Chapter 96: 06. The death of Qing Xing
“Who made you unhappy?”
Yi Liangze stood beside He Yi and asked nervously. She looked terrible. Her face was so pale that there was no color in it. She looked absent-minded, like a seriously ill person.
When she saw Yi Liangze, she knew that she had been sitting there for a long time. It must have been a while since he called her and she didn’t pick up!
He Yi forced herself to look up. “You’re here!”
“Oh!” Yi Liangze looked at her pale face and sat down beside her. He asked in a low voice again, “What’s Wrong?”
The man, who had always been confident, suddenly spoke in a low voice. He was either flirting with her or... showing a guilty conscience. At this moment, it was undoubtedly the latter reason.
He Yi avoided the big hand that was reaching out to caress her cheek and said indifferently, “You came at the right time. I have something to discuss with you!”
“Uh!” Yi Liangze rolled his eyes. He instinctively felt that what she was discussing with him was not a good thing. He was careful not to provoke her and did not directly answer her question, instead, he said, “Sister Yu called me and said that you might have lost something in the tea room. You asked her to pull up the surveillance footage of the tea room for a week. What did you lose? Tell me, I’ll help you look for it!”
“There’s no need to look for it!” He Yi smiled faintly and said, “It doesn’t matter!”
Yi Liangze’s eyes flashed. He held her delicate hand tentatively and curled the corners of his lips. “Tonight, we’re going home to visit the elders and children. I’ll accompany you to buy some clothes quickly!”
After confirming his relationship with her, he did not escort her to formally buy clothes and jewelry. This was a very big oversight. Major emergencies came one after another, always making him lose focus.
Since he was out in the afternoon, he had to take the opportunity to make up for this shame.
“No need!” He Yi was completely uninterested. She only said to him gently, “We’re going to have a wedding soon. There’s something I have to discuss with you!”
Yi Liangze’s eyes twitched, but he still maintained his smile. “We’re going to have a wedding soon. The elders and children are very happy and everyone is happy. I don’t know what else you have to discuss with me! Is it about Wan Wan’s safety? Don’t worry, I’ll protect her well! As long as I’m here, Chu Tianyi can forget about having any ideas about her!”
These words undoubtedly reminded her to think about the consequences before she came up with any tricks. Their marriage wasn’t just about the two of them. It involved many aspects, including the Wan Wan that she valued the most!
Wan Wan was constantly threatened by Chu Tianyi. This was He Yi’s biggest worry. For this reason, she should spare no effort to get rid of Chu Tianyi. Right now, it was a critical period to deal with Chu Tianyi. It was naturally not suitable for her and Yi Liangze to have internal strife, and it was even less suitable for them to do something stupid like breaking off the engagement.
He Yi smiled helplessly. She was very realistic about this man’s methods and wisdom. If she wanted to use any tricks in front of him, it would be like showing off her skills in front of an expert. She sighed lightly, she said, “How can it be possible to break off the engagement! ?” The marriage was already decided. The matter between the two of us had become a hot topic. Everyone in Yun City knows about it! In addition to the reporters adding fuel to the fire, the whole world knows that the two of us are extremely affectionate. The Yi family also announced that Wan Wan had acknowledged her ancestors and that Baby’s biological mother was me! At such a time, if something goes wrong with our engagement, it won’t be as simple as a huge uproar!”
The Yi family couldn’t afford to lose face! As the CEO of the Kai Kun Group, Yi Liangze couldn’t afford to lose face either! As for He Yi... her internal conflict with him would do more harm than good.
“It’s good that you understand!” Yi Liangze was worried that she would impulsively break off the engagement. Seeing that she had no intention of breaking off the engagement, he put his heart, which had been hanging on for half a day, back to where it was. He let out a gentle breath and glanced at He Yi’s indifferent expression. He knew very well what had gone wrong. “What made you unhappy? Tell me! I told you that you don’t have to hide your true feelings in front of me.”
Despite Yi Liangze’s repeated encouragement, He Yi was still dispirited. “It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to tell you that our wedding will be held as scheduled. There won’t be any changes! But...after the wedding, I will still live in the Leather factory. Wan Wan will live with me. Everything will not change much from before the wedding!”
Yi Liangze was immediately enraged. Despite his strong willpower, he still nearly jumped up. “What did you say?”
After the wedding, she would still live in the Leather factory and bring Wan Wan to live with her? It was as if she was not married at all!
“Also,” He Yi seemed to be afraid that he would not be shocked enough, so she calmly continued, “We will not get the certificate first, we will only hold the wedding.”
In short, this was just a farce that was performed to satisfy the elders of the Yi family, the needs of the children, and the curiosity of the millions of spectators in Yun City.
A wedding could solve almost all the problems, but it did not include her and the rest of their lives.
They had a long life, and they needed to think calmly. If they could not give each other happiness and satisfaction, it was better to leave than to be together, and it was better to be heartless than to have feelings.
“What did Qing Xing say to you?” Yi Liangze could confirm what had happened. He let go of He Yi’s delicate hand and stood up. He paced anxiously in front of her for two steps before he stood up again. “No matter what she said to you and what you saw on the monitor, I have to tell you that it was just a coincidence!”
“Liangze,” He Yi looked at him gently and comforted him, “Don’t be agitated. Let’s not fight.”
“I’m not fighting with you.” How could Yi Liangze not be agitated? He had the urge to kill someone. “I’m just telling you... that’s really... I don’t know what happened! Maybe it’s because I’ve been abstinent for a long time, and she was like that at that time. I may have gone crazy... After that, I never saw her again, and I have a new tea girl. If you are not happy, I can send her away immediately!”
“If the new tea lady tries to seduce you again, intentionally or unintentionally, and something like this happens again, will you send her away too?” He Yi’s tone was not intense. She did not want to quarrel with him. “Don’t you feel that the problem is not with the tea lady, but with you? Also, it’s because of you that we have no way out! If you hadn’t deliberately announced our affair in advance and deliberately allowed that female reporter to exaggerate the love between both of us, we wouldn’t be in such a difficult situation!”
Although she didn’t want to guess his intentions, He Yi was very clear that after his arrangement, she indeed had no way out. Of course, the Yi family also had no way out. He was simply afraid that she would break off the engagement, which was why he had arranged all this in advance.
She and the Yi family were pushed to the cusp of the storm. The elders of the Yi family could not refuse, and she could not refuse either. If they wanted the Yi family’s reputation not to be damaged, their marriage was the only way out.
Therefore, he had to bear most of the responsibility for their forced marriage. Even if there was a grievance, he had to bear it.
“He Yi, what do you mean?” Yi Liangze narrowed his eyes and his tone became dangerous. “Our marriage seems to be of little value to you?”
“I’m sorry, I really can’t have any expectations for it!” He Yi frowned and did not intend to hide her disappointment and frustration. “Originally, we should have had more time to understand each other and get used to each other, but your self-determined decision made us both lose this opportunity! It’s a difficult marriage. If there’s anything that’s not going our way, both of us should bear with it!”
After saying that, He Yi got up and prepared to leave.
If they continued to argue, she was not sure what would happen.
“Come back!” Yi Liang grabbed her wrist accurately and did not let her leave. He pulled her into his embrace and lifted her chin with his big hand. “Tell me, what exactly do you want to do?”
“I said it very clearly! As long as you don’t break off the engagement, I won’t break off the engagement either! But after the marriage, we don’t have to act like a couple anymore, we just get what we want!”
“He Yi” Yi Liangze said angrily, “You have no conscience! What did I do wrong? She’s just a tea girl, I’ll send her away now!”
“The problem isn’t her! Why don’t you understand!” He Yi could not break free from his grip and said sternly, “Let me go! Don’t make me look down on you even more!”
Just as the two of them were arguing, they heard a weak and sorrowful helpless voice, “Stop arguing! It’s all my fault!”
When the two people who were immersed in anger and disappointment heard this voice, they turned their heads almost at the same time and saw Qing Xing standing beside them.
They did not know when Qing Xing came over or how many times she had heard their conversation. He could only see that her complexion was not much better than He Yi’s, it was even paler than paper.
“Everything is Qing Xing’s fault!” Qing Xing’s tears rolled down, she choked and said, “I deserve to die! If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have quarreled, and it wouldn’t have reached the point where the husband and wife would split up! It’s my fault! It’s my fault!”
Yi Liangze was somewhat embarrassed when he saw Qing Xing. “What are you doing here? Leave First!”
He Yi also closed her clear eyes and tried her best to control her emotions. What was wrong with Qing Xing? Everything was caused by the man!
Yi Liangze himself admitted that it was probably because he had been abstinent for a long time, and he saw Qing Xing’s naked body. It was also because he was alone in a room with a woman, so he couldn’t control himself for a moment.
Why did a man make a mistake out of impulse and ultimately let a woman take the blame?
“Qing Xing, this is not your fault!” He Yi gently pushed away Yi Liangze’s big hand and looked at Qing Xing indifferently. “If it weren’t for you, there would be other women!”
“He Yi!” Yi Liangze could not help but get angry. “Is it over or not?”
This time, in the face of his anger, He Yi did not give in and no longer felt that he was being overly sensitive. “The facts have proven that you did not control yourself! I’m sorry, I can not accept a man who has an affair with his body! If you marry me, I’m afraid that from now on, you will have to think of other ways to solve your basic needs. I will never let you touch me again!”
After saying her request, she let out a breath. This was how it was. She could compromise, but she would not compromise without principles! Since he could satisfy his body through other women, then she did not need to disgust herself anymore.
Anyway, he didn’t need to vent his lust on her!
After saying that, she turned around and left. Even though she knew that the man behind her was so angry and disappointed that he exploded on the spot, she would not turn back!
“Pa!” A clear and crisp sound of a slap on the skin of a face exploded, followed by a muffled sound of a body falling heavily to the ground.
She did not hear the girl’s groan or scream. The person who was hit seemed to have expected such an outcome. She did not struggle and resist, only silently endured it.
He Yi stopped and bit her lip, but in the end, she still did not turn back.
Some people, some things, but it was good to have a clear conscience. She was not a bodhisattva, nor did she have the ability to save all living things. If this time, Qing Xing would become the cannon fodder for Yi Liangze to vent his anger, it would only be her doom.
As a tea girl, she would be sent back and forth between the masters. If she did not serve them well, she would be slapped! If she was so weak that she could not even bear this, she probably would not have lived until now.
He Yi did not hesitate to leave.
*
It was getting dark, and Yi Liangze never contacted He Yi again.
He Yi knew that from now on, there would be a gap between them that would never be filled, and all the tacit love and sweetness would disappear.
She felt very sad. But she didn’t regret it, nor was she surprised.
This day seemed to have been predicted, just not so soon.
Perhaps he would ask her to go back to the Yi family with him tonight (he valued the dignity of the Yi family elders more than he hated her), or perhaps he would be angry with her and refuse to go back to the Yi family with her (his wounded pride trumped his need for her), regardless of the outcome, He Yi would bear it in silence.
At this time, Jinling’s delivery driver came with good news: the 3A leather, which had been reprocessed through the deodorization process, had passed the inspection of the inspector (Wen Li’an had personally sent the imperial envoy), and all the money had been transferred to the account.
Fu Xing Leather Factory had finally come back to life and could survive in the leather industry.
In addition, the court also came with good news. The court would be in session in three days. At that time, Chu Tianyi, who had been detained, would be put on trial.
It turned out that Chu Tianyi had already been detained. The main reason was that Yi Liangze had provided the police with strong evidence that he was suspected of money laundering.
After hearing the good news, He Yi was sluggish and could not muster up any energy.
She sat at her desk with her chin resting on her hand and looked out the window at the night sky that was slowly darkening, slowly swallowing the last of her vision.
The restaurant did not send over dinner. He Yi had originally planned to accompany Yi Liangze back to the Yi family tonight, so she had informed the restaurant in advance.
After a long while, the door was gently pushed open.
He Yi looked over lazily. It was indeed Ji Xueshan.
She knew that Yi Liangze wouldn’t be so gentle when he pushed the door open, and he wouldn’t come over at this time either.
“Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” Ji Xueshan stood in the back of the door and asked softly, “Sister He, should I turn on the lights?”
“Yes,” He Yi replied.
Thus, Ji Xueshan turned on the lights and walked in. She saw He Yi standing alone in front of the window in a daze, so she didn’t ask why she didn’t go back to the Yi family with Yi Liangze. Instead, she asked directly, “Did you two fight?”
He Yi didn’t answer. She just looked at the street lamps that were lit up downstairs.
“You’re almost married, what are you arguing about?” Ji Xueshan conveyed that she didn’t understand. “Young Master Yi helped you so much...”
“What did he help me with?” He Yi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly flashed her sharp claws like an enraged feline. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant out of wedlock! If I hadn’t gotten pregnant out of wedlock, I wouldn’t have rushed to marry that Scum Chu Tianyi and brought disaster to the He family! So, whatever he does for me now, it was all because of him that I lost!”
Ji Xueshan had probably never seen her so furious before, so she was stunned for a moment.
Only then did she realize that she had lost her composure. She took a deep breath and did not have the mood or energy to explain anything to Ji Xueshan. She turned her head to look out of the window again.
“Sister He,” Ji Xueshan walked to the side and sighed softly, she advised, “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but no matter what happens, it’s not as important as what’s happening right now! Although the leather factory has come back to life, Chu Tianyi... haven’t you always wanted to take him down? It’s not a good time for you to be at odds with young master Yi.”
“Don’t mention him in front of me?” He Yi expressed her disgust. “I can do well without him!”
It may take a little more time, but she could do it.
“Did young master Yi find another woman?” Ji Xueshan guessed it right. “You should be more open-minded. Compared to those good-for-nothings, he’s already very good. If he makes a mistake once in a while...”
“I won’t forgive him!” He Yi’s tone was firm and decisive. Without any hesitation, she said, “I won’t forgive him!”
Everyone had their principles and bottom line. She couldn’t tolerate a man’s unfaithfulness. No matter how many benefits this man could bring her, she couldn’t compromise! She could become an ally with him, but they could never become husband and wife.
Even if they had no choice but to become husband and wife, they were only husband and wife in name only. She did not know how to give her body, nor did she know how to give her heart!
However, why did she keep pressing on the position of her heart? If she had not given her heart, why was her heart so painful?
Seeing that no matter how she tried to persuade her, it was useless, Ji Xueshan could only change the topic. “Sister He, let me help you order takeout!”
*
The Fierce Ring at midnight.
He Yi was awakened by the ringtone of her phone. It was midnight. At that time, she was having a nightmare. She did not remember what she had dreamt. She only remembered that Yi Liangze had broken her heart.
In the dream, she was heartbroken, desperate, and sad. However, the man seemed to have a heart of stone. He looked coldly at her pain and sadness. There was no comfort for her heartache.
He still remembered the tenderness and affection he had when they first met. How could he just say it like that?
He Yi, who had been heartbroken by the man in her dream, was awakened by the ringtone in her sadness and disappointment. She did not care whether the tears or cold sweat rolled down the corners of her eyes. She hurriedly grabbed the phone on the bedside table and took it to see that it was Yi Liangze.
Why did he suddenly call at midnight?
He Yi bit her lip and suppressed the strong foreboding in her heart. She picked up the phone.
“Qing Xing is dead!” The man was undoubtedly drunk as if he was talking in his sleep. “I forced her to die!”
He Yi’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered the scene yesterday when Qing Xing threatened to be disfigured with a short dagger. Such a strong girl had committed suicide.
“I knew that she was strong-willed and would rather die than surrender, but I still forced her to die!” Yi Liangze’s tone was full of remorse and self-blame. “She didn’t do anything wrong!”
– She didn’t do anything wrong!
Qing Xing didn’t do anything wrong. It was him who was wrong, and it was also her!
For a moment, he had a lustful heart, but all the consequences were borne by Qing Xing alone. The weak Qing Xing could only resist with her life, protesting against his insolence and tyranny, as well as He Yi’s unrelenting refusal to let her go.
Who forced Qing Xing to die? It was him, and it was also her.
He Yi’s heart felt even colder. She only felt that the slender fingers that were gripping the phone were about to freeze. “How...did she die?”
Such a beautiful and young girl, no matter what method of death she used, it was cruel strangulation of beauty. For some unknown reason, the dagger that Qing Xing was holding kept swaying in front of He Yi’s eyes. The girl had once said that she wanted to use it to destroy her appearance, but in the end, she used it to end her own life.
“She died of drunkenness! She drank too much-drunk tea and will never wake up!” Yi Liangze’s voice was sorrowful. “Qing Xing was a tea addict!”
After rolling around so many masters, Qing Xing finally decided that Yi Liangze would be her last master, but his merciless abandonment made her despair to death. Born as a tea girl, she ended her life with drunk tea. It could be said that she had dedicated her life to the tea ceremony.
Drunk tea was a medicinal herb mixed with an anesthetic effect. It was as intoxicating as being drunk. However, the dosage of this medicinal herb was extremely strict. If it was put in too much, it would easily make people unable to get drunk.
Qing Xing was a tea girl. Of course, she knew very well how much anesthetic herb could make her sleep for a long time.
He Yi was silent. She knew very well that Yi Liangze had a deep sense of self-blame and guilt for Qing Xing’s death. He believed that he was the one who had forced the girl who was as pure as a tea to die. Of course, He Yi was also responsible for this.
She wasn’t wrong! I was the one who had forced her to die!
When Yi Liangze called her in the middle of the night to tell her all this, didn’t he know that he was also blaming her? It was her stubbornness that had resulted in such a tragic result!
Young and fresh life had become the victim of their conflict. The price was too high, and it was too much for him and her to bear.
He Yi continued to remain silent, accepting this sad and tragic outcome with him.
“Click!” Yi Liangze hung up the phone.
He Yi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. She did not expect him to hang up the phone in advance.
In her understanding, he had never hung up the phone earlier than her.
*
The next day, He Yi was in a trance.
She suspected that the nightmare from last night was persistent, which was why she dreamed of such a terrible thing. However, the time and duration of the phone records proved that it was not a dream. Everything was the truth.
Qing Xing was dead, but the conflict between her and Yi Liangze was not resolved. Instead, it became a dead knot.
She did not back down and indirectly forced an innocent girl to die. In particular, that girl was Qing Xing, the tea girl that Yi Liangze was very fond of.
Towards Qing Xing, Yi Liangze must have a deep sense of guilt and self-blame. And a portion of these negative emotions would be blamed on He Yi. The two of them would only become more and more distant from each other.
“President He, did you hear what I said?” Zhuo Hongzhao stretched out a hand and waved it in front of her.
Only then did she come back to her senses. She realized that she had been standing there in a daze for a long time. No Wonder Zhuo Hongzhao thought that she had lost her soul. “Oh, I didn’t rest well last night, so I was a little dazed. Factory manager Zhuo, I’ll leave the heavy responsibility of researching substitutes to you. I... I’ll go and rest for a while!”
Zhuo Hongzhao hurriedly nodded. “If you’re not feeling well, go and rest! I’m in the laboratory! Although I still haven’t found a suitable professional doctoral student to work with, your newly recruited graduate student Xiao Zhang is very talented and can help me a lot.”
“It’s good that you have a suitable assistant!” He Yi squeezed out a pale smile and said, “Thank you for your hard work! When the research results come out, I will give you a big red packet.”
*
After lying on the bed in a daze for a whole day, Yi Liangze called again in the evening.
“Get ready. Let’s go home for dinner tonight.” Yi Liangze’s voice was a little hoarse, but he was very calm as if he had already broken free from last night’s sadness.
He Yi knew that some of the wounds had healed on the surface, but the inside had already festered. Qing Xing would rather die than give in. It had already drawn a perfect conclusion in Yi Liangze’s heart, making him admire and feel guilty.
Then, He Yi would forever be in Yi Liangze’s heart as the “Murderer” because she had participated in this “Murder.”.
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of her lips. He Yi replied faintly, “Okay.”
“I told Grandpa and Grandma that you weren’t feeling well yesterday, so they changed it to today.” Yi Liangze’s voice was very faint as if he was a little tired. “Don’t let it slip!”
“Yes, I understand.”
After hanging up the phone, she slowly got up to wash up and then changed into her clothes.
No matter how sad she felt, everything had to go on as usual. Yi Liangze was the same, and so was she.
As she walked out of the door, she could not help but think about this: In just two days, she had destroyed the sweetness and love that she and he had spent three months building, as well as the mutual appreciation and admiration. Qing Xing seemed to have used her life to turn the world of He Yi and Yi Liangze upside down!
*
There was nothing to say along the way.
The two of them looked out of the car window, and the seat in the middle was wide open.
Without a doubt, Xiao Chi had long noticed that his master and mistress were in conflict and were at odds with each other, but he also knew that speaking at this time would easily become cannon fodder for the two of them to vent their anger. So, he cleverly kept silent.
“Drive faster!” After a long period of silence, Yi Liangze began to flare up at Xiao Chi. “Your skills are getting worse and worse!”
Xiao Chi shrunk his shoulders. He sadly realized that even if he didn’t speak, he wouldn’t be able to escape the fate of being cannon fodder. Furthermore... his master might have been blaming him for not being concerned about the matter.
Alright, since it was just a stab in the back, he might as well be more proactive. He might even receive unexpected rewards. Little Chi coughed and began to speak to He Yi, who was planning to remain silent until the end.
“Sister He, the color of your dress is not bad. It suits your complexion very well!”
He Yi wore a blood-red half-sleeved dress. She looked very festive. She knew that the elderly usually liked festive colors, so she wore this to suit the occasion. In addition, she also wore the blood-red jade that the baby gave her. It could be considered a color match.
“Oh!” Although she was not in the mood, she still replied politely, “Thank you.”
Seeing that He Yi had spoken, Yi liangze naturally asked her, “Where’s the diamond ring that I gave you?”
He Yi’s slender fingers were bare. She did not wear anything. “You can wear it after you get married!”
“There will be a wedding ring after you get married. That is a proposal ring!” Yi Liangze looked at her with a deep gaze. “Call Ji Xueshan to send it over!”
Under Yi Liangze’s gaze, He Yi had no choice but to call Ji Xueshan. “Go to my room. There’s a jewelry box in the second drawer under the dressing table. It’s a diamond ring. Send it to the Yi family quickly!”
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