When Qiao Yanze returned to the Qiao manor, the butler told him that Qing Yan had come to find him. The butler knew about the arranged marriage between the Qing and Qiao family. Qiao Yanze changed into his slippers and went into the living room.
When Qing Yan, who was sitting on the sofa, heard sounds, she stood up quickly. “Yanze, you’re back.”
Qiao Yanze gestured for Qing Yan to sit down. Walking over to the sofa, he looked down at Qing Yan. “It’s already so late, is there anything you need from me?”
“I heard that your second brother was detained and that the Old Madam had a stroke?”
Qiao Yanze nodded. “Yes.”
When she heard his affirmation, Qing Yan lowered her eyes and was silent for a few seconds before changing the topic. “I came here today because there’s something I need your help with.”
“Tell me.”
“Mrs Kelly is back in the Capital and she’s my idol. There’s a banquet tomorrow night and I want to attend to meet Mrs Kelly.”
Qiao Yanze understood what Qing Yan meant and lifted his lips. “No problem, I’ll get the invitation for you.”
Before Qing Yan left, she wanted to ask Qiao Yanze about Qiao Yanxuan being held in the detention center, but when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them down again.
Cen Xi arrived at Mrs Kelly’s banquet as promised and came with the principal.
Although Mrs Kelly was middle-aged, she took good care of herself and looked to be in her thirties. She was tall and was properly dressed in an evening gown, looking confident and elegant.
Seeing the principal and Cen Xi coming over, Mrs Kelly greeted them warmly. As she looked at Cen Xi up and down, she felt more and more satisfied.
Cen Xi was one of the few young girls Mrs Kelly had seen who was beautiful and gifted in languages. It was likely that Cen Xi’s future achievements would surpass her.
There were a lot of elites attending Mrs Kelly’s banquet tonight. As Mrs Kelly thought highly of Cen Xi, she brought her along to meet with many distinguished guests.
Cen Xi was a person with strong adaptability and soon integrated herself into such an environment. Her outstanding appearance, slim figure and cool temperament attracted the attention of many rich young men. From time to time, someone would come up to invite her to dance.
Seeing this, Mrs Kelly said to Cen Xi, “When you work with me in the future, there will often be banquets like this. Dancing is a kind of social interaction. Go ahead and dance with those enthusiastic men.”
But Cen Xi rejected the other men and only danced with the principal.
After dancing, Cen Xi went to the washroom. When she came out, she saw Mrs Kelly standing on the balcony and seemed to be talking to someone. She walked over.
She had just reached the entrance of the balcony when she heard a familiar deep voice. “Mrs Kelly, this is my friend, Miss Qing Yan.”
Cen Xi’s heart skipped a beat and she looked up, seeing Qiao Yanze with Qing Yan beside him. She did not know if her gaze was too heated, but the man who was talking to Mrs Kelly suddenly tilted his head and looked at her.
Their eyes met.
The air around seemed to have turned still for a moment.
Mrs Kelly looked back and seeing Cen Xi, she beckoned her over. “Cen Xi, come here for a moment.”
Cen Xi went over and her gaze fell on Qing Yan. Qing Yan was wearing a long dark green dress, the soft and fitting fabric outlining her shapely figure and she had exquisite makeup on her face. “Xiao Xi, what a coincidence. You’re here, too.”
Mrs Kelly looked at Qing Yan and then at Cen Xi. “Do you know each other? Cen Xi is my new assistant. She will be going with me to the United Nations the day after tomorrow for work.”
Hearing Mrs Kelly’s words, Qiao Yanze’s fingers that were around the wine glass tightened. His slender eyes looked at Cen Xi darkly. He did not know if it was because she felt guilty, but she did not meet his eyes.
Qing Yan was also stunned. She did not expect Mrs Kelly to have chosen Cen Xi. But, with Cen Xi’s talent and abilities, it was expected for her to be selected.
“Congratulations, Xiao Xi.”
“Thank you.” Cen Xi looked at Qiao Yanze from the corner of her eye. His lips were pursed tightly and his expression was cold.
“Excuse me.” Qiao Yanze left with the wine glass in his hand. Until the end of the banquet, Cen Xi did not see him at all.
Before leaving, Mrs Kelly told Cen Xi, “The flight will be at 8.30 a.m the day after tomorrow. Remember to be on time and don’t be late.”
“Alright.”
Qiao Yanze left the banquet hall early.
He went to the seaside alone. Before that, he had bought a case of beer and drank one bottle after another. By the time Qing Yan found him, his eyes were already red from drinking.
Taking away the beer from his hand, Qing Yan said with a frown, “If you can’t let go of her, then you should ask her to stay. What’s the use in getting drunk?”
Taking out her phone, Qing Yan called Cen Xi. “Tell her that you don’t want her to go.”
But Qiao Yanze grabbed Qing Yan’s phone and hung up the call. Closing his red eyes, he said in a deep and cold voice, “I know you have good intentions, but I need to calm down now.”
“I’ve asked Mrs Kelly. Xiao Xi will be very busy if she follows Mrs Kelly to work in the United Nations and she won’t be able to come back here for at least two years.”
Qiao Yan tightened his hold on the bottle of beer. The outline of his handsome face was tensed and his chest was heaving. “She wants to pursue her career. If it had been in the past, I might have broken her wings and made her unable to fly out of my hands. But after experiencing so many things together, I don’t think that trapping her by my side is the best form of love for her!”
Qing Yan looked at Qiao Yanze. With him being a domineering person, he must have loved Cen Xi deeply to be willing to let her go.
Back at Qiao manor, Qiao Yanze locked himself in his bedroom. It was only on the day when Cen Xi was to leave with Mrs Kelly that he opened his eyes and stared unblinkingly at the ceiling.
She was leaving today!
They were going to end just like that!
His chest felt like something sharp had taken out a piece of him.
Countless images flashed past his mind, from meeting her, getting along and developing feelings for her, having misunderstandings and disputes, being intimate and experiencing life and death together… The two of them had experienced so much, could they only get such an ending?
What was the harm in her going to the United Nations? Couldn’t he fly there to see her when he was free?!
Getting out of bed quickly, he fumbled for his phone and sent a message to her. Hurrying to the bathroom, he washed up, changed his clothes and left.
Da Zuo drove him to the airport. There was a traffic jam on the road as it was during working hours.
Qiao Yanze called Cen Xi but the call could not get through. When they were still a few kilometers from the airport, he pushed open the car door and ran to the airport.
When he arrived at the airport, he looked for Cen Xi everywhere. However, no matter how he looked, he could not find her.
It was nearly nine o’clock.
She should already be on the plane.
Panting, Qiao Yanze leaned against a pillar. He put his hand on his chest that seemed to be empty and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.
Where did he get the confidence that she loved him deeply in her heart, and no matter what he had done wrong, she would not leave him?
He lowered his head and bent over, like a beast that had suffered a hard blow and slid down little by little.
At this time, a cold and pleasant voice seemed to resound in his ears. “Qiao Yanze.”
Qiao Yanze looked up and his pupils constricted when he saw the woman standing a few steps away from him.