Chapter 18: Don't Regret It
Li Jiuwei tried to appear calm as she ate, but the force with which she gripped her chopsticks betrayed her pretense.
“It’s been a long time,” Gu Rufeng said, sitting across from her, his burning gaze fixed upon her.
She could no longer eat.
As Li Jiuwei abruptly stood to leave, Gu Rufeng spoke: “Are you determined to avoid me?”
“Gu Rufeng, there’s nothing between us,” she said, striding away quickly.
Outside, she bumped right into Feng Su’s chest, her face stinging from the impact.
“Why aren’t you at work? What are you doing here?” Li Jiuwei rubbed her face, a hint of complaint in her voice.
“I’m done for the day. I’ll take you home.”
“No need.”
Rejected, Feng Su watched her retreating figure, his eyes darkening.
Gu Rufeng’s reappearance left Li Jiuwei uneasy.
…
At the hospital.
“Huai Ting... have you thought of a solution?”
Bearing the label of ‘the other woman’, how was she to face the circle in the future?
“No.”
“Why don’t we just say my sister cheated first? That way, we can clear ourselves. It’s better than having me and the child bear a bad reputation.” Tears welled in Li Xinchun’s eyes; she feared Jiang Huai Ting would disagree, so she pulled out her phone. “People have already started to insult me, Huai Ting... I’m scared.”
Humiliating messages from strangers.
Jiang Huai Ting pressed his lips together, considering Li Xinchun’s suggestion. “Ruining someone’s reputation is going too far.”
“Are you just going to watch me and the child get insulted?” Her tears fell hotly on the back of his hand.
Jiang Huai Ting pulled Li Xinchun into his arms and whispered, “Let me think about it.”
“The child and I trust you.”
A faint smile curled Li Xinchun’s lips. Li Jiuwei, just wait to be struck down by your own fiancé. Your good days are coming to an end.
Night deepened, city lights blurred in neon.
After overtime, Li Jiuwei headed to the underground parking lot.
A little boy scurried up to her. “Sister, there’s a brother over there looking for you!”
“Little one, what brother?”
The boy took her hand and led her forward.
When she saw Feng Su standing under the streetlamp, holding a bouquet of roses, the smile on her face faded.
Feng Su was dashing tonight.
The roses in his arms were stunningly beautiful.
People gathered, passersby stopped to watch.
The crowd loved excitement.
Li Jiuwei looked at Feng Su. He was smiling radiantly, dropping to one knee. “Weiwei, will you marry me?”
He held up the flowers in his left hand, a diamond ring in his right.
In his eyes, her figure was perfectly reflected.
“Say yes, say yes—” the crowd chanted, cheering him on.
The scene was ablaze with excitement.
Li Jiuwei pulled a gentle smile, and Feng Su’s eyes visibly sparkled with hope.
Weiwei didn’t really want to sever things with him.
She must want a stable future with him.
Proposing was the most direct promise he could offer her.
“Weiwei—”
Under his blazing gaze, Li Jiuwei drew out a ring and displayed it before Feng Su, smiling as she said, “Sorry, I’m already engaged.”
With that, she slipped the ring onto her finger.
The smile on Feng Su’s face shattered.
“I’ve told you from the start, I was serious. Only you never believed me. Feng Su, let’s end it here.”
She turned and walked away.
An uproar swept the crowd!
Feng Su stood, stunned, then flung aside the flowers and ring, chasing after her. “What about my feelings? Three years of my feelings!”
She stopped.
A notification sounded—a transfer of money.
Feng Su stared at the number, his handsome face darkening.
“Breakup fee!”
The emotions pent up in his chest burst into anger. He roared, “You dare break up with me? You actually dare? Li Jiuwei, take back what you said just now, and I might let it go!”
Li Jiuwei didn’t even look back.
Feng Su clenched his fists, shouting furiously, “You dare break up with me? Do you know who I am? Li Jiuwei, don’t regret this!”
But the one who left never turned around.
Back home, Li Jiuwei’s expression was cool. So this was the big thing Feng Su boasted about in his social feed.
This time, she and Feng Su were done for good.
At Zhaoshan Villa.
Dragging her weary body inside, Li Jiuwei saw Jiang Huai Ting sitting on the sofa.
“Shall we talk?”
Li Jiuwei raised her brows, “About what?”
“The company’s new partnership with Feng Group. You’ll take it over. Your collaboration with the Li Corporation, hand that to Xinchun.”
“Oh, so Li Xinchun can’t manage it and now you remember me?”
Jiang Huai Ting frowned. “I’m the CEO. I have the right to assign you both.”
“Too bad I have the right to refuse. The mess Li Xinchun made, let her clean it up herself. I don’t have time to wipe up after her.”
“Must you be so crude?”
Li Jiuwei shrugged. “Yes.”
Annoyed, Jiang Huai Ting’s displeasure was obvious. His gaze inadvertently swept over her hand, and upon seeing the engagement ring, a smile tugged at his lips. “If you agree, I can spend more time with you.”
“Are you alright? Where do you get this confidence?”
“Denying it is useless. You put our engagement ring back on. I know what you’re thinking. From start to finish, you were jealous. Am I right?”
His smugness, as if handing out love as charity, chilled Li Jiuwei’s eyes. “If you keep making wild assumptions, I won’t mind slapping you again.”
“You—” Jiang Huai Ting fumed.
Li Jiuwei stood and went upstairs.
His voice was cold as he called after her, “Li Jiuwei, don’t regret this!”
She paused on the stairs, a mocking smile playing at her lips. Twice in one night, she’d heard the same words: Don’t regret this.
Was it a fashionable phrase now?
In her bedroom.
She opened a delicate box and took out a marriage certificate.
A union of two, a vow in a single hall.
A lifelong bond, perfectly matched.
…
With mountains and rivers as witness, sun and moon as oath.
This certifies: Jiang Huai Ting and Li Jiuwei!
She gazed at the words on the certificate and murmured, “It’s almost over.”
The next morning.
Li Jiuwei was having breakfast when Jiang Huai Ting stormed down the stairs, eyes blazing as if he would set her alight.
She calmly ate, frowning. “What is it?”
“Who were you with last night?”
“None of your concern.”
“You’re still wearing the title of my fiancée, Li Jiuwei. Who is that man?” He grabbed her wrist.
Li Jiuwei, wincing in pain, struggled. “It’s too early for your madness.”
“Is it me being crazy, or are you guilty? Enjoy being proposed to, did you? Proud of yourself?”
She looked at him, surprised.
How did he know?
Seeing her realization, Jiang Huai Ting’s eyes brimmed with open mockery.
He held up his phone—a video of last night’s proposal, her profile clear, Feng Su’s face hidden behind the roses.
The video was perfectly shot.
Jiang Huai Ting stared at her, voice cold, “Tell me, who is he? When did it start between you two?”