"Well, but it's quite pitiful for her baby," Wang Zu Rui continues with a melancholy voice.
Ling Xi frowned, upset. She took a deep breath and asked, "The Lu family made her abort the baby?"
Wang Zu Rui nodded. Qi Jianyi continued to stare at the ceiling while thinking, "Well, that's the best outcome for the girl." She whispered slowly. Not knowing what to feel.
"But, the baby was not at fault!" Ling Xi protested softly.
Qi Jianyi closed her eyes and said, "Ling Xi, the girl is only sixteen. Having a child at that age would impose a huge responsibility on her. At that age, we were still playing at arcades, eating ice cream, and skipping class."
"But Jianyi, that kid did the deed. What did she think when she did it? It's the consequences she has to face!" Ling Xi's voice rose slightly. The idea of an unborn fetus being sacrificed because of its parents' actions deeply upset her.
Qi Jianyi remained silent, torn between conflicting feelings. On one hand, it might be the right decision for the family to force their sixteen-year-old daughter to abort the child, given her age and the responsibilities involved. On the other hand, she felt a deep sorrow for the unborn child, who had no say in the matter.
"They could afford to raise a baby. The only reason they abort it is because they want to protect their own reputation. Pathetic!" Ling Xi claimed angrily.
Pan Shu, who had been quiet since Qi Jianyi's arrival, finally spoke up. "Well, it's an open secret in our circle that every family values their reputation more than their own children."
Qi Jianyi chuckled in agreement. "That's right. Ironically, this sort of thing has been happening since ancient times. It seems we can never truly escape our past," she said with a wry smile.
"Zu Rui, tell me another piece of gossip that's not so depressing," Ling Xi demanded, juggling two cups of alcohol as she spoke.
"I have one," Ji Rui said, stepping in to shift the conversation away from the somber topic.
Qi Jianyi and Ling Xi looked at him with interest, eager to hear the latest gossip.
"Do you know the Young Master Song, Song Chengfeng?" Ji Rui asked quietly, lowering his voice as if to avoid being overheard by the man himself.
"The retired soldier? Who doesn't know him?" Ling Xi responded, puzzled. She wondered what kind of gossip Ji Rui might reveal about the notoriously aloof Young Master Song.
"Then, do you know why he retired?" Ji Rui asked, drawing out the suspense.
"Wasn't it because he was severely injured during his last mission, or something like that? Anyway, what's the gossip?" Ling Xi replied impatiently. Qi Jianyi, who remained silent, also urged Ji Rui with a curious glance.
She wondered about the past of the man who always seemed to observe her so intently.
"Well, it's true that he was heavily injured, but that wasn't the only reason he was forced to retire. There's been talk about the real reason behind his retirement. I heard it was because he killed his own comrades—not just one, but two of them. And they were his closest allies!" Ji Rui explained with fervour.
"No way, right? I think that's just a rumour," Ling Xi exclaimed, her voice tinged with doubt.
Though she didn't know Song Chengfeng personally, she had always seen him as someone upright and disciplined. The idea of him murdering his own comrades seemed impossible. Song Chengfeng would have to be a heartless bastard to do something like that.
"Where did you hear that rumour?" Qi Jianyi asked after regaining her composure.
Ji Rui rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "From a friend of a friend of a friend in the military."
"You have a friend in the military?" Qi Jianyi asked, surprised.
"Not really a friend—more like an acquaintance of a friend of a friend," Ji Rui clarified, making the situation sound even more convoluted than before.
Ling Xi smacked the back of his head, annoyed. "Talk properly!"
"What do you mean by 'killing his own people'? Did they do something unacceptable?" Qi Jianyi asked, clearly bewildered by the rumours circulating about a certain young master.
She found it hard to believe that the man she had shared a meal with the previous evening could have committed such a grievous act.
Ji Rui shrugged nonchalantly. "How am I supposed to know? I can't vouch for the accuracy of these rumours."
He continued, "All I know is that there were indeed casualties among his team during the mission. Two of his comrades lost their lives, and that's a fact. However, the identity of their killer remains unclear. This is all within the confines of military secrecy."
Ling Xi, tapping her chin thoughtfully, mused, "So, is that why rumours are circulating about Young Master Song being responsible for their deaths? Because the true circumstances might never be revealed?"
Qi Jianyi closed her eyes, her mind conjuring a hazy image of the situation. "How could the military allow such rumours to spread unchecked?"
Ji Rui's expression grew somber. "These rumours were actually propagated by relatives of one of the deceased soldiers. By the time the higher-ups considered taking action, it was already too late to contain the damage."
"Anyway, as I mentioned, I only heard this rumour through a friend of a friend of a friend. It's best if you don't share it further. We wouldn't want Young Master Song to hear about it," Ji Rui advised cautiously.
"You're willing to talk about him but not brave enough to face him?" Qi Jianyi asked, her amusement evident. A small smile appeared on her lips as she shook her head.
Ji Rui smiled awkwardly. Of course, he was afraid of Song Chengfeng. Who wouldn't be? The man had spent years in the military, and his piercing gaze could unsettle anyone who met it. Ji Rui had the nerve to gossip, but not to confront.
Ling Xi looked at him with disdain. He was truly a coward. "Whatever, just don't spread it. I've heard from my father that the man hasn't been in the best of moods lately. It's best if we avoid crossing paths with him," she advised the others.
Although her family and the Song family were not particularly close, her father still managed to gather a few bits of news to ensure his children didn't make any missteps.
Qi Jianyi wondered if her parents had mentioned anything about Song Chengfeng. After all, her family and the Song family had some degree of connection. Her maternal grandfather had been in the military before a serious injury led to his retirement.
He started a business in his forties, which his sons helped to expand. Grandpa He and Song Chengfeng's grandfather had been military comrades, and their friendship had lasted over the years.
Qi Jianyi nodded at the background of her maternal family. After all, it was the male lead's family background, so it was to be expected that there would be some challenges. It couldn't be simple without any hustle.
However, she still couldn't recall any specific details about Song Chengfeng. Qi Jianyi believed that her family had never discussed his situation, or they did but she simply didn't pay attention.