Evening, South Shore Villa District.
“Young Master, we’re home.” The driver opened the car door.
In the back seat, a man leaned against the seat with his eyes closed, resting, seemingly slightly drunk.
Qi Yanli slowly opened his pitch-black eyes, a hint of laziness on his handsome face, just about to get up.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
It was a call from the Qi family estate.
He answered, and his mother’s elegant, cool voice came through: “Have you and Lanyue taken your wedding photos yet?”
“No.”
“Hurry up. Don’t just focus on that matter of yours—pay some attention to your own wedding too.”
“Mm.”
He hung up and got out of the car, walking toward the villa.
The house was empty and pitch dark.
Qi Yanli changed into slippers at the entrance, his tall figure slightly unsteady, and walked over to sit on the living room sofa.
Normally, when he came back from evening engagements, there would always be a cup of freshly brewed sobering-up tea waiting here.
His slender fingers pinched the bridge of his nose—a headache was already starting to creep in.
His other hand reached habitually toward the coffee table, but he didn’t find that cup of sobering-up tea.
Qi Yanli frowned in displeasure and said coldly, “Wen Lanyue, where’s my tea?”
As the words left his mouth, a memory of the afternoon’s falling-out suddenly surfaced in his mind…
Wen Lanyue’s heartbroken, despairing voice echoed in his ears: Let’s break up! I’ll step aside for you two!
Damn it…
A trace of anger stained his pitch-black eyes. He’d almost forgotten—she’d even thrown the wedding ring in his face.
He wanted to see what tricks she’d pull when she came begging to get back together after doing something so ruthless.
Qi Yanli leaned back, gazing up at the crystal chandelier overhead.
Ding…
A WeChat message notification sounded.
He picked up his phone and opened the brothers’ group chat.
Xie Jun: [@Qi Yanli Come out and look at your wife. She was hosting tonight and looked so beautiful it made people cry.]
He tapped open a video, a dozen or so seconds long.
Wen Lanyue wore a moon-white satin slip dress, her makeup exquisite, her long romantic curls falling to her waist, gently stirred by the evening breeze.
The moment she raised the microphone to speak, the strap on one side of her shoulder slipped down slightly.
The crowd erupted in a stir…
She gave a slightly helpless smile, then continued reading from her script.
Poised and elegant, pure yet with a hint of subtle allure—utterly captivating.
As she left, Wen Lanyue naturally pulled the strap back up.
A perfectly normal movement, yet it somehow carried an extra touch of charm, seductive without even trying.
The video ended. Qi Yanli scoffed and returned to the group chat.
Mu Chennian: [Tsk… great figure, tiny waist. Master Qi’s nightlife sure is blissful.]
Xie Jun: [Qi San, how are your kidneys holding up? Hahaha…]
Qi Yanli: [Get lost.]
He then turned off the screen. The lock screen showed a photo of him and Wen Lanyue together.
Qi Yanli let out a disdainful cold laugh: “Wings fully grown, huh? Daring to stay out all night.”
Suddenly, a call came from the hospital.
“Mr. Qi, Miss Ning Xi refuses to eat. This will affect her recovery.”
He scoffed: “Then let her starve. Am I supposed to feed her myself?”
“But I’m afraid the Old Master doesn’t have time to wait.”
…
Meanwhile—
“Haha, Lanyue, you lost! Choose: truth or dare!”
After the graduation party ended, she’d been dragged along to the after-dinner gathering.
She wasn’t the type to let loose easily, so she felt a bit awkward.
Wen Lanyue hesitated for two seconds. “I choose truth.”
The classmate asked directly, “Then I won’t hold back. Question: when was your last kiss?”
Last kiss…
Her memory pulled her back to that night seven days ago.
It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a whole night of tangled, desperate passion.
Qi Yanli was cold and aloof in everyday life, but in bed he was wild and unrestrained.
He would torment her over and over again, and every time it only ended when she was crying and begging for mercy.
Only in bed did she feel that Qi Yanli liked her, even just a little.
But what good did that do?
The next day they were supposed to go take their wedding photos, yet he still ended up at the hospital, staying by his first love’s side until late at night.
Now even the wedding dress had been burned, and Qi Yanli still chose to indulge it.
A man who has disappointed you countless times—how could he suddenly stop?
So, Wen Lanyue chose to walk away from this three-person love affair, preserving the last shred of dignity she had.
“Lanyue, answer! What are you thinking about?”
Her thoughts snapped back to reality. Her thick lashes trembled, and she said awkwardly, “I forgot.”
“What? How could you possibly forget that?”
“Yeah, seriously…”
Though many people found the answer dismissive, the moment passed just like that.
After the gathering ended, someone behind her grumbled quietly in dissatisfaction…
“If you can’t handle the game, don’t come. Such a buzzkill. And how come all those guys orbit around her?”
“Let me put it this way—Wen Lanyue’s father wears a white shirt and an executive jacket, her brother is the youngest mayor ever, and her grandfather’s military uniform is practically covered in medals.”
“Tch… talk about winning the lottery at birth. I’m jealous to tears.”
“And the worst part is her future husband—that legendary prince of the capital’s elite circle, Qi Yanli.”
…
Wen Lanyue stood by the roadside waiting for a taxi. When she glanced up absentmindedly, she froze.
Across the street, a black Cullinan slowly pulled to a stop, drawing the attention of passersby.
The driver respectfully opened the door, and Qi Yanli and Ning Xi stepped out.
Ning Xi wore sunglasses and a face mask, her face bruised and swollen from the beating.
She watched helplessly as the two of them walked side by side into the French restaurant across the street.
So, after she had torn into Qi Yanli today and declared they were breaking up, the man couldn’t care less—was even relieved—and here he was, openly taking Ning Xi out to dinner late at night.
Wen Lanyue couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Her laughter was full of desolation and despair, mocking her own stupidity.
She had thought her outburst would make Qi Yanli take her seriously. Instead, he’d felt liberated.
Wen Lanyue felt like nothing more than a pathetic clown right now.
Ning Xi had won, completely.
Tears slid slowly down her cheeks, and she felt her breathing grow labored.
With trembling fingers, she took out her phone and dialed her father’s number.
Ring… ring…
“Lanyue, why are you calling Dad so late?”
Wen Lanyue fought to keep the sob out of her voice. “Dad, I want to call off the engagement.”
On the other end, her father was silent for a long while. “Another fight? You should know that with our two families’ standing, calling off an engagement is no different from a divorce.”
“Dad, I really don’t want Qi Yanli anymore.”
“I’m on an inspection tour for a month. We’ll talk when I’m back. Use this time to think it over carefully—Dad will respect your decision.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, she took a deep breath.
Gazing at the French restaurant across the street, she murmured softly to herself, “Have you been sick of me for a long time?”
Traffic flowed up and down the street, and passersby kept stopping to gawk at the luxury car.
Wen Lanyue had been standing by the roadside for who knew how long.
In the end, a lonely figure got into a taxi and left.