Chapter 1: I thought the mistress would be pretty
After an autumn rain, the crowd at the airport had thinned.
Jiang Yi, dragging a large suitcase, walked out from the terminal and immediately saw the BMW parked not far away.
Leaning against the BMW was a handsome man in his early twenties, fidgeting with his watch in a manner that hinted at unspoken irritation.
Upon seeing Jiang Yi, the man straightened up and walked toward her.
He stopped less than a meter away from Jiang Yi, habitually reaching out to take her suitcase, but she rejected him.
It had been three months since Zhou Zimu and Jiang Yi decided to break up. Despite not seeing him for several months, Zhou Zimu still looked handsome, his hair shorter and his taste in clothing much more mature.
"You've just returned to the country, let's have a meal together, Qianqian says she wants to apologize to you in person," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the woman in the car — his new girlfriend.
Oh, so the woman's name is Qianqian. Look, what a sweet-sounding name, just hearing it is enough to melt one's heart.
The mistress inviting you to dinner, now isn't that a novel experience.
It seemed like an act of contrition on the surface, but in reality, it was an open provocation.
Fine, Jiang Yi was indeed curious to see just how stunning this mistress was, to the point where she could bewitch Zhou Zimu to this extent.
Jiang Yi carried her own suitcase to the car door and waited with aloof grace for Zhou Zimu to open it for her.
Wen Qianqian, sitting in the car, panicked for a moment upon seeing Jiang Yi. She had only mentioned dinner offhandedly and hadn't expected Jiang Yi to really agree to join them.
-
In the VIP room of a top-tier restaurant.
Jiang Yi sized up Wen Qianqian from head to toe, thinking: I thought she would be gorgeous, but this is it?
Wen Qianqian remained silent throughout, ordering the dishes and then bowing her head, her face pale but her eyes red and swollen, as if she had been mistreated.
Zhou Zimu held Wen Qianqian's hand, squeezing it—offering comfort.
Then he said to Jiang Yi, "Jiang Yi, don't be so domineering. Qianqian is timid and you'll scare her."
Jiang Yi's face showed sarcasm. Timid? She certainly didn't see it.
Looking at the table full of lavish seafood, costly as it was, Jiang Yi realized that Zhou Zimu had truly changed. Back in the UK, for some special anniversaries, when she wanted to go out for fast food with him, Zhou Zimu would brush her off with excuses about it being too expensive outside, and how it would be more romantic to cook for her at home.
Back then, Jiang Yi wasn't angry with him; after all, he was just a poor student living off scholarships.
But how times have changed.
Jiang Yi sneered, "Enough talk, isn't it that you wanted to apologize to me face to face? I'm right here, you can start now."
Wen Qianqian's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Jiang Yi. After a moment, she suddenly burst into tears.
Tsk, this pitiful act, truly tugging at heartstrings.
"Jiang Yi, don't be too aggressive! The one who betrayed you was me, it's not Qianqian's fault, if you have anything to say, confront me!"
Wow, wasn't this your idea to invite me here for an apology? How did it suddenly become my fault?
Jiang Yi found the spread of dishes in front of her quite revolting; too lazy to watch her continue the act, she said:", "Sure, whether you apologize or not, I don't really care anymore. I never intended to forgive you anyway. I've lost my appetite, so I wish you 'sluts and scoundrels' a long and everlasting love!"
Having said that, she lifted the wine glass before her, downed it in one gulp, and left the table with flair.
-
Once she left the restaurant, Jiang Yi's previous pride and composure had vanished.
She walked down countless streets alone with her suitcase, not realizing night had fallen.
She didn't want to show weakness in front of her rival, but it didn't mean she wasn't hurting inside.
Three years, every moment spent with Zhou Zimu flashed through her mind.
Back then on the winter streets of London, it was he who brought her a steaming hot dog, and he who carefully tied her wool scarf; they would embrace passionately on snow-covered streets, and walk hand in hand under the sunset's glow.
But now he belonged to someone else, and she couldn't even hold him anymore.
It was not until this moment that Jiang Yi could no longer hold back. She sat in front of a flowerbed by the street, facing the exquisite models in the LV showcase, and sobbed loudly.
When she tired of crying, her phone rang.
The caller was her childhood friend and male bestie, He Gu.
He Gu yelled through the phone:, "Jiang Yi, where the hell are you? I've been waiting for you all afternoon at the airport and didn't even catch a whiff of you. You're not answering calls or replying to messages, are you trying to die?!"
Having already cried herself out, Jiang Yi's tears surged like a flood once more.
She cried into the phone:, "He Gu, I'm heartbroken... Ah woo, and you're still swearing at me...woo..." She looked around, "I don't even know where I am, woo..."
He Gu fell silent on the other end, and after a moment, his tone softened considerably: "Then send me your location, and I'll drive over to pick you up. Also, stop crying, you're acting like a girl."
As Jiang Yi wiped away tears, she sobbed: "But I Am a girl..."