Song Li walked over, draping an arm over my shoulder, subtly pulling me closer and away from Ji Shanchuan, asking quietly, “When did you arrive?” “Just as the show started,” I said, slightly embarrassed, pulling Song Ying over, “Ying, let me introduce you. This is the renowned Ji Shanchuan.” Song Ying, who was somewhat down, blushed as she stood near Ji Shanchuan, stuttering, “H-hello!” Ji Shanchuan nodded with a smile, “Hello! Do you still like the earrings?” Song Ying’s face reddened further, “I-I love them, love them so much.” Ji Shanchuan smiled, “I have a matching necklace; I’ll give it to you next time, to complete the set!” Song Ying was stunned, “Really? That’s great!”
Liu Yi whispered to Song Li, “We’ve made plans with friends at the Roman Garden, it’s almost time.” Song Li nodded slightly, then asked me, “Are you going straight home later?” Ji Shanchuan chimed in, “President Song, I haven’t seen your wife in a while; if you don’t mind, I’d like to catch up with her.” “Mind? Not at all,” Song Li smirked, “Go ahead, have fun, and I’ll have someone pick you up later!” I glanced at Liu Yi, who looked displeased, and mischievously pulled Song Li aside, whispering, “Are you all going to a party? How long will you be gone?” Song Li looked at me, amused, “What’s up?” I tugged at his cufflink, whispering even lower, “Nothing, I just haven’t seen you in days, I missed you.” “Is that so?” He nodded with understanding, the smile reaching his eyes, “Then,” he leaned down, “give me a kiss!” I bit my lip, hesitated, then quickly stood on tiptoe to peck his cheek. He grinned, swiftly lifting my chin, and planted a firm kiss on my lips, murmuring, “It’s only polite to return the favor!” Then he gently patted my face and left. Liu Yi shot me a glare filled with undisguised hatred. I provocatively raised my chin at her. Cheng Yu’s face turned ashen, and he let out a cold, mocking laugh before turning to Song Ying and saying, “Xiaoying, aren’t you joining us?” I had originally wanted to invite Song Ying to join our gathering. With Cheng Yu’s simple remark, Song Ying was once again lost in her thoughts, looking at us. “I…” I sighed softly in my heart, nudged her, and said, “Then go ahead, we’ll have another day.” Song Ying reluctantly glanced at Ji Shanchuan and me, nodded, and quickly followed Cheng Yu away.
Chapter 33: Showdown (Part One)
Ji Shanchuan and I hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so we were in high spirits for our chat. My mind had been racing these past few days, entangled in thoughts. Finally having the chance to pour my heart out, and with a bit of alcohol in my system, I spilled the entire saga to Ji Shanchuan like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube. Ji Shanchuan listened with great agitation, and in his excitement, he couldn’t help but drink more. By the time I was nearly done talking, Ji Shanchuan was tipsy, using a chopstick to reach over the table and tap my head, drawing out his words dramatically, “Ah, you fool, you shouldn’t have…” I swatted his chopstick away like it was a fly, “Get lost!” I struggled to open my somewhat sticky eyes, “Now you’re quoting opera!” We continued drinking, chatting, fooling around, and laughing. When I returned home, I was staggering and dizzy. The first floor was eerily quiet, with only a dim wall lamp left on. Normally, after such gatherings, the siblings would take a while to return. I tiptoed up the stairs, entered my bedroom, and casually closed and locked the door. The alcohol made me hot all over, and helping Ji Shanchuan into his house had left me sweaty. I carelessly stripped off my clothes as I walked, tossing them onto the floor. By the time I reached the bathroom door, I was only in my underwear. I turned on the light, casting a soft glow that made the room hazy. Suddenly, I felt something was off; I turned to see someone sitting silently in a rocking chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, their eyes fixed on me. “Ah!” I screamed reflexively, then realized it could only be Song Li, and I relaxed slightly. “You scared me to death,” I chided, still not used to being exposed, and grabbed a robe to cover myself. “Why bother with clothes?” a voice floated over, sounding like thunder to my ears, it was Cheng Yu! “What part of your body haven’t I seen?” he taunted coldly. I took a deep breath to calm myself, deciding to act nonchalant and quickly moved towards the entrance. Whatever happens, let’s turn on the lights first! But he was quicker, moving like a rabbit to block the switch. In the darkness, I couldn’t see clearly and bumped into him, almost like I was throwing myself into his arms. He unceremoniously embraced me and scoffed, “That’s more like it!” I gritted my teeth, managed to free an arm, and slapped him hard. He was stunned that I dared to hit him. Seizing the moment, I reached for the wall and flipped the light switch, “Click,” the room was flooded with light. He was furious, his brows knitted in anger, and he sneered, “Good, very good!” With a swift motion, he grabbed my neck, pinning me against the wall, “Your courage is growing!” I tried to stand on my tiptoes to reach the ground, my neck tightening under his grip, my head throbbing as if all my blood was rushing there. I looked at him defiantly, squinting, “Go ahead, choke me to death!” His eyes were aflame with anger, his hand tightening slightly. I gasped, not doubting for a second that he could kill me if he exerted just a bit more force. But then, he was silent. After a moment, he abruptly withdrew his arm. I slid to the carpet like a puddle of mud, a mess of tears and snot, coughing violently as I clutched my neck. He looked down at me coldly, “We’ve always settled our accounts, haven’t we? Why act like some virtuous woman now?” He grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at him, “Do you think Song Li has feelings for you, and now things are different?” He snorted coldly, a strange smile playing on his lips, “Song Li told me not to say anything yet; he wanted to play with you a bit longer. But your pathetic, love-struck look today disgusted me. Do you think we didn’t know about the equity transfer? You think Song Li’s little act of kindness fooled us?” I was completely stunned. What was he talking about? He looked at me with a mocking smile, “Song Li’s trap was simple, a gentle snare, and you handed over the shares. We were going to saddle you with debt, make you pay until you died, but Fan Jinxuan’s unexpected kindness freed you. Heh, those who dared to oppose Song Li, they’re either not born yet or already useless. Do you know what happens to those who wronged him, betrayed him, or even stayed neutral? Even his own kin are worse off than dogs now, with no chance of redemption. And what are you? You don’t really think he’s fallen for you, do you? Haven’t you looked in the mirror? Song Li told me himself, you’re not even worth a hair on Liu Yi’s head.” I tried to ignore the pain tearing through my heart, controlling my trembling, and stubbornly said, “No, no, you’re lying, that’s not true, you’re lying!” Cheng Yu’s face showed a feigned look of astonishment, shaking his head slightly, “You really are under his spell. Maybe I should have tried my luck with you. Let me enlighten you. That day when you and Xiaoying were drunk, I was talking with Song Li, knowing you were awake, just putting on a show.” I looked at him blankly, oh, that day, Song Li held me, tenderly massaging my hangover headache, and called me a little fool. And what did I say? I apologized to him, heh, I really am a fool, not just a little one, but the biggest fool there is!
