Chapter 91: Special Extra: Yu Qing

A flood of fine, dense embarrassment surged up inside her. Yu Qing’s fingertips were weak around the cup as she met Lu Zhan’s gaze and forced a smile.

“What a coincidence. My mom’s been pushing me to get married too—she’s been introducing me to men from Nan’an.”

Her smile was beautiful, but a fleeting trace of vulnerability flashed through her eyes.

Compared to Wen Yang’s soft temperament, which was apparent at a glance, Yu Qing’s fragility was much harder to detect. Lu Zhan suddenly felt a twinge of regret—perhaps he should have said everything through WeChat instead.

He asked gently, with some pity in his tone:

“Since you’re living and working in Nancheng, wouldn’t it be hard to connect with people introduced from your hometown?”

“Yes, very hard,” Yu Qing said with a slight smile. “So I turned them all down.”

“It’s easy to get dazzled in the glitzy world of Nancheng. That’s why I want to stay here—to live, to work, maybe even marry and have kids.”

She held back the sting of her embarrassment and forced the words out with gritted teeth. Then she looked up and smiled:

“Unfortunately, finding a man is easy. Finding a sincere one? That’s rare.”

Lu Zhan met her gaze and said softly:

“That’s true. But take your time—one day you’ll meet someone who’s right for you.”

Yu Qing hadn’t noticed it before.

Now she did: Lu Zhan’s eyes, though smiling, held no affection. She didn’t quite know what “affection in one’s gaze” looked like—

But when Fu Xingzhou looked at Wen Yang, his eyes brimmed with tenderness, as though love was spilling out of them.

That, she thought, must be what love looks like.

But she had mistaken a tipsy atmosphere at a bar for the beginning of something romantic.

She had been too eager to use a man as a distraction—to escape the humiliation of being rejected by Xu Xu.

Instead, she fell right into another kind of embarrassment.

Her fingers tensed slightly as she forced a smile:

“Yangbao always says I’m a workaholic—that I always wear the same few outfits. She knows how to enjoy life. Every time we go out, she drags me shopping and picks clothes for me.”

“I only kept a few pieces. That dress from the other day—just one of them. I don’t even remember how long ago I bought it.”

Lu Zhan’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the woman in front of him.

Only now did he realize—

That photo she sent him that day… she really meant to share it. And perhaps, there were other feelings hidden in the act of sharing.

But the act itself wasn’t wrong.

She saw him as a friend—that’s why she was willing to share.

He smiled and said:

“Wen Yang was right. Don’t always wear the same few outfits. Change it up sometimes.”

Yu Qing smiled too:

“Right?”

Soon, their food arrived.

Yu Qing lowered her head and quickly ate her steak, drank some coffee, and even finished her dessert.

Afterwards, she went to the restroom. By the time she returned, Lu Zhan had already paid the bill.

They walked out of the restaurant and said goodbye. Yu Qing got in her car. Once inside, her whole body felt drained.

She leaned back in her seat, her mind blank. She felt like crying—but then again, it didn’t quite seem like something worth crying over.

In the end, it came down to thin skin and lack of experience.

A knock on the car window startled her. She sat up and rolled it down, turning to the side.

Lu Zhan bent down and handed her a shopping bag with his long, elegant fingers.

Smiling, he said:

“Almost forgot—this is a gift for you.”

Yu Qing met his gaze and gave a slight smile. She reached out to accept it.

“Thank you. Drive safe, President Lu.”

Lu Zhan looked at her and said:

“I will.”

Yu Qing’s eyes crinkled into a gentle smile. She placed the gift in the passenger seat, waved to him, then slowly rolled up the window.

She lightly stepped on the gas and drove out of the parking spot.

Lu Zhan didn’t return to his car immediately. He stood there, watching the rear of her car disappear down the road.

They say the most powerful weapon is brutal honesty.

Yu Qing was still a rose with thorns—not yet fully bloomed. Though she appeared elegant and composed, her heart was still fragile.

Lu Zhan pressed his lips together.

For the first time, he thought—he had been cruel.

Yu Qing drove all the way home.

She didn’t even bring the gift upstairs.

She just went straight up, locked the door behind her, and collapsed onto the couch.

Then she slowly began to reflect on everything—

Her behavior in front of Lu Zhan, the illusions that bouquet had sparked…

And in an instant, it all crumbled.

Her heart turned cold.

Yu Qing, admit it.

You’re not that easy to love.

The moment she thought that, everything she had done before surged back in a dense wave of shame.

Why did she send him that photo?

Why did she put herself in such a humiliating position?

She had done things like this before too.

Like when she had no real place in Xu Xu’s life, yet still interrogated him about his relationship with that female colleague.

Challenged him again and again.

Why did she do that?

Why did she throw herself into a whirlpool of humiliation?

Yu Qing suddenly raked her hands through her hair in frustration.

The next day.

She put on trousers.

And from that day on, she began wearing pants regularly—

Rarely putting on dresses anymore.

She buried herself in work.

Whether or not the drafts came out well—she stayed busy.

Even if the progress was slow, she stayed busy.

Ten days later.

She still had over half her drafts unfinished.

Wen Yang had returned home for her postpartum confinement.

Yu Qing brought some groceries over to Jinyu Mansion to visit Wen Yang and her godson.

It was afternoon—Wen Yang had just finished her third postpartum meal.

Yu Qing held the baby for a bit. His bright little eyes rolled around, staring up at her.

She poked his chubby cheek with her fingertip, and he leaned into her hand. Such a sweet, gentle little baby. Yu Qing’s heart softened just watching him.

A while later, the nanny came and carried the baby off for a bath.

Sunlight streamed into the room. Yu Qing turned to look at Wen Yang.

Wen Yang blinked and asked:

“That pantsuit—you got it in Hong Kong last year, right?”

Yu Qing smiled.

“Yeah, when you went to Hong Kong, I asked you to bring it back for me.”

Wen Yang chuckled gently:

“Right. I even tried it on for you.”

Yu Qing smiled brightly.

But Wen Yang could see something was off.

Yu Qing hadn’t posted anything to her Moments in days—very unusual.

According to Tao Li, she was wearing pants every day now, had even cut her hair short again—it had taken so long to grow out, and now she’d chopped it off.

Wen Yang thought for a moment, then asked:

“Didn’t you say you wanted to go on a trip? When are you planning to go?”

Yu Qing playfully pinched her cheek:

“What trip? I’ll wait till you finish your confinement.”

Wen Yang blinked:

“I won’t be able to go with you even when I’m out of confinement…”

“Then I’ll have to attend my godson’s one-month banquet.”

Wen Yang laughed, “Oh, that’s right.”

She looked at Yu Qing thoughtfully, then asked directly,

“Have you been feeling down lately?”

Yu Qing paused and met Wen Yang’s gentle eyes.

She pressed her lips together.

Wen Yang continued, “Tao Li said you seem off. Is it still because of Xu Xu?”

Yu Qing shook her head. Wen Yang simply looked at her and waited.

Yu Qing struggled internally for a moment, then gave in and opened up.

She ran her hand through her hair and told Wen Yang about what had happened between her and Lu Zhan.

Wen Yang was stunned and looked at Yu Qing in surprise.

Yu Qing said,

“Do you think I’m shameless?”

Wen Yang immediately shook her head:

“Of course not. Yu Qing, you’re just… panicked. I get it. You’re just scared and confused.”

Yu Qing’s eyes turned slightly red as she nodded:

“Yes, I am panicked. I wanted to distract myself… but I don’t understand why I ended up putting myself in such an awkward position again.”

Wen Yang held her hand and said softly:

“Have you ever thought—people only get flustered when they desire something too much? Do you remember what you told Tao Li before? You said President Lu was a playboy—not someone just anyone could handle. You warned her… but you ended up getting confused yourself.”

Yu Qing froze for a moment.

Then she let out a bitter laugh:

“You’re right. I used to be so clear-headed…”

“Exactly. You were clear-headed. You just haven’t fully healed from the hurt Xu Xu caused you.”

Yu Qing squinted, then suddenly let out a cold laugh:

“Yeah… I haven’t. That’s why I shifted my attention to Lu Zhan.”

“If I stopped expecting anything from anyone, I wouldn’t panic anymore.”

Wen Yang nodded: “Right.”

Yu Qing straightened up, a hint of light returning to her face. She smiled and said:

“I should just go travel like I originally planned. Whether I date or not, whether I’m pressured to marry or not—I don’t care anymore.”

Wen Yang smiled:

“Exactly. Whether you attend the baby’s one-month banquet or not doesn’t matter—just bring a gift when you’re back.”

Yu Qing: “Really?”

Wen Yang nodded and gave her a playful push:

“Really—go have fun.”

Yu Qing thought for a moment and said:

“Then I’ll check in with my clients.”

Wen Yang smiled: “Mm-hmm.”

Yu Qing gave her face a playful squeeze:

“Yangbao, you’re the best.”

Wen Yang quickly dodged:

“Stop pinching—you’re gonna leave a mark!”

Yu Qing teased:

“Where would it leave a mark…”

Then she turned her head—and saw a hickey on Wen Yang’s neck.

Yu Qing blinked.

Damn. What the hell, Fu Xingzhou?

Wen Yang hadn’t even finished her postpartum month yet—and he was already kissing her?

Right before leaving, Yu Qing was still uneasy and gave Wen Yang a few parting reminders.

At first, Wen Yang looked confused, but then she understood—and her cheeks turned red.

“It’s not like that… nothing happened…”

Yu Qing grinned:

“Good—nothing is best.”

Wen Yang watched her leave, her face burning red. She tugged at her collar.

Because the baby didn’t sleep with them that night, Fu Xingzhou had stayed with her instead.

Naturally, there had been cuddles. The night before, while they were talking in bed, he leaned down to kiss her, while murmuring softly into her neck…

He nuzzled and left a mark.

Since she’d made up her mind, Yu Qing spent the next week handling her work.

One of her clients—the wedding house one—was on a tight schedule. The other client wasn’t in a hurry. He told Yu Qing it was fine to design for him after she got back from her trip.

After she submitted the final draft for the wedding house and received the client’s feedback and finalized the renovation schedule,

Yu Qing packed her bags and set off for Beihai.

She had originally said she would go abroad,

but in the end, she decided— she wanted to travel around China first.

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here