Missed Chances Were Missed

Memories came flooding back: the little moments she had shared with Chen Yu, the happy times with Zhong Xiaoyang, the argument on the eve of her divorce from Chen Yu, and the sweet kisses she had shared with Zhong Xiaoyang.

Zhong Xiaoqin shook her head, not daring to think about it any further. It was giving her a headache.

Just then, a message came in on WeChat. Chen Xu had sent her a location pin. Zhong Xiaoqin knew it was for a hospital—the place where she had gotten her abortion. He had also sent a video of Chen Yu lying in a hospital bed, waving to stop Chen Xu.

Chen Yu was covered in casts and bandages, his face bruised and swollen. The sight terrified Zhong Xiaoqin.

She grabbed her bag and rushed to the hospital.

She hurried there, asked around, and quickly found Chen Yu's room.

As soon as she opened the door and saw how badly Chen Yu looked, Zhong Xiaoqin froze in the doorway, lost in thought.

Hearing the noise, the Chen brothers both turned to look at Zhong Xiaoqin standing there.

Seeing the two of them with their bruised, swollen faces, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But when her eyes met Chen Yu's, Zhong Xiaoqin finally burst into tears.

Patients and family members in the hallway had no idea what was going on. They crowded around the door, craning their necks to peek inside.

Zhong Xiaoqin had burst into tears without a word, leaving the brothers at a loss over what to do.

Fortunately, a nurse making her rounds passed by and noticed the crowd gathered outside. She came over to see what was happening.

After dispersing the curious onlookers, she explained the brothers' condition. Then she reassured Zhong Xiaoqin, saying, "They should be more or less recovered in two or three months. They won't be disabled, so don't worry."

After a few more instructions, the nurse left, closing the door behind her.

The three of them stared at one another, unsure what to say.

"Sister-in-law, don't just stand there in a daze. Let me tell you, my brother..."

Chen Xu rolled his eyes and launched into an account of their heroic deeds. Starting with the moment they got the news in Europe, he talked all the way up to the present, showering Chen Yu with praise.

When he was done, he gave Chen Yu a look, made an excuse, and hobbled off with his crutches, leaving the two of them alone.

The atmosphere turned awkward. Neither of them knew what to say.

After a long silence, Zhong Xiaoqin spoke first. "Thank you."

"Hey, don't mention it. We don't need to be so formal with each other."

"Then why didn't you tell me? Do you know how dangerous that was? What if something had happened to you?"

Chen Yu said sheepishly, "I was afraid you'd find out before I'd pulled it off. Then we'd have gotten our hopes up for nothing."

"You're always like this. You never tell me what you're doing. Is that why we ended up where we are today?"

At her words, Chen Yu looked at her with a hint of delight and managed a broad, pain-filled smile.

Seeing him force a smile through the pain made Zhong Xiaoqin feel awful too. But then she thought of the complications between them over the past while. "Actually..."

She paused, then continued, "You didn't have to do this."

Chen Yu swallowed the words he had been about to say. He kept smiling and said nothing. Part of him felt bitter, and part of him remembered how plainly he had just expressed himself. Zhong Xiaoqin understood what he meant.

He knew her well enough to realize she might not have meant anything by it, but the words "you didn't have to" still stung. He forced back what he had been about to say.

Seeing Chen Yu like this, Zhong Xiaoqin was so angry she could hardly stand it, yet her feelings were complicated.

Before, when Chen Yu ignored her, she would throw a fit. But now, even after he had gone to such lengths for her, she found she wasn't as happy as she had imagined she would be.

She sighed and, in the end, said nothing more.

Zhong Xiaoqin gave Chen Yu a few more instructions, exchanged a few awkward words with him, and left.

As her figure disappeared, Chen Yu lay in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe it was easy to tell someone you didn't love that you loved them, but it was much harder to say it to someone you truly loved.

Chen Yu didn't know whether he truly loved Zhong Xiaoqin. After all these years, any love between them had faded. But he still cared for her. He had understood that on the plane.

"How did it go? How did it go?" Chen Xu had been waiting outside the whole time. After seeing Zhong Xiaoqin leave, he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. He hurried in, limping.

Seeing the curiosity all over Chen Xu's face, Chen Yu rolled his eyes and said irritably, "It didn't go well."

Chen Xu understood from the eye roll alone, before Chen Yu even had to explain.

Knowing Chen Yu was in a bad mood, he didn't tease him. He sat on the other bed and chatted with a woman he knew.

After a while, they heard a knock. Both brothers looked toward the door.

Wang Yan walked in and looked at their bruised, swollen faces. "How are you? Doing all right?"

"President Wang, what brings you here?" Seeing his big boss, Chen Yu struggled to sit up, wincing in pain.

"All right, all right. Lie back down. You're in no shape to worry about being polite."

He walked over and sat on the chair by the bed. "You're one of the company's heroes. How could I not come see you and make sure you're all right?"

"Thank you for coming, President Wang. I'm fine. I just need a few months to recover, so I might hold up work."

"Listen to you. Do you think I'm so unreasonable? I'm actually going to give you a bonus. You've done the company a huge service this time."

As he spoke, he patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Just focus on recovering. You can't leave the hospital until you've put on three jin."

Chen Xu had frozen as soon as Wang Yan came in and hurried to his feet. Wang Yan was the most impressive person he had ever dealt with, and he still remembered him vividly. He hadn't expected Chen Yu's so-called idiot boss to be Wang Yan. Watching Wang Yan talk to Chen Yu, he opened his mouth several times but couldn't get a word out.

Wang Yan gestured for Chen Yu not to say anything, then looked up at Chen Xu.

"This is your younger brother, Chen Xu, right?"

Before Chen Yu could answer, Chen Xu quickly said, "President Wang, it's me, Chen Xu. Don't you remember me?"

Wang Yan looked at Chen Xu in confusion.

Chen Xu realized why. After being beaten into such a mess, of course Wang Yan wouldn't recognize him.

He explained, "Gu Jia—Sister Gu. I used to drive for her."

Wang Yan looked as though he'd suddenly remembered. "Oh, you. I didn't recognize you. I thought you were someone with the same name."

"I didn't know you two were brothers."

He turned to Chen Yu. "So does that mean you know Gu Jia too?"

Chen Yu nodded. "Of course. My ex-wife was a classmate of Gu Jia's."

Wang Yan noticed how casually Chen Yu had said "ex-wife" and smiled. "Then I know who you mean. Zhong Xiaoqin, right?"

"That's right, that's her. You know her, President Wang?"

"She's been staying at my place these past few days. What do you think?"

He knew about Gu Jia's situation. Zhong Xiaoqin had told him, and Chen Xu had told him as well, so he hadn't given it much thought.

"Sorry for the trouble, President Wang. Xiaoqin's been a bother."

Wang Yan didn't add insult to injury. He simply left it at that.

"All right, that makes us all friends, so there's no need for formalities. I've already arranged for a caregiver to look after you. Don't worry about anything else. The company will cover your expenses while you recover."

Then he turned to Chen Xu. "Are you still driving for Xu Huanshan?"

Chen Xu nodded, vaguely guessing what was coming.

"You deserve some credit this time too. If you don't want to work for him anymore, join your brother. Let him find something for you to do, and you can learn a few things as well."

"Thank you, President Wang! Thank you! Don't worry, I'll work hard." Chen Xu was thrilled. This had to be better than driving—he was getting a promotion, and working under his brother couldn't be bad.

"That's all. You two focus on recovering. I have other things to do, so I'll be going."

Wang Yan didn't let Chen Xu see him out. After saying that, he left.

He hadn't come with Zhong Xiaoqin. It really had been a coincidence.

He had come simply to check on Chen Yu.

It was only right, as his boss, to visit an employee who had made an outstanding contribution.

Besides, Chen Yu shouldn't have been so badly injured in the first place. If he ended up with any lasting problems because of him, Wang Yan would be hard-pressed to escape responsibility.

After leaving the hospital, Zhong Xiaoqin walked down the street, weighed down by her thoughts.

Zhong Xiaoyang had lost his job because of her.

Chen Yu had been badly injured because of her.

She didn't know what she should do.

In the end, she sent a message to the group chat, inviting her two best friends to meet up and talk. She had been cooped up indoors for the past few days and was going stir-crazy.

Wang Manni happened to have the day off. With nothing else to do, she replied immediately and agreed. She suggested meeting at her ex-boyfriend's café.

Gu Jia was just as happy to go. She had plenty of free time now. She drove over to pick up Zhong Xiaoqin, and they headed to the location Wang Manni had sent.

The three friends met again.

Wang Manni introduced her friends to her ex-boyfriend, Jiang Chen.

After Jiang Chen left, Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin hurried to ask, "What's going on? You never mentioned him before."

"It's been going on for a while. Everyone was busy before, and we never had a chance to meet up, so I didn't say anything."

Wang Manni told Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin how they had met, then recounted their sweet romance from years ago. She also said that Jiang Chen was still single.

Gu Jia smiled as usual, while Zhong Xiaoqin looked regretful. "What a shame. Is he still waiting for you?"

Wang Manni wasn't too concerned. Before, Liang Zhengxian had been in Hong Kong, which was one thing. But now Liang Zhengxian had come here to build his career for her. She was blissfully happy. "What's missed is missed. Since we can't go back, I should hold on tighter to the person I have now."

"Enough about me. Congratulations, Xiaoqin. At least the truth has finally come out."

"Ugh, just hearing about it annoys me."

Curious, Gu Jia asked, "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy now that the truth is out? What's bothering you?"

"Well, Zhong Xiaoyang did this for me..."

After explaining what had happened, Zhong Xiaoqin said, "Now I'm caught between the two of them, and I don't know what to do."

"Zhong Xiaoyang is also telling people everywhere that he and I are dating."

Gu Jia frowned but said nothing.

Wang Manni was brimming with confidence. She said bluntly, "Then just go ahead and date him."

"You already agreed to be with Zhong Xiaoyang, and you've divorced Chen Yu. Why are you still thinking about getting back together with your ex?"

"Nothing hurts a relationship more than being indecisive. It's bad for all of you. You'll only hurt each other."

Zhong Xiaoqin listened and thought it over seriously.

Gu Jia thought Wang Manni had a point, but she didn't think she was completely right.

"All right, all right. Don't think about it anymore, Xiaoqin. Let's talk about something happy."

"Okay, I guess," Zhong Xiaoqin said with a helpless sigh.

"Ding. Ding. Ding."

Zhong Xiaoqin glanced at her phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Mm, it's me."

"All right, all right."

"Thank you."

Gu Jia asked, "What is it?"

"My landlord said I can move in."

"Look at that, what a coincidence. Now all you have to do is go back and move," Wang Manni said.

"Do you need any help?" Gu Jia asked.

She wasn't trying to rush Zhong Xiaoqin out. She just knew how awkward things were at her place, and how uncomfortable Zhong Xiaoqin felt staying there.

"I don't have much stuff. I can manage on my own."

The three friends chatted a little longer, then went their separate ways.

Back at the home she shared with Chen Yu, Zhong Xiaoqin looked at the familiar yet strange furnishings and stayed silent for a long time.

When she finally came to her senses, she went into the room and began packing.

After gathering her own things, Zhong Xiaoqin packed some of Chen Yu's daily necessities and clothes too. They had agreed she would do that earlier.

She took one last look at the home that felt both familiar and strange, then left without looking back.

Chen Yu was quite happy when Zhong Xiaoqin came to bring him his things.

"Xiaoqin, thank you."

Zhong Xiaoqin didn't respond. After a moment, she said, "Chen Yu, the landlord of the place I found called me today. She said I can move in."

Chen Yu went rigid. After a long pause, he wanted to say something, but what good would it do? He had known this was coming, but facing the reality still hurt.

He forced a smile. "All right. Got it. Be careful."

He knew his expression must have looked awful.

Zhong Xiaoqin glanced at Chen Yu, then turned and left.

Chen Xu tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He had watched the whole thing and knew Chen Yu was in a bad place.

He didn't want to get involved anymore. This injury was much worse than the one in the original story. If even this hadn't worked, what else was there to say?

That afternoon, Zhong Xiaoyang got a tearful call from his mother, who was far away in Northeast China. She told him something had happened at home and that his father had been taken away for questioning.

He didn't have time to ask for details. He hurriedly bought the earliest plane ticket and flew back home.

When he saw his mother, who was completely at a loss, he asked what had happened. But there was nothing he could do.

The person his family relied on—his own second uncle—had been taken away too. Without him, his father wouldn't even have been implicated.

He didn't know exactly what was wrong with his family, but he had a general idea. He knew his father was probably finished.

The company had been shut down, and its bank accounts frozen. Their former business partners, relatives, and friends were all afraid of being dragged into the mess, and kept their distance.

All he and his mother could do was wait for the final outcome. There was nothing else they could do.

Once he understood the situation, he comforted his mother for a while. The blow had been too much for her.

He didn't have time to worry about Zhong Xiaoqin. He began fretting about how he would live from now on.

He hadn't learned a thing over all those years. He'd spent all his time chasing women and flirting. When had he ever had time to study?

Aside from knowing a bit about motorcycles because he was interested in them, he was practically useless at everything else.

But you had to give him credit: his hobby really came in handy. Modifying a motorcycle could earn decent money, and Zhong Xiaoyang could make a living with that skill.

Liang Zhengxian's situation was much the same.

Ever since he moved in with Wang Manni, he had eaten out with her a few times. To keep up appearances, he had spent nearly all the tens of thousands of yuan he had.

With no income, he would be in trouble. Whether he liked it or not, he had to find a job.

To be fair, Liang Zhengxian had once been at the top.

So even after falling from that position, his perspective was still better than most people's.

Combined with the way of thinking he had cultivated since childhood, it helped him find a well-paying job in the highly competitive Shanghai job market.

Of course, it was still in the field he had worked in before and knew well: finance and investment banking.

For a while, he did quite well. But after some time, he began to feel uncomfortable.

After all this time, Wang Yan and Wei Zhijie, along with the helpers they'd brought in, had nearly finished taking down the Liang family.

Those people had all fled overseas as soon as they could. Who would care what happened to Liang Zhengxian?

This circle was neither too big nor too small. News of the Liang family's downfall had spread everywhere.

Though Liang Zhengxian repeatedly tried to avoid them, he still inevitably ran into old friends. The gulf between their current status and positions was easy to imagine.

Those he met would occasionally mention it to other friends. They all knew the Liang family had fallen and that Liang Zhengxian had been kicked out, but they hadn't expected him to still be scraping by here, let alone to see him again under such circumstances. So they treated it as a joke, then stood together atop the Liang family's remains and sighed.

As the news spread, even the colleagues and superiors Liang Zhengxian had once looked down on heard about it.

It wasn't quite to the point where everyone was cursing him out, as they had Zhong Xiaoqin, but the way they looked at him like a monkey brought him pressure and torment that could almost rival hers. What's more, he was a proud man. How could he stand being pointed at and talked about? The damage it did to him was immense.

At last, Liang Zhengxian couldn't take it anymore.

That day, he returned to Wang Manni's rented apartment, exhausted.

Wang Manni had just gotten back from meeting her friends. She hadn't expected Liang Zhengxian to come home so early, and happily went over to help him change his shoes and take off his coat.

"Why are you home so early today?"

Looking at her lovely face so close to his, he forgot all about being tired and swept Wang Manni up in his arms.

Caught off guard, Wang Manni let out a startled "Ah!"