A few days later, Wen Ling chose after-work hours to wait for Zhou Yinhe downstairs at his company.
She had deliberately chosen an eye-catching red backless minidress. Her chestnut hair was slightly curled, draped behind her to partially conceal and partially reveal the fair skin of her back. In her arms, she held a bouquet of red roses wrapped in black paper, and she leaned against a limited-edition blue gilt supercar that had just been shipped in from Country M, attracting the gazes of numerous white-collar workers.
A gleam flashed in Wen Ling’s eyes. She wanted everyone to see.
Zhou Yinhe stood before the floor-to-ceiling window looking down. His eyesight was excellent, and he clearly saw Wen Ling being so flamboyant. He pressed his lips together.
Jiang Jibai stood beside him and let out a laugh. “She doesn’t seem to have changed much from back then.”
Zhou Yinhe lowered his gaze. The sole young lady of the Wen Family, a plutocratic clan of Country M, she had been spoiled since childhood into being willful and flamboyant. Back then, to pursue him, she had done many shocking things that became known throughout Sijiucheng. Yet he had always been susceptible to this exact tactic. Now that she was using the same approach again, she was precisely playing to his preferences.
When Jiang Jibai saw his expression, he patted Zhou Yinhe’s shoulder and said flatly, “If you want to go, then go. But I must remind you—back then, even when you begged her so humbly, she still wanted to break up. She can do the same again in the future.”
He had said all there was to say. As for whether Zhou Yinhe would take it to heart, he didn’t know.
They had grown up together in the same compound since childhood. Among their group, Zhou Yinhe was the youngest, and the others couldn’t help but indulge and coax him even now. Coming from a family with deeply affectionate parents and harmonious relations, it could be said he had never suffered the slightest grievance—yet he had stumbled badly over Wen Ling.
Jiang Jibai sighed and left, taking the elevator straight to the parking garage to avoid running into Wen Ling.
Wen Ling waited downstairs for a long time, but her mood remained good. It was only when the afterglow of dusk gradually faded and the sky dimmed that she took the initiative to call Zhou Yinhe.
Zhou Yinhe answered, but his voice was cold. “What is it?”
“I’m waiting downstairs at your company,” Wen Ling said, unable to keep a coquettish tone from entering her voice. “Haven’t you gotten off work yet?”
“I’m already home.”
Hearing this, Wen Ling pressed her lips together. Her shoulders slumped, and she forced herself not to let her grievance show. She said softly, “Didn’t we agree to have dinner together?”
“There’s no need.” Zhou Yinhe hung up after saying this.
Wen Ling stood frozen in place for a long time. It was only when the night wind grew cool and made her somewhat cold that she moved her stiff body.
She bit her lip and lowered her gaze to the red roses in her hands, sighing softly. She looked up at the towering skyscraper before her until her eyes grew sore, then withdrew her gaze. With one blink, the tears accumulated in her eye sockets slid down her cheeks and fell onto the petals.
She walked a few steps holding the flowers, then bent down to place them on a roadside bench. After staring blankly for a moment, she returned to her car and drove off.
Zhou Yinhe was still standing by the window looking down. Nothing could be read from his dark eyes. It was only after Wen Ling’s car left that he went downstairs.
A sanitation worker was just about to leave holding the flowers when Zhou Yinhe strode after her and stopped her. Composed, he said, “Auntie, I’ll buy that bouquet from you.”
The auntie said in surprise, “You don’t need to give me money. I picked this up from that bench over there. Here.”
Zhou Yinhe took it. Looking at the few conspicuous water droplets on the flowers, his fingers moved slightly. He pulled out his wallet from his suit pocket, extracted two bills, handed them to the auntie, dropped a word of thanks, and left.
Wen Ling drove aimlessly until she passed a coastal park, where she found a parking spot and stopped.
She walked in slowly. On the seaside path, she saw a girl standing with a microphone stand set up, singing along to accompanying music. Wen Ling sat on the bench across from her, her lips curved, watching her sing with listless boredom.
“Relying on my love for you, I cling to this petty scheme
Without you, I am powerless to forgive myself”
Wen Ling pressed her lips together and reached out to cover her face, taking a deep breath. She had never liked crying since she was young. When she was little, playing games with friends, she had fallen and scarred her knee—a scar that remained to this day—but she hadn’t cried then. Instead, she had smiled and comforted the friend who had been frightened to tears by her wound.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her now. She couldn’t help but shed tears.
She listened in silence until the song changed to the next one. After composing her emotions, she stood up and walked to the girl, taking out her phone to scan the code. The girl said a soft thank you, and Wen Ling smiled, her brows and eyes curving into crescents, praising her.
“You sang very beautifully.”
Wen Ling turned and left. When she got in the car, her stomach suddenly began to rumble, and she realized she should have dinner.
“Hmph, that bastard who stood me up.” Wen Ling humphed softly, as if the emotionally low person from just moments ago hadn’t been her.
She called Lu Zhaoye. He probably had already cooled off, because he answered very quickly.
“What?” Lu Zhaoye was still his lazy self. There was only a fsssh sound—probably a lighter.
Wen Ling half-lay on the steering wheel and said in a muffled voice, “In Sijiucheng, I don’t even have anyone to accompany me for a meal.”
Lu Zhaoye let out a derisive laugh. “Who told you to go there?”
“Why don’t you come to Sijiucheng? Then you can at least accompany me for a meal.” Wen Ling negotiated with him. “Anyway, you’re just running around playing in Country M. There are many fun places in Huaguo too.”
Lu Zhaoye exhaled the smoke from his mouth lightly and said carelessly, “The things I do for fun can’t be done in Huaguo.”
Oh, right. Wen Ling remembered. She rolled her eyes slightly and said disdainfully, “Just keep playing. Sooner or later you’ll play yourself into trouble.”
Lu Zhaoye retorted without mercy: “Just keep chasing Zhou Yinhe. Sooner or later you’ll become a hopeless romantic that even dogs would despise.”
Wen Ling humphed and said to Lu Zhaoye, “Help me ship my cat son over tomorrow.”
Because she didn’t know how long she would stay in Huaguo. Her grandfather liked cats but lacked patience, and Wen Zhuo was busy with family affairs. Only Lu Zhaoye was idle all day with nothing better to do than play around, so Wen Ling had sent her cat son to him for safekeeping.
After being stood up by Zhou Yinhe tonight, Wen Ling felt this would be a long battle. She might as well have Lu Zhaoye ship her cat son over. With him by her side, she would feel more at ease.
“Fine, you’re my ancestor, and your cat son is my little ancestor.” Lu Zhaoye dragged out the words helplessly.
Wen Ling didn’t want to hear him complain about her. She directly hung up, started the car, stepped on the gas, and went home.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhaoye slowly strolled into the cat’s room. Seeing that stupid cat sitting in its cat bed licking its fur, he walked up and squatted down, unceremoniously rubbing the cat’s head a couple of times. Schadenfreude in his voice, he said, “Your mom is really something. She went off to chase a man and still has to drag you along. Tomorrow you’re taking a plane yourself. You’re going to suffer.”
The cat looked at him sideways with its cat eyes and swiped a paw over, leaving three long marks on the back of Lu Zhaoye’s hand.
Lu Zhaoye cursed and stood up, glaring at the cat. “I serve you good food and drink and you still hit me? No conscience! Just like your mom!”
The cat fluffed up its fur and hissed at him. *I’m hitting you! Who told you to insult my mom!*
Note: The countries and cities mentioned are fictional.