Monopolize My Mysterious Wife
Chapter 824 - 824 810. Treat as never known (2)

Chapter 824: 810. Treat as never known (2) Chapter 824: 810. Treat as never known (2) Bai Jue bent down to pick up the magazine, placing it casually on the sofa before standing up straight to look at her, “Seeing me, are you that surprised?”

As he spoke, he took a step forward, the distance between them less than half a meter.

The proximity panicked Zhan Mingyan even more. She pushed him away, her expression dark, “Who, who said that, what are you doing here again?”

Bai Jue had anticipated this reaction. He turned his head to glance at Xiaoling and the others, smiling slightly, “Sorry, I need to have a word with your store manager. Could you please go to the cafe across the street for a while? I’ll pick up the tab.”

Xiaoqing and the others showed an awkward expression, instinctively looking towards their own store manager. Zhan Mingyan shook her head at them, then looked at Bai Jue displeased, “What exactly do you want, Mr. Bai? If you come to harass me again, I can only talk to Jian Qing.”

If it came to it, she would directly bring up Jian Qing.

“Heh.” Hearing that she would ask Jian Qing for help, Bai Jue let out a light laugh, looking at her with interest, “You say you don’t know me, yet you know Jian Qing. Maybe you should think about where you first met Jian Qing?”

He had been to Solak Island with Jian Qing, she knew Jian Qing but pretended not to recognize him. This lie was really too clumsy.

Zhan Mingyan clenched her fists tighter, and after a while, she looked up at Xiaoling and the others, “You guys go ahead and sit in the cafe for a bit.”

Xiaoqing and the others exchanged glances, then turned to leave the flower shop, leaving the two of them alone together.

In an instant, only the two of them were left in the entire flower shop.

The air became tense, the atmosphere eerily silent.

“Bai Jue, why have you come?” Zhan Mingyan suddenly spoke, gazing directly at him, her tone surprisingly calm.

Finally hearing her call him Bai Jue, instead of Mr. Bai, Bai Jue curled his lips, “Not pretending to not know me anymore?”

Zhan Mingyan’s tight fists relaxed, “Bai Jue, if possible, I wish I had never met you.”

If that were so, she wouldn’t have tasted such heartbreak, nor would she have known such painful unrequited love.

At her words, the smile on Bai Jue’s lips stiffened.

He looked at her in astonishment, seemingly unable to believe that these words came from her mouth.

“Zhan Mingyan, you…”

Before he could finish, she cut him off, “Bai Jue, don’t tell me you think we can still be friends after failing to become lovers?”

Bai Jue had no words to refute, unable to deny that he had indeed thought so.

Seeing him silent, Zhan Mingyan laughed mockingly, “Bai Jue, maybe you can, but in my book, Zhan Mingyan, that’s impossible.”

She had confessed her feelings to him twice, and he had rejected her twice. Within such an awkward relationship, expecting her to treat him as a regular friend was something she truly couldn’t do.

“I am not one of those casual girls around you, nor am I one of those fair-weather friends that come and go as you please, Bai Jue. Please don’t come looking for me again, and don’t appear before me. Let’s pretend we’ve never known each other. Can we do that?” she said expressionlessly, her heart twisting in pain.

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Bai Jue too dropped his usual smile, his voice low, “Zhan Mingyan, must it come to this?”

He thought she was feigning ignorance to spurn him, never imagining that she was determined to cut ties completely.

Zhan Mingyan nodded, her voice filled with self-mockery, “Bai Jue, you should be happy that I’m severing ties with you; after all, from now on I won’t cling to you anymore, and you can freely chase after your vast garden of suitors, right?”

She was foolish, having never truly grasped the extent of the chasm between them. They were not of the same world.

Bai Jue’s expression darkened, a chill emanating from him, “Zhan Mingyan, is this truly what your heart desires?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

With that, silence fell between them once more.

After a long moment, Bai Jue’s hoarse voice rang out, “If this is what you wish for, I will make it so, farewell.”

He gave her a deep glance, turned, and left.

As he opened the glass door of the flower shop, Bai Jue paused and said, over his shoulder, “I’m sorry, Zhan Mingyan!”

Zhan Mingyan’s eyes flashed slightly, her pink lips pressed tightly together.

When the glass door closed, Zhan Mingyan watched the tall figure of the man disappear into the crowd, a glint of tears shimmering in the depths of her eyes.

…

Quan Family

“Seventeen, give mommy a kiss.” In the bedroom, Jian Qing picked up the just-awakened Seventeen and kissed his chubby little face.

Receiving mommy’s sweet kiss, Seventeen immediately returned a sweet smile, melting Jian Qing’s heart.

She hugged Seventeen and kissed him a few more times, the expression in the eyes of mother and son indistinguishably alike as they laughed.

At that moment, Rhee walked in.

“Little Qingqing!”

“Mom!” Jian Qing, holding Seventeen, turned around to see Rhee, her lips curving lightly.

Rhee nodded with a smile in her eyes, reaching out to touch Seventeen’s tender little face, before turning to Jian Qing and saying, “Little Qingqing, there is someone here to see you.”

“Hmm?” Jian Qing looked at her questioningly, Xiya hadn’t said she was coming today.

Rhee hesitated for a moment before finally revealing, “It’s Elder Patriarch An.”

Jian Qing froze for a moment, a dark shade flashing through the depths of her pupils as she involuntarily pictured the solitary figure of the elder.

“Mom, I’ll take Seventeen down to see him.”

Rhee, seeing she wasn’t particularly troubled, breathed a sigh of relief.

“Mm.”

In the living room, Elder Patriarch An sat in his wheelchair, hope and urgency flashing in the depths of his eyes, with Autumn Uncle by his side.

Hearing footsteps coming from the stairs, Elder Patriarch An quickly looked up, and seeing Jian Qing coming down the stairs, his eyes lit up with joy.

“Qing girl!”

Jian Qing, holding Seventeen, walked slowly. Seeing the excited gaze Elder Patriarch An cast her way, she nodded and offered a faint smile.

“Elder Patriarch An!”

At that address, Elder Patriarch An felt as if his heart were pricked, but the next second, his eyes settled on the infant Jian Qing held in her arms, and his face beamed with a smile he couldn’t hide.

He had wanted to visit ever since Jian Qing gave birth to the child, but Jian Qing had never taken the initiative to invite him, and he felt it was not his place to intrude. This indecision lasted for over a month, until he could no longer resist the urge to come and see the babies.

“Little Qingqing, how have you been feeling? Are there any discomforts after having the baby?” He asked with concern.

Jian Qing shook her head and sat down opposite him, “There’s nothing wrong, thank you for the nourishing gifts you’ve sent.”

Elder Patriarch An smiled amiably and said, “I’m glad they were helpful. I’ve brought some more for you today, have your family stew them for you when you have time.”

Jian Qing smiled faintly and agreed with a simple okay.

Elder Patriarch An’s gaze shifted to the child in her arms, reaching out to caress that exquisitely tender little face, his eyes crinkling with a smile, “This is Seventeen, huh?”

His voice was hoarse and cautious.

Although he had not visited to see the babies, he had seen photos of them from Azhe; Seventeen resembled Quan Jingwu, while Nineteen looked like Jian Qing.