In her previous life, the tragedy, though the indifference of the Qin family bore undeniable responsibility, her own foolishness and stubbornness were equally nauseating.
Both parties had paid a painful price.
Gu Qiaoqiao no longer hesitated, she opened the wardrobe and found a pair of black pants.
She took off the garish green pants, as red paired with green was truly unattractive.
Bai Yun, that girl who spoke so softly, insisted that she looked good in such attire.
Her eyebrows were naturally beautiful, arching like willow leaves without needing deliberate grooming.
Her forehead was also very smooth and fair.
Yet, Bai Yun insisted she looked good with bangs cut straight across.
So, she obediently got them cut.
Then she looked foolish and sullen.
And somewhat oppressed.
A cold smile spread across Gu Qiaoqiao's lips.
This life, she would never be so foolish again.
Gu Qiaoqiao didn't waste any more time.
Although a divorce was inevitable, she decided to leave the Qin family with dignity.
At the moment, Mrs. Qin, Shen Manru, lay in bed, unable to calm her rage.
The grandmother sat in a wheelchair.
None of the male members of the Qin family, including Qin Xiaoyu, knew how to cook.
Yet today was New Year's Eve, in the hearts and eyes of the Chinese people, the most important day of the year.
A cold stove on this day boded ill for the year.
She knew that in her previous life, Bai Yun had become the angel and savior of the Qin family.
She had showed off her skill by preparing a New Year's Eve dinner that looked impressive.
While she herself had been relegated to the bedroom to "recover."
When it was time to eat, Bai Yun summoned her.
The outcome was predictable.
It was the most unbearable and anxious New Year's dinner she ever had—unforgettable for a lifetime!
It also increased her resentment, which ensured she carried out her plan against Bai Yun the next day without compromise.
After that, the Qin family took a complete dislike to her.
After the twelfth day of the first month, a reluctant Qin Yize took her to a medical research center in Border City.
However, Gu Qiaoqiao thought she had left the wolf's den, only to find herself entering the tiger's lair.
Unable to bear revisiting the memories, Gu Qiaoqiao wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.
The nearly ten years of hardship in her previous life had fortified her resolve remarkably.
Otherwise, she would not have been able to save up for an apartment in the Imperial Capital to provide a home for her younger brother.
But then her brother died.
And she lost all her hopes...
Gu Qiaoqiao glanced once more at the elegant young girl in the mirror, took a deep breath, and turned to walk toward the bedroom door.
She wanted to get the New Year's meal ready before Bai Yun arrived.
After all, she still owed the Qin family from her past life.
With slightly trembling hands, she steeled herself and pushed the door open.
The moment she opened it, she instinctively closed her eyes.
Fearing that this was just a scene from a dream.
Like in a movie, when the door opens, there's nothing...
Just for a moment, Gu Qiaoqiao resolutely opened her eyes.
Brilliant sunlight was casting from the window, and the tall figure standing in front of the living room window was enveloped in a faint glow.
It seemed surreal, and yet, it was incredibly real.
His hands were in his pockets, and due to his self-discipline, even at home, his posture remained as erect as a pine.
The living room of the Qin family was large.
It was also elegant and luxurious.
The wooden furniture and sofas, under the sunlight, emitted a deep gloss.
The styles were ancient; however, all were made from huali wood and red sandalwood, simple yet precious.
The Qin Family was a typical major clan of scholars and elegance.
The wall carried paintings personally crafted by Qin Xuan, and on the Duobao Pavilion on the west wall, there were some attractive porcelains and antiques displayed.
In fact, that Duobao Pavilion was very sturdy.
But in her previous life, on the tenth day of the first lunar month, she accidentally knocked over several Song Dynasty porcelain vases.
They shattered instantaneously on the ground.
Mr. Qin's face had turned ashen at that moment.
Thinking back, Gu Qiaoqiao's lips twisted into a mocking sneer.
If it hadn't been for Bai Yun holding her, how could she have fallen, how could she have bumped into the shelves of the Duobao Pavilion?
Gu Qiaoqiao cast a complex look at the figure still facing away from her, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Shen Manru's bedroom door was half-open.
There was no sound inside.
Shen Manru and Qin Xuan were both professors at a certain university in the Imperial Capital; even if they resented Gu Qiaoqiao' they would remain dignified and had never maliciously slandered her in her absence.
Only with faint sighs and limitless regrets.
They all regret it—what a wonderful feeling!
A smile curled upwards on Gu Qiaoqiao's lips as she stood in the kitchen, surveying the food materials.
It was now 1986, an era of sweeping reform across the country, and life in the Imperial Capital was naturally better.
The Qin family was well-off.
The preparations for the New Year's goods were also sufficient.
Qin Yize had left the Imperial Capital for over half a year; no one knew where he had gone, nor dared to ask. However, they knew he had a twenty-day holiday.
He would leave again on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Therefore, Shen Manru had prepared an especially abundant range of New Year's goods this year.
Some memories were quite blurry.
But she could still recall, for this New Year's dinner, how Shen Manru had excitedly discussed the menu with her mother-in-law.
It was just unexpected that today's events would happen.
In her previous life, to provide a home for her brother when he was released from prison a few years later, she had taken on many jobs.
Except for selling herself, she did whatever she could.
Washing dishes in a restaurant, working as a nanny, working in a five-star hotel...
Cooking was naturally a breeze for her.
Gu Qiaoqiao washed her hands, tied on her apron, and was just about to reach for the vegetables when she heard an indifferent voice like snow behind her, "What are you doing?"
Her body stiffened, her hand gripped tighter, then she turned around, glanced at the young man standing by the door as serene and slender as a jade painting, then averted her gaze, calmly saying, "Today, I'm cooking."
Qin Yize frowned slightly; he hadn't misheard, had he?
This Gu Qiaoqiao was going to cook?
According to his sister, the only thing she could do was wash dishes, and even that she did not do well.
Was this an attempt to cause even more chaos at home, perhaps to ruin all the food materials?
Qin Yize's eyes were as deep as the ocean, unmoving and silent.
But Gu Qiaoqiao knew she couldn't dawdle any longer.
She needed to finish these preparations before Bai Yun arrived, otherwise, she truly wouldn't have the energy to deal with her.
Qin Yize was a man of few words.
Gu Qiaoqiao didn't expect to hear much from him; as if she hadn't seen him at all, she swiftly began sorting the ingredients.
The meats and fish had been processed in advance, requiring just retrieval from the refrigerator.
The fresh vegetables were all placed on the balcony.
In a moment, she had decided what dishes to make for the day.
After washing the vegetables, she placed them in a dish basin.
Lotus roots sliced, cucumbers shredded, and garlic sprouts cut into segments.
When she became busy, she really forgot that there was someone behind her.
Qin Yize stood at the kitchen doorway, feeling that something was slightly odd.
His piercing gaze flickered with a shadow, his innate sharp intuition immediately picking out the difference.
This woman, her gaze towards him wasn't as intensely irritating as before.
It was somewhat calm, slightly complex.
What trick was she playing this time...