Chapter 14: There's Nothing I Can't Handle

She was desperately holding back the sourness in her nose, and her eyes were stinging from being open wide, but she would not let herself show even the slightest bit of sadness in front of him.

"So, Guan Haoyang, are you satisfied with the outcome now?" Qin Yucen countered him, her expression weary, "This marriage has no significant meaning for us any longer. It's better to let go—"

Guan Haoyang's eyes reddened, he interrupted her loudly: "Qin Yucen, our marriage is only for me to decide. You have no right to speak of letting go!"

"Yes, I have no right, so please be magnanimous and let me go, will you?" Qin Yucen pleaded with him.

That year, she had walked from the Qin family into the Guan Family, trapping herself in the cage of marriage, not just out of deep affection for Guan Haoyang, but also to save her grandmother who urgently needed money for a life-saving treatment. This fated her to never have the right to propose divorce in this lifetime.

She owed the Guan Family, and she had to exchange her lifetime's happiness for that debt!

Although Grandpa Guan had never intended such, treating her as dearly as his own granddaughter, he hoped she would stay in the Guan Family forever, helping Guan Haoyang.

Her watery eyes shimmered, delicate enough to tangle his heart in turmoil. He pulled Qin Yucen into his arms with force, holding her tightly, his large hand tousling her long hair: "Cencen, it was my fault about this matter... But you should not have lied to me. Can you be a bit softer, a little more gentle...?"

"I can't!" Qin Yucen refused to lower her head and submit.

More than saying Guan Haoyang humiliated her today, it was also giving each other a chance. If he hadn't insisted on checking, if she still had feelings for him, but now it finally made her see his true character clearly. Even if she could not break free from this marriage, she would not let herself be lowered to the dust again. She would be herself!

"You—" Guan Haoyang stopped abruptly, softening his tone, "Cencen, I will make it up to you."

"How can you make up for my first time?" Qin Yucen said sorrowfully and plaintively, "Can you really make amends for something like this just because you say you want to?"

"Cencen, just give me a chance, I am sure I can," Guan Haoyang cautiously pleaded with her, fear unexpectedly sprouting in his heart, afraid she would leave him, afraid she would no longer care about him from now on.

"Then tell me, how do you plan to selfishly make amends?" Qin Yucen frowned lightly and smiled, "Will you satisfy me materially? Or should I ask the doctor to fix this tear now? Do you think that's what I want? Can this erase the heartlessness and cruelty you just showed me? Guan Haoyang, you're dreaming!"

Guan Haoyang bowed his head slightly, listening to Qin Yucen's rebukes, finding himself completely at a loss for words.

But if he didn't say something, she definitely wouldn't forgive him, so he pursed his lips and said: "Cencen, I know the five years I was away made you suffer a lot. But I am back now, from now on, leave everything to me. You don't have to fight in the front lines anymore. I promise I will never leave you again, can we be a good husband and wife from now on?"

Qin Yucen, hearing his words, was somewhat astonished, not expecting such words to come from Guan Haoyang's mouth. Her eyes widened, staring intently at the man making amends to her. She had waited so long for the phrase "be a good husband and wife" and finally, she heard it. Why then did her heart lose the eagerness and the excitement and instead fill with a bitter taste?

Guan Haoyang, seeing her not as agitated anymore, wanted to hold her in his arms to comfort her. But in the next second, Qin Yucen pushed him away, and without any psychological preparation, he fell onto the ground, appearing extremely embarrassed.

He watched as Qin Yucen turned and ran away, gritting his teeth and cursing softly.

As she ran, Qin Yucen felt waves of pain from below her body, but she didn't stop at all, because she didn't want to stay there, didn't want to see Guan Haoyang. At this moment, his pretense felt overwhelmingly hypocritical to her!

Qin Yucen dashed out of the hospital, hailed a taxi, and when the driver saw she wasn't responding for a while, he asked, "Miss, where would you like to go?"

Indeed, where did she want to go?

Qin Yucen didn't know where to go. After thinking for a while, she finally said, "Take me to Yuegui Bar."

After paying the fare, she walked in. When people are at their least happy, the first thing they think of is drinking because alcohol soothes a thousand worries. Although it's a bit of an exaggeration, alcohol can at least numb the pain.

She settled in a dimly lit corner and ordered a bottle of brandy, pouring it into her glass. She didn't savor the liquor as usual, but instead tipped her head back and downed it in one go, letting the alcohol's spiciness and burning sensation slide from the tip of her tongue down her throat all the way to her stomach.

The bar was lively, but it was as if she could not feel it, lost in her own quiet world, drinking glass after glass, until the drunkenness surged, and she laid her head on her arms atop the table.

A figure loomed over Qin Yucen, the gaze falling on her face filled with avaricious awe.

Her fair face was tinged with an intoxicating blush, enchanting like springtime begonias, exceptionally alluring.

Qin Yucen saw the figure swaying before her and, due to the dim light, she couldn't see the person clearly, so she asked, "Who are you?"

"Miss, I'm a waiter here, I saw you were drunk, so I kindly offered to help you rest," he said.

"Rest?" Qin Yucen frowned.

The fair-haired youngster helped the limp Qin Yucen to her feet, his hand improperly grasping her slender waist, and just as he pulled her up, a cold and intimidating voice sounded from behind, "What are you doing?"

Huo Jingtang had been dragged here to drink by friends this evening, he didn't like the noise inside, so he stepped out for a breath of fresh air and sought a quiet corner to sit, and unexpectedly came across Qin Yucen and a nefarious youngster.

"My girlfriend is drunk, I'm taking her home," lied the brazen youngster with unfaltering confidence, "Who are you? Mind your own business."

"Let her go."

"I won't!" The man still forcefully tried to take Qin Yucen away when Huo Jingtang skillfully twisted the youngster's arm behind his back. He screamed out in pain, "Ah—"

The youngster had no choice but to let go of Qin Yucen's waist and was then embraced by Huo Jingtang. Qin Yucen felt a familiar comfort in his arms: "Eh, how did you get here?"