War of Roses: The Proud Tycoon，Please Surrender!-Chapter 269 Tang Mubei, Let’s Part on Good Terms
Xue Jiarui realized what was going on and shouted at Xue Xianglan, who had already climbed the stairs, "Sister, what do you mean by that? Explain yourself before you leave!"
"Think about it yourself; also, little brother, find a woman and slowly study these things. Don’t act like you know nothing—it’s embarrassing for me. And about my situation with Xiang Linghao, why are you acting like an old lady about it?"
The last sentence had a clear hint of laughter in Xue Xianglan’s voice.
Xue Jiarui, "..."
She’s just teasing him for never having been in a relationship!
Why does he care so much about them?
If she weren’t his sister and Xiang Linghao weren’t his buddy, he’d have no reason to worry like some... old woman.
He’s still a good young man with a proper upbringing. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Xue Jiarui returned to the sofa and sat down, feeling depressed.
Sigh, he doesn’t understand their "adult" world.
Life should be simpler, like his.
Xue Xianglan returned to her room, wiped the smile off her face, and laid down on the bed, curling up.
In these seven years, Xue Xianglan never understood Xiang Linghao’s pain, just as Xiang Linghao would never understand Xue Xianglan’s torment.
Though they loved each other, they were forced to part ways, living separately, each alone.
Both of them were inexpressibly bitter and sorrowful.
Xue Jiarui, bored at home, thought for a moment, picked up his car keys, and went out.
Hospital.
Xue Jiarui wandered around Xiang Linghao’s office, waited for a while, but Xiang Linghao didn’t return.
So he went out and stopped a passing nurse, "Hi beautiful, where’s Doctor Xiang?"
"Young Master Xue, Doctor Xiang should be in the lab."
"Oh, thanks." Xue Jiarui winked at the nurse and headed to Xiang Linghao’s personal lab.
The nurse watched him walk away, puzzled. Lately, many people have been looking for Doctor Xiang, and they’re not even patients.
Outside the lab, Xue Jiarui knocked symbolically on the door and then directly opened it.
Xiang Linghao was engrossed in an experiment, wearing a sterile suit, fiddling with various test tubes and flasks, occasionally jotting things down.
Xue Jiarui didn’t understand this stuff, so he stood to the side.
"Brother Hao, I heard my sister invited you to dinner?"
When Xiang Linghao heard this, he paused in his busy movements and replied indifferently, "Mm."
Xue Jiarui smiled slyly, "Look at that, my sister is so proactive. Brother Hao, shouldn’t you make a move?"
"What move?"
"Of course, to make an effort to win my sister over again."
Xiang Linghao’s eyes darkened slightly, and he said coldly, "Why should I chase her?"
Xue Jiarui was obviously taken aback by this, hesitating for a while before asking, "Brother Hao, did something happen to you? Or... damn, you didn’t have a change of heart at the critical moment, did you!"
A change of heart? How could he. Xiang Linghao thought to himself mockingly.
Even if Xue Xianglan no longer loves him, he’s continued to love her steadfastly over these years, never changing.
And he won’t change in the future.
"No," he replied.
Xue Jiarui was even more confused, "If not, why don’t you try to pursue her again?"
Xiang Linghao stopped what he was doing and looked up at him, his eyes calm.
"Jiarui, it’s your sister who no longer needs me."
When Xiang Linghao said this, there wasn’t any emotional fluctuation in his voice, as if his whole being had become devoid of joy or sorrow, his heart hollowed out.
"What do you mean?"
"Your sister said today that sometimes I make her feel hateful; maybe it’s because I don’t know how to let go and cause her trouble, so I won’t anymore."
He really won’t anymore.
All along, he took her happiness and sadness as his own goal. Since he has made her unhappy, he won’t do anything to make her upset anymore.
Yes, it’s best to bear everything on his own.
After all, now it’s only him holding onto this unrequited love, so why bother her.
"You can leave now. I still have experiments to do; Uncle Tang won’t wait long."
Xiang Linghao dismissed him, and Xue Jiarui left the lab in a daze.
Standing outside the door, he was still puzzled about how he caused his sister trouble; clearly, his sister’s attitude wasn’t like what Xiang Linghao said.
So complicated!
The world of emotions is too complicated!
...
Gu Yan and Tang Yuxiu got off work together, went back and prepared food, and after eating, packed two lunch boxes to take to Tang Mubei at the hospital.
"Doesn’t your brother go to work?"
"He’s with a photography club and has his own studio. Now he delegates everything to others, so he’s quite free."
"A photographer?" Gu Yan was surprised, "Really couldn’t tell."
"Why?"
"In my impression, photographers and the like are usually long-haired artists."
Your brother always has such a cold face, yet he’s a photographer...
How is that imaginable?
The two parked the car and were about to enter the hospital when they suddenly noticed a familiar figure in front of a parked car ahead.
Gu Yan blinked, "Isn’t that your brother?"
Tang Yuxiu looked over and saw Tang Mubei not far in front, facing them, but his eyes only held the woman before him.
The woman had her back to them, so he couldn’t see her face, but he guessed who she was.
Besides her, who else could make Tang Mubei lose his composure like this on such a street?
They were too far away to hear what they were saying, but they could see their expressions.
The woman in front of Tang Mubei seemed to be leaving, but Tang Mubei pulled her back, not allowing her to go.
The woman seemed impatient and forcefully shook him off.
Tang Mubei held her shoulders, "Ye Zi, don’t be stubborn anymore, your ankle is injured, come to the hospital with me to have it checked."
"I said there’s no need, it’s just a small injury, I have things to do."
"Catching the criminal isn’t urgent; they’ve already escaped. Going after them now is useless, and your partner is still in the hospital. Just going to see them won’t delay anything."
"It’s because they escaped that I’m eager to chase them. The other party is a desperado, and with each day they aren’t caught, people get hurt. Tang Mubei, you’re not a cop; you don’t understand this feeling."
Clearly, they were so close to capturing them, yet the culprit escaped, injuring her partner, and she even sprained her own foot. It’s utterly hateful!
For Qiu Ye, this is a disgrace!
"Indeed, I don’t know, but all I know now is that your foot is injured! Ye Zi, come with me to see a doctor."
Qiu Ye frowned deeply, forcefully shaking him off, "Tang Mubei, my foot injury is my own business. Don’t meddle, alright? I have nothing to do with you!"
Tang Mubei listened to Qiu Ye, his hands on her shoulders suddenly tightening, pupils shrinking, heart twisting in pain.
Tang Mubei took a deep breath, suppressing his erupting emotions, and said, "Ye Zi, no matter what you say, now, come with me to see the doctor!"
"No." Qiu Ye pushed him away and turned to get in the car and leave, but Tang Mubei firmly held her back.
Qiu Ye, frustrated, followed the force he used to pull her and swung a fist, hitting Tang Mubei’s face.
Tang Mubei neither dodged nor evaded, firmly holding her hand and bearing the brunt of her punch.
Not far away, Gu Yan shivered, just watching made her feel that punch hurt.
"What a violent girl! Why didn’t your brother dodge?"
Tang Yuxiu watched, unmoved, while Gu Yan observed his attitude, "Also, why don’t you have any reaction..."
Tang Yuxiu replied, "Some people are willing; why should I react? He brought it upon himself."
Gu Yan, "..." Do you have no brotherly love at all?
Qiu Ye had thrown that punch out of anger, not controlling her strength, causing Tang Mubei’s head to turn to one side.
Besides, she thought Tang Mubei’s skills would allow him to avoid it.
Qiu Ye was startled, "Why didn’t you dodge!"
Tang Mubei wiped the cheek that had been hit with his free hand, where a bruise had started to form, and looked at Qiu Ye, saying, "Because it was you."
Qiu Ye froze, something inside her starting to ferment.
But... she forcefully turned her head away, "Tang Mubei, stop it. We’re over. Just let go already. I don’t want to get entangled with you anymore."
Every time she got entangled with him, she felt sorry for her deceased parents, burdened with guilt.
Sometimes it’s not about not loving, but about not being able to afford to love, not daring to.
Six years ago, one reality after another taught her how to let go.
Tang Mubei’s eyes were full of restraint, his heart aching, "Ye Zi, don’t let the grievances of the last generation drag us down. We did nothing wrong, so why do we have to bear the sins they committed?"
"Put yourself in my shoes, if it was my father who made you lose everything, could you still say such things so easily?"
Tang Mubei’s heart trembled, remaining silent, yet stubbornly refused to let go.
Qiu Ye also didn’t want to waste more patience with him, frowning as she looked at him, "Tang Mubei, your father caused my family to be ruined, left me dependent on others. It may have been an unintentional mistake, but I hold no grudges and just want to stay away from your family. Yet why do you insist on holding onto me, do you want to inherit your father’s legacy and continue to hurt me?!"
Qiu Ye knew she was speaking harshly, but the current situation didn’t allow for any softness or reluctance.
In the face of familial hatred, her love simply cannot continue.
She couldn’t overcome the barrier within her heart.
Recalling the hatred and relief in her father’s eyes when he died, it was like a vine tightly wrapped around her throat, making it hard to breathe.
Tang Mubei’s whole body shook, his grip on her wrist suddenly loosening, his body even staggering back a step, heartbroken.
Ye Zi, how can you say that!
Ye Zi, how could I bear to hurt you!
Ye Zi, why must this be our outcome!
Ye Zi, Ye Zi...
Tang Mubei abruptly closed his eyes, hiding the pain and sorrow about to overflow from them.
Qiu Ye’s heart tightened, her hands trembling at her sides.
This relationship with no outcome binds both of them, neither willing to unlock the shackles, thus hurting each other, and also hurting themselves.
"Tang Mubei, let’s part on good terms." Qiu Ye stepped back.
Let our most beautiful moments remain in memory.
