Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Li Chengwei felt that Su Qinghu was different now—like she had been reborn, radiating an untouchable, distant aura that no one could restrain.

Seeing her again, the scene at the bank flashed instantly through his mind.

After graduation, he’d been assigned to a good work unit. The unit assigned him a mentor, who happened to have just taken on a new project and brought him along. Thanks to his outstanding performance, his salary and bonuses increased significantly, all under his mentor’s guidance.

He worked hard during office hours, and outside of work he tutored students and wrote articles for newspapers. In just two months, he managed to save up nine hundred yuan, and together with what he’d scrimped at school, he had exactly a thousand.

When he went to deposit that thousand yuan, the happiness and excitement in his heart were beyond words—he felt like he was floating as he walked.

But when he arrived at the bank, that excitement and joy vanished.

Someone came in carrying one of those Oxford cloth duffel bags, the kind migrant workers use at train stations to haul their bedding and luggage. As soon as he entered the lobby, a man—clearly the bank manager, dressed differently from everyone else—came up to greet him and led him off in a completely different direction.

That was money!

Stacks and stacks of neatly bundled cash!

He could even see the sharp corners of the bills pressing against the sides of the bag!

He didn’t dare imagine whether he could ever earn that much money, even by the day he died...

Standing before him now, Su Qinghu was just like that money: incredibly alluring, yet making it painfully clear that she didn’t belong to him.

“Li Chengwei!” No matter how annoyed Wu Shixin was, her voice softened when she faced Li Chengwei’s handsome face.

Li Chengwei was about to speak when Erdan piped up aggrievedly, “Auntie, please don’t complain about me to Uncle. I really didn’t mean to say you’re ugly or anything. You’re not ugly, really.”

Wu Shixin felt a bit better hearing this, and seeing that he seemed to have more to say, she waited expectantly for more compliments.

Under her hopeful, even encouraging gaze, Erdan continued.

“You look just like a lot of people—not pretty, but not ugly either.”

Wu Shixin nearly choked on her own breath.

Su Qinghu was already trembling with suppressed laughter, almost to the point of internal injury. This kid! Wasn’t he basically saying Wu Shixin had a forgettable, generic face? What woman could stand such a blow? Savage! Absolutely savage! This kid’s mouth was too ruthless!

The funniest part was, she could see the sincerity on Erdan’s face!

Sincerity...

Hahahahaha, didn’t that just make it even more infuriating?

And Erdan wasn’t done. His gaze shifted to Su Qinghu, who immediately tensed up, gripping Chen Lie’s arm to keep her lips from twitching into a smile.

After looking at Su Qinghu, Erdan was clearly very satisfied. He didn’t say anything to her, but turned to Wu Shixin, who was now on the verge of rushing over to strangle him.

“Auntie, some people are good-looking, some aren’t. But someone like my mom—she’s incomparable! She’s way too pretty, one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, maybe even one in a million? I don’t even know how to put it, but anyway, you shouldn’t compare yourself to her. Comparing people just makes you miserable. Even if we’re average-looking, we still have to live our lives well!”

Looking at Erdan’s earnest face and hearing his words—so infuriating yet so oblivious—Su Qinghu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

She laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance. If Chen Lie hadn’t held her by the waist, she would have collapsed to the floor.

Li Chengwei’s gaze fell on Chen Lie’s hand, and he paused, trying to give himself a pep talk—reminding himself that he was the one who had let this woman go—when he suddenly felt a sharp, piercing gaze on him.

He looked up and met Chen Lie’s calm, unruffled face.

Was it really calm? In those eyes, there was clearly a hint of murderous intent!

Li Chengwei couldn’t withstand that stare and instinctively looked away.

Chen Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching.

A man like that? Not good enough!

“Li Chengwei!” Wu Shixin, seeing how Chen Lie was subtly protecting Su Qinghu, and then looking at the man she liked acting this way, was so angry that tears started streaming down her face. “Are you just going to stand there and watch me get bullied? Who am I to you? Who are you to me? Do you even know how you feel?”

Li Chengwei swallowed, then looked at Su Qinghu. “I know I owe you an apology, so I’ll say it here. Please ask the kids to stop. My wife is a kind person—she doesn’t like to argue.”

That was a bit of a backhanded remark, with a whiff of self-righteousness.

Su Qinghu narrowed her eyes, chin lifting slightly. “Kind? Doesn’t like to argue? You must be blind!”

Li Chengwei: “I don’t want to argue with you. I think we could still be friends. Even if not, we’re from the same place, so at least we share that bond.”

Su Qinghu almost cursed out loud.

What the hell?

“I don’t care what you think—I care what I think. I don’t think we can be friends. Even if we’re from the same place, in terms of character, I’m better than you. In fact, we’re heading in opposite directions in life, so what’s there to talk about?”

Li Chengwei: “...”

“You know better than anyone what kind of person you are and what you want.” Su Qinghu’s tone was even and calm, not even mocking. “I won’t spell it out, but I hope you can at least keep a little dignity for yourself. Show some self-respect!”

No one understood better than she did why this man gave her up and chose his current wife.

“People strive upwards, water flows downwards—it’s only natural.”

As soon as Su Qinghu finished, Wu Shixin exploded. “What do you mean by that? Are you saying he’s wrong for choosing me over you?”

Su Qinghu: “...” Should she even bother saving their dignity?

“You know perfectly well why you two broke up. I didn’t say anything earlier because I wanted to save face for you. But if you don’t care about that, then let’s just lay it all out.”

Wu Shixin sneered, “Do you remember when you were being pursued by that nightclub boss?”

Su Qinghu: “...”

“How did he pursue you? How did he threaten him? Didn’t you feel anything at all? Or did you just like being chased by someone so shady?”

Su Qinghu glanced at Chen Lie and said nothing.

Shady? That wasn’t her word. If Zhang Dongsheng found out and decided to take revenge on Wu Shixin, she wouldn’t feel guilty at all.

“Because of you, he almost lost his job. Do you know what that would have meant? It would have made all his years at university worthless, maybe even turned him into a drifter. He’d never have become a respectable, unblemished college graduate.”

Su Qinghu: “Oh.”

So in someone else’s story, Li Chengwei was the victim now?

“Oh? That’s all you have to say?”

Wu Shixin rushed up to Su Qinghu. “Don’t you feel even a little bit guilty?”

“Why should I?” Su Qinghu lifted her chin, half-smiling. “You think it was fate that brought you two together? Fool!”"