Сhарtеr 25: Birds of a Fеаther.
Thе living room suddеnlу fеll silеnt.
Аfrаid he might nоt hеаr, Jing Gе repеated with a deаthlу cаlm, “Yоu trulу hаvе no shаmе.”
Сai Zhi grabbеd hеr, urgentlу saying, “Gegе!”
“Thе Jing family’s vast аncеstral lеgаcy—it wаs your investmеnt mistаkе,” Jing Gе stared strаight аhеаd. “It was yоur reсkless naturе, wanting to оutdo the Li fаmily, ignoring Unclе Li аnd Аunt Mаn’s wаrnings, insisting on taking that stеp, аnd аs a result, уou destrоyеd thе еntire Jing fаmily. You dеstroyеd it. Тhе Jing family was ruined by you. And уоu’re selling me to rесover?”
As thеsе words came out, along with the unresolved matter of that phone call before the New Year, Father Jing’s fury erupted. He slapped her hard across the face.
“Smack—”
Jing Ge was nearly thrown halfway across the room.
Cai Zhi held her tightly, crying, “What are you doing?! Try hitting her again!”
“This apology,” Father Jing said with extreme coldness, “you will make it, whether you want to or not!”
Jing Ge’s face swelled instantly.
The pain was so intense she lost all sensation.
She faintly tugged at the other corner of her lips. “Fine, it’s just an apology, right?”
She lowered her gaze and dialed Li Zhan’s number. “Where are you?”
The other end sneered, “Finally remembered your fiancé?”
“Li Zhan,” Jing Ge said without any inflection, “I asked where you are.”
“Playing at a bar,” the man replied lazily, his voice tinged with slight drunkenness. “Come have a drink?”
Jing Ge: “Sure.”
“…”
As if pausing, Li Zhan took a few seconds before reining in his usual nonchalance. “You’re really coming?”
Jing Ge: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I miss you. Let me keep you company, okay?”
Li Zhan’s voice gradually turned cold. “What’s gotten into you?”
Jing Ge: “Hide whoever you have outside, or I’ll kill the two of you, you cheating scum.”
“…”
The call ended. Jing Ge walked out, her face swollen like a steamed bun.
Cai Zhi was both panicked and anxious. “What does that mean? What does he have outside? Is he seeing someone else?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jing Ge said, smoothing her disheveled hair. “I’m the legitimate one. He can play around as he likes, as long as the Li family can give Dad the money.”
Jing Ge tugged at her lips toward Father Jing. “I’ll make him apologize to you.”
Father Jing’s hand, the one that had struck her, felt numb and heavy.
When she arrived at the bar, Jing Ge headed straight for the second floor.
Laser lights swept over the booth. What should have been a scene of decadent revelry was instead, apart from Li Zhan lounging casually, three other men sitting stiffly upright, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Jing Ge recognized them.
They were all friends Li Zhan had grown up with.
“Sister-in-law, you’re here,” Fan Mingjie said stiffly. “Please, have a seat.”
In the dim light, Jing Ge’s long hair covered both sides of her face. She didn’t respond to him but bent down to pick up a bottle from the table.
Li Zhan suddenly sat up straight, grabbing her hand. “What are you doing?”
Jing Ge: “Apologizing to you.”
Li Zhan found it absurd. “For what?”
Jing Ge: “For everything.”
She pulled her hand free from Li Zhan’s grip, tilted her head back, and downed a bottle of some unknown type of alcohol.
The other three stared in shock.
After finishing the bottle, Jing Ge enunciated clearly, “I’m sorry. I, Jing Ge, apologize to Li Zhan.”
Then, she picked up another bottle.
Li Zhan’s gaze turned icy cold. “That’s enough, Jing Ge…”
Jing Ge paid no attention, sinking into a state of frenzied obsession as she finished another bottle.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to you.”
Li Zhan had stood up at some point.
Jing Ge reached for a third bottle.
Li Zhan gripped her wrist. “Stop this madness…”
Jing Ge simply switched hands, using her other hand to pour the drink into her mouth.
Li Zhan reached out to snatch it away. Jing Ge drank while dodging, choking halfway through. Without a care, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and quickly finished the remaining half.”I’m sorry. These three bottles represent my sincerity. If that’s not enough, I can drink more.”
“Jing Ge!” Li Zhan gritted his teeth. “What the hell happened to you?”
Jing Ge bent down. The other three men were quick-witted and swiftly cleared the table.
Jing Ge reached for nothing.
Not even a bottle was left.
Jing Ge wiped her mouth, like a pre-programmed robot, devoid of any emotion: “Next time you see my dad, could you say hello to him for me?”
“……”
Jing Ge: “Could you?”
Li Zhan’s lips parted and closed, as if wanting to explain, but he wasn’t the type to explain. After several attempts, he swallowed his words.
Jing Ge waved, calling the waiter: “Bring me more drinks.”
“No,” Li Zhan said firmly. “Go home.”
Jing Ge asked him again: “Next time my dad visits your house, could you say hello to him?”
Fan Mingjie kicked Li Zhan under the table, signaling him to respond quickly.
A brief silence fell.
Li Zhan’s voice was slightly hoarse: “I will.”
“Thank you,” Jing Ge said with excessive politeness. “If you ever need anything in the future, just call me. I’ll be there whenever you need.”
“……”
Jing Ge then nodded to the other three: “Sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye.”
“Si-sister-in-law, you’re too polite…”
The words trailed off awkwardly.
Jing Ge didn’t look at anyone, nor did she say another word. She turned and left.
The alcohol hit her quickly. As she descended the stairs, she felt dizzy and had to hold onto the railing, stepping down carefully, one step at a time.
Li Zhan stood in the darkness, frozen in place.
Fan Mingjie was uneasy: “Bro, maybe I saw wrong… um, sister-in-law’s face is swollen. Did she get hit?”
Li Zhan snapped his head toward him.
“It’s… pretty obvious,” Fan Mingjie said. “When she tilted her head back to drink, her hair fell to the side, revealing her face…”
A gust of wind swept past, and Li Zhan was gone.
The first floor of the bar was a chaotic dance floor. Some were there for a casual drink, others seeking thrills, and some approached single women with drinks in hand.
Jing Ge staggered past, only to be blocked by a strange man.
“Beauty, have a drink…”
As soon as the word “drink” left his lips, the man was kicked in the stomach.
Li Zhan pulled Jing Ge into his arms: “Drink my ass!”
Li Zhan dragged her outside.
The cold wind whipped around them, clearing Jing Ge’s feverish mind slightly. She struggled to free herself from his grip.
Li Zhan had no patience for her resistance. He brushed the hair away from her face.
He saw the slap mark.
Li Zhan stiffened: “Who hit you?”
Jing Ge slapped his hand away, slightly drunk, and snorted lightly: “Hypocrite.”
“…I asked who hit you!” Li Zhan’s jaw tightened. “Your dad?”
Jing Ge frowned, correcting him: “He’s your future father-in-law. You should call him uncle. What do you mean ‘your dad’? If you had any sense of propriety, I wouldn’t have gotten hit.”
Li Zhan grabbed her wrist: “I’ll take you to him.”
Jing Ge struggled: “Get away from me!”
“Where should I go?” Li Zhan’s eyes were red. “Why did he hit you?”
Jing Ge was momentarily confused: “Why shouldn’t he hit me? He has more right than you, doesn’t he? Since when do you get to ask?”
Li Zhan’s anger clouded his judgment: “You’re mine! He can’t!”
“……” Jing Ge tilted her head slightly, understanding dawning. “You look down on him. He touched something that belongs to you, and you think he overstepped. He didn’t hit my face—he hit yours. Which of you ever treated me like a person?”
Li Zhan’s lips pressed into a thin line.Jing Ge chuckled coldly. “Birds of a feather.”
Li Zhan suddenly asked, “Then what about you?”
“What about me?”
“What are you?” Li Zhan demanded. “Why did you hide Uncle’s handkerchief in your room?”