The two men confronted each other in silence, the atmosphere oppressive and heavy.
“Why did you suddenly hit him?”
Xu Qiqi’s face was full of confusion, and a trace of fear flashed through her eyes before she could suppress it. Chang Yan’an was usually such a dignified and refined person—who would have thought that when he fought, he would be so ruthless? Every punch landed solidly, aiming directly at the vital spots.
This was the first time she had seen him like this.
Hearing her words, Chang Yan’an withdrew his gaze from Xie Xunian. He did not miss the fleeting emotion in her eyes, and his expression darkened even further. He simply stared at her, saying nothing.
“Qiqi, aren’t you afraid that a man with violent tendencies like him will turn on you one day?” Xie Xunian wiped the blood oozing from the corner of his mouth and let out a mocking laugh.
The man had a strikingly androgynous face. Even with injuries, he remained breathtakingly handsome.
He and Chang Yan’an were two entirely different types of men.
“Stop talking nonsense here.” Xu Qiqi was already annoyed, and hearing Xie Xunian’s irresponsible words made her even angrier, her teeth itching with frustration. Was he deliberately adding fuel to the fire? Did he think the scene wasn’t chaotic enough?
She shot him a glare, but he simply pressed his lips together and refused to back down even half a step.
“Xunian hasn’t been back in a long time. They grew up together, so he must have gotten too emotional, and that’s why…” Mother Xu seemed to have noticed something and quickly stepped forward to explain.
Upon hearing this, a sudden realization struck Xu Qiqi’s mind—so Chang Yan’an had seen her hugging Xie Xunian and had gotten jealous, which was why he attacked him?
At this thought, she breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly explained to Chang Yan’an, “He and I are just good friends, don’t misunderstand.”
The moment her words fell, before Chang Yan’an could even respond, Xie Xunian nearly jumped in frustration. “Who’s just good friends with you? If he hadn’t interfered, you should have been my wife! I came back this time to take you away.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s eyes snapped toward Xie Xunian.
Xu Qiqi froze in place, her eyes widening in disbelief. She never expected him to say such a thing. For a moment, she was completely stunned, her mind unable to process what was happening. Unconsciously, she curled her fingers.
Sensing the loosening grip around her waist, a bitter smile flickered in Chang Yan’an’s eyes.
As expected, the moment Xie Xunian appeared, she would waver toward him.
“Qiqi, back in high school, I didn’t realize my own feelings and rejected your confession. I regretted it afterward and always wanted to explain, but I kept getting caught up in various things…”
“I originally planned to return during the Spring Festival this year and confess everything to you, but I didn’t expect that you’d already gotten married.”
Xie Xunian’s heart was filled with endless regret and frustration. Why had everything changed in just a few months while he was away doing research with his mentor? Uncle Xu had an accident, Qiqi got married…
And at first, his family hadn’t even intended to tell him about any of it. It was only after he sensed that something was off and pressed them for answers that he finally learned the truth.
All these sudden, drastic changes terrified him, so he had immediately bought a ticket home.
He just wanted to take back control of what had spiraled away from him.
“Are you crazy?” Xu Qiqi’s pupils shrank. That was all ancient history—how could Xie Xunian dig it up now without feeling like it was outdated nonsense? And what did he even mean by this?
Did he… like her?
Her thoughts were in complete disarray, tangled into a mess. It wasn’t until a pair of large hands firmly grasped hers that she finally turned to look at Chang Yan’an beside her. His chiseled face was cold and severe, covered in a layer of frost.
“She is my wife. You want to take her away? Impossible. As long as I refuse, don’t even think about divorce in this lifetime.”
As his words fell, Xu Qiqi could feel the strength in his grip intensifying, tightening over and over as if he wanted to crush her into his very bones.
“Chang Yan’an, do you have no shame? Qiqi doesn’t even like you! What’s the point of holding onto her?”
Xie Xunian hadn’t even finished speaking when Xu Qiqi sharply cut him off, “Who said I don’t like him?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she tightened her grip around Chang Yan’an’s hand—even firmer than his own. The latter abruptly lowered his head to look at her, only to see her flushed profile.
His heartbeat suddenly lost its rhythm, thudding wildly.
She actually said something like that in front of Xie Xunian—something that practically confirmed that she liked him.
In an instant, all the gloom that had lingered in Chang Yan’an’s heart for so long was completely swept away. Nothing else mattered anymore.
His eyes, hidden beneath his glasses, curved slightly, as a trace of sweetness spread through his heart.
On the other hand, Xie Xunian seemed to have suffered a severe blow. He staggered half a step back, his face turning pale as he stammered, “Qiqi, you…”
“I was young and ignorant back then. I didn’t even understand what liking someone meant. You rejected me at the time, and there’s no need to bring it up now.”
Xu Qiqi pretended not to see the hurt on Xie Xunian’s face. If she had known he had come here today just to spout such ridiculous nonsense, she would never have let him into the house.
“After graduating from high school, the only person I’ve ever liked is Chang Yan’an. I don’t want a divorce, and I won’t get a divorce. Xie Xunian, I’m happy that you came back, but that’s only because we’ve been friends for over ten years—nothing more.”
Her words were firm and resolute, leaving no trace of falsehood.
Some were overjoyed, while others were heartbroken.
Xie Xunian clenched his teeth, glaring at the slight upward curve of Chang Yan’an’s lips. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning, his entire body numb with pain, barely able to remain standing. It took him a long while to find his voice again.
“I don’t believe you. Qiqi, you’re lying to me, aren’t you? I know the Chang family played a huge role in Uncle Xu’s matter, but we can find another way to repay them. Don’t say such things just to hurt me, okay?”
At these words, Father Xu, who had been restraining Xie Xunian, suddenly froze. He turned to look at Xu Qiqi, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.
Back then, the reason Xu Qiqi and Chang Yan’an got married was that the Chang family had come to them first, saying that the Xu family needed help while the Chang family needed a daughter-in-law.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement—perfectly logical.
But no matter how desperate he was, he couldn’t bring himself to sell his daughter in exchange for peace. So, at the time, he had refused. However, Xu Qiqi somehow learned about it and took the initiative to go to the Chang family herself.
By the time they, as parents, found out about it, she and Chang Yan’an had already gotten their marriage certificate.
The deed was done—what else could they do?
Since that day, he had neither eaten nor slept well, feeling like he had ruined his daughter’s happiness.
He had already delayed Qiqi for so long—could he really let her be trapped forever?
“Qiqi, don’t worry about me. I’ll repay the Chang family’s kindness however I can. Xunian came back just for you. Just go with him.”
“Old Xu?! It’s one thing for the young ones to be foolish, but how can you go along with this nonsense too?” Mother Xu shot Father Xu a glare. Was this something that could just be said so casually?
Qiqi was already married to Chang Yan’an—what position did she have to leave with Xie Xunian now? If she did, it would be a lifetime stain on her reputation. People would gossip and curse her behind her back. Would she really be happy then?
Although she also wanted Qiqi to be with someone she loved, in this world, love alone couldn’t feed a person.
Xu Qiqi’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces before finally landing on Chang Yan’an. He was just staring at her, as if waiting for her to make a choice.
Wait—why did everyone think she liked Xie Xunian?
She had explained it so clearly, yet they still believed otherwise? They even thought she was just putting on an act and lying?
Had the whole world gone mad?!
“I don’t know what gave you all this illusion, but I really don’t like Xie Xunian anymore. I only see him as a good friend.”
Seeing that no one responded, Xu Qiqi was both furious and helpless. She stomped her foot in frustration and began to reflect deeply—was this the consequence of not speaking up sooner?
She deeply regretted not meeting Qiuqiu earlier. If she had realized sooner the benefits of speaking plainly, there wouldn’t have been such a huge misunderstanding lingering in everyone’s minds.
Even her own parents thought she still liked Xie Xunian, believing that her marriage to Chang Yan’an was merely a compromise of convenience.
If even they thought this way, then Chang Yan’an must have thought the same.
Suddenly, Xu Qiqi understood why he had been so cold to her when they first got married. He must have assumed she still had feelings for someone else but was forced to marry him, feeling both jealous and wronged in the process.
So even though they had talked things through last time in the kitchen, his deep-seated belief remained—he acknowledged that she liked him, but in his mind, the one she loved the most was still Xie Xunian?
And that’s why he lost control when he saw Xie Xunian hugging her just now?
As all the clues connected in her mind, Xu Qiqi felt like her brain was about to explode.
“Qiqi, come with me first. I’ll take care of everything,” Xie Xunian said as he stepped forward, reaching out to grab her.
Chang Yan’an immediately blocked his path, his sharp gaze piercing like a hawk’s. His voice was ice-cold. “I’d like to see how exactly you plan to handle this.”
Seeing that Chang Yan’an refused to back down, Xie Xunian let out a mocking laugh. “Chang Yan’an, you’re truly despicable. That night when I called Qiqi, you were the one who answered, weren’t you?”
At these words, Chang Yan’an’s eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.
Behind him, Xu Qiqi furrowed her brows and glanced at him. His silence usually meant tacit admission.
But he had never told her that Xie Xunian had called…
So he had been jealous but kept it all bottled up? What, was he planning to suffocate himself with it?!
“You’re already thirty—could you stop being so shameless? Besides, isn’t your heart still set on your ex-wife? What exactly are you doing here entangling yourself with Qiqi? Why don’t you just get a clean divorce and go back to find her? That way, you’d be doing us both a favor, as well as yourself.”
Every word Xie Xunian spoke landed heavily on the hearts of those present.
Xu Qiqi also looked at Chang Yan’an. She suddenly really wanted to know how he would respond, so she didn’t stop Xie Xunian from continuing.
“I already said it—I will never divorce Qiqi in this lifetime. You might as well give up on that idea now.” Chang Yan’an’s black eyes remained calm and unwavering.
After a pause, he turned to look at Xu Qiqi, but his gaze had become incomparably intense.
“She knows exactly who my heart belongs to. I don’t need you to stir up trouble here.”