Chapter 8 Drawing a Clear Line

"......"

After waiting for five or six seconds, Cheng Jia did not feel any pain.

The only sound in the quiet bathroom was the soft breathing.

He opened his eyes to see what was happening. The man in front of him, known for his "Yama-like" methods, stood quietly. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and his black shirt exuded a strong sense of oppression.

Seemingly triggered by the word "baby," Shi Qingci lowered her eyes and stared at his chest.

His clothes were pulled away by his collar, and Cheng Jia's bathrobe became slightly disheveled at the chest.

That's when the white dove ring came into view.

The silver chain gleamed under the bathroom light.

Cheng Jia instinctively covered her ring: "What are you looking at?"

"The ring." Shi Qingci raised her hand, grabbed Cheng Jia's wrist and pulled it aside. Her warm palm touched Cheng Jia's wrist skin, and she released it in less than three seconds.

I just wanted to see the ring.

"You mean this? This is... I actually forgot where I got it from. I found it at the bottom of my suitcase, so I just wore it to match my clothes. If you like it, I'll give it back to you..." Cheng Jia said, trying to cover up her misunderstanding, her words incoherent.

When she couldn't continue, she turned her face to the side, her drooping fingers clenching into fists and then relaxing.

How could I possibly forget where I got it from?

Five years ago, he begged and pleaded with Shi Qingci to pay for it. It was sold at a silver craft stall near the university gate, and the price seemed to be around sixty yuan.

It's cheap and not very fancy.

But Cheng Jia always wore it around her neck.

He didn't know why he was wearing it, but he figured he couldn't just throw it away since he'd spent money on it; Cheng Jia was a frugal person.

The two stood very close, so close that Shi Qingci could see the tension on Cheng Jia's profile.

For some inexplicable reason, Shi Qingci was pleased by this hint of tension.

He asked Cheng Jia in a deep voice, "Do you remember what you said when you bought it, under that sycamore tree?"

Cheng Jia still turned her face away.

So when he couldn't see Shi Qingci asking that question, a fleeting warmth flashed in the deepest part of his eyes, like a desperate traveler wandering alone in the desert, suddenly turning around and finding an old friend.

Shi Qingci's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He waited for Cheng Jia's answer.

"......"

Cheng Jia had been holding it in for a long time, and a deep sense of annoyance appeared between her brows.

"Okay, I admit it!"

"Admit what?" Shi Qingci replied quickly.

Cheng Jia pressed her back even closer to the wall, as if punishing herself by feeling even more of the cold.

He lowered his head and said, "I used some tricks to get close to you back then. Actually, I should have said these things five years ago when you found out, but I was too ashamed to face you at the time. In the end, I drugged you in that way and left in a hurry."

“…” Shi Qingci listened in silence.

Does that mean a kiss that neither of them dares to recall?

They had kissed once.

It happened when Cheng Jia left.

After Shi Qingci stopped trusting Cheng Jia, she refused to eat any food that Cheng Jia offered her.

Having no other choice, Cheng Jia had to hide the sleeping pill under her tongue.

He forcibly kissed Shi Qingci while she was being treated.

At that moment, Shi Qingci did not push him away.

Even knowing it was medicine, I swallowed it anyway.

Cheng Jia took a deep breath: "...It was your second uncle who contacted me. When your father was seriously ill, he told me to follow him and pull off a big heist so I could earn money to pay off my debts."

"Continue." The warmth in Shi Qingci's eyes faded, replaced by a cold, lifeless silence.

He had already investigated those matters thoroughly.

But I want to hear Cheng Jia say it again.

Cheng Jia: "Before you went to university, I got all your information, knew your preferences, and memorized your favorite foods. My grades in high school were very bad, and it was your second uncle who bribed the school to get me in and become your roommate."

“Then.” Shi Qingci took a step back and leaned against the washbasin.

Cheng Jia, like a child who had done something wrong, lowered her head and began to narrate.

"...He told me about your sexual orientation. At that age when we were all just beginning to experience romantic feelings, your first boyfriend was easier to trust than your best friend, so he could spy on you, snoop on your father's will, and later, steal the core research data from your computer. He wanted to kick you out of the board of directors after your father passed away. At that age, I didn't understand corporate affairs, so I did whatever he told me to do."

It was only later that I learned that the document could cause Shi Qingci to lose his right to inherit the family business.

Cheng Jia partnered with someone...

They stole the inheritance left by Shi Qingci's father!

It almost led to Shi Qingci ending up on the streets and nearly destroyed the business her father had built up over a lifetime.

The plan was exposed one afternoon at the end of the second year of university.

Shi Qingci was taking a nap when Cheng Jia climbed off her dormitory bed.

Go through his laptop.

Just as Cheng Jia was taking the USB drive to the coffee shop to meet her second uncle, Shi Qingci and her men kicked open the door to the private room, catching them red-handed on the spot.

Cheng Jia still shakes when she recalls the scene.

Nineteen-year-old Shi Qingci, her eyes filled with heartbreak, grabbed his neck and demanded, "Where have I treated you badly, Cheng Jia! Tell me why!"

Cheng Jia was speechless.

How can you explain that he was after money?

For a pittance of profit, he hurt a person who, though cold-hearted, was incredibly innocent.

Cheng Jia has had a bad life since birth. He has grown up by cheating and swindling. His victims have questioned him about this, but there has never been a moment when Cheng Jia felt so ashamed.

Later, their group was embroiled in a fierce internal conflict.

Cheng Jia was unable to return to school and was kept under guard by bodyguards in Shi Qingci's private apartment.

On the fourth day of his imprisonment, Shi Qingci got drunk.

Cheng Jia drugged him and escaped.

From this point on—

I've been running for five years.

Until we meet again tonight.

"......"

"......"

Cheng Jia explained his despicable plan from back then in its entirety.

"So, why did you run away?" Shi Qingci listened to things he already knew, and only wanted to know Cheng Jia's current thoughts.

Cheng Jia forced a smile: "What else can I do if I don't run? I'm afraid you'll ask me that."

What I fear more than being questioned...

He dared not look into Shi Qingci's eyes.

I dare not look into those clear eyes, now filled with shattered emotions.

Cheng Jia also experiences heart discomfort.

They still have some conscience.

"Why aren't you afraid now?" Shi Qingci asked him casually.

Cheng Jia replied: "Now, five years have passed. We have both become more mature and rational, and we understand that we must face the responsibilities we should bear. You are much more rational than before, so when you make a move, I will take it on."

It was he who owed Shi Qingci.

Whether it's streaking or verbal abuse.

Cheng Jia accepted everything.

"......"

So, what happens after that?

Shi Qingci stared at Cheng Jia's 'hypocritical' face, still filled with hatred: "You make it sound so easy, as if we can be even after you've completed my order to report back to you."

The genuine feelings and emotions invested in it.

Can everything be settled amicably?

And for the past five years, he has been searching for this person day and night.

How do you calculate the effort and time spent?

"In fact, you don't understand what responsibility is at all, and you will never be able to repay what you owe me."

"Yes, it's possible, it's just a matter of time," Cheng Jia said.

Because he probably won't live for another two or three years.

Baidu says that even if you receive chemotherapy or a transplant after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, your life expectancy will not be long.

Bad people will be punished.

Cheng Jia didn't intend to tell Shi Qingci that she had a terminal illness, otherwise it would seem like she was just playing the victim.

There's no need for Shi Qingci to know.

He looked down at the white dove ring he was wearing on his chest.

"...You asked me what we said under the sycamore tree. Actually, I can't remember it anymore. Maybe you can check the campus love quotes section and see the lines I recited back then. That's right, everything I said to you was copied from there."

Unfortunately, Cheng Jia has no dating experience.

If you don't copy sweet nothings, you have nothing to say to the young master.

He's straight, not gay.

It was all fake back then.

"......"

Liar, liar.

Shi Qingci's eyes turned red uncontrollably.

It's unclear whether she was hurt by Cheng Jia or angered by her.

In short, all of Cheng Jia's actions and words clearly express:

sorry.

My relationship with you back then was just a charade.

I apologize to you and am willing to make amends, but you need to stay clear-headed.

From beginning to end—

I have never liked you.

Those two years were an illusion tailor-made for you.

"You, you're very good," Shi Qingci felt dizzy for two seconds, barely managing to keep his steps steady so he didn't stagger. He turned and walked out, "Cheng Jia, I won't let you get away with this."

Cheng Jiashen kept his head down and said, "I know, I'm sorry."

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

But he needed to act quickly, fearing he wouldn't live long after the onset of the illness.

I fear that the report on the Qing porcelain was not satisfactory enough.

“You stay here and continue working. You’re not allowed to go anywhere, or I’ll take action against Zhou Minghe,” Shi Qingci said to Cheng Jia with red eyes before dialing Boss Zhou’s number. “Now, get out of my room.”

I don't want to see Cheng Jia for the time being.

I don't want to see this scammer; I'm afraid I won't be able to resist taking action against him again.

Cheng Jia, feeling ashamed, lowered her head and walked out, saying, "I understand, Mr. Shi, this... I'll return it to you."

As he spoke, he took off the silver chain around his neck.

I didn't dare to walk over and hand it to Shi Qingci.

It's placed on the shoe cabinet.

"Cheng Jia, I hate you so much." Shi Qingci slumped on the sofa, her hands trembling so much that she couldn't even light a cigarette.

No one can avoid agonizing the first night after reuniting.

Cheng Jia: "I'm sorry."

"Get out," Shi Qingci cursed, her eyes red.

How can we make a scammer grow a heart?

There was absolutely nothing that could be done about the Qing dynasty porcelain.

Cheng Jia seemed to feel guilty that she was willing to give her life away and squander it at will.

Yet they constantly draw clear lines.

Give the ring back to him.

no way.

"......"

"......"

*