Qin Xuanye jumped into the car just as the wheels had started rolling.
This move gave Wei Miao quite a fright.
He couldn't help but curse, "Qin Xuanye, if you want to die, do it somewhere far away. Why must you latch onto us?"
His action just now was truly too dangerous.
If his foot had accidentally been run over by the car, it would have been an accident.
Qin Xuanye, now seated in the passenger seat, let out a long sigh, pulled out the seatbelt, and fastened the buckle.
Without changing his expression, he said:
"I wanted to go back with you."
"Is that okay?"
The last sentence sounded rather pitiful. He tilted his head slightly, glancing sideways at Chen Liuyue out of the corner of his eye.
Chen Liuyue waved her hand nonchalantly, saying:
"One more passenger is just the same, two more is just the same."
"Driver Wei, let's go."
Wei Miao, with one hand on the steering wheel, pointed at himself with the other.
He asked incredulously, "Driver Wei? Me?"
Good grief! He really had become a rideshare driver.
Chen Liuyue curled her lips into a smile.
"Brother Wei, you just don't know. 'Shifu' is a term of respect."
"It's to express my esteem for you."
Wei Miao: "Heh."
Yeah, right! As if I'd believe that.
This little trickster is really something.
The atmosphere in the car then fell into silence.
Until Qin Xuanye's phone rang, over and over again, and he hung up, over and over again.
Wei Miao couldn't take it anymore.
"Just answer it!"
Qin Xuanye remained silent and hung up again.
Chen Liuyue, sitting in the back seat, spoke up quietly:
"It's Chen Ruanruan calling, right? Brother-in-law, why aren't you answering?"
Yes.
Qin Xuanye actually knew why he felt guilty.
Because the fight he had with Wei Miao on the rooftop made him clearly recognize his own heart.
He had never let go of Liuyue from the beginning to the end.
Even if she was the one who changed her heart, broke up with him, dumped him—even so, he still couldn't let go.
He still liked her.
As for Chen Ruanruan, perhaps they should call off the engagement.
Qin Xuanye's mind was a mess; for now, he could only act on instinct.
Right now, he didn't know how to face Chen Ruanruan. Not answering was his escape.
The phone rang once more.
Chen Liuyue moved quickly, snatching the phone away before Qin Xuanye could press decline again and directly hitting the speakerphone button to answer.
Chen Ruanruan's voice came through.
"Xuanye, are you busy?"
"You haven't been answering your calls, and you didn't reply to my WeChat messages. I was worried about you."
Qin Xuanye didn't make a sound.
So Chen Liuyue chose to speak: "Sis, brother-in-law is just fine."
"..." There was a three-second silence on the other end of the line, then Chen Ruanruan's tone became somewhat agitated. "Why are you with him? Didn't you go out with Young Master Wei this morning?"
Chen Liuyue nodded, saying, "That's right."
She shot a glance at Wei Miao. "Say something."
Wei Miao felt a bit helpless but still obediently responded.
"Yeah, I'm here."
Chen Ruanruan on the other end of the phone was confused.
What kind of situation was this?
A trio?
Who would have thought these three could end up together.
Chen Ruanruan: "What were you all doing?"
Chen Liuyue said calmly, "Oh, Brother Wei accompanied me to visit our old high school."
"Sis, can you believe the coincidence? Turns out brother-in-law also went back to his alma mater!"
"So we ran into each other, had an exciting chat on the rooftop for a while, then went to grab a bite to eat."
The two men who had been fighting on the rooftop silently lowered their heads.
Yeah, it was pretty exciting.
Chen Ruanruan couldn't help but suspect that Chen Liuyue was trying to steal her fiancé and get back together with him.
But why would she bring Wei Miao along? Such a big third wheel; with three people, she couldn't possibly do anything.
Could it be that she was overthinking it again?!
Chen Liuyue really was trying to latch onto Young Master Wei and just happened to run into Xuanye.
"Xuanye, what made you think of going back to your alma mater today? You should have told me; I could have gone with you." Chen Ruanruan's smile on the other end sounded a bit forced.
Whatever the reason, she had been feeling all sorts of unusual behavior from Qin Xuanye ever since Chen Liuyue showed up.
Qin Xuanye spoke up: "It was a last-minute decision. Didn't have time to say anything."
That sentence was already quite perfunctory.
Chen Ruanruan understood but still said gently:
"Okay, if you want to visit the alma mater again next time, remember to take me. I want to be part of your past too."
Qin Xuanye didn't make an agreeing sound.
But Chen Ruanruan continued on her own:
"Oh, right, I'll probably need to trouble you to drive me and Liuyue back to the Tao family the day after tomorrow. We're going back to our hometown."
Qin Xuanye: "Sure."
Chen Ruanruan: "Alright, remember to send me a message when you get home."
Then she considerately hung up the phone.
Wei Miao, gripping the steering wheel, spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Chen Ruanruan really does like you a lot."
It was all so obvious, yet she chose to play deaf and dumb.
Qin Xuanye now only felt this matter was a heavy burden on him. He took a deep breath and said:
"I will call off the engagement with her."
His words seemed like a response to Wei Miao.
But in reality, they were directed at Chen Liuyue in the back seat.
However, neither of the two people in the car paid it any mind.
...
The car stopped at the Chen residence.
Chen Ruanruan had been waiting at the entrance early on. Watching Chen Liuyue get out of the car, she then glanced at Wei Miao in the driver's seat and Qin Xuanye in the passenger seat inside the vehicle.
Her gaze was complicated.
"Liuyue, you're home." She forced a smile.
"Mom and Dad were just about to ask me to check if you were coming home for dinner tonight."
Chen Liuyue: "Yes, I am."
She then looked at the passenger seat and asked, "Brother-in-law, will you be joining us?"
Qin Xuanye originally didn't want to face Chen Ruanruan, but this question inevitably drew Chen Ruanruan's gaze over.
"I wouldn't want to trouble Uncle and Aunt Chen."
Chen Ruanruan took a deep breath, trying hard to squeeze out a smile.
"It's no trouble, Xuanye. You go ahead with your business."
Wei Miao caught the subtle tension in the air. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he rolled down the window and waved at Chen Liuyue.
"Call me if there's anything interesting next time."
"Sure, goodbye, Brother Wei." Chen Liuyue waved very politely.
Until the black Cullinan drove out of sight.
Chen Ruanruan remained standing in place.
Chen Liuyue turned to walk towards the house.
"Stop." Chen Ruanruan's voice wasn't as gentle as usual; it even carried a hint of sharpness and jealousy.
Chen Liuyue didn't stop.
You tell me to stop, and I stop?
Who do you think you are?
Seeing her walk away, Chen Ruanruan took two or three quick steps to catch up, her hand coming down heavily towards Chen Liuyue's shoulder.
Chen Liuyue dodged it in advance.
"Is there something?"
Chen Ruanruan bit her lip, finally squeezing out a sentence after a long pause: "Liuyue, I'm begging you..."
As she spoke, she even made as if to kneel down.
"What act is this?" Chen Liuyue was genuinely bewildered.
Before her words finished, hurried footsteps approached from a distance—it was Wu Peihua.
Chen Ruanruan knelt down with a heavy thud, her voice choked with tears:
"I was wrong, Liuyue. If you want to bully me, it's fine, but you can't treat Mom this way."
