The Cruel Truth
Chi Yu reached out, adjusting Ning Jin's shoulder bag.
The distance between them was close, so close that the subtle mockery on Chi Yu's face was reflected clearly in Ning Jin's eyes.
"He must really care about you. Those two boys grew up with him, their bond unbreakable. Later, they went to the capital with their families, and now they've returned to Donghai City, likely preparing to transfer to Smo High for future studies abroad."
Chi Yu spoke slowly, revealing information that Ning Jin thought she was unaware of.
As she provoked Ning Jin, she sniffed, a look of envy crossing her face.
"They didn't even think to invite me, only you. It's infuriating."
Ning Jin's expression softened slightly, but then a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder strap.
Chi Yu's next words sent her plunging into an icy abyss.
"That dress must have been sent ahead of time, right? How terrified must Jin Yao be that you'd embarrass him in front of his friends, that he went to such lengths?"
If Ning Jin had managed to maintain her composure earlier, now she could no longer pretend.
She glared at Chi Yu, then coldly said, "Just admit you're jealous of me. It's not shameful. But comforting yourself with such words? That's just pathetic."
Jealous?
The only loss Chi Yu had ever suffered in her life was the swapping of her identity as an infant, something beyond her control, something she couldn't resist.
And this insignificant ant, Ning Jin, dared to talk about winning and losing with her?
Ning Jin's plan was well thought out. Jin Yao had promised to pick her up, and by her calculation, he should be arriving soon.
The things she said to Chi Yu were not just out of spite, but also to provoke her.
The more often Jin Yao witnessed Chi Yu's outbursts of anger, the more his image of her would solidify—until he grew to detest her.
But Ning Jin's plan was about to fail.
Jin Yao arrived on his flashy Harley at the Chi family's doorstep. Chi Yu didn't shout, didn't curse. Instead, she considerately stepped aside, allowing Ning Jin to run to her soon-to-be husband.
Jin Yao hadn't expected to run into Chi Yu at the door.
He had calculated her return time, deliberately delaying his arrival by half an hour to avoid her.
Yet here they were.
Jin Yao waited for Chi Yu to lash out at him, but she merely gave him a faint, mocking glance and walked away without saying a word.
The man who followed her, shadow-like, was tall enough to easily envelop her in his silhouette.
This man, who had replaced Qi Hui, seemed strangely familiar to Jin Yao, but he couldn't immediately recall who he was.
"Jin Yao?"
Ning Jin called his name for the third time before he snapped out of his thoughts.
His gaze fell on her face, and the first thing he felt was unfamiliarity.
Perhaps his expression was too surprised, for Ning Jin touched her face and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
Even a straightforward man like Jin Yao knew he should compliment a girl after she's put effort into her appearance.
Suppressing his sense of unease, he smiled and said, "No, you just look... different today."
Ning Jin smiled happily and pressed him, "How am I different?"
"You look beautiful," Jin Yao replied perfunctorily, handing her the helmet.
He was afraid that if he continued, he'd blurt out the question burning in his mind—why had she dressed like Chi Yu?
It was too hurtful.
Ning Jin didn't notice Jin Yao's odd behavior. Holding the helmet, she fumbled clumsily, adorably unsure of what to do.
"I… I don't know how to put it on. Jin Yao, could you help me?"
Naturally, Jin Yao didn't refuse.
Ning Jin had carefully applied a perfume she normally wouldn't use, a sweet peach scent that created a charming aura, quickly capturing Jin Yao.
As she noticed his neck and ears turning red before her eyes, Ning Jin finally regained a bit of confidence.
She couldn't ignore Chi Yu's earlier words.
Just wait. She would make Chi Yu eat her words.
She would make Chi Yu realize that if she wanted to, no one could resist her charm.
Zhao Guifang returned home an hour later to find Chi Yu curled up on the sofa, talking on the phone with a friend in the capital.
Her friend, ever playful, called out "wife" again and again, never satisfied with merely teasing.
Qi Chao, carrying a fruit platter, inadvertently walked into the camera's view.
Xie Zi, the hopeless romantic, had sharp eyes. She immediately forgot her teasing and excitedly yelled.
"Oh, Chi Yu, you've been hiding a man from me! Quick, tell me, who is this handsome guy? Let me remind you, friends should share everything, good times and bad. Don't be stingy! Move the camera, I want a better look at him!"
Chi Yu, having known Xie Zi for years, was well aware of her antics. She smiled and waved Qi Chao over.
"Come sit, our old friend seems to have forgotten you."
Qi Chao, unbothered, greeted the camera, "Miss Xie, long time no see."
As a fan with many crushes, Xie Zi had countless handsome men to admire. Those with even a hint of good looks couldn't escape her attention.
She was never one to neglect any.
It could be said that Xie Zi had seen thousands of men, if not tens of thousands.
With such a vast collection of handsome faces in her memory, it took a moment for her to recognize Qi Chao.
Xie Zi studied him intently for a while before suddenly exclaiming, "Qi! Chao!"
Qi Chao smiled and nodded, his charming eyes irresistible even through the screen.
Xie Zi exaggeratedly wiped her mouth, "Oh, don't tempt me! A friend's husband is off-limits. You're the one I painfully gave up for Chi Yu. No matter how much of a beast I am, I won't steal from her."
Chi Yu's feelings were unknown, but Qi Chao certainly enjoyed the compliment.
Listening to Xie Zi's nonsensical chatter, Chi Yu lazily remarked, "Is there something wrong with the feng shui in the capital? You're getting crazier by the day. Have you taken your medicine?"
Xie Zi, batting her lashes, pouted dramatically, "Medicine doesn't work. Only a kiss from my wife can cure me, boo hoo…"
She was a true entertainer, always bringing joy like a human ray of sunshine.
Every time Chi Yu chatted with her, it felt like a recharge.
Zhao Guifang chose this moment to walk in, the nonsense still ringing in her ears. She coldly said to Chi Yu, "Dinner's ready."
She reached out and closed the laptop.
The conversation was abruptly cut off, and Chi Yu looked at Zhao Guifang.
For a split second, her eyes flashed with a sharpness, like a blade slicing through the air, making Zhao Guifang involuntarily take a step back.
That look didn't belong to a child.
Zhao Guifang blinked, and the sharpness in Chi Yu's eyes faded, her expression once again indifferent.
Perhaps it had been a figment of Zhao Guifang's imagination.
But it wasn't an illusion.
Qi Chao, recalling the cold, piercing look Chi Yu had just given, felt his heart race.
It wasn't fear that quickened his pulse, but rather a sense of awe.