Volume One, Chapter Five: A Grand Performance

Kuang Li dared not look at me; her eyes were fixed on the ground as she responded to the man in a barely audible voice. The man paid no heed to her perfunctory reply; he only tightened his embrace, flaunting his newly affirmed claim over Kuang Li. In truth, he had no need to prove anything—since she had already betrayed me first, why should I shed tears for her?

He cast a lecherous sideways glance at me, his bloated face twitching with contempt. Sneering, he said, "Kuang Li is so beautiful; how could someone like you ever be worthy of her?"

"Chen Zheng," Kuang Li gently tugged at his shirt.

But Chen Zheng ignored her completely and continued his tirade: "Beautiful women are meant for wealthy men like me. A loser like you, without a job, is destined to be a lonely bachelor forever."

I was about to retort when suddenly, the honking of a car horn interrupted us. All three of us turned instinctively toward the sound. A sleek black Tesla by the roadside slowly rolled down its window, revealing a face far more stunning than Kuang Li’s—radiant and captivating.

She rested her chin on her hand, smiling brightly at me before launching into a textbook display of playful teasing.

"Hey, big brother, have you finished your divorce yet? Hurry up and get in the car! Didn’t you promise to take me out tonight?"

Her voice was sweet and teasing, tinged with a coquettish charm that made one’s heart flutter.

This was pure tea—utterly scandalous and deliciously wicked.

Chen Zheng’s face twitched as if slapped hard. Kuang Li, too, looked stunned, lips pressed tight as she glared at me, stammering, "You... you..."

I was momentarily stunned as well, but her playful use of "big brother" sent a thrill through me. To spite this despicable pair, I forced a smile and played along.

"From now on, every night is yours. No need to rush; I’ll be ready soon. Behave!"

Turning to face them, Chen Zheng’s expression crumpled, eyes blazing with fury.

I met their gaze, then spoke solemnly after a brief silence. "I accidentally came into contact with something unclean earlier. I don’t know if Kuang Li might have been exposed too. Better get to the hospital for a check-up when you can."

Chen Zheng’s face instantly darkened, as if shocked by an electric current. "What the hell! Seriously?!"

I turned and briskly walked toward Lin Feifei’s Tesla.

She tossed me the car keys and obediently took the passenger seat. "Check the GPS. Take me to the airport."

---

I was momentarily taken aback but nodded and opened the driver’s door.

Before getting in, I glanced back at the wretched couple. Chen Zheng stomped angrily and slapped Kuang Li, who clutched her face, trying to explain, but to no avail.

Watching this, a surge of satisfaction welled up inside me. I turned back and locked eyes with a pair of mischievous ones.

Lin Feifei tilted her head, scrutinizing me as if trying to read something from my face.

"Aren’t you a little reluctant to let go?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully. "Why didn’t you leave?"

She gazed absently out the window. "I’m not in a hurry. I’m just waiting for you. Mostly, I’m afraid you’ll ruin the clothes I lent you by crying on them."

"Wasn’t that a gift?"

Lin Feifei curled her lip. "Of course not."

I nodded with a touch of understanding and deliberately dragged out the word: "True! You lent them to me; I have to return them. That way, there’s always the chance for next time."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she shot me a sharp glance. Suddenly, she extended her alabaster wrist before me, waving it enticingly to change the subject.

"Smell this. Do you like the scent of my new perfume?"

Feigning interest, I leaned in and inhaled deeply. "It’s fragrant—exuding the distinct aroma of a lonely bachelor."

Her smile vanished instantly. She rolled her eyes and sighed softly.

"Ugh, still forty minutes to the airport. The joy of being a worker is destroyed by long commutes."

I glanced at her. "Do you know how your salary is structured?"

"Of course! Base salary plus flight hour subsidies! How could I not know?"

I shook my head mysteriously with a smile. "Actually, no."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Then what is it?"

"It’s salary plus enduring grievances."

Lin Feifei burst into laughter, shaking with mirth. After she caught her breath, she looked at me with a strange, thoughtful expression.

Feeling her gaze, I glanced at her face; her eyes sparkled with some unspoken thought.

If such a beautiful woman was staring at me so intently, if she had no deeper intentions, I would be the one to wonder why.

---

After a moment’s hesitation, unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

Lin Feifei propped her cheek on her hand, watching me with interest. "I think you’re fascinating. Life with you wouldn’t be boring. How could your wife not appreciate you?"

I smiled wryly and responded with a question, "What’s your favorite flower?"

She blinked, a little puzzled by the sudden shift, then answered seriously, "I like white roses or white lychees. Red roses are too tacky and vulgar."

She paused, raising a delicate brow. "Why do you ask?"

I turned my head toward her. "My ex-wife liked flowers that cost money."

She burst out laughing.

Lin Feifei’s laughter was utterly unrestrained, but I liked her genuine, down-to-earth character—nothing like Kuang Li, who appeared dignified but was all pretense.

After a long while, she wiped tears from her eyes, saying, "Your ex-wife really had terrible taste. When she’s old, she’ll regret it bitterly."

I chuckled bitterly. "I doubt it. She’s money-minded and shallow. The other guy showers her with bags—LV, Dior. All I could give were emoji stickers."

Throughout the drive, Lin Feifei’s laughter never ceased. I told jokes to cheer her up, but in truth, it was to ease the sorrow of my divorce.

At the airport, Lin Feifei gracefully stepped out. "I’m off."

I was startled. "Wait! Your car!"

She remained composed, leaning in with a delicate, smiling face. Sunlight danced irregularly across the car window, casting shifting patterns on her features like fleeting light and shadow.

I slowly rolled down the window. Her smile deepened. "You drive it for now. Come pick me up here in three days."

"Huh?"

Before I could respond, a slender arm reached in, her pale hand stretching toward me. "Give me your phone."

Before I could react, she snatched it and typed something swiftly, then handed it back.

"I’m off. Bye."

With that, she grabbed her suitcase, swaying her slender waist as she walked into the airport with effortless grace.

I withdrew my gaze and glanced down at my phone. In my WeChat contacts was a new friend request.