Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“If you want to take care of my mom, leaving would be the greatest help you can give.”
“…”
“…”
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Both Qi Minlan and Grandma Zhai were a little stunned. Grandma Zhai had never thought that Zhai Yaohui would be capable of saying such blunt words, and neither had Qi Minlan expected that Zhai Yaohui had stopped her from taking care of Grandma Zhai not because he was afraid that she would get tired from taking care of her, but because he treated her as an outsider and was trying to chase her out!
Qi Minlan’s face paled. “Brother Zhai, what did you say? I-I didn’t get that. Did I misunderstand you?”
That was impossible.
If Zhai Yaohui treated her in this way, how could he have chased that countryside girl away even when knowing that Chief Zhai liked that girl?
Hadn’t Zhai Yaohui done that for her sake?
Besides, she couldn’t have overthought it, right?
Otherwise, why had that countryside girl lived here for such a long time but had suddenly moved out once Zhai Yaohui returned? That didn’t make any sense.
“I’m not sure whether there has been a misunderstanding. What I know is that there must have been one in the past. Qi Minlan, please leave. Although we’re not together alone in a room, it’s hard for people not to misunderstand us. It wouldn’t be good if this leads to a fight between you and your boyfriend. We grew up together and I’m your elder brother. If anyone bullies you, you can find me. I’ll help you.”
“Elder brother? Boyfriend?” At the mention of these two words, Qi Minlan felt dizzy as though the whole world was spinning around her. She nearly lost her balance. “Brother Zhai, what do you mean? Since-since when have I ever had a boyfriend?”
Qi Minlan quickly explained herself. “It’s true that I have some male friends, but my boyfriend…” Is you!
Qi Minlan was intelligent and understood that the Zhai family’s position might have been threatened over the past ten years, but they had never toppled.
As such, Qi Minlan had never severed her ties with Zhai Yaohui so that she would still have a backup plan.
Even though she had always had men around her, Qi Minlan had always maintained a distance from them and had never allowed herself to go all the way with them.
In fact, they were all good friends. None of the men had ever been able to call themselves Qi Minlan’s boyfriend.
That was why Qi Minlan had managed to answer Zhai Yaohui in a breeze.
It was just that such a rapid answer sometimes revealed one’s guilt even more.
This was the seventies. Unless men and women were prepared to get married, it was rare for men and women to go out together, much less hold hands. When one man and woman’s hands accidentally touched, they would inevitably blush.
Often, men didn’t even dare to look openly at women even when they fell for them. Instead, they had to visit their houses.
Although they spoke of gender equality, it wasn’t good for male and female comrades to get too close. It was especially easy for females to get misunderstood as immoral.
Thankfully, the Shi family’s background was good, and Zhai Yaohui was outstanding.
Otherwise, rumors would have been all around.
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Since such a brilliant man like Zhai Yaohui didn’t even mind his fiancée, Qi Minlan, having so many male friends, it was best that bystanders not comment too much about it.
After all, it was better to destroy ten temples than destroy a marriage.
Perhaps, it was because of the environment that Qi Minlan comforted herself and thought of it as reality. She had never done anything that wronged Zhai Yaohui.
She and her male friends only had normal conversations, just like any friends would. There was only one man she was intimate with, and that was her fiancé, Zhai Yaohui.
Qi Minlan thought that she had seen through the situation perfectly, but Zhai Yaohui’s reminder was a rude shock to Qi Minlan that everything had been a misunderstanding.
The past? What had happened?
Of course, it had to be their relationship as an engaged couple.
Since Zhai Yaohui had already made himself so clear, Qi Minlan had no way of lying to herself or others anymore. “Brother Zhai, we grew up together. You can be direct with me. I’ll go crazy trying to guess. Why don’t you just tell me what you mean?”
“I know that you and the Shi family have been telling others that you’re my fiancée. You should know very well that our families have never settled this officially, and neither have we ever held any engagement ceremonies or parties. You’re just a younger sister to me.”
He had no romantic feelings for Qi Minlan.
Zhai Yaohui had not felt it in the past, but now, it felt unbearable to be with Qi Minlan.
Zhai Yaohui was never one to force himself to do something against his wishes. He would even use silence to deal with things he didn’t like.
But Zhai Yaohui had already thought it through. He had to clear the air between him and Qi Minlan.
“Younger-younger sister?” Even though Qi Minlan had already seen that coming, those words made Qi Minlan feel incredulous.
Younger sister?
Who was he trying to cheat?
Who would have no reaction and remain silent when others said that his younger sister was his fiancée?
Was Zhai Yaohui trying to lie to her, to others, or to himself?
Qi Minlan had to pinch herself to stop herself from exploding.
She couldn’t wrap her head around the situation. She had listened to her dad and tried to improve her relationship with Auntie Zhai. That way, she would receive Auntie Zhai’s affirmation and Auntie Zhai would urge Zhai Yaohui to marry her as quickly as possible so that she would officially become the Zhai family’s daughter-in-law.
She hadn’t even started working on Auntie Zhai, and Zhai Yaohui had stopped her before she could even do anything!
Zhai Yaohui’s attitude had changed so quickly and he had become so firm with no room for negotiation that they were simply siblings and not an engaged couple all because of that vixen from the countryside.
When Miao Jing left, Qi Minlan had happily thought that she had won.
Qi Minlan had coincidentally bumped into Miao Jing while leaving, and Miao Jing had even said some congratulatory words to her. At that time, Qi Minlan thought that she had stepped all over Miao Jing!
But now that she looked back at it, Qi Minlan felt that she had been challenged.
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