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Chapter 22: Qiao Qiao, have you fallen in love with someone else?

Xie Yanli glanced at his reflection in the mirror of the private room, noticing the injury on his forehead. Catching a whiff of the alcohol on himself, he refused Shen Huaichuan’s suggestion and continued drinking one glass after another to drown his sorrows.

Seeing Xie Yanli’s obstinate behavior, Shen Huaichuan gave him a disapproving look full of frustration, but nonetheless stayed to drink with him.

The next morning, Chen Yang showed up carrying a large bouquet of fresh flowers and breakfast to visit Song Qiao. Song Qiao lay in her hospital bed, not sparing him a glance.

Shen Huaichuan knew Song Qiao was angry because he hadn’t come to accompany her the night before. He set the breakfast and flowers on the cabinet next to the bed, sat down beside her, and softened his voice, saying,
“Qiao Qiao, I know you’re upset with me. But I really had an important engagement last night that I couldn’t get away from.”

Song Qiao turned her back to him, ignoring him.

Chen Yang, seeing this, earnestly explained,
“Qiao Qiao, it was about that Lu Corporation project I’ve been working on for almost a year. Last night, I finally secured the deal. You should know how much Uncle Song values this project. After I finalized the agreement, he was so excited that he invited me to celebrate with drinks late into the night. That’s why I couldn’t come see you.”

Song Qiao froze slightly, then slowly sat up. Looking at Chen Yang in disbelief, she asked,
“You mean the Lu Corporation project? They agreed?”

Seeing her expression soften a little, Chen Yang smiled and nodded,
“Yeah, Lu Corporation. They gave our company a 20 million yuan order. We’ve already reached a preliminary agreement; we’re just waiting to sign the contract and deliver the products.”

Song Qiao knew exactly how much her father, Song Zhiming, valued Lu Corporation’s order. To be precise, it wasn’t just the Song family — every pharmaceutical company in Beijing wanted to cooperate with Lu Corporation. If Song Group could secure this channel, the company would rise to a new level.

However, Song Group was just a small pharmaceutical enterprise, far from meeting Lu Corporation’s standards for cooperation. With so many stronger companies available, why would Lu Corporation choose them?

She asked in confusion,
“Chen Yang, is Lu Corporation really going to sign a contract with my father’s company? Why would they choose Song Group?”

Chen Yang’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he hesitated briefly, then answered firmly,
“Yes. Although Song Group isn’t large, our products are solid. And I’ve worked hard—I’ve visited Lu Corporation at least hundreds of times this past year. Maybe they recognized our sincerity. After all, those stronger companies aren’t as relentless as we are.”

Although his explanation made some sense, Song Qiao still felt uneasy—after all, Song Group and Lu Corporation were not on the same level.

Noticing her doubt, Chen Yang quickly interjected,
“Qiao Qiao, there’s a saying: ‘Sincerity can move even metal and stone.’ I worked so hard to land this project not only to help Uncle Song fulfill his dream, but also to earn a bonus so I can prepare a proper betrothal gift and marry you openly and honorably.”

After speaking, he grabbed Song Qiao’s hand affectionately and added,
“Qiao Qiao, I know we’ve had a lot of friction lately because of my mother. I had a serious talk with her yesterday. I realized that the reason she treated you that way wasn’t out of malice but out of insecurity. She felt that my family background didn’t match yours, so she tried to suppress you to reduce the gap between us.”

He sighed and continued,
“Qiao Qiao, even though her methods were wrong, she truly wants us to be together. And she really knows she was wrong now. Can you give her a chance to make amends? I know you have many complaints about me, but she raised me on her own. If I kept arguing with her, would you dare marry a man who disrespects his mother?”

Song Qiao’s gaze darkened, her mind in turmoil, her emotions churning restlessly inside her.

Seeing her uncertainty, Chen Yang hurriedly said,
“Qiao Qiao, my mom is here too. Would you like to hear what she has to say?”

Without waiting for her response, he called softly toward the door,
“Mom, Qiao Qiao is awake. Come in quickly.”

The door opened, and Xu Qin appeared in front of Song Qiao, wearing a hospital gown.

She quickly walked to Song Qiao’s bedside and smiled,
“Child, it’s all my fault. I’ve made you suffer these past days. Chen Yang talked to me yesterday, and I finally realized my mistakes. Qiao Qiao, from now on, I’ll treat you as my own daughter and never let you suffer any grievance again.”

Xu Qin’s sudden change in attitude shocked Song Qiao. She slightly parted her lips but didn’t know what to say.

Xu Qin wasn’t angered by Song Qiao’s silence. Spotting the breakfast on the cabinet, she quickly patted Chen Yang on the shoulder and reminded him,
“You silly boy, the breakfast is getting cold. Go on and help Qiao Qiao eat it while it’s still warm.”

Chen Yang snapped out of it, quickly stood up, raised the small table on the hospital bed, and placed the breakfast on it.

After setting everything up, he said to Song Qiao,
“Qiao Qiao, the food is getting cold. Please eat it while it’s hot.”

Though Song Qiao had little appetite, under Xu Qin and Chen Yang’s watchful gazes, she still ate.

After the meal, while Chen Yang stepped out to throw away the trash, Xu Qin sat down beside her. She pulled a bank card from her pocket and stuffed it into Song Qiao’s hand. When Song Qiao tried to refuse, Xu Qin stopped her with a look.

Then Xu Qin, her face full of guilt, said,
“Qiao Qiao, there’s 500,000 yuan in this bank card. It’s your betrothal gift. This money is Chen Yang’s commission from signing the contract; your father awarded it to him in advance.”

She paused and added,
“Child, I didn’t offer a betrothal gift before not because I didn’t approve of you, but because I didn’t have the money. Now that I do, I’m giving it all to you. Our Chen family’s daughter-in-law must not be treated worse than others.”

Song Qiao was completely bewildered by Xu Qin’s behavior; she even suspected that Xu Qin had taken the wrong medication today.

Knowing Song Qiao’s concerns, Xu Qin began tearfully recounting the hardships she had endured in the past, hoping to win Song Qiao’s sympathy.

After listening, Song Qiao’s resentment toward Xu Qin eased considerably. By the end of Xu Qin’s speech, she felt somewhat moved. When Xu Qin finally left, Song Qiao didn’t accept the bank card but politely suggested they talk about it again when they got married.

Seizing the moment, Chen Yang immediately proposed holding the wedding as soon as possible. Seeing her hesitation, he explained seriously,
“Qiao Qiao, I’m fully in charge of Lu Corporation’s order. Once the contract is formally signed and effective, Uncle Song and I will only get busier. So while we have this downtime, I hope we can get married soon.”

Song Qiao gazed at Chen Yang and, after a long silence, replied seriously,
“Chen Yang, marriage is a big deal. We should think carefully about it.”

Chen Yang, however, replied firmly,
“Qiao Qiao, we’ve been together for so many years. Don’t we know each other well enough by now? And both of our parents approve. What are you still hesitating for?”

Hesitating for what?
This question struck at the heart of Song Qiao. She had been so sure before, but suddenly she felt the urge to back away.

Chen Yang leaned closer, frowned, and asked,
“Qiao Qiao, have you fallen in love with someone else?”

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