Chapter 29: Do You Think I

Feng Jingxin must have been having too much fun with Lin Wu and the others; she hadn’t contacted Rong Ci all weekend.

On Monday, Rong Ci went to work at Changmo as usual.

Just before quitting time, Chu Zilan called to invite her to dinner.

When the meal was nearly over, Rong Ci went to the restroom.

There, she ran into He Zhangbai.

Rong Ci kept walking, pretending she hadn’t seen him and passing right by.

He Zhangbai stopped and turned to look at her.

Rong Ci noticed, but ignored him.

When Rong Ci came out of the restroom, she saw He Zhangbai still standing right where they’d bumped into each other, not having left.

Seeing her emerge, he turned his head toward her: “You came here to eat?”

He looked as if he’d been waiting for her on purpose.

“Yes,” she said, then coldly added, “Are you thinking I followed you here again?”

He Zhangbai paused, then said, “That’s not what I meant.”

Rong Ci didn’t know what he meant.

And she didn’t care to know.

She walked away without another word; He Zhangbai didn’t call after her.

After leaving the restaurant, Chu Zilan wanted to buy a birthday gift for her mother.

Rong Ci accompanied her to a jewelry specialty store.

Chu Zilan had set her eyes on a jade necklace set; she’d just begun chatting with the store manager when someone at the entrance said, “Hello, I’m here to pick up jewelry.”

Hearing the voice, Rong Ci froze.

“Oh, it’s Director Lin,” the shopkeeper immediately smiled, gave Rong Ci and Chu Zilan an apologetic glance, then walked over: “Director Lin, your custom jewelry has been packed—”

“Xiao Ci?” After confirming it was her, Lin Lihai walked over: “You’re here to order jewelry too?”

Rong Ci glanced at him but said nothing.

Seeing her coldness, Lin Lihai’s expression darkened: “Xiao Ci…”

Rong Ci turned her face away, ignoring him, and asked Chu Zilan: “Are you sure you want this one?”

Chu Zilan had never met Lin Lihai. Seeing that he bore the marks of age yet carried himself with quiet elegance, she nudged Rong Ci’s waist with her elbow and whispered: “Who’s this?”

Rong Ci didn’t answer.

Lin Lihai didn’t leave. He looked at Rong Ci and said: “Xiao Ci… how have you been lately?”

Rong Ci pressed her lips together, finally turned to him, and asked coldly: “What do you want to say?”

“I…” Lin Lihai’s tone was gentle: “Xiao Ci, must you speak to your father this way?”

Rong Ci replied coldly: “Then what way should I speak to you?”

“Your father knows he made mistakes in the past, but you know—I’ve always had you in my heart.”

Rong Ci listened, then laughed: “Yes, you had me in your heart—so you let Lin Wu get close to my husband and encouraged him to take good care of her. Tell me, how could you possibly say you didn’t care for me?”

“Xiao Ci…” Lin Lihai frowned: “I understand how you feel, but Xiao Wu and Tingshen truly love each other. Love can’t be forced—why must you—”

“Of course, love can’t be forced. So your affair back then was perfectly justified, and now she’s just like her mother—playing the mistress openly, confidently, right?”

Lin Lihai’s face darkened: “Xiao Ci! When did you become so extreme?”

“Extreme?” Rong Ci sneered. “If I immediately divorced Feng Tingshen to make way for Lin Wu, would that make me not extreme?”

“Lihai, what’s going on?”

At that moment, Xiang Rufang and Sun Liyao walked in.

Xiang Rufang spotted Rong Ci first.

She immediately smiled: “Isn’t this Xiao Ci? Long time no see—you’ve become even more beautiful.”

“Mom…”

Hearing Xiang Rufang praise Rong Ci, Sun Liyao grew displeased.

She had always known Rong Ci was beautiful.

She hadn’t expected that after years apart, Rong Ci was even more stunning than before.

Seeing Rong Ci’s pale, smooth skin and outstanding demeanor, she burned with envy.

But then she remembered: no matter how beautiful Rong Ci was, her future brother-in-law still didn’t care for her—he only loved her sister Lin Wu.

Thinking of this, she felt slightly more balanced.

Lin Lihai turned to Xiang Rufang: “Big sister, why are you here?”

“We came to check on you since you’ve been gone so long,” Sun Liyao interrupted, then, spotting the open jewelry box beside them, she looked at Rong Ci and said loudly: “Uncle, is this the gift you prepared for Auntie for your wedding anniversary? So beautiful!”

Lin Lihai smiled: “Yes.”

“Every year you prepare expensive gifts for Auntie ahead of time to surprise her—you’re so thoughtful toward her!”

Lin Lihai smiled again.

Over there, Chu Zilan had already figured out the identities of Lin Lihai and the two women.

“So it’s a bunch of trash,” she muttered under her breath, paid, grabbed Rong Ci’s arm, and turned to leave.

“Xiao Ci,” Lin Lihai called after her, walked over, and said: “Your aunt truly cares for you—she’s always thought of you. You and Xiao Wu are sisters, family. Regarding the Changmo incident, I hope this won’t happen again—”

Rong Ci laughed: “Are you trying to disgust me on purpose?”

“You—”

“Uncle, if she doesn’t want to, then fine. But even if she did, my sister wouldn’t want her either. What’s her status? Does she even qualify to be my sister’s sister?”

She sneered at Rong Ci: “You’ve been targeting my sister, keeping her out of Changmo—you must be proud of yourself, right? But you don’t know that the more you target her, the more your brother-in-law feels sorry for her. Didn’t he immediately go after Changmo after learning you and that boss mistreated her?”

“Though things didn’t go exactly as planned and Changmo wasn’t touched, to make up for my sister’s suffering, these past two days your brother-in-law handed us a multi-hundred-million project—and that’s the very project your uncle has been begging for lately. Ha ha…”

Rong Ci bit her lip, fists clenched.

Chu Zilan was furious, sneering: “Has Feng Tingshen even married Lin Wu yet? Calling him ‘brother-in-law’ before they’re even married—how shameless!”

“You—”

“Enough, Yaoyao.” Lin Lihai pulled Sun Liyao back, sighed, and said to Rong Ci: “Xiao Ci, Xiao Wu is a genius in AI—she’s joining Changmo for an important mission. Please, stop your childish tantrums and stop targeting Xiao Wu.”

“Have you finished?” Rong Ci looked at him, her eyes devoid of warmth: “If you’re done, you can leave.”

Xiang Rufang, who had remained silent until now, stoked the fire: “Xiao Ci, how can you speak to your father like that?”

Sun Liyao chimed in: “Exactly! She has no manners at all!”

Rong Ci said coldly: “I may lack your manners—you all rush to be mistresses.”

“You—”

“Enough.” Lin Lihai, disappointed that Rong Ci was unmoved, said: “Let’s go.”

“Hmph!”

Lin Lihai picked up his custom gift and quickly left with Sun Liyao and the others.