pjbooks Chapter 16 High-End Social Dinner
Chapter 16 High-End Social Dinner
Guan Yao turned to look at him, her eyes holding something indescribable.
"Do you know what's the scariest thing?"
Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
"The scariest thing is not poverty, but poverty without end. I can't see our future getting better, I can't see when you'll be able to afford a house, I can't see if our children will be able to go to a better school... I can't see anything, only a gray fog."
The voice grew softer and softer until it became a murmur.
"So I chose to let go. I thought you would hate me, would curse me, would think I was a gold digger. But you did nothing. You just said 'okay,' and then packed your things and left the house we rented."
She lowered her head.
Do you know how much I cried that night?
Chen Mo remained silent for a long time.
The sunlight outside the window was perfect, casting dappled patterns on the floor, and dust motes floated in the light.
"I know," he finally spoke, his voice very soft, "because I cried that night too."
Guan Yao's body visibly trembled.
"I sat in the stairwell outside my rented apartment all night." Chen Mo turned to look out the window, his gaze fixed on some uncertain point in the distance. "I thought about a lot of things. I thought about the days we spent together, why you left, and what I did wrong."
"In the end, we came to a conclusion..."
He paused.
"It's not your problem, and it's not my problem. It's a problem with money."
These words struck the silence of the ward like a hammer blow.
"If I had money back then, your mother wouldn't have objected, your father wouldn't have been hospitalized, you wouldn't have felt ashamed in front of your colleagues, and we wouldn't have broken up." Chen Mo's voice was as calm as reading a verdict. "So I don't blame you, and I don't blame your mother. I only blame myself for being incompetent."
Guan Yao burst into tears.
She covered her face, her shoulders trembling violently, her sobs suppressed and filled with grief.
Chen Mo did not walk over.
He stood there, watching her cry, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. Heartache, relief, a touch of bitterness, and something else he didn't want to clarify.
After a while, the crying gradually subsided.
Guan Yao lowered her hand; her makeup was ruined, but she didn't care.
"Chen Mo." She sniffed, her voice hoarse, "I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead and ask."
"If... I mean if, I hadn't broken up with you and had held on until now... would you have treated me even better?"
Chen Mo looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Yes," he said, "but that 'if' doesn't exist."
Guan Yao closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face again.
"Yes...it doesn't exist."
The ward quieted down, with only the beeping of the monitor and the occasional sound of a horn from outside the window.
Chen Mo walked back to the bedside, took a few tissues from the table, and handed them to her.
"Wash your face."
Guan Yao took the tissue, wiped her face haphazardly, and then looked up at him.
"Chen Mo, I talked to you about getting back together last night... what's your decision?"
Chen Mo sat down in the chair, crossed his hands on his knees, and looked into her eyes.
"Guan Yao, are you sure you want to talk about this right now?"
"Sure."
"Alright." Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, his gaze calm and profound. "I'll give you an answer."
Guan Yao's breathing became noticeably rapid, and her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket tightly.
"I will not get back together with you at this time."
Guan Yao's expression froze.
"Because you've just had surgery, your body is weak, and your emotions are unstable. A decision made under these circumstances might lead to regret once you've recovered," Chen Mo said calmly. "I don't want you to come back out of gratitude or guilt. If you want to come back, it has to be after careful consideration and out of genuine willingness."
Guan Yao opened her mouth, as if to say something.
"But," Chen Mo interrupted her, "I won't reject you now. After you're discharged from the hospital, recovered, and thought things through, if you still want to get back together, we can have a proper talk."
He stood up and looked down at her.
"Before that, focus on getting better. We can talk about other things later."
Guan Yao looked at him, and tears streamed down her face again.
But this time, she smiled.
The smile was faint and gentle, but genuine. There was no deliberate strength or feigned indifference in her eyes, only a sense of relief and tenderness that came from being understood.
"Chen Mo, you're still the same as before," she said, "always thinking things through so thoroughly."
"This isn't about being thorough, it's about being responsible," Chen Mo smiled. "Whether it's for you or for myself."
Guan Yao nodded and closed her eyes.
"Okay. I'll do as you say."
The voice was soft, with a hint of a smile.
In the afternoon, Chen Mo's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He went out into the corridor to answer the call.
"Mr. Chen Mo? This is Xiao Liu, a sales consultant at the Jiangcheng Porsche Center. You picked up a Cayenne Coupe from us yesterday, right?"
"right."
"Mr. Chen, we have a VIP customer appreciation event tonight at the Jiangcheng International Convention and Exhibition Center, and we would like to invite you to attend. The event includes a new car showcase, a high-end social dinner, and some special performances. Would you be interested?"
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"When?"
"It starts at 7 PM and is expected to end at 10 PM. We can arrange a private car for you."
"No need, I'll drive myself." Chen Mo thought for a moment, "Can you give me a ride?"
"Of course, VIP customers can bring one companion."
"Okay, I'll go."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Mo walked back to his ward.
Guan Yao was already asleep, her breathing was steady, and her complexion was even better than in the morning.
He stood by the bed for a while, then took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Shiyu.
"There's an event tonight, come with me. It starts at seven, I'll be home at six to pick you up."
Lin Shiyu replied instantly: "Okay. What activity? What do you need me to prepare?"
"It's a Porsche VIP dinner. Dress formally."
"...How formal is 'formal'?"
"If you think it looks good, that's fine."
There was a silence of about thirty seconds on the other end, then a message came: "Then which dress should I wear? The one I bought at the mall last night."
Chen Mo recalled that when they were shopping at the supermarket yesterday, Lin Shiyu had indeed glanced at a clothing store window several times. The dress was black, with a simple and elegant design, and delicate lace trim on the neckline and cuffs.
"Since I've already bought it, it'll be a waste not to wear it."
"I'll give it a try. Don't laugh at me if it doesn't look good."
"Won't."
Lin Shiyu sent a facepalm emoji, then said, "Oh right, your clothes arrived. I've hung them in the closet for you. You can pick out an outfit to wear when you get back."
Chen Mo then remembered that the clothes he bought from JD.com had arrived today.
Canada Goose down jacket, Burberry casual leather shoes, Armani jeans, Versace shirts and T-shirts.
While it's not some top-tier luxury item, it should be sufficient for this kind of occasion.
"Okay. I'll be home by six."
"Okay, boss~"
Lin Shiyu sent a playful emoji followed by a smiley face.
Chen Mo looked at the word "boss" on the screen and a slight smile appeared on his lips.