Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Huang Yuanrui booked weekend flights to City A for Xixi and Nian Gao, acting all mysterious and claiming she had major news to share.
The moment they met, Xixi excitedly dropped her suitcase handle and lunged at Huang Yuanrui, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.
“You actually pulled it off? He really divorced her for you? This kind of thing actually happens in real life? I thought scumbags like that only existed in TV dramas!”
Huang Yuanrui adjusted her sunglasses. “Haste makes waste, and a rushed pot never boils… Why are you more anxious than I am?”
Nian Gao chimed in, “It’s exactly like the saying-the emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuchs are! So, when you said you had big news, was it not about this?”
Huang Yuanrui replied, “This lady only meant to say the first battle was a success! But that’s still a big deal, isn’t it? A good beginning is half the battle!”
Xixi sighed. “Fine, fine, my dear lady. You’re quite the scholar now. Can you take us to the restaurant first? Let’s talk while we sit; I’m about to faint from hunger.”
Huang Yuanrui rolled her eyes. “Let’s go. Everything is already reserved.”
In a private room at the restaurant, Huang Yuanrui gave Xixi and Nian Gao a vivid account of how she had changed her identity over the past month and scared Zhang Qiong to the point of a breakdown.
Nian Gao shivered. “Hiding in the closet… and under the bed… Oh my god, just hearing it scares me…”
Xixi looked at her, then at Huang Yuanrui. “Nian Gao… you? And Huang Yuanrui, you? And that Zhang Qiong? What are you all doing? I listened to the whole thing and didn’t think there was anything to be afraid of!”
Nian Gao insisted, “You have to put yourself in her shoes. Feel the situation. Anyway, I have goosebumps just thinking about it.”
“I did put myself in her shoes!” Xixi argued. “Let’s put it this way: if someone knocks on my door in the middle of the night, I’m charging out with a golf club to crack their skull open! Are they kidding? Waking me up! If someone makes noise in my closet, I’ll just jam a mop handle through the door handles. You like being in the closet? Then don’t ever come out. Eat in there, sleep in there, and hold it in until you soil yourself for all I care!”
Huang Yuanrui slammed the table. “Hey, hey, hey! Whose side are you on? Instead of celebrating my victory, you’re giving Zhang Qiong tactical advice!”
Xixi covered her mouth. “Sorry, sorry, I put myself in the wrong person’s shoes… Come on, let’s raise our glasses! To your first victory and driving away an enemy!”
The three of them raised their wine glasses and clinked them together cheerfully.
Xixi added, “I hope everything goes smoothly from here on out and you get what you want soon! Like I always say-if you’re ever unhappy, you can come home anytime!”
Huang Yuanrui smiled. “No problem, I’ll take that blessing. Are you full? If you’re done eating, I’ll take you shopping.”
“Shopping sounds great,” Xixi said. “They say men in the north are tall; let me go see for myself! I’m going to the restroom to touch up my makeup!”
Nian Gao stood up quickly. “I’ll go use the restroom too!”
Huang Yuanrui nodded. “I’ll go settle the bill and wait for you at the front desk.”
In the restroom, Xixi carefully applied lipstick in front of the mirror while Nian Gao slowly washed her hands beside her.
“Xixi…” Nian Gao started.
Xixi kept her mouth open for the mirror. “Yeah?”
“Sigh, my feelings are a bit complicated,” Nian Gao said.
Xixi glanced at her. “What’s up?”
“I know we’re Huang’s best friends, but… seeing her treat an innocent person like that makes me feel a bit uneasy.”
“What are you talking about?” Xixi asked. “How is that Zhang Qiong innocent?”
“She didn’t actually hurt Huang, after all.”
Xixi lowered her voice. “She stole our Huang’s boyfriend!”
Nian Gao also lowered her voice. “Is there really such a thing as ‘stealing’ here? Weren’t they all in that kind of relationship with each other anyway? And didn’t Huang date several guys at the same time before? To be honest, I didn’t even know these relationships had a ‘first come, first served’ rule. So when Huang said Zhang Qiong stole Qin Song and that she wanted revenge, I was totally confused!”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Xixi said. “We just need to remember one thing: we are Huang’s friends. If Huang likes someone, we support her; if Huang hates someone, we support her too. It’s that simple!”
“But can best friends just ignore right and wrong or moral standards?” Nian Gao asked.
“If I’m friends with someone, I share their enemies. That’s my standard,” Xixi replied. “You’re not wrong, but you should keep those thoughts to yourself. Just talk to me about it; don’t try to persuade Huang. She’s very stubborn!”
“I know,” Nian Gao whispered.
Huang Yuanrui bought three ice creams on the street, and the three of them walked slowly while eating.
She was in an excellent mood. Having removed an eyesore of an enemy, everything that followed seemed much easier than before.
She wasn’t worried about He Qian at all. Although she hadn’t thought of a method yet, He Qian seemed even easier to handle than Zhang Qiong.
Xixi asked, “Hey, so when is Zhang Qiong leaving?”
Huang Yuanrui smirked. “I gave her a week. She’s probably at home crying while packing her bags right now, hahahaha!”
“You’re something else,” Xixi said. “You really have your ways.”
Huang Yuanrui’s phone rang. She smiled as she answered, saying, “Of course, who do you think I am!”
After listening for a few seconds, Huang Yuanrui’s expression suddenly changed.
Xixi and Nian Gao exchanged a look and took another bite of their ice cream.
Huang Yuanrui suddenly let out a furious string of curses and slammed her phone shut.
Nian Gao asked nervously, “What’s wrong?”
Huang Yuanrui ripped off her sunglasses, her face slightly contorted with rage.
“It’s Zhang Qiong.”
Xixi was stunned. “What do you mean? Why is she calling you?”
Huang Yuanrui didn’t answer Xixi. She muttered viciously to herself, “What does she want? Is she not afraid of me anymore? Or does she just not care about her brat?”
“What on earth happened?” Xixi asked. “What did she say?”
“She didn’t run off to tell Qin Song everything, did she?!” Nian Gao cried.
Huang Yuanrui said nothing, her fingers tightening until she crushed the ice cream container in her hand into a sticky mess.