The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 456 - 405: Apology with a Willow Branch

Chapter 456: Chapter 405: Apology with a Willow Branch
Ji Chen is the person chosen by Qiao San, always polite and handsome. Being with such a man, one would always feel cared for, warm and comfortable.
But Zhuo Yuqing felt awkward all over, dining with him although it wasn’t what she intended.
Halfway through the meal, Qiao San suddenly took a phone call and then hurriedly grabbed her bag, saying, "You two keep eating, I have an urgent matter, Aunt Deng asked me to come over."
"Aunt Qiao, let me take you there." Ji Chen hurriedly stood up, "My car is parked outside."
"No need, no need. You and Yuqing continue eating. I drove here myself." Qiao San waved her hand, still reminding, "After dinner, I’ll need you to take Yuqing back home, it’s hard to get a taxi during the holidays."
Ji Chen smiled, "Aunt Qiao, rest assured, I will definitely send Yuqing home safely."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhuo Yuqing, but she sighed inwardly. The urgency was fake, the true intent was to create a space for the two of them; when had her mother become so cunning?
After Qiao San left, Zhuo Yuqing ate quickly. She wanted to finish soon and go home. Although Ji Chen was nice, she was already married and shouldn’t give rise to any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Leaving the restaurant, there were many people shopping in the mall, most buying gifts and preparing to visit friends and relatives.
Zhuo Yuqing was preoccupied, walking absent-mindedly when a young child ran towards her from a distance, holding an ice cream,
"Sorry." The child’s mother, panicked, grabbed her child, "I’m so sorry, sorry."
The mother hurriedly rummaged in her bag for a tissue, "I’m really sorry for soiling your clothes."
The clothes were clearly well-made and expensive; if the other party asked for compensation, she couldn’t escape responsibility.
"It’s okay." Zhuo Yuqing glanced at the stain on her clothes, "Sorry, I knocked your ice cream down. How about I compensate you with a new ice cream?"
The child, initially frightened, relaxed immediately when Zhuo Yuqing spoke, and waved their hand, "No need, sister, I bumped into you first."
The child’s mother had found a tissue and quickly handed it over.
Zhuo Yuqing thanked her, "It’s okay, I’ll just wash it when I get home."
"Miss, you are really kind." The mother apologized repeatedly and then left with the child.
Having witnessed this incident, Ji Chen suddenly saw Zhuo Yuqing in a new light, thinking that someone like her, a wealthy heiress whose father’s wealth dominated the region, would be proud and haughty,
Zhuo Yuqing hurriedly said, "No trouble needed, I can manage it myself."
～
Upon arriving in Aus City, Bai Chengxi suddenly faced a severe problem; he realized he didn’t know where Zhuo Yuqing’s house was.
He thought about calling her, but then it struck him that since it was his first visit, he should bring a gift, so he took a taxi to the most bustling mall in Aus City.
He didn’t know what Zhuo Yuqing’s parents liked, and it was his first time shopping alone; previously, for every big and small matter, he had always had his assistant handle it, so he only needed to give orders.
Facing the dazzling array of shops, he felt a slight headache, truly unsure of what kind of gift to choose.
He didn’t realize he was a bit nervous, because he was about to meet his future in-laws. Even someone like him, accustomed to grand scenes, doubted his own appeal at this moment, worried about the opinions of his future parents-in-law.
Passing by a jewelry store, he was attracted by a bracelet on a model, uniquely designed and exquisitely crafted, clearly the work of a master.
He didn’t hesitate to purchase the bracelet, planning to give it to Zhuo Yuqing’s mother, who he had heard was a designer likely to appreciate such an ingenious design.
Bai Chengxi was about to pick a gift for Zhuo’s father when a familiar silhouette caught his eye; unexpectedly, he saw Zhuo Yuqing in the mall.
This was too good; he had been worrying about choosing an appropriate gift, and now he could ask for her opinion, having heard her father considered this daughter the apple of his eye, and pleasing him would be more challenging than pleasing her mother.
In his delight, just as Bai Chengxi was about to approach, he suddenly saw a tall, handsome man standing next to Zhuo Yuqing, closely focusing on wiping her clothes with a tissue.
And there she stood, cheeks slightly blushing.
Bai Chengxi was momentarily stunned; the cells in his body that had been exhilarating suddenly quieted down, and he watched from behind the human-sized advertisement at the jewelry store entrance as they walked away side by side.
Even upon returning to the hotel, Bai Chengxi’s mood was in turmoil. The expensive bracelet he had just purchased was tossed aside in annoyance. He didn’t expect that after traveling all the way to Aus City, what he would see was her walking alongside another man.
Bai Chengxi lit a cigarette, comforting himself that perhaps he was just a friend, or maybe a classmate, a relative?
But he could see through that man’s gaze clearly; it was the kind of look one shows when facing a girl they admire, mixed with three parts excitement and seven parts joy.
He stared at the phone in his hand, suddenly losing the courage to call her.
~
When she felt embarrassed, she just smiled, didn’t say much, and casually threw the dirty tissue in her hand into the trash can.
As they left the mall, Ji Chen said, "Yuqing, wait here for me, I’ll go get the car."
"Thanks, I can just take a taxi back myself."
"How can that be? I promised Aunt Qiao to take you home safely." Ji Chen lifted the car keys in his hand, "Wait for me."
"Ji Chen." Zhuo Yuqing suddenly called out to stop him.
"What’s wrong?" Ji Chen looked at her kindly, his bright eyes forming a question mark, and his smile at the corner of his eyes brilliantly harboring sunshine.
Zhuo Yuqing pursed her lips and said, "Ji Chen, I didn’t know my mom brought me out today to meet you for matchmaking."
Ji Chun raised his eyebrows slightly, the situation today was so obvious, he did not want to make any excuses, indeed it was something Qiao San had arranged with him in advance, it looked like a serendipitous encounter but was actually her meticulous planning.
"You are very outstanding."
Ji Chen somewhat helplessly said, "Is this a compliment before a criticism?"
After returning to the country, he had been involved in a few matchmakings, but he had not been interested in the women, except this time. His liking for Zhuo Yuqing was genuine and natural, as if an invisible hand was guiding him. He rarely encountered a girl who could make his heart flutter, and Zhuo Yuqing was one of them.
"No," Zhuo Yuqing hastily waved her hand, "I’m telling the truth, but there’s something even my mother doesn’t know, which is why such a misunderstanding happened."
"What is it?" The astute Ji Chen keenly sensed something unusual.
"I am married." Zhuo Yuqing found that saying such words now felt increasingly natural, and unintentionally, the handsome face of Bai Chengxi outlined itself in her mind. Only then did she understand why she could stay indifferent, even with an excellent man like Ji Chen before her. Compared to Bai Chengxi, who in her heart was even more outstanding and perfect, her eyes simply had no room for anyone else.
Ji Chen was clearly stunned by her words, pausing for a moment before retorting, "Married?"
"Yes." Zhuo Yuqing nodded, "I got married in Aus City. It’s just that due to some reasons I haven’t told my parents, so, could you please keep this a secret for me?"
"You plan to hide it from your family?"
"No, I just haven’t found the right opportunity to tell them. It was a shotgun wedding, I am afraid they won’t agree."
Ji Chen chuckled, his tone somewhat resigned, "I see, no wonder you’ve been so indifferent to me, looks like it’s all my wishful thinking."
"I’m sorry." Zhuo Yuqing quickly apologized.
"You weren’t doing it on purpose, it’s just a misunderstanding." Ji Chen sighed softly, "It’s my bad luck, not to have met you sooner, but if we can’t be a couple, we can still be friends, right? I’ll still take you home. Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain it to Aunt Qiao and my mom would scold me when I get back."
"Will you keep it a secret for me then?"
"What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly," Ji Chen pointed at his own ear, "My ears have been a bit unreliable recently."
Zhuo Yuqing looked at him and burst into laughter.
In the end, she still took Ji Chen’s car home. Ji Chen waved at her and honked the horn before leaving.
Zhuo Yuqing pushed open the door; only the housemaid was at home, Zhuo Yan had gone to a friend’s house, and both Zhuo Yao and Qiao San were not back yet.
She picked up the phone on the side, wanting to call Bai Chengxi, but again lacked the courage, tossing and turning for a long time before giving up.
Forget it, it’s better to apologize to him when I return to Aus City.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, suddenly two bird chirps came through the window, crisp and pleasant.
She immediately got up and opened the window, took the phone and snapped a photo of the trees outside. The backdrop of the photo was the red bell and drum tower, and on a stretched branch sat a little red bird.
She quickly opened her social circle and sent the photo out,
Bai Chengxi, feeling emotionally complex, smoked for a while, naturally flipped through his phone, and when he saw there was an update in the social circle, he casually clicked on it, and saw the picture Zhuo Yuqing just posted.**