Chapter 454

Chapter 454 This Problem Is So Tangled

There are many things that are inherently simple, and cutting through the mess with a sharp blade often yields better results than taking a slow and measured approach.

　　This one move by Lin Aoxue completely stunned Su Rui, and equally stunned Qin Yueran, who had been holding the upper hand all along.

　　Su Rui stared blankly as Lin Aoxue’s alluring red lips pressed seamlessly against his own, his body suddenly going rigid!

　　If this had happened half an hour ago, being kissed so forcefully by the Lin family’s eldest daughter would have absolutely made him respond with enthusiasm, and he might have even done something not suitable for children right there in that private room.

　　But now, faced with this tempting and irresistible kiss, Su Rui didn’t dare show any response in front of Qin Yueran.

　　Even so, he was still deeply shaken by Lin Aoxue’s boldness!

　　Having known this eldest daughter of the Lin family for so long, she had always given people the impression of an ice-cold beauty, a glacier that would never thaw.

　　It was precisely because of this that Lin Aoxue’s actions at this moment carried such a powerful impact!

　　Lin Aoxue had never been in a relationship, and naturally had no experience with kissing whatsoever. In her heart, she even harbored a faint resistance toward matters between men and women — if she could help it, Lin Aoxue would rather remain single for life than accept the pursuit of men who coveted her family background, status, and looks.

　　Yet this time, right in front of her “rival,” Lin Aoxue did something even she herself could never have imagined! She offered up her first kiss without a moment’s hesitation!

　　A first kiss with no technique to speak of, only courage — but for Lin Aoxue, that was more than enough!

　　Qin Yueran watched Lin Aoxue with her eyes closed and Su Rui with his eyes wide open, and suddenly felt a bitterness creeping into her heart.

　　No matter how much she had dominated the conversation before, no matter how many times she had kissed Su Rui before, Lin Aoxue’s bold act in this private room already meant that she, Qin Yueran, had been outshone.

　　Qin Yueran believed that Lin Aoxue had done this because her feelings had moved her to it, not simply out of unwillingness to lose.

　　It was also time for her to leave.

　　…………

　　At this moment, Lin Aoxue still hadn’t let go of Su Rui’s lips.

　　With no experience at all, she even thought that staying perfectly still like this was what a real kiss was supposed to be.

　　Only the Lin family’s eldest daughter herself knew that the instant her lips touched Su Rui’s, her heart had nearly leapt out of her throat!

　　A full half minute later, Lin Aoxue — now transformed into a fierce warrior — finally released Su Rui’s lips with fierce resolve. Her pretty face had flushed so red it looked ready to drip, yet her gaze remained brave.

　　Su Rui was still in a state of disbelief, not yet having come back to his senses.

　　It hadn’t even crossed his mind what kind of uproar it would cause in Ninghai if news got out that he had been forcibly kissed by Lin Aoxue, or how many men would want to drag him out and flick him to death.

　　”Ahem.”

　　Qin Yueran cleared her throat, pulling the two of them back from the tender atmosphere they were lost in.

　　The queen of Junlan walked up to Lin Aoxue and said with a smile, “I’m not sure why, but standing here in front of you two, I actually feel like a third wheel.”

　　There was a faint but unmistakable trace of bitterness in her smile.

　　Hearing such dejected words come from the usually confident Qin Yueran, Su Rui didn’t feel great either.

　　When it came to women, was his inability to choose and his inability to refuse causing them even greater harm?

　　The illustrious fourth daughter of the Qin family, with her perfect figure and stunning looks — countless elites in both the capital and Ninghai would have gladly fallen at her feet. Yet Qin Yueran had gone and fallen for this one guy who put her through so much grief.

　　One willing to give, one willing to receive — it was Qin Yueran’s own choice. Having followed her heart, she had no choice but to press forward.

　　Ever since the wedding-crashing incident, the Qin family and the Ouyang family had completely fallen out, and not a single man in the vast capital dared to marry this woman said to bring extraordinary fortune to her husband. If she wanted to settle down for life, Qin Yueran had only one path left to walk!

　　Hearing Qin Yueran’s words of concession, Lin Aoxue — who had been going head-to-head with her just moments ago — shook her head: “You’ve had it hard too.”

　　”We’ve both had it hard,” Qin Yueran said with a smile. “You’re much braver than I imagined. I think, if it’s possible, the two of us could become very good friends.”

　　Hearing the reconciliatory tone in those words, Lin Aoxue was visibly surprised, and the expression on her face softened a little: “I think so too.”

　　Su Rui finally understood why women were said to be the most complex creatures in the world — one second they could be at each other’s throats, refusing to give an inch, and the next they could turn around and become the best of friends.

　　Qin Yueran glanced at Su Rui and explained, “To be honest, tonight I let my feelings cloud my judgment. Otherwise I never would have done something like this on impulse.”

　　”So, you two just carry on with whatever you were doing. This meal is on me.”

　　”Oh, and Aoxue, if you have time, we should go out for tea sometime.”

　　With that, Qin Yueran gently patted Lin Aoxue on the arm, didn’t spare Su Rui another glance, then turned and left, quietly pulling the door of the private room shut behind her.

　　What no one saw was that in the instant the door closed, a glistening tear slid down Qin Yueran’s smooth cheek from the corner of her eye.

　　She took the elevator all the way up to the rooftop, kicked off her heels, curled up on the sofa, and gazed at the starry sky, arms wrapped tightly around her own shoulders.

　　When you’re sad and there’s no one to comfort you, all you can do is hold yourself.

　　Qin Yueran couldn’t quite explain why she was putting herself through all this. She had been brave and given so much, again and again, only to be met with that guy dodging and running away.

　　Did she really matter less to him than Lin Aoxue?

　　Qin Yueran wanted to ask herself why she hadn’t just chosen an easier path back then, instead of insisting on walking this narrow, thorn-filled road full of obstacles.

　　She had never doubted the path ahead of her, nor had she ever underestimated how difficult her goal would be. It was only when she began to face these challenges head-on that she realized just how fragile she was.

　　”I said I wouldn’t give up.”

　　After a brief moment of sadness and hurt, Qin Yueran clenched her fist again. So what if her opponent was Lin Aoxue? Not only would she not flinch, she felt more driven than ever to keep going!

　　Do everything she needed to do, and if the final result still wasn’t satisfying, then she would just have to leave it to fate!

　　…………

　　In the private room, Su Rui looked at Lin Aoxue with a wry smile on his face.

　　Why must women make things hard for other women, and why must women make things hard for men?

　　Lin Aoxue looked at Su Rui, the flush still not fully faded from her face, and said softly, “Useless.”

　　The Lin family’s eldest daughter felt her assessment was entirely fair, because Su Rui’s performance just now had been truly pathetic — calling him a coward would almost be a compliment.

　　”Am I really that useless?” Su Rui said something that didn’t need saying.

　　Lin Aoxue shot him a contemptuous look. The answer was so obvious she couldn’t even be bothered to respond.

　　Although the several glasses of Royal Salute she’d had earlier had stirred something in her, those feelings had been pulled back to reality by Qin Yueran’s words.

　　Two exceptionally outstanding women, fighting over the same man — it was enough to make anyone laugh and cry at the same time.

　　”What are you going to do?” Lin Aoxue said.

　　”Do about what?” Su Rui started dodging again. When it came to matters of the heart, this guy’s greatest skill was playing dumb.

　　”Qin Yueran,” Lin Aoxue said, pausing for a moment, a flush spreading across her pretty face once more, “and me.”

　　She could tell that Su Rui had feelings for both her and Qin Yueran. Getting him to reject either one seemed unlikely, and getting him to accept just one seemed equally unlikely.

　　Even so, Lin Aoxue wanted an answer.

　　And although Lin Aoxue had only mentioned herself and Qin Yueran, working in the same company, she could see that Xia Qing and Zhou Anke also had feelings for Su Rui. And then there was that girl named Zhang Ziwei — whenever Su Rui came up, the anxious look on her face was absolutely genuine!

　　”I honestly haven’t figured this out.” Now that everything was out in the open, Su Rui saw no point in hiding anything further. “I don’t know the answer. It’s been bothering me for a long time.”

　　”Sigh.”

　　Lin Aoxue let out a rare sigh, a faint sense of melancholy showing through, and said, “We’ve both been drinking, so you can’t drive me home. I’ll have my driver Wang Yuan come pick me up.”

　　Su Rui nodded, as if turning something over in his mind.

　　Then Lin Aoxue said something that surprised him greatly: “Go check on Qin Yueran. Her emotions didn’t look very stable.”

　　Hearing this, Su Rui could hardly believe his ears!

　　Wasn’t love supposed to make people selfish? How could Lin Aoxue be so magnanimous as to tell him to go comfort Qin Yueran?

　　Su Rui immediately felt his head spinning. He had no idea what the right answer was, and even less idea how to face Qin Yueran — was he supposed to go give her an encouraging hug or something?

　　”Let’s just forget it. Tonight I’ll sleep at your place — it’s been a while since I’ve looked after you, and I should do my job.”

　　Seeing Su Rui’s troubled expression, a warmth like a spring breeze spread across Lin Aoxue’s face.

　　Wang Yuan drove the car while Su Rui and Lin Aoxue sat in the back. Neither of them carried the tender mood from earlier in the private room, but a faint, lingering sense of intimacy still drifted between them.

　　The whole ride passed in silence. No one knew what either of them was thinking after the breakthrough they had made that evening.

　　Wang Yuan kept cheerfully quiet. He was actually very much hoping to see Su Rui and the young miss get together — after all, it would give hope to countless underdogs looking to turn their lives around.

　　By the time they got back to the Lin family villa, the two elders had already gone to sleep. Lin Aoxue opened her bedroom door and was just about to say goodnight to Su Rui when she found him suddenly squeezing his way in.

　　”What do you think you’re doing?” Lin Aoxue asked in surprise.

　　”I’ve made up my mind. What you did to me in the private room tonight — I want to do it back to you.” As Su Rui said this, one hand had already slipped around Lin Aoxue’s slender waist.