Chapter 4 Breakup
1615 Words
Wen Ruan suddenly spoke, and it was then that Yao Man noticed Jiang Qingyan had woken up.
Once the anger from the slap had subsided, she found herself able to calm down.
Now, feeling somewhat apprehensive about making Jiang Qingyan angry, she flustered momentarily. Yet, upon looking at Wen Ruan's pale face, as if it might shatter at any moment, she felt no regret.
After all, it was the truth. She had spoken it aloud.
And besides, Jiang Qingyan loved her. Even if he got angry, it wouldn't last long. She could always coax him later.
Moreover, Wen Ruan now appeared like a defeated chicken or a dog fallen into water—an image that was simply too satisfying.
Having reached this point, Yao Man no longer held back. Seeing Jiang Qingyan silent, she felt it was only right to enlighten Wen Ruan.
“What are you? I married him, and Qingyan was suffering, needing someone to alleviate his pain. You came to him willingly, so he turned to you.”
So, what did that make her?
Yao Man's words were like a blade wielded by an executioner.
“Let’s put it nicely—you’re my substitute. But we don’t even look alike, so to speak bluntly, you’re just a tool for relieving pain, a clandestine lover.”
She emphasized the words “lover” with malice.
“You’ve been together for three years, yet never made it public. Why didn’t he want to? Because he’s been waiting for me.”
Wen Ruan opened her mouth, struggling to speak.
Indeed, she and Jiang Qingyan had been together for three years, their relationship kept hidden within the company.
It had been Jiang Qingyan’s idea initially.
He said he preferred solitude and didn’t want his private life exposed, cherishing the uninterrupted space for love.
She had agreed, for she too preferred to keep it private. After all, from the moment she entered the company, Jiang Qingyan had been her superior, and office romances were notoriously troublesome.
For three years, they had managed to keep their relationship hidden. No one in the company knew—except for Yao Man and Lin Yue.
Yao Man had known first. After joining Rong Li, she used her father’s name to cling to Jiang Qingyan, monopolizing him by day and not letting go by night.
When she found out Jiang Qingyan lived in Huatang Bay, she got herself drunk and knocked on his door the next night.
That night, they had just returned from a walk when Jiang Qingyan was holding Wen Ruan's hand, and Yao Man saw them.
Naturally, Yao Man wouldn’t be foolish enough to help them go public.
Lin Yue had known for a month.
That day, Yao Man went out with Jiang Qingyan, dressed revealingly. He had given her his coat, and when they returned to the office, Lin Yue had seen her wearing it.
Lin Yue had overheard and, with a gleam of enjoyment, had kept the secret.
So, the reason Jiang Qingyan didn’t want to go public wasn’t because he preferred solitude; it was because the position he wanted to reserve for Yao Man, right?
Ha.
How ridiculous.
Her hand itched, wanting to slap something.
Wen Ruan, always one to be logical and give others a chance to explain, looked at Jiang Qingyan with a voice neither too harsh nor too soft.
“Just a tool for relieving pain, a clandestine lover… Jiang Qingyan, do you agree with the label Miss Yao has given me?”
She waited for him to explain, but it was merely a final desperate struggle before her hope withered.
But Jiang Qingyan remained silent.
The deafening silence was an unspoken admission.
The living room fell into an eerie stillness, every sound amplified.
Finally, Wen Ruan walked over, summoning all her strength to slap him across the face.
Neither the one who struck nor the one who was struck reacted, but those watching the scene couldn't help but shout out, “Ah! Wen Ruan, you’re crazy!”
Yao Man rushed toward Jiang Qingyan, her heart aching as she bent down to touch his face. But he turned his head, avoiding her touch, and grasped her wrist gently, his voice as soft as always.
“Go back for now.”
Yao Man could guess what would happen next. Wen Ruan would definitely make a scene, probably demanding a breakup. She wanted to stay and watch the spectacle but also knew when to withdraw.
After all, it was her stage tonight. If she stirred up more trouble, Jiang Qingyan would surely become angry.
So she left, glaring fiercely at Wen Ruan as she passed by.
“I’ll remember this slap! You’ll regret it!”
The living room returned to silence.
Jiang Qingyan spoke, his voice soft, “I’m sorry.”
Wen Ruan didn’t respond, turning to the wine cabinet and retrieving a bottle of red wine. She returned to sit on the single sofa beside him and opened the bottle.
She was overwhelmed by the flood of information, her head pounding as if pricked by needles. She didn’t have time to sober up, so she poured herself a glass and drank it in one go.
The empty glass was set down with a heavy thud.
She suddenly let out a laugh.
“You’ve been holding back all this time, and that’s all you can say? ‘I’m sorry’? Is that your answer to my question? So, you really agree with Yao Man’s words, don’t you? Everything she said is the truth.”
Jiang Qingyan remained still.
After a long pause, he spoke again, “I’m sorry.”
Wen Ruan poured herself another glass and downed two.
“So, you’ve loved her for over a decade, and I’m just the pawn in your true love story, an insignificant woman who doesn’t deserve a title?”
“Jiang Qingyan, you’re amazing. You’re truly remarkable. Your love is so great, you’ve kept yourself pure for her. Or perhaps you should just be her lover, her side piece.”
“If that’s not enough, why not die for love? If it hurts so much, why don’t you just die? Why destroy my life? Why not go and die?”
Wen Ruan suddenly broke down, pouring herself another glass, but this time, she didn’t drink it. Instead, she threw it at Jiang Qingyan’s face. Frustrated, she smashed the glass onto the floor with a loud c***k.
Shattered.
Just like their years of love.
Jiang Qingyan remained motionless, only closing his eyes, letting the wine drip down his face.
Wen Ruan, seeing his disheveled and guilty expression, only felt more hatred.
“Jiang Qingyan, I met you when I was 18, I liked you at 20. You said you didn’t want a relationship at the time, and I respected that. I didn’t bother you. You fought for your dreams, and I did the same.”
“I came to Rong Li, just like you. I was the top intern, choosing my department. To get into your department, I fought for first place in everything.”
“They said I was a machine, always working efficiently. They said women who worked too hard would never marry. I didn’t care. I wanted to be just like you, always excelling.”
“Of course, I didn’t do all this just for you. Half of it was for my own career. So, I never expected you to give me all your love. But when you promised to be with me, you couldn’t treat me like this.”
“I just wanted to have a proper relationship with the man I love. Why did you turn me into a tool for your suffering without me even knowing?”
“To land the Baiao project, I fought hard for it. Why did I do that? Because I wanted to get married, to marry you, and have children.”
COUGH
Jiang Qingyan lit a cigarette, but it made him choke. He didn’t smoke for a while, the red tip burning on its own.
Wen Ruan slouched back on the sofa, not looking at him, her gaze lost in the shattered glass on the floor.
“I had it all planned. If Baiao succeeded, we’d get married. With the money we saved and the bonus from Baiao, we could rest for two years.”
“You come from a single-parent family, and so do I. Your relationship with your mother is strained, and mine is too. We both longed for a complete family. Before Yao Man showed up, you treated me well. I thought, just like me, you wanted to get married.”
“But Jiang Qingyan, while I was planning for our future, what were you thinking? You were thinking about when Yao Man would return, about waiting for your true love.”
“Ha. I even pushed you to choose between resigning or staying. I said, while I still held a place in your heart, while I still had the advantage, I was really out of my depth.”
“All this time, I thought you’d reflect on our years together and reconsider your resignation. But all you were thinking about was how to get rid of me, your tool, once your true love returned, right?”
“Really, you’ve put on quite a show. But Jiang Qingyan, why did you treat me like this… why…”
Sugar wrapped in poison, sweet until it’s deadly.
Wen Ruan sat on the sofa for a while, waiting
for Jiang Qingyan to finish his cigarette.
She didn’t cry, didn’t curse. She simply lay down and said, “I want to sleep.”
Jiang Qingyan’s fingers tightened around the cigarette.
- Writer
