Shi Yan's pupils widened slightly. After the initial shock, a wave of panic washed over him.
"I don't agree with breaking up! Why do you want to break up?"
Some guests in the banquet hall noticed the commotion and kept glancing over.
Shi Yan, feeling guilty, glanced inside and unceremoniously pulled Qiao Yimian into the fire escape.
"Yimian, I just want to appease my parents for a little while. Don't worry, I absolutely won't marry Tian Xiaoxiao! The only person I've ever wanted to marry is you!"
Seeing Qiao Yimian's lips pressed together in silence, Shi Yan's gaze turned pleading.
His peach blossom eyes were beautiful and full of affection, looking at her pitifully as always:
"Yimian, I've just gotten into the company. My wings aren't strong enough yet, and I'm restricted everywhere. I really can't resist, can you understand me?"
"Of course I understand. That's why I'm letting you go."
"I don't want freedom! I only want you!"
Qiao Yimian's brows furrowed slightly. "You can't have it both ways. Since you want to keep your position, you should follow your parents' wishes and get married. Don't promise me any future. I won't wait for you, and I don't want to wait for you. I certainly won't be your mistress."
"I didn't say I wanted you to be my mistress! I said the current situation is only temporary!" Shi Yan anxiously defended himself.
"Then, if I hadn't seen this engagement today, what would I have been after tonight?" Qiao Yimian rarely showed a sharp edge, pressing him step by step:
"You got engaged while I was away on a business trip, intending to hide it from me. By the time I found out the truth, it would have been too late. Even if you have your own difficulties, from the moment you put the engagement ring on her finger, I would have become the third party."
Shi Yan clearly hadn't thought about this aspect. He stammered for a long while before saying, "I'm sorry."
"But I didn't want to hide it from you on purpose, I just…"
Qiao Yimian cut him off mid-excuse, retorting, "Have you ever thought about why I'm here tonight?"
Seeing Shi Yan blank, Qiao Yimian waved her phone at him, her voice tight, "Your 'playing along', has already been seen through."
Shi Yan slowly blinked, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He clearly just realized the question: why did Qiao Yimian suddenly come back? And why would she appear at the hotel?
The answer was obvious.
Shi Yan sighed in frustration, suppressing the rising anger and resentment in his heart.
Just then, her phone rang. Qiao Yimian looked at the screen; it was a colleague from the newspaper.
As she was about to answer, Shi Yan grabbed her wrist again.
She struggled, but the other person held on tightly.
The phone kept vibrating, making her palm numb and her heart restless.
Qiao Yimian's voice was tinged with coldness, "Let go, it's a work call."
"Work, work, it's always work!" Shi Yan's tone was agitated,
"We haven't even finished talking about our problems, and you're using work to brush me off. In your heart, am I really not as important as that damn reporter's job!"
Qiao Yimian looked at him, bewildered.
Shi Yan had never spoken to her like this before.
But when a person is angry, and on top of that, feeling a bit frustrated, he was clearly a bit careless with his words, as if he was about to vent a long-suppressed dissatisfaction.
"We've been together for a year, but how many times have we actually seen each other? You're either out on interviews and training, or pulling all-nighters at work. You've stood me up again and again, ditching me for your job! Now you're just saying we're breaking up, without even considering our future? Did you ever even like me, even a little bit?"
Qiao Yimian opened her mouth, but didn't say anything to refute him.
Because he was right; she really was busy.
As a journalist, it's a year-round job, on call 24/7. You never know when the next news story will break. Even if it's the middle of the night, you have to get out of bed immediately.
That year, she had indeed broken dates several times, including his birthday, their hundred-day anniversary, and even missed her own birthday.
Later, she saw the photos Shi Yan had sent her of the birthday celebration he had carefully prepared for her, and she felt both guilty and apologetic.
That's why this time she rushed to finish her work a day early and hurried back, just to celebrate their one-year anniversary of being in love together.
Too bad…
Qiao Yimian took a soft breath, her churning emotions slowly calming down, and the burning sensation in her eyes gradually cooled.
"I'm sorry, I really haven't been a very good girlfriend. I'm sorry."
"That's not what I meant…" Shi Yan's chest rose and fell, regretting the words that had just blurted out.
He gripped Qiao Yimian's wrist tightly, his eyes red-rimmed.
As someone usually so proud, he always loved and was anxious when facing this woman.
The emergency exit was quiet. Their conversation hit the walls, echoing back to them, mixed with his heavy, uneasy breathing, making the small space seem even more silent.
"But I won't give up my work for you." Qiao Yimian's voice was laced with fatigue. "We don't see eye to eye. Let's just end things amicably."
Shi Yan's heart clenched, and a greater wave of panic washed over him.
At that moment, the door to the emergency exit was abruptly pushed open.
"Shi Yan! Why are you entangled with her again! Haven't you broken things off cleanly? Do you want to infuriate me to death!"
A graceful and wealthy woman appeared at the emergency exit, silhouetted against the light.
The string of Australian White Pearls around her neck glimmered coldly, radiating an aloof, chilly indifference.
"Mom, Yimian and I still have things to say. You go in first," Shi Yan said, frowning and urging her, clearly agitated.
"What's there to say! Today is your engagement day, and she's still here to pester you, doesn't she have any shame!"
"Mom!" Shi Yan interrupted her in time, "Don't speak about Yimian like that! She's not that kind of person!"
It was the first time Jiang Mei had been scolded by her son. She was stunned for a moment, and her expression immediately turned unpleasant.
Before she could say anything else, Qiao Yimian spoke calmly:
"The shameless one should be your son, right? Maintaining a relationship with me while secretly getting engaged to another woman."
Jiang Mei was stunned by the retort, then angrily rebuked, "How dare you talk to me like that! Do you have any manners at all? Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders!"
It was unclear which word hit a sore spot, but Qiao Yimian's face paled slightly, and her nails dug tightly into her palm.
Shi Yan immediately reacted, quickly pushing Jiang Mei away, "Mom! I'll handle my own business! Don't make things worse!"
Jiang Mei stumbled backward from the push, still not letting up, and harped on.
"I told you long ago to stay away from my son. But you, you're like a sticky plaster! I don't know where you get your nerve, but you've got my son wrapped around your finger! I'm putting it out there today, with your status, you'll never be able to marry into our family! Give up on that idea! You fox spirit..."
Shi Yan, unable to bear it any longer, directly covered her mouth and pushed her out of the emergency exit.
The hallway outside connected to the banquet hall. If any guests overheard, they would undoubtedly gather around to watch and laugh.
Jiang Mei restrained herself a bit. She glared at Shi Yan and was about to pull him back when the security door opened and Qiao Yimian slowly walked out, her expression cold.
"The wife of the Yingshi Group's chairman, without knowing the truth, you called someone a 'vixen' and 'shameless,' yet you repeatedly demand respect from others. Don't you think that's laughable?"
Qiao Yimian's lips curled up, her voice even but filled with mockery.
"If you want me to respect you, you should act like a senior first and control your own mouth."
Jiang Mei widened her eyes. No matter what, she couldn't imagine that this young woman in her twenties would be so bold as to defy her!
A sharp-tongued little vixen!
She was so angry her face flushed red, but then she saw Qiao Yimian's red lips part slightly, her eyes ice-cold. "I won't trouble you. With a senior like you, who has no manners or grace, I will never marry into your family. You'd better tell your son to give up on marrying me."
After saying that, she entered the elevator without looking back, not even glancing at them again.
"Yimian!" Shi Yan started to chase after her, but a slap landed on his back.
"Today is your engagement party! If you dare to take a step, you're breaking off all relations with us, and don't ever come back!"
Shi Yan's pupils contracted, and he watched helplessly as Qiao Yimian entered the elevator. After hesitating for two seconds, he finally stopped.
The elevator doors slowly closed, seemingly bringing an end to the farce.
He slowly clenched his fists, a flash of anxiety and unwillingness in his eyes.