Seventh Year of My Secret Love for You

[7YrSecretLove] Chapter 15.1 — Knowing That She Broke Up

Jiang Shenghe was worried about Luo Qi’s condition and asked the driver to stop.

“You help Luo Qi drive her car back. Keep the reason official.”

“Okay.” The driver didn’t know what happened, but he never asked any more questions. He unfastened his seat belt and got down from the car. The bodyguard sitting in the passenger seat moved to the driver’s seat and took over driving.

Jiang Shenghe gave Luo Qi all of his patience in this life, but he was also the most impatient with some things about Luo Qi. He sent a message to urge Jiang Sixun: [Give me the results within days.]

Jiang Sixun asked to be clear about things: [You said don’t meddle in small matters, what is the standard for this ‘small’ matter?]

Jiang Shenghe: [If it’s Luo Qi’s own willfulness that caused the quarrel. As long as it’s Pei Shixiao’s fault, no matter what the reason is, it’s not a trivial matter.]

Jiang Sixun: “…”

Very probably stimulated by seeing Luo Qi’s tears and so adopted this large-scale double standard. He doesn’t argue with Jiang Shenghe—when he comes back to his senses, he will naturally change the standard.

Jiang Shenghe turned to look out the window: the driver had already walked into the building.

Luo Qi has been sitting inside her car for several minutes now. After crying for so long, her brain was sluggish, and her whole body felt numb. She sat there, waiting until her mood calmed down before driving away.

The driver found Luo Qi’s car and knocked on the window, “Assistant Luo.”

Luo Qi knew Jiang Shenghe’s driver and hurriedly slid down the window, “Hello, what’s the matter?”

“Chief Jiang asked me to come over and see if you need me to drive you. Chief Jiang said that you might not be feeling well because work pressure has been building up on your side recently. Safety is the most important thing on the way to and from work.”

Luo Qi didn’t refuse the boss’s kindness today; she was also worried that if she lost her concentration along the way and had an accident, it would affect her work, and people would laugh at her, thinking that she couldn’t live without a man. If she got into a crash because she couldn’t stop thinking about him—how pathetic would that be?

“I’ve troubled you. Thanks to you and to Chief Jiang.”

The driver’s tone was natural, “You’re welcome, it’s all for work. The people in the secretary’s office sometimes have dinner and drinks at night, and I often send them off.”

Luo Qi got out of the car and went around to the passenger’s side.

Just as she put on her seat belt, her phone vibrated. It was Pei Shixiao calling. She pressed the ‘reject’ button and then blocked his number.

[Qi, I rebooked the wedding banquet hall.]

Pei Shixiao couldn’t get through the phone, so he could only leave a message. Once the wedding banquet was actually canceled, there would be no room to maneuver between him and Luo Qi. She had decided to call off the wedding—he hadn’t expected it.

“Pei Shixiao.”

The high-speed rail station was noisy. When Pei Shixiao heard Cui Peng calling him, he thought it was an auditory hallucination, but when he looked back, he really saw Cui Peng running towards him at a trot. She had gone home and changed her clothes, and now had a silk scarf around her neck.

Pei Shixiao took off his sunglasses, “Why are you here?”

Cui Peng had walked in a hurry and took a breath to calm down, “I will accompany you to Beijing; it is my fault that your wedding was canceled. I will explain to Luo Qi face to face, and tell her that I was the one trying to pester you with any and all means. She can reject me, then she will forgive you.” She wanted to use this opportunity to meet Luo Qi and let Luo Qi know who she lost to.

But Pei Shixiao would not let a woman bear his mistakes, and he didn’t think Cui Peng pestered him either.

“This is about me and Luo Qi, it has nothing to do with you. You go back.”

“I have to go,” Cui Peng insisted, tears in her eyes. “No matter what, I was in the wrong. Even if I like you, I should have just kept it in my heart and kept a distance from you. Not being able to restrain myself is not an excuse.”

She looked at him, “I’m sorry.”

Pei Shixiao, “I should be the one to apologize.”

Cui Peng shook his head, wept, and turned her face away from him.

Seeing the scratches on her neck, Pei Shixiao made a gesture, “Does it still hurt?”

Cui Peng choked up, “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Go back.” He apologized again, “I’m sorry about what happened today.”

“I said it’s not your fault alone, who made me like you.” Cui Peng wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, “I knew you were going to get married soon, but I still didn’t know how to do things properly. I don’t blame you.”

He was outstanding and dazzling, she couldn’t help her heartbeat, couldn’t help wanting to get closer, and when she got closer, she gradually became dissatisfied. She couldn’t bear to see that he was kind to Luo Qi. She began wishing that he belonged to her alone, wanted to marry him, and wanted to be together with him for the rest of her life.

Pei Shixiao’s cell phone rang: it was his mother’s call.

Luo Qi had called off the wedding; his mother should know by now.

He answered the phone, “Mom.”

“What’s the matter with you and Luo Qi? Are you treating marriage like a joke? You are the ones who want to get married. Now you don’t get married if you don’t want to get married? If you don’t say anything to us about canceling the wedding, do you still have your elders in your eyes?”

Cui Peng was 40 to 50 centimeters away from Pei Shixiao, and he heard the domineering voice over the phone.

“Mom, it’s my fault. I did something that wronged Luo Qi.”

“What do you mean?”

“I cheated.”

“You….”

Madam Pei couldn’t believe it, she didn’t say anything.

There was no sound coming from the phone, and Pei Shixiao called out, “Mom?” 

Madam Pei was so angry that she didn’t want to talk. Her son has liked Luo Qi since he was a teenager, and he gave up staying abroad because of Luo Qi. For her, he had a cold war with his family for so many years and started his own business with his friends. Half of his properties was under Luo Qi’s name.

“Did you forget that at the beginning of the year, in order to get your father and me to agree to your marriage, you lowered your face and begged us? Since you’ve grown up, when did you ever bow your head to others? For Luo Qi, you bowed to us. Two months before the wedding, and you’re messing around at this time? Pei Shixiao, what were you thinking?

“Is that woman blind and couldn’t see the engagement ring on your hand, or were you hiding it?”

“Mom. It’s my fault.”

Madam Pei cut off the call directly.

Pei Shixiao glanced at his watch, saw that the departure time was close, and said to Cui Peng, “Go back. Luo Qi wouldn’t want to see other people either.”

He put on his sunglasses and strode towards the ticket gate.

Cui Peng watched him stride off. He was so proud to bear this alone. Luo Qi had already broken up with him, even the wedding was canceled, and yet he had to go overnight to make amends.

Pei Shixiao sent a message while walking: [Qi, I’m going over now.]

Luo Qi didn’t reply and didn’t give him the feeling that there was still a possibility of redemption.

… …

They had a lot of mutual friends, and he knew half of her high school classmates.

[I’ve broken up with Pei Shixiao. Thank you all for your well wishes before.]

This circle of friends post was only visible to people they knew in common.

Soon, Pei Shixiao received many calls from his friends asking what happened to him and Luo Qi. Only then did he know that Luo Qi had posted on Moments and blocked him so he couldn’t see.

[Had a fight. Not breaking up.]

He could only respond to friends like this.

[Qi, I’m on the high-speed rail, and I’ll arrive in about five hours.]

[It’s my fault.]

[Even if you want to break up right now, I’ll wait for you for as long as you want.]

All the messages he sent to Luo Qi went nowhere.

Luo Qi didn’t read it, and she didn’t know what Pei Shixiao said.