Shen Xingbai had arrived while Ji Rou was still on the phone with Wu Xiaomei.
Hearing her lie so smoothly, a flicker of surprise crossed his mind.
Wasn’t she supposed to trust Wu Xiaomei blindly?
Then why was she now lying to her so effortlessly?
“Y-You… why are you here?”
The moment she said it, Ji Rou regretted it.
How could she forget? This was the reborn male lead. Of course he would show up to witness how the original “her” cheated on him.
Then he’d dump her first, deliver some dramatic “thirty years east, thirty years west” speech, and slap her in the face with his comeback.
A cold, mocking smile curled on Shen Xingbai’s lips.
“Ji Rou, have you forgotten? You’re still my girlfriend. Before we even break up, you’re already planning to cheat on me. Seems like I’ve treated you too well.”
Ji Rou felt wronged.
That was the original owner—not her! And besides, she hadn’t cheated on him at all!
“Shen Xingbai, if you want to break up, just say so. Don’t falsely accuse me—I didn’t cheat on you! You’re imagining things!”
His voice turned icy. “Then what are you doing here? This isn’t a place someone like you—an orphan—should be able to enter.”
“…And you’re an orphan too,” Ji Rou muttered under her breath.
Even though she spoke softly, Shen Xingbai heard it clearly.
His expression darkened.
For a moment, he even wondered if the Ji Rou in front of him was just his imagination.
Because the Ji Rou he knew… wasn’t this clever.
“Who are you?” he suddenly demanded, grabbing her by the throat.
“Cough—let go!” Ji Rou struggled, trying to pry his hand off, but his grip was too strong. She could barely breathe.
“I’m asking you—who are you?”
Seeing she couldn’t break free, Ji Rou rolled her eyes and snapped, “I’m your ancestor—now let go!”
His face darkened further. Realizing he wouldn’t get an answer, he finally released her.
“Cough, cough…”
Ji Rou clutched her neck, glaring at him angrily.
What was wrong with him? She already said she didn’t cheat—why was he still attacking her?
Crazy man!
“I don’t care what you’re planning,” Shen Xingbai said coldly. “As long as we haven’t broken up, I won’t allow you to betray me.”
Ji Rou rolled her eyes internally.
Then break up already!
Don’t think I don’t know—you just want revenge, that’s why you’re refusing to end things.
But she didn’t dare say it out loud.
“…Got it,” she said meekly.
“And I’ve never betrayed you.”
At least, not now.
Shen Xingbai clearly didn’t believe her.
After all, in his previous life, he had seen too many times how this woman flirted with other men.
Still, Ji Rou didn’t argue.
Time would prove everything.
Grrr…
Her stomach suddenly growled.
Ji Rou covered it awkwardly, forcing a laugh. “Uh… it’s getting late, and I’m hungry. How about I treat you to dinner?”
Shen Xingbai looked at her strangely.
Ji Rou blinked. “What? Is there something on my face?”
She touched her face—nothing.
“Ji Rou,” he said slowly, “do you really not know, or are you pretending?”
Ji Rou froze.
Then suddenly remembered—
The original owner had once said she would never sit at the same table with him again, because she found him poor and beneath her.
So now, offering to treat him to dinner…
…was basically an insult.
“I—I didn’t mean it like that!” Ji Rou hurried to explain. “I wasn’t trying to humiliate you. I sincerely wanted to treat you to a meal.”
She felt genuinely wronged.
How was she supposed to know the original owner had said something like that?
And even after all that, he still hadn’t broken up with her!
Shen Xingbai stared at her, searching her eyes for the truth.
There was no disgust.
Only fear.
His gaze lowered slightly.
He couldn’t tell if this Ji Rou was like him—someone who had come back from the future.
Because the girl he knew, the one he had raised, was nothing like this lively, unpredictable version in front of him.
“So… are you coming or not?” Ji Rou pressed.
If you don’t answer, I’m just going by myself…
Shen Xingbai gave her a long, meaningful look—
Then turned and walked away.
Ji Rou stood there, stunned.
“…What does that even mean? Is that a yes or a no?”