Water and Fire~Chapter 80: She Comes with a Strong Force

 

Chapter 80: She Comes with a Strong Force

When I was your girlfriend, was I your only girlfriend?

Tan Shen seemed to be frozen by this question. He remained motionless and silent for a long moment.

He saw from the calm and resolute look Chu Qianmiao gave him that she already knew everything.

So, there was no need for elaborate arguments, which would only disgust her. It was better to tell the truth.

"I did have a girlfriend before you, but we broke up," Tan Shen said to Chu Qianmiao after a long silence.

"But when she came to see me, she told me that you broke up with her completely after you got together with me." Chu Qianmiao looked at Tan Shen and said softly, trying not to provoke him. "She said her name was He Luoyu."

Tan Shen stared at her, speechless.

Chu Qianmiao understood instantly. He Luoyu was telling the truth.

That day, He Luoyu, who had excused herself to go to the restroom, didn't. He Luoyu took her directly to the café on the first floor of the building.

After sitting down and ordering drinks, He Luoyu spoke with an elegant smile.

"You don't know me, do you? Tan Shen never mentioned me to you. I was his girlfriend before you."

At that moment, Chu Qianmiao didn't know if it was the coffee taking effect or He Luoyu's words that had lifted her spirits, but she wasn't as sleepy anymore.

She calmly told He Luoyu, "Senior, Tan Shen and I broke up years ago." Her implication was, "Senior, we're both ex-girlfriends, and we're from the same family. Why rush into this? Let's have a cup of coffee and make friends. I'll go upstairs to attend the training."

But the elegant and beautiful senior refused to be her kinsman and insisted on telling her some of the past.

"You know, it was Tan Shen who pursued me back then. He was four years younger than me, and my family was conservative. I was worried they'd disapprove if they found out, so when I agreed to his pursuit, I made one request: we keep our relationship secret. He agreed. So, at the time, not many people knew we were together."

"We were together secretly. Those days were beautiful and sweet, like a secret affair, fresh and exciting. Later, I went on an internship. Before the internship, I don't remember what it was about, but Tan Shen and I had an argument. I impulsively told him to get lost. He didn't say anything and just turned and walked away. I knew he had a temper, but I didn't want to try to appease him. We had a cold war, and I left Beijing for a while. We didn't contact each other during that time. When I came back, I heard someone say that Tan Shen, a handsome finance major, had a girlfriend. I thought they were talking about me and was shocked. But ironically, they weren't talking about me, they were talking about you."

"I went to Tan Shen to ask what was going on, and he actually said, 'Didn't I dump him?' He said that when we argued, my saying 'get out' was a breakup announcement, and our cold war and no contact was confirmation of that."

"I was so proud back then, I immediately formally broke up with him. But, Chu, he was already with you before that."

He Luoyu looked at Chu Qianmiao and said slowly, "So, for a while before that, he wasn't officially breaking up with me, but he was already with you. Do you understand what I mean?" She smiled. "What I mean is, if you had a fight with him one day and ignored him, he would think you were done and would go find another girlfriend."

Chu Qianmiao remained silent.

She didn't know how to evaluate Tan Shen's behavior. Perhaps in his own mind, a cold war and no contact constituted a breakup. But by worldly standards, he certainly lacked He Luoyu's formal breakup statement.

"Why are you telling me all this? And not back then, but now?" Chu Qianmiao asked, raising the question as she spoke again.

He Luoyu smiled elegantly. "Why I want to tell you this now is simple. I heard that Tan Shen has been pursuing you again since returning to China, and he's quite serious about it. When I broke up with him, I was certain that his relationship with you wouldn't last long, that he'd come back for me. But in the end, he left without either of us. Now I hear he's seriously pursuing you again. To be honest," He Luoyu's pretty face radiated elegance, undimmed by her ill-intentioned words. "I don't want you two to be together again. I'm heartbroken. So, I have to let you know what Tan Shen is really like."

Chu Qianmiao sat silently on the sofa.

Unable to dissuade Tan Shen from pursuing her, He Luoyu came to tell her that he was unreliable and unworthy of her. This woman was truly heartbroken.

She looked at He Luoyu before her. Her makeup was exquisite, her demeanor elegant, her clothes impeccable, and her clothes and bags all luxury brands. She must be doing well, her income must be among the best among her peers. She was undoubtedly a successful person, but she still harbored a lingering grudge against Tan Shen.

She thought Tan Shen truly possessed a knack for inflicting harm on women.

She asked He Luoyu a question in a quiet voice, "Excuse me, Senior He, how did you hear that Tan Shen was pursuing me again?"

He Luoyu elegantly pinched the handle of her coffee cup with three fingers, brought it to her lips, and took a sip. She smiled and said, "A friend. The financial world is so small, with alumni and alumni of alumni everywhere. It's easy to find out." She paused, then smiled, cupping her coffee cup. "You think I'm really here to see an old classmate today? I'm here to see you. Tan Shen pursued me and betrayed me, and if he pursues you, he'll betray you too. No one can truly tie him down. Junior Chu, don't be silly. Stay away from him. Don't be with him."

Chu Qianmiao had originally decided to distance herself from Tan Shen and not give him any romantic urges. But there was no need for her to tell He Luoyu this.

As for the entanglement between He Luoyu and Tan Shen, that was their business, and she didn't want to hear about it anymore.

The day after she separated from He Luoyu, she had dinner with two senior students. They told her that the dorm social gathering was orchestrated by Tan Shen because he had long had a crush on her.

She was stunned by the bubbling sound of the hot pot. She was a little touched by his thoughtfulness for her. But then she thought about what He Luoyu had said the day before and realized that Tan Shen had just had a fight and a cold war with He Luoyu.

Even if he equated a fight and a cold war with a breakup, his feelings for her were still too close to the end of his previous relationship.

So, besides a little touch of emotion, she was more filled with a mixture of fear.

In the private room of the Japanese restaurant, Chu Qianmiao looked at Tan Shen.

Since everything was out in the open, it would be better to just lay it all out.

"Ah Shen, you said that being touched always turns to love. I've thought about it before. Should I give you and myself a chance and try again? I'm also trying to summon emotions other than being touched, like liking, being attracted, and feeling attached."

"But I feel like I've lost my sense of security with you. Especially after Senior He Luoyu told me about your relationship with her, and how you and her had already carefully planned a dorm party to prepare for your next relationship without explicitly breaking up. I should have been touched by your thoughtfulness, but honestly, besides being touched, I'm more afraid. I'm afraid that if I become your girlfriend, I'll end up like He Luoyu."

"I didn't want to bring up He Luoyu with you. We've broken up, and everything's in the past. So I thought, let it go. Wouldn't it be better for us to just be respectful friends? But you insist on asking why we can't be together anymore. Then I have to tell you, it's because you make me feel insecure."

Chu Qianmiao spoke slowly and softly. There was no complaint, no accusation, just a statement.

She tried her best not to provoke Tan Shen.

But Tan Shen's fist, resting on the table, was shaking.

He laughed, a cruel smile. "Chu Qianmiao, you're so cruel." With shaking hands, he picked up the sake and downed it in one gulp.

"Who told you to say those words? Can't you just keep it to yourself? Can't you leave me with something to remember? The past is the past. Can't you see what I've become now?"

He slammed the wine cup on the table. "So now, are you sentencing me to death? Telling me there's no hope for us? No, I don't accept that. I say again, pursuing you is my right, and I won't give up. Open your eyes and see. I'm not the Tan Shen I used to be. I'm the Tan Shen who can make you feel safe. Can't you see how I've changed? Can't you? Tell me, I, you..."

Tan Shen was in a state of confusion, unsure of what he wanted to say. He suddenly cried out, "Ah!" and slammed the table hard.

The plates and cups all jumped on the table.

Chu Qianmiao held the table steady, picking up the fallen wine jug. She saw the sinister look in Tan Shen's eyes, his face livid, and a vein throbbing in his forehead. She couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Ah Shen, calm down," she urged softly.

"I can't calm down."

"Ah Shen..."

"Shut up," Tan Shen snapped. "Chu Qianmiao, please shut up, please stop talking. Please, just leave me a way out."

Tan Shen's eyes reddened. Chu Qianmiao felt bad.

Everything in this world can be forced. She could force herself to work on projects for the heartless Qian Siji, despite her distaste. She could force herself to forget Cui Xijie's hypocrisy and smile at him. She could force herself to temporarily tolerate Qiao Zhixin's continued pursuit of fame for the sake of the greater good.

But only matters of the heart couldn't be forced. She felt bad for this, for Tan Shen and for herself.

Tan Shen's phone rang.

He took a deep breath and waved his hand at her. "Please shut up, please don't say anything. Let me take the call."

He inhaled and exhaled, appearing to have regained his composure.

But his trembling hands betrayed him. The phone bounced and danced in his grip as he answered the call.

He was shaking so much that he accidentally pressed the speakerphone button.

Chu Qianmiao heard a male voice ask, "Mr. Tan, the deputy director of the department next door is leaving. Several people from the project team are having a farewell party tonight. Just checking if you can come."

Tan Shen replied curtly, "Yes."

After hanging up, he slammed the phone onto the table, resting his hands on his lap and looking down.

Chu Qianmiao waited silently, waiting for him to either become hysterical or completely indifferent.

But in the end, neither happened.

When he looked up again, he was just as smiling and sunny as when he had walked in an hour ago.

"Qian Miao, I wanted to take you to the movies tonight, but you see, I'm busy. I'll see you another day."

He picked up his suit jacket and stood up. He lowered his head and smiled at Chu Qian Miao, who was looking up at him. "I'm going back to the office now, so I won't see you off. By the way, the bill's already been paid."

Chu Qian Miao watched him put on his suit jacket, walked to the door, and then suddenly paused.

He didn't turn around, his back facing her. He rested one hand on the door, his head lowered, his voice muffled as he spoke.

"Qian Miao, I hate my past self too. I was too self-willed, too self-centered, and too unstable. But I'm really changing. Don't judge me by one blow." He paused, then chuckled softly, a hint of self-mockery and sadness in his tone. "Qian Miao, you're my obsession. I can't live without you."

With that, he opened the door and walked out.

Chu Qian Miao looked at his back, feeling down.

She really wanted to ask him if what she couldn't obtain turned into obsession. But once he achieved it, his obsession was satisfied, and everything was no longer what it once was, would he still cherish it?

Besides, isn't it true that if someone develops an obsession in this life, then that thing is theirs? She had obsessions too, otherwise she wouldn't have fallen for the same person twice. But she let go of them and stopped tormenting herself. The Buddha said, "Lay down the butcher knife and you will instantly become a Buddha." Letting go of obsessions is no different.

She hoped everyone could let go of their obsessions, and become a Buddha instantly.

The next afternoon, Qin Qianyu was in the conference room, ostensibly attending a training session, but actually huddled in the back row with Chu Qianmiao, gossiping. Liu Lifeng didn't know what was wrong with him. In the past, he'd sat in the front row next to Ren Yan during training sessions, listening intently. But now he'd changed. This time, wherever Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu sat, he'd follow them. Whenever they talked, he'd chime in with a sarcastic tone.

Qin Qianyu whispered to Chu Qianmiao, "Brother, I heard there's a new beautiful girl joining the Quality Control Department this morning who jumped from an investment company."

Chu Qianmiao: "Brother, I'm a woman. Let me know if you hear about any handsome guys."

Liu Lifeng said sarcastically, "Hey, Chu Qianmiao, this new girl is cool and sexy. Don't think you're the only pretty girl in the company."

Chu Qianmiao: "Thank you. You mentioned my beauty again."

Liu Lifeng choked and glared. "Why do you feel so good about yourself? You're so shameless!"

His voice was a little loud, and Ren Yan glanced back at them. They immediately sat up straight and ignored each other.

Ren Yan turned his head back, and Chu Qianmiao bared her teeth at Liu Lifeng. "Liu Lifeng, wait until I pass the insurance agency exam and become my subordinate. The first thing I'll do is order you to tear your own mouth apart."

"Heh." Liu Yifeng sneered.

Qin Qianyu patted Liu Lifeng. "Go away! Don't interrupt! Kan Qingzhou's sitting over there. Go and defeat him." He turned back and whispered to Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, listen to me. The key point is, the receptionist, Yu Lizi, told me that when that beautiful woman reported to the company this morning, she spoke to CEO Ren for quite a while. What does this mean? It means they know each other. There seems to be something interesting in their eyes."

Chu Qianmiao's heart skipped a beat.

From an investment company. A cold and beautiful woman. Knows Ren Yan.

She recalled the call Tan Shen had received yesterday, saying that the deputy director of the next department had resigned and changed jobs.

She also recalled what Tan Shen had said during their previous project in Shanghai: Li Tang had connections and acquaintances at Litong.

She wondered if the person who jumped to Litong's Quality Control Department was Li Tang.

She whispered to Qin Qianyu, "Brother Qin, what's the name of the new beauty in the Quality Control Department?"

Qin Qianyu rolled his eyes, thought for a long time, then turned back, slapped his thigh, and said, "Oh, I can't remember. Sorry, my wife has trained me to lose the ability to remember other women's names."

Liu Lifeng grumbled sarcastically, "You're so stupid! You're even suggesting she's the sponsor representative? That woman's name is Li Tang."

Although she had more or less guessed, Chu Qianmiao couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah!" when the answer was officially announced.

Ren Yan, who was sitting in the front row of the conference room, turned his head and looked in their direction. Chu Qianmiao instinctively shrank back.

A few seconds later, Chu Qianmiao, Qin Qianyu, and Liu Lifeng's phones all vibrated.

A message popped up in the department's work group chat.

Ren Yan, Qin Qianyu, Liu Lifeng, and Chu Qianmiao, each write a summary of today's training and send it to my email this evening.

Chu Qianmiao, Qin Qianyu wailed, and Liu Lifeng turned and called Chu Qianmiao "the source of trouble."

Chu Qianmiao didn't bother to confront him. She had a vague feeling that Li Tang was coming at her with a menacing presence.