Song Xi never expected that Xing Luo—that meek and submissive girl beside Jiang Yichen—would actually have the ability to find out about the auction. She really had underestimated her all this time.
She couldn’t let her father find out. Her father hated it when she wasted money. But that diamond necklace was just too beautiful.
Her palms were slick with sweat as she clutched the bag.
“If Ji Yan sent you, she can come find me herself.” Xing Luo looked at Song Xi, expressionless. “Don’t make things difficult for my friend. If you want to stand up for your friend, I can do the same.”
“Also, please tell Ji Yan this: doing something like this over a man is pretty pointless. If she wants to compete with me, she should use proper methods.”
Xing Luo spoke with perfect clarity, without a hint of hesitation.
“If you understand, then leave. And don’t come back again. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind saying a few things in front of your father. You know I have that ability.”
Although she was just a radio host, she still had access to some business elites.
Some things spread from person to person, and eventually, they always reached the Song family’s ears.
The Song family had no shortage of rivals, and mocking the most beloved daughter of the Song family was something they’d be more than happy to do.
Song Xi was rendered speechless, her face darkening by a shade.
She had misjudged Xing Luo’s capabilities.
Song Xi gritted her teeth, shot Xing Luo a glare, then grabbed her bag and stormed out immediately.
The shop fell silent again.
The staff all looked at Xing Luo and let out a deep sigh of relief.
“That Miss Song has come here so many times. I never thought Sister Luo would be the one to put her in her place.”
“Ten million for a necklace—she really is loaded. If her father found out, he’d definitely punish her.”
“So that’s why she’s scared.”
“Hahaha.”
The atmosphere in the shop eased.
Lin Yuan let out a breath. “Good thing you were here today. Otherwise, I’d be losing money again.”
Xing Luo: “You should have called the police a long time ago. You’re just too soft-hearted.”
“I was afraid of offending the Song family, you know? Who knows what kind of revenge she’d take on me after that.” Lin Yuan looked at Xing Luo and asked excitedly, “How did you know which store she bought that dress from?”
“While you two were arguing, I searched online for the same style of that dress. There were quite a few stores. Only this one, Love Never Lets Go, had a slightly higher price, so I guessed the quality probably wouldn’t be much different from yours. Then I made up something about the shipping distance, and I just happened to get it right.”
Lin Yuan asked again, “The auction thing wasn’t made up too, was it?”
“No, that was real. Yu Yan saw her there last time and even took a photo for me.”
Xing Luo opened her phone. In the photo, Song Xi was wearing a hat and sunglasses. Her hair was loose, covering most of her face.
Even so, Lin Yuan recognized her at a glance.
“I’d recognize her even if she were reduced to ashes.” She said through gritted teeth.
Xing Luo put away her phone and smiled. “She’s afraid of her father, so she should stay quiet for a while.”
She looked at Lin Yuan, her eyes carrying a hint of apology. “It’s still because of me. Otherwise, Song Xi wouldn’t have come.”
Lin Yuan shook her head. “This has nothing to do with you. She’s just a bad person. You’ve never even thought about going after Ji Yan.”
Xing Luo smiled. She really hadn’t.
But once she broke up with Jiang Yichen, Song Xi would have no reason to come again.
The drama came to an end, and the two returned to the office to eat bullfrog.
Having resolved a major issue, Lin Yuan felt that even the bullfrog tasted better.
Xing Luo’s phone rang. It was Jiang Yichen.
“Hello.”
“Baby, you’re awake?” Jiang Yichen’s voice on the other end was lazy, as if he had just woken up.
“I’m awake.” Xing Luo’s voice was cold. Perhaps because the mission was almost complete, her patience with Jiang Yichen was nearly spent.
“Where are you?”
“At Lin Yuan’s shop.”
Jiang Yichen fell silent on the other end. Before, the first thing Xing Luo did when she got up was to hug him. If they didn’t sleep together, she would leave him a message.
But today, there was nothing.
“Baby, come over.” Although Jiang Yichen called her “baby,” his tone carried a command.
Xing Luo glanced at the time. It was already 2 PM. She still had to take photos for Lin Yuan’s website and then go to the station to host her program.
“No time.” Xing Luo said those two words flatly. “I need to help Lin Yuan take photos later, and then I have to go to the station.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, with only the sound of Jiang Yichen’s heavy breathing.
The breathing continued for a long time before a few words finally came through the receiver. “Got it.”
Then came the sound of the call ending.
Without saying another word, he just hung up like that.
Xing Luo showed no reaction. She turned off her phone screen and continued eating.
Lin Yuan, listening from the side, was a bit puzzled. Today, Xing Luo’s attitude toward Jiang Yichen had changed drastically.
“Did you two fight?” Lin Yuan asked. “Before, you’d leave the moment Jiang Yichen called.”
“No. I’m just tired of it.” Xing Luo said with a faint smile after finishing.
Tired of it. She really was tired of it—tired of always being the one to please someone while never getting anything in return.
Tired of always dealing with someone like it’s just another task—uncomfortable, unhappy.
Xing Luo and Jiang Yichen were mismatched in status.
She’d had a hard year.
Having to please Jiang Yichen, while also driving away the constant stream of admirers around him, and enduring the mockery of the people around him.
She put on the identity of Jiang Yichen’s girlfriend, but no one ever really took her seriously.
They all thought that within three months, Jiang Yichen would get bored and break up with her.
But unexpectedly, she’d held on for nearly a year.
She couldn’t silence the gossip, couldn’t block out the judgmental eyes of the world.
She had once been so humble, so humble that she forgot herself.
She had no other demands—she just wanted to survive.
Fortunately, the end was almost in sight.
“Good riddance,” Lin Yuan said, patting Xing Luo on the shoulder. “Break up soon, and I’ll find you eighteen handsome guys standing right in front of you for you to pick from. All types available, guaranteed you won’t get bored.”
“Sure,” Xing Luo smiled. “Just wait a little longer. It’s almost over.”
Lin Yuan didn’t know what Xing Luo was waiting for. She only knew that Jiang Yichen wasn’t worth Xing Luo’s devotion.
She felt heartbroken just watching, yet Jiang Yichen didn’t appreciate it one bit.
After the two finished their meal, Lin Yuan dragged Xing Luo to try on new clothes.
Dresses, pants, tops—Xing Luo tried each one, took a photo, and immediately changed into the next.
They tried on over a dozen outfits in total, and after they were done, both collapsed onto the sofa.
“So thirsty,” Xing Luo called out from where she lay on the sofa. She was exhausted and parched.
“Me too. Let me order two milk teas.”
Lin Yuan had just picked up her phone when the shop door opened.
The clerk called out habitually, “Welcome!”
The two got up from the sofa and looked toward the door together.
Jiang Yichen was wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt and blue athletic pants, with Assistant Li following behind, carrying a bunch of milk teas.
Xing Luo stood up and instinctively walked over to greet him.
“Why are you here?” she asked with a smile.
Jiang Yichen ruffled Xing Luo’s hair, his dark eyes sweeping over her. “You were upset, so I came to make it up to you.” His tone was gentle and doting.
It was a rare moment for Jiang Yichen.
“I… was upset?” Xing Luo didn’t know what Jiang Yichen was referring to.
Jiang Yichen looked down at her. “Your tone on the phone was so cold, so I looked into it. I already know about Song Xi. I found her father—she won’t be coming around anymore.”
Xing Luo understood. Jiang Yichen thought she’d been upset on the phone because of Song Xi.
Jiang Yichen certainly had his ways—he could find out about something the moment it happened.
Then again, that was just who he was.
“You should tell me about things like this right away instead of carrying it alone. This boyfriend of yours is meant to be used.”
The clerk nearby couldn’t help but gasp at Jiang Yichen’s words.
“Wow, Sister Luo Luo, your boyfriend is so sweet.”
“Being with him must feel so secure.”
“Handsome, considerate—he’s a perfect match for Sister Luo Luo.”
The words reached her ears, but Xing Luo felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
She had mentioned Song Xi to Jiang Yichen before. But back then, Jiang Yichen had said, “I don’t understand women’s affairs.”