingqing's nervous movements, Xie Lianqing couldn't help but smile. "Of course not," he said.
Relaxing, Xu Qingqing also deflated a little. She leaned back against the sofa boredly and began silently weeping again, holding a tissue in one hand and the wine glass in the other, gulping it all down in one go.
Pouting, she said, "Then why were you staring at me?" Her voice was a little soft and sweet from crying.
Xie Lianqing's gaze was tender as he joked, "Because you look beautiful when you cry."
Xu Qingqing was indeed beautiful when she cried. Xie Lianqing had known she was pretty from their first meeting, but he hadn't expected her to be so touchingly lovely even in tears.
She sat silently against the sofa, her eyelashes long and curled, her almond-shaped eyes misty and dazed as she stared blankly into space. Her skin was fair, and her long, wavy hair cascaded loosely over her. The slight frown of sadness made her look utterly pitiable.
Xie Lianqing suddenly thought of a phrase: "relying on beauty to act recklessly."
Although Xu Qingqing was a bit spoiled, she possessed the matching beauty and family background, and her personality was rather cute. Having grown up in a perfect protective bubble, she even retained a touch of innocence.
A happy family, countless admirers, wealth within easy reach... Someone born with everything like that, how could you ever expect her to be sensible and well-behaved?
Xie Lianqing was certain that Xu Qingqing would never lack for suitors. He suddenly felt a pang of pity for that Zhang Shiyi; the man had no idea what a treasure he had lost.
Hearing Xie Lianqing's compliment, Xu Qingqing was taken aback for a moment, but she didn't dwell on it.
Her furrowed brow relaxed, and a slight smile graced her features. Her tone held a note of proud satisfaction: "Of course. I know I'm very beautiful." Her reply held not a trace of modesty, as if praise from others was simply her due.
