Chapter 95: Maliciously Tarnishing Her Image

After a pause of a few seconds, Zhang Fenglan suddenly sighed. “So you see, Xiao Zhen, the fact that you two found each other is a true blessing. And since it’s a blessing, you both need to cherish one another properly. Yunli, you’re not getting any younger—you’re twenty-nine this year, thirty next. Xiao Zhen still has time on her side, time she can afford to waste. But at your age, a missed chance is gone for life. Whatever you do, think it over carefully, three times at least.”

Li Yunli’s smile hadn’t even fully faded before Zhang Fenglan’s unexpected words made it freeze on her face.

No matter how she tried, Zhang Fenglan always circled back to the topic of the day.

Li Yunli knew Grandma had come precisely to urge them toward reconciliation. Helplessly pressing her lips together, she replied, “Grandma, you don’t really know the full story between us. Things aren’t as simple as you think. I have my reasons. I can be selfish in any other part of my life—like taking back what belongs to me from my father through perfectly legal means—but when it comes to my feelings for Xiao Zhen, I absolutely cannot be selfish.”

Everyone, including Ji Zhenshi, thought she had no need to go to such extremes. But Yang Ying’s control-freak nature was so intense—did they really want to fight her to the bitter end? Ji Zhenshi’s prime years were limited to just those few. Were they willing to leave regrets behind? Were they going to spend forever on edge, dreading the next time Yang Ying threatened suicide and wondering if Ji Zhenshi would get hurt?

Li Yunli’s heartfelt struggle boiled down to one person: Ji Zhenshi.

Zhang Fenglan slowly reached out and stroked what had once been Li Yunli’s sole means of communicating with the world. Those hands were truly beautiful—long, slender fingers with nails neatly trimmed, pure and unadorned as jade.

How heartbreakingly tender and resilient Li Yunli was.

Her long explanation seemed aimed as much at convincing herself as Zhang Fenglan. The words were too flawless, polished from countless private rehearsals until they formed an airtight defense.

But Zhang Fenglan merely asked one question: “Tell me, then—has there ever been anyone in your heart besides Xiao Zhen?”

Li Yunli didn’t hesitate for a second. “Yes. It doesn’t matter if I’m thirty, or forty, or fifty—it all feels the same to me. Before I ever got together with Xiao Zhen, I’d already resolved myself to a life without marriage or family. If I ever marry, it’ll only be her. But that’s not the point. I truly want her to stay free, to do what she loves without restraint. She doesn’t have endless time to waste, either. Grandma, I don’t expect you to understand my intentions—not even Xiao Zhen has to. Just let me do this one thing for her. For the next few years, at least, I’ll keep my distance.”

Besides Ji Zhenshi, she could never love anyone else.

From the moment she’d given her body to Ji Zhenshi without reservation, her heart and soul had belonged to her completely. No one else existed in her eyes. Every flutter of her heart stemmed from that catalyst named Ji Zhenshi.

What seemed like a seamless, natural union had actually required immense courage from someone like Li Yunli, who at twenty-eight had never dated before. Her inner conservatism had warred with itself endlessly. She’d weighed every possibility, especially back then, when she still couldn’t speak. Yet she’d immersed herself fully, trusting Ji Zhenshi completely.

Because it was Ji Zhenshi, she’d held nothing back. She’d given herself willingly.

The marks Ji Zhenshi had left on her body lingered, un faded even slightly.

Li Yunli’s internal conflict left even Zhang Fenglan, a woman who’d seen it all, speechless. Her resolve was unshakable.

Zhang Fenglan pondered for a long while. Truth be told, Li Yunli wasn’t doing this because of Yang Ying—she wasn’t afraid of her at all. What she truly wanted was for Ji Zhenshi to pursue her passions without a shred of pressure.

Unable to pass judgment on such a woman, Zhang Fenglan simply asked, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll fall for someone else during this time apart?”

The question caught Li Yunli off guard. Her grip tightened on her cup, the small gesture betraying her tension.

She offered no reply, as if hoping to dodge the issue altogether.

“Yunli,” Zhang Fenglan pressed on, “love is a consumable thing—it doesn’t last forever unchanged. Aren’t you afraid Xiao Zhen might fall for someone else? She meets like-minded people every day, while you two have no contact and rarely even see each other. Do you really think feelings can withstand that kind of erosion? Maybe a year, maybe two. If you keep pushing her away and facing rejection from both sides, this relationship will eventually wear itself out.”

Love could replenish itself with fresh passion, but it could also fade slowly in the river of time.

Li Yunli, could you really stand by and watch the person who once looked at you with eyes full of adoration grow intimate with someone new?

Her life would carry on without you. Every tender, romantic moment you’d shared would happen with another.

Could you bear watching the one you love gaze at someone else with that same devotion? Could you truly be so selfless as to push your beloved away? Could you magnanimously watch her fall for another?

In that instant, Li Yunli’s hesitation magnified, cracks forming in her once-impenetrable walls.

Zhang Fenglan had pierced the very issue she’d been avoiding, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Her gaze dimmed, and she faltered, words catching in her throat. “I… I don’t want that. I don’t think anyone could love her more than I do.”

She examined her heart with brutal honesty and found no escape, no self-deception possible.

She was certain: no one could love Ji Zhenshi more than she did.

All of Li Yunli’s carefully constructed arguments crumbled with a single question: “Aren’t you afraid Ji Zhenshi will fall for someone else?” Regret sprouted within her like mushrooms after rain—unstoppable now that it had taken root.

She truly couldn’t answer. It was that difficult.

Seeing this, Zhang Fenglan knew she’d found her weak spot. Such a simple truth could shake her resolve.

The thought made Zhang Fenglan’s nose sting. If only Li Yunli had someone to confide in, someone to guide her patiently—would she have gotten so stuck in this dead end?

Their half-year of mutual torment felt like a cruel twist of fate.

Blinking back tears, Zhang Fenglan continued, “Yunli, some pressures have to be endured; some hardships are meant to temper the soul. You shield her from everything, unwilling to let her suffer even a little. But have you ever asked if that’s what she wants?”

“Yunli, you’re underestimating her strength. She’s always had her own ideas, ever since she was little. By doing this, you’re the one pushing her away. Maybe Xiao Zhen doesn’t see those pressures as insurmountable at all.”

For Ji Zhenshi, the real hardship might not be the external pressures—it was Li Yunli deciding for her, thinking it was for the best.

Li Yunli, you see her as too fragile.

Ji Zhenshi had never bowed to adversity. Even buried under a million in debt, she’d eaten and drunk her fill without a care. Her resilience far exceeded Li Yunli’s assumptions.

The hardest part for her wasn’t the stress—it was Li Yunli’s repeated “acts of kindness” in letting go.

Li Yunli, can’t you choose me firmly, just once?

“But I don’t want her to get hurt,” Li Yunli said, holding to her final line in the sand.

“But this is hurting her.”

The words jolted her awake. Li Yunli froze visibly, staring blankly ahead in a daze.

Her hands twisted together desperately, her panic plain for Zhang Fenglan to see. The older woman’s age-spotted hand closed gently over hers. “Yunli, don’t leave yourself with regrets. It’s not too late yet—try talking to Xiao Zhen. Don’t let this chance slip away. I’m not like her mother. I live day by day now, and all I want before I go is to see you two happy. This separation… it’s such a waste. Don’t worry—as long as I’m around, Yang Ying won’t pull that suicide stunt again. You two just focus on your happiness. Her tantrums are the real selfishness.”

Yang Ying obsessed over face; Zhang Fenglan, with one foot in the grave, couldn’t care less. On the contrary, she’d feel proud.

Her granddaughter had won Li Yunli’s heart, mending what she’d once regretted.

Li Yunli’s breath hitched for a moment. She couldn’t quite meet Zhang Fenglan’s eyes, hesitating long before murmuring, “What kind of person do you think Xiao Zhen would fall for?”

“At the very least, by letting things drift like this, you’re burning through your bond. She might end up liking someone just like you—it’s all about type and vibe. Familiarity breeds affection, you know.”

Zhang Fenglan was laying it on thick now, scaremongering to exploit Li Yunli’s vulnerability.

Seeing her face change, the older woman pressed her advantage. “Look, you’re not keeping an eye on her. Besides concerts and gigs, Xiao Zhen’s jetting around the country with no one to rein her in. At her age, she’s prime for partying—bars, KTVs, those kinds of spots. You know the type of people you meet in places like that. It’s been half a year already. If you don’t step up, with all those hormones raging, who knows what trouble she’ll stir up?”

When gentle words failed, outright exaggeration took over. To salvage their relationship, Zhang Fenglan was maliciously tarnishing her own granddaughter’s image.

Heaven knew Ji Zhenshi barely had time to breathe, let alone fool around. Yet in her own grandma’s mouth, she became a flirtatious playgirl, easily swayed and scooped up by anyone.

“Xiao Zhen isn’t like that,” Li Yunli insisted, though her faith wavered visibly in her eyes.

Still, Zhang Fenglan’s words weren’t baseless slander. Li Yunli had once dragged her out of a bar, walking in on her half-undressed with someone else—complete with that damn song “Encounter” blaring. The memory flooded back, making her grind her teeth as jealousy bubbled up.

Ji Zhenshi was so popular; it wasn’t impossible.

And last night’s impatience had felt so different from before.

A belated sense of crisis finally dawned. Li Yunli paled.

Zhang Fenglan patted her thigh, her tone grave and earnest. “That’s because you’re still young. Ever heard the saying about how power and money corrupt? Well, Grandma’s telling you as someone who’s been there: it goes for women too. Xiao Zhen’s playful, loves a crowd, and in love? You’ve been her only one. She’s naive—easily tempted, and who knows, she might toss her morals aside.”

She escalated relentlessly, turning it into a matter of character.

Li Yunli shrank back, mumbling, “You can’t say that…”

How had Xiao Zhen’s image become so tarnished in Grandma’s eyes?

Had she really gone off the rails these past six months?

“Yunli.” Zhang Fenglan slapped her knee emphatically, startling her.

Already distracted by the half-true, half-fabricated tales, Li Yunli whipped her head around at the raised voice. “Yes, Grandma? I’m listening.”

“Don’t miss your chance. Before Xiao Zhen flies too far off the handle, seize the moment. She ate lunch at my place today—said Teacher Tang wants her at the company for a meeting this afternoon. She’ll be back around seven or eight.”

She dropped another hint about Ji Zhenshi’s whereabouts, betraying her yet again.

“Oh, got it,” Li Yunli nodded.

“It’s not ‘got it’—it’s time to act!” Zhang Fenglan urged.

Li Yunli sighed helplessly. “I’ll drop by later with her birthday gift. I didn’t get a chance yesterday.”

Grandma was tough to shake; she’d only relax seeing action.

“Fine, then. I’ll head home—I’m beat. Old age means I tire after two steps.”

Her mission accomplished, Zhang Fenglan aimed to withdraw gracefully.

She couldn’t meddle too much, or it might backfire.

Li Yunli rose to help her up. “Let me walk you back.”

“Thanks, Yunli.”

“It’s nothing. Family.”

She saw Zhang Fenglan home before returning to the coffee shop.

The stack of court documents from earlier lay ignored. Li Yunli flipped through them idly, not absorbing a single word.

An entire hour passed, her eyes still glued to the first page.

She was reflecting deeply on Zhang Fenglan’s words—the gentle ones, the blunt ones, the exaggerated scares. Some part of her took them to heart.

Grandma was right. Maybe she’d gone overboard trying to shield Ji Zhenshi, using extreme measures to keep pressure and setbacks at bay.

But her power was limited; not everything could go smoothly. Besides, some trials in Ji Zhenshi’s life were essential for growth.

By shielding her so fiercely, unwilling to let her hurt, she’d only shoved her into another kind of despair—and suffered right alongside her.

On the surface, her career had soared these past six months. But she hadn’t been happy.

“Manager Li, you’ve been spacing out forever. Is the lawsuit not going well?” With no customers in the shop, Xiao Ning brought over Li Yunli’s favorite coffee and sat across from her.

The two shared an unspoken rapport. Ji Zhenshi used to love zoning out in that exact spot; now Li Yunli did the same whenever she had a moment.

Li Yunli snapped back. “No, it’s something else.”

After a beat, she turned to Xiao Ning. “Hey, Xiao Ning, can I ask you something? Would you mind giving me some advice?”

“Sure, Manager Li—what’s up?” Xiao Ning sat up straight, eager. It took a lot for someone as decisive as her boss to seek input.

Li Yunli asked, “If life got stressful and your boyfriend pulled away to spare you the pain, could you understand his intentions?”