Some clarifications are better left unsaid.
Xie Lisu no longer dared to think about how others in the alumni group viewed him. He threw his phone on the ground, grabbed his coat from the sofa, and stormed out of the house.
"The most ruthless way to clarify things, girl, you’ve got style." Zhao Yue knew her best friend well. Jin Fei was the type to always seek revenge, but in the past, she maintained her goddess persona, making her retaliation subtle and indirect. This time, however, she went straight for the kill.
If Zhao Yue were Xie Lisu, she’d probably be spitting blood and jumping in frustration by now.
"I was just telling the truth. Being reasonable and honest are my strengths," Jin Fei glanced at Zhao Yue. "I thought you knew that about me."
Zhao Yue: "..."
Yeah, right. A beautiful woman like you? You’re sharp as a blade.
When Zhao Yue’s phone rang, she glanced at the caller ID and immediately tensed up, signaling everyone in the private room to quiet down. "Mom."
"Are you out fooling around?" Zhao Yue glanced at Jin Fei. "No, no, I’m with Feifei. If you don’t believe me, I’ll let her talk to you."
She handed the phone to Jin Fei, whispering, "It’s my mom."
Jin Fei took the phone, her previously crossed legs now resting flat on the floor. "Auntie, hello."
"It’s Feifei!" Zhao Yue’s mother’s voice immediately softened. After chatting with Jin Fei for a while, she invited her over for a visit.
Once Jin Fei hung up, Zhao Yue sighed in relief. "My mom treats me like winter but showers you with spring-like warmth."
"I should head back now, or my mom might cut my allowance this month." As a typical spoiled rich girl, Zhao Yue’s Achilles' heel was her monthly allowance.
"Be careful on your way back," Jin Fei waved her off, signaling for Zhao Yue to leave.
"I’ll head out then," Zhao Yue gestured with her phone. "Call me if you need anything."
Zhao Yue dashed out, but not long after, she called again. "Feifei, it’s raining outside. My brother happens to be nearby, so I asked him to pick you up."
"No need, I can get back on my own," Jin Fei quickly declined, worried that Zhao Yue might be trying to set her up with her brother. "I wouldn’t want to trouble him."
"It’s no trouble at all, he’s on his way anyway," Zhao Yue chuckled. "I’ve already given him your number. We’re so close, my brother is practically your brother too. It’s only natural for a big brother to pick up his little sister."
Before Jin Fei could refuse, Zhao Yue hung up.
Jin Fei: "..."
Having such a mischievous little sister must be exhausting for her brother.
When Jin Fei left the private room and stepped outside, a light drizzle was falling. The autumn wind carried the rain, brushing against her face with a cool touch.
"Miss Jin," a staff member from the entertainment venue approached with an umbrella. "Would you like us to call a car for you?"
"No need, thank you," Jin Fei took the umbrella and nodded in appreciation.
The pure black umbrella opened, standing out in the quiet night. Raindrops pattered softly against the fabric as Jin Fei walked to the street. Just then, her phone rang.
"Jin Fei, this is Zhao Jiuyu, Zhao Yue’s brother," a calm and gentle voice came through the phone. "There’s some traffic at the intersection, so I might be five minutes late."
"No problem, thank you for coming."
Zhao Jiuyu...
Her best friend’s older brother in her past life, and now her older brother in this life too.
Cars rushed by on the street as Jin Fei absentmindedly reached her hand out from under the umbrella to catch the drifting raindrops.
A black car slowly pulled up in front of her, and the window rolled down. She couldn’t see who was inside, so she bent down slightly. "Zhao Jiuyu?"
The car was silent, and no one responded. Just as Jin Fei thought she might have mistaken the car, a deep, pleasant male voice came from inside. "Miss Jin Fei."
This didn’t sound like Zhao Jiuyu’s voice from the phone.
She subtly took a step back. A grown woman shouldn’t stand too close to a man she wasn’t familiar with, lest it invite trouble.
"Hello?"
"It’s hard to get a cab in this rain. Get in..."
Before the man could finish his sentence, the sound of a car door closing came from behind Jin Fei.
"Jin Fei," a man holding an umbrella stepped out of the car and strode toward her. His legs were long, and his gait was elegant.
"Sorry, I’m late," Zhao Jiuyu stopped in front of Jin Fei, tilting his umbrella back to reveal a handsome face.
"It’s no trouble at all," Jin Fei looked at Zhao Jiuyu’s face, which was just as she remembered.
Seeing Jin Fei’s gaze, Zhao Jiuyu smiled. "It’s been two years. Do you not recognize me anymore?"
"I do," Jin Fei smiled back. "You haven’t changed a bit."
After exchanging pleasantries with Zhao Jiuyu, Jin Fei glanced at the car still idling in front of her, waiting for the person inside to speak.
After a brief silence, the man’s voice came again. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," Jin Fei replied. As another car passed by, its headlights briefly illuminated the backseat of the car. She caught a glimpse of the man’s clean-shaven jaw and the crisp collar of his shirt, buttoned up neatly without a single misstep.
The car window rolled up, and the vehicle sped off, disappearing into the night.
"Come on, let’s get in the car," Zhao Jiuyu glanced at the departing car before turning to open his own car door, holding the umbrella over it.
Jin Fei folded her umbrella and slid into the passenger seat.
The car was impeccably clean, with no unnecessary decorations.
"You used to visit my house often. No need to be formal," Zhao Jiuyu fastened his seatbelt. "Was that person in the car a friend of yours?"
Jin Fei looked down as she buckled her seatbelt. "Maybe."
Maybe?
Zhao Jiuyu glanced at her with a small smile but didn’t press further. "How have you been these past two years?"
"Not bad," Jin Fei looked out the window. "And you?"
Zhao Jiuyu: "Same as always."
Soft music played on the car radio, and the two fell into a comfortable silence.
Jin Fei glanced at Zhao Jiuyu. A friend’s brother was off-limits, so it was safer to keep the conversation minimal when they were alone in a car.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and Zhao Jiuyu brought the car to a stop. "I’ve heard about what happened with Xie Lisu. Don’t let it bother you."
Jin Fei nodded.
Aside from possibly being seen as having poor judgment, it wasn’t a big deal.
"Boss, that girl just now looked familiar," the assistant driving the car pondered for a moment. "She seems to be your nephew’s ex-girlfriend."
The man in the backseat remained silent.
"Good thing someone came to pick her up. Otherwise, if you, her ex-boyfriend’s uncle, were to drive her home, it could easily be misinterpreted. Plus, she’s never met you before. She might’ve thought we were some shady characters..."
"If you have so much to say, why don’t you lead tomorrow’s meeting?" The man adjusted his tie, which had gone slightly askew, and straightened it with a flick of his fingers.
The assistant: "..."
Consider me mute.
Xie Lisu had been waiting on the couch for a long time. When he finally heard footsteps at the door, he quickly stood up. "Uncle."
"Why are you here?" The man handed his coat to the housekeeper who opened the door and headed for the stairs.
"Uncle, wait," Xie Lisu anxiously grabbed his sleeve.
"Let go," the man glanced at the wrinkles on his sleeve, his expression unreadable. "What is it?"
"Can you help me deal with the rumors online?" Xie Lisu clasped his hands behind his back, not daring to look his uncle in the eye.
Though his uncle was only six years older, Xie Lisu never dared to act out in front of him.
"Rumors?" The man glanced at him, then turned and continued up the stairs.
Xie Lisu wanted to stop him but didn’t dare. He could only watch as his uncle closed the door in his face.
"Uncle, if those gossip accounts keep spreading lies, I’ll lose all my dignity. People laughing at me will reflect poorly on you too."
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
Xie Lisu noticed his uncle had changed out of his shirt.
"You wanted to talk about the online rumors?" The man walked downstairs, and Xie Lisu hurried after him.
"It’s about my ex-girlfriend spreading lies about me being a live-in son-in-law..."
"Didn’t she clarify that she never intended for you to be a live-in son-in-law?" The man picked up a pair of pruning shears and snipped off a yellowing leaf from a potted plant.
"She wasn't helping me clear things up; she was just pouring oil on the fire, adding insult to injury, and making everything worse..." Xie Lisu was furious: "There was never any talk of me marrying into her family, and it wasn't that she looked down on me. It was me who dumped her, I was the one who ended things!"
"Your childish little love affairs are of no interest to me."
"Snip."
The flower branch was cut, and the man picked up the fallen branch, placing it into a nearby vase adorned with a cheongsam pattern: "Go home."
"Uncle..."
The man ignored him.
Xie Lisu stared at the man's back for a while, then picked up the car keys from the table and strode out with a grim expression.
Just as he reached the door, a sudden clap of thunder boomed from the sky, startling him so much that he slipped and fell flat on the ground.
The man turned to look outside, put down the flower shears, and walked out.
Looking at his nephew, who was now covered in dirt and looking utterly disheveled, the man silently gazed up at the dark, ominous sky: "In the future, don't make rash promises to girls."
"What?" Xie Lisu was still dazed from the fall.
"Heaven strikes down scoundrels."
Xie Lisu: ???
He looked at his uncle, who stood tall and imposing, his expression serious and unyielding. For a long time, Xie Lisu couldn't find the words to respond.
After holding back his temper again and again, Xie Lisu finally managed to suppress his spoiled young master's attitude.
Did he dare to talk back?
No, he didn't. He was too scared.
"We're here." Zhao Jiuyu parked the car outside Jin Fei's villa. The lights inside were on, indicating that someone was waiting for her to come home.
"Thank you." Jin Fei unbuckled her seatbelt, her hand resting on the door handle as she prepared to get out.
"Wait a moment." Zhao Jiuyu looked at Jin Fei, his eyes unusually deep in the darkness of the night: "Your old WeChat account isn't in use anymore. Let's add each other again."
Jin Fei glanced at him: "Alright."
After adding each other as friends, Jin Fei pushed the car door open and stepped out. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
Jin Fei paused, turning to look at Zhao Jiuyu.
Zhao Jiuyu had also stepped out of the car, holding an umbrella as he stood on the other side, watching her.
Suddenly, Jin Fei remembered that back in Great Phoenix, she had almost been betrothed to Zhao Jiuyu as a child. Later, her mother had said it was just a joke, so neither family took it seriously.
It was a good thing they hadn't. In her past life, she had died on the battlefield, and it would have been a pity to leave a man behind to live in widowhood.
When Jin Fei returned home, Zhou Yun noticed she hadn't gotten wet from the rain: "Next time you go out, remember to drive. Did Zhao Yue send you back again today?"
"Zhao Yue was busy. Her brother brought me back."
"Jiuyu is back from abroad?" Zhou Yun smiled: "No wonder your Uncle Zhao's family invited us over for dinner this weekend."
"When you were little, you always wanted Jiuyu to play with you. His mother and I even joked about arranging a marriage between you two..." Zhou Yun suddenly stopped herself, remembering that her daughter had just gone through a failed relationship. Bringing up such things now would only upset her.
"What?" Jin Fei, who was eating some fruit, looked at Zhou Yun curiously when she mentioned her childhood.
"Nothing."
The "marrying into the family incident" had caused Xie Lisu a great deal of embarrassment. Although the online buzz had gradually died down, Xie Lisu still wasn't in the mood to go out and have fun.
Over the weekend, he drove a modest car to pick up his fiancée from school.
"Lisu." The first thing his fiancée said when they met wasn't about missing him, but about another woman: "Is it true that Jin Fei never intended for you to marry into her family?"
"What marrying into her family?!" Just hearing those words now made Xie Lisu feel like he'd been pricked by a needle. His reaction was intense: "What kind of person do you think Jin Fei is? Why would I marry into her family?!"
Seeing Xie Lisu's strong reaction, Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes: "Oh."
"'Oh' what? Do you not believe me?!"
"I believe you." Lin Xiaoxiao's tone was full of indifference.
"You're just humoring me!"
"I'm not." Lin Xiaoxiao turned her head away, refusing to look at Xie Lisu.
Xie Lisu: "..."
This was just unbelievable!
He took a deep breath. He had to clear this up; he couldn't let Xiaoxiao misunderstand him.
"I..."
A silver-gray sports car pulled up beside theirs, and a stunningly beautiful woman stepped out.
"Jin! Fei!" Xie Lisu gritted his teeth as he watched the woman get out of the car. He flung open his car door and rushed over: "Jin Fei!"
"You again?" Jin Fei looked at the man who had rushed up to her, ignoring him as she frowned at Lin Xiaoxiao standing behind Xie Lisu: "Control your man."
"Jin Fei, I'm sorry." Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed Xie Lisu's hand: "Lisu, let's go."
"Wait." Xie Lisu stood his ground, his eyes scrutinizing Jin Fei as he suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Jin Fei, you're ruthless. Did you leak those things online on purpose? To make me a laughingstock and embarrass me in front of my friends? Are you proud of yourself?"
"You're not important enough for me to go to such lengths. Don't flatter yourself." Jin Fei clicked her tongue: "Being associated with you is embarrassing for me too."
"Embarrassing?" Xie Lisu laughed angrily: "Fine, Jin Fei. From today on, we're even. If something like this happens again, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."
"Don't talk nonsense in front of your fiancée. There's nothing between us." Jin Fei looked at Xie Lisu seriously: "Xie Lisu, listen carefully. I have no feelings for you. Not now, and never in the future. Stop bothering me."
"As a man, since you have a fiancée, focus on building a life with her. Stop eyeing other people." Jin Fei's expression was calm but firm: "A man who knows how to behave with dignity is more likely to win his woman's affection."
"Right?" Jin Fei turned to Lin Xiaoxiao.
Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't meet Jin Fei's piercing gaze: "Y-yes."
"Good, as long as you understand." Jin Fei spotted Jin Bo coming out of the school gates and waved at him: "Brother, over here."
"Sis!" Jin Bo jogged over to Jin Fei, his eyes widening as he saw the sports car behind her: "Did Mom and Dad buy you a car?"
"Come on, get in." Jin Fei unlocked the car: "I'll take you home."
Once Jin Bo got in the car, he noticed Xie Lisu and Lin Xiaoxiao standing nearby.
"Sis, are these two jerks bothering you again?" Jin Bo pulled on his seatbelt, ready to get out and have a "heart-to-heart" with Xie Lisu.
"Don't worry about him. I've already made it clear that he's not to bother me anymore." Jin Fei started the car: "Let's go."
Jin Fei didn't know that there was a saying in the world: "When the young are beaten, the old come seeking revenge." When news of her argument with Xie Lisu and Lin Xiaoxiao at the university gates spread once more, Xie Lisu's mother, Shi Xuezhen, came looking for her.
In the teahouse, Shi Xuezhen leisurely brewed tea, serving the first cup to Jin Fei: "Miss Jin, please have a taste."
"Thank you." Jin Fei took a sip of the tea.
"I came today to apologize on behalf of my foolish son." Shi Xuezhen smiled gracefully, though there was no warmth in her eyes: "He's young and impulsive, and he hurt you. For that, I am truly sorry."
"If you want to move on in life, sometimes you have to accept a little green on your head." Jin Fei swirled the teacup in her hand, indifferent: "I understand what you're saying, Auntie. Don't worry, I'm not holding a grudge."
Shi Xuezhen's elegant smile stiffened slightly. The words sounded fine at first, but upon closer reflection, there seemed to be something off about them.
She took out a card from her bag: "There's some money in this card. The password is six eights. Consider it a token of my sincerity."
Jin Fei raised an eyebrow, unmoved.
"What happened in the past should stay in the past. I hope Miss Jin won't bring it up again. If it stirs up more gossip online, it won't be good for either of us. Don't you agree?"
The bank card sat in the middle of the table. Jin Fei didn't take it, and Shi Xuezhen didn't take it back either. The aroma of tea filled the room.
Shi Xuezhen smiled: "You know how people online love to gossip and exaggerate. We both know not to take it seriously, but I'm afraid some people who don't know the truth might speculate and cause unnecessary trouble."
Jin Fei's fingers moved faster over the teacup, suppressing her growing impatience.
Xie Lisu's mother really knew how to beat around the bush. She wasn't straightforward at all.
Seeing that Jin Fei wasn't responding, Shi Xuezhen continued: "If it's not too much trouble, Miss Jin, perhaps you could post a statement online, clarifying that you and Lisu parted on good terms and that there were no other reasons involved."
Jin Fei finally understood. Shi Xuezhen was here to buy her son's reputation, to prevent his scandalous behavior from becoming common knowledge.
"How much?"
"Pardon?"
"How much is in this card?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Jin Fei looked at Shi Xuezhen with a meaningful gaze: "You have a daughter as well?"
Shi Xuezhen didn’t understand what her daughter had to do with the matter, but she nodded anyway.
No wonder she was only willing to spend two hundred thousand to clear her son’s name—it turned out she had a daughter at home too.
"Auntie, in this day and age, raising sons and daughters is the same," Jin Fei pushed the bank card back toward Shi Xuezhen. "Especially when it comes to sons, they should be pampered. Don’t be too frugal with money."
