Qin Xian's words fell like thunder, plunging the entire venue into a silence that seemed to freeze time.
At this moment, Yu Zhi was trembling all over, looking at Qin Xian in disbelief.
She hadn't expected Qin Xian to suddenly overturn everything about their past relationship.
Qin Xian's meaning was crystal clear - there had never been any "first love" or "deep, painful romance." It was all just everyone's imagination.
The entire gathering was shocked. Had all the romantic stories their classmates had been obsessing over been fake?!
Everyone had been intensely invested in this, treating it as the biggest gossip in campus and the most scandalous story in the business elite circles - was all that heartbreak actually nonexistent?!
The whole venue erupted in commotion, with people at nearby tables whispering among themselves.
"Well... come to think of it, most of those romantic stories were just forum posts or hearsay."
"Looking back, I never actually saw them being affectionate or clingy with each other on campus."
"When Qin Xian had just broken up, I saw him every day and never once saw him looking sad. I thought he was just mentally strong, but turns out... he simply wasn't heartbroken at all!"
"All those romantic fairy tales were lies! My illusions are shattered!"
Not just the others, even Ji Fei couldn't maintain her composure.
[What's going on? He never had true feelings for her! Is this real?! Were all those juicy stories that Secretary Jin knew about fake?! Was Secretary Jin also fooled by those shipping fans' brainwashing? No wonder, no wonder none of Qin Xian's family members ever mentioned Yu Zhi, and they seemed unaware that he even had an ex-girlfriend - they were the ones who hadn't been influenced by the rumors.]
Qin Xian paused, suddenly enlightened.
No wonder Ji Fei had stubbornly believed Yu Zhi was his "first love" and was convinced they would divorce. Even when he explained, Ji Fei would say "I believe you" on the surface, but inside she was thinking: "You're just being stubborn."
Ji Fei must have heard lots of gossip from Secretary Jin and assumed he and Yu Zhi were deeply in love, then let her imagination run wild.
[So not only are there no feelings now, there were never any to begin with! Good heavens! What an astronomical misunderstanding! So I've been waiting for something that was never going to happen?! Ahhh, grass is indeed a plant!!!]
Qin Xian's lips curled into a smile, suddenly feeling a sense of relief, as if all his troubles had finally lifted.
At this moment, everyone at the table was staring in shock between Qin Xian and Yu Zhi, clearly stunned by this sudden revelation of truth.
Qin Xian swept his gaze across everyone at the table, as if telling them with his eyes that his previous words were meant for them too.
His stance was protecting Ji Fei, and he was opposing Yu Zhi.
With the previous Ji Fei, Qin Xian had only mechanically fulfilled his obligations, and his friends could naturally sense this. Though they weren't outright hostile to Ji Fei, they truly didn't like her, after all, she was the woman who had schemed against their friend. Even without Yu Zhi's existence, they wouldn't have respected Ji Fei much.
But now Qin Xian was meeting them again at such a formal occasion, bringing Ji Fei along, sending an important signal.
He valued Ji Fei.
Because they were Qin Xian's friends, they needed to respect Ji Fei.
Among the group, there were looks of surprise, acceptance, and some who had seen it coming.
Of course, there were also those who couldn't accept it, like Xuan Yi.
After all, Ji Fei had just offended Xuan Yi.
Seeing Zhu Lingling and Yu Zhi too shocked to recover, she inwardly cursed their uselessness.
Xuan Yi said, "Qin Xian, you've gone too far. Even if it's to protect your current marriage, even if you can't be with Yu Zhi, you shouldn't completely deny your sweet memories of love..."
Qin Xian frowned slightly and interrupted directly: "There's no need to deny memories of love that never existed. I'm just stating facts. Or perhaps you could mention one or two instances, and I'll try to recall them right now?"
Xuan Yi was dumbfounded, not expecting him to say this. Even Luo Zhou was now signaling Xuan Yi to be quiet, as Qin Xian's attitude was already very clear.
Zhu Lingling, having recovered from her shock, spoke in an almost shrill voice, "How can you deny it? You loved Yu Zhi so much, you did so many things for her, like in this photo! That snowy night in sophomore year..."
Zhu Lingling took out her phone, showing a photo of Qin Xian standing under a streetlight on a snowy night, appearing to be waiting for someone, with Yu Zhi running towards him.
Qin Xian felt Ji Fei stir in his arms.
Although he had only truly embraced Ji Fei at the beginning and had been loosely holding her since then, he could still feel her movements.
While Ji Fei's composure might have crumbled, she couldn't help but pause her emotional turmoil to eagerly watch this drama unfold.
Not being enthusiastic about gossip would be a waste.
Ji Fei was already curiously looking at the photo.
"Enough, stop!" Yu Zhi suddenly interrupted in panic, breathing heavily. Her eyes trembling, she finally managed to look up, tears welling in her eyes as she gazed at Qin Xian. This time, her appearance of enduring all grievances wasn't fake - she truly looked pitiful.
[Wow, she looks like she's about to break. With acting skills like these, if she ever runs out of money, she could definitely make it in the entertainment industry - she's a natural!]
Zhu Lingling fell silent, her eyes red, "Yu Zhi, let us confront him!"
Yu Zhi struggled to maintain her composure, taking a deep breath.
[Here we go! She's about to act again. How is she going to turn this around in this situation?! Can't wait to see the drama unfold, action!]
Qin Xian almost laughed in this serious situation, realizing he had no acting talent himself.
Aliali: 674bad9ac4f3f33ac4a59079
"There's no need. Mr. Qin is... right about everything. I was delusional, I was presumptuous, I overestimated myself."
The expressions of those around changed slightly.
"I..."
But Qin Xian had lost his patience.
"You directed and acted in your own show, spreading various rumors about us being a fairy-tale couple, the golden boy and jade girl, the most well-matched couple in high society. During our relationship, you were willing to show off our romance publicly, create a persona, build a couple's image - whether it was to satisfy your psychological needs or family interests, I didn't care because we were indeed in a relationship then. So I didn't mind the various rumors. But now you're being ambiguous, retreating to advance, trying to destroy the harmony between my wife and me, portraying us as the oppressors - that's not acceptable."
Qin Xian analyzed the situation clearly and calmly, directly cutting off Yu Zhi's approach.
Facing Yu Zhi, whose tears were about to fall, Qin Xian's gaze grew increasingly sharp. "With that expression on your face, saying such things, beating around the bush - what conclusion do you hope everyone here will draw? Do you take me for a fool?"
Yu Zhi stiffened, almost losing her balance. She suddenly realized that the man standing before her was an undefeated rising star in the business world - how could he not see through her little tricks?
Everyone's thoughts suddenly shifted - indeed, just moments ago, their conclusions had almost completely negated Qin Xian's statements...
"We did have an amicable relationship, but it was absolutely nothing like the sweet romance that rumors suggested - you know this better than anyone." Qin Xian stated plainly, no longer looking at Yu Zhi's almost colorless face. He turned to the stunned Zhu Lingling, glanced at the photo on the phone, then looked around asking, "How was this photo circulated outside?"