Chapter 23: Wishing You Happiness

The crowd erupted in an uproar at Qiao Yanxin’s definitive statement.

Someone asked with a hint of curiosity, "President Qiao, how can you be so sure that the person in the video is Young Master Qiao?"

Qiao Yanxin’s face turned ashen, and she remained silent.

But I knew exactly why she was so certain. It was because she had seen the mole on the man’s collarbone. I had a mole in that exact same spot.

Seeing the expression on Qiao Yanxin’s face, a wave of disappointment washed over me. I had not expected her to identify the man as me based solely on a mole. But I was already dead! She hadn't even bothered to verify the truth. For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

"I never would have guessed. Qiao Yunzhou usually seems so well-behaved. To think he would pull something like this on the old lady’s birthday—I suppose that’s just how young people are these days!"

"Can this Qiao Yunzhou not recognize his own station? He’s nothing more than an adopted child of the Qiao family. Marrying Qiao Yanxin was a stroke of good fortune for him, yet here he is, cheating on her!"

"It’s more than that. I heard he didn't even show up on his wedding day. I used to think the Qiao family might have done something, but now it seems he’s just a rotten person himself! If you ask me, the Qiao family shouldn't have adopted him in the first place. Who knows if he’s a beast in human skin?"

"Qiao Yunzhou is truly shameless. Isn't he afraid of catching all sorts of filthy diseases from playing around outside? President Qiao has such a good temper; if it were me, I would have beaten a man like that to death!"

Listening to the increasingly harsh and explicit discussion around me, my hands began to tremble with rage. How—how could they say such things about me?!

Inadvertently, I glanced at Gu Tingchu nearby. He was keeping his head down, but he could not hide the smirk on his face. I glared at him, grinding my teeth. Gu Tingchu had not only stolen my paintings, but after my death, he was now slandering my reputation to the extreme. What was his motive?! Did he truly hate me that much?

And Qiao Yanxin, she was just as foolish! To be so convinced that the man was me based on a single mole. What did a mole prove?

Did I possess the only mole in the entire world? Or perhaps, in her eyes, I had always been that kind of person. That was why, upon seeing such a video, she could be so certain that the man in it was me.

I could no longer bear to hear these people disparage me, so I shook my head and slipped out of the center of the crowd.

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached my ears. "President Qiao, would you like us to help explain? Young Master Qiao is clearly not in Xicheng right now. How can they say such things?"

Immediately following was another crisp, melodic voice. "No need. At this point, no matter what we say, they won't believe us. Besides, it could easily backfire. If they start suspecting that Qiao Yunzhou is having an affair with his own aunt, how would I explain that?"

I looked toward the source of the sound: it was Qiao Zhuxin and her assistant.

Hearing Qiao Zhuxin’s words, the assistant nodded as if she understood. "Should we leave now?"

Qiao Zhuxin nodded. "Let’s go. With everyone slandering him like this, I doubt he’ll show up." She added, "Also, send people to look elsewhere; he shouldn't be in Xicheng."

I was stunned to hear this. How did she know I wasn't in Xicheng? Could it be that Qiao Zhuxin had already been looking for me?

A storm raged within my heart, and my eyes were filled with undisguised shock. I had no relation to Qiao Zhuxin; why would she go to such great lengths for my sake? My parents, my childhood sweetheart—none of them cared whether I lived or died, yet a stranger like Qiao Zhuxin had searched the entire city of Xicheng for me. Furthermore, she was the only one present who cared about my reputation.

I didn't know what to feel. As I watched Qiao Zhuxin’s retreating figure, a memory from long ago inexplicably surfaced.

Back when Gu Tingchu had first framed me, claiming I had pushed him down the stairs, Qiao Yanxin had been furious and shoved me. I hadn't expected to tumble down the stairs like that. Lying in a pool of blood, I could clearly feel that my leg was broken. The agony was excruciating, but the pain in my heart was even harder to ignore. I hadn't expected Qiao Yanxin to push me for Gu Tingchu’s sake. I had never pushed him; why couldn't she just listen to my explanation?

Qiao Yanxin had looked down at me coldly as I rolled down the stairs. "This is a lesson for you. When you pushed Tingchu down the stairs, did you ever think you would end up like this yourself?"

With that, she ignored me and walked away.

I could feel my blood flowing out steadily. If I stayed there, I didn't know what the outcome would be. Would I die? I didn't know. Thinking of Qiao Yanxin’s icy gaze, I suddenly thought that if I died here today, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

A faint sound escaped my throat as I called out to Qiao Yanxin, hoping she would turn back for one last look at me. But she did not turn around and soon vanished from my sight.

I felt my eyelids growing heavy. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, a pair of feet appeared in my line of sight.

In the end, it was she who took me to the hospital. Because of the timely treatment, I didn't suffer any permanent damage. However, the doctor said that if I had arrived any later, I might have been crippled for the rest of my life.

After I woke up, I had wanted to thank Qiao Zhuxin, but she was already gone.

Before my wedding, Qiao Zhuxin had come to see me. Perhaps she knew that life in the Qiao family wasn't easy for me and that Qiao Yanxin didn't treat me well. She asked if I truly wanted to marry Qiao Yanxin. She said if I didn't want to, she could help me call off the engagement.

But I knew that my marriage to Qiao Yanxin was the will of the entire Qiao family. It wasn't just my parents; even Grandmother was looking forward to it. I had no way to refuse.

In the end, I looked at Qiao Zhuxin with earnest eyes and said, "Aunt, Qiao Yanxin and I are childhood sweethearts. Marrying her is my lifelong wish. I have no complaints about this engagement."

After saying this, I found it somewhat laughable myself, and I lowered my head to hide the bitterness in my eyes.

Qiao Zhuxin said nothing after hearing my words. I didn't know what she was thinking; perhaps she felt sorry for my misfortune and frustrated by my lack of resolve.

A long time later, until my legs felt numb from standing, Qiao Zhuxin finally said softly, "Then, I wish you happiness."