Xu Tingyu had heard many declarations of love.
But she thought the two sentences Qi Ruixi had said were the most beautiful she'd ever heard.
Beautiful as they were, she wasn't optimistic about this relationship.
"As a passerby, I'm really touched by your courage. But as your friend, I don't advise you to continue."
"Of course, if you don't expect it to have a happy ending and just want to be in a relationship, then just follow your heart."
If it were before her marriage, hearing such a story, she would surely have encouraged Qi Ruixi to pursue her love bravely.
After all, who hasn't had a time when they believed that "love can conquer all" and "after enduring the storm, one will see the rainbow"?
But after being beaten by reality, she had become much more practical.
"Sister, do you think he's not good enough for me?"
Qi Ruixi's eyes turned red again.
Actually, how could she not know how shocking this relationship seemed to outsiders?
Bodyguard & young lady. It sounded so mismatched at first glance.
Especially Liu Ning. She would surely be the first one to disagree.
Qi Ruixi could even imagine how Liu Ning would scold her. She would definitely say that Qi Ruixi had been deceived by Zou Yu and had lost her mind.
This was also the reason why she hadn't made a big fuss about her pursuit.
She, Qi Ruixi, had also been humble and timid in the face of love.
But it wasn't that she was afraid of others discovering her true feelings and laughing at her poor taste.
She was afraid that others would make things difficult for Zou Yu after they found out.
"I don't think he's not good enough for you. It's just that different family backgrounds and growing environments will lead to many differences deep in your souls."
"When there's enough love to support you, these differences can be resolved by love. But what if love fades away with time?"
"When love dissipates, when two unsuitable people are together, those unsuitable aspects will turn into sharp swords, stabbing both of them badly."
Xu Tingyu had the right to speak on this point.
She and Qi Shifeng were a living example.
The gap between them wasn't even as big as that between Qi Ruixi and Zou Yu.
At least, when they got married, they were well-matched in family status, and their material living environments during growth were similar.
But there were still too many different things in their personalities.
For example, Qi Shifeng was cold and had an extremely strong desire for control. He didn't love her but wouldn't let her go.
And she, deep in her soul, had her own pride. She would subconsciously avoid honest communication and always try to whitewash the peace on her own.
In the first few years of their marriage, with her efforts to whitewash the peace, things were okay.
But later, their relationship could only be described as sleeping in the same bed but having different dreams, being together in appearance but separated in spirit.
"When I hated your brother the most, I really regretted why I had married him.
"If we hadn't gotten married, he would have just been a passerby I once had feelings for. We wouldn't have had any intersection, and I would have always kept a filter on him.
"This kind of regret is really hurtful. It's like the most poisonous wine in the world, eroding even the soul."
Xu Tingyu's voice was very calm, which attracted Qi Ruixi's attention.
"Not to mention anything else, in this marriage, both he and I were victims. If it weren't for me, he might be very happy now."
Qi Shifeng was cold, but he wasn't born that way.
His care for Xie Yu and his love for Youyou proved that if he met the right person, he would know how to love and would be a great partner.
Qi Ruixi seemed very surprised that she would say such a thing. After being stunned for a long time, she said, "But my brother has never said he regrets it."
Now it was Xu Tingyu's turn to be surprised.
"Back then, when my brother came out of the ICU, the first thing he did was to look for you and Youyou. After learning that you had gone abroad, he fell into a coma again and was sent back to the ICU.
"Later, after he finally managed to save his life, he lost a lot of weight. I really couldn't bear it and wanted to go find you, but he stopped me.
"He said that since you had decided to leave at that time, even leaving Youyou behind, you must have been unable to bear it anymore. He was willing to give you freedom.
"I watched him work hard to recover his health, watched him work day and night, and watched him pour all his love into Youyou.
"I also asked him if he regretted marrying you. He said no, but only regretted not waking up in time and hurting your heart."
Qi Ruixi didn't know many things, but she knew that Qi Shifeng's words of not regretting were not false.
Xu Tingyu's hand holding the cup trembled. After a moment, she suppressed the surging emotions and spoke again.
"But you've also seen that our ending was not good. If you want to be with Zou Yu, it will be even more difficult than our situation.
"From the moment you get together, you'll have to bear the gazes and criticism of others, and you'll also have to face the conflicts of ideas.
"Of course, these are just my thoughts. Maybe you don't have that many different ideas, or maybe you can accommodate each other.
"The problem lies in what you two think. And I admit that love can overcome all difficulties."
Love can overcome all difficulties, but the difficulty lies in whether love can last forever.
Qi Ruixi's eyes were red again and again. She said dejectedly, "Don't talk about those things. Now he doesn't even want to be with me."
Since they weren't even together, all those difficulties were just fallacies.
Xu Tingyu sighed in her heart.
"Maybe he doesn't want you to bear too much. After all, in the eyes of the world, you're at a disadvantage in this relationship.
"Or maybe he really doesn't want to face those things himself. You've given the initiative to him, and he'll think a lot.
"However, I believe he's really a very good person. He's unwilling to agree to you must be out of consideration for you."
Zou Yu must like Qi Ruixi.
After all, even a child like Youyou could tell.
And if he didn't like her, why would he have been entangled with her for so long?
He was outstanding in his professional ability. If he was really "bothered", he could have just quit his job and left.
Qi Ruixi looked at Xu Tingyu with teary eyes. "But I really like him so much. Just thinking of his name makes my heart ache slightly."
Xu Tingyu's heart trembled again.
When one likes someone, isn't everyone like this?
For a long time, the three characters "Qi Shifeng" were like a brand engraved in her heart.
She always couldn't help but think about him, but thinking about him hurt.
It made people not know what to do.
As Qi Ruixi talked, she started crying again.
"Why doesn't he like me? Why does he reject me? He even goes shopping and watches movies with Cui Yin. He's never watched a movie with me.
"He doesn't have to be with me, but why does he have to be with Cui Yin? That Cui Yin just fancies his good looks. How could she be serious about him?
"No, if she's serious, it's even worse. If he doesn't want to be with me, he can't be with Cui Yin either."
She cried incoherently, which showed that she was really heartbroken.
Xu Tingyu felt a bit headache from her crying. Suddenly, she said, "How about trying someone else?"
Qi Ruixi, who had been crying, suddenly choked. It took her a while to ask, "How?"
"Of course, you can first look for someone who looks like him. Maybe Zou Yu just fits your aesthetic taste, which is why you like him.
"We'll specifically look for someone who fits your aesthetic point. Maybe then you'll find that men, well, they're just so-so."
Xu Tingyu blinked her eyes and encouraged her.