Shi Sheng entered the bedroom to be greeted by the sight of Fu Qin playing a game while sitting cross-legged in the bed he had already made. Her expression darkened when she saw the closet.
‘He’s really planning on staying ah! Fuck your dog! Have to package him up and gift him back to his people later…’
She changed her clothes then gave Fu Qin a heads-up, “I’m heading out to buy some groceries.”
The guy proceeded to put down the tablet in his hands and get off the bed, following after her.
“What’re you going for?” Shi Sheng frowned. “Stay at home and wait for me to come back.”
Fu Qin, however, made no peep and just went on shadowing her every step. He obviously was going to do whatever he pleased, her opinion be damned.
Shi Sheng rolled her eyes helplessly before fetching a jacket from the bedroom and throwing it at him. “Wear it. The weather’s getting cold.”
Fu Qin obediently put it on and tailed along towards the supermarket just outside the apartment complex.
……
“Don’t want this.”
“Don’t want that.”
“Don’t want this either.”
Shi Sheng’s lips twitched. ‘So you followed me here just to make a fuss like a picky mother-in-law again?!’
Shi Sheng tossed all those things into the trolley. ‘You don’t want them, eh? Well I’ll(bbb) take them anyway!’
Fu Qin, who saw her actions, said nothing and just waited. Then at the moment she wasn’t paying attention, he took all of those things out and silently replaced them with the stuff he wanted instead.
When it was time to pay at the cashier, Shi Sheng glared at Fu Qin upon seeing the trolley full of unfamiliar items.
Fu Qin only blinked back. The cashier, on the other hand, was staring at him with hearts in her eyes. ‘I’ve never seen such a hot guy like this one even after working here for so long. He must’ve just moved in the apartment complex nearby, right?
Oh my god, he’s so handsome! That innocent look…Uwaah, my heart is melting!’
“Lady, can you stop ogling him already?” Shi Sheng rapped the counter before turning around to shoot Fu Qin a dirty look, “Beauty is a disaster!”
The cashier lowered her head in embarrassment, but scanned the items very slowly and occasionally peeked back at Fu Qin.
Shi Sheng, “…” ‘I really feel like snatching the scanner over and doing it myself.’
After much effort just to pay for the groceries, they were next swarmed by a horde of excited young girls. They were so fervent, Shi Sheng was scared off to the side. ‘While we were gone for three years, have the young girls in this country gone this crazy now? Scared me(bbb) to death…’
Fu Qin never spoke to anybody aside from Shi Sheng; he would only stay silent otherwise. So, when faced with a bunch of passionate little girls, he used his superior height to find Shi Sheng and…
…ask for help. “Wife, they’re touching me.”
‘Who’s your wife?! Don’t just randomly call that out!’ Shi Sheng ignored him and left expressionlessly. ‘I don’t know him.’
Looking over to see that his companion had already gone away, the girls enthusiastically turned back to surround Fu Qin.
Shi Sheng stuck around outside the supermarket for about a couple of minutes before a disheveled Fu Qin emerged. His clothes were all messed up but chastity still intact considering how his face remained clean and free from any signs of molestation.
He strided off past her and walked on ahead.
‘Bloody hell, this punk dares to get angry! Who told him not to come, huh? And who insisted? If him getting mobbed was somebody’s fault, it’s certainly not mine!’
Fu Qin boarded the elevator first, not even bothering to wait for her to get on. Shi Sheng was left waiting for the next one. When the lift doors opened, a lady with heavy make-up walked out and stood next to Shi Sheng, speaking coquettishly on the phone.
“Wang-shao, how can you say that? Why would I lie to you? Damned fellow, all you know how to do is bully me… Aiya, don’t do that. I’m really tired right now. I want to go home to rest… Wang-shao, just let me off ah. Okay, okay, tonight. I’ll go over tonight.”
After hanging up, she cursed in a low breath then turned to glance at Shi Sheng, who was carrying quite a few things. The woman noted the casual attire, the hair loose on the shoulders, and even the silver bracelet on her wrist. Though she didn’t recognise the style, she could tell from one look it was not a cheap knock-off.
“Bei Zhi?!” The lady suddenly shrieked in disbelief and hatred.
Shi Sheng shifted slightly to examine her for a bit before smiling. “So it’s you, Ji Xiaoyu; long time no see. I almost couldn’t recognize you—you’ve changed a lot!”
Ji Xiaoyu was dressed up like a prostitute. Perhaps it was because of her make-up, or maybe she had gone to have plastic surgery, for her looks were much better than before.
“Why are you here?” After three years, Ji Xiaoyu had not expected to see her again, especially not here, and without warning either.
“Here to see you, of course.” Shi Sheng started talking bull, “We were classmates once, after all. No need to feel grateful, I’m such a kind person.”
‘Kind?! She dares to call herself kind?!’ Ji Xiaoyu felt like she was going to go insane from rage.
“Who wanted you to come and see me?!” Ji Xiaoyu screeched, her gaze seeming like they’d been soaked in poison. ‘She’s here to laugh at me, isn’t she?! I’ve been struggling in the mud these three years she’s been gone… what right does she have to laugh at me?!’
Ding!
The elevator opened. Shi Sheng brought her things with her and pressed the button for her floor before looking back at Ji Xiaoyu, who was still furiously fuming, “You really think I came back to see you? What an idiot.”
And the lift doors shut.
“Bei Zhi, you bitch!” Ji Xiaoyu only did then react, pouncing towards the lift which had already closed. Shi Sheng’s slightly curled lips was the last thing she saw, the sight burning into her eyelids.
‘…Just like that year. When I thought I was at the height of my life, she still gave me that mocking smile. In her eyes, I was just a joke from start to finish.’
……
Shi Sheng knew some of what happened to Ji Xiaoyu in these past few years; not long after she had left, the girl had broken up with Bei Ze.
Back then, Bei Enterprises was on the edge of collapse so Ji Xiaoyu didn’t try to keep their relationship anymore. The leads split up, just like that.
After that, Ji Xiaoyu had failed her college entrance exams so she wasn’t able to continue her university studies at Alice Academy and switched to a normal university instead.
Because of that several tens of millions Papa Ji won from the lottery, Ji Xiaoyu had been rather popular at school at first, which she luxuriated in. She started dating and switched boyfriends every month or so—rumours had it that she had even gone for an abortion.
But not too long afterwards, someone had posted some of her nude photos. This was in the period of time the school discipline was rather strict, so Ji Xiaoyu was urged by the school to drop out.
She continued spiralling down from there.
When Ji Xiaoyu returned home, what was usually a mess of a house was now cleaned up. She hadn’t had time to be surprised when she heard a woman’s warm voice, “You must be Xiaoyu? Well, what are you just standing there for? Hurry up and come in!”
Ji Xiaoyu lifted her head to look at the source of the voice; it was a very young woman, not much older than her, who was smiling warmly at her.
“Who are you?” Ji Xiaoyu gave the woman a look-over suspiciously.
“Xiaoyu, you’re back?” Papa Ji emerged beaming from a room, looking much younger than he did three years ago in a suit that gave him more of the feel of a successful person.
“Who is she?” Ji Xiaoyu pointed at the woman and questioned in a chilly tone.
“This is Bai Wei, my new girlfriend. Xiaoyu, Bai Wei will be living at home with us from now on.” Papa Ji was all smiles as he spoke, not noticing his daughter’s expression becoming more and more unsightly. Just as he had finished speaking, a clear smacking sound rang out.
Bai Wei stumbled back from the slap and landed in his arms.
Papa Ji immediately roared, “Ji Xiaoyu! What do you think you’re doing?!”