Strike Back, Proud Goddess!

At this time, Tang Xi had ran out from backstage. When He Wanyi went out, Tang Xi had disappeared. At this time, Qiao Liang walked over quickly towards He Wanyi and gave her a questioning look. He Wanyi looked around and said, “I followed her out, but can’t find her now. What is the matter with her? I realised she didn’t look okay. Did you both have a fight?”

Qiao Liang shook his head, said “I’m going to find her,” and then quickly searched over on the other side.

He Wanyi looked at Qiao Liang’s disappearing figure, anxiously stamped her feet, and then went back to the auditorium.

Qiao Liang searched along the school’s garden path, and soon he saw Tang Xi sitting in the pavilion sobbing silently. Qiao Liang froze when he saw Tang Xi like this. He was standing still in the same place as if his feet were glued to the ground. Quite some time had passed before he walked towards Tang Xi…

Upon hearing footsteps, Tang Xi hurriedly sat up, wiped her tear streaked cheeks and looked back… only to see Qiao Liang standing there gazing at her. A river of grievance suddenly welled up in her heart. Her eyes turned red and she burst into tears.

Seeing her like this, Qiao Liang felt a sharp pain in his heart as if his heart was punctured with needles. He rushed over and then held Tang Xi in his arms, asking in a hoarse and broken voice, “Why do you cry?”

Tang Xi held Qiao Liang’s waist and sobbed. “Why did you break up with me?”

Qiao Liang’s heart jerked sharply. He knew how sad she was when he asked for them to break-up. Although she never showed it, it didn’t mean she wasn’t sad. Qiao Liang hugged her more and more tightly and whispered, “Sorry, sorry, sorry… The last thing I wanted to do is to hurt you.”

“Then why did you break up with me?” Tang Xi looked up at Qiao Liang and said aggrievedly, “Do you know how sad I am? Do you know how desperate I was when you left me? Do you know we might have never seen each other again?”

Tang xi patted him on the chest while crying. If she hadn’t become Xiao Rou, she would have died and been buried in the deep blue sea forever with the hatred and love for him, and then they would never have seen each other in this life…

“I know… I know…” Qiao Liang pressed her head hard against her chest as if he wanted her to become part of him. “I know, that’s why I hate myself,” he said softly, “If only I had been braver. I should had imprisoned you beside me, even though I knew I was going to die.”

“You fool!” Tang Xi’s tears wet Qiao Liang’s clothes. Qiao Liang tightly held Tang Xi, his eyes red and his voice hoarse. “I swear, no matter what happens, I will never be separated from you. For the rest of my life, I will keep you firmly at my side and never ever let go of your hand.”

Tang Xi’s throat went dry. She wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say. In the end she raised her head, cupped his face and kissed him…

Just as Qiao Liang held Tang Xi more tightly and was about to deepen this kiss, when a familiar voice called out, “Headmaster, where are you going?”

Tang Xi widened her eyes, and a gleam of displeasure appeared in Qiao Liang’s eyes. He bit Tang Xi’s soft lips as a punishment for being distracted. Tang Xi exclaimed in pain and pushed Qiao Liang away. Just then, the familiar voice shouted again, “Headmaster, why don’t smoke in the smoking room? It’s unsafe to smoke by the lake!”

“Mr. He, you’re a bit odd today. Do you have something urgent to tell me?” The headmaster drew back his leg from the step he was going to take and looked back at Mr. He who was holding his wrist. He frowned before saying, “If you need any help, just tell me, and I’ll…”

Tang Xi took Qiao Liang’s hand and ran to the other side. Qiao Liang was dragged by Tang Xi into a bamboo forest not too far away before he realized what had happened. He looked at Tang Xi whose nose was still red, and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. Tang Xi looked up at Qiao Liang and pretended to be angry. “You’re to blame! As a judge, you should do your job well. Why did you run here?”

Qiao Liang liked to see the angry yet cute look on Tang Xi. He smiled and rubbed her hair, whispering, “Because I want you to marry me.”

Tang Xi paused and looked at Qiao Liang in surprise. Qiao Liang took Tang Xi’s hand and played with her fingers. He gently rubbed her ring finger and said softly. “I think you need a decoration for this finger. Can I give you one?”

As if getting an electric shock, Tang Xi drew back her hand and looked up at Qiao Liang, asking, “What kind of decoration?”

Qiao Liang smiled. “A decoration made from my heart. Will you accept it?”

Tang Xi’s eyes became red again. She shook her head and Qiao Liang’s smiling face immediately froze. Tang Xi looked at Qiao Liang and said aggrievedly, “You’re always like this. You take everything so lightly, even including a proposal. Qiao Liang…” Tang Xi raised her hand and looked at her ring finger as she said, “A ring on this finger is not merely a decoration, but a promise between my husband and me, a promise that we will spend the rest of our lives together. Do you understand? If everyone treats it as a decoration, it doesn’t mean anything, and will become something that you can take off and throw away at random, you know?”

Qiao Liang looked at Tang Xi and suddenly realized that he said something wrong. He nodded and held Tang Xi into his arms. “Sorry, I didn’t make myself clear.”

Tang Xi shook her head and left Qiao Liang’s arms. She looked at Qiao Liang and said in a low voice, “We’ve been out too long. Let’s go back. I don’t know which score I got.”

Qiao Liang took her hand. Tang Xi paused but didn’t take back her hand in the end. Qiao Liang said, “Your score can’t be low, because you did a perfect job.”

Tang Xi smiled. “What is good for you is not necessarily good for others.”

“They won’t dare say it’s not good. If they do, I’ll eliminate them.”

Tang Xi gave him a helpless glance. “Who do you think you are? Eliminate them? I remember you still have to rely on Jing to manage the Qiao’s…”

“That’s because I’m busy.” Qiao Liang covered his mouth with his fist and coughed. He looked at Tang Xi, paused and asked, “By the way, has Xiao Jing told you about Qin Xinying’s matter?”

Tang Xi nodded. “Yes, he said her hand was injured, but she submitted the design drawings she drew before, and those designs were not bad. Although they weren’t mature enough, they were ingenious, and your company’s design director has decided to use her works, right?”

Qiao Liang smiled. “If you don’t like it…”

“I don’t mind. Let her attend the contest, it will be much more fun, won’t it?”