Joe Qi? Why did he suddenly show up?
Every time I've seen him lately, something seems off.
Honestly, the image of a playboy turning over a new leaf is kind of creepy.
Joe Qi isn't Julian King. Julian just pretends to be a playboy, but deep down, he's always been loyal to Sophie Mo.
But Joe Qi? He's the real deal—he's actually lived the wild life.
Back when he married Dieyi Chen, he was still acting like nothing in the world could touch him.
How come now, at his age, he acts like some clueless kid who's never been in love before?
He actually went to a flower exhibition to buy flowers?
Wasn't he always the type to just pick up a fancy bouquet from a flower shop?
Why would he suddenly get the urge to buy potted plants for home decor?
As a playboy, giving a potted plant with soil when chasing a pretty girl...
No matter how you picture it, it just feels wrong.
Still, if Joe Qi came by, it must be something urgent, right?
Cecilia Gu immediately replied, "Alright, let him wait in the living room. I'll be right there."
She changed her clothes and went to the living room, spotting the dark circles under Joe Qi's eyes at a glance.
Has this guy not slept in days?
"Joe Qi?" Cecilia couldn't help but say as soon as she sat down, "I know I shouldn't nag, but for Charles' sake, I'll say it anyway—you're not twenty anymore. Why are you running yourself ragged like this? Which beauty has you so lovesick?"
Joe Qi gave a bitter laugh. "Isn't it obvious? In the end, I still fell for her. This socialite is something else—she's someone I'll be looking up to for the rest of my life."
Cecilia was instantly intrigued. "Oh? Now you've got me interested! Just how gorgeous is she, to have you so hung up?"
Joe Qi shot Cecilia a look. "Daring to tease me! You're not the world's top beauty, yet Charles Yin and Max Mo, two absolute dream guys, are head over heels for you!"
Cecilia's face flushed. Bantering with a seasoned playboy—she really couldn't win.
Seeing her blush, Joe Qi let her off the hook and said, "I'm just feeling down and wanted someone to talk to. But nobody else feels right, so I came to you."
Cecilia asked curiously, "Why not talk to Charles? He's got plenty of free time right now."
"That's exactly why I can't," Joe Qi said, scratching his head in frustration. "I just feel like I'm letting my best buddy down."
Cecilia was puzzled. "Why's that?"
Joe Qi hesitated, "I've fallen for a woman I shouldn't have."
Cecilia looked awkward, but she wasn't vain enough to think Joe Qi had fallen for her. If he had, he wouldn't come to her to complain.
"Sounds like I know her, otherwise you wouldn't come to me," Cecilia smiled and nodded.
Joe Qi nodded. "Yeah, not only do you know her, your relationship is..."
Cecilia stayed quiet, waiting for Joe Qi to continue.
Joe Qi rubbed his face hard and said, "Cecilia, do you know why I never wanted to get married all these years?"
"I heard it was because of your family?" Cecilia said. "Charles mentioned it to me a bit three years ago, but he didn't go into details."
"Yeah, my family... it's complicated. But let's not talk about that. I do hate my father, but that's not the real reason I've always liked being single. When I was a teenager, I saw her for the first time and was just blown away. She was so beautiful, so noble, so untouchable. She saw me and gave me a little smile. That smile made my heart bloom—I couldn't look away. She was twenty-eight then, with a gorgeous little boy by her side. That was her son."
"Suddenly, I felt so inferior. I could always talk confidently to anyone, but in front of her, I was just a nervous idiot. She didn't even notice me—she only had eyes for her husband. I hid in a corner, watching her. She thought I was shy because I didn't like her, so she pushed her son toward me and asked me to look after him. When she spoke to me, my heart was flying."
"That beautiful little boy looked up and asked if I liked his mom. At that moment, I swear I could hear my heart pounding. I just smiled like an idiot and said, 'I like you too. Let's be best friends forever.' The boy happily agreed. I knew I'd get to see her up close. But as time went on, I heard she wasn't happy. She was so proud, so dazzling, but she loved a man who didn't love her back."
"That broke my heart. I really wanted to help her, but what right did I have? What could I do besides quietly caring about her? You probably think playboys don't have hearts, but that's not true. Even the wildest ones do. It's just that when your heart gets lost, you feel like you have none left. To me, no woman in the world compares to her. Even though... even though she's ten years older than me, even though her youth is fading, even though she's married and has kids—she's always been beautiful to me."
"I used to only watch her from afar, never daring to get close. But recently, she got divorced. I couldn't help reaching out. She mentioned wanting a pot of gladiolus, so I remembered it—not to win her over, just to make her feel a little happier." As Joe Qi spoke, his eyes shimmered with tears. "I'm over forty now, and it's embarrassing to say this. Who knows how many years I have left, and she's not young either. I just want her to be happy for the rest of her life."
"I don't expect her to accept me. I'm satisfied just hearing about her every day. But a few days ago, she told me not to contact her anymore—she wants to be left alone." Joe Qi looked completely dejected. "Did she figure out how I feel, and that's why she's avoiding me?"
Cecilia was momentarily stunned.
She thought she knew who Joe Qi was talking about.
No wonder he was so troubled.
This really was a tough situation.
Joe Qi and Charles Yin have been friends since childhood. Suddenly turning into his stepfather... Charles would probably have a hard time accepting that, wouldn't he?
No wonder Vivian Jiang would take the initiative to say not to contact her anymore.
She must be feeling pretty surprised and awkward herself right now.
No wonder Joe Qi came to me instead of complaining to Charles.
Cecilia hesitated. Was it really her place to get involved in this?
Both Charles and Vivian Jiang would probably be pretty uncomfortable, wouldn't they?
Besides, she didn't really know what Vivian wanted, so how could she make any decisions?
Joe Qi wasn't really looking for help from Cecilia—he just needed someone to talk to, or he'd go crazy keeping it all in.
After saying all this, Joe Qi felt relieved. "Finally, I got it off my chest. I've kept this bottled up for years, and now it's all out."
"Everything you said today stays between us," Cecilia quickly assured him. "I'll keep your secret."
Joe Qi nodded, stood up, and said, "Alright, I won't bother you anymore. On your birthday, I'll bring you a big gift to thank you for listening today."
Cecilia smiled.
When Joe Qi got to the door, he suddenly stopped and said, "It's so weird—Sean Kerr and I both come to you with our love troubles! If it's alright, can I talk to you again in the future?"
Cecilia nodded. "Of course you can. You're Charles' friend, so you're my friend too. Besides, we've been friends since three years ago, haven't we?"
Joe Qi laughed, waved, and left.
Cecilia watched him go, unable to hold back a sigh.
What is love, that makes people pledge their lives to each other?
A few days drifted by just like that.
The whole Yun family was completely transformed.
Cecilia looked around—her home was decorated almost like a wedding. Whenever she suggested that things didn't need to be so elaborate, her parents would change the subject.
Madam Yun finally returned two days before the birthday. Cecilia could tell her grandmother's health had declined a lot.
Madam Yun called Cecilia over, and the two of them talked for a long, long time.
When Cecilia walked outside, the clouds had cleared, and all her burdens felt lifted.
All she wanted now was for her family to be safe. She no longer wished for anything else.
After Cecilia left, Madam Yun was all smiles.
Her assistant couldn't help asking, "Madam, why are you so happy?"
Madam Yun just smiled and said nothing. She kept smiling for a long time, and just when her assistant thought she wouldn't answer, she finally said, "The Yun family is about to have another happy event."
Her assistant was confused. What happy event?
Oh, was Madam Yun talking about the Yun family returning to high society, or the Second Miss marrying into the Yin family again?
That was definitely good news, but everyone already knew about it—so how could it be called another happy event?
Over the past few days, the Yun family sent out invitations far and wide. Families friendly with the Yun, Mo, or Yin families all came.
When Cecilia happened to see the huge stack of invitations, she finally understood why her family had worked so hard preparing.
Because all the distinguished guests this time were bringing their unmarried daughters!
Well, it looks like her sister-in-law finally has a chance!
Even families who didn't get invitations but had unmarried daughters had already heard that Cecilia was going to use her birthday party to help the Second Young Master of the Yin Family find a suitable wife. They tried every way to get an invitation.