Chapter 221 Significant Difference in Status
Zhou Xubai walked to her table, stopped, and stared into her face with his deep eyes at the undisguised shock and astonishment. His voice was low, with a hint of nervousness and apology that was almost imperceptible, perfectly matching the voice he usually used in the game.
"Wanqing, it's been a long time."
Ji Wanqing remained frozen in her seat, as if even her breath had been taken away from her.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment; the noise outside the window and the soothing music in the café all faded into a blurry background noise.
In her world, only the face before her remained—a face so familiar it caused a slight pang in her heart, yet so strange she dared not recognize it.
The immense shock left her almost unable to think; she could only stare at him blankly, as if trying to see through his calm exterior to all the secrets hidden deep within his heart.
It turns out that the silent protection, the sudden grand ceremony, and the careful consideration across the internet... all originated here.
Her older brother, who is also known as Zhou Xubai, is a blank space.
After the initial shock came an overwhelming sense of absurdity and anger at being fooled.
She felt like a fool, having been kept in the dark for so long, and even feeling grateful to the blank space behind that internet connection, genuinely considering him a very important friend.
Zhou Xubai watched as the color drained from her face, her pupils trembled, and her eyes, which always held a touch of stubbornness and liveliness, were now filled with disbelief and confusion.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his hand at his side twitched unconsciously. He spoke again in a low voice, his voice tinged with obvious nervousness, "Aren't you going to invite me to sit down?"
Ji Wanqing snapped back to her senses, looked away as if she had been burned, and her chest heaved violently a few times.
She tried her best to suppress her surging emotions, forcing a stiff and sarcastic smile.
"sit."
Her voice was so dry it didn't sound like her own.
Zhou Xubai sat down opposite her, and the waiter came over at the right time. He ordered an Americano.
The brief interlude gave Ji Wanqing a chance to catch her breath. She quickly lowered her head and stirred her now slightly cold latte to hide the turmoil in her heart.
A silence fell between them, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.
In the end, Zhou Xubai broke the deadlock. His voice was low and hesitant.
"You're...surprised to see me?"
Ji Wanqing finally raised her head, her sharp gaze shooting at him. The shock from before was gone, replaced by cold indifference and questioning.
“An accident? Mr. Zhou, you use too light a word. This is downright shocking.” She deliberately used the title “Mr. Zhou” to create an immeasurable distance between them.
"Blank Master, is playing these anonymous online games really fun?"
Compared to Meng Chao and Pei Yu's concealment, she could still pretend nothing had happened.
But when that person became Zhou Xubai, Ji Wanqing found it hard to accept.
He was the one who broke up with me in the first place, so why is he playing this "silently protecting me" trick now?
Even when she sent him his photo to question him, he showed no honesty whatsoever.
Zhou Xubai frowned slightly, his eyes dimming a little, stung by the barbs in her words.
"I'm not playing a game, Wanqing."
"What is that?" Ji Wanqing retorted almost immediately, her tone aggressive. "Is it compensation? Is it sympathy? Or is it that after achieving success, President Zhou looks back at his ex-girlfriend who used money to coerce him and is now down on her luck, so he's taking pity on her?"
Her words were like knives, quick and ruthless, precisely piercing the most sensitive past between the two of them.
Zhou Xubai's face paled slightly. He stared intently at her, his dark eyes churning with complex emotions—pain, guilt, and a hint of urgency.
"No, it was never charity... nor pity!"
"What is that?" Ji Wanqing persisted, her voice rising slightly with excitement. "You watched me frantically trying to make a living in the live stream like a headless fly, watching me beg for mercy from the blank screen. Did you feel a great sense of accomplishment? Did you secretly laugh at me, thinking, 'Look, Ji Wanqing, you've finally met your match, having to rely on the whims of the people you bought with money back then?'"
“I never thought that way!” Zhou Xubai’s voice also turned somber, filled with suppressed emotions. “I just… don’t know how to approach you. I’m afraid that if you know it’s me, you won’t even give me the chance to watch you silently.”
"So you choose to deceive me?" Ji Wanqing sneered. "Using another identity, hiding behind the internet, watching me make a fool of myself, watching me struggle, and then appearing like a savior? Zhou Xubai, you're still the same as before, always choosing the safest and most rational way!"
“I didn’t see you make a fool of yourself, and I didn’t see you struggle!” Zhou Xubai’s hand on the table clenched slightly, his knuckles turning white. “What I saw was your strength and your efforts! After your family’s accident, I looked for you, but you and your mother seemed to have vanished into thin air. Later, I saw you on a live streaming platform by chance. I… I just wanted to make sure you were doing well, and I wanted to be able to help you a little when you needed it, that’s all.”
His explanation failed to quell Ji Wanqing's anger; instead, it made her feel even more ironic.
"Ensure I'm doing well? Top the list with money? Create a false sense of prosperity with city-wide advertising? Zhou Xubai, do you think that with money, anything can be done? Including making up for past regrets, or... starting over?"
She spoke the last four words very softly, yet they struck their hearts like a heavy hammer.
Zhou Xubai fell silent. He looked at her intently, his eyes filled with struggle, pain, and a desperate resolve.
"Yes." He admitted, his voice hoarse. "I know it's despicable and presumptuous, but I really... had such thoughts. When I saw Duan Ye by your side, and when I saw so many people in the live stream liking you, I panicked. I was afraid that if I didn't show up, I would really lose the right to stand in front of you."
His mention of Duan Ye startled Ji Wanqing, who then became even more furious.
"What does this have to do with Duan Ye? What does it have to do with anyone else? Zhou Xubai, the problem between us has never been about who appeared, but about ourselves! It's about how you left without a second thought back then! It's about how you're showing up now with this deceptive behavior!"
"I left back then not because I didn't have any regrets!" Zhou Xubai finally lost control. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on her. "It was because back then, I had nothing but that ridiculous pride! I couldn't bear your kindness, and I couldn't give you what you truly wanted in that unequal relationship! I left because I hoped that one day I could stand before you with my head held high, not as a recipient of charity, but as a man worthy of you!"
This was the first time he had told her frankly the reason for their breakup years ago.
Ji Wanqing was stunned. Her heart felt as if it had been hit hard by something, and she felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
She always thought that he left because he didn't like her, using the excuse of their different social statuses.
So that's why...?
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