Way back to Our Past

23. Apologizing on Behalf of Her

Translator: Snowball

A blast of guffaw rang in the box. “She’s such a pill!”

With a frown, Ling Mubai pulled Qu Wan out of the box, closing the door behind them.

“What are you doing here?” Loosening the grip on her hand, he asked coldly.

“Yiyi was removed from her current position. Don’t tell me you have nothing to do with this!” Qu Wan questioned, staring at him angrily.

Disregarding the hostile in her eyes, Ling Mubai leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. “People who do wrong have to suffer the consequences. It’s just a slap on the wrist!”

Qu Wan took a step backward with a frown. “Ling Mubai even smokes?”

She felt sick at the smell of cigarettes, so she hated people smoking. Ling Mubai once told her that he had never smoked, but judging by his skillful movements, she could tell that he was actually a chain smoker!

Only then did Qu Wan realize how little she knew about this man.

“Ling Mubai, if you have a problem with me, just come at me! Yiyi is innocent, so I hope you’ll leave her outta all this!”

“Stop flattering yourself! It’s none of your business.” Looking into her widened eyes, Ling Mubai continued, “I’m not targeting anyone! Shouldn’t she be punished for those insulting remarks she made to me?”

“You… You’re just throwing your weight around!” Qu Wan’s fingers began to tremble and she couldn’t hold back her anger anymore. “Yiyi offended you because of me. If you’re still mad at her, I’m apologizing to you on behalf of her!”

“On behalf of her?” Ling Mubai stared at her and said in a playful tone, the look in his eyes became even colder.

“She’s willing to swallow her pride and apologize to me for her friend’s sake, but she has never made any concessions to my mother for me!”

If it hadn’t been for the tension between Qu Wan and Sun Lan, things wouldn’t have been as they were.

“Yes! I’m sorry for upsetting your sweetheart! Mr. Ling, please stop finding fault with Yiyi,” in spite of her dignity, Qu Wan apologized.

“It’s too late! Miss Qu, I don’t accept your apology!” Ling Mubai said, showing no mercy. “I gave you a chance to apologize, but you missed it.”

“You…” Qu Wan was rendered speechless. She had never expected that he would have treated her like this.

“You must be thinking I’m too cruel.” Ling Mubai snorted and what he said next was even more hurtful. “Qu Wan, I loved you and doted on you, so I could tolerate anything you did. But now you have nothing to do with me. Why should I change my decision simply because you said you were sorry?”

Feeling her heart sink, Qu Wan took a step backward, looking at him in disbelief.

“He’s right! I have nothing to do with him now and it’s only natural that he should refuse my request,” she thought with a self-mockery smile.

She had known how ruthless he was three years ago!

It was their wedding anniversary when Jiang Xinyue came to their house and claimed that she was pregnant. Not until then did Qu Wan know that man, who had vowed to love her forever, had betrayed her.

After his affair was exposed, instead of explaining to her, Ling Mubai threw at her a divorce agreement and asked her to leave without a penny!

Nobody in the world would be more heartless than this man!

“What a fool I was! I even thought he would do me a favor for the sake of the past!”

With a bitter smile on her lips, Qu Wan turned to Ling Mubai. “Yes, now I’m just a pass-by to you, so I’m not eligible to ask you to do anything for me. Ling Mubai, marrying you is the most regretful decision I’ve ever made in my life! If I could turn back the clock, I wish I had never met you!”

After finishing her words, she turned to run away without even looking back.

In the cool night breeze, Qu Wan walked along the road with tears shimmering in her eyes.

Watching her turn to leave, Ling Mubai reached out and was about to pull her back. However, he finally withdrew his hand. He leaned against the wall feebly, as if his whole body was suddenly drained of all the strength.

He felt on pins and needles. He hadn’t been so upset for a long time.

A moment later, he took out a cigarette again, but when he was about to light it, what Qu Wan had said suddenly popped into his mind. “I don’t like the smell of cigarettes…”

After pausing for a while, he threw the cigarette and the lighter into the dustbin with a sigh.

On the way home, Qu Wan alternated between tears and laughter and it took her quite a long time to return to her uncle’s apartment. “Wanwan, what’s wrong with you? Wait for a minute. I’m warming up some food for you right now.”

“Don’t bother, uncle. I already had dinner with my colleague.”

She hadn’t had anything yet, but she had no appetite for the moment.

“Wanwan, do you feel ill? Let’s go and see a doctor!” Qu Jianguo suggested with a worried look.

“No worries. I’m just a little tired.”

After taking a brief shower, Qu Wan went back to her bedroom. Lying on the bed, she couldn’t help but feel grieved.

When she was tossing about in bed, the cell phone suddenly rang beside her pillow. It was Xiao Yu who was calling. “Wanwan, Tangtang has a fever!”

“Huh? Is it serious?” Qu Wan immediately sat up. If Tangtang just had a common cold or a fever, Xiao Yu wouldn’t have called her.

“It has been a whole day, but his fever hasn’t abated! Tangtang has been calling out Mommy in his half-conscious state, so I rang you up,” Xiao Yu said, sounding a little anxious.

“Got it. I’ll be there asap!”

After booking the air ticket online, Qu Wan dressed in haste and went straight to the airport.

On the way to the airport, she called Wang Zicheng, asking for a few days off. When Wang Zicheng asked her what was going on, she only told him that she had some urgent domestic matters to attend to.

From the way she spoke, Wang Zicheng could tell she was in a hurry, so he granted her request without asking more.

After a flight of a dozen hours, Qu Wan arrived in the UK the next morning. Xiao Yu was already waiting at the airport and as soon as he picked Qu Wan up, he immediately drove her to the hospital.

In the ward, two doctors were looking after Tangtang. “Mommy…” the kid muttered, his forehead burning hot.

“Doctor, how is my son doing?” Qu Wan asked with tears welling up at a glance at Tangtang.

“Tangtang hadn’t much appetite and couldn’t sleep well these days, and he finally fell ill. His fever persisted and the doctor said it was serious, so I thought I needed to let you know,” Xiao Yu explained.

“Tangtang, it’s all my fault! Mommy should have spent more time with you.” Sitting by the bed, Qu Wan held Tangtang’s hand, choking with sobs.

To everyone’s surprise, an hour later, the miracle occurred! Tangtang’s temperature was back to normal and he could even talk. “Mommy! You finally came!”

“Honey, I was worried sick!” Seeing her son wake up, Qu Wan smiled through tears while kissing him on the cheek.

Xiao Yu was astonished. “If I knew his fever would go away as soon as he saw you, I would have called you earlier!”

Clasping Qu Wan’s neck, Tangtang asked joyfully, “Mommy, when will you take me home?”