Chapter 17: The Taste of Jealousy

Jiang Chuan couldn’t convince his father to help.

In the past, he might have asked Xiao Qingru for assistance, as her father could easily handle this. But their relationship had soured completely, and Qingru had made it clear she didn’t want to see him again. Jiang Chuan truly had no other option.

Besides, he was afraid that bringing up Du Wanqiu’s situation would push Qingru even further away.

“Sorry, I’ve let you down,” he told Du Wanqiu.

Du Wanqiu was resentful. She thought, Staying here wouldn’t inconvenience anyone, so why is everyone bullying a widow and her child?

And Jiang Chuan had he given up already? There were still a few days left why couldn’t he keep trying?

She forced a smile. “I know you’ve done all you can. Maybe this is just fate for my child and me. It’s fine if we can’t stay we’ll manage somewhere else.”

“Don’t give up,” he urged her. “If you ever run into trouble, write to me. I’ll help however I can.”

He took out some money and ration tickets he’d prepared. “Here’s 100 yuan. Raising a child alone isn’t easy, and you’ll need this.”

Du Wanqiu hesitated, fingers brushing the money. “Jiang, you’ve done more than enough for me. I can’t take it.”

Jiang Chuan was firm. “Take it it’ll make things easier for you.”

Touched, she replied, “No one has ever been this kind to me.”

Her eyes welled with tears that she quickly wiped away. She pressed the money back into his hand. “Your thoughtfulness means everything. This money is too much. I can’t take it.”

“This is for the child,” Jiang Chuan insisted. “I was there when he was born. He means a lot to me.”

Du Wanqiu understood but refused. “My in-laws would just take it if I brought it back, and it wouldn’t benefit the child.”

Her child started crying inside, and Du Wanqiu went in to nurse him. Jiang Chuan lingered by the door, unsure if he should enter or leave.

All he wanted was to help, but his family refused to support him, and money and tickets were all he could give. Quietly, he went inside, placed the money on the table, and left without a word.

Unbeknownst to him, rumors quickly spread that he and Du Wanqiu had spent time alone together. People claimed to have seen him enter her apartment and leave shortly after, adding their own interpretations.

The gossip spread like wildfire.

When Xiao Qingru’s mother heard, she was relieved her daughter had gotten out when she did. Otherwise, she would’ve been the one mocked.

Hadn’t Jiang Chuan always said he was above reproach? Well, let’s see him talk his way out of this one.

Jiang Chuan’s behavior might have been innocent, but his lack of boundaries was a mistake in itself. This kind of behavior would damage his reputation, no matter if the rumors were true or false.

When he was called in by his superiors to explain himself, Jiang Chuan was stunned. He had only intended to help a mother and child how had it become a matter of “improper conduct”?

He had barely been inside the apartment for half a minute, and yet people were twisting the story.

Confused and anxious, he wondered, Why do good intentions get misunderstood?

“Jiang,” his superior said, “we want you to submit a formal explanation. This incident is a serious matter.”

“There’s nothing between Du and me.”

“We believe you, but this statement is necessary.”

Bitterly, Jiang Chuan agreed. But this felt like a betrayal of his past decisions—he’d lost Qingru and ended his engagement over Du Wanqiu. Was all of that for nothing?

After leaving the office, Jiang Chuan felt lost. He wanted to explain himself, to show everyone that he had only been helping Du Wanqiu out of friendship.

But who could he confide in?

He was startled to realize he’d gradually lost touch with his friends, and even Qingru, the person he thought would never leave, was gone.

Wandering aimlessly, he ended up near the dance troupe’s building. Remembering the last time he’d seen Qingru, he paused.

He wanted to see her but dreaded it as well. This conflict cut him deeply.

How could he face the mother and child now? How would he ever dispel the rumors?

If he couldn’t, would Qingru see him as even more detestable?

He kept asking himself how things had come to this. This wasn’t the future he’d envisioned. They should have been getting married soon.

He stood in place for a long time until he saw her the person on his mind.

Without thinking, he stepped forward, wanting to reach her. But he froze when he saw the man beside her.

Though he only saw the man’s back, he knew who it was.

His face darkened. When had Qingru and Xu Muzhou become so close?

They exchanged a few words, and then Qingru laughed a bright, radiant smile he hadn’t seen in a long time.

For the first time, Jiang Chuan tasted the bitterness of jealousy.

So she could smile like that around someone else too.