Golden Temptation – A Yuri Story - Chapter 88

“Beautiful lady, will you marry me?”

With Jing Xuan’s gentle and sincere voice echoing through the air, the surrounding crowd erupted into enthusiastic support, chanting in unison:

“Marry her! Marry her!”

Liu Xinyu, standing in the crowd, couldn’t help but feel a deeper sense of pity for Qiao Fei as she watched the scene unfold.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the heroine’s answer. Jing Xuan’s eyes never left her princess. Every subtle change in Lan Qing’s expression—surprise, emotion, hesitation—was captured by her keen gaze.

“Qing, what are you hesitating for?” she wondered silently.

“Baby, if you don’t say yes soon, my pants are going to rip from kneeling too long!”

At that crucial moment, no one expected the “guy” lead to come up with such a ridiculous excuse—it caught everyone off guard and sent the crowd into laughter.

Lan Qing finally couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing too.

“All right, all right. Get up first—I have something to say.”

“No! I won’t get up unless you say yes!”

Jing Xuan, unusually childish, threw a playful tantrum like a child demanding candy.

Our proud queen Lan Qing simply reached out, grabbed the collar of her kneeling knight’s shirt, and yanked her up in one swift motion. Jing Xuan hadn’t expected to be pulled up so suddenly—only for Lan Qing’s lips to meet hers the very next second, soft and warm.

Jing Xuan quickly shifted from passive to passionate, wrapping her arms around Lan Qing and spinning her in a joyful circle before gently setting her down. Their lips finally parted to the sound of thunderous applause and cheers. To the crowd, it was a perfect, romantic union of two soulmates.

Joyfully, Jing Xuan took Lan Qing’s hand, opened her palm, and carefully slid the ring toward her ring finger.

But just as the ring was about to slip onto those delicate fingers, Lan Qing curled her hand into a fist—refusing.

The sudden turn of events silenced the crowd in an instant.

Jing Xuan looked at Lan Qing in confusion.

“Xuan, I love you. But… I’m sorry. I can’t say yes.”

“Why?” Jing Xuan asked, worry deepening in her voice.

“Xuan, I love you. I truly do. And I want nothing more than for you to be happy every day. But you and I both know… there’s still someone else living in your heart. Your heart isn’t whole anymore.

Marrying you would be the greatest happiness of my life, and I wouldn’t dream of refusing… but if I have to watch you fall into silence, into sorrow, time and again—I would be heartbroken. That wouldn’t be happiness.

Xuan, let your heart become whole again. You know what I mean. Go find Fei’er.”

“Lan Qing, what the hell are you talking about?” Jing Xuan snapped, clearly agitated.

“I told you—we’ve already broken up! It’s over! People say love should be devoted—I chose you! Isn’t that enough? But you keep pushing me away!

I already lost Fei’er, and now you don’t want me either, is that it?”

“No, Xuan! That’s not what I meant—”

“Don’t say anything else. I don’t want to hear it.”

With a deep sigh, Jing Xuan placed the ring back in its box, shoved it into Yan Junye’s hands, and stormed off, furious.

The Valentine’s Day carnival ended in bitter disappointment. What was supposed to be a romantic proposal had turned into a farcical tragedy. The crowd had already dispersed, leaving Lan Qing sitting alone, silently in tears.

Yan Junye hesitated, then handed the ring back to Lan Qing.

“Qing, we don’t know what you’re thinking… but Ajing’s proposal was genuine. This ring—”

Lan Qing looked up, wiped away her tears, sniffled, and held out her hand.

“Give it to me.”

Gao Zhe and Liu Xinyu hadn’t left either. No one could understand why Lan Qing had done this.

Lan Qing calmed herself and explained:

“I think we all had our doubts about Xuan and Fei’er’s breakup. You’ve all seen it—Xuan hasn’t been happy lately, and the reason is Fei’er.

Fei’er is the knife lodged in Xuan’s heart, and it can’t be removed anymore. I’ve wanted to say this for a long time, but the right moment never came. If I didn’t say it today, it would’ve been too late.

She yells at me, gets angry with me—I don’t blame her. If she doesn’t release these bottled-up emotions, she’ll never move forward.”

At that moment, Liu Xinyu truly admired Lan Qing. Because of her friendship with Qiao Fei, her loyalty had always tilted toward Fei’er. But now, she understood what kind of love deserved to be called true love.

“Lan Qing… aren’t you afraid that Jing Xuan might really leave you?” she asked cautiously. After all, tonight’s mess had made things very tense—what if they really split up for good?

“That’s why I’m taking a gamble too.” Lan Qing smiled faintly and affectionately ruffled Liu Xinyu’s hair.

“You’re Fei’er’s good friend—so do your big sis a favor, and talk to her, okay?”

“But… Fei’er’s going abroad!”

“What? She’s leaving? When?”

“Don’t worry, Lan Qing. She just submitted the application—it might get approved in a few days.”

Lan Qing froze for a second.

Whether her gamble was right or wrong… only fate would decide.
________________________________________
Meanwhile, Lin Hao had just learned that Qiao Fei’s application to study abroad had already been approved—and he panicked.

Ever since the humiliating incident at the Shen family’s house, Lin Hao had been too ashamed to go home. His father had even sent people out to search for him. Now, hearing this news, he rushed to find Qiao Fei.

“Fei’er, are you really going to England?”

Blocked on her way, Qiao Fei’s face immediately soured when she saw who it was.

“You already know, don’t you, Lin Hao? Then do a good dog a favor and get out of the way.”

Lin Hao ignored her harsh words.

“Fei’er, please don’t go. Don’t leave me. I’m begging you—pity me, if nothing else.”

He truly did look pitiful now—emaciated, haggard, ruined from too many nights spent in bars. He was a wreck.

Qiao Fei gave him a cold glance.

“You don’t deserve pity.”

And with that, she stepped around him and walked away without looking back.

“Qiao Fei! You forced me into this!”

Lin Hao remembered the method Jing Cheng had told him about. If Qiao Fei hadn’t been so cruel, he would’ve never considered using such a dirty trick.

He dialed Jing Cheng’s number.

“Big bro… I’ve made up my mind. Let’s do it your way.”