Chapter 35: First Marriage, Then Love: A Side of Scumbag Crushing 13
Shen Zhiqian’s eyes, dark and bloodshot, were fixed on Gu Youchen.
Gu Youchen met his gaze, not giving an inch.
Sensing the tension, Shen Yeyuan called out to his son, “Zhiqian, don’t hold up CEO Ning. Qingqing’s father is flying in tonight, and they have to get to the airport to pick him up.”
The words struck Shen Zhiqian like a physical blow. He whipped his head around to stare at Ning Qingqing. “Qingqing, you’re already meeting the parents?”
Ning Qingqing simply nodded, offering no further explanation.
Beside her, Gu Youchen squeezed her hand.
“Back when I—” Shen Zhiqian started to say more, but Shen Yeyuan’s voice grew stern. “Zhiqian!”
Shen Zhiqian remained rooted to the spot, his eyes still glued to Ning Qingqing.
Ning Ruojun, acting as if she saw nothing, smiled graciously at Shen Yeyuan. “CEO Shen, we’ll have to get together another time!”
Shen Yeyuan nodded and shook her hand. “Next time, you must allow me to play the host!”
“Of course,” Ning Ruojun replied, returning the handshake. She then turned to the younger couple. “Qingqing, Youchen, say goodbye to CEO Shen. It’s time for us to go.”
Ning Qingqing smiled politely. “Goodbye, CEO Shen.”
Gu Youchen also gave a nod of acknowledgment. “CEO Shen, until next time.”
Shen Yeyuan bid them farewell and watched as the three of them departed.
Only after they were gone did he turn on Shen Zhiqian. “Did you see yourself just now? A man should know when to hold on and when to let go!”
The corners of Shen Zhiqian’s eyes were red with emotion. “How can I let go? I told you, she’s the only one I love!”
“And what good does that do now?” Shen Yeyuan glanced around at the familiar guests still lingering nearby and lowered his voice. “She’s already married, and it’s obvious Ning Ruojun is very pleased with Gu Youchen! The marriage alliance between their two families is set in stone! Whether you accept it or not, Ning Qingqing is already another man’s wife!”
“She should have been my wife—” Shen Zhiqian’s breath trembled as the emotions he had suppressed for so long finally began to surface. “It wasn’t that I didn’t love her or didn’t want to get married. If I had known she wanted to get married that badly, I would have…”
Shen Yeyuan was exasperated. “There are no ‘what ifs’ in this world, and there’s no medicine for regret! If there were, I certainly wouldn’t have married your mother! But what’s done is done. Even if you can’t accept it, you have to grit your teeth, swallow the blood, and stomach the pain! That’s the kind of responsibility a man should have!”
Shen Zhiqian forced a bitter smile. “Dad, you just don’t understand how I feel right now.”
He couldn’t know. The moment he learned that Ning Ruojun was Ning Qingqing’s mother, a wave of regret and agony had nearly torn his heart to shreds.
“What difference does it make if I know or not?” Shen Yeyuan said coolly. “You represent the Shen Corporation. You have a family’s responsibility to shoulder, not to stand here wallowing in self-pity like a useless wreck.”
He added, “Think it over carefully. I will be attending their wedding. As for whether you go or not—and whether you want to become the laughingstock of our entire social circle—that’s for you to decide.”
Shen Zhiqian didn’t speak. He stood frozen, his breathing ragged. Unconsciously, his hand tightened until the crystal glass he was holding shattered, spilling crimson wine.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell if it was wine or blood from his cut fingers splattering onto the floor.
At that same moment, Ning Qingqing and the others got into the car.
Ning Ruojun, of course, had no intention of going to the airport to pick up Tan Haize. So, Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen dropped her off at Ning Qingqing’s apartment before heading to the airport together.
During the drive, Gu Youchen kept stealing glances at Ning Qingqing.
Finally catching his eye, she couldn’t help but turn and ask, “Youchen, is there something you want to ask me?”
At her question, Gu Youchen’s usual composure vanished, replaced by a rare hint of awkwardness.
This only made Ning Qingqing more curious.
Gu Youchen cleared his throat and tried to sound casual. “Qingqing, had your mother ever met Shen Zhiqian before?”
Hearing this, Ning Qingqing assumed he was bothered by her past. She quickly shook her head. “No. Whenever my mom visited before, he always had something else going on, so they never met.”
She then added, “Today was also the first time I’ve ever brought… my husband to meet my parents.”
The word “husband” made Gu Youchen’s throat tighten.
It was the first time he had ever heard her use that word to refer to him.
An indescribable joy bubbled up inside him, so potent that he completely forgot to correct the ambiguity in her statement—Shen Zhiqian had never been her husband, merely a boyfriend and now an ex-boyfriend. He was unworthy of the title.
The thought brought another smile to his lips.
“Qingqing, that’s not what I’m concerned about,” he explained.
He nonchalantly pulled out his phone, using its reflective surface to check his appearance. Without looking at her, he said, “I heard her praise Shen Zhiqian as handsome and talented. I thought maybe she had met him or seen a photo of him before…”
Ning Qingqing blinked, then it dawned on her.
Oh. Was the man beside her feeling jealous because his mother-in-law had praised someone else?
No way, she thought. Gu Youchen is always so calm and mature. Surely he wouldn’t care about a single polite compliment?
She must have been overthinking it. “No,” she clarified. “I never showed my mom a picture of him before. Today was the first time they’d ever seen each other.”
But instead of comforting him, her words only seemed to make him more dejected.
So, his mother-in-law’s first impression was that his wife’s ex-boyfriend was better looking than him?
Gu Youchen, who had never paid much attention to his appearance, was plunged into a moment of self-doubt for the very first time.
They say a daughter’s taste is often influenced by her mother’s. Ning Ruojun thought Shen Zhiqian was handsome, and Ning Qingqing used to like Shen Zhiqian. Did that mean his looks weren’t a point in his favor?
Ning Qingqing noticed that her explanation hadn’t seemed to soothe him.
She reached out and took his hand. “Youchen,” she said earnestly, “I know it’s unfair to you that I was in such a long relationship with him, but I’m trying my best to minimize any emotional influence he has on me…”
Before she could finish, Gu Youchen suddenly wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.
Almost instinctively, he pressed the button to raise the partition in the car.
The rest of her words caught in her throat as she was enveloped by his scent—a scent she had grown familiar with over the past week.
“Qingqing, that’s not what I’m upset about,” Gu Youchen sighed, his tone tinged with frustration. “I’m just a little jealous that your mother praised Shen Zhiqian.”
“Huh?” Ning Qingqing was genuinely stunned. Her initial guess had been right after all.
Having confessed once, Gu Youchen seemed to lose his earlier embarrassment.
“I want all of you to like me more,” he said.
Like only me, see only me.
Ning Qingqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She lifted her head from his chest and said, “You don’t know my mother. She only uses polite pleasantries with outsiders. With her own family, she doesn’t beat around the bush.”
Gu Youchen’s eyes brightened. So, he was family, and Shen Zhiqian was an outsider. The distinction was clear.
His mood lifted instantly, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to press a soft kiss into her hair.
After the kiss, they both felt a little shy.
The air fell silent, but it was a sweet, vibrant silence.
Though Gu Youchen released her from his embrace, he took her hand again, holding it tightly.
One hand wasn’t enough; he held both of hers in his.
Ning Qingqing looked down at their intertwined hands, her heart starting to beat a little faster.
Over the days they had spent together, she’d discovered that Gu Youchen was actually a bit clingy.
Whenever he was at work, he would message her after every meeting. If he had time at noon, he would come home to eat lunch with her. Even when they went to the supermarket downstairs, he would keep holding her hand at the checkout and scan items with his free one.
Sometimes, when they were watching the financial news on the sofa, he would gather both of her hands into his, just like he was doing now.
And ever since that morning when he had unlocked the habit of hugging, he would embrace her from time to time, wrapping her completely in his arms until his was the only scent she could breathe.
A thought suddenly occurred to Ning Qingqing. After spending this much time together, could it be that Gu Youchen was starting to like her a little?
If he didn’t, he probably wouldn’t want to be so close all the time, right?
But the question felt a little awkward. If she was wrong, it would be terribly presumptuous of her. So, for now, Ning Qingqing decided not to ask.
They arrived at the airport right on time. Gu Youchen held Ning Qingqing’s hand as they walked toward the arrivals gate.
When they got there, however, they found the area swarming with people.
It was the first time Ning Qingqing had ever seen such a huge crowd at an airport. It was only when she saw the fan signs held by some of the young people that she understood: several members of a popular boy band were on the same flight.
Then it hit her—weren’t those boy band members signed to her father’s company?
Years ago, Tan Haize and Ning Ruojun were both in venture capital. But when Ning Qingqing was still little, Tan Haize became adamant about investing in the entertainment industry. Ning Ruojun, feeling it was a completely unfamiliar field, was firmly against it.
That, along with other factors, led to their divorce due to irreconcilable differences.
Afterward, Ning Ruojun founded Ningchuang Ventures, while Tan Haize continued to pursue his interest in entertainment.
Unexpectedly, both found success, and their companies grew larger and larger.
Tan Haize’s company had initially retained its venture capital division, but its performance had been lackluster in recent years. In contrast, Xingze Entertainment, the company he held a controlling stake in, had become a huge success. After launching several popular artists, it rode the wave of boy and girl group popularity, producing outstanding results over the past few years.
Ning Qingqing didn’t follow boy or girl groups, but she would occasionally see news mentioning Xingze Entertainment and would take a closer look.
Remembering the misunderstanding from earlier in the day, Ning Qingqing said to Gu Youchen, “Youchen, see those fan signs? Those celebrities are signed with Xingze Entertainment, the company my dad controls.”
Gu Youchen nodded. Having learned his lesson from earlier, he had already asked Ning Qingqing for her father’s name and taken the time to look up his background. The information confirmed that her father and mother had starkly different personalities—one was more easygoing, the other more meticulous. It was no wonder they hadn’t been compatible.
Just then, a wave of cheers erupted from a group of girls nearby.
Shen Zhiyu had gone home after her lunch with Si Luoqing and prepared a number of fan signs. She was a member of the fan club for the celebrity Cui Yu, and she was here tonight with her friends to greet him at the airport.
Dressed in a princess-style dress that made her look youthful and girly, she even wore a flashing support headband.
“Everyone, don’t rush later,” Shen Zhiyu instructed. “Let’s take pictures in an orderly fashion after our idol comes out. He’s been really tired lately, so let’s not all mob him for autographs.”
“He can sign ten at most,” she continued. “I’ll go get them, and then all the girls who came today can draw lots for them!”
Everyone agreed. “Our idol is so tired, we should be considerate. Ten autographs is already amazing! We’ll be happy just to see him in person!”
“Look, the flight has landed!” one of her friends exclaimed.
Everyone perked up with excitement.
As Shen Zhiyu was eagerly scanning the crowd, two familiar faces appeared in her line of sight—Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen, holding hands, standing near their fan club, seemingly waiting for someone as well.
Shen Zhiyu’s eyes instantly turned red with rage.
Her Cui Yu didn’t deserve to be liked by someone like Ning Qingqing!
And besides, why was Ning Qingqing still with Gu Youchen? Wasn’t her own brother going to do anything about it?
The thought reminded Shen Zhiyu that she had forgotten to report Ning Qingqing’s transgression to Shen Zhiqian after catching her “cheating” earlier that day.
Her idol wouldn’t be out for a little while yet, so she quickly pulled out her phone, found Shen Zhiqian’s number, and dialed.
The phone rang for a while before he picked up. “Brother, where are you?” Shen Zhiyu’s voice was urgent. “Do you know who I just saw Ning Qingqing with—”
On the other end, Shen Zhiqian’s voice was hoarse. “Gu Youchen? They went to the airport to pick someone up?”
“Yes!” Shen Zhiyu exclaimed. “Why aren’t you doing anything about it? She’s your girlfriend!”
Shen Zhiqian had been staying at his own apartment lately and hadn’t been back to the family home, so he hadn’t seen Shen Zhiyu.
Remembering the things Shen Zhiyu and Xue Wenlan had said to Ning Qingqing, his voice turned icy. “Zhiyu, did you ever once treat her like your sister-in-law?”
Shen Zhiyu’s breath hitched. She became flustered. “Brother, what are you talking about? She’s the one who’s cheating! Why are you blaming me—”
Shen Zhiqian repeated, word for word, “You told her I would never marry her. That if I were serious, I would have taken her to meet our parents long ago! You told her she’d wasted nine years on me and that no one in Dicheng would want her!”
Shen Zhiyu’s face paled, and her voice grew weak. “Brother, I didn’t mean it like that. I just saw her with Gu Youchen, and you two are sworn enemies…”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but look over at Gu Youchen again.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ning Qingqing, holding her hand and leaning in to speak to her. His profile was sharp and handsome, and though he had a cool demeanor, his eyes held an undeniable gentleness.
A heavy feeling settled in her chest, and suddenly, all her strength drained away.
A sour ache rose within her, and she inexplicably felt like crying.
The next second, Shen Zhiqian’s voice came through the phone. “Stay out of our affairs. And starting next month, your allowance is cut off.”
“What?” Shen Zhiyu panicked. Her father was strict with her spending, and the allowance he gave her was never enough for the bags and clothes she wanted. Most of her money came from Shen Zhiqian. She had just graduated from high school and was about to start university; her expenses were only going to increase.
“That’s final,” Shen Zhiqian said flatly. “Both you and I have to pay the price for our past actions.”
With that, he hung up.
Shen Zhiyu stood frozen, unable to speak for a long time.
Just then, a friend nudged her arm. “Quick, quick! People are coming out from that flight!”
They were standing by the VIP exit, where first and business class passengers emerged. They had found out their idols were flying business class.
Shen Zhiyu forced herself to rally.
At that moment, she saw a middle-aged man accompanied by a tall teenager. Flanking them were the members of the boy band, all talking animatedly to the pair. The two were like the moon surrounded by stars, only in this case, the “stars” were the glamorous celebrities, while the two at the center were unknown faces.
Ning Qingqing saw the teenager next to her father and couldn’t help but smile. Her half-brother, Tan Xizhou, had come too. Ning Qingqing didn’t dislike her brother; in fact, she was quite fond of him. He was mischievous without being annoying and possessed a carefree spirit that she had once wished she had.
He clearly saw her too and began waving enthusiastically, breaking into a jog in her direction.
Shen Zhiyu’s mood had been low, but seeing all her idols heading their way, she was instantly thrilled again.
Yes! I won’t pay any more attention to Gu Youchen and Ning Qingqing. My Cui Yu is the best!
She excitedly switched her phone to selfie mode, ready to snap a picture with her idols.
Behind her, her friends were ecstatic. “Wow, our Zhiyu is so eye-catching, even the idols are coming over to us! Omg, I’m going to faint…”
A huge smile spread across Shen Zhiyu’s face as she prepared to welcome them.
But in the next second, every single member of the boy band walked straight past her, following the sixteen-year-old boy directly to Ning Qingqing.
Tan Xizhou reached them and was about to throw his arms around Ning Qingqing in a bear hug, but Gu Youchen blocked him.
He was speechless.
Wow, my brother-in-law is fierce!
He could only offer a sheepish greeting. “Hi, Brother-in-law!”
Then, he turned a brilliant smile on Ning Qingqing. “Sis! I missed you like crazy!”
Ning Qingqing laughed. “You’ve gotten taller again!” He was already half a head taller than her.
Tan Xizhou puffed out his chest with pride. Then he gestured to the boy band members behind him. “This is my sister. Isn’t she beautiful?”
In unison, they all greeted Ning Qingqing warmly. “Hi, Elder Sister! You’re so beautiful!”
The term ‘Elder Sister’ made Ning Qingqing wince slightly, but then she remembered that the oldest among them had probably just graduated from university, and she relaxed.
Alright, she was an ‘Elder Sister.’
Just then, Tan Haize walked over. Gu Youchen had just started to introduce himself—”Dad, I’m Gu Youchen”—when Tan Haize shoved his own phone into his son’s hands, pulled Ning Qingqing into the center spot, and positioned himself and Gu Youchen on either side of her, with the four boy band members standing behind them.
“Son,” he commanded, “take a group photo for us!”
Across the way, Shen Zhiyu’s phone was still in selfie mode, its screen perfectly capturing her spectacular expression.
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