The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 79

On the losing side.

Qiao Tan Yuan lost everything to Gu Jiao Wu. Whether it was a battle of wits or her heart. He didn’t love her. She couldn’t endure returning to a hollow marriage life with him again. If he wanted Xiao Bao, she would give him what he wanted. She was tired of always losing to him. She was tired of him l.u.s.ting for her body while bruising her heart.

Qiao Tan Yuan could deny many things. But she couldn’t lie to herself, she still loved Gu Jiao Wu. If he continued to spend time with her, she would cave and agree to marry him to give Xiao Bao a family. But if she married him again, he would turn her back on her the moment Xiao Bao returned to the Gu Household. He wouldn’t look at her again like how he didn’t look at her during their first marriage.

‘Gu Jiao Wu, in a couple of months you’ll get to take Xiao Bao back to the Gu Household,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘You can go.’

Gu Jiao Wu sat still. He didn’t know why he didn’t want to leave Qiao Tan Yuan.

Qiao Tan Yuan carried Xiao Bao in her arms.

‘Gu Jiao Wu, you don’t have to force yourself to get back together with me,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘I’m giving you Xiao Bao. You can be with anyone you want to be with. Are you satisfied?’

Qiao Tan Yuan carried Xiao Bao back to the nursery. For the first time in her life, her shoulders felt light. She looked at Xiao Bao’s frowning face, and small hands holding her blouse.

‘Xiao Bao don’t be fooled,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and smiled. ‘Of course mummy loves you, and needs you. Don’t worry, mummy isn’t giving you away.’

Qiao Tan Yuan lied to Gu Jiao Wu so he would stop bothering her for a couple of months.

Qiao Tan Yuan expected in a couple of months, Zheng Quan’s company’s products would be ready for the market and if successful then she didn’t need to worry about Qiao’s company making a substantial loss. Afterward she would raise Xiao Bao in Denmark.

Qiao Tan Yuan looked out the window, watched Gu Jiao Wu leave and smiled. She was going to show him in this world, he couldn’t get everything he wanted.

Later at the Gu Household’s front garden, Gu Jiao Wen was wishing his two demon sons were two angel daughters instead. His sons cried all day, whereas if he had daughters, they would be adorable and good. Not like his sons crying in the twin pram. He heard a car driving into the driveway. He turned around, and saw Gu Jiao Wu returning home.

‘Big brother, why are you home?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. He thought Gu Jiao Wu left early in the morning to work on the weekend. ‘Aren’t you working today?’

‘It’s the weekend,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wen knew something was troubling Gu Jiao Wu, because Gu Jiao Wu was a master workaholic. He gestured for Gu Jiao Wu to sit on a bench with him, and Gu Jiao Wu helped push the twin pram to the bench.

Gu Jiao Wu smiled at his nephews, and eased some of his frustrations and confusion.

‘Why are you alone with the twins,’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘Where’s Tan Pan Ting?’

‘She’s shopping with my mum,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

Gu Jiao Wu was envious of Gu Jiao Wen. Gu Jiao Wen was a happy family man.

‘Is something on your mind?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. He rarely saw Gu Jiao Wu look so lost. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

Gu Jiao Wu shook his head. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Didn’t he get what he wanted? Qiao Tan Yuan promised him in a couple of months he could take Xiao Bao back to the Gu Household… why was he unhappy? He watched Gu Jiao Wen play with the twins, and didn’t know why he felt like he failed to keep his own family together.

‘What does marriage mean to you?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Gu Jiao Wen heard Gu Jiao Wu’s question, and understood who was on Gu Jiao Wu’s mind.

‘A marriage is about two people loving each other, and holding hands together for the rest of their lives,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘Love?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘When you married Tan Pan Ting, you didn’t love her.’

‘I didn’t love Pan Ting when I married her but I love her now,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t understand Gu Jiao Wen’s contradictory explanation.

‘Marriage means something different to each person,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘Before I married Pan Ting, my goal was to find someone I could live with. After marrying, and living with Pan Ting, my concept of marriage changed. I fell in love with Pan Ting. Getting married to live with someone, and marrying for love are two different things. Big brother, ask yourself if you want to marry Tan Yuan to give Xiao Bao a family or is it because you want to spend the rest of your life with Tan Yuan.’

Gu Jiao Wen’s question was the same question Mrs Qiao asked Gu Jiao Wu. It made Gu Jiao Wu even more confused.

‘When I first married Pan Ting, I was good to her out of obligation as a husband,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘But now I’m good to her because I love her, and I want her to be happy.’

‘You love her and want her to be happy?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘Um, I love her,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘Big brother, I can say confidently after being with Pan Ting, I have no interest in another woman.’

Gu Jiao Wu silently stood, walked to his bedroom and mauled on Gu Jiao Wen’s words.

On the night of Tong Shang Wen’s birthday celebration, the guests were merry except for Gu Jiao Wu drinking and brooding in a corner.

Du Lei Xin sat next to the brooding Gu Jiao Wu.

‘Big brother, what’s wrong?’ Du Lei Xin asked. ‘Not in the mood to dance?’

‘No interest in dancing,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Since Gu Jiao Wu last saw Qiao Tan Yuan, he wasn’t interested in doing anything.

The birthday man, Tong Shang Wen dressed in a white suit, held his girlfriend’s hand and walked to Gu Jiao Wu’s corner.

‘Big brother, can’t you pretend to look happy at my birthday party?’ Tong Shang Wen asked.

‘Happy birthday,’ Gu Jiao Wu said gloomily.

‘Thank you,’ Tong Shang Wen said. He looked at the equally miserable Du Lei Xin, and frowned. ‘Do you two need to mope in a corner like this? Go mingle with the guests, and act like you’re having a good time while you two are here.’

Du Lei Xin didn’t see Gu Jiao Mai at the party, and didn’t want to stay at the party either. In the morning he offered to escort Gu Jiao Mai to the party, she said she would go on her own but he knew she wouldn’t come.

Gu Jiao Wu thought if Xiao Bao didn’t like him, what was the point of taking Xiao Bao back to the Gu Household? He didn’t want Xiao Bao to be unhappy like him.

‘Big brother, it’s my thirtieth,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘At least help me greet the guests.’

Gu Jiao Wu gestured for Tong Shang Wen to let him sit in peace.

Tong Shang Wen sighed, and walked his girlfriend back to the dance floor.

Du Lei Xin went somewhere to call Gu Jiao Mai to ask her where she was.

A while later Li Lam arrived at the party. She wore a white evening gown, and held a matching white clutch. She spotted Gu Jiao Wu alone in a corner, and approached him.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ Li Lam said.

Gu Jiao Wu looked up, and was surprised to see Li Lam.

‘You were invited?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘Executive Tong invited my dad, but he’s busy and asked me to come on his behalf,’ Li Lam said.

Gu Jiao Wu wasn’t interested in small talk with Li Lam. He stood to walk away from her.

‘Wait, can you help me with something?’ Li Lam asked.

‘What?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘My dress… I accidently teared my dress while getting out of the car,’ Li Lam said.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t notice the small hole on Li Lam’s dress until she pointed to the hole.

‘I can’t mingle with the guests if I’m self-conscious about my dress,’ Li Lam said. ‘Can you ask someone to bring me a sewing kit?’

Gu Jiao Wu thought Li Lam was bothersome. The small hole was on the bottom layer of her dress.

‘Sit down,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘What?’ Li Lam asked and sat down.

Gu Jiao Wu teared off the bottom layer of the dress beneath Li Lam’s knees.

‘Done,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘What?’ Li Lam asked and stood.

Li Lam looked at the white dress fabric in Gu Jiao Wu’s hand then she looked at her evening gown turned into a mini dress. But she was grateful it looked like a brand new dress.

‘You’re impressive,’ Li Lam praised and smiled. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s nothing,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘Do you mind being my dance partner?’ Li Lam asked.

Li Lam’s smile resembled Chu Da’s smile in Gu Jiao Wu’s memories. He heard footsteps, and didn’t answer. When he turned around, he saw Qiao Jie escort Qiao Tan Yuan into the function room.

End of Chapter Seventy-Nine