Beijing Colors Lingering

Qiao Yunshu stared down at her phone screen, unsure what Song Yubai wanted to say. Seeing that it was still early, she thought for a moment, then typed: "Okay, I'll be right out."

Qiao Yunshu told her parents that she had to go out and then got up to leave.

When Song Yubai saw Qiao Yunshu, a slight smile curved his lips. "Yunshu."

Qiao Yunshu walked up to Song Yubai and asked directly, "What do you want to say?"

After saying that, she suddenly thought of a possibility and tentatively asked, "Don't you want to break off your engagement with my sister? Can you let me be the mediator?"

Song Yubai chuckled softly and shook his head, "It has nothing to do with Yun Ran."

"Oh..." Qiao Yunshu nodded slightly, then asked hesitantly, "So what do you want to say?"

A faint glimmer of hope rose in Song Yubai's eyes as he asked gently, "Yun Shu, do you like He Sinian?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Yunshu was stunned. She hadn't expected Song Yubai to ask her this question.

Does she like He Sinian?

The answer is uncertain.

However, she definitely has feelings for He Sinian.

Seeing that she remained silent, Song Yubai called out to her, "Yun Shu?"

Qiao Yunshu immediately came to her senses, looking puzzled. "Why did you ask me that question?"

Song Yubai's deep, slow voice rang out: "Because I want to know if you have someone you like right now."

Qiao Yunshu felt that his words were a bit strange. After hesitating for a while, she said, "He Sinian is my boyfriend, and we will be getting engaged soon."

Song Yubai readily agreed, saying, "Yunshu, your sister and I have no feelings for each other. We only pretended to agree to the engagement back then."

Qiao Yunshu pursed her lips slightly, "Hmm...you're about to break off your engagement."

Song Yubai asked her again, "Yun Shu, do you like He Sinian? If you are with him out of necessity, I can help you."

The moonlight was like water, and its clear, bright light fell on Qiao Yunshu.

After a long silence, she slowly opened her lips: "Song Yubai, what happened between He Sinian and me is none of your business, and I don't need your help with anything."

Song Yubai stared intently at her, remaining silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking: "Yun Shu, I know you used to like..."

"Song Yubai." Qiao Yunshu suddenly spoke, interrupting him, and then said, "If you don't have anything important to say, I'll go in first."

A moment later, Song Yubai's clear and steady voice slowly rang out: "Yun Shu, I have never liked Yun Ran. Back then, it was... it was something I had no choice but to do."

Qiao Yunshu lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the tips of her shoes. After a few seconds of silence, she asked him, "Did you know everything before?"

Song Yubai nodded honestly, "Yes, I know."

Qiao Yunshu pursed her lips and smiled silently, "But you pretended not to know anything and chose to get engaged to my sister."

Song Yubai hurriedly explained, "I had my reasons back then, which is why I'm breaking off my engagement with Yun Ran now. Yun Shu, the person I've always loved is you."

Hearing Song Yubai's last words, Qiao Yunshu felt a mix of emotions.

If this had happened a few years ago, she would have been overjoyed to know that Song Yubai also liked her.

But now, after a brief moment of stunned silence, she felt completely calm.

At this moment, Qiao Yunshu spoke very calmly: "I know you were in a difficult situation back then."

Song Yubai asked cautiously, "Yun Shu, do I still have a chance to pursue you?"

Qiao Yunshu slowly raised her head, stared at him, and said, word by word, "Song Yubai, I already have a boyfriend, and we're getting engaged soon."

“But you haven’t been together for long, so you can break up,” Song Yubai said in a low voice.

"Song Yubai, I don't like you anymore." Qiao Yunshu smiled with relief. "Also, let's not meet alone anymore. I don't want any misunderstandings."

The moment she finished speaking, she immediately turned and left.

Song Yubai watched Qiao Yunshu's departing figure, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

Does he regret his decision back then?

Actually, I don't regret it.

In order to become the heir of the Qiao family, Qiao Yunran needs a marriage partner of equal social standing.

He also needs to take control of the Song family as soon as possible and completely kick those illegitimate children out of the picture.

Therefore, the two ambitious individuals chose to cooperate.

There was only self-interest between them; there was absolutely no affection between them from beginning to end.

Faced with Qiao Yunshu's feelings for him, he could only pretend not to know and suppress his own feelings without hesitation.

He has been living abroad for the past few years, focusing on developing the Song family's overseas businesses.

When he learned that Qiao Yunshu had a marriage prospectus, he guessed that they definitely had no feelings for each other, and that he would definitely have a chance to be with her after he and Qiao Yunran broke off their engagement.

Therefore, he returned to China as quickly as possible.

However, after witnessing the interaction between Qiao Yunshu and He Sinian, he realized that their relationship was not simply one of marriage alliance.

Therefore, he felt very flustered, which is why he was so eager to express his feelings to Qiao Yunshu today.

He was overconfident, thinking that Qiao Yunshu would always secretly like him.

He was ultimately not so lucky; nothing went as he wished.

-

As soon as Qiao Yunshu entered the hall, she heard Qiao Yunran's voice—

"I just went to see Song Yubai."

"Mm." Qiao Yunshu nodded slightly, naturally not hiding anything from her.

Qiao Yunran crossed her arms and looked at her lazily, saying, "If you like him, you can be with him. You don't need to consider any other factors, let alone my thoughts."

Qiao Yunshu shook her head decisively, her tone firm: "Sister, I don't like Song Yubai."

She only liked him in the past; it's all in the past now.

"Just think it through yourself. If there's anything you can't resolve, just tell me."

After speaking, Qiao Yunran shrugged indifferently and didn't say anything more.

Qiao Yunshu smiled and replied, "Sister, I understand."

When she returned to her room, she received another message from Song Yubai—

I'm sorry I didn't reciprocate your feelings before, but now I'm bothering you again.

After a long while, Qiao Yunshu did not reply to him, but simply exited the chat interface and turned off her phone screen.

Qiao Yunshu couldn't help but recall the past. The Qiao family and the Song family were both prominent families, and she had known Song Yubai since she was a child.

At the age when she was just beginning to experience romantic feelings, she realized that she had fallen in love with Song Yubai.

Whenever her gaze fell on Song Yubai, he would always give her a gentle smile. When they were alone, his eyes would sparkle with a subtle light, and he would gently touch the top of her head.

She thought that Song Yubai might like her too, so she decided to confess her feelings to him during her university years.

Qiao Yunshu remembered that when she was a freshman in college, the Song family was embroiled in a scandal involving an illegitimate child.

Not long after, the Qiao and Song families suddenly announced that Qiao Yunran and Song Yubai were engaged.

At their engagement party, Qiao Yunran and Song Yubai walked hand in hand into the banquet hall. The lights from the ceiling shone on them, making them look like the male and female protagonists in an idol drama.

Qiao Yunshu stood in the corner, staring blankly at the handsome man and beautiful woman.

Her eyes welled up slightly, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart. At the same time, she felt fortunate that she had not confessed her feelings to Song Yubai.

From then on, Qiao Yunshu chose to bury her secret forever.