The Sick Beauty Gave Up Struggling

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“That’s the Young Miss of the reputable Yun family in Gaoping City.”

The sound was too sudden, which startled Xia Shu’an.

“Sheng Songbai!”

Probably because the surprise was too obvious on his face, Sheng Songbai smiled and said, “I’m also the vice president of the company, so it’s not surprising to receive the invitation letter.”

There’s certainly nothing strange about that. What is strange is the way you appear out of nowhere and kindly explain the plot to me.

Of course, Sheng Songbai didn’t hear his inner slander. He continued to explain the plot: “About three years ago, Boyan had just made his fortune and entered the ranks of Gaoping’s new rich. At that time, Yun Qingyi took a fancy to his ability and intended to marry Boyan, who was still in the growing stage.”

“Later, when Boyan came to Rongchuan, he didn’t mention this matter again, but Yun Qingyi unexpectedly made a special trip here today. It seems that after going around, Boyan is the one she likes the most.”

Xia Shu’an listened a bit and missed a bit. Compared with this, he was more concerned about: “Then why did you come here specifically to tell me this?”

“Why?” Sheng Songbai instead laughed at his words. He had a smile in his eyes as he said gently and patiently, “You’re Boyan’s current boyfriend; of course I’m going to tell you; do you want Boyan to hide it from you?”

After saying that, he looked at Xia Shu’an as if he were expecting some reaction, but the expression on Xia Shu’an’s face remained unchanged, and his eyes were distant, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.

The smile on Sheng Songbai’s face gradually faded.

“Do you really believe in him that much?”

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Xia Shu’an spoke unhurriedly: “Whether I believe him or not, it’s between me and him. I don’t think you need to worry too much, President Sheng.”

Seriously, you don’t have to “worry” about it. In my previous life, you always talked too much and made many mistakes. The “love” section of Shen Boyan’s emotional processor may have failed him, but other parts were functioning normally and even exceptionally sharp, hitting the nail on the head.

Two more visits from you, and he’s bound to realize something’s wrong.

No matter what Xia Shu’an’s original intention was when he said this, it obviously had a negative connotation in Sheng Songbai’s ears. His expression twisted for a moment, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

In a corner far away from Shen Boyan and the crowd, he finally lost the good-natured look on his face and revealed his true emotions that had been hidden in his heart for a long time. Sheng Songbai looked at Xia Shu’an with sharp eyes like a dagger. Xia Shu’an did not hide away and let him stare.

A strange atmosphere formed between the two people. They were obviously “friends”, but they were facing each other like enemies.

Xia Shu’an was magnanimous and at ease, so Sheng Songbai could only be the first to retreat. He took half a step back, and the smile returned to his face again.

“In that case, I can rest assured and won’t bother you anymore.”

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After saying that, he left calmly. If his back wasn’t slightly stiff when he left, Xia Shu’an would have truly believed that he was sincere.

To be honest, there is nothing wrong with Sheng Songbai’s approach. Any other person will fall for his provocation. But no matter how hard he schemed, he wouldn’t be able to guess that Xia Shu’an had a golden finger.

In his previous life, he and Shen Boyan had been together for five years, and Third Miss Yun was never mentioned, let alone the marriage. This shows that even when he and Shen Boyan were at odds, Shen Boyan never thought about marrying anyone else and didn’t let Xia Shu’an feel the slightest bit of trouble over this matter. Well, whether this matter is considered trouble or not, we will leave it aside for the time being.

As for the possibility of infidelity and a secret marriage, that’s even more impossible. Shen Boyan, a control freak, has 24-hour possession of him. If he can still find time to marry others, it’s not called secret marriage; it’s called widow marriage1A marriage without love, commitment, etc..

Shaking his head, Xia Shu’an reluctantly shifted his gaze to the two people once again. The woman in front of Shen Boyan had also recovered from shock with an expressionless face. Shen Boyan finally nodded to her and turned around to walk back towards Xia Shu’an with his head held high.

Within half a minute, Shen Boyan returned to him.

He lowered his head and said, “Let’s go.”

Xia Shu’an: “Okay.”

Their car was parked outside the venue. As soon as they left the gate, the car drove onto the platform. Xia Shu’an and Shen Boyan got one after another. The luxury Rolls Royce instantly lost its nobility, blending in with the Volkswagen and Audi BYD like a small Beetle on the city street, slowly crawling forward with the huge traffic flow.

Xia Shu’an drank some wine today, and coupled with the fact that he was prone to sleepiness in winter, he was already in a daze at this moment, lying on Shen Boyan and burying his head to sleep. After a while, his whole body relaxed, and his consciousness became more and more blurred. Vaguely, he felt a hand caressing the top of his head like running water, ruffling the hair beside his ears.

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A low male voice, whistling into his eardrum like the evening breeze through the jungle, shook him as if he were bouncing on a cloud.

“Don’t you want to know who she is?”

Xia Shu’an could hardly lift his eyelids and said in a vague voice, “Talk later.”

…….

…….

In the end, there was no “later.” Xia Shu’an forgot about it when he woke up the next morning. In fact, it wasn’t that he forgot, but he just didn’t want to get up in the winter. When he finally got up, it was already very late. He ate breakfast in a hurry and didn’t even have time to hug Shen Boyan goodbye, let alone listen to the story.

Not paying attention to Shen Boyan’s face before parting, Xia Shu’an went to school in high spirits. However, as soon as he entered the door, he saw a low, depressing air floating above the laboratory. The supervisor, who was always energetic and vigorous, walked past him with his head lowered and sighed in the small office.

“…”

Xia Shu’an put down his backpack and quietly approached his senior sister: “What’s wrong with the teacher?”

The senior sister glanced behind him and said in an exaggerated but low voice, “What else could it be besides money?”

Xia Shu’an: There’s nothing he can do about it.

Anyone who does scientific research will encounter a shortage of funds, and their team is no exception. It’s not that they are so poor that they have to tighten their belts, but some of the latest equipment cannot be purchased, and the research materials they want have to be divided into batches as planned. The thought of not having the best research materials in the world is so uncomfortable!

But given that this situation wasn’t for a day or two, by late afternoon, the lab returned to its normal atmosphere. In the afternoon, Xia Shu’an ran to the experimental base, observed the growth of several experimental control groups, recorded the data as usual, and stayed for a while before returning.

It was almost five o’clock in the afternoon, and people were getting off work one after another. Xia Shu’an still had a form to complete, so he stayed for a while and took off his white lab coat when it was close to six o’clock.

The day went smoothly, and Xia Shu’an maintained a good mood all day long, until he walked downstairs of the laboratory building and saw someone in the lobby.

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There are two tables and stools for people to rest in the lobby on the first floor of their laboratory building. In winter and summer, people who come to wait for their friends or family to get off work often sit there. Xia Shu’an didn’t expect that for the first time he would be waited for by someone he never wanted to see.

Gao Xiang sat on one of the stools, his eyes looking towards the elevator door from time to time. When he saw Xia Shu’an coming out, his eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up with a smile on his face.

“Xiao Shu!”

“Mr. Gao, what’s the matter?” Xia Shu’an asked calmly with an indifferent expression.

Gao Xiang’s smile froze slightly, and he said with an “I’m also very sad” expression, “Xiao Shu, I know you resented me. That day, I really shouldn’t have done that. I had a drink, and there were so many people. In the end, I couldn’t hold back my anger and scolded you. How is your father doing lately?”

Gao Xiang is not well known in upper-class circles. The peak of his life was probably those few years when he lived in prosperity with the Xia family. Now that the Xia family is bankrupt, all those who used to give him some face because of Xia Guangsong no longer pay attention to him. As for people who specifically befriended him to jeer at Xia Guangsong, they turned around and kicked him out of the cooperative ranks. After all, an ungrateful person is not worth befriending.

Gao Xiang couldn’t make connections anywhere; his business was running into obstacles; his dealings with the government were not good; and as a result, his entire company’s performance was declining rapidly.

“After that day, I called your dad several times, but he didn’t answer. I think he still blamed me in his heart.” The man lamented sadly, saying, “I really want to reconcile, but your dad doesn’t give me a chance.”

There is only mockery in Xia Shu’an’s eyes. He had known that appearing in public with Shen Boyan would cause some discussion and also attract some attention, but his imagination never included a shameless person like Gao Xiang.

The two of them have been standing in the lobby for a while now, and it’s still rush hour after work. Many people are looking towards them, and Gao Xiang had also noticed this. He believed that, in public, Xia Shu’an may feel embarrassed and take a step back. How could he, a student who graduated not long ago, be able to outsmart an old fox like him?

However, his plan was going to fail after all. Xia Shu’an said to him without any pretense or taking into account the occasion: “Gao Xiang, since you paid back the money, we have nothing to do with each other. You don’t need to argue with me here, and don’t think that I’m afraid to mess with you just because I’m inside the school. Although I like this job, I don’t lack money from it either.”

“I don’t care what your plans are; in any case, it’s never possible.”

Gao Xiang was bluntly criticized by a junior and didn’t know what to refute. Xia Shu’an saw his face turning green and white and felt only disgust in his heart. He didn’t feel any sympathy for this kind of elder. He took a step around and said, “I’m going home, Mr. Gao; please help yourself.”

After that, he walked directly past him and walked out of the laboratory building. Gao Xiang felt embarrassed, but when he saw that Xia Shu’an really ignored him, he immediately chased after him: “Xiao Shu-”

“That’s the person who is pestering the students in your school.”

A clear and familiar female voice suddenly sounded from outside the building. Xia Shu’an turned around and saw a familiar-looking woman walking into the building with two security guards.

The security guard was very familiar with Xia Shu’an. After all, his face definitely left quite an impression. When he saw someone pestering Xia Shu’an, a middle-aged man with a philistine look to the boot, a certain alarm bell immediately rang in his mind. He took a few steps forward and said, “Sir, please don’t pester people from our school.”

“No, Xiao Shu and I are friends…”

Xia Shu’an: “No.”

“Sir, look, our student doesn’t know you. You’d better come with us, otherwise we can only call the police…”

The two security guards persuaded the person to leave in a “good voice”. Gao Xiang, a somewhat accomplished boss, was taken away trembling like a helpless duck by two security guards. The scene was both funny and pitiful. Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but gasped and sighed inwardly: So cool!

But—

Xia Shu’an’s gaze only lingered on the distant trio for a second, then turned to the woman on the side. The woman took off her sunglasses, and her face still carried the innate arrogance: “Hello, can we have a chat?”

……

In a teahouse full of simple country style, two people sat opposite each other. Although the woman might not drink, Xia Shu’an still ordered two cups of hot tea and some snacks.

Sitting opposite him was none other than Yun Qingyi. Today, she had changed into a double-breasted, slim-fitting suit jacket made of wool and red boots with a five-centimeter heel that went straight to her knees. There were only three or four centimeters between the soft leather and the hem of the coat. Her sharp yet personalized attire made her stand out among the crowd.

If anything, it looks a little cold.

It hadn’t been more than a minute since the two sat down. Yun Qingyi’s personality was as capable as her appearance, and she got straight to the point: “Let me briefly introduce myself first. Do you know who I am?”

Xia Shu’an nodded. “I know a little bit.”

“That’s best. Since you know my identity, you should know how much benefit both parties can gain if Shen Boyan and I get married. Although Shen Boyan has gained momentum in recent years, his foundation is too shallow, and the ship may capsize at any time. Marriage with an established, wealthy family will both strengthen the alliance and reinforce each other’s strength. Of course, to be honest with you, I also really need Shen Boyan to consolidate my position in the family.”

The next moment, she changed the topic: “So I don’t understand-”

There was a deep sense of incomprehension in her voice: “Why did Shen Boyan reject my invitation to join forces? He said he already had a lover and couldn’t marry me. But many of the people I know have both lovers and marriage partners, or are already married but still have lovers….”

Xia Shu’an couldn’t help his eyes from twitching when he heard this. This is really a “common” and “ordinary” practice among wealthy families.

“I told him that I don’t mind that sort of thing at all, and I really mean it. It’s not just my excuse. But he said, ”

It was the next words that were the most mind-boggling to her, “He said – by lover, he meant someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He only wanted to live with that person and didn’t want to be with anyone other than that, not even in an act.”

She doesn’t understand why he can’t do what everyone else can. She doesn’t even need his loyalty and love, just the title “Mrs. Shen of Wenhui Group” and 50% of his support.

Although Xia Shu’an was also shocked by Shen Boyan’s words, the top priority was to comfort Yun Qingyi and untie the tangled mess in her heart.

Xia Shu’an said kindly: “Perhaps by lover, he did not mean someone in a specific capacity, but a feeling of liking, a person he likes.”

“You have to understand that for many people, love may not be completely pure, but it must be unique. When you love someone, you must do it wholeheartedly and not think about the possibility of loving someone else or being with another person. And if you do consider being with another person, you can’t say that you don’t have enough love; you should say that you are preparing to abandon this relationship.”

“Shen Boyan is just an ordinary person, a person who yearns for love. He may just want ordinary feelings—”

Before Xia Shu’an finished speaking, Yun Qingyi interrupted him: “No, it’s impossible. You don’t understand Shen Boyan.”

Xia Shu’an: “…”

Yun Qingyi said in an extremely confident tone, “I knew from the first time I met Shen Boyan that he and I are the same type of people. We are both people who don’t believe in love and put our careers first.”

However, just as she finished speaking with resolute certainty, she turned her head and hesitated again, her expression visibly shaking as she said, “If he were an affectionate person, I could still understand. But he is clearly not, and he can even be said to be emotionless. That’s why I can’t understand even more why he can fall in love with someone just because he says he likes them and puts them before his career.”

She looked at Xia Shu’an and said, “Do you understand?”

Xia Shu’an was silent.

He doesn’t understand either! ! !

Xia Shu’an has lived for two lifetimes without experiencing the love of “normal” or “ordinary people”. He has never loved anyone and is even more clueless when it comes to this topic.

Xia Shu’an’s heart, which was not very confident, began to doubt himself as Yun Qingyi’s doubts began. However, seeing Yun Qingyi’s deeply shaken appearance, he cheered up again and tried using theory to break Shen Boyan’s “true love” curse: “Love is inherently illusory. Maybe he loves me today, but not tomorrow.”

“Since you don’t think he’s an affectionate man, you can wait until he ends this relationship before extending an invitation to him for a career alliance.”

“Really?” Yun Qingyi said suspiciously, “Then how long do I have to wait?”

“…”

Xia Shu’an said with difficulty, “Maybe, five, five years?”

Yun Qingyi frowned. “That’s too long.”

In addition to the company’s long-term development direction, all individual projects she handles must see results within three to five years.

“…” Xia Shu’an was silent again because he also felt that this business was not worthwhile.

In the end, he could only say, “Why don’t you give up on Shen Boyan?”

There are plenty of fish in the sea, not to mention this one is a piranha.

“…”

The two fell into silence at the same time. For five minutes, there was no sound in the room—only the crisp cracking sound of the biscuits being bitten into their mouths.

“Crack, crack, crack!”

“…………”

The woman’s voice sounded faintly in the room: “Actually, I came here today because I wanted to see what the person he loved looked like. I thought maybe I would understand Shen Boyan’s choice after seeing you.”

Xia Shu’an: “Then you understand now?”

Yun Qingyi: “I don’t understand at all!”

Xia Shu’an silently drank a mouthful of tea. Not understanding was right; after all, he didn’t understand either!!!!

The two of them were drinking tea and nibbling snacks with deep feelings, and the atmosphere was very harmonious for a while. After a while, Yun Qingyi suddenly said, “I saw you coming out of the school laboratory. What research direction are you responsible for?”

Speaking of business, Xia Shu’an’s spirit perked up, and his tone became a bit more serious: “Our group mainly conducts research on plant diseases and pests, and we often have to run to the lab to see the growth status of experimental plants.”

Yun Qingyi’s eyes lit up. “Then can you do research on the prevention and control of garden plant diseases and pests?”

“Of course, this is also our research project.”

“That’s great.” Yun Qingyi said: “I have a friend who has established a green seedling base and is looking for relevant experts to provide technical guidance. I wonder if you can undertake this task.”

Xia Shu’an’s mind suddenly recalled the scene when he went to work in the morning. When he first entered the laboratory, he was diligently educated by his seniors, who told him that academics are important and that earning money for better academic performance is also important. This teaching instantly awakened from the depths of his memory.

The young man’s expression changed, and he looked at Yun Qingyi solemnly and said, “I think there is no problem, but we still need to confirm with our supervisor. He should still be at school now. I’ll give him a call, then we can talk about it in more detail.”

This evening, Shen Boyan got off work on time, but rarely did he not receive a gentle hug from the young man.

He sat in the living room for a while, waiting for a long time, and finally couldn’t help but make a call.

“Hey, Shen Boyan, I’m discussing work matters with Qingyi now. I’ll be home late this evening. You can eat first. No need to wait for me.”

Shen Boyan: “…” ? ? ? ? ?

1A marriage without love, commitment, etc.