Come Out to Welcome You Home
This...
How was Jiang Ruoqi supposed to explain?
She couldn't blame Meng Shang for the wedding rings. It wasn't that he was stingy; the issue was that getting the marriage certificate now only required ID cards—no need to bother with household registers—which made it too convenient for people like them who planned to act first and ask for forgiveness later.
So they'd gone through the pre-marital checkup and got the certificate in one go. It all happened too fast, and they couldn't be bothered with formalities like rings.
As for her and Shen Xuyan...
It wasn't nearly as regrettable as their friends imagined!
Who knew what that bastard had told Sophia? Putting on a show, acting like he was still pining for her, all lovesick and sentimental.
Why didn't he say he'd only agreed to break up because he was terminally ill and about to die? That would at least earn him some tears from fans of melodramatic plots.
Let her summarize.
First, when she initiated the breakup, both parties agreed.
Second, considering their personalities, ways of handling things, and lifestyles, couples who had been passionately in love chose to separate because there were irreconcilable differences in those areas.
Finally, they truly hadn't loved each other enough to make it work.
She didn't want to badmouth her ex, but back then, they met at just the right time, and relying on that vague affection, they idealized each other a bit more in their youth. So looking back, it might seem regrettable that they weren't together.
But Jiang Ruoqi felt no regret about the past. They had long since parted ways. If they could have made it work, they wouldn't have broken up in the first place.
Besides, her Dr. Meng was very good—a gentleman who could resist temptation, with the demeanor of a devoted husband. A friend of a friend, they knew each other's backgrounds well, and they'd been classmates in high school for a year—practically childhood friends.
How did that compare unfavorably to Shen Xuyan?
But Sophia didn't know the inside story. She just hoped her friend, when forced to make a choice, would pick the option that minimized future harm.
In her eyes, between Meng Shang and Shen Xuyan:
One was a Hongkonger whose family had emigrated to Europe. Sophia knew him well and had watched him fall in love with Jiang Ruoqi over a few years.
The other was a friend of a friend, settled in mainland China with an average family background, no emotional connection to Jiang Ruoqi—purely a transactional arrangement.
Actually, she wasn't satisfied with either, but given only these two options, it was obvious which one she favored.
Jiang Ruoqi let out a long breath, and a white mist appeared before her eyes.
The moisture from her warm breath condensed into a solid barrier in the cold. She was mildly nearsighted and wore contact lenses at work, so she was somewhat glad she hadn't impulsively switched to glasses.
A moment of silence, broken only by the noisy night wind.
Sophia was quiet, and Jiang Ruoqi didn't speak either.
She wanted to explain, but when it came time to speak, she found herself hesitating over how to say things to a friend.
"Seven, don't brush me off. I want to hear what you think."
When Jiang Ruoqi didn't respond for a long time, Sophia thought she was tempted. She broke the silence first, her voice soft and probing.
"There's no regret between Shen Xuyan and me, and no need to rekindle anything."
Jiang Ruoqi stared ahead. The mist from her breath blurred her vision, making it hard to see the road.
She closed her eyes, then opened them, steadying her voice to tell the truth: "And I've already got the marriage certificate."
The breathing on the other end suddenly became heavy. The shock and confusion were evident even across hundreds of miles.
Her friend's breakdown was instant. Sophia couldn't accept it. She took a few deep breaths, restrained her tone, and asked again: "Give me a reason."
"Meng Shang is a good person. We both need this relationship."
"So you just casually traded away your marriage like that?"
"I didn't do it casually..."
Jiang Ruoqi was cut off before she could finish.
"Jiang Ruoqi, in my eyes, you're just like me. Because we can't afford to make mistakes, every step is careful. You're not a reckless person! It's been less than two months since you first met. I don't understand, I really don't understand why you did this?"
"It was you who first told me that making a choice means bearing the pressure that comes with it. You didn't want to be a pawn in an arranged marriage. You resisted the pressure and came back to the mainland. Even if you needed a marriage of convenience, I would support you. But why couldn't you wait?"
"What's the difference between escaping a loveless arranged marriage by hastily marrying someone you don't love? Is your own future only meant to be sacrificed in rebellion against patriarchal authority?"
"Or let me put it another way: when you resolutely chose Meng Shang, did you look through him and see someone else? Are you really sure about that? If Meng Shang weren't so similar to Shen Xuyan, if it weren't to avoid the past, would you still have chosen him? Jiang Ruoqi, why don't you ask yourself more—won't you regret it?"
Jiang Ruoqi listened quietly. The other's tone was anguished, struggling to maintain a facade of calm despite the urgency.
But with every word Sophia said, Jiang Ruoqi's irritation grew.
She was like a prophet, so certain in sentencing her future.
Yet Sophia was the one who regretted love. Why did she think Jiang Ruoqi was still pining for her ex? That her choice was wrong?
"I won't regret it!"
In the biting wind, Jiang Ruoqi no longer felt cold. When she got emotional, she had obvious reactions—her whole body burned, her cheeks flushed, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
This was one of those times.
A lump was stuck in her chest, blocking her ears until she could barely hear her own words.