Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 47

Already planned?

Xing Qingru’s voice was as cold as ice, and every word was filled with deliberate determination, hitting He Ping’an’s heart.

“I bought that villa for you in a neighboring city.” She lowered her eyes and covered the rising moisture in her eyes with her long eyelashes. She pinched her fingertips into her palms to force herself to calm down. “The formalities have been completed and the key is in the drawer at the entrance. From now on… don’t appear in front of me again.”

“Next door?” He Ping’an’s voice was hoarse, and 188’s figure shook as if all his strength had been drained away. “So you had already planned it? Planned to drive me away, planned to marry Song Zhili, planned to write off everything we had in the past thirteen years?”

He stepped closer, the pain in his eyes mixed with the unbelievable questioning, almost overwhelming him: “Xing Qingru, look at me! Are you telling the truth? Are you really willing to marry someone you don’t love at all, and are you really willing to give up our relationship of more than ten years?”

Xing Qingru took a step back suddenly, avoiding his scorching gaze, and said in a tone as hard as stone: “Yes. I am willing. The benefits that marriage can bring to the Xing family are something you will never be able to give. As for feelings… they are worthless in the face of family interests.”

She deliberately emphasized the words “worthless”, as if she was trying to convince him, more like she was trying to convince herself.Grandpa’s threat was still echoing in her ears – “Is he still alive to see you?” These words haunted her like a spell, making her dare not hesitate in the slightest.

He Ping’an froze in place, looking at the “coldness” in her eyes, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and he was so painful that he couldn’t breathe.He knew that she was strong and that she always put her family first, but he never thought that she would be so ruthless, so ruthless that she would cut off all the ties between them with her own hands.

“Okay.” After a long time, he spoke slowly, with a desperate despair in his voice, “I’m leaving.”

He didn’t look at the drawer in the entrance hall, nor did he look at Xing Qingru again. He turned around and walked towards the door step by step.The tall back looked particularly lonely in the warm light, and every step seemed to step on a broken heart.

The moment the door was gently closed, Xing Qingru could no longer hold on and slid to the ground along the cold wall.The pretense of strength suddenly collapsed, and tears burst out uncontrollably, hitting the floor and leaving a small wet mark.

“Ping An, I’m sorry…” She covered her face, her voice choked with sobs, “Only by letting you go can you be safe. When I take care of everything, I will definitely go find you…”

But He Pingan could never hear these words again.The villa in the neighboring city was the farthest place she could think of from this whirlpool. She just hoped that he would be safe and smooth, even if the cost was that they would never see each other again.And can the “safety” obtained by parting be what she wishes?The tea cup was smashed over with a sharp crashing sound, shattering into porcelain pieces at his feet. The hot tea splashed onto his trousers, causing a stinging pain.

“Qiu Sheng, you disappoint me so much!” The old man clutched his chest, trembling with anger, and his cloudy eyes were full of pain and sorrow, “I have worked hard to cultivate you for so many years, and this is how you repay me? Getting together with a picked-up bastard has brought disgrace to the Song family!”

I froze in place, my fingertips were cold, and my heart was full of mixed feelings.The word “disappointment” was like a heavy hammer, knocking me out of breath.Maybe the old man was right, I did let him down and put myself in such an embarrassing situation.

“Tomorrow you will be transferred to a neighboring city for development. You don’t have to come back!” The old man’s tone was unquestionable and decisive, “As for you, Song Zhili!”

He turned his eyes to the person next to him, and tapped the ground with his crutch: “Get married to your in-laws, and I will leave all the property here to you! But I can only give the core assets and shares of the Song family to Qiu Sheng, don’t even think about it!”

The air suddenly became stagnant.I turned to look at Song Zhili. His face was as pale as paper, his lips were pursed into a straight line, and his eyes were full of pain, struggle and unwillingness.He stared at me, as if he wanted to carve my image into his bones. After a long time, he slowly lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice: “I…promise you.”

Three words, as light as a feather, but heavy enough to hit my heart.

I turned away, not daring to look into his eyes again.Maybe this ending is really the best.He got the Song family’s property, got rid of the label of “picked up bastard”, and had a bright future; I was transferred to a neighboring city, away from this entanglement, and could start my own life again.We shouldn’t have crossed paths in the first place. This absurd love was a mistake from the beginning.

Seeing that he had compromised, the old man’s face softened a little, but he was still cold-faced: “Since you agreed, just settle down! Start preparing for the wedding starting tomorrow, and don’t let me hear any more gossip!”

Song Zhili didn’t speak, but his body was trembling slightly, and his fingertips were clenched until veins popped out.

I took a deep breath, suppressed the sourness in my heart, and said calmly: “Grandpa, I will go to the neighboring city tomorrow.”

There was no quarrel, no retention, this farce involving family interests and secret emotions seemed to be finally coming to an end.I just don’t know why, but looking at Song Zhili’s lonely back and thinking that we will never see each other again from both ends of the world, my heart feels empty, as if something important is missing.The lighting in the apartment still retains the warm tone it had before leaving. The suitcase is spread out in the center of the living room. Lin Zhiqing is helping to fold the last few shirts into it, as if he is used to this kind of running around.”Mr. Song has already said hello. The office area of ​​the branch in the neighboring city has been tidied up. We have an early flight tomorrow morning. Now we can check if there is anything left behind.” His voice was gentle and professional, but he didn’t mention anything about the old house.

I nodded and glanced at the unfinished book on the bookshelf. The bookmark was still on the page that Song Zhili had folded for me.As I stroked the cover with my fingertips, I suddenly remembered that he had used the light of the desk lamp to help me mark the key points in the study room late at night. The warmth of his fingertips seemed to still remain on the page.But it was only for a moment that I withdrew my hand and stuffed the book into the side pocket of my suitcase—since I decided to start over, I shouldn’t keep these thoughts anymore.

“It’s all here.” I closed the zipper of the suitcase, my voice so calm that even I was surprised.Lin Zhiqing glanced at me, hesitated to speak, and finally handed me a glass of warm water: “Go to bed early, we have to catch a flight tomorrow.”

As the night wore on, the apartment was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the clock.I leaned on the sofa without turning on the lights. The neon lights outside the window were reflected through the glass, casting mottled light and shadow on the floor.Song Zhili should still be in the old house at this moment, right?Perhaps he was discussing the details of the wedding with the young lady he was marrying, perhaps he was dealing with the property that the old man had given him, or perhaps he would occasionally think of the past in this apartment?

I shook my head and suppressed those chaotic thoughts.The sunshine in neighboring cities will be different from here. A new job and a new environment will always dilute these surging emotions.Lin Zhiqing’s company is like a gentle medicine, without too much questioning, just the right amount of support, and that’s enough.