Chapter 10 The Hidden Truth of the Past

Lu Qi'an hadn't paid much attention at first, until he saw the man who had gotten out of the car earlier supporting Qin Miaoyu as she stepped out. His expression changed abruptly; he strode over and took hold of Qin Miaoyu's left hand, which hung loosely at her side.

"Are you Miaoyu's friend? Thank you for bringing her back," he said.

Gu Cang frowned. "Who are you?"

"I'm Qin Miaoyu's husband," Lu Qi'an replied without a hint of embarrassment, raising Qin Miaoyu's hand in his own.

Though Qin Miaoyu might never have said so directly, Lu Qi'an could prove it himself—the ring on his finger was evidence enough!

Gu Cang stared at Lu Qi'an, his eyes inscrutable. He hadn't expected to meet Qin Miaoyu's husband so soon; it felt as abrupt as when he’d first learned that Qin Miaoyu had gotten married.

He only said, "You look a bit familiar."

It wasn't an idle comment. There was a streetlamp nearby—not overly bright, but sufficient to see faces clearly. The other's features and bearing were unmistakably familiar; he must have seen him somewhere before.

Lu Qi'an's obvious pride was instantly deflated. He too found the man before him somewhat familiar, though he was sure they hadn't interacted much.

He cleared his throat. "There are so many similar faces in the world; it's normal to run into someone who looks familiar."

Gu Cang's face remained doubtful as he sized Lu Qi'an up. His gaze finally settled on the small cake Lu Qi'an was holding, and anger began to rise on his face.

"Don't you know? Miaoyu hates strawberries—so much that just seeing them makes her nauseous. And you bought her strawberry cake?"

With a sharp slap, the cake and its box fell to the ground.

Lu Qi'an distinctly remembered that strawberries had once been Qin Miaoyu's favorite fruit. Every year, he’d have the Lu family arrange for premium strawberries from their overseas estate to be sent to the Qin family, as a token of gratitude to Qin Miaoyu. This tradition had never lapsed in the past two years, and no one from the Qin family had ever mentioned anything...

If Qin Miaoyu loathed strawberries to this extent, where had all those strawberries sent to the Qin family gone?

He frowned deeply, and before Qin Miaoyu could notice, he picked up the fallen cake and tossed it into the trash.

"Thank you, you've been very helpful. I'll take Miaoyu upstairs now," he said.

Qin Miaoyu wasn’t so drunk as to be unaware. Hearing Lu Qi'an's words, she added, "Gu Cang, you should head back. I'll go up with Qi'an."

"Alright, let’s meet again next time."

Lu Qi'an supported Qin Miaoyu back home, watching as she removed her makeup and washed up before escorting her to her room. He then went to the bathroom to wash up himself.

After tidying up, as he prepared to return to his room, he noticed an arm draped over the back of the living room sofa.

Walking over, he found Qin Miaoyu lying on the sofa, a half-filled glass of water on the coffee table. She wore a camisole nightdress she hadn't donned in days, and because she had twisted about, the hem had ridden up to mid-thigh, exposing a swath of pale skin.

Lu Qi'an dared not look; he averted his gaze and gently picked up Qin Miaoyu, carrying her toward her room.

As they neared the bed, Qin Miaoyu suddenly began to struggle. Sensing they both might tumble to the floor, Lu Qi'an shifted his hold, and both of them collapsed onto the soft bed, with Qin Miaoyu pinned beneath him.

The atmosphere should have been intimate, but Qin Miaoyu suddenly opened her eyes and glared fiercely at Lu Qi'an.

"Jiang Anqi, get out!"

Caught off guard, Lu Qi'an was shoved hard and fell straight to the floor.

He hurried to his feet but was met with a pair of eyes brimming with disgust and despair, causing a sharp, uncontrollable ache in his chest.

"Miaoyu, what's wrong?" he asked.

Qin Miaoyu only stared at him, offering no reply. When he tried to approach, she shrank away warily.

Worried she might fall off the bed, Lu Qi'an paused, gazed at her for a moment, then turned and left the room.

He sat down on the living room sofa, unable to shake the memory of those emotional eyes.

Jiang Anqi—if he remembered correctly, that was Qin Miaoyu’s former fiancé.

Before Qin Miaoyu’s engagement, Lu Qi'an had always thought his feelings for her were mere gratitude.

This story began about ten years ago.

The Lu family was a wealthy household, always attracting malicious intentions. When he was sixteen, he was kidnapped by someone seeking a hefty ransom from the Lu family.

Unfortunately, the news reached the Lu family's rivals first, nearly turning a kidnapping into a tragedy.

He was rescued only because, during a family trip, Qin Miaoyu had noticed something amiss and alerted the police, allowing them to act in time.

Soon after, his parents took him to the Qin family to express their thanks, and he met Qin Miaoyu for the first time.

But the Qin Miaoyu he encountered was nothing like the gentle girl her parents had described; she was impatient, almost annoyed with him.

After overhearing her murmured complaints, he stopped visiting in person, instead sending gifts to the Qin family to show his gratitude.

Still, he often visited South City to check in on the girl who had saved him.

Until Qin Miaoyu’s eighteenth birthday.

It was not only her birthday—it was also her engagement party.

The Qin family announced Qin Miaoyu’s engagement to Jiang Anqi of the Jiang family in South City just as Lu Qi'an arrived at the hotel banquet with his gift.

He looked up at the smiling Qin and Jiang families on stage, and at Qin Miaoyu, gentle and radiant beside her fiancé. The lights felt unbearably harsh.

Some inexplicable feeling welled up in his heart, making him realize his true emotions—too late. He could only force a smile and leave.

Not long after, the Lu Group needed someone to oversee overseas business expansion. He volunteered; his parents saw it as a good opportunity, and he spent the next three years abroad.

He never dared to inquire about Qin Miaoyu and Jiang Anqi’s relationship. Being from Jing City and having few friends in South City, he only learned much later that their engagement had been called off. He also heard that Jiang Anqi was a notorious flirt; he assumed this had led to the cancellation.

But judging from Qin Miaoyu's reaction earlier, something must have happened that left her deeply distressed.

Those eyes flashed through his mind again. Lu Qi'an rubbed his brow and picked up his phone from the coffee table.

He had intended to call Gu Feng to investigate, but considering the Jiang family’s influence in Jing City, he realized the truth wouldn’t be easy to uncover. Instead, he dialed a friend in South City.

After a few rings, a clear voice answered.

"Lu Qi'an, how rare—you actually remembered me?"

"Gu Xu'nan, we’ll catch up another time. I need to ask about something. When the engagement between Jiang Anqi of the Jiang family and Qin Miaoyu of the Qin family was called off, was there more to the story?"