Chapter 87: The Unfaithful Man
A single sentence from Lu Jingyu made the atmosphere incredibly awkward.
Xu Ruming looked from Lu Jingyu to Xie Qingling, so bewildered she started to question her own reality.
’Isn’t Xie Qingling Lu Jingyu’s fiancée?’
’Didn’t she promise to protect me?’
’What in the world is happening?’
’Did I really just shoot myself in the foot this time?’
A million questions swirled in Xu Ruming’s mind, but she didn’t dare make another sound.
At this very moment, all she wanted was to disappear—to make everyone forget she existed, and make Lu Jingyu forget his threat to expel her from the Alliance.
The only people whose expressions remained unchanged were Lu Jingyu and Xu Qingsui.
She knew it was a classic case of unrequited love.
After Xie Qingling had shown up, she first tried to cozy up to Xu Qingsui, an attempt Lu Jingyu had thwarted.
Then, Xie Qingling had become increasingly bold, culminating in Xu Ruming leading a mob here with great fanfare to cause trouble for her.
This series of events was no coincidence; it was all undoubtedly Xie Qingling’s handiwork.
In the past, out of consideration for the fact they had grown up together, Lu Jingyu would have let it slide.
But this time, Xie Qingling had effectively burned her own bridges, so Lu Jingyu no longer needed to hold back.
Xu Qingsui sighed silently. ’She really brought this upon herself.’
Xie Qingling stared at Lu Jingyu, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. For a long time, she was at a loss for words.
"What’s going on? Are Guide Xie and the Captain really childhood friends? Judging by what the Captain said, it sounds like their relationship isn’t that great!"
"Don’t tell me the rumors about Guide Xie and the Captain are fake? No wonder we’ve never seen the Captain interact much with her."
"This has been spreading like wildfire lately. You don’t think... Guide Xie started the rumors herself, do you? After all, given the Captain’s personality and how he’s acting now, he would never be the one to talk."
The whispers and speculation flooded her ears, sharp and piercing, each one a heavy blow to her spirit.
A storm of emotions overwhelmed Xie Qingling. Her face began to flush, and her breathing grew ragged.
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, an awkward-looking Qi Qin finally snapped out of his stupor and stepped forward.
"Jing Yu, what are you saying? Young people these days are so impetuous, speaking so recklessly."
Qi Qin was playing the peacemaker. His only thought was to prevent them from having a complete falling out. He wanted to push them together, to strengthen the Alliance.
"Jing Yu, are you really going to disregard our entire childhood and treat me like this?"
Hearing Qi Qin’s words, Xie Qingling seemed to pull herself together. She fixed her eyes on Lu Jingyu and asked slowly.
Her tone was filled with lonely resignation, and her sorrowful expression, paired with her resentful words, instantly painted the pitiful picture of a woman being abandoned by her lover of many years.
Seeing her like this, many in the crowd were moved. When they looked back at Lu Jingyu, he was now cast in the shadow of a heartless lover.
A performance this genuine couldn’t be faked. Xu Ruming finally cast aside her doubts, now eager to get back into the spotlight.
In her eyes, no matter what Lu Jingyu chose, as long as his infidelity was confirmed, Xu Qingsui would be branded a homewrecker. That reputation would stick, and their goal of taking down Xu Qingsui would be achieved.
And with Xie Qingling in the picture, she was confident she could find a way to save her own skin no matter what.
Lu Jingyu’s brow furrowed. Xie Qingling’s words made him uncomfortable; they felt deliberately misleading.
"Xie Qingling, our families have known each other for generations, and we’ve known each other since we were children, but that doesn’t—"
"Jing Yu, don’t say another word!" Xie Qingling cut him off, her voice thick with emotion.
’The onlookers’ gossip might have hit close to the mark, but as long as neither of us confirms it out loud, it’s not official.’
’I can’t give Lu Jingyu the chance to clarify our real relationship. As long as he doesn’t, I can still manipulate this situation.’
"Jing Yu, I can’t believe it. We were only apart for a short while. How could you have changed so much?"
Her eyes reddened as she spoke, and she questioned Lu Jingyu like a lover who had been deeply wronged.
At this, the murmurs from before died down. The crowd was once again unsure of what to believe about the pair.
All eyes were on Xie Qingling. The more empathetic members of the crowd were swept up in her performance, feeling a sense of indignation on her behalf.
Qi Qin saw this and felt even more strongly that things could not be allowed to escalate further.
"Alright, I’m cashing in on my seniority here. Everyone, disperse. Don’t just stand around."
The more Xie Qingling talked, the more she swayed the onlookers, fueling a whirlwind of gossip.
This wasn’t good for the Alliance. For the sake of the Alliance, Qi Qin was willing to swallow his pride to disperse the crowd.
"Jing Yu, take back what you said. Young people should talk things out. Don’t make a rash decision you’ll regret."
"I’m putting my reputation on the line to ask you this one favor. Let this matter end here. Just pretend nothing happened, and you and Guide Xie have a proper talk."
Lu Jingyu’s frown deepened. He had made himself perfectly clear, yet Qi Qin was still lumping him together with Xie Qingling.
"Old Qi, you can save face! Since I happened to be here, let me be the one to ask Jing Yu for this favor!"
A resonant voice boomed from the back of the crowd. The onlookers, who hadn’t yet managed to leave, expertly parted to form a path.
An old man with graying temples walked in. He was hale and hearty, with a steady, confident gait.
Recognizing the newcomer, Lu Jingyu’s brow twitched, and a dark look flashed in his eyes.
Qi Qin stared, stunned for a moment, before his expression changed to one of relief, as if he’d just been thrown a lifeline. He hurried forward to greet the man.
"Speak of the devil! Elder Qiu, your timing is impeccable. Please, help me ask this favor of Jing Yu, so we can put an end to this today."
Qiu Fang smiled faintly and looked at Lu Jingyu. "Look at what you’ve done. You’ve worried Elder Qi so much he’s probably grown a few more wrinkles. Jing Yu, you’re a young man. Don’t be difficult with us old folks. Indulge him. Give him some face in front of all these people."
Qiu Fang!
His background was similar to Qi Qin’s; both had joined the Alliance right when it was founded.
Now, he too was one of the Alliance’s elders.
’Watching these old-timers pop up one after another,’ Lu Jingyu thought, ’they’re clearly getting restless.’
’But some things can’t be discussed openly, so there’s not much I can say.’
And given Elder Qiu’s status, he couldn’t just bluntly refuse him and cause him to lose face.
But he wasn’t willing to let the matter drop, either. Lu Jingyu fell silent for a moment, privately pondering how he could get these elders to shut up.
Seeing Lu Jingyu’s silence, Qi Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately started shooting meaningful looks at Qiu Fang, hoping he would help persuade Lu Jingyu.