Chapter 89: Going to Flirt with Other Women?

“Sister A-Yun, can we talk some more? Earlier, I was too impulsive. I only said we should break up in the heat of the moment—don’t take it seriously.”

“Sorry, I know things are really bad right now. But we’ve come this far with so much effort. Don’t let us split up so easily, okay? I can try harder. My mom and her generation are just too set in their old ways; they can’t accept us overnight. Can we give each other a little time?”

“………”

“Give me some time, and I’ll handle it. Will you pick up the phone?”

“I’m hurt too, Sister A-Yun. You don’t care about me at all, do you? You don’t even ask if I’m in pain. You won’t even answer the phone. Can you really let go of our relationship just like that?”

“………”

“I went to see my mom. She seemed pretty shaken up too. But her attitude has softened a lot compared to before, so I’ll keep working on convincing her.”

“Trust me, okay?”

“………”

“I went out of town with Teacher Tang. Can we talk when I get back?”

“……”

“I went to the coffee shop looking for you, but you weren’t there. Sister Xiao Ning said you’d gone to a training class. I waited until late, but you never came back. Are you avoiding me? No, you definitely are. If you don’t want to see me, at least pick up the phone?”

“Whatever. I’m leaving. Stop hiding. It’s late out there—it’s not safe. Come back soon.”

“………”

“Why won’t you answer or reply to my messages? Sister A-Yun, please pick up. It’s been days since we’ve seen each other. I miss you so much.”

“………”

“Li Yunli, if you won’t answer the phone, isn’t the coffee shop still there? Do you have to solve things this way? Can’t you give me even a little room to figure out a solution that works for both of us?”

“……”

“You’re really ruthless. So ruthless. I surrender.”

“Li Yunli, you’ve always assumed you know what’s best for me, but you never consider if I even need it.”

Li Yunli had truly steeled her heart to cut off contact between them. She allowed Ji Zhenshi these occasional emotional outbursts but restrained herself from replying, dousing her passion with cold water.

Li Yunli was so heartless—truly heartless. No wonder she was nearly thirty; her rationality had reached an extraordinary level.

Ji Zhenshi glanced at the ring Li Yunli had given her, and two trails of clear tears slid down her cheeks. She wailed softly. She had no wife anymore. She was wifeless again.

Time flew by. Who could have imagined she’d become unwanted little cabbage once more?

For Ji Zhenshi, the most agonizing part was that everyone’s attitudes made sense. From any perspective, no one was wrong.

But wasn’t this her life? Then why did it hurt her so much?

“It’s no big deal. Look, spring’s here with flowers blooming. Just find someone else,” Ye Wuzhi said, poking her head out from behind Ji Zhenshi. She noticed her staring blankly at the ring and chimed in.

Ji Zhenshi didn’t even spare her a glance. She kept staring at her ring in a daze.

Spring had arrived with its flowers, but besides Li Yunli, who else could she love?

“If you miss her that much, just call her,” Ye Wuzhi suggested.

“You’re so boring,” Ji Zhenshi replied.

“You’re so foolish. She dumped you—get over it. Why hang from one tree?”

“Who said she dumped me?”

“Crying like the world’s ending—what else could it be?”

“Weren’t you just carrying on like that too? Does that mean you got dumped?”

“……”

Ye Wuzhi was speechless, utterly at a loss for words.

She turned her head seriously and asked, “Are you really drunk?”

Drunk and still this sharp? Sober, she must be even quicker with her tongue.

And someone that sharp had nearly been fooled by a con artist.

Ji Zhenshi ignored her. Her mouth said no, but her body was honest—she pulled out her phone.

Should she call Sister A-Yun just to hear her voice?

As she hesitated, Ji Zhenshi’s finger twitched, and she accidentally dialed Li Yunli’s number.

On the bedside table, the phone vibrated. In just a second, a pale, slender hand reached out and grabbed it.

Li Yunli, who had been tossing and turning sleeplessly, saw Ji Zhenshi’s name on the screen and picked up immediately. Tormented by inner conflict, her mind was in turmoil. In the dead of night, she answered without a second’s thought.

Only after connecting did Li Yunli realize she’d broken the principle she’d upheld with such effort. Her fingers stiffened, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

She couldn’t bear to ignore her. Each time, it took immense heartache to overlook Xiao Zhen.

Even knowing she shouldn’t, the overwhelming longing made it impossible to hang up on the person keeping her awake with worry.

Fooling herself, Li Yunli held the phone to her ear. A softness crept into her furrowed brow as she whispered in her heart, “Xiao Zhen…”

She didn’t dare say it aloud, fearing any response.

There was no sound of Xiao Zhen from the receiver, but she clearly heard music.

Where was Xiao Zhen? At a KTV or a bar?

With no voice for a long time, Li Yunli thought Ji Zhenshi had dialed by mistake.

Even so, she couldn’t bear to hang up. She clung to the hope of hearing Xiao Zhen’s voice, almost pleading.

It had only been days without contact, yet Li Yunli had listened to the voice messages Xiao Zhen had sent in their chat history countless times. In the sleepless nights, only Xiao Zhen’s voice eased the ache of love-born longing even a fraction.

Didn’t her good child’s heart ache when she ignored her?

Like a double-edged sword, Xiao Zhen’s pain was hers too—doubled, even.

Xiao Zhen could still hold onto hope, but she couldn’t allow herself any leeway. In this relationship, she’d cast herself as the villain.

Li Yunli tensed all over, clutching the phone tightly to her ear. She listened carefully, terrified of missing Xiao Zhen’s voice—even a breath would satisfy her.

But how could she have imagined that instead of Ji Zhenshi’s voice, she’d hear a near-whimper from a strange woman: “Are you drinking or not?”

Then came the voice she’d longed for day and night: “Don’t move. I’ll drink. You’re too close. What are you doing—want to do a cross-cup toast with me?”

Ji Zhenshi’s voice sliced through her heart like a winter blade, merciless. The pain of flesh tearing from bone couldn’t compare.

Li Yunli couldn’t believe it was Ji Zhenshi, but reality was unforgiving: her good child was out drinking late at night with another woman.

She shook her head slowly. Her heart turned to ashes, the light in her eyes extinguished in an instant. Her hands trembled nonstop.

Good child, you’ve moved on so easily?

She should feel relieved, so why did it hurt so much?

Truly facing the loss of Xiao Zhen felt like needles stabbing her chest. In that moment, Li Yunli cast aside all her principles, struggling not to cry.

Fumbling, she checked her bank transaction alerts. It was almost laughable—Ji Zhenshi was at a bar, using the card she’d given her.

Ji Zhenshi had handed over her bank card after the skiing trip. Worried she might need money for emergencies out and about, Li Yunli had linked her own card to Ji Zhenshi’s account.

So Ji Zhenshi went to the bar, charged it to her card, and flirted with other women.

A blaze of jealousy scorched away Li Yunli’s reason. Without hesitation, she threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Ji Zhenshi, you’re really not behaving—drinking with another woman and calling me? Do you want to see me jealous, or to tell me you can fall for someone else just as easily?

Li Yunli got no answers. She only knew her heart felt wretched tonight.

In her original plan, she should let Xiao Zhen meet other women, so she’d stop fixating on her and love someone Yang Ying wouldn’t oppose so fiercely.

But she was the one discarding her principles now.

In a panic, she drove to the bar where Ji Zhenshi was, tracking the exact private room from the transaction alert.

In her haste, she forgot basic manners and shoved the door open.

“Are you hot? Silly rich girl, there’s AC here—why wear so much? Aren’t you afraid you’ll bake your already silly head even sillier?”

“Ye Wuzhi, right? Yeah, I’m hot. See? I’m about to take this off. What’s it to you? You’re dressed up too, chugging vodka like it’s beer—haven’t you burst into flames yet?”

“I’ll take mine off too. Help me with this one—it won’t come off.”

“You’re so stupid.”

“Don’t call me silly rich girl then?”

Li Yunli pushed the door open to this scene: Ji Zhenshi and a strange woman kneeling face-to-face on the floor, each gripping a bottle of booze like they were about to bow to heaven and earth.

What infuriated her most was Ji Zhenshi undressing the woman, who leaned on her shoulder—mutual undressing!

They’d gone mad!

Li Yunli’s face darkened instantly. She clenched her fists, a drilling pain spreading through her limbs.

Xiao Zhen, Xiao Zhen—you’re really having fun.

After a long pause, Li Yunli couldn’t take it anymore. She strode over, grabbed Ji Zhenshi, and yanked her up. “Ji Zhenshi! What are you doing? Indulging in debauchery in broad daylight? What have I taught you? How are you this naughty?”

Full name—had Ji Zhenshi been sober, she’d know Li Yunli was truly furious.

Jealous and angry, she couldn’t accept the sight before her.

But Ji Zhenshi was dead drunk, her senses dulled. She embraced the blur willingly.

She leaned into Li Yunli’s pull, slumping against her shoulder. A choking wave of unfamiliar perfume hit Li Yunli, who endured the pain silently, her grip tightening on Ji Zhenshi’s waist.

Who knew what they’d done before she arrived? Who knew what these two drunks might do if she hadn’t come?

Ji Zhenshi instinctively resisted closeness, pushing Li Yunli away a bit before calling to Ye Wuzhi. “Hey, stop drinking. It’s dangerous to get wasted here.”

Still caring for others?

Can’t let go that easily?

Li Yunli wanted to drag her home and give her a good beating.

Just days away from her side, and she’d turned into this—gone bad.

“I’m not worried about you, silly rich girl. My place is nearby. Come drink at mine—safe, right?” Ye Wuzhi invited warmly, oblivious to dancing on Li Yunli’s landmine.

Li Yunli tugged Ji Zhenshi to leave this den of trouble, but Ji Zhenshi resisted. She scratched her head, pondering seriously. “Sure, I’ve got nowhere to go anyway. Drinking at yours sounds safe. You owe me six bottles after I drank that many for you.”

Hearing this, Li Yunli’s pent-up rage nearly erupted. She gritted her teeth, flames leaping in her eyes. “Ji Zhenshi!”

Nowhere to go, so off to another woman’s house for drinks?

Li Yunli had never been this angry—never!

Ye Wuzhi tilted her head up at Ji Zhenshi, eyeing the woman beside her curiously.

She’d meant to ask who it was, but those near-flaming eyes made her shrink back. “Your friend’s scary.”

“My friend?” Ji Zhenshi turned, squinting blearily until she made out Li Yunli’s face. She shook her head solemnly. “She’s not my friend.”

Ex-girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend!

“Do you know who I am?” Li Yunli growled through clenched teeth.

She tried to pull Ji Zhenshi away, but Ji Zhenshi kept shoving her out, wanting to kneel back down with the other woman.

Kneel and keep undressing each other?

Absurd. Ridiculous!

Ji Zhenshi glanced at Li Yunli and said very seriously, “I know who you are. You’re Li Yunli. My ex-girlfriend.”

She bit down hard on “ex-girlfriend,” as if mocking herself.

She lifted her hand, staring at the ring on her finger, and murmured, “It’s over. Everything’s over.”

“Ji Zhenshi, let’s go home.” Li Yunli’s heart ached as she dragged her toward the door.

Ji Zhenshi let out a soft laugh, wrenched free, then—under Li Yunli’s gaze—solemnly removed her ring. In a daze, it flashed silver and dropped into a wine glass. “I have no home. I have nothing. In this world, only my violin won’t betray me. You’re all bad people. How could I be so stupid?”

Watching this, Li Yunli’s eyes reddened. “Ji Zhenshi, do you even know what you’re doing?”

How could she toss away the ring she’d given her without hesitation?

Ji Zhenshi shoved Li Yunli back, staggering a step before steadying herself. Unable to tell reality from dream, she roared desperately, “How wouldn’t I know? Isn’t this what you wanted to see? Li Yunli, your heart’s so cruel. That day, I was cornered—I had no choice but to compromise. Would you rather watch my mom die in front of me? Don’t I even deserve to see you? I can handle it. You promised to give me a chance before. Why cut off all contact now?”

In truth, Li Yunli was pushing her too. Everyone was forcing a choice.

Her brief compromise had been witnessed by Li Yunli.

Fate loved to toy with people. Ji Zhenshi was trapped in the game, where the players had no control.

Ji Zhenshi unleashed days of pent-up fury on Li Yunli—grievances, anger, unwillingness, despair. She indulged her rawest impulses.

Li Yunli’s hands clenched at her sides. The air between them grew suffocating.

Silent, Ji Zhenshi pointed at the ring. “You’re the one who said we should break up, right? So can I throw it away? I don’t want it. You can ignore me heartlessly, so I don’t want it either.”

She yanked off the colored rope Li Yunli had woven for her ankle, tossing it into the wine glass with the ring. “I don’t want it. Let’s break up then. That way, everyone’s happy. No one cares about me anyway. My wishes never mattered.”

Li Yunli stared at the ring and rope in the glass. Ji Zhenshi’s ankle bore a fresh bloody welt from the yank—proof of her force.

The warmth in Li Yunli’s eyes faded. Her heart shattered into pieces. Tears traced her cheek, silent.

She still wore the violin string ring Ji Zhenshi had made her, now a cruel joke chilling from her finger to her soul.

“Do you think I’m happy? Xiao Zhen, do you think I’d be happy with this choice? I’m not denying you room because I want to make things hard for you.” Li Yunli’s voice trembled, her frail shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

How could only Ji Zhenshi suffer night after night?