Beg Me to Remarry
Chapter 277: If she is happy, I bless her

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: If she is happy, I bless her

"If you want to talk, I can listen," He Xing said skillfully, neither expressing interest nor disinterest, deftly tossing the ball back into Ji Liangchuan’s court.

Before him, the glass Ji Liangchuan had been staring at hadn’t been touched. Upon hearing He Xing’s words, it was as if he’d made up his mind about something momentous. He grabbed the glass and gulped down the water in two or three swigs, drinking it as though it were liquor.

After a brief silence, Ji Liangchuan finally began to speak slowly, "The reason I didn’t return from abroad for so many years was because of a woman; the reason I came back to the country and didn’t leave again is also because of a woman. Her name was Taozi, and..."

At this point, Ji Liangchuan sighed, his face showing a pained expression as he said, "Taozi and Fu Han looked exactly alike. The first time I saw Fu Han, I thought she was my Taozi."

"The first time?" He Xing repeated these three words, his mind racing to recall when Ji Liangchuan and Fu Han had first met.

"At my Liangtao Bar," Ji Liangchuan immediately gave the answer He Xing wanted to know, "That time, Fu Han had just returned to the country, wanting to annul the marriage arrangement with you. You were distressed and went to the bar to drink. You got drunk, and the only phone number in your phone was Fu Han’s, so I took the liberty... thinking of helping you out, I called Fu Han to come pick you up and take you home."

He Xing thought for a moment. He didn’t know much about this incident; he only remembered that he was drunk and that it was Fu Han who had brought him home. He woke up in his bed the next morning, but beyond that, he remembered nothing else.

A look of fond remembrance spread across Ji Liangchuan’s face, "When I was in junior high, my parents left me behind abroad, saying they wanted me to be independent from a young age; but what does a twelve or thirteen-year-old child know about independence? I was short and couldn’t speak English, often bullied by classmates, and every time, it was Taozi who protected me..."

He went on to talk about many things, all about him and Taozi - how they met when they were twelve or thirteen, started dating at seventeen or eighteen, and parted forever around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Now, he was thirty-three and still hadn’t moved on from the pain of leaving Taozi.

During his storytelling, He Xing listened intently, not interrupting with a single word, but his heart was far from as calm as he appeared, even turbulent.

He Xing had always known that Fu Han was charming; she received so many love letters each year that they could fill a sack. He even suspected that Ji Liangchuan had fallen for Fu Han, but he never imagined it would be such a story.

When Ji Liangchuan finally stopped speaking, He Xing let out a sigh and directly asked, "So, the person you like now is Fu Han?"

"I don’t know," Ji Liangchuan said as he ran his fingers through his hair, his face bearing a pained look, "I know she’s your girlfriend, and I shouldn’t covet my friend’s wife; but I have to admit, I pay quite a lot of attention to her."

He Xing’s heart was like a small boat in rough seas, struggling to stay afloat, never knowing if it might capsize the next second.

Even so, he had to acknowledge that Ji Liangchuan remained the same person he knew, straightforward, speaking his mind without concealing his true feelings.

After pondering for a moment, He Xing said earnestly, "I sympathize with what happened between you and your ex-girlfriend, but Fu Han isn’t anyone’s substitute. To me, she is irreplaceable, unique; without her, I will like no one else in this life. So, I hope you can keep your distance from Fu Han."

"That’s..." Ji Liangchuan’s face was full of chagrin, "If Fu Han is happy with you, I will surely be happy for her, but if you treat her poorly, or if she is unhappy with you, I... I won’t stand by and do nothing."

He Xing looked at Ji Liangchuan expressionlessly, as if trying to discern the sincerity of his words, and finally nodded, "I’m certain no one else can make Fu Han happy but me, so your well-wishing is all that’s needed."

"We will see," Ji Liangchuan said with a smile.

Yet, his smile contained a hint of bitterness, but also sincere well wishes. The extreme contradiction somehow melded together perfectly—it felt like watching the person you love most dress in a wedding gown for someone else.

As firm as He Xing was, he couldn’t help but feel a softening in his heart. He patted Ji Liangchuan on the shoulder, "Let the past be the past; there are plenty of good women in the world, you should get to know some when you have time."

"No problem at all," Ji Liangchuan grinned widely, revealing a row of white teeth. He gave He Xing’s shoulder a vigorous slap, "My eye for women isn’t good, so I’ll wait for you and your wife to find me a good match."

"I’ll definitely keep an eye out for you, and if I come across someone good, you’ll be the first to know," He Xing promised brightly, his smile particularly radiant.

But perhaps only the two of them knew just how radiant their smiles were on their faces, and how much bitterness lay in their hearts.

Yet in the world of adults, even if the heart aches, the pain often goes unspoken. Truths and lies intertwine, real and fake, sometimes even the speaker can’t tell them apart.

Arm in arm, the two descended the stairs and retook their seats, gracefully facing different people. They were young and adept at dealing; genteel in appearance, they masterfully handled drinking games; they appeared upright and principled, yet could also crack some moderately risqué jokes.

...

When the knock on the door came, Fu Han was nestled in a hanging chair with a book in her hands, her emotions settled back into calmness, no longer trying to piece together the fragmented memories that had come to mind.

She glanced at the door, thinking it must be He Xing worried and coming to find her, and said, "Please come in."

About half a minute later, the door opened.

Fu Han waited but heard no one speak. Confused, she turned her head toward the doorway, only to see the face of a man she had no recollection of—a stranger.

The man was rather handsome, dressed in a bold black-and-white checked suit with a gemstone pin on his chest and shoes so polished they could serve as mirrors.

"Who are you?" Fu Han got up cautiously, holding her book, which now served as her temporary weapon.

The man leaned against the door frame at an angle, flashing what he thought was a suave and debonair smile, "Hello, Miss Fu Han. I am Xia Ning’s brother; we’ve just met, during the drinking earlier."

Reminded by him, Fu Han finally had a slight impression. At the time, she had been so focused on Xia Ning and Xia Guoxiong when she followed He Xing to toast at their table that she hadn’t noticed the people beside them.

Remembering this, she nodded, still looking wary, "So, it’s Mr. Xia Cheng. Do you need something from me?"