abcnovels
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
The person who burst in was Wu Tian, a notorious playboy from a wealthy family.0
Besides a relatively handsome face, he was utterly worthless - just a rich troublemaker who had committed numerous illegal acts and was a regular at the police station.0
No scandal he caused would surprise anyone anymore.0
But today was the Qin family's event, and Wu Tian's disruption was a slap in their face.0
Wu Tian's uncle and aunt, who had come representing the Wu family, immediately stepped forward to restrain him.0
"We agreed to bring you, but not to cause trouble!"0
"We're so sorry, our nephew is drunk. We'll take him away right now."0
But Wu Tian shoved his aunt and uncle aside. He was already furious from his earlier conflict with Qin Zhao and being snubbed by that woman Chu Xinyue. Then he suddenly received some news that enraged him further, causing him to down several bottles of alcohol. The more he drank, the angrier he got, until he impulsively charged back in.0
Wu Tian went straight up to the Chu family, grinning maliciously at the shocked Mr. and Mrs. Chu: "Uncle, Auntie, since you want to change the engagement, why don't we take advantage of everyone being here today and settle my engagement to Chu Xinyue as well?"0
He then turned to glare viciously at Chu Xinyue, like a poisonous snake.0
Chu Xinyue's mind went blank for a moment. She didn't look at Wu Tian, but turned to gaze at Chu Xueqi, who was shrinking behind her parents.0
Chu Xueqi's face was pale, her eyes darting around nervously. When she noticed Chu Xinyue looking at her, she immediately averted her gaze guiltily.0
Meanwhile, as Wu Tian reached out to grab Chu Xinyue's wrist, a large hand shot out and firmly grasped his arm.0
Wu Tian, emboldened by alcohol, was even more belligerent than before. He glared angrily at the person stopping him. "Damn you, Qin Zhao, I'm just picking up what you don't want anymore. I'm not even complaining about it, you should be grateful to me!"0
"You're out of your damn mind!" Qin Zhao said as he prepared to punch Wu Tian.0
He had already been bottling up a mess of confused emotions, feeling like a caged beast, and now this guy shows up asking for a beating. So Qin Zhao's fist flew without hesitation, knocking Wu Tian to the ground.0
Qin Zhao was about to hit him again when Chu Xinyue grabbed his wrist. He turned back angrily, only to see Chu Xinyue's expression cold and detached, as if she didn't want him interfering.0
Her face was covered in frost as she stared blankly at Wu Tian.0
Qin Zhao suddenly felt like he had been punched in the chest.0
Although they were angry at Wu Tian's behavior, the Wu family couldn't allow others to beat their child.0
"What do you think you're doing? Wu Tian is drunk, how dare you hit him? Is this how the Qin family treats their guests?" Wu Tian's aunt shouted angrily.0
"We treat our guests well, but you're causing trouble in our home. Is this how the Wu family behaves as guests?" Qin Zhao's mother stepped forward, refusing to back down. "And you even insulted us."0
Wu Tian's aunt's face flushed red as she retorted, "Mrs. Qin, that's nonsense. Let's be frank - aren't you planning to break off the engagement with Chu Xinyue? So this is a matter between my nephew and Chu Xinyue. Your third son is the one butting in. Besides, my nephew was only proposing, he didn't do anything wrong!"0
Qin Zhao's mother sneered, "Your nephew seems awfully hasty then."0
Wu Tian's aunt was at a loss for words. After all, the engagement between the Qin and Chu families hadn't been officially broken yet. Wu Tian jumping in to say those crude things could be seen as trying to cuckold Qin Zhao, which was indeed a slap in the Qin family's face.0
"Oh my, we're all friends here. There's no need for the older generation to fall out over the youngsters. Let's all calm down. It's all my daughter's fault," Mr. Chu hurriedly stepped in as peacemaker.0
"It's Xinyue's fault for getting involved with Young Master Wu while still engaged. But looking at it another way, this could be a double blessing. Why don't we all sit down and discuss it calmly?" Mrs. Chu also tried to mediate, her expression changing from bewilderment to a smile.0
The Chu family's fortunes had declined recently, and they couldn't afford to offend either the Qin or Wu families.0
They had hoped to smoothly switch the engagement today, but unexpectedly the Wu family had jumped in wanting to ally with them through marriage.0
It was like manna from heaven. It also made up for what happened to Chu Xinyue. This way people wouldn't keep saying they favored their younger daughter by stealing the older daughter's engagement for her.0
The guests who had been reluctant to leave were actually hoping to see some drama between two women fighting over one man.0
But there was an unexpected twist.0
"Looks like good fortune is coming. Since we're all here today, we can be witnesses for your three families. Don't forget to invite us to the wedding banquet later!"0
"That's right, it turns out everyone has their own happiness. You young people really know how to stir things up. But these are all matches made in heaven."0
The infamous Chu Xinyue paired with Wu Tian, while the well-regarded Qin Zhao matched with Chu Xueqi - it seemed like a perfect happy ending for all. The guests were just excited to witness it all unfold.0
If the three families really did join in marriage, it could affect future business alignments.0
Getting this inside information early could prove useful.0
Qin Xian watched everything unfold from the sidelines, while beside him, Ji Fei's mind was about to explode.0
[Holy crap! This is some major gossip!]0
That comment immediately distracted the Qin family members, but they still needed to address their third son's major life decision.0
Mr. and Mrs. Qin exchanged a glance, then went along with the flow of conversation. Though they were protective of their own, they didn't want to make the situation more awkward.0
Now that things had developed this way, with all the guests staying to watch the drama unfold, it was best to resolve everything on the spot to avoid rumors and negative impacts later.0
Mr. Qin coughed and said, "Since everyone has heard about it, we won't hide anything. The engagement was an agreement made by the older generation. Nowadays young people believe in freedom of love. We Qins won't interfere with our children's decisions."0
Mrs. Qin also chimed in, "We only hope that the children can take responsibility for their own lives and not make decisions they'll regret."0
After speaking, Mr. and Mrs. Qin both gave Qin Zhao a meaningful look.0
After all, they had just learned about how the Chu family had deceived them. They were extremely displeased with Chu Xueqi and her parents, as this incident meant they had been constantly lying to Qin Zhao, stealing credit that belonged to someone else.0
However, marriage and love were personal decisions.0
Anyway, Qin Zhao now knew everything he needed to know. Whether he believed it or not was up to him.0
They just felt sorry for Xinyue. How did she end up involved with Wu Tian?0
Oh well, they had handed the stage over to Qin Zhao now. They immediately pricked up their ears to hear what new gossip Ji Fei would reveal next.0
But all they heard for a while was [Huh! Oh! Gosh! Damn! Is that true? That's terrifying!]0
The Qin family members thought: Come on, don't just exclaim, tell us what's so terrifying!0
Even with all this suspense, Qin Zhao's attention wasn't diverted. His thoughts were in complete chaos.0
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Chu enthusiastically stepped forward, saying, "The Qin family is so open-minded. Qin Zhao, why don't you say something?"0
As they spoke, they pushed Chu Xueqi towards Qin Zhao, completely oblivious to how unnatural their daughter's expression was.0
Qin Zhao's mouth twitched. He wanted to ask who had really saved him back then.0
But... did it matter? Saving his life didn't equate to love.0
Perhaps taking credit was just because of how much she loved him.0
But why was it so hard for him to speak up?0
His hesitation caused an eerie silence to fall over the scene. The onlookers began to whisper among themselves.0
Was there a twist coming?0
Wow, how exciting!0
At this moment, the anxious Chu Xueqi, unable to wait for Qin Zhao to speak, urgently tugged at his sleeve. "Brother Qin..."0
Qin Zhao was startled. He glanced at Chu Xueqi, the woman he had cherished for years, then turned to look at Chu Xinyue, a woman who seemed both familiar yet distant in reality.0
Meanwhile, the Qin family members, who were eavesdropping on thoughts and ready to get the inside scoop, hadn't noticed Qin Zhao's odd behavior.0
Instead, it was Ji Fei who became distracted.0
[Huh, what's Qin Zhao doing? He can't seriously be considering who to choose, can he?]0
The Qin family members hadn't quite processed this when they heard Ji Fei start cursing.0
[What the hell, how shameless! Why does he think that just because he wants to choose, they'll definitely be willing to be chosen by him? Chu Xinyue isn't Chu Xueqi, she doesn't want to participate in their little play!]0
[He's so full of himself. Do his family members know about this?]0
The Qin family: ...Well, now we do.0
Qin Zhao: ??? Suddenly being scolded.0
But... wasn't he the one who had to make the decision now?0
Although he shouldn't be hesitating, he...0
"Isn't an engagement between two people? Shouldn't you ask for my opinion as well?" Chu Xinyue suddenly spoke up.0
All eyes instantly turned to Chu Xinyue.0
Qin Zhao also stared blankly, wondering if she... was unwilling to let go?0
A sense of inexplicable joy, which he himself hadn't even noticed, welled up in his heart.0
The Chu couple immediately became impatient.0
"Xinyue, stop fooling around. We'll help you settle things with the Wu family. One shouldn't be too greedy in life."0
"We know you always like to go against your sister, but this concerns their lifelong happiness. The Qin family has already said to let the children decide for themselves. Qin Zhao absolutely refuses to marry you. Are you going to stubbornly cling on despite that? Even if you do, it's useless!"0
The Chu couple's words to Chu Xinyue were truly harsh.0
However, the current Chu Xinyue was like an impenetrable fortress, no longer affected in the slightest by their words.0
Chu Xinyue turned to look at Qin Zhao, her gaze calm, causing Qin Zhao's heart to tremble as their eyes met.0
"Today, I officially announce the termination of our engagement," Chu Xinyue said, and then, surprisingly, she smiled with relief and added, "Qin Zhao, I don't want you anymore."0
Upon hearing these words, Qin Zhao felt as if a piece of his heart had been hollowed out, leaving him stunned.0
This should have been the scene he had long awaited, yet why did it feel like he was trapped in a nightmare?0
While everyone present was somewhat surprised, they didn't think much of it. They assumed that Chu Xinyue must have truly gotten together with Wu Tian, hence her willingness to break off the engagement so readily.0
The Chu couple and Chu Xueqi, on the other hand, breathed sighs of relief.0
[The Chu family is so hypocritical. They clearly knew Chu Xinyue's true feelings yet they're putting on an act here. They've repeatedly forced Chu Xinyue to go to Grandmother Chu to break off the engagement, but Chu Xinyue always stubbornly refused. Usually, she would let Chu Xueqi take whatever she wanted, but the one thing she didn't want to give up was Qin Zhao. Now she's even given that up. It seems she's truly let go of everything.]0
[Qin Zhao, you fool. You've picked up a sesame seed but lost a watermelon. You'll have plenty to cry about later.]0
Hearing these inner thoughts, the Qin family members were quite surprised. So Chu Xinyue actually liked their third son?0
Qin Zhao's lips trembled. Yes, Chu Xinyue liked him, but now she had completely given up.0
It made sense, she had a backup now, right? But the image of Chu Xinyue's expression when she said 'it wasn't me' flashed through his mind.0
Suddenly, someone patted his body.0
Qin Zhao snapped back to reality to see the Chu family looking at him expectantly, seemingly waiting for him to announce his engagement to Chu Xueqi.0
But Qin Zhao didn't speak. He felt that something was off, and waves of regret surged within him.0
Meanwhile, Wu Tian eagerly approached, as if his mood had improved. He came up to Chu Xinyue and said, "You've finally come to your senses. From now on, you're my fiancée."0
Qin Zhao's eyes flickered, his fists unconsciously clenching as he looked at Chu Xinyue.0
But Chu Xinyue's gaze no longer lingered on him. She looked at Wu Tian as if she were looking at an idiot and let out a cold laugh.0
"Who are you? Do I know you? Open your dog eyes and look clearly. I, Chu Xinyue, have never met you in private. You've been constantly spreading rumors about our relationship in public. I have the right to sue you!"0
These words were like a thunderclap on a clear day, shocking everyone present.0
[Oh ho, it's time for a face-slapping! Pass the popcorn!]0
The Qin family members, who had been confused until now, instinctively made a judgment upon hearing Ji Fei's inner thoughts.0
Yes, Chu Xinyue was telling the truth.0
Huh?0
What did this mean? Were all those things Wu Tian said lies?0
The scene in the backyard flashed through Qin Zhao's mind once again.0
Chu Xinyue's desperate eyes at that time.0
In an instant, Qin Zhao felt his palms become sweaty.0