novelIdeaMax Chapter 1637 My Identity Is Different
Chapter 1637 My Identity Is Different
After taking a two-week leave of absence, Zhou Shihui ultimately couldn't withstand the rumors and gossip.
The architectural design institute wasn't a huge place, nor was it small, but news spread faster than the wind. Zhou Shihui's pursuit of Huang Yimei had become the talk of the town ever since Guan Zhizhi caused a scene at the institute. At first, people were mindful of appearances and only gossiped a few times behind his back. But as time went on, all sorts of nasty things started to surface.
Some say he's a toad lusting after a swan, a nearly thirty-year-old man of average looks, yet he dares to set his sights on Huang Yimei. Others say he's ungrateful, rejecting such a wonderful girl as Guan Zhizhi to pursue a recent graduate—isn't that just plain crazy?
Some of these words were heard by Zhou Shihui himself, while others were relayed to him indirectly by his colleagues.
At first, he tried to hold on, thinking that time would heal all wounds. But that's the nature of working at an architectural design institute; people in a project team are together every day, seeing each other all the time.
Those meaningful glances, those whispers that abruptly ceased the moment he turned away, were like fine needles, pricking him day after day.
Finally, Zhou Shihui submitted his resignation.
The dean didn't try to persuade him to stay, probably thinking it wouldn't be good for anyone if he continued. The paperwork was completed quickly, in just three days.
Zhou Shihui spent another week listing the apartment, which he had intended to use as their wedding home, with a real estate agency. The apartment wasn't large, just two bedrooms and a living room; the down payment had been pooled together by both families, and he had been making the monthly mortgage payments. Now that the wedding was off, keeping the apartment was pointless.
The agent asked him how much he wanted to list the property for, and he quoted a price that was 50,000 yuan lower than the market price.
"Mr. Zhou, isn't this price too low? Your apartment has a good location and a good floor; you could easily go for another 20,000 or 30,000 yuan more," the real estate agent, a young woman, kindly reminded him.
Zhou Shihui shook his head: "That's fine then, I want to make a move as soon as possible."
The agent glanced at him but didn't say anything more.
The house sold very quickly, in less than a week.
Zhou Shihui stood in the empty living room for a long time before finally taking out his phone and calling Huang Zhenhua.
"Zhenhua, I'd like to invite you to dinner."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Huang Zhenhua's voice sounded somewhat complicated: "Okay, you name the place."
The two met at a Sichuan restaurant, the one they used to frequent after working overtime.
Zhou Shihui arrived early and ordered a table full of dishes, all of which were Huang Zhenhua's favorites: boiled fish, spicy chicken, stir-fried green beans, and two bottles of beer. When Huang Zhenhua came in and saw the table full of food, he paused for a moment.
"Have you struck it rich or something?" Huang Zhenhua pulled out a chair and sat down, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Shihui's face: "You've lost a lot of weight."
Zhou Shihui twitched the corners of his mouth, giving a slight smile: "I sold the house, so I have some spare cash."
Huang Zhenhua put down his chopsticks again: "You really sold the house?"
"Ah."
"You quit your job too?"
"I resigned."
Huang Zhenhua was silent for a moment, then picked up his beer glass and took a swig: "Where are you planning to go?"
“Going back to my hometown.” Zhou Shihui looked down and twirled the cup in his hand. “My parents are getting old and their health isn’t very good. I can take care of them when I go back. There’s a design company there. It’s not big, but at least it’s in our field.”
"Okay." Huang Zhenhua nodded, unsure of what to say.
He had known Zhou Shihui for almost ten years. Zhou Shihui was not particularly outstanding, but he was down-to-earth and hardworking. If it weren't for this incident, the two would probably have continued to be colleagues for many more years.
But now, it's too late to say anything.
The two ate in silence for a while, the atmosphere somewhat subdued. Zhou Shihui hesitated several times before speaking, and Huang Zhenhua, noticing this, roughly guessed what he wanted to say.
Sure enough, after a few rounds of drinks, Zhou Shihui finally spoke.
"Zhenhua, I...I have something I'd like you to tell Rose."
Huang Zhenhua's chopsticks stopped in mid-air, and his face visibly darkened.
“I know I’m not qualified to say this.” Zhou Shihui spoke a few words faster, as if afraid Huang Zhenhua would interrupt him: “But I really… I’ve been thinking about her over and over these past few days, I can’t forget her. I know I’m not good enough for her, and I don’t expect anything, I just want her to know that no matter where she is in the future, there will always be someone thinking of her…”
"You should just give up on that idea completely. My sister and Qin Hao are getting along really well now."
Zhou Shihui said indignantly, "Why? That Qin Hao is just a playboy. Rose won't be happy with him."
“My sister said it exactly: I don’t know if she will be happy in the future, but she is very happy now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Shihui burst into tears.
Huang Zhenhua grew angrier and angrier, slamming his fist on the table: "Stop crying! Are you even a man?!"
"Putting everything else aside, just look at how Guan Zhizhi behaved when she came to our workplace that day. She was really great, responsible, and always there to protect my sister when something happened."
He turned back and stared at Zhou Shihui: "Look at you again, hanging your head like a coward, letting Guan Zhizhi talk about my sister like that, letting her be talked about and pointed at by everyone! If you had just stood up and said a fair word back then, saying that Rose hadn't paid any attention to you from beginning to end, would those rumors have spread like this?"
"No, what did Rose do wrong?" Huang Zhenhua's voice suddenly rose: "If you hadn't done this damn thing, would she have had to suffer this injustice?"
Zhou Shihui's shoulders slumped completely, and he slumped into the chair as if all his bones had been removed.
Huang Zhenhua looked at him and suddenly felt very tired.
"You've got a classic case of 'the pitiful must also have something hateful about them.' You deserve it."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Hearing Zhou Shihui's suppressed sobs behind him, Huang Zhenhua paused for a moment, but finally pushed open the restaurant door.
The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling, so he squinted and let out a long breath.
-
When Huang Zhenhua drove his old Jetta back to the neighborhood, it was already getting dark.
He parked the car in the yard, turned off the engine, but didn't get out immediately. His stomach felt bloated from the meal, and Zhou Shihui's tearful face kept flashing before his eyes. He rubbed his temples in frustration and opened the car door.
He stopped after taking only two steps.
At the other end of the yard was a silver-gray Porsche 986, a car he knew all too well.
Huang Zhenhua frowned and subconsciously took a few steps in that direction.
Then he regretted it.
The Porsche's window wasn't completely closed, leaving a crack, presumably for ventilation. Through that crack, Huang Zhenhua could clearly see Qin Hao in the driver's seat, leaning to the side, one hand on the window, the other around the person in the passenger seat.
The person in the passenger seat was his sister, Huang Yimei.
Their faces were very close, their lips met, and they kissed passionately. Huang Yimei's arms were wrapped around Qin Hao's neck, and she was practically hanging on him.
Huang Zhenhua felt a rush of blood to his head.
He turned around abruptly and slammed his hand on the car window three times.
"Boom boom boom!"
The two people in the car were clearly startled. Huang Yimei jumped back like a frightened rabbit, almost hitting her head on the roof. Qin Hao, on the other hand, was much calmer, only frowning slightly as he turned to look out the window.
With his back to the car window, Huang Zhenhua forced out his voice through clenched teeth: "In broad daylight, in our own neighborhood, you two should be more mindful of your behavior!"
There was a two-second silence in the car.
Then, Huang Yimei suddenly burst out laughing.
Huang Zhenhua was startled and subconsciously turned around, only to see his sister pointing at Qin Hao's face, laughing so hard she was doubled over. He followed Huang Yimei's finger and saw that there was a faint red tinge around Qin Hao's lips, as if it had been dyed with something.
It's clearly Huang Yimei's lipstick.
Qin Hao glanced at Huang Yimei with a hint of helplessness, then pulled a tissue from the storage compartment and handed it to her. Huang Yimei took the tissue, but instead of wiping herself first, she raised her hand to wipe Qin Hao's lips.
"Don't move." She suppressed a laugh and carefully wiped the lipstick stains off Qin Hao's lips.
Qin Hao didn't move, letting her do as she pleased, though his eyes held a hint of indulgence.
Huang Zhenhua stood outside the car, watching this scene, and suddenly felt like a superfluous person.
After they had both finished getting ready, they got out of the car. Huang Yimei naturally took Qin Hao's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder, looking like a little bird nestled against him.
Looking at his sister like this, Huang Zhenhua felt a mix of emotions.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, then looked at Qin Hao with a stern face: "Although Rose doesn't mind what you did in the past, I'm telling you this—if you dare to bully my sister, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
The words were spoken with great conviction, but unfortunately the effect seems less than ideal.
Huang Yimei tilted her head and sized him up, then said with a grin, "Then you'd better work out, otherwise your physique..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.
Although Huang Zhenhua wasn't short, he spent most of his time sitting in an office, so his build was neither fat nor particularly muscular. Qin Hao, on the other hand, was tall and muscular, with muscles several sizes larger than Huang's.
If they really started fighting, it's hard to say who would end up with their teeth on the ground.
Huang Zhenhua's face darkened: "Starting tomorrow, I'll begin exercising! Hey... I haven't even done anything yet, and you're already siding with outsiders."
Huang Yimei stuck out her tongue, made a face, and then turned to Qin Hao and said, "Let's go, Mom and Dad are still waiting upstairs."
Qin Hao nodded, turned around and walked to the back of the car, opening the trunk. Inside were several bags neatly stacked, containing tea, health supplements, and an elegantly packaged box that, judging by its size, looked like skincare products.
Huang Zhenhua leaned over for a peek and muttered to himself: This kid knows how to get things done.
Huang Yimei took Qin Hao's arm and walked into the building, with Huang Zhenhua following behind. Watching their backs, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"Girls really do favor outsiders," he muttered to himself.
Huang Yimei, with her sharp ears, turned around and glared at him: "I heard you!"
"So what if I heard it? Did I say something wrong?" Huang Zhenhua said irritably.
Huang Yimei snorted and tightened her grip on Qin Hao's arm.
-
When she arrived at her doorstep, Huang Yimei didn't immediately take out her keys to open the door, but instead raised her hand and knocked.
Although she had the key, today's situation was special, so it was better to give her parents a signal first. After all, Qin Hao had always come to their house as a classmate before. Today was different; today he was "her daughter's boyfriend."
Soon, the door opened.
The person who opened the door was Wu Yuejiang, Huang Yimei's mother. She was wearing a plain-colored house dress, her hair was tied back, and she had a smile on her face, but that smile seemed to convey a sense of estrangement.
"You're here." Wu Yuejiang's tone was somewhat indifferent. She glanced at Qin Hao's face, then stepped aside to let him in.
This attitude was completely different from when Qin Hao carried Huang Zhenhua back that day.
Huang Yimei keenly sensed her mother's attitude and quickly changed the subject: "Mom, where's Dad?"
Wu Yuejiang winked towards the bedroom, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Don't you know your dad? Go ask him yourself."
"This old man is putting on airs." Huang Yimei wrinkled her nose playfully and let go of Qin Hao's arm: "Alright, I'll go ask him to come out."
Only Qin Hao, Huang Zhenhua, and Wu Yuejiang remained in the living room.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.
Wu Yuejiang sat down on the sofa and gestured for Qin Hao to sit down as well. Qin Hao sat down opposite him obediently, his back ramrod straight.
Huang Zhenhua sat down on the single sofa next to him, looking on with an expression of anticipation.
"Xiao Qin," Wu Yuejiang said, her tone even more subdued than before, "Although we've known each other before, your status is a little different today, so Rose's father and I will definitely have different expectations of you. You should understand that, right?"
Qin Hao had just sat down on the sofa when he heard this and immediately sat up straighter.
“I completely understand.” He nodded, his tone sincere: “It’s because my reputation wasn’t very good before.”
These words were so blunt that they surprised Wu Yuejiang.
She had prepared a whole host of sharp words of criticism, but Qin Hao had already laid it all out first, leaving her somewhat at a loss for words. However, upon further reflection, she thought, "This kid is quite self-aware; at least he's not pretending."
Just as Wu Yuejiang was about to say something, a noise came from the bedroom.
Huang Jianzhi was half-dragged, half-pulled out by Huang Yimei. This patriarch of the Huang family was wearing a dark gray T-shirt, her hair was neatly combed, and her expression looked as if she had been owed eight million. When she looked at Qin Hao, her eyes revealed an undisguised disdain.
That look in his eyes, how should I put it, is like an old farmer who has worked hard to grow a season of cabbages, only to have them eaten by a pig that appears out of nowhere.
"Hello, Uncle." Qin Hao stood up and greeted him respectfully.
Huang Jianzhi did not respond at first, but just grunted through his nose and then slowly walked to the sofa.
Seeing this, Huang Yimei panicked and grabbed his arm, shaking it violently. The force was so great that Huang Jianzhi's whole body swayed.
"Alright, alright, stop shaking me, or my arm will break." Huang Jianzhi finally couldn't hold back anymore and sighed, "Girls really are a thing of the past."
He reluctantly greeted Qin Hao, then sat down next to Wu Yuejiang, his expression still not very pleasant.
Huang Yimei then released her hand with satisfaction, quickly walked back to Qin Hao's side and sat down, even leaning closer to him as if to assert her ownership.
Huang Jianzhi's lips twitched when he saw this.
The living room fell silent again, the four of them sitting face to face, the atmosphere even more subtle than before.
Huang Zhenhua sat to the side with his legs crossed, a smug smile on his lips, clearly enjoying the feeling of "watching others suffer".
“Xiao Qin,” Huang Jianzhi finally spoke, his voice low and carrying an imposing aura, “we are basically aware of your situation.”
He paused, then looked sharply at Qin Hao: "In principle, we do not approve of your relationship."
As soon as she finished speaking, Huang Yimei nearly jumped off the sofa like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to retort.
Huang Jianzhi was clearly prepared, and he changed the subject, his tone softening a bit: "However—it's the 21st century now, and people are free to love. We respect our daughter's choice."
Huang Yimei swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue, but her eyes remained wary as she stared at her father, ready to "flip the table" again at any moment.
“However,” Huang Jianzhi emphasized, “there are two points I still need to make clear to you.”
Qin Hao sat up straight and nodded earnestly: "Uncle, as long as it's something I can do, I will never refuse."
Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating with their eyes. After a moment, Huang Jianzhi turned back and held up one finger.
"First, you cannot have any physical relationship with Rose during your relationship."
These words were so blunt that Huang Yimei's face flushed red instantly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Huang Jianzhi glared at her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Second," Huang Jianzhi held up his second finger, "Rose must be home before 10 p.m. every night."
"If you can't do these two things..."
"no problem."
Before Huang Jianzhi could finish speaking, Qin Hao readily agreed, his decisiveness leaving everyone present momentarily stunned.
Huang Jianzhi's prepared long speech was stuck in his throat, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Wu Yuejiang was also somewhat surprised and looked Qin Hao over again.
Huang Yimei was the only one who was unhappy.
"Dad, Mom, what are you doing?" she pouted, looking unhappy. "I'm not a three-year-old."
"Rose." Qin Hao gently patted the back of her hand, his voice gentle yet firm: "Your aunt and uncle are doing this for your own good."
He turned to look at Huang Yimei, his eyes serious: "Just consider this a small test on our road to love. I still stand by what I always say—time will tell."
Huang Yimei met his gaze, her lips moved, but she ultimately swallowed her rebuttal. She lowered her head and gave a muffled "Mmm."
Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang exchanged another glance.
This Qin Hao is not quite what they imagined.
Could the rumors be wrong?
Huang Zhenhua was also secretly puzzled. At least during the time he had known Qin Hao, he didn't seem to be the kind of person who fell in love with every woman he met, as the rumors suggested.
Is it really true that everything has its counter? Is it possible that my sister is the perfect nemesis for this playboy?
Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Wu Yuejiang's attitude became much more amiable. She got up and went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
Huang Jianzhi, however, maintained his lukewarm attitude, sitting on the sofa and chatting casually with Qin Hao, asking only trivial questions—like what he planned to do after graduation and how many people were in his family.
Qin Hao answered each question respectfully but not obsequiously.
Listening from the side, Huang Zhenhua suddenly found the scene somewhat amusing. His father's interrogation-like demeanor, coupled with Qin Hao's obedient confession, made it look just like a police interrogation.
Dinner was lavish; Wu Yuejiang had prepared a large table of dishes. The atmosphere at the table had eased considerably compared to before, and Wu Yuejiang even served Qin Hao food several times.
Huang Jianzhi didn't say much throughout, but he didn't make things difficult for Qin Hao either. He just occasionally glanced at him with that scrutinizing look.
After dinner, Huang Yimei escorted Qin Hao downstairs.
Night had completely fallen, and the streetlights in the neighborhood cast long shadows of the two of them. Huang Yimei clung to Qin Hao's arm, resting her head on his shoulder, muttering sullenly.
"My dad is really going too far! How could he make such an unreasonable request? It's so disrespectful!" She got angrier and angrier as she spoke. "And you, why did you agree so readily? Now we have to time our movie viewings perfectly. What if we have to rush back halfway through? That would be such a disappointment."
Qin Hao put his arm around Huang Yimei's shoulder and patted her gently.
"There's nothing I can do; it's my notorious reputation from before. Put yourself in my shoes, if we have a daughter in the future, and she brings me home a blond guy—"
"I'm being lenient by not breaking the blond guy's legs."
Huang Yimei paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Ugh, what 'yellow hair'? It sounds awful." She reached out and lightly punched Qin Hao's chest, her annoyance vanishing instantly.
Qin Hao looked down at her, the streetlight shining on her face, her eyes sparkling as if filled with stars.
Huang Yimei also raised her head, and their eyes met.
The air suddenly became thick, and the distance between the two people unconsciously shortened, until they could feel each other's breath.
Just as their lips were about to touch—
A series of hurried footsteps came from the corridor, growing clearer and clearer as they approached.
Huang Yimei shoved Qin Hao away abruptly, turned to look at the stairwell entrance, her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.
"Huang! Zhen! Hua!"
Huang Zhenhua walked out of the stairwell carrying a bag of trash, looking completely innocent.
"Dad told me to come down and take out the trash, but that's none of my business."
Huang Yimei glared at him, her eyes filled with a look that seemed to want to poke two holes in him.
Huang Zhenhua pretended not to see it, slowly walked to the trash can, threw the trash in, and then began to linger around the trash can, checking his phone and looking up at the sky, but he just wouldn't leave.
It's obvious they're watching her go home.
Huang Yimei stomped her foot in anger, but there was nothing she could do. She turned to look at Qin Hao, her eyes filled with reluctance.
"Then I'll go up first."
"Okay, get some rest."
Qin Hao opened the car door for her, watching her reluctantly walk into the building. As she passed Huang Zhenhua, Huang Yimei glared at him fiercely and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "You're over thirty and still not in a relationship, why are you staring at me all day?"
Huang Zhenhua was speechless. (End of Chapter)