Three days ago, Huo Qiuran had left Zhonghai, following the Huo Family to Jiangcheng.
Had Ning Fan not whimsically returned to the company today, perhaps he still wouldn't have known about it. Thinking back, he couldn't help but laugh at himself with self-mockery.
The Shangguan Family had surfaced again, and Ning Fan's mood was also quite bad at the moment. These people, so full of themselves, had looked down upon him in the past. And after numerous despicable tactics, it's clear they were no better than anyone else—they were far from noble.
"Qiuran kept talking about you before she left, but who would have expected the Huo Family to pressure her so terribly, even using death to force her consent to this matter? Ning Fan, do you know about this?!"
Xiao Jianming got more and more agitated as he spoke, and by the end, he couldn't hold back his tears. He wiped the tears from his face, seemingly feeling that the tears did not fit with his toughness and not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of Ning Fan.
Ning Fan was at a loss for words. Since Huo Qiuran had left, he had known very little about her affairs; now, faced with Xiao Jianming's questioning, he suddenly didn't know how to respond.
Not only Xiao Jianming had a bitter taste in his mouth at this moment. Ning Fan shook his head and couldn't help but think about drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
With each cup of liquor he poured down his throat, his stomach seemed filled with bitterness, and Ning Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for Huo Qiuran, who had already arrived in Jiangcheng.
It wasn't that he intentionally wanted to ignore her feelings, but he now had a new affection. After that night of conversation with Huo Qiuran, Ning Fan had let go, but now it seemed not so easy to sever ties.
"Ning Fan, why, why is it that when Qiuran talks about you, her eyes are filled with such sadness? Why do you completely ignore her..."
Xiao Jianming's voice of discontent echoed in Ning Fan's ears as he, thoroughly drunk, clung to Ning Fan's shoulders and kept asking.
"Stop drinking, you're already drunk!"
"Don't you tell me what to do. If you're going to butt in, why don't you go find Qiuran!"
Xiao Jianming pushed Ning Fan away, his eyes red and bloodshot with agitation as he trembled and glared at Ning Fan.
In Xiao Jianming's eyes, Ning Fan saw a rage that he couldn't describe. That look in his eyes made Ning Fan unable to run away, leaving him shocked and yet filled with a sense of helplessness.
A feeling of powerlessness spread over Ning Fan, leaving him somewhat at a loss. Encouraging Xiao Jianming to stop drinking seemed like a caring act, but perhaps it was also a form of evasion.
If he really wasn't heartless, Xiao Jianming thought that Ning Fan shouldn't be interfering with him but should be going to find Huo Qiuran and bring her back.
"Things aren't as simple as you think..."
Ning Fan shook his head and gave a bitter smile. If it were possible, he would also wish to do so, but there was still hesitation in his heart.
One voice in his head thought Huo Qiuran shouldn't marry Shangguan Yunyang, while another reminded him that he had already let go. So what did Huo Qiuran's affairs have to do with him now?
Xiao Jianming, seeing Ning Fan's indifferent demeanor, was instantly furious. He pulled out the Tang Blade and, pointing at Ning Fan, angrily shouted, "Can you truly be so heartless and let down a woman who has wept over you?!"
The surrounding patrons stood up in fear, and the bar's staff hurried over to arrange other seating for them. The corner had already been sparsely populated, and now it was completely deserted.
Ning Fan gently pushed away the trembling Tang Blade and replied with complex emotions in his eyes, "If you can't even be sure whether I'm right or wrong, why do you accuse me?"
"So what do you really think?"
"Even you don't know?"
"Isn't that normal? Humans are complex beings, should I be angry now?"
"Shouldn't you be angry? Huo Qiuran is about to marry another man!"
"But can I give her a future?"
Xiao Jianming's voice suddenly choked off. He bit his lip, unwillingly staring at Ning Fan, feeling as if there was a towering rage inside him, yet he didn't know how to vent it.
After a moment, Xiao Jianming's eyes gradually became resolute,
he looked into Ning Fan's eyes and roared, "If it's with you, the future for Huo Qiuran would definitely be a happy one!"
Xiao Jianming's voice pierced into the soul, Ning Fan's face changed again and again, his lips moved as if he was muttering something under his breath at that moment.
Seeing Ning Fan struggle, Xiao Jianming's drunkenness suddenly diminished somewhat, and his mind also cleared up a lot. He finally saw it, the pain that lay deep in Ning Fan's eyes...
"So that's why you don't know what you think..." Xiao Jianming scoffed, feeling somewhat self-deprecating.
Just like when Huo Qiuran agreed to the arranged marriage, Xiao Jianming couldn't understand why she would consent, after holding on for so long, in the end, she could only appear disheartened. She left in silence, and the complex emotions in her eyes were something Xiao Jianming couldn't comprehend.
They say the observer sees by the clarity, but Xiao Jianming couldn't decipher the complicated emotions in Huo Qiuran's eyes back then, nor Ning Fan's emotions at the present moment.
Ning Fan was silent for a long time; he seemed to be in pain as he closed his eyes. It took a whole five minutes before he finally opened them.
The previously turbulent gaze had quieted down a lot. He sighed, looked at Xiao Jianming, who had sobered up considerably, and forced a stiff smile, "Let me think about it..."
Maybe he really should think this through, to find out what this feeling in his heart truly was. He ought to confirm it, as he didn't want to regret it at some point in the future when everything would be beyond repair.
Xiao Jianming set down the Tang Blade in his hand. He clenched his fist and reminded word by word, "There's not much time; think it over carefully!"
It was uncertain if Ning Fan had heard Xiao Jianming's last words, as he turned and walked towards the exit of the bar.
In Xiao Jianming's eyes, Ning Fan's departing figure seemed desolate and final, with an air of something incomprehensible.
After parting with Xiao Jianming, Ning Fan wandered aimlessly on the streets. The Zhonghai nightscape was as dazzling and enchanting as ever, with neon lights casting their mesmerizing colors.
Before he knew it, Ning Fan had walked to Huo Qiuran's house. By the time he realized, he couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
"How did I end up here?"
Questioning himself, Ning Fan looked towards the home of Huo Qiuran. She was no longer there; the master of this house was now in Jiangcheng.
But just at that moment, the villa's front gate suddenly opened, and Ning Fan's eyes widened in surprise.