Cinderella Innocent and Boss Charming - Chapter 178

Chapter 178 You Want to Make a Fool of Yourself Again, Don’t You?
Xia Xiaowan drove to the riverside. Both sides of the main road by the river were covered with French parasol trees. In summer, the trees were in leafy profusion which created a cool and quiet environment, making it an excellent place to avoid summer heat. But now, the bare branches were scattered and slanted horizontally against the gray sky. It only made people feel depressed. There was still some snow on the branches. Ever since the heavy snowfall on New Year’s eve, it had been cloudy for several days. The snow elsewhere had almost melted away, but there was still some left here.

Xia Xiaowan looked at the calm water in a daze. She always came to the riverside when troubled, which was a habit developed from the influence of Gu Nianbin. She remembered that every time she was unhappy in the past, Gu Nianbin would bring her here. His songs and jokes, as well as the gentle breeze, all made her happy instantly. When people were young, usually at their most beautiful age, their worlds seemed to collapse for a little trouble. However, she was not afraid, because there would always be someone who could protect her. He had a pair of dark and shining eyes, and he always looked at her gently. His voice was low and melodious. For him, any trouble seemed to be a trivial matter, and he could always solve it easily for her. That was her Brother Nianbin!

Of course she knew that he loved her. Everyone knew that. He never concealed his love for her. She clearly knew that she did not love him, but she did not leave. It was because she was so dependent on him. The dependence had become a habit since childhood. She was accustomed to having him back her up. She was accustomed to turning to him in case of any trouble. And she was accustomed to making use of his love.

She even frankly told him that she liked Jiang Kaiwei. She could clearly see the sadness in his eyes, but she still did not leave. She was very selfish. Even if she did not love him, she still felt that it was secure to know someone was loving her. The love she couldn’t get from Jiang Kaiwei could be given by Gu Nianbin.

She really thought that no matter how far she went, as long as she turned around, Gu Nianbin would be waiting for her where he was. However, she never expected that when she turned around now, he was no longer there.

Xia Xiaowan sighed and took out a pack of cigarettes from the car’s concealed drawer. It was a kind of women cigarettes, Seven-Mile Incense. She picked one and held it between her fingers. Haunted by the smoke, she looked very enchanting. She looked at herself in the mirror and chuckled. No one had seen her like this. Everyone still thought she was the obedient girl as before. She herself was the only one who knew that she was no longer the Xia Xiaowan of the past, and that her inner thoughts had changed completely.

Hadn’t Gu Nianbin also changed, though? He had abandoned her and fallen in love with a little maid, whose pitiful appearance could indeed stimulate a man’s desire for protection. She remembered the way Du Xiaoxian panicked when seeing her and laughed even louder. She believed that the present she could handle Du Xiaoxian easily. She was not sure of that until she met Du Xiaoxian. Now, she thought Fang Yaru was just groundlessly worried. How could Du Xiaoxian become a stumbling block to her?

It was Gu Shanshan who told her about Du Xiaoxian. When Gu Shanshan mentioned her, she casually said that Gu Nianbin was lonely and kept Du Xiaoxian by his side as a pet. She knew something was wrong as soon as she heard that. She knew Gu Nianbin better than Gu Shanshan. Gu Nianbin was like a neat freak emotionally. He was not a playboy, nor was he keen on chasing after girls. He would not have interest in other women because he had her in his heart. Now that he had someone else by his side, it could only prove that she was no longer in his heart.

She saw it through immediately when they met on New Year’s eve. She could tell that something was wrong with his gaze, which was once filled with love had become somewhat strange. When she threw herself into his embrace, his hand froze in the air for a while before he lightly held her. At that time, she was already certain that Gu Nianbin was no longer in love with her. He really did not love her anymore.

Almost instinctively, she was jealous of Du Xiaoxian. What kind of girl was Du Xiaoxian who replaced her? She was very curious.

She wasn’t surprised when hearing that Gu Nianbin had left the other morning. The Gu family probably knew that they couldn’t hide it from her any longer. Later, Fang Yaru called her to her room and told her about Gu Nianbin and Du Xiaoxian. Finally, she said earnestly, “Xiaowan, please, please pull Nianbin back. You know his temper. He won’t be forced to do anything, but he can be touched by love. In this world, only you can help him, because he still has you in his heart. Please, pull him back to the right path!”

She scoffed at the last sentence in her heart. How could there be any right or wrong path when it came to love? However, it still hurt her pride. It was as if her beloved toy had been snatched away by someone. She couldn’t accept that. Of course, she wanted to snatch it back.

When she decided to come back, she thought that since she could not be with the man she loved, it would be good to be with the man who loved her. But now, the man who loved her had also abandoned her. It was so difficult to make the decision to come back. She couldn’t take this huge blow. Even if Fang Yaru did not ask her, she would still snatch Gu Nianbin back. After seeing Du Xiaoxian, she felt that it was easier to do so than she had imagined!

After she finished smoking a cigarette, the car was filled with smoke. She pulled down the car window and threw the cigarette butt out. The cold wind poured in, causing her to shiver. She then hurriedly closed the window.

After returning home, she saw Xia Nanze smoking in the hall, which was so rare. She greeted him and went upstairs, but Xia Nanze stopped her and said, “Come here, I’ve got something to say.”

Xia Xiaowan walked over and sat down opposite him. “Brother, what do you want to say?”

The corners of Xia Nanze’s mouth curved into a mocking smile. “Have you thought it through? Are you really going to marry Gu Nianbin?”

“Yes.” Xia Xiaowan nodded. “Brother Nianbin has waited for me for so many years. I don’t think there will ever be a man who loves me as much as he does. I’ll be happy with him.”

“Nonsense!” Xia Nanze roared in a low voice, “Does he still love you? He loves Du Xiaoxian now!” He took out a stack of photos from his clothes and threw them in front of her as he spoke. “Take a look!”

Xia Xiaowan glanced at those photos and said, “I know. I just came back from his house and saw Du Xiaoxian. He feels it fresh to be with the little girl, that’s all. And it won’t last long.”

“You want to make a fool of yourself again, don’t you?” Xia Nanze looked at his own younger sister and frowned. “Isn’t one fall enough? Do you want to fall over again?”

“Brother, this is not the same. Brother Nianbin loved me. Besides, everyone in the Gu family is on my side. No matter how much Brother Nianbin likes Du Xiaoxian, he can’t disobey Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu. Would he really intend to anger Uncle Gu seriously and bear a blame for being unfilial?”

“I don’t care about the Gu family. I only care about you!” Xia Nanze sighed. “Xiaowan, you’ve had a hard time these past few years. I’m worried about you!”

“Brother, I know that.” Xia Xiaowan got up and sat down beside Xia Nanze, placing her head on his shoulder. “For me, you have even broken up with Brother Nianbin. But don’t worry. I’m not the Xia Xiaowan of the past anymore, and I won’t do anything stupid. I just want to compete for it. If it really isn’t going to work, I won’t force it. I will only accept that Brother Nianbin and I are not meant to be together.”

“If you really think so, then I won’t stop you.” Xia Nanze looked at the photos on the tea table. “Just don’t hurt yourself. He’s not the only good man in the world. Xiaowan, you will meet a better one.”

Xia Xiaowan smiled and raised her head. “Then wish me good luck. I’ll go upstairs and rest. Call me when dinner is ready.”

Xia Nanze nodded and suddenly added, “There’s one more thing. I don’t want you to have anything to do with Jiang Kaiwei this time.”

Xia Xiaowan’s smile froze, but then instantly bloomed even brighter. “Brother, what are you talking about him for? I’ve suffered once. How can I forget the lesson?”

“I am worried that you are too obsessed!”

“No.” Xia Xiaowan stood up. “I’m not as stupid as you think. I’m tired. I’m going upstairs.” Without waiting for Xia Nanze to speak, she turned around and went upstairs.

Xia Nanze looked at his sister’s back and shook his head helplessly. Weren’t you stupid? If you weren’t stupid, you wouldn’t have done that. Back then, when he saw Xia Xiaowan got hurt, he almost collapsed. Fortunately, in the end, Xia Xiaowan got over with it. After suffering so much, she managed to move on. Now that she had come home and stayed with the family, he only hoped that Xia Xiaowan could live a peaceful life. Even if she was so unlucky that she would never meet any good man. She could stay at home and he could support her for the rest of her life!

Xia Xiaowan entered the room and closed the door. She immediately leaned against the door as if she was exhausted. It had been five years, which was enough to heal the pain. However, that name still made her feel a piercing pain in her heart. Love had long since ceased to exist. She just hated him so much. She hated him for being so ruthless and that he had almost taken her life! They would never meet again, but she would always hate him. He was one of the top people in the G city. He was extremely wealthy and powerful. She had no way to retaliate. She only had hatred, endless hatred…

After leaving Tong Mountain, Gu Shanshan started arguing with her mother in the car. She had long held back her anger in her heart. She wanted to rush back home and scold Du Xiaoxian fiercely, then kicked her out of the house. For one thing, she wanted to give Du Xiaoxian a disgrace and humiliate her. For another, she wanted to let Gu Nianbin know where the family stood and see which side he would choose.

Fang Yaru refused. She felt that they should go back to the ancestral mansion and not clash head-on with Gu Nianbin. She knew her son’s temper. He wouldn’t be forced to do anything but would only be persuaded in a gentle way. The result of a head-on confrontation would be mutual loss. When Gu Nianbin left overnight on New Year’s eve, she was astonished, but it also made her understand Du Xiaoxiain’s importance in Gu Nianbin’s heart. Gu Nianbin was a man of deep affection. Once he gave his love to her, he would never turn back. Even if he were to risk his life, he would not hesitate to love her. This was true when he loved Xia Xiaowan, and now it was the same when it came to Du Xiaoxian.

Now, she could only hope that Xia Xiaowan could make Gu Nianbin come back to her. After all, Gu Nianbin had loved her for more than ten years. Such a long and torturous time could not be forgotten easily.

Gu Shanshan had a quick temper. Since she couldn’t make it through to her mother, she turned to Gu Guangxian and said, “Dad, you’re the head of the family. You have to show your majesty as the family head. Brother will listen to you. As for Du Xiaoxian, I’ll handle her in minutes. Let’s do this together, what do you say?”

“What?” Gu Guangxian glanced at Gu Shanshan and said, “Listen to your mother and leave it to us. You can stay at home restfully for a few days then go back to work. Don’t get involved.”

“But,” said Gu Shanshan, “now that Xiaowan has finally thought it through, but brother has changed his mind. The five-year promise was made by brother himself. In the end, before the time came, he failed to keep it. It was his fault. If Xiaowan were to leave in a fit of anger, what could he do? When he comes around, it will be too late for him to regret it!”

“Don’t worry. I believe Xiaowan will find a way.” Fang Yaru said, “If your father and I have a say on this, we would have separated them long ago. How could it be turned like this!”

“Did Du Xiaoxian enchant brother by feeding him some kind of drug?” Gu Shanshan was still angry. “I really don’t understand. Is it worth for him to like a maid?”

“Alright, stop it. Let your father rest.”

“But…”

“If you have to say, talk about your own issues.”

In an instant, Gu Shanshan was like a deflated ball and became quiet, unable to utter a single word.