Chapter 72#
Chapter 72#
The first time Qiao Nanqi felt something was off about the wedding wasn’t actually because of what Lu Xingping said at the party.
Even if those words were strange, there were many ways to explain them. But those words reminded him of the strangeness in the relationship between Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping, giving him a different perspective.
He had been so blinded for so long, not paying attention to anything else during the wedding. All he could think about during that time was that Zhao Rong had completely left him, and he had never considered—that the wedding itself was very strange.
The strangest thing was that Zhao Ming didn’t come.
Although Zhao Ming’s illness required a lot of money and energy, it wasn’t the kind of illness that completely prevented her from going out. As long as she was conscious, communicating with people was no problem at all, and she could even go out by herself.
If Zhao Ming was conscious, there was no reason for Zhao Rong not to bring his only relative to his first wedding.
If Zhao Ming wasn’t conscious…
Given Zhao Ming’s importance in Zhao Rong’s heart, Zhao Rong would have even directly postponed the wedding.
No matter what, as long as this wedding was important to Zhao Rong, Zhao Ming couldn’t possibly not come.
There were other oddities—the people who were constantly recording at the back of the wedding venue.
Their attire didn’t look like wedding videographers at all, and besides cameras, they also held many documents.
Plus, every time recently, whether it was Xia Yuantu or Xiao Wu, they never saw Zhao Rong when they went to Lu Xingping’s house.
Lu Xingping’s reaction last night was no different from when he was single.
And there were no traces of Zhao Rong ever living in the house…
This marriage, from beginning to end, was full of strangeness.
The law firm and the nursing home couldn’t quickly bring the relevant people over under a reasonable pretext, so Qiao Nanqi first found the wedding planning company that organized Zhao Rong’s wedding.
He clearly remembered that although the wedding had essential elements like vows and exchanging rings, there were absolutely no games, family, or friends-related segments.
But at that time, all he could think about was that Zhao Rong would never look back, and throughout the entire wedding, his eyes were only on Zhao Rong, so he hadn’t noticed these issues at all.
The wedding being rushed was one thing, but since the wedding was held, why not make the wedding venue more complete?
In the office.
Qiao Nanqi flipped through the few pages of the wedding plan and asked the wedding planner responsible for the event, “Are these all the steps you planned for the wedding?”
The person seemed confused himself: “No, Mr. Qiao, in our line of work, most clients want no regrets and the best possible outcome. How could we be so careless? When Mr. Zhao and Mr. Lu first approached me, I only asked about style preferences, and I didn’t know they didn’t want so many steps. I remember very clearly that they were in a hurry and paid a lot of extra money, so our team worked overnight to produce a complete plan. I even double-checked the details before sending it to them, but…”
The person glanced at the thin wedding plan in Qiao Nanqi’s hand and continued, “But Mr. Zhao directly deleted eighty percent of it, leaving only these. It’s not that we didn’t plan it; please don’t misunderstand.”
The person thought Qiao Nanqi wanted them to plan another wedding and was questioning their professionalism because of this rushed wedding, so he quickly explained a lot, and then talked about some details of the planning.
Qiao Nanqi just lowered his head slightly in thought, his knuckles slightly curled, his fingertips tapping the edge of the desk little by little.
He listened to a lot, but he seemed completely uninterested in those details. After the person finished speaking, he just asked, “You mean, these few steps were personally chosen by Zhao Rong?”
The person was about to nod, but Qiao Nanqi’s face darkened, and he said word by word, “Think carefully, was it Lu Xingping who wanted to delete them, or Zhao Rong?”
The planner shivered. The answer he remembered so clearly, he replayed it three or four times in his mind, making sure he hadn’t misremembered before saying, “It was Mr. Zhao. I remember Mr. Lu didn’t even look at the original plan. Mr. Zhao didn’t look closely either; he just flipped through the table of contents and then crossed out some things in it. He didn’t even ask for Mr. Lu’s opinion.”
“I remember this very clearly, rest assured! Because at that time, we were rushing it out, and I was… a little confused, that someone would delete wedding steps without asking their partner…”
This person obviously hadn’t figured it out even now, so much so that he spoke it out without Qiao Nanqi even asking.
Qiao Nanqi suppressed the many possibilities that arose in his mind and had Xiao Wu see the person out.
He drank the steaming Longjing tea, its fragrant aroma permeating his nose and clearing his thoughts.
His first thought was that perhaps Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping didn’t have such a good relationship. Zhao Rong didn’t care about the wedding, Lu Xingping naturally didn’t care about married life, and Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping cared even less about the congratulatory gifts he sent.
Perhaps Zhao Rong was just lonely for a while, perhaps Zhao Rong was annoyed by his缠绕 (entanglement), perhaps…
In short, Zhao Rong’s indifference to the wedding, and the fact that he didn’t live at Lu Xingping’s house after moving, made it impossible for them to be deeply in love.
Qiao Nanqi had originally held some hope, even some happiness, because there might be problems in Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping’s relationship.
Before talking to this planner, he had secretly hoped that Zhao Rong was dissatisfied with Lu Xingping, or that Zhao Rong didn’t really like Lu Xingping.
But when he truly confirmed this idea, a needle-like pain and numbness spread through his heart.
If that were truly the case, would Zhao Rong rather settle for a nominal relationship with someone else for the rest of his life, living a bland and tasteless existence, than look back at him?
Qiao Nanqi subconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup. The heat from the cup scalded his palm, baking the bitterness in his heart.
If that were truly the case…
Qiao Nanqi, you not only deserve it, but you’re also a scoundrel.
He hadn’t expected that one day, for a moment, he would actually wish that Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping were truly in love.
How ridiculous.
But only he was ridiculous.
He struggled with the possibility that Zhao Rong wasn’t truly in love with Lu Xingping, while also being deeply pained by the thought that Zhao Rong might not be happy now.
He couldn’t ask Lu Xingping, nor could he confirm with Zhao Rong. After much thought, he thought of someone.
…
This day was harder for Qiao Nanqi than any other day in the past few months.
He had no physical discomfort, wasn’t busy, and didn’t feel like the world had lost its light as he did on the day he learned Zhao Rong was getting married. But it was precisely this mundane ordinariness that made it even harder for him to bear.
He stayed awake all night.
The next day, Xiao Wu returned with Liu Shun’s answer.
“He said no, absolutely not, Mr. Zhao was definitely not reluctant,” Xiao Wu carefully watched their boss’s expression, making sure not to displease Qiao Nanqi, before continuing, “He said, um… Mr. Zhao, and, and you, sir, on the night of your breakup, he declared he would pursue Mr. Lu…”
Xiao Wu glanced at Qiao Nanqi’s expression again.
It was cold, indifferent, and as before, solemn and unmoving, showing nothing.
“…He said, Mr. Zhao’s goal was very clear and firm, it couldn’t have been reluctance.”
Xiao Wu didn’t know the full story and only felt that these words were truly heartbreaking.
But Qiao Nanqi, unlike his usual dejected self, frowned: “Goal very clear?”
“Ah, yes…”
Qiao Nanqi looked at the thin wedding plan on the table again.
Zhao Rong wasn’t settling.
Zhao Rong wasn’t unwilling either.
But Zhao Rong… didn’t care about the wedding at all, and after marriage, he and Lu Xingping didn’t have the feeling of newlyweds.
What could cause such a contradiction?
Drizzle.
This rain, like fine ox hair sprinkled in the air, didn’t even require an umbrella. Pedestrians mostly walked by with hats on, or simply strolled through it without much care.
The ground was damp but without puddles.
The overcast sky obscured the sun, gray and gloomy, suppressing a hint of vitality.
On such a cold and damp day, passersby couldn’t help but glance into the coffee shop.
A young man sat by the floor-to-ceiling window. He looked very young, dressed casually, and wore a pure black baseball cap. At first glance, he looked like a student skipping class.
But he merely looked up slightly, revealing a face that showed no trace of immaturity, could accommodate maturity, yet retained a hint of docility. He then resembled a traveler passing through, having journeyed countless roads, merely resting here for a while.
He held a porcelain cup, stirring it gently with a small spoon, then lowered his head to take a sip.
When Zhou Yueqing arrived at the appointed time, this was the scene she saw.
From a distance, she watched the young man at their reserved table, head bowed, drinking coffee. The brim of his baseball cap obscured the upper half of his face, revealing only the lower part of his cheeks, where a hint of his striking appearance was already discernible.
She had prepared herself, but when she walked up and he looked up, Zhou Yueqing was still momentarily stunned.
“Miss Zhou?” Zhao Rong called out to her, “Why aren’t you sitting?”
Zhou Yueqing sat opposite Zhao Rong and smiled politely: “This is my first time meeting Mr. Zhao in person; I almost thought I had the wrong person just now.”
“I apologize, perhaps I’m a bit too casual.”
Zhou Yueqing pointed to her own attire: “I don’t look very formal either. However, I thought someone of Mr. Zhao’s wealth would surely discuss matters in a…”
“In some hotel, club, or opulent place?”
Zhou Yueqing shrugged.
Zhao Rong put down his porcelain cup, pushed the menu towards her, and said, “Between friends, those places are too restrictive. Of course, if Miss Zhou prefers, we can go to the best club in Zhuxi right now.”
“No, this place is perfect.” Although Zhou Yueqing said this, her thoughts were already turning over in her mind.
Zhao Rong was doing this on purpose.
Instead of choosing a formal setting, he opted for a casual, low-key coffee shop, transforming their discussion from a “serious business matter” into a “friendly consultation.”
The arguments she had prepared earlier were now useless.
Zhao Rong had met Zhou Yueqing a few months ago. At that time, Zhao Rong was not in Zhuxi, and the connection was made through friends in Yangcheng’s circle. When they discussed things before, it was either Zhao Rong’s subordinates communicating with Zhou Yueqing’s subordinates, or the two of them talking on the phone. Today was their first face-to-face meeting.
The Zhou family started in the entertainment business, and although they had ventured into healthcare in recent years and thrived, most of their foundation remained in the entertainment industry. The projects Zhao Rong wanted to invest in earlier were also in this area. The Zhou family had a foundation, and Zhao Rong had funds that even someone like Zhou Yueqing found astonishing. Naturally, they hit it off, and things had been going smoothly. Zhao Rong had already invested in some projects, and everything was proceeding as planned.
But half a month ago, Zhou Yueqing discovered that Zhao Rong was looking for excellent doctors and teams in the field of psychiatry.
Coincidentally, he found the best hospital under the Zhou family.
Zhou Yueqing inquired and learned that Zhao Rong’s mother seemed to be in poor health and had a terminal mental illness, which was why he was so dedicated to this area.
At the time, she was worried that Zhao Rong had too much liquid capital, and others like Ruan Cheng were also eyeing it, so the benefits might not all go to her. So she simply used this as a condition, hinting that Zhao Rong should increase his investment and reduce the required share of dividends—in short, she wanted to take advantage.
Zhao Rong didn’t answer her directly but arranged this meeting.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while. Zhou Yueqing, sipping the hot chocolate that had just arrived, heard Zhao Rong say to her, “Miss Zhou, your hospital and doctors are open to clients. Since I’ve paid and waited in line, and I’m also your friend, there’s no reason to hold me back.”
Finally, he added, seemingly jokingly, “Don’t worry, I’m a very reasonable patient’s family member.”
Zhou Yueqing had already prepared her retort: “It’s precisely because Mr. Zhao is our friend that I wouldn’t dare. If our doctors are not skilled enough and something goes wrong while treating Mr. Zhao’s family member, wouldn’t it affect our relationship? If our relationship were truly indestructible, I wouldn’t be afraid, but how long have we known Mr. Zhao? I’m worried about affecting our cooperation, after all…”
She stopped there, saying no more.
Her words, both spoken and implied, made her meaning very clear.
If the relationship isn’t good enough, then make it better and inseparable.
Zhao Rong clearly understood her meaning.
But the polite pleasantries Zhou Yueqing expected didn’t appear; instead, Zhao Rong’s smile faded.
He said, “Miss Zhou, since you put it that way, I’ll be direct. Since you would do this, you must have investigated. I’m not someone with a powerful background, nor do I have many people working for me, so I can’t poach your staff. Therefore, you want to use my mother’s illness to coerce and entice me into investing more money and tying myself to you.”
“I cannot agree. I’m not dependent on you either. Even if I truly need your doctors…”
He sighed, his tone still calm, but his words were firm: “Although I don’t have many people I can use, I can continuously increase the stakes for your team, using the crudest form of money to tempt them. I can also find those who are at odds with you… the Ruan family? Right. I’ll give them my money and let them help me figure out how to get your team, and they should be willing.”
Zhou Yueqing’s smile froze.
Zhao Rong waved, signaling the waiter for the bill, and said to her, “I can indeed compromise. I don’t care about money; I care more about my mother’s health. Investing more money to let her live a few more years is well worth it to me. But… Miss Zhou, what I care about is the feeling of being controlled.”
“I hope you can understand. If you can’t, then I’d rather the cooperation end.”
He wasn’t someone who would beat around the bush when doing business. Even after coming to Zhuxi, he hadn’t planned on building a grand enterprise with his inheritance and current funds; he just wanted to make some investments and live a more leisurely life.
He knew that Zhou Yueqing valued his seemingly bottomless funds, and he also knew that investing a bit more to get a suitable doctor for Zhao Ming wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The reason Zhao Rong was so firm was that he didn’t want to be controlled by her.
After one investment, Zhou Yueqing tasted the sweetness. Who could guarantee that the Zhou family wouldn’t demand more next time? By then, he would be deeply entrenched, with no capital to withdraw.
He had had enough of being constrained.
Zhou Yueqing’s plan was actually quite good.
To poach the team nurtured by the Zhou family, money would certainly work, but it would require a lot of money. If one were to spend so much money without any discernible return, for others, it would be better to invest it all with the Zhou family, thereby gaining access to the medical team and also getting some shares and dividends.
Any other person might have vaguely agreed.
Unfortunately, this person was Zhao Rong.
Today, he was deliberate.
He deliberately chose a seemingly casual location, deliberately started with a seemingly easy-going demeanor, and then deliberately spoke those words without mercy.
With his objective achieved, staying longer would only cause trouble. Zhao Rong paid the bill with the waiter, then stood up and said, “It seems there’s nothing more to discuss today. I won’t keep you company.”
After paying and walking out of the coffee shop, Xu Xin was already waiting for him at the entrance.
“Where to? Home?” Xu Xin asked him.
“Mm,” he nodded, “To the bookstore near home.”
“Why the long face today?”
“Is it?” Zhao Rong looked up, checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. “It’s nothing, just that troublesome matter with the Zhou family again.”
“Can it be resolved?”
“…I hope so.”
On the other side.
Qiao Nanqi’s mind flashed back to the guest list he had reviewed earlier.
He had a good memory and could now mentally review the names and identities of everyone.
Many of them were mutual friends of his, Lu Xingping, and Xia Yuantu, along with some of Lu’s relatives, Zhao Rong’s university classmates, and some industry leaders related to their company’s development direction…
In the wedding guest list, there were also several lawyers he didn’t know at all. Among the things he had asked Xiao Wu to do based on the wedding banquet list, one was to acquire a law firm.
He found the lawyers attending the banquet somewhat strange. At the time, he didn’t want to miss any clues, and investigating things and investing in acquisitions took time, so he simply had Xiao Wu handle it all at once. It wasn’t completed yet.
Qiao Nanqi had originally just been cautious and hadn’t immediately noticed these lawyers.
But now…
—Lawyers.
None of them had anything to do with law, and he didn’t know any of them.
Why would such a group of people be present at the wedding?