Perhaps because Director He's golden wedding anniversary party was nearing its end, the Wheaton Hotel, where the party was held, was already packed with cars coming to pick people up. Looking around, one could only think that probably only a handful of people in Haicheng who could afford a car had driven here.
Therefore, Lu Chen's car was mixed in with the others and not conspicuous.
Just like the day he first arrived in Haicheng, he could only cower in the car like a rat that couldn't see the light of day, watching Tang Ning and Xu Sinian, who were inseparable, not far away.
Unlike the love and hate that had become somewhat blurred and cooled back then, Lu Chen now felt a tightness, blockage, discomfort, and a mix of grief and indignation surging through his chest, leaving him completely at a loss as to what to do.
Just then, he saw a man dressed in a gray-blue police uniform, who was called Director He, approach Tang Ning with his wife. They were talking normally until he saw Tang Ning, at which point Director He's expression suddenly turned mischievous and teasing.
"...Brother Xu, I heard you and Miss Tang are getting married soon. That's not very kind of you. You know I love to get involved in these kinds of things, so why didn't you give me a heads-up? I only found out this morning from the servants. This won't do! I don't care, you have to give me an explanation for this..."
"You old He, after having a few drinks, you've lost your sense of direction. Miss Tang, don't mind him, that's just how old He is."
"What did I do wrong? Where did I say something wrong? This Brother Xu and Miss Tang have been together for so many years. It's only natural for a man to marry when he's of age, and for a woman to marry when she's of age. What's the problem? Forget it, I won't ask Xu Sinian anymore. He never tells the truth. Miss Tang, do you think your wedding is just around the corner?"
Director He looked straight at Tang Ning.
Upon hearing this, Xu Sinian's fingers, which were resting on the armrest of his wheelchair, twitched slightly, and he lowered his eyes.
At the same time, Lu Chen, who was sitting in a car not far from them, also held his breath and gripped the handlebars tightly.
He would believe her as long as she said no, as long as she said it didn't happen.
Lu Chen kept telling himself this, as if a drowning person had suddenly grasped at their last straw.
Faced with Director He's teasing, Tang Ning remained silent for a long time before finally smiling politely and lowering her head.
Well, this was probably the last time she would accompany Xu Sinian to such an event. They might never see each other again. There was really no need for her to embarrass Xu Sinian in front of everyone at such an event. After all, every time she and Xu Sinian appeared together over the years, they would be teased like this, which would attract the attention of tabloids eager to make money.
The original owner deeply resented this.
And Tang Ning...
She felt that all of these were opportunities for her.
Sure enough, in the car window parked not far away, Lu Chen's purple name was faintly visible.
It doesn't make sense for the other person to always be testing her; let her be tested too.
I just don't know what choice Lu Chen will ultimately make.
At this moment, Tang Ning's silence pierced the hearts of both of them.
Xu Sinian understood perfectly well that this was probably the last bit of warmth Tang Ning could offer him. She was always like this, showing compassion when she shouldn't, always thinking of him even when she herself was uncomfortable. That's why he...
Thinking this, Xu Sinian's eyes suddenly felt very sore and swollen.
Meanwhile, on the other side, unable to contain himself, amidst the noise, Lu Chen let out a low, sickly laugh.
He felt like he was in a dream, and now, having been doused with cold water, he knew it was time to wake up from this dream.
At this point, he had to admit an undeniable fact: Tang Ning no longer loved him; her eyes and heart belonged only to Xu Sinian. Haha…
All those claims about wanting to get back together with him, liking him, and going back to Fengcheng with him were fake, all lies.
He understands white lies...
He really understands.
It was just too embarrassing, really too embarrassing.
He felt like a fool, letting Tang Ning fool him. He believed everything she said. He had thought that when he saw those two intimate photos in the newspaper, Tang Ning must have had some unavoidable difficulties and that she was still thinking about him and hadn't forgotten him completely just because she saw Xu Sinian.
But now...
At this moment, he would rather Tang Ning had just told him the truth, that she no longer loved him, didn't like him, didn't remember him, and didn't have him in her heart anymore, than have him suffer like this now.
Is it charity?
It's charity, isn't it...?
It was because he was seriously injured and couldn't handle any stimulation that Tang Ning took pity on him and gave him the gift.
Ha ha.
It's a good thing he was clinging to this cheap handout, which is why he ended up in such a sorry state.
This is so embarrassing...
The headache grew increasingly intense and fierce, so much so that Lu Chen dug his hands into his palms. He didn't even realize when he bit his lip, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, making his consciousness begin to blur...
But Lu Chen's gaze never left Tang Ning, who was smiling not far away. He looked at her beautiful profile and exquisite figure. The light from the hotel's crystal chandelier shone on her face, making Tang Ning, who was wearing a dark green cheongsam, look so beautiful that she seemed to radiate light. Every frown, every smile, every move she made firmly captured the attention of everyone around her, regardless of gender.
He couldn't understand why such a beautiful woman would be so cruel.
Why treat him like this?
What exactly did he do wrong?
Whether it was five years ago or now, what exactly did we do wrong?
Why did Tang Ning abandon him time and time again, giving him hope only to plunge him back into inescapable despair...?
He's a person too, a flesh-and-blood person, someone who feels pain, cries, and suffers!
Why did you do this to him?
Why?
Lu Chen kept asking himself this question.
I just don't know if I'm asking myself or Tang Ning.
The party was over, the excitement was over, and the once bustling hotel entrance became deserted, with only a few cleaners quietly cleaning up.
"Young Marshal..."
Only then did Lu Chen hear the calls from his subordinates beside him.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen reached out and opened the car door, stumbling and rushing out.
"Young Marshal!"
The others quickly got out of the car and were about to help Lu Chen when the man waved his hand first, saying in a hoarse voice, "No need, I want to be alone for a while..."
"But you still haven't taken your medicine..."
"When did my words lose their power?"
Lu Chen's voice suddenly turned low, and such a stern rebuke finally made his subordinates who wanted to step forward stop in their tracks. They just stood there watching Lu Chen stagger forward and eventually disappear around the corner of the street.
Almost simultaneously, Tang Yin finished another day of interviews, looking disheveled and exhausted. She felt so tired that she could barely lift her legs, and the thought of resigning resurfaced in her mind.
I'm so tired, so incredibly tired...
She couldn't understand why the work was so hard. Not only was she often scolded and humiliated, but she was also constantly on the go, sometimes without even getting a good news story. Even if she did manage to get an interview and write the article, the editor-in-chief would simply say it was unacceptable, and might just toss aside all the hard work she had put in for ten or fifteen days to gather dust. If she dared to argue with him, well, she might never get a proper job again, and he might even start nitpicking at her every day...
In short, all sorts of troubles arose.
The men who had previously fawned over her began to distance themselves from her one by one when she indicated that she did not want to take things further, and even completely ignored her predicament.
She couldn't understand how these people could be so heartless, as if not accepting their advances meant they would no longer be friends...
My older sister's job used to seem so easy. All she had to do was dress up beautifully and sing a couple of songs on stage. As long as she did that, countless men would come to pursue her with jewelry and clothes. If she hadn't gotten together with Xu Sinian, she probably would have continued to live such a life of being the center of attention for a long time.
We're all human, so why are we treated so differently?
The money she earns in a month of hard work probably doesn't even compare to what Tang Ning earns in one night.
Tang Yin felt truly defeated. She unconsciously kicked a stone. She was so tired, why not just take a rickshaw home today? But she had probably already spent ten silver dollars on rickshaw rides this month. If this continued, she probably wouldn't even earn enough to cover her rickshaw fares, let alone anything else. Was she really not as good as Tang Ning?
Thinking this, Tang Yin still honestly reached out and flagged down a rickshaw.
But just as she was about to get on the bus, she suddenly saw a man slowly sliding down the wall in the alley not far away. That man...
With just one glance, Tang Yin immediately forgot about the rickshaw she had already flagged down and rushed into the alley. Then, she lifted up the man lying on the ground and a look of surprise flashed across her eyes.
It's him!
Whether it was because he had taken a nap or because the excruciating pain had subsided, when Lu Shen woke up again, he felt that the needle-like pain in his head had finally eased a little.
He was still somewhat bewildered by the surrounding decorations.
Just as he was about to throw off the covers and get out of bed, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a voice that was both strange and familiar immediately rang out in surprise, "Ah, you're awake? That's great... You scared me to death when you collapsed in the alley!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen raised his eyes and looked over quietly, his gaze meeting Tang Yin's smiling, crescent-shaped eyes.
Tang Ning's...sister?
laugh.
After exchanging only a glance, Lu Chen immediately looked away and got out of bed.
"Hey, what are you doing? I asked the doctor, and your condition is quite serious. You need to rest. Don't..."
As she spoke, Tang Yin reached out and tugged at Lu Chen's sleeve.
Lu Chen instinctively tried to dodge, but because of his headache, his movements became sluggish. Instead of dodging, he was pulled by Tang Yin and fell onto the bed on one side.
Realizing what was happening, Lu Chen immediately braced himself with his arms, without touching Tang Yin at all, but the girl's face still turned bright red.
Tang Yin's appearance caused Lu Chen's brows to furrow tightly instantly.
Sensing Lu Chen's disgust and rejection, Tang Yin's face suddenly turned pale. She looked at Lu Chen as if he didn't want to have any contact with her at all, quickly stood up straight, and turned to walk out without saying a word.
Seeing this, Tang Yin bit her lip hard. She didn't understand what she was lacking compared to Tang Ning.
Why does everyone only see her?
Why doesn't anyone notice her in the corner?
What's so great about Tang Ning?
Besides, she already has Xu Sinian, doesn't she? I heard they're getting married, so why... why is it that Lu Chen, whom she abandoned back then, has become successful and is now coming back to entangle with her?
Yes, ever since their last parting at Lihui, Tang Yin felt something was off. The man's appearance seemed so familiar. She racked her brains for days, and finally, after seeing a rickshaw puller, she connected the man in the suit, cold and arrogant, five years later, with Lu Shen, the rickshaw puller she hadn't even wanted to look at five years ago, and who she couldn't understand why Tang Ning would choose to be with...
It could be said that almost as soon as the two were connected, Tang Yin felt an indescribable excitement rise in her heart.
Because the impression she left on Lu Chen was by no means bad, she felt that, at the very least, he would be grateful to her.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times she went to Li Hui after that, she never saw him again, which made Tang Yin very disappointed.
So only heaven knows how happy and excited she was when she saw Lu Chen unconscious in the alley.
But now, Lu Chen's performance has completely shattered all her delusions.
Just as Lu Chen was about to open the door and leave, Tang Yin, who had been biting her lip, finally couldn't help but speak up, "Wait, Brother Lu Chen, don't you remember me? When you left Haicheng, I gave you travel expenses, don't you remember?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen, whose hand had already reached for the doorknob, suddenly stopped. Then, as if he had heard a funny joke, he turned his head and asked, "Oh?"
Seeing that she had finally managed to stop Lu Chen, Tang Yin's eyes flashed with surprise, and she hesitantly stepped forward to explain what had happened back then.
Unfortunately, Lu Chen couldn't hear a single word she said at the moment. He just stared intently at Tang Yin, who looked restless and scheming, her methods so naive they were laughable.
An absurd idea began to grow uncontrollably.
Tang Ning treated him like that, he no longer wanted to be with her.
Right now, all he wants is revenge, to make her taste the same heart-wrenching pain he felt...
Lu Chen's current favorability rating: -95.
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