Chapter 371: Chapter 355: Rest assured, I won’t give you another chance
"Why is it you? Where is Wen Nuan?" Tan Qing gritted his teeth and growled through the unbearable pain, "Do you feel that you haven’t hurt her enough? Give her the phone back!"
Did Leng Yan snatch Wen Nuan’s phone and call him?
Dammit, whenever he thought of how hurt Wen Nuan was by him, it made his heart ache. His voice was cold, "Leng Yan, I’m warning you, leave her alone! Or I won’t let you off! A man should learn to take responsibility. If you can’t give her happiness, then stop dragging her into misery."
He seemed to see Nuannuan crying in distress, wanting to escape but being restrained by Leng Yan. He feared even more that Nuannuan might soften for a moment and return to Leng Yan, suffering another round of hurt.
That kind and lovely girl, her heart hadn’t completely moved away from Leng Yan, he understood. But he was willing to wait. The only thing he didn’t expect was that his mom came too quickly, catching him off guard.
"Tan Qing, it’s not what you think." Leng Yan pinched the bridge of his nose with a slight headache and looked at the ashamed Wen Nuan, hinting to her that he would handle it. He calmly, firmly, and sincerely told Tan Qing:
"Tan Qing, although there’s not much friendship between us, I really thank you for being kind to Nuannuan during this time. It’s just that there were some misunderstandings between me and Nuannuan, but now we’ve cleared everything up..."
"Misunderstanding?" Tan Qing froze, his heart sinking little by little. "Stop making excuses to hurt Nuannuan!"
"I haven’t." Leng Yan shook his head, "It’s really just some misunderstandings. During that time, Nuannuan didn’t answer my calls, and I didn’t know where she was, so I couldn’t explain some things. However, I never had the intention to give up on her. I’ve loved her from the moment I fell for her, and have never stopped even for a moment..."
"Where is Nuannuan? Let her answer the phone." Tan Qing’s pale face grew more somber, and he furrowed his brows, his voice full of powerlessness.
"I’m here." The phone was on speaker, and Wen Nuan heard every word of their conversation. She took the phone from Leng Yan’s hand, tears that she couldn’t hold back pouring out: "Tan Qing, I’m sorry..."
Every time she said sorry, her heart would ache tens of thousands of times.
It’s not that Tan Qing is bad; it’s that she doesn’t have that blessing. It’s not that Tan Qing is bad; the timing was wrong. She didn’t meet him before she met Leng Yan...
"Silly girl." Tan Qing’s heart ached, his lips moving with difficulty as he spoke: "Have you really decided? Nuannuan, do I have no chance, is that it?"
The opportunity he had fought so hard to gain, it had only been a few days, passing like a fleeting dream, gone the moment he opened his eyes. Tan Qing’s heart was filled with regret, but he still hoped she could be happy: "Nuannuan, are you happy with him?"
"Tan Qing." Wen Nuan choked up, unable to stop crying: "I’m sorry, really sorry...I don’t know how many times I have to say sorry to ease my guilt..."
"Silly girl, don’t cry. I’ve told you there’s no need to say sorry." Tan Qing forced a bitter smile, his eyes filled with hopelessness and pain: "You never said you loved me, nor did you ever promise that you’d definitely fall in love with me. So there’s no need to feel guilty, no need to apologize."
"Tan Qing, I want to leave the MT branch." Wen Nuan sniffed, bringing up the matter with great difficulty, but she had no choice but to do so.
"Is it what my mom wants? Or are you going back to City T?" Tan Qing smiled faintly, the bitterness only known to himself.
"I’m not going back to City T for now..."
Wen Nuan told him about Ji Wei’s situation, and finally, Leng Yan took the phone, speaking sincerely, "Tan Qing, I should say sorry to you."
"No need." Tan Qing’s lips curled into a self-mocking smile. He laughed, a trace of coldness and envy, "Treat her well! Leng Yan, it’s not that I don’t want to fight with you. If it weren’t for the fact that she met you before she met me, and her heart had already settled on you, I would never have given up on her!"
"Don’t worry, I won’t give you another chance." Leng Yan gritted his teeth, hesitating slightly, but in the end, he spoke up, "Tan Qing, I’m asking you for a favor."
...
After hanging up Tan Qing’s call, Wen Nuan had already packed his luggage. She frowned slightly, puzzled: "Yan, why can’t we tell my brother?"
Leng Yan had just specifically instructed Tan Qing over the phone not to tell Leng Ye about their matter, which puzzled her greatly: "Brother is not a gossip, he wouldn’t let Ji Wei know."
"Some things are not as simple as you think." Leng Yan lifted her chin, giving her a light kiss on her soft lips, sighing helplessly: "Nuannuan, if I told you my brother regrets calling off the marriage, would you believe it?"
"..." Wen Nuan was taken aback by his words, finally understanding after a long pause, and found it hard to believe: "But you two are real brothers, aren’t you?"
"Some people, even if they are blood-related, may not truly treat you as a brother." Leng Yan forced a bitter smile, holding her tightly and kissing her fragrant hair, "Nuannuan, stay away from him. At least, be on guard against him. I asked Tan Qing not to tell him because he knows Ji Wei. Bet you didn’t expect that, right? The things that happened to you in City E, he told Ji Wei about them. He knew about my past relationship with Ji Wei and knows how I feel about Ji Wei now. Leng Ye is different from Tan Qing. Comparatively, I admire Tan Qing more. He likes you, but he shows the noble demeanor, not taking advantage of others’ troubles. But Leng Ye..."
He forced a bitter smile, "I feel that he has ulterior motives for you."
**
In the cabin, looking at the fluffy white clouds outside the window, Tan Qing’s face remained somber, not saying a word.
"Qing." Qu Min, sitting beside him, nudged him, a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes, "Are you still thinking about that woman? She simply doesn’t deserve to enter the Tan Family; how can a married woman..."
"Enough!" Tan Qing frowned, turning to glare at her.
"Qing." Mrs. Tan’s eyes flashed with a trace of displeasure and helplessness: "It’s not that Mom is looking at people with colored glasses; you should think more for the Tan Family. We’re not one of those small families that can ignore reputation..."
"Mom, just drop it. I’m so upset I don’t even want to say a word!" Tan Qing furrowed his brows tightly, turning his head back towards the window.
The sky was blue, the clouds were white, it was a fine, clear day. But his heart could not find happiness.
Nuannuan told him to understand his mom’s difficulties, to not damage the mother-son relationship because of her. He knew she meant well, but how could there not be a bit of resentment in his heart?
Especially for Qu Min, he truly had enough of being around her; if this continued, even being friends wouldn’t be possible.
His mind drifted, unconsciously recalling Leng Yan’s request for him not to tell Leng Ye about the matter, and his brows furrowed gently. The images of the things he’d seen, Leng Ye’s every little act towards Wen Nuan, flashed in his mind, causing a chill in his heart. Remembering scene after scene, he increasingly felt that Leng Ye’s treatment of Wen Nuan indeed exceeded the care a brother would have for a sister.