The Mafia King's First Love

Chapter 269 - A Friendship Renewed

Jiang Lanying quietly stared at him and slowly nodded. "Indeed, your actions have hurt me. But I see that you are genuinely apologetic and you are also ready to take responsibility. That's why, I will forgive you. Sure, we can be friends.

Jiang Li had an ugly expression on his face.

"Are you seriously forgiving your stalker?" He glared at her.

Lai Chang's mouth twitched. "I was not a stalker! Don't make me sound like a pervert! That was called chasing after the one you like!"

Jiang Li sneered. "Which I call pestering and stalking. Don't try to hide your intentions!"

"Lanying is my good friend. Like hell I would harass her!"

"I couldn't see that day when you were forcefully dragging my wife from the washroom like a pathetic prince charming."

Lihua coughed.

Jiang Li's words are as sharp as needles…

Lai Chang scowled. "She was hurt! I was just trying to help her."

He sneered again. "You don't have to, young master Lai Chang. Her husband is alive and capable of helping his wife."

He had an urge to strangle Jiang Li.

So rude! Just how does Lanying live with this guy?

Jiang Lanying quickly intervened. "Okay, okay, that's enough. Whatever it is, it is in the past now. Let's all keep that behind and move forward."

Lai Chang cleared his throat and smiled. "Thank you, Lanying. Rest assured, I will keep my promise and give him a formal apology."

"Are you sure?" She hesitated. "You will suffer a lot of backlash."

"It's okay, Lanying. It would be nothing compared to Jiang Li. I am ready for it now that I have made up my mind."

She smiled. "Thank you, Lai Chang."

Jiang Li rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah whatever. I don't want you to stay near him anymore. Let's go."

Lai Chang wanted to choke poison through his throat and beat him so hard.

Why is he so vengeful? I already apologized, didn't I?

As he bade her goodbye, Lai Chang stared at her back with a dimmed gaze.

"Chang…"

He looked beside him and found Hou Zhenzhen nervously standing beside him. She awkwardly smiled at him. "A-are you okay…?"

"...Not really."

She stiffened.

"Chang, you know…" she hesitated as tears pooled in her eyes. "Today, I had come here to actually humiliate Lanying."

He widened her eyes. "Ah? What are you talking about?"

She trembled and sobbed. "I am sorry, Chang. I...was always jealous of Lanying. First, you liked her and then even though Jiang Wei rejected her, she got to marry Jiang Li. I was always envious of her. That day in the restroom too, I had pushed her to make her fall."

His gaze turned extremely frosty. "Zhenzhen, how dare you!?"

She jolted but she had expected this reaction.

"I am sorry, Chang. I am really sorry. But I couldn't help it. Even after two years when she is already married, you couldn't forget her. I could always sense that in your demeanor. Your eyes always searched for her."

He clenched his fists.

"That's why I couldn't help but resent her. No matter where she was, you always thought about her. When you exposed Jiang Li and wanted Lanying to divorce him, I was really afraid that if she did, then you...you will definitely break our engagement," she softly gasped. "I didn't want that…Even though she didn't love you back, she always had the upper hand. It was always so easy for her to sway you to her side and that always made me anxious.

Then I came to know that she is holding a press conference. I thought that just like you said, maybe she will really announce her separation from Jiang Li and return to the Hou family. But when I heard her talk, I...I felt extremely ashamed of myself. I realized how shallow I was all this time. And I stopped myself from doing any harm to her."

Lai Chang pursed his lips. "Why are you telling me this? You could have hidden your intentions."

She uncomfortably smiled. "I heard you apologizing to Jiang Li. Somehow, it gave me the courage to come clean to you too. I didn't wish to hide anything from you anymore…"

There was a beat of silence.

Then Lai Chang solemnly said, "I am sorry, Zhenzhen. It was indeed my fault. You are right. Somewhere in my heart, I really couldn't forget her and I hurt you with that. I can understand your feelings. I am also at fault here for making you go through this."

"No, no. D-Don't apologize," she quickly said.

He faintly smiled. "It's alright, Zhenzhen. Thank you for confessing everything to me. Even though you knew I would get angry, you still came forward. But…"

"But?"

"But I really think that you should talk with Lanying too. There have been misunderstandings between you two and you should sort it out with her too. All your feelings."

She bit her lip. "I-I know but somehow I couldn't face her…"

He chuckled. "She will definitely forgive you. If she can forgive me, then she wouldn't hold anything against you either. You know how she is."

Hou Zhenzhen smiled.

Then she fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her head. "Chang...I also wanted to say another thing."

"Hm?"

"If you…" her heart raced and she had an urge to cry, "I know it would still take you time to forget Lanying. If you want, then we can c-cancel our engagement."

Only she knew how much strength it took to finally utter those words. She really didn't want to, but at the same time, she didn't want to stay in a compromised relationship.

Lai Chang looked at her in a stupor.

"It's strange coming from me, right? I just want us to be happy... Until you sort out your feelings, I will wait for you, Chang."

He didn't know why but his gaze suddenly turned misty and a sense of melancholy erupted in his chest.

"Zhenzhen…"