Chapter 89: That Old Man Is Not a Good Person
Sensing the atmosphere between the two of them, Xu Qingsui felt she should leave as well.
’Although I’ve also been at the center of a whirlwind of gossip lately,’ she thought, ’strictly speaking, the root cause of all this is the undefined feelings between Lu Jingyu and Xie Qingling.’
Qiu Fang was right. This was a private matter, and it was better to let the people involved sort it out themselves.
It was a bit awkward for her to stay here, so Xu Qingsui immediately prepared to exit the assembly hall.
But the moment she moved, both Lu Jingyu’s and Xie Qingling’s gazes shot toward her.
Lu Jingyu’s look was one thing, but Xie Qingling’s felt like it was trying to see right through her, to slice her into a thousand pieces. It made her extremely uncomfortable.
She shifted her weight, but it did nothing to ease the discomfort from the glare.
Xu Qingsui had no choice but to say, "When it comes to the matter between you two, I’m something of an outsider. Why don’t I leave first so you can sort things out?"
"No need. You were dragged into this because of us. You should stay here and listen to us clear the air. Besides, a certain someone owes you an apology."
Lu Jingyu made her stay, and his words made Xie Qingling’s eyes go wide.
"You want me to apologize to her?" Xie Qingling was in disbelief.
She was the pearl of the Capital City’s Xie Family, a figure so revered that countless people could only look up to her from afar. And he wanted her to apologize to some woman who came from who-knows-where.
This was a humiliation to her, and even to the Xie Family.
Ignoring Xie Qingling’s dramatic reaction, Lu Jingyu nodded firmly. "Since you fanned the flames behind the scenes, you should apologize to the person you innocently dragged into this."
"Lu Jingyu, do you have any idea what you’re saying?" Xie Qingling finally erupted in anger.
"Of course. Xie Qingling, is there really any need for us to say more to each other?"
"We both know exactly what the other is thinking. I really don’t think we need to waste any more time."
Xie Qingling’s breathing became ragged. She took a few deep gasps before managing to calm herself.
She suddenly turned to Xu Qingsui, pointing a finger at her. "Have you really fallen for this woman?"
The words hit Xu Qingsui’s ears, and her face immediately flushed red.
Lu Jingyu’s face also reddened. He hesitated for a moment, not answering directly.
"She should never have been dragged into this matter between us. There’s even less reason for you to keep hounding her."
"Xie Qingling, you know what I’m like. If you keep this up, we won’t even be able to be regular friends."
Xie Qingling’s eyes flickered, and she stared at Lu Jingyu for a long time, unable to speak.
Finally, she walked straight toward Xu Qingsui.
Lu Jingyu frowned slightly, wanting to shield Xu Qingsui behind him.
But he was a step too slow.
"You must think you’re pretty special! Getting Lu Jingyu to talk to me like that!"
Although the two had met before, Lu Jingyu had interrupted them before they could say much.
This time, Xie Qingling stood before Xu Qingsui and looked her up and down meticulously.
Seeing nothing special about Xu Qingsui, Xie Qingling curled her lips into a contemptuous smile.
"I don’t know what you did to make him so head over heels for you, but don’t get cocky. So what if he’s protecting you now? You don’t actually think the Lu Family will ever let you through their doors, do you?"
"Xie Qingling!" Feeling she had said too much, Lu Jingyu shouted, trying to stop her.
Xie Qingling glanced back at Lu Jingyu. "Jing Yu, you don’t really think you can shake the position of those old geezers in the Lu Family all by yourself, do you?"
"Don’t be delusional. You can’t change anything on your own. But if you add me to the equation, things will be different."
"Jing Yu, I know what you’re trying to do, and I understand you better than anyone. You shouldn’t be rejecting me."
Lu Jingyu’s brow furrowed tightly. He even felt a pang of regret for once revealing some of his thoughts to Xie Qingling.
"Don’t say another word. The more you talk, the more I feel I was wrong about you."
"This has nothing to do with her. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just a friend I’ve known for a long time. You’re younger than me, and I’ve only ever seen you as a little sister."
Lu Jingyu’s words pierced her ears, instantly making Xie Qingling feel dizzy and faint.
She had never been able to accept this, but since Lu Jingyu had never said it out loud before, she could pretend she didn’t know.
Now that Lu Jingyu had said these words himself, he had completely blocked off the path she used to console herself.
"Xie Qingling, I’ve made myself perfectly clear. This isn’t a place you should be. You should go back."
"Of course, if you refuse to listen to me and decide to stay and keep causing trouble, I won’t be so patient with you next time."
"You know what I’m like, so don’t try to test my limits."
At this point, everything had been said with utmost clarity. What Xie Qingling did next was her own choice.
Lu Jingyu couldn’t control her actions, nor would he waste any more time. He turned to Xu Qingsui and said, "I’ve made things clear. Let me walk you back."
Xu Qingsui admired Lu Jingyu’s decisive and resolute way of handling romantic matters.
However, as a woman herself, seeing the rejected Xie Qingling stirred a sliver of pity in her heart.
’There’s nothing wrong with loving someone,’ she thought. ’But doing bad things because of that love is wrong.’
Knowing in her heart that Xie Qingling had brought all of this upon herself, she quickly suppressed her pity.
She nodded at Lu Jingyu, and the two of them left the assembly hall together.
Xie Qingling’s furious voice echoed from behind them, but neither of them paid it any mind.
After leaving the assembly hall, the gazes of some passing members fell on them again.
Although everyone had been ordered not to spread rumors, a few whispers in private were inevitable.
"The boss came out with Guide Xu. Looks like he really does like Guide Xu after all!"
"From what the boss was saying, it sounds like there was never anything going on with Guide Xie, right? He and Guide Xu are the real deal."
As the two walked down the path, the atmosphere was a little awkward.
After a long silence, Lu Jingyu was the first to speak. "I’m sorry. You were dragged into this because of me, and I even caused you to be harassed by so many people."
Xu Qingsui took it in stride, shaking her head. "It’s fine. You don’t really think Xu Ruming brought people here to fight for justice, do you?"
"Hah! She was just using it as an excuse to cause trouble for me."
"But it was her bad luck. She started it, so she can’t blame me for fighting back."
Lu Jingyu couldn’t help but smile. He had already heard about what happened and even regretted not being there to see Xu Qingsui take on that whole group by herself.
"By the way, who was that Qiu Fang from earlier? I got a bad feeling from him. And considering what he said, that old man is definitely not a good person!"