Chapter 387: Chapter 349 Rest in Peace
Hu Jiaojiao hid behind Mu Hewen, flashing a triumphant smile at the disheveled Qi Meihui who was on the ground.
Over the past four years, she had used all her wits to tie Mu Hewen down tightly. After the incident with the miscarriage last time, Qi Meihui had become a sinner in the eyes of the Mu Family, and everyone looked down on her.
If it weren’t for the little remaining wealth of the Qi Family that she relied on to survive, Mu Hewen would have married her a long time ago.
However, the Mu Family was a prestigious one after all, and marrying her, a woman from a commoner family, wouldn’t seem proper, so their marriage was delayed again and again. She had been pregnant once, but due to the previous miscarriage, she suffered a habitual miscarriage, and the child was lost before full term. This was the main reason why Hu Jiaojiao hadn’t been able to marry into the Mu Family smoothly.
"You adulterous pair, I will not let you off," Qi Meihui got up from the ground, having endured humiliation over these four years. Her husband openly flaunted his affair with his mistress, and his father sided with his son. The Qi Family was indifferent to her, leaving her utterly besieged with difficulties.
It was then that Qi Meihui noticed Gu Qili standing not far away, her gaze so indifferent it was as if she couldn’t see Qi Meihui’s existence. After a brief glance, she continued to pick out wedding dresses with Mickey.
Qi Meihui clenched her teeth tightly and left abruptly, full of resentment.
Gu Qili and Mickey ignored this interlude and happily tried on wedding dresses.
While waiting for Mickey to try on dresses, she sent a few photos she’d just taken to Mu Shuoqian, asking him, "Which one looks good?"
"If you don’t tell me which one looks good, I’ll just pick one randomly," she said.
He replied, "Pick them all."
"Madman."
Gu Qili put her phone away. There was an extra person sitting next to her. Hu Jiaojiao smiled at her, "Chatting with Mu Shuoqian?"
"Yeah."
"I’ve heard about your situation," Hu Jiaojiao sighed, "I’m actually quite happy that you and Mu Shuoqian are back on good terms, although you might find it insincere for me to say so. But, Qiqi, it’s been over four years, I don’t dwell on the past anymore, and Hewen is really quite good to me. I want to live a steady life with him."
Gu Qili wasn’t sure how much of her words were to be trusted, but she was glad that Jiaojiao had such thoughts: "Mu Hewen is fickle, you have to keep a good eye on him."
"I know, he has changed quite a bit," Hu Jiaojiao said frankly, "The most troublesome issue now is Qi Meihui, who clings on shamelessly and doesn’t want to divorce Hewen. She only cares about the Mu Family’s fortune and the status of being Mrs. Mu. There’s no love left, yet she refuses to leave. Isn’t she annoying?"
Gu Qili didn’t respond to that. No matter how Hu Jiaojiao had changed, she was still the same person from before, albeit without the hostility towards her. Her nature hadn’t changed.
If Jiaojiao hadn’t interfered as the third party and wrecked someone’s family, Qi Meihui wouldn’t be clinging on like this. Jiaojiao claimed that Meihui was after the Mu Family’s money; was her own motive really that pure?
Yet, these were not words she was obligated or qualified to say. The friendship between her and Hu Jiaojiao had long been extinguished, and the past wounds were hard to heal.
So, she let her be. She wasn’t concerned and couldn’t control it.
Soon, Mickey appeared wearing a wedding dress. Already naturally beautiful, tall, and fair-skinned, with her hair simply pinned up and wearing the white dress, she looked stunning.
She looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly remembered, "Qiqi, I should choose a bridesmaid dress."
"Right, you just remembered that." Gu Qili walked over and adjusted the hem of the dress for her, resting her chin on her shoulder, gazing into the mirror at their overlapping reflections, full of longing, "I hope I can see you in a wedding dress with your beloved soon too."
Hu Jiaojiao, sitting behind, seemed a bit dazed at this scene. If she hadn’t fallen out with Gu Qili, hadn’t been jealous, without the conspiracies, she could have been standing next to her now.
She suddenly felt deep regret, realizing that she had utterly destroyed a genuine friendship. She wanted to make amends, but it was impossible to start over.
After the dress fitting, Hu Jiaojiao and Mu Hewen left first, and Gu Qili and Mickey followed shortly after.
As Mu Hewen went to get the car, Hu Jiaojiao stood by the roadside checking her phone. Hearing footsteps behind her, she waved at Gu Qili, "Qiqi, come here, I have something to tell you."
Gu Qili told Mickey to wait where she was and went over to Jiaojiao alone.
"Qiqi, I have a somewhat bold request. Can I attend your wedding?" She didn’t ask to be a bridesmaid; merely attending would suffice.
She recalled their childhood games of playing bride and groom, making promises to dress up and attend each other’s weddings. But after so much had happened, she wasn’t sure if Gu Qili would still grant her this opportunity.
The Hu Jiaojiao before her, not wearing makeup under the soft sunlight, her features soft and her smile genuine, reminded Gu Qili of the innocent girl from their youth.
Gu Qili nodded slightly, "Okay."
"Really? Thank you." Hu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but grasp her hand, her smile brimming with sincerity.
Just as she was about to retract her hand, a piercing roar suddenly erupted beside her ear. Gu Qili turned her head, only to see a red sports car charging at them at full speed. Behind the wheel was the hideous Qi Meihui, looking like a demon from hell.
In that moment, her mind went blank, forgetting to dodge.
An odd force suddenly pulled at her waist, and then she was shoved away. In the flash of lightning, a deafening bang sounded by her ear, and something was sent flying, fluttering in mid-air like a piece of paper, then suddenly plummeting to the ground.
The sports car’s roar was still grating. She saw Qi Meihui’s almost maniacal face and her jarring laughter.
"Qiqi." Mickey hurried over and pulled her back forcefully, keeping her away from Qi Meihui’s car. Qi Meihui, as if possessed, stepped on the gas and charged violently at Hu Jiaojiao.
Gu Qili’s vision went white, nearly losing consciousness. She screamed with all her might: "No."
Another loud crash thundered, and the world seemed to fall silent with it.
Mu Hewen, having just driven over, went weak in the knees at the sight. Almost instinctively, he crashed his car into Qi Meihui’s. Amid the huge impact, Qi Meihui’s head hit the steering wheel, and her car spun three hundred sixty degrees before crashing into the roadside railing.
Mu Hewen hurriedly opened his door, jumped out of the car, and ran to Hu Jiaojiao’s side. She was lying unconscious in a pool of blood with a large stain beneath her.
"Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao." Mu Hewen cried out desperately while holding her.
No one expected that Qi Meihui would go mad and drive into them, with such horrific results.
Gu Qili stood dumbfounded in place, unresponsive for a long while. At the critical moment, Hu Jiaojiao had pushed her away. If not for her, she would probably be lying under Qi Meihui’s wheels just like her.
At this moment, all past grievances and hatred had already dissipated. No matter what excessive things she had done in the past, she chose to save her in a moment that concerned life and death.
Mickey had already taken out her phone and called for an ambulance. She hugged Gu Qili and whispered soothingly: "It’s over now, everything will be okay."
Gu Qili just stared blankly at the blood-covered Hu Jiaojiao, and tears suddenly began to fall.
The ambulance arrived quickly, and together with the doctors, Mu Hewen hoisted the injured onto the vehicle, while Qi Meihui was also transported inside from her car.
By the time Gu Qili and Mickey reached the hospital, the rescue operation had ended.
The doctor said that Hu Jiaojiao had died on the spot, and Qi Meihui had a head injury; she was now in the intensive care unit.
The farce of the legitimate versus the illegitimate seemed to have ended here, but no one could feel happy at this time, especially Mu Hewen, who slumped in the chair as if he had aged a dozen years in an instant. He didn’t even seek treatment for the wounds on his face.
All of this was his fault. If it weren’t for the amorous debt he incurred, the tragedy before him would not have happened.
Soon, Mu Shuoqian arrived after getting a call from Mickey about the car accident. He was so rattled that he raced over without fully understanding the situation. Seeing Gu Qili standing safe and sound, he finally relaxed a bit, walked over, and pulled her into his arms, gently patting her shoulder to comfort her before noticing Mu Hewen.
Mu Hewen sat with his head bowed, hands propped on his forehead, his devastation and despondency clearly evident.
"Call the Qi family," Mu Shuoqian suddenly said.
Mu Hewen shivered slightly but did not speak. The arrival of the Qi family would undoubtedly cause an uproar, but with Qi Meihui’s fate hanging in the balance, it was unreasonable for her family not to come.
After Mu Shuoqian made a call to the Qi family, he said to Gu Qili: "Let’s go."
Gu Qili hummed in acknowledgment, knowing she really shouldn’t stay here. But before leaving, she still said to Mu Hewen: "I hope you can take good care of Hu Jiaojiao’s mother. She only had this one daughter."
Mu Hewen still did not say anything, but Gu Qili felt he had taken her words to heart. Taking good care of Hu’s mother would also serve as his own way of making amends to Hu Jiaojiao.
Two days later, Gu Qili and Mickey attended Hu Jiaojiao’s funeral. Hu’s mother cried inconsolably, while the photograph hanging in the funeral hall showed Hu Jiaojiao’s bright smile, as radiant as spring. She remembered,
that they had made plans to attend her wedding, yet now it had turned into her attending her funeral.
Over twenty years of friendship had come to an end today without distinct winners or losers. Respect for the dead, let the deceased rest in peace.
After leaving the funeral hall, Gu Qili couldn’t quite articulate her complex feelings. She stood on the steps, gazing at the murky grey sky, suddenly feeling a wave of weariness. Her footing faltered, nearly causing her to fall, but fortunately, Mickey was quick to steady her.
"What’s wrong, do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No, I probably just haven’t been sleeping well." She rubbed her temples and stood still quietly for a while, gradually regaining her strength.