Chapter 10

Ake raised his wine glass and shot me a glare

So when shall we arrange to meet with Lian Qiu

Ake pouted and after a while suddenly said: "Actually, it's like this, I really want to have the opportunity to meet Comrade Hechu, but I don't have a suitable reason. If I use the excuse of introducing you to a boyfriend to get Hechu to come out, and then I can go too, wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

We all gazed at Lian Qiu, waiting for her response

Upon hearing this, Lian Qiu quickly approached and asked, "Who did Xiao Yi meet with the parents? Who was it?"

I do not understand, I ask why

At noon, I was having lunch with a little bit.

Is he still entangling you? I asked

Both Lian Qiu and I chuckled, realizing that this fellow was indeed being biased

Lian Qiu smiled at me when she saw me, which is good; the problem is not very serious

I blinked and said something that even I found quite useless: "But we still have to be very optimistic!" Suddenly, I thought of two examples and said: "Look at Sun Yat-sen and Zhou Enlai, aren't these two quite handsome, wealthy, powerful, and talented? Yet they also devoted their entire lives to just one woman, right? In fact, there are still many such people!"

Unexpectedly, Ake interjected from the side: "Forget it! I originally came to the bar alone, and as soon as I entered, I saw him hugging a girl and drinking, with a lewd look in his eyes! I felt disgusted at first sight, so I played a trick on him, telling him that you and a certain comrade had already met each other's parents. This guy then dashed out in a hurry."

Lian Qiu smiled again and said calmly and unhurriedly: "It is the person who abandoned me in the past."

"Don't say that," Lian Qiu said. "I have told you all before, I can live my life just fine without tying myself to a man."

It was actually Lin Hai who contacted me

I shot him a glance, indicating my boredom, when suddenly my phone rang, and at that moment, He Chu happened to walk in.

Lian Qiu still smiled and said: "It's nothing, I have just been constantly harassed by a rogue lately"

I naturally applauded and said: "Not bad, it is a good ideology. Moreover, even Qiu has reached the age for discussing marriage and family."

Lian Qiu smiled dismissively: "Alright, you all are quite eloquent when it comes to lecturing me, but what about yourselves? Have any of you been in a relationship in all these years? At least I have been in one! Don't you think you are living just fine without a man? It certainly seems that way; just look at how carefree you both are! What if you really do get married? You would have to take care of the household, wouldn't you? You would need to spend your time honoring your in-laws, wouldn't you? You would have to make time to have children, and once you have them, you would grow old, right? After growing old, you would have to educate your children while prematurely entering menopause, all the while anxiously watching your increasingly charming husband. What if one day he comes home and tells you he wants a divorce? Wouldn't you then find yourself unable to trust men again, while dragging along a wounded heart, children, and the frustrations of life? Isn't that even more exhausting?"

So I said to Lian Qiu with a lack of confidence: "There are still good men out there"

I also echoed: "Indeed, even in autumn, besides, you cannot deny all men in the world just because of one failed romance!"

I am at a loss for words, as I have had very little interaction with men in my daily life. When it comes time to advise others, I realize that I truly do not understand men.

Yet Lian Qiu doused us with a cold splash of reality, saying: "You two should go!"

He is a brother from somewhere, a really nice person, named Lin Hai

I walked up to Lian Qiu and asked, "Has something happened?"

"Did you not hear A Ke say he was messing with that kid? Actually, he is my half-brother." As I spoke, I suddenly thought of Lin Hai. I became happy and said, "I actually know a really good person, Lian Qiu. Let me introduce you to him!"

Suddenly, I thought of something; the one I have interacted with the most is him. So I said again: "There are good men now as well; look, the one we know is a good man."

Ake suddenly interjected, "Xiao Yi, what do you think about introducing a boyfriend to Lian Qiu?"

Suddenly, with a smile, he said to me: "When will I meet your new brother?"

Lian Qiu did not think much of it, but A Ke was quite attentive: "Which one?"

I truly admire Lian Qiu; when she said this, she appeared calm and composed, as if it were not her being harassed by a rogue, but rather someone completely unrelated to her. No, even if it were someone entirely unrelated, Lian Qiu's character would still prompt her to adopt a sympathetic stance.

Lian Qiu let out a cold laugh: "Any man who is handsome, wealthy, powerful, or talented has the potential to betray you, though the degree of harm they inflict may vary. There are also those who are reliable; a very ugly, old man living in poverty may be dependable simply because he lacks the means. But do you want that?"

Ake pointed at Lian Qiu's nose and said, "You have some nerve, don't force yourself too hard. We only live this life once, and you shouldn't suffocate yourself just to be a little different!"

It was so late, and of course, aside from sleeping, I had time. So I went over.

Let me introduce myself, there is no special meaning behind it

Just when I was in a dilemma, Lin Hai proactively provided me with a reason

I suddenly recalled what Ake mentioned about encountering a girl at the bar with Yidian. I intended to ask about it, but then I felt that I had no reason to inquire so much. It would be better not to let Yidian misunderstand.

I suddenly realized. No wonder Qiu even said he is a rogue

I do not know what his intentions are; ever since I returned this time, he has been seeking me out continuously. The more he does this, the more I find it annoying

I had not yet had the chance to speak when Ake began to scold me from the other end: "He Xiaoyi! How long has it been since you last showed any concern for us, even Qiu?"

Do you think you are Song Qingling or Deng Yingchao? Moreover, those were events from a bygone era. We are now in a society driven by material desires

I punched Ake and said, "You always just know how to scare me, isn't Qiu doing well?"

Lian Qiu looked at A Ke with an expectant gaze and finally said: "Alright! It is rare to find a man who can move our A Ke's heart, so I will support you in this!"

I hesitated for a moment, initially wanting to decline, but suddenly remembered the matter concerning Lian Qiu, so I agreed. Then, I had a sudden urge to show off a bit of cleverness, regardless of success or failure. Thus, I looked at He Chu and said somewhat loudly: "Should we invite He Chu to join us?"

I just met her at the bar, she is drinking alone, if you have time, come over!

I asked with some concern: "Who is it?"

Ake and I exchanged glances, and it is undeniable that even Qiu's words resonated in both our hearts. Yet, we are still willing to throw ourselves into the flames, for perhaps what we are diving into is the fluorescent light, and in that case, we would attain infinite brightness

I was taken aback, completely forgetting that I needed to settle accounts with Ake. "What happened to her?" I asked.

Lin Hai said: "Xiao Yi, let's go out this weekend and relax together"

However, I find myself in a dilemma; with both of them present at once, how should I approach them?