Each floor of the department store was filled with shops selling similar goods. This floor was dedicated to clothing and fabrics, and the customers were mostly women and families. This particular group of people had an especially strong appetite for gossip and drama, and in no time, they had surrounded the ready-to-wear clothing shop, leaving no room to move.
“He Songhan, how can you still claim there’s nothing between the two of you?” A short-haired woman dressed in neat trousers rolled her eyes and asked with a loud, confident voice. Even Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi, standing on the outskirts of the crowd, could hear her clearly.
“Qingwan, you haven’t returned to Beijing yet?” A trace of panic flashed in He Songhan’s eyes as he instinctively put some distance between himself and the woman beside him. He quickly explained, “We’re really just ordinary colleagues. Her son’s birthday is in a couple of days, and I’m accompanying her to pick out some clothes. Qingwan, don’t overthink it.”
Whether out of guilt or excessive confidence, the man’s voice was unusually loud, but upon closer listening, one could detect a slight tremble in his tone—a clear sign he was lying.
“Bullshit! Doesn’t she have a husband, family, or friends? Why would she need you, an unrelated colleague, to accompany her?” Deng Qingwan’s mind was sharp, and she wasn’t buying He Songhan’s explanation.
“Comrade Deng, please don’t misunderstand me and Brother Songhan. There’s really nothing between us,” said the petite woman standing behind He Songhan, dressed in a light pink dress. She seemed eager to clear up any misunderstandings and quickly interjected, her voice pitifully soft.
“My husband was a police officer. He died in the line of duty two years ago while catching criminals. My family consists of only the elderly, women, and children, and I have no friends. Aside from Brother Songhan, I really couldn’t find anyone else to help me.”
By this point, her voice was choked with sobs. “I just wanted to pick out a piece of clothing that a little boy would like for my son. I really didn’t mean to trouble Brother Songhan.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd, which had initially been disdainful of the woman’s seemingly mistress-like behavior, began to waver.
“What a poor thing.”
“Her husband was a hero, gone so young, leaving behind a widow and an orphan. What a tragedy.”
“Exactly. Her son lost his father at such a young age. This man is just kindly helping her buy some clothes. It’s not a big deal. Comrade, you shouldn’t make such a fuss.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s mouth twitched. It seemed that no matter the era, there were always “little white lotuses” and “green tea” types, as well as gossip-loving crowds easily swayed by a few words. Sympathizing with the vulnerable was natural, but it was also important to stay rational.
This “little green tea” was nothing compared to the high-level “Biluochun1The term “Biluochun” (碧螺春) is borrowed from the name of a famous Chinese green tea, known for its delicate and refined qualities. In this metaphorical usage, it implies that these individuals are like the tea—seemingly pure and harmless on the surface, but with a complex, calculated, and potentially bitter undertone.” types she had encountered in her past life. Her acting wasn’t convincing—her expressions, tone, and even the smile she failed to hide after hearing others defend her were all off. Did she really think everyone was a fool?
“Isn’t she ridiculous? If she wants to buy clothes her son would like, shouldn’t she ask kids his age? What does a single man in his twenties know about that?” Xu Qiqi couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Her temper was always straightforward, and she couldn’t stand seeing such things, so she didn’t lower her voice. Many people around her heard her words.
“That makes sense. Men and women should maintain some distance.”
“Could she really be a mistress?”
Li Chundan’s smile froze on her face, and she instinctively looked at He Songhan with a pitiful, fragile expression, as if she had been wronged.
Just as He Songhan was about to say something, Deng Qingwan pointed at the people who had spoken earlier and shouted, “If she’s so pitiful, would you men be willing to accompany her to buy clothes?”
After she spoke, there was a long silence. No one responded. It was easy to ignore the pain until the slap landed on your own face.
“Besides, I saw it earlier. She wasn’t here to buy clothes for her son—she was buying them for herself. The bags are full of women’s clothing, all paid for by my fiancé! A man and a woman out shopping alone, acting so intimate—who would believe there’s nothing going on?”
He Songhan and Li Chundan hadn’t expected her to have been following them for so long, even knowing this much. They instinctively tried to hide the bags they were holding, an action that indirectly confirmed Deng Qingwan’s words.
“Deng Qingwan, don’t just point fingers at me. Who is this man? I haven’t even asked you about him yet!” He Songhan, seeing Deng Qingwan’s aggressive and sharp-tongued demeanor, turned red with anger and pointed at the man who had been standing silently nearby.
Everyone followed He Songhan’s finger and saw a tall, handsome young man standing not far from Deng Qingwan, with clear, delicate features.
Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi also looked over curiously, and when they saw the man’s face, their eyes widened in surprise.
“Zhou Yingchen?”
“Your brother-in-law?”
Why is he here? And how did he get involved in this bizarre drama?
The two of them quickly exchanged a glance and then tried to push through the crowd to get closer to Zhou Yingchen. However, there were simply too many people, and after struggling for a while, they only managed to move a tiny bit closer. Meanwhile, the argument in the center of the crowd continued.
“What does it have to do with you? Don’t try to change the subject. I’m definitely calling off the engagement.”
Deng Qingwan’s expression was cold, and her demeanor showed no sign of weakening, though a hint of sadness flickered imperceptibly in her eyes. After all, more than a decade of emotional ties wasn’t something that could be easily discarded.
As neighbors, and with the engagement arranged by their families, she and He Songhan had played together since they were toddlers wearing split pants. It wasn’t until He’s family moved to Rongzhou due to a job transfer when they were nine that they were separated, but they had kept in touch over the years.
After so many years, she had finally found an opportunity to visit, thinking it would be a pleasant surprise for both of them. Instead, it turned into a shock.
There’s a saying that rings true: time changes people.
All the affectionate words in their letters had turned into deceitful lies. She still couldn’t forget the scene she witnessed after getting off the train, when she eagerly went to He Songhan’s workplace, only to find him in a corner, whispering sweet nothings and getting physical with Li Chundan.
There was disappointment and heartbreak, but more than that, there was anger and relief. If she hadn’t made this trip, she would never have known that, in He Songhan’s heart, she, Deng Qingwan, was a shackle imposed by their parents, while Li Chundan was his true love, the one who brought romance and passion into his life.
“A blessed woman does not enter a cursed household.”
She had always been a decisive person, so she immediately confronted the two of them. To her surprise, they flatly denied everything and even turned the tables, accusing her of becoming a suspicious and paranoid shrew after so many years apart.
Deng Qingwan was so angry that she laughed, but she also knew there was no point in arguing with people like them. She simply went straight to the He family’s home, using the address from the letters, determined to call off the engagement.
However, He’s parents tried to mediate, insisting that there must be some misunderstanding and that the engagement could not be broken, no matter what she said.
It was then that Deng Qingwan realized it wasn’t just He Songhan who had changed—the entire He family had changed. On one hand, they indulged He Songhan’s affairs with other women, and on the other, they couldn’t bear to let go of the benefits that the Deng family’s status and influence could bring to the He family.
But why should she? Deng Qingwan refused to endure such humiliation, and she didn’t deserve to.
So she decisively took her luggage and checked into a guesthouse. She had planned to return to Beijing the next day, but train tickets were hard to come by, forcing her to stay in Rongzhou for a couple more days.
She hadn’t planned to go out before returning to Beijing, but since she was already here, she thought she might as well buy some local specialties to take back and take a stroll to relax. Little did she expect to run into the senior she had briefly met on the train. After a simple chat, she learned that he was out running errands today and decided to wander around after finishing.
During her stay at the guesthouse, Deng Qingwan hadn’t been idle. She had worked on a few professional projects to pass the time, but two of them remained unsolved, lingering in her mind. Now that she happened to run into her senior, she seized the opportunity to ask him for advice.
But then she stumbled upon He Songhan and Li Chundan sneaking around on a date.
“How is it none of my business? I’m still your fiancé!” He Songhan clenched his jaw, his eyes darting back and forth between Deng Qingwan and Zhou Yingchen. “Have you no shame? You’ve only been in Rongzhou for a few days, and you’re already hooking up with some random man?”
“Watch your mouth, He Songhan. You know I just arrived in Rongzhou, but you should count how many times I’ve caught you with this woman in just a few days. It’s you who has no shame, doing dirty things and then trying to shift the blame onto others.”
Deng Qingwan sneered, “If you want to marry this woman, just call off the engagement cleanly. Stop dragging your feet.”
“Calling off an engagement is no trivial matter, Qingwan. Don’t be impulsive. You’re the only one I’ll ever marry in this lifetime.” Hearing Deng Qingwan bring up the engagement again, He Songhan’s heart filled with panic. Without thinking, he took a few steps forward, trying to get closer to Deng Qingwan, but the corner of his clothes was tugged by someone.
“Brother Songhan?” Li Chundan looked at He Songhan in disbelief, her face instantly turning pale. She must have misheard. Otherwise, why would the man who had repeatedly promised her a home now say he would only marry another woman?
Hadn’t he said that Deng Qingwan was always tinkering with things men liked and that he could never be interested in her?
“Just now you said you were just ordinary colleagues, but now you’re pulling and tugging at each other?” Deng Qingwan smiled sarcastically, too tired to argue further, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, He Songhan no longer cared about comforting Li Chundan. He even impatiently shook off her hand and chased after Deng Qingwan. “Qingwan, let me explain.”
“Let go.” Deng Qingwan shook her hand, but He Songhan didn’t release his grip. Taking a deep breath, she could no longer hold back and directly flipped He Songhan over her shoulder with a judo throw.
The smooth, decisive move left the surroundings in stunned silence. It wasn’t until He Songhan’s pained howl echoed through the air that everyone realized what had just happened. Almost in unison, the crowd took a step back.
“Brother Songhan…” Li Chundan stood frozen in place, vaguely recalling that He Songhan had once mentioned his fiancée attended a military academy. At the thought, her body involuntarily shivered.
Deng Qingwan, however, didn’t even glance at her. Instead, she turned to Zhou Yingchen with a somewhat embarrassed expression and gave him a military salute. “Senior, I’m really sorry about this.”
She hadn’t expected He Songhan to suddenly lose his mind and misunderstand the relationship between her and Zhou Yingchen.
“It’s fine,” Zhou Yingchen replied, clearly unbothered. He shook his head and then added, “That move just now was pretty good.”
Deng Qingwan was momentarily stunned, and a blush quickly spread across her cheeks. Just as she was about to say something, a voice called out from not far away.
“Zhou Yingchen!”
The two of them turned simultaneously to see two elegant young women struggling to push their way through the crowd.
“Sister-in-law?” Zhou Yingchen was visibly surprised.