Jiang Ning said calmly, “I’m not feeling well right now, so I’m not really in the mood.”
She didn’t see anything wrong with sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, as if she were quite familiar with the casual pleasures between adults.
To those who didn’t know her well, talking to her gave off a sense of innocence that didn’t match her age, which was almost laughable.
But only those who knew her well understood that this was precisely Jiang Ning’s strength—like playing tai chi.
More often than not, it left Xi Yue feeling utterly powerless.
The only emotional fluctuation she had that night was probably when Xi Yue unexpectedly took her medicine.
Xi Yue seemed both angry and amused by Jiang Ning. “Jiang Ning, I must be a fool to care about you.”
He slammed the door and left.
The loud bang echoed in Jiang Ning’s ears, and the intense discomfort even caused a ringing in her cochlea.
Jiang Ning slumped onto the sofa, overwhelmed by the side effects of the medication. It took her a long time to recover from the dizziness and nausea.
…
The moment Xi Yue stepped outside, after declaring, “I must be a fool to care about you,” he called his friend Qin Huai’an.
“Help me find out what’s going on with Jiang Ning’s blind date. He looks familiar, but I can’t remember who he is.”
Qin Huai’an was equally confused on the other end of the line. “Didn’t she just return to the country? Where did she get a blind date?”
Xi Yue tugged at his collar irritably. “Then find out which men she’s been in contact with since coming back.”
Qin Huai’an instinctively replied, “Maybe she met him abroad.”
Xi Yue’s eyes darkened, a storm of anger swirling within them. “Do you think I wouldn’t know who she met abroad?”
Qin Huai’an sighed. “Fine, I’ll look into it for you.”
To be honest, after all these years, he still couldn’t figure out what went on in Xi Yue’s mind.
No matter how outrageous the rumors were—like Jiang Ning dumping Xi Yue because he was poor and she was just playing with him—Qin Huai’an knew Jiang Ning wasn’t that kind of person.
The only truth among the countless rumors was that Xi Yue had indeed been dumped.
Based on his understanding of Xi Yue, this arrogant young master who had hidden his identity to study in Hong Kong to escape his family’s control would never tolerate being dumped by a woman.
But contrary to expectations, the moment Xi Yue heard Jiang Ning had returned to the country, he eagerly followed her back.
It was almost as if Jiang Ning was leading him around like a dog.
It was so absurd that if he told anyone in their circle, they’d probably accuse him of slander and have the Xi family sue him.
…
Jiang Ning had thought that after saying so many harsh things that night, she would never see Xi Yue again.
But who could have guessed that when the director excitedly introduced Xi Yue as the new guest on the show, even Jiang Ning was left speechless.
This low-budget variety show featured guests who were all relatively unknown, which was why the director had so readily signed Jiang Ning.
Xi Yue, who had stormed out in anger just the day before, now acted as if nothing had happened. When he saw Jiang Ning, he even raised an eyebrow.
“Surprised to see me?”
Jiang Ning took a moment to gather her thoughts before finally saying, “What are you doing on a show like this, with all these unknown guests?”
Under the lights, Xi Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a faint, ambiguous smile.
He said, “I heard the female guests are quite attractive. I’m here to find true love.”
Jiang Ning nodded. “Wishing you success.”
Xi Yue’s smile faded.
The director, who had been basking in the joy of the show’s guaranteed success, was contentedly sipping tea from his enamel cup.
But as he listened to the conversation between the two, something felt off.
The director tentatively asked, “Do you know each other?”
Jiang Ning: “No.”
Xi Yue: “Ex-girlfriend.”
They spoke almost simultaneously.
“…” The director nearly choked on his own saliva.
He glanced at Xi Yue’s face, which had darkened abruptly at Jiang Ning’s “no,” and suddenly understood why this big shot had inexplicably sought him out.
Xi Yue had blurted it out so casually, leaving Jiang Ning momentarily at a loss for words.
She turned to the director and said, “There’s still some time before filming starts. I won’t be joining the show anymore. Let’s terminate the contract—I’ll refund the deposit and pay the penalty.”
The director’s alarm bells went off immediately. If you back out, won’t Xi Yue follow suit?
Before he could even gather his thoughts to persuade Jiang Ning, Xi Yue spoke up.
“If it’s all in the past, why are you avoiding me? Wasn’t it you who pretended to be carefree?”
Jiang Ning didn’t know how to respond.
“You’re in such a hurry to quit the show—it just proves you still have feelings for me.” Xi Yue chuckled. “You’re afraid I’ll be cold to you, afraid I’ll mock you for what happened back then, afraid I won’t be your devoted follower anymore, letting you tease me like I used to. You can’t handle that kind of shift, can you?”