‘Since she’s afraid of her husband being screwed over, then as long as I tell her the opposite—that he’s incredibly powerful and would never be on the bottom—that should solve the problem perfectly!’
Song Qiuyu thought this as she made her declaration.
After speaking, she looked at the people beside her and the girl in front of her with supreme confidence. As she watched, her expression gradually became dull. She felt as if the way they were looking at her was very familiar.
It was exactly how she used to look at Old Xie.
“I’m sorry, she’s had a bit too much to drink. Please don’t take anything she said today seriously!”
Jiang Xiao rolled his eyes at her and prepared to take her away forcefully.
Sensing Jiang Xiao’s speechlessness, Song Qiuyu couldn’t help but purse her lips. Her expression was innocent and pitiful, with a hint of grievance, but she quickly composed herself.
She added to the girl, “Alright, I was just joking. Jiang Xiao is just my good brother. This is just how brothers with a good relationship act. We’re perfectly clean; there’s nothing between us!”
“So please don’t treat me like a love rival. Doing that serves no purpose other than upsetting yourself.”
Jiang Xiao turned his face away and said nothing.
Song Qiuyu’s small hand tightened around Jiang Xiao’s shoulder.
The girl in front of them had a terrible expression and lowered her head. However, a second later, she actually burst out laughing!
“Lemon Brother, you’re so funny! I knew it was impossible for anything to be going on between you two!”
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu almost lost control of her facial expressions.
Successfully bluffing her was a good thing, of course, but the more lies she told now, the bigger the storm she would have to face during summer vacation.
‘I hope I can get through it safely when the time comes.’
“Right, right, it’s good that you understand! Little sister, it’s late. I wish you a good night and sweet dreams!”
Song Qiuyu blinked.
After saying that, she continued to hold Jiang Xiao’s shoulder, holding the umbrella as they walked up the bridge along the path they had come down. Inside her chest, her heart was racing.
The female fan was handled; now it was time to deal with Jiang Xiao!
Just then, two loud rumbles of thunder shook the air as a bolt of lightning tore the night sky in two.
“Ah!”
Song Qiuyu was startled and instinctively buried herself in the arms of the person beside her.
Both of them stopped walking.
Jiang Xiao lowered his gaze, looking at the person in his arms whose petite body was trembling. He didn’t speak, merely listening to the sound of the falling rain as he stroked her head.
Song Qiuyu stopped trembling instantly.
She slowly tilted her face up, looking into Jiang Xiao’s eyes through the light of the streetlamps. Suddenly, she felt a bit nervous and swallowed hard.
Jiang Xiao’s gaze was too calm…
It was like the calm before a storm…
At this moment, the wind on the bridge became louder and the rain noisier, making it difficult for her heart to find peace.
Her lips parted slightly.
Before she could make a sound, Jiang Xiao spoke.
“Xi’er, can you wait three more years for me?”
“Huh?”
Song Qiuyu was stunned, her eyes widening in confusion.
“In three years, after we graduate, I’ll propose to you and marry you.”
Jiang Xiao’s deep, slow voice was worn down by the wind and rain, sounding somewhat raspy.
“Wh—why are you suddenly bringing this up?”
Song Qiuyu’s heart jumped.
Flustered, she tried to let go of Jiang Xiao and take two steps back, but her small hand was caught before she could retract it, held firmly within his warm, broad palm.
“Mm…”
Song Qiuyu hunched her shoulders, tightly gripping the handle of the umbrella.
“Because I suddenly have a sense of crisis,” Jiang Xiao said seriously, watching her.
Song Qiuyu froze upon hearing those words.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t yet have the ability to marry you, support you, and raise our children, I would really want to right now…”
Jiang Xiao squeezed the soft little hand in his palm.
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu looked toward the bridge arch thoughtfully, and a smile touched the corners of her mouth.
She spoke in a mock-regretful tone, “So that’s how it is. But setting a three-year deadline is way too far off. Three years is a long time; anything could happen during that period!”
Jiang Xiao looked deeply at her, holding her hand. He quite agreed with her statement.
In the next three years, indeed anything could happen. One could even encounter illness or natural disasters.
“Then what should I do?”
He couldn’t help but fear that what happened three years ago would happen again—and this time, it might be a truly irreversible separation of life and death.
Song Qiuyu stood on her tiptoes slightly until their noses touched. With a deliberately wicked expression, she said, “Make sure you protect me well, and don’t let me start hating you!”
“Xi’er, are you PUA-ing me right now?”
Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heehee.”
Song Qiuyu raised an eyebrow.
“Then…”
Jiang Xiao gave a low laugh, pulled her hood up to cover her face, and then took a sharp breath. He cupped her dazed face and kissed her suddenly.
“Mmph!”
The passionate kiss on the bridge caused Song Qiuyu’s face to turn bright red in an instant.
Many parts of her body quickly softened and surrendered as she involuntarily pressed her body against his.
Taking advantage of a moment to catch her breath, she panted, “Don’t do this kind of thing outside… I’ll… I’ll hate you!”
She gripped Jiang Xiao’s collar, caught in a state of contradiction. She was afraid of being discovered and wanted to stop, yet she wanted to keep kissing.
She gritted her teeth and used a mock-fierce tone, “I might hate you right now without waiting three years!”
“It doesn’t matter. I like you, Xi’er. Regardless of whether you like me or not, I will always like you!”
Jiang Xiao took another breath and kissed her even more deeply.
“Mm!”
Song Qiuyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she soon turned into a pile of mush, helplessly clinging to Jiang Xiao’s sturdy body and letting him handle her as he pleased.
‘How excessive. Is Haki Xiao completely unafraid of me hating him now?’
They were outside, after all, with so many cars passing by.
After lingering for a long time, she finally lowered her head and took large gulps of air. Her lips were covered in ambiguous marks, looking quite disheveled.
Then, Jiang Xiao picked up his phone and looked at the message Lin An had sent while they were kissing.
After reading it, he said with a smile, “Xi’er, Old Lin found Xia Qi.”
“Oh…”
Song Qiuyu closed her eyes, adjusting her breathing as she struggled to stand firm on her weak legs.
“Should we find a place to sit for a while first?”
Jiang Xiao supported her equally soft waist.
“Yeah.”
Song Qiuyu bit her lip and opened one eye, peering at Jiang Xiao’s gentle smile and letting out a soft huff.
“Just keep bullying me. Anyway, after you’re done bullying me, you’re the one who will suffer in the end! Three years from now, I might not necessarily want to marry you!”
“Yeah, even now, I have to give it my all just to get promoted to an official position.”
After saying that, Jiang Xiao lightly pinched her small, upturned nose.
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu let out another soft, somewhat coquettish huff.
Afterward, they found a convenience store to rest for a moment before immediately heading to the hospital where Xia Qi was located.
When they arrived, Xie Zhuran and Jiang Li had already returned.
“Old Song, Old Jiang, why did you two get back so late?” Xie Zhuran asked as he looked at them.
“Uh, something delayed us on the road,” Song Qiuyu said, scratching the back of her neck to hide her guilt while feigning composure.
“How are things with Old Lin and Xia Qi?” Jiang Xiao changed the subject naturally.
Xie Zhuran smiled at the question, stood up from his chair, and opened the door to the nearby ward a bit wider. “Old Lin, Old Jiang and the others are back.”
Song Qiuyu poked her head in and saw Xia Qi sitting on the hospital bed, while Lin An sat by the bedside using a fruit knife to carve rabbit apples. She was momentarily stunned.
‘That looks really nice.’
After some trivial small talk, everyone’s attention focused on the canceled engagement banquet.
Father Lin and Mother Xia were going to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning to get a divorce. There was no doubt that as soon as they divorced, Lin An and Xia Qi would be forced apart. In the future, never mind dating—even meeting would be blocked by Father Lin and Mother Xia in every way possible.
A divorced couple obviously wouldn’t want to become in-laws.
“I’m seriously going numb. I was planning to get married during the summer vacation and throw the bouquet to you, Song Qiuyu. Now even the engagement is ruined. What are we supposed to do?”
Xia Qi sighed while eating the rabbit apple Lin An had peeled.
“The bouquet?” Song Qiuyu was startled.
“Yeah, the bouquet!” Xia Qi said with a smile. “I heard that the person who catches the bouquet thrown by the bride will also be—”
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