With a dark expression, Ji Xixing walked out of Muse. Her phone kept vibrating nonstop.
She glanced at it casually and, seeing the name Ji Lifeng on the screen, hung up without hesitation.
A few minutes later, the phone vibrated again. It was the same name.
This time, she simply tossed the phone into her bag.
For Ji Lifeng to be so persistent in calling her, there was definitely nothing good about it.
Ji Xixing refused to believe he was calling out of concern because she had not gone home this late at night.
Three minutes later, when she looked at the empty space where her car had originally been parked, she was so angry that she laughed.
When she had paid the bill at the bar earlier, all of her cards had been frozen and none of them worked.
In the end, she had used the prepaid card Jian Yao kept at the establishment to settle the bill. After coming out, she discovered that even her car had disappeared.
She refused to believe that all of this had nothing to do with Ji Lifeng.
No wonder he had remained silent when she went out earlier. So he had been waiting to strike here.
Taking her phone out of her bag, Ji Xixing looked at the name that was still flashing on the screen and answered the call.
“What is it?” she asked coldly.
“What is it? And you dare ask me what it is? Don’t you know perfectly well what you’ve done?” Ji Lifeng roared from the other end, sounding furious.
He had already been irritated when he saw Ji Xixing leave that evening. As soon as she walked out, he had called someone and frozen all the cards under her name.
He had even spent a hefty sum to have her car towed back.
Thinking he could finally sleep peacefully, he had unexpectedly received a personal call from Old Master Cheng, who demanded justice for his granddaughter.
Only then did he learn that his rebellious daughter had once again gathered people around her, twisted the truth, and bullied Cheng Nishang to tears.
Ji Lifeng had exploded with rage.
After calming himself slightly, he continued, “Get back here right now and apologize to Cheng Nishang.”
“I don’t care what happens to you, but when you go out, you represent the Ji family. Treating the Cheng family’s young lady like that is damaging the relationship between our two families.”
“Huh? Dad, what are you saying? The signal is terrible over here.” Changing her grip on the phone, Ji Xixing shamelessly played dumb.
“You unfilial daughter, don’t force me to send people to drag you back. Whether you want to or not, you will apologize,” Ji Lifeng snarled. For the first time in his life, he found communicating with someone this exhausting.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll go home on my own. Bye.” Holding the phone away from her ear, Ji Xixing ignored his furious shouting and hung up.
What an idiot. He actually wanted her to apologize.
Putting aside the fact that the relationship between the Ji and Cheng families had nothing to do with her, even if it did, she still would not apologize.
On the other end, Ji Lifeng stared at the screen displaying that the call had ended. His face darkened to the color of charcoal as he cursed.
Wang Nianlin hurried over and gently soothed him.
“Lifeng, don’t be angry. It’s normal for children to become rebellious when they grow up. But Xingxing keeps coming home late every day. Could she have been deceived outside?”
“I heard that some men are sweet-talkers who love tricking girls her age.” After pausing, she quickly covered her mouth. “I’m just talking nonsense. Hopefully, Xingxing is only a little playful.”
“I don’t even want to care if she dies outside. If she gets tricked, it’s her own fault,” Ji Lifeng snapped.
Wang Nianlin fell silent.
Her purpose had already been achieved.
In the past, Ji Lifeng had still cared for Ji Xixing somewhat. But ever since Wang Nianlin entered the household, she had constantly whispered into his ear.
As time went by, Ji Lifeng grew more and more displeased with Ji Xixing.
On top of that, Ji Xixing had openly defied him earlier that day, and the anger in his heart had never subsided. So when Old Master Cheng called, he immediately exploded.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
This matter could not end so easily.
He picked up his phone and ordered the person on the other side, “Bring Ji Xixing back to me. I want to see her dead or alive, immediately!”
After hanging up, he finally felt somewhat better.
Meanwhile, the cardless and carless Ji Xixing stood by the roadside, letting the cold wind blow against her while cursing Ji Lifeng ten thousand times in her heart.
There was no way she could return to that damned Ji family tonight.
But her best friend was on a date, and after several unanswered calls, Ji Xixing had to accept the truth.
Nothing could interrupt a hopeless romantic’s date.
Sighing, she hated how the original Ji Xixing had been so lacking in foresight, placing too much importance on that family and leaving herself without even a single property outside.
The cold wind continued to pierce through her clothes. She was already dressed lightly, and the chilly night air made her shiver whenever it brushed against her skin.
Just as Ji Xixing was standing by the road, recalling every misfortune life had thrown at her, a black car passed by, gradually slowed down, and finally stopped in front of her.
The window rolled down automatically, revealing the man’s breathtaking face and sharply defined jawline.
Dressed in a black shirt, he maintained his usual noble and restrained appearance, completely different from the emotional state he had been in during their first meeting.
Ji Xixing did not know whether running into Gu Wangxuan at this moment was a blessing or a curse.
She truly did not want to become entangled with him.
Someone like him was simply too far beyond her reach.
Though she herself was born into wealth, she understood that beyond Rome, there was always another Rome.
For people in their circle, Gu Wangxuan stood at the very pinnacle. They were not even playing on the same field.
“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.” Gu Wangxuan casually rested his long fingers on the steering wheel, his lazy tone carrying an unreadable note.
Ji Xixing fell silent for two seconds, but her feet remained rooted in place.
Smiling, she politely refused. “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Gu, but I think roads are more reassuring when you walk them yourself.”
Her meaning was clear.
He was someone too dazzling, and they should not have any further connection.
Gu Wangxuan looked at her strangely. The corner of his lips curved slightly, though Ji Xixing could not tell whether it was mockery or something else.
His voice remained calm.
“It would take you four hours to walk back to the Ji residence from here.”
Standing beneath the streetlight, Ji Xixing’s shadow stretched long behind her, and the darkness concealed her emotions well.
“Mr. Gu, I never said I was going back to the Ji residence.”
For the first time, Gu Wangxuan felt that he could not see through someone.
Everything he had investigated about her, combined with their previous encounters, still failed to reveal what she was thinking.
What puzzled him even more was why she had rejected him again and again.
Nevertheless, he invited her once more.
“Isn’t meeting here another kind of fate?”
Ji Xixing’s smile widened.
Just when Gu Wangxuan thought she would reject him again, she opened the car door and stepped inside.
“Since it’s fate, then I won’t refuse.”