Chapter 572: The universe"s number one spare tyre
"Wa. So cool."
"Wa…"
Miss Xiang was delighted by the astonis.h.i.+ng plot twist as she felt like she was watching one of those Korean dramas. After sighing in amazement for a bit, she still could not grasp the situation as she asked Xu Tingsheng just what was preventing them from getting married. Why did things have to be this way?
Fang Yuqing"s choice this time was actually a bit similar to how Xu Tingsheng had left without saying anything in his previous life. He had not had the chance to ask Xiang Ning"s opinion at the time. Now, he thought that he could use this chance to listen to her thoughts on this.
Xu Tingsheng told Xiang Ning about Fang Yuqing"s situation and why he had had no choice but to give up on Yu Qing, awaiting her reaction.
He had thought at first that she might be amazed by Fang Yuqing"s deep feelings, mourn at the helplessness of the two and be roused by Yu Qing"s firm decision. Yet, all these did not happen as Miss Xiang just gazed incomparably earnestly at Xu Tingsheng.
"Must they split up just because of this? It"s not like they don"t like each other anymore…" She said, unable to comprehend it.
"...So this was what she thought. So to her, love is just as simple as that."
At that instant, Xu Tingsheng"s self-justification for having left in his previous life...vanished. A self-inflated sense of responsibility, a feeling that "I"m doing it for her sake", the thought that "letting go is the final act of love"-all of them collapsed before these words of Xiang Ning"s.
"Since they still like each other, how can they be apart?"
Xu Tingsheng had tried to console himself in his previous life in thinking that Xiang Ning might be able to guess why he had left without saying anything. As he had lost his company, he had thought that by extension, she might be able to understand and leave it behind her.
Still, the way it looked now, she had neither understood him whatsoever nor looked forward to his comeback during those three years. There had only been the purest feelings-I still like you, and I think you still like me too.
So, I"ll wait for you to come back and look for me.
"What"s with you, Xu Tingsheng?" Xiang Ning looked at Xu Tingsheng who was suddenly in a daze.
"Nah, nothing," Xu Tingsheng reached up and pinched the tip of her nose, a slight mist obscuring his eyes as he smiled, "I think that your words are right."
Xiang Ning shook her head, "No, your reaction was too great. You don"t seem to think this way…"
She tilted her head and thought about it, "Oh, I know. You also think this way, right? You think the same way as Fang Yuqing."
Xu Tingsheng fell silent.
Miss Xiang was unhappy, "So it"s really like this, Xu Tingsheng. Then, if you lose all your money or face difficulties in the future...will you do the same as him? Abandon me? Thinking that what you did was very n.o.ble?"
She dejectedly kicked Xu Tingsheng under the table, pursing her lips, "I tell you, if you really do that, I"ll hate you...you, you"ll never be able to find Little Xiang Ning again."
Xu Tingsheng thought back to that final scene from his previous life, them meeting again after three years. On that day, Xiang Ning had said at the end: No. I just wanted...to see you again, and, tell you I always believed that you would come and find me.
With that, she had walked into the night in the pouring rain, umbrella in hand, not turning back.
She had truly despaired then. If he really still liked her, how could he have left? If he really still liked her, why had he not looked for her? So, it turned out that he didn"t like her enough after all.
Xiang Ning did not want Xu Tingsheng"s n.o.ble act at all. What she wanted was but the affection that existed between them. Yet, Xu Tingsheng himself had chosen to give up on it.
"That isn"t moving at all. It will only hurt, a lot," Xiang Ning said.
"I won"t do that again," Xu Tingsheng said, the "again" going unnoticed.
"Hmph."
Xiang Ning turned away from Xu Tingsheng, hugging her arms like an aggrieved lady who had been abandoned. She shed tears silently in a huff. As Xu Tingsheng touched her, she just said, "Don"t mind me. I"m feeling very terrible now."
That manner of appearance and tone was cute, yet hurt.
Fang Yunyao watched helplessly as the two messed around. Then, she pa.s.sed Niannian to Xu Tingsheng, indicating with her eyes.
Carrying Niannian, Xu Tingsheng teased Xiang Ning, "Look, Niannian, who is Little G.o.dmother angry at? Did you s.n.a.t.c.h some food from her earlier? Or did you bully her?"
Xiang Ning looked back and said, "Huh, don"t let him carry you, Niannian. Be careful that this kind of person doesn"t lead you astray. Come, Little G.o.dmother...pfft, what Little G.o.dmother? What"s next, Old G.o.dmother?!"
Niannian looked quizzically left and right before her gaze fell on Xu Tingsheng and she said, "...Old G.o.dmother."
"What? Niannian...you"re calling me Old G.o.dmother?!" A pained voice, a sh.e.l.l-shocked face.
The unwitting victim was Apple who had shown up at the most inopportune of times.
Standing behind Xu Tingsheng, Apple exclaimed, "Hey, why"re you guys still sitting around here? Come on, get up…"
"Us? ...What for?"
"To be the best men, of course!"
So it was like this. It seemed that Yu Qing had previously discussed this with Apple and the two had long since been prepared. Immediately, besides Zhong Wusheng who was already married, Fu Cheng, Xu Tingsheng, Tan Yao, Hu Shengming...all the guys at this table stood up as Apple distributed them ties.
"How much more embarra.s.sing do you want to make it for me? Must I get down on one knee and ask you to marry me?" Her outstretched hand sore, this person before her only knowing how to cry, Yu Qing stomped on and glared at Fang Yuqing.
She had once said that Fang Yuqing was like a combination of a prideful man and a small boy. One would often fail to convince him and have to coax him. Here, the best way to do so was praise him and make him full of himself.
This time, she knew she would be able to neither convince nor coax him. And so, she had devised this plan which left no path of retreat open.
"Your lifetime will really be done in by me," Fang Yuqing said.
"Right…" Yu Qing"s tears all overflowed, "Isn"t it just a lifetime? I"ll accompany you."
Fang Yuqing got down on one knee.
At this moment, via word of mouth, everyone present had more or less heard of the story between the two.
Amidst applause and uncontrollable tears, Fang Yuqing gingerly slotted the ring on for his bride.
The two approached along the red carpet.
At this time, Xu Tingsheng and the other best men had already a.s.sumed their positions by the stage. That now off-duty "groom" scooted over, distributing a cigarette to each of them.
Next, he a.s.sumed familiarity with them as he said, "The heck, so freaking unlucky…"
The bros all looked on at him with a bit of sympathy in their eyes, though more of it was curiosity, "Bro, what exactly is up with you?"
"The universe"s number one spare tyre!" The groom clapped his thigh.
"..."
"I chased Yu Qing for three years in senior high, you know?"
"Wow. What about after?"
"After graduating from senior high, my entire family emigrated. I went to study in an overseas university. Then, during my second year, when I heard that Yu Qing had a boyfriend...at that time, I felt like going down in flames with the entire capitalistic society, you know? So, I was back in the country recently, and someone told me hahahahahaha, Yu Qing is single again! Single, you know? Say, could I possibly miss this chance?"
"So today was fake for Yu Qing but real for you?"
"Rubbis.h.!.+ I had to shamelessly beg for even this acting role," The "groom" sighed, "I was thinking that so long as the fool doesn"t show up, when Yu Qing is sad, I"d definitely have a chance to advance then. I"d turn make-believe into real, you know? Tonight, I"d really marry her, then bring her out of the country right away, leaving that fool to eat dust!"
"But in the end, that fool came."
"Right, I forgot that he"s a fool! How could he not come?! He"d come even if it meant the death of him!"
The person on stage asked if Yu Qing was willing. She said "I do". He then asked if Fang Yuqing was willing. Yu Qing said "he does". Tonight, it was basically Fang Yuqing who was wed to Yu Qing.