When the three of them got home, Xu's mother had already prepared the meal. The two kids cheered and ran towards Xu's mother and father.
Xu Qingqing noticed that Xu Yan was not at the dinner table, so she asked, "Mom, Dad, where's big brother?"
Xu's father and mother exchanged a look, both with smiles in their eyes.
Xu's mother even lowered her voice and said, "Your big brother had a college reunion today. He still hasn't come back yet. Judging from Mom's rich experience, he must have met a girl he fancies."
"I remember he had a girlfriend in college. They just broke up after graduation."
"Oh, I told him back then to bring this girlfriend home, but he just wouldn't listen. Now look, he's getting old and still not married. He doesn't even have a girlfriend."
Hearing this, Xu Qingqing said helplessly, "Mom, don't worry so much. Besides, big brother is only 28. It's the best age. Many people get married and have children late these days. What are you afraid of?"
"Not to mention 28, even at 35, big brother would still be a catch!"
Hearing Xu Qingqing's words, Xu's mother beamed, "You girl, you're so good at talking. Well, I hope your big brother won't come back tonight. It wouldn't bother our family if he turns the raw rice into cooked rice."
Xu Qingqing:... She found that her mother was really keeping up with the latest trends.
She winked at An An and Yi Yi. The two little guys successfully diverted their parents' attention, which made Xu's mother stop harping on Xu Yan.
At about twelve o'clock, Xu Qingqing felt a bit hungry, so she went downstairs to look for something to eat. Just then, she ran into Xu Yan who was just coming in.
"Big brother, why did you come back so late? You're reeking of alcohol. How much did you drink? You rarely drank before."
Xu Qingqing didn't care about looking for things anymore. She quickly came over to help him up. Smelling the alcohol on him, she had a hunch that something unusual had happened at the reunion.
She poured a glass of water for Xu Yan to drink.
Xu Yan slumped on the sofa, his eyes full of desolation.
Xu Qingqing sighed softly, "Did you meet Sister Jing Zhen?"
"Yes, she's married." Xu Yan sighed.
"What?" Xu Qingqing almost dropped the water cup in her hand on Xu Yan.
Xu Yan glanced at her, "Are you that surprised? You're only 25 this year, but you already have a child."
Xu Qingqing glared back at him, "Big brother, that's not how you should put it. I had special circumstances. It's different for you and Sister Jing Zhen. I've heard about your relationship back then. You two were the campus belle and campus hunk, a perfect match."
"Even though Sister Jing Zhen left without saying goodbye back then and only left you a text message saying she wanted to break up, at the class reunion, you should have cleared up what happened back then. I thought you two could rekindle your love."
"Wait... Big brother, is it possible that Sister Jing Zhen is lying to you? Maybe she's not actually married, but has some unspeakable difficulties?"
Xu Qingqing kept making excuses for Jing Zhen. She just didn't want to believe that the other party was already married.
Xu Yan looked at his sister helplessly, "She was wearing a wedding ring, and her good friend knew about her marriage. They just never told me."
"Even her good friend Yan Mo wants to pursue me. Qingqing, tell me how things ended up like this. I can't even tell the truth from the lies anymore. I don't know what I really want to know."
Xu Qingqing sensed something was wrong. She cut a fruit for Xu Yan and said, "Big brother, don't worry. Take your time and tell me. I'll help you analyze it."
Xu Yan gave a bitter smile, "Okay, then get me some wine."
"Wine? Alright!" Xu Qingqing was really curious, so she fetched some red wine.
After taking a sip of wine, Xu Yan began to tell his story slowly.
"Originally, I just planned to drop by the class reunion and leave. I didn't expect Jing Zhen to come. Once I saw her, I couldn't see anyone else."
"She's changed. She used to have long, black hair that always smelled faintly sweet. But when I saw her again, there was no light in her eyes. Her hair looked dry, and she was much thinner than before."
"Looking at her, it was like looking at a flower that was about to wither at any moment."
At this point, Xu Yan looked at Xu Qingqing, "Qingqing, you've seen her before. You even praised her for being beautiful, like a fairy descending to the mortal world."
Xu Qingqing nodded and echoed Xu Yan, "Yes. Big brother, did you ask Sister Jing Zhen if there were any problems in her life? We may not have much of other things, but we can lend her money."
Xu Yan shook his head with a bitter smile, "With her personality, she would never ask me for money."
"In her eyes, love is priceless and sacred. She wanted to be with me back then because she thought our worldviews were the same and our personalities were compatible. She never wanted to gain any benefits from me."
"So when something happened to her family and her father fell seriously ill and needed a lot of money for treatment, she would rather marry a man in his forties than ask me for help."
"I learned about this from her friend Yan Mo. I stopped her and asked her why she left without saying goodbye back then, but she didn't say anything."
"Not long after, her former good friend Yan Mo also came."
"Unlike Jing Zhen, Yan Mo was dressed stylishly and had a graceful figure. There was a hint of sharpness in her eyes from time to time, showing a bit of the dignity of a superior. I then learned that Yan Mo's family owned a company. She inherited the family business after graduation and is now the general manager."
Hearing this, Xu Qingqing couldn't help asking, "Big brother, you said before that Yan Mo and Sister Jing Zhen were good friends. It's understandable that Sister Jing Zhen didn't ask you for help, but why didn't she even ask Yan Mo for help?"
"Don't blame me for being paranoid, but could it be that Sister Jing Zhen asked Yan Mo for help, but was rejected?"
"You just said that Yan Mo likes you. Could it be that Yan Mo took this opportunity to force Sister Jing Zhen to marry that old man so that she could have a chance with you?"
Xu Yan tapped Xu Qingqing on the head, "Your imagination is really rich, but that's not the case. When something happened to Jing Zhen's family, she didn't tell anyone."
"In her opinion, this was her family's business and there was no reason to drag others into it. Moreover, the money her father needed was not just a few thousand or ten thousand yuan, but hundreds of thousands."
"For her, who was still a college student at that time, do you think she could have the nerve to ask a college best friend for hundreds of thousands of yuan? And Yan Mo was very low - key in college. The clothes she wore were only a few hundred yuan. No one ever knew about her family background."