Luo Ying hurriedly lowered her eyes. She took a crescent-shaped bite out of the croissant she had just picked up. Her voice was so low it could barely be heard. "No... I have not seen him..."
"Do not lie to me!" Jiang Yuqing squinted at her. She had a half-smile on her face. "You two are like Siamese twins. Would you really be willing to stay away from him? Even if you do not see him, he will find you."
Luo Ying noticed the sourness in her tone. She used her coffee to wash down the bread. She looked up and stared directly into her eyes. "Yuqing, three months ago, I broke up with him."
"What! Really?" Jiang Yuqing's almond-shaped eyes widened. After a brief moment of shock, a sudden look of joy filled her eyes. "I thought you two were locked together for life. I did not expect there would be a day you would break up! Why did you not say so earlier!"
They had not been in contact for a long time. Too many things had happened that could not be explained in a casual tone.
Luo Ying's lips curled into a bitter arc. "You know that so many things happened at home. I am not in the mood for romance!"
Jiang Yuqing looked confused. "Were the debts and the wages for the workers not resolved? Was it not Lu Liangchen who helped you?"
"He... where would he get that much money..." Luo Ying's voice was full of loss and helplessness. She rotated the coffee cup in her hand. The warm touch of the bone china comforted her broken heart.
Jiang Yuqing let out an unconscious sound of realization. She paused for a moment. "Then who helped you pay the debt? Is that why you broke up with Lu Liangchen?"
Luo Ying looked at the black liquid in her cup. A few bubbles rippled on the surface. She thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
Jiang Yuqing's eyes flickered. "Yingzi, why did you not tell me sooner?"
She saw that Luo Ying did not want to talk about it. She sighed. "Actually, I wanted to help you at the time. But the amount was too large. It was ten million! I mentioned it to my father, but he just scolded me. He said he would not let me waste money. He said money does not grow on trees. He called me a parasite. My head was spinning. I could not even hear what else he said. Anyway, it was nothing good. At that moment, I felt like a leech. I felt so guilty in front of him."
"Yes, I understand!" Luo Ying interrupted her. She felt grateful, but those words still stung her like thistles.
"Do you not need to buy an engagement dress? Let us go." Luo Ying stood up. She ended the unpleasant conversation.
They walked hand in hand into the commercial street. They wove through the rows of shops.
Jiang Yuqing did not look forward to this engagement. However, she was always meticulous about her clothes. The color, texture, and style had to meet her standards. Price was not a concern.
Luo Ying wore a pair of sneakers. Aside from her physical discomfort, she felt fine. Jiang Yuqing's feet were the first to give out. She bought a pair of flat leather shoes at a brand store to change into before they continued.
They finally selected a taro purple suit. The style was simple and elegant.
The noon sun of early winter shone on them. It felt warm. It created an illusion of spring. It felt as if no tragedies had happened yet. Luo Ying was still that girl who had the right to be bright in the sunlight.
"Are you hungry? Come, let us go eat a big meal!" Jiang Yuqing grabbed Luo Ying's arm. They walked into a luxuriously decorated restaurant.
She ordered almond shrimp, Wuxi ribs, and shredded beef. A few plates of vegetables. A fruit platter. Bone marrow soup.
For the main course, she chose four-happiness steamed dumplings.
She handed the tablet to Luo Ying. Luo Ying saw that the prices were all over three digits. She pushed it back. "You order. I am not a picky eater anyway."
"Fine." Jiang Yuqing ordered a dessert as well.
There was so much food that the two of them could not possibly finish it.
While waiting for the meal, Jiang Yuqing looked at Luo Ying. She asked tentatively, "Which company is Lu Liangchen at? I have not heard any news of him since graduation."
Chapter 2: You Cannot Regret It (2 / 2)
They were not at the same university as Lu Liangchen. The Yuntai Academy of Fine Arts was two streets away from Yuntai University. Once, Lu Liangchen came to the academy to find Luo Ying. Jiang Yuqing was stunned at first sight.
'Is he mixed race? He is so handsome! He fits my image of a perfect man!' Jiang Yuqing had whispered to Luo Ying.
"He is an ethnic minority." Luo Ying smiled. Her lips showed a clear sense of pride.
The roommates all looked at her with envy. They wanted to know where she found such a high-quality boyfriend.
Luo Ying smiled but did not answer. She simply took her drawing board to work on a sketch. Jiang Yuqing stamped her feet in frustration.
After that, Jiang Yuqing and Luo Ying became close. Their family backgrounds were very different, but it did not affect their friendship.
They were also friends with Zheng Qin. The three of them often went to the cafeteria, the library, or went out to paint together.
Jiang Yuqing showed a special interest in Lu Liangchen. She always asked about him.
Luo Ying did not hide anything. Occasionally, when Lu Liangchen came over, she would bring Jiang Yuqing to see him. They watched movies and visited bookstores together.
It was not because Luo Ying was careless. She simply believed that her childhood bond with Lu Liangchen could not be easily changed. Perhaps, in her heart, it was also a test of their relationship.
Lu Liangchen was exactly as she thought. He only had eyes for Luo Ying.
Jiang Yuqing acted as a third wheel for four years. She never felt embarrassed. She had no self-awareness at all.
Luo Ying often had to stop Lu Liangchen from rolling his eyes at her. She admired Jiang Yuqing's lack of sensitivity.
"Yingzi, I have to say something." Jiang Yuqing glanced at Luo Ying's expressionless face. "Your father's company lost its funding. That was a huge amount of money. Is it not normal that Lu Liangchen could not help you? How could you blame him and dump him? You are so heartless!"
Luo Ying unfolded the napkin on the table. She folded it again. She unfolded it once more. She repeated the same action. She acted as if she did not hear the accusation.
"He only has eyes for you. Other girls do not even exist to him. He is so loyal to you. Are you still not satisfied?" Jiang Yuqing sighed. She felt indignant. "If it were me, I would not care if he had money. I would be willing to suffer with him!"
Luo Ying glanced at her quickly. She lowered her eyes again.
'Could she really skip her engagement ceremony next weekend for Lu Liangchen?' A thought flashed through Luo Ying's mind.
"Say something! Why do you become a mute when we talk about Lu Liangchen?" Jiang Yuqing raised her voice. She looked at the waiter bringing the food. She gave Luo Ying a sharp look.
"I do not know his current situation." Luo Ying straightened her back. She watched the waiter's movements. The aroma of food filled her nose. She suddenly had the courage to speak of him normally. "You can ask him yourself. Do not ask me for news about him anymore. I do not know."
When her father jumped from a building because of bankruptcy, the door had been surrounded by creditors. The insults shattered her pride and confidence. Her ears were filled with the cries of her mother and sister. Her eyes were stained red by her father's blood. For the first time, Luo Ying felt that survival was a threat. Love suddenly became light and weightless. It was something that could be ignored.
Lu Liangchen's embrace was warm, but it was not strong enough. Luo Ying did not dare to crave it. She had to bury her father. She had to protect her mother and her sister.
She did not dare to look at the deep pain and guilt in his eyes. It would give her a heavy sense of sin. She felt like she had become a burden he could not carry.
"Fine! You said it yourself!" Jiang Yuqing stuffed a piece of beef into her mouth. A sly smile flashed in her eyes. "I will find a way to find him. You were the one who gave up first. When I chase him and win, you cannot regret it!"
"Fine!"