Volume 1, Chapter 27: Public Ridicule

Lin Feifei pulled me silently as we walked outside. At that moment, I was looking down, replying to Zhou Shutong’s WeChat messages, unaware of what had just happened. Before I could say anything, I saw Xie Zian shamelessly chasing after us with a pleading look.

“Feifei! Don’t go, please listen to me.”

Long legs gave him the advantage; in just a few strides, he cut in front of us, blocking Lin Feifei with a sheepish smile.

Lin Feifei stared at him coldly. “You and Lin Lin teamed up to deceive me?”

Xie Zian ignored me completely and turned to her with an obsequious grin. “Don’t blame Lin Lin. I asked her to find out where you were because I wanted to apologize in person. Li Ting and I have been done for a long time. I just realized she’s nothing but a gold digger. Please, give me another chance, okay? I swear to God, she was the one seducing me first. I admit I couldn’t resist, but just give me one more chance!”

Lin Feifei’s face remained expressionless, her cold eyes dripping with undisguised disdain. “There’s only zero times or infinite times for cheating. Do you really think I’d believe you?”

Xie Zian immediately raised his right hand, pointing upwards with two fingers, almost pounding his chest. “Feifei, I swear she seduced me first. It’s only because you wouldn’t let me touch you that I lost control.”

Lin Feifei’s face instantly flushed red. She cut him off angrily, “Xie Zian!”

He was momentarily stunned, looking at her with wide, pleading eyes. “Say it.”

Lin Feifei glanced at me, amused by my silent glee, then naturally linked her arm with mine and smiled sweetly at him. “I’m very happy now. Please don’t bother us anymore.”

Then her gaze shifted to me, her voice tender and playful. “Honey, don’t you agree?”

Though we hadn’t known each other long, we were perfectly in sync. I leaned in, resting her head on my shoulder. “Of course. Don’t worry, I won’t be like some scumbag who cheats and then blames others.”

Lin Feifei hadn’t expected me to play along so well. Her body tensed slightly, but determined to rile Xie Zian, she stuck to the script she had chosen and kept going.

“Ain’t that right!”

She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief, almost sending out a “dangerous” signal.

We deliberately displayed our affection right in front of Xie Zian. His face changed drastically, as if he was about to vomit from the relentless display of affection. He glared at me fiercely and warned, “I’m telling you, stay away from Feifei. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Then he turned to Lin Feifei, his expression switching to a sycophantic smile. “Feifei, stop making things up. I even had someone check. He just got divorced recently, and you two are together? I’d never believe it.”

Lin Feifei was taken aback, a flash of anger crossing her face. Seeing her anger, Xie Zian hurried to explain, “Feifei, I’m just worried about you. I’m afraid you’ll be deceived. Every time I hear any news about you, or see your pictures on my phone, it hurts. Please give me one more chance.”

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I sneered and said, “You act like you’ve never lied to her before.”

Anger flickered across Xie Zian’s face, his brows knitting into a scowl. “I’ve explained so many times. She was the one who seduced me first, I—”

Before he could finish, I interrupted sharply.

“Alright, alright! Enough. Even if she’s a gold digger, if you weren’t so damn weak, would she even dare?”

Xie Zian’s face darkened with fury. Pointing at me, he cursed loudly, “What’s it got to do with you? Get lost! Look in the mirror before you throw a tantrum. Do you think you’re good enough for Feifei? Are you crazy?!”

I smiled slightly. “Crazy? Are you complimenting me? Because compared to you, I’m the sane one.”

“You—”

“Pfft!”

Lin Feifei couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing.

Xie Zian’s face flushed red, but he could no longer come up with a comeback. He pointed at me, trembling lips, unsure what to say.

I smiled sweetly at him and continued, “You have the nerve to say you’re ‘hurt by the sight’? Out of those four words, you only deserve two.”

Xie Zian’s brain clearly couldn’t keep up, and he asked instinctively, “Which two?”

“Beast.”

“...”

“Ha!”

Lin Feifei laughed heartily, a faint glow seeming to rise from the corners of her lips.

Veins bulging on his forehead, Xie Zian glared at me viciously as if he wanted to devour me.

Grinding his teeth, he continued his verbal assault, “Do you even deserve Feifei? Can you afford her?”

His eyes then landed on the shopping bag I was holding. He sneered contemptuously, “Oh, that outfit must be from Feifei, right? Bet you couldn’t afford it yourself. Living off a woman!”

He deliberately raised his voice on those last words, instantly drawing a crowd of curious onlookers. Many cast gossiping glances my way, some openly mocking.

Without comparison, there’s no hurt. Standing beside Xie Zian, I was clearly outmatched in appearance, especially with the radiant Lin Feifei next to me. To the public eye, they seemed like a perfect match.

More and more people gathered to watch. Pleased with the effect, Xie Zian pressed on, pointing at me and shouting, “You’re just a freeloader! Not only do you have women buy your clothes, but you’re even wearing mine! Have some shame!”

Lin Feifei’s nose almost twisted in anger. Hands on her hips, she snapped back, “Xie Zian! Don’t go too far. We’re done. Stop making trouble!”

Having known Lin Feifei for so long, this was the first time I saw her this furious. Her fair skin flushed a vivid crimson, only enhancing her delicate beauty.

She was about to say more but I held her back. I smiled at her, and she reluctantly shot Xie Zian a glare before falling silent.

I turned to Xie Zian with a bright smile. “I’m someone who’s short on money, and freeloading is easy on the stomach, but at least I’m not like you—cheating.”

Xie Zian had been smug until I exposed his scoundrel nature. The crowd’s opinion quickly turned against him. The onlookers whispered and pointed, labeling him a cad.

His face darkened to the extreme. Gritting his teeth, he lashed out, “You don’t deserve Feifei! Neither you nor your family! My mom’s a big business tycoon. What does your mom do? I bet Feifei doesn’t even know.”

Thinking he’d hit a nerve, since he’d done a background check on me, he knew my mother worked in sanitation. His words were meant to humiliate me in front of everyone—but he underestimated me once again.