Chapter 51 Let's Cooperate
Chapter 51
She forced herself to ignore the ever-increasing red numbers in her WeChat Moments and the messages from Zhang Zhiyang, only daring to open them the next day when she arrived at school.
It has to be said that Li Changjing really knows how to torment people. His approach was extremely ruthless. He didn't refuse or even respond with a single word, but instead posted an official announcement on his WeChat Moments. It was a blatant insult. Even a direct rejection would have been better than this.
Zhang Zhiyang sent her a message on WeChat, saying, "Even if you coldly reject me, it's fine, but it's not as disrespectful to my feelings as this. At least you've replied, which makes me give up completely."
[To Wen, I wish you happiness.]
Wen Yining pursed her lips tightly, staring at the words on the screen, feeling waves of intense guilt washing over her. He must think she's a disrespectful and malicious person right now.
I'm sorry.
Zhang Zhiyang deleted her.
Unexpected, yet reasonable.
Even though they hadn't seen each other for a long time, the years had added a filter to their friendship. She considered Zhang Zhiyang an old friend in her heart. Although she was prepared to lose this old friend when she realized his feelings, she didn't expect it to be in this way—being forced to hold hands with Li Changjing and stabbing him in the back.
No matter how tolerant he was of her in matters "beyond the bottom line," his threats were like a knife hanging over her neck, ready to fall at any moment. They were also like a thorn stuck between them; no matter how peaceful the atmosphere was when they were together, that thorn was a constant reminder of how twisted the foundation of their relationship was.
Wen Yining had faint dark circles under her eyes on her fair face. She leaned back in her chair, tilted her head back, and covered her eyes wearily.
Soon, Jiang Fengqing and Gu Lingling came in with their luggage. Of course, they also saw the post on WeChat Moments. Upon meeting, they were shocked and exasperated, questioning her whether the "Mr. Li" was Li Changjing.
Wen Yining sighed, omitting the details, and calmly and concisely recounted the series of things he had threatened her with.
The two were furious after hearing this and couldn't help but start cursing on the spot.
"I sensed it when I met him. He looks quite gentlemanly, but these Celestial Dragons are inherently very domineering!"
"Is Li Changjing crazy? What a piece of trash!"
Wen Yining suddenly remembered something, her expression froze, and she immediately stopped the two from talking, sitting up and turning on her phone.
He bought this phone, could he be listening in on it?!
She turned on her phone, then stopped moving again.
The two were startled by her sudden reaction and instinctively stopped. Seeing that she was not moving, Gu Lingling asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Wen Yining shook her head and smiled wryly, "It's nothing."
He was so terrified by his threats that he was afraid of even a rope for ten years.
Jiang Fengqing sighed, "So what are you going to do now?"
“Yes.” Gu Lingling looked at Wen Yining tentatively.
Both of them had witnessed Wen Yining's behavior during that period. Sometimes they would hear faint, suppressed sobs coming from her late at night, and the two of them could only pretend not to hear them and let the darkness spread.
Wen Yining shook her head. She didn't know either; she was powerless to resist him.
Jiang Fengqing hesitated, then asked, "So what about him now...?"
Wen Yining was silent for a while, then lowered her head and gripped the corner of the book on the table, letting go page by page. "I was scratched hard by a cat before, I'll definitely take a detour next time I see one."
He's just going through withdrawal and can't let her go. He'll give up the first time, and then he'll give up the second time. If they keep going like this, he'll get tired of her and break up with her sooner or later. Or maybe he'll get married before he even gets tired of her, arranged by his family.
She was terrified that if things continued this way, he would one day get married and force her to be his mistress.
Friday arrived in the blink of an eye.
After a hectic week, with most of university life over, the girls in the dorm were starting to diverge in their life paths. Wen Yining and Jiang Fengqing were busy preparing for graduate school applications, working on GPA targets, finding professors for projects, and writing papers. Wen Yining chose to pursue graduate studies at her current university; her professor had privately hinted that she was likely to succeed. Gu Lingling, on the other hand, chose to go home and find a less demanding job through her family's arrangements.
The weather in the northern part of the city has been good for the past few days. The sky is high and blue, the sun is shining brightly, there is a thin layer of clouds on the distant horizon, and the air is dry and cold.
Wen Yining opened the car door with her luggage, and as soon as she got in, she clutched her stomach. Calculating the time, she realized it must be her period. She hadn't had any pain in a long time, and although it wasn't intense, the subtle pain was still hard to ignore.
She looked out the window and secretly felt relieved.
They arrived at just the right time, precisely when she went to stay with him.
Although she had mentally prepared herself before agreeing to be with him, she still couldn't be with him...
Instead of turning directly home, the car turned into a back door in some unknown place. Yue Feng registered his ID card, drove the car in, and parked it in the parking lot. Not long after, Wen Yining saw Li Changjing walking over from that direction, surrounded by several people. Among them were several middle-aged men, including Fang Qi in a suit and a very familiar second-generation rich kid. Behind them was a row of people who looked like secretaries and bodyguards.
The group, all dressed in black, made quite a show of themselves. They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, walking slowly and leisurely towards us.
The evening sunlight shone on Li Changjing, and the glasses on his nose reflected the light slightly. He was composed and cheerful, turning his head to chat with the person next to him. His refined, gentle, and steady demeanor made him look like a normal, promising young man.
An illusion.
They say one thing to your face and another behind your back.
Wen Yining looked away from Li Changjing.
As if a grand send-off ceremony was about to unfold, the group of people walked to within two or three meters of the car and then stopped. They actually started talking like that. Their unclear voices came over intermittently, all of them unimportant official pleasantries. Wen Yining was getting a little impatient, but she couldn't bring herself to do it in this kind of situation, with so many people calling her.
I don't know if it's just psychological, but the pain in my stomach seems to have gotten worse, and there's a damp, watery feeling, like it's going to stain my clothes.
She rolled down the window and looked at Li Changjing, hoping he would understand her meaning and get in the car quickly, otherwise she was prepared to call a car and leave on her own.
The window rolled down, letting in the chill and fresh air from outside, revealing Wen Yining's fair and delicate face, her hair ruffled by the breeze.
At such close range, Li Changjing seemed to sense something and turned to look. The two middle-aged men who were talking to him paused and followed his gaze.
Then, the back window of Li Zeqing's car rolled down, revealing a young girl with an unfamiliar face. She had very fair skin, delicate features, and clear, bright eyes. However, her expression was not good at the moment, and she didn't look at anyone else, only staring at Li Zeqing.
I don't know who they are, but they seem to be giving Li Zeqing the cold shoulder.
Unexpectedly, she only opened a window, but a group of strangers all turned to stare at her. Wen Yining and the group of people faced each other, and the atmosphere became a little tense.
In front of so many people, Wen Yining tried to soften her expression when facing Li Changjing, but she couldn't muster the strength to do so. She felt that her expression must be very bad right now, and that others would definitely think she was a very short-tempered person who was giving Li Changjing the cold shoulder.
Although she couldn't bring herself to smile at him, she wouldn't embarrass Li Changjing in this setting, in front of so many people who looked like high-ranking officials and his subordinates. She and Li Changjing stared at each other for two seconds, then she quickly raised the glass back up.
The two people next to Li Changjing exchanged glances upon seeing the expressions on the faces of the people in the car. Li Changjing, as the person involved, remained remarkably calm, showing no signs of anger or embarrassment at being publicly humiliated.
Fang Qi's smile turned into astonishment when the glass door closed.
Xu Ye, who was next to him, nudged him and whispered, "Holy crap, am I seeing things? Isn't that Ningning, the girl his family arranged for him? Didn't they break up for a long time because they were worried about rumors? How come he's dating someone again? And he's flaunting it in public. Has he gone crazy? Isn't he the one who cares most about his reputation? His family is so strict, Comrade Li would probably criticize him to death!"
Xu Ye asked a series of questions, but Fang Qi didn't respond. He looked up and saw Fang Qi staring intently at the closed glass, his eyes churning with emotion, as if he, like him, had just found out.
Wen Yining rolled up the window tightly, held her bag in her arms, leaned back in her chair and waited. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Li Changjing had finished his pleasantries, smiled and extended his hand, shook hands with each of them, glanced at Fang Qi and the others, and then walked to the car.
Li Changjing got into the car, took out a wet wipe to dry his hands, turned his head to look at Wen Yining's cheeks, which were unconsciously puffed up because she was unhappy, and couldn't help but smile and ask in a gentle voice, "Were you waiting impatiently? Are you hungry?"
As long as you don't provoke him, he'll be at his gentlest, as if he has no memory of the unpleasantness of their last meeting and the tense relationship between them.
Wen Yining had been looking out the window at the moving street scene since he got into the car, and she didn't answer when she heard his words.
Li Changjing, without changing his expression, threw the wet wipe into the trash can, turned to look at her, and continued to ask with a good-natured, slow laugh, "Are you still angry, Wen Ningning?"
Wen Yining looked out the window, took a breath, and said coldly, "Can you please stop talking to me right now?"
Li Changjing's smile finally faded, his expression turned cold, his profile was taut, and he stared at Wen Yining's face with a gloomy look. She kept looking out the window and didn't glance at him.
Since that night, she seemed to have softened, no longer constantly on the defensive, and much more obedient. But the vibrant thorns on her body were gone, replaced by a cold indifference, as if she couldn't even be bothered to give him any extra emotion.
He stared blankly ahead, saying nothing more.
The car quickly drove into the basement, and Wen Yining was the first to put on her bag and get out of the car.
After a short while, Li Changjing resumed his nonchalant demeanor and reached out to take her hand. Wen Yining shook off his hand without thinking and quickly walked past him toward the elevator.
Li Changjing's hand froze in mid-air. He stood there, looking down at his hand that had been flung away. After a few seconds, he lowered his hand and looked up. Wen Yining's figure had already disappeared at the elevator entrance.
Wen Yining entered the elevator and looked out, but there was no one in sight. She simply closed the elevator door and rushed into the restroom. Her stomach was still aching slightly, but it wasn't her period. She guessed it was early menstrual cramps.
A flash of disappointment crossed her face, and she turned on the tap to wash her hands with some anxiety.
Li Changjing stepped into the elevator, and Fang Qi called. He glanced at the screen, then stepped back out, put the phone to his ear, and asked in a nonchalant tone, "What's wrong?"
"You're just asking the obvious!" Fang Qi's voice came through the phone. "Those teeth marks on your hand are from her bite, right? I saw them. What, did you force yourself on her? What did you do to make Juan so hateful?"
Li Changjing looked up at the car in the basement, reached out and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and remained silent for a long time.
After a long silence.
Fang Qi: "You really went for it? You really did it to her? What did you say before the New Year? Are you crazy?"
"Is this all you wanted to say on the phone? Hang up."
Fang Qi paused for a moment, then said quietly, "No, I meant to invite you guys out for some fun. It's been so long since I've seen Juan."
Li Changjing paused in his refusal, glanced at the elevator, and stepped inside. "Don't hang up. Ask her yourself."
"You can just pass on a message for me, it's not like you don't know her."
Li Changjing entered the room, and Wen Yining was opening a drawer looking for something.
"Ningning."
Wen Yining did not turn around.
Fang Qi has something he wants to ask you.
Wen Yining stopped moving and turned to look at him in confusion.
Li Changjing stood at the door without moving, turned on speakerphone, looked at her, and handed her the phone.
Fang Qi's carefree, cheerful voice immediately rang out from inside the room, "Hey Juan, Happy New Year! May you have a prosperous and lucky year! If I can't be the first to wish you a Happy New Year, then I'll be the last! How about that, isn't that touching!"
Wen Yining glanced at the phone in his hand. She didn't want to talk to him or his friends, but Fang Qi hadn't provoked her, so she couldn't take her anger out on others.
Standing so far away, they definitely couldn't talk. She looked up at Li Changjing, who was also holding his phone and looking at her, motionless, and unusually, he didn't hand her the phone.
It looked as if he was deliberately waiting for her to walk towards him.
She had no choice but to walk over to him and take the phone from his hand. After all, she wasn't very close to his friend, and they hadn't seen each other for a long time. So much had happened in between. Wen Yining pursed her lips awkwardly and said politely but distantly, "Yes, you too, Happy New Year."
"Is there something you need from me?"
Even though Fang Qi looks so unserious, he has been influenced by this environment since childhood and knows how to speak properly. In front of Wen Yining, he didn't say "It's been so long" to the kettle he couldn't open, but instead smiled and said, "I just wanted to welcome you back from school and give you a good welcome!"
Wen Yining was about to refuse, but then she thought of her missed period and her fear of spending the night alone with him, so she changed her mind and said, "Thank you for your kindness, I will definitely go. Which day do you want to go?"
Her quick agreement surprised the other two.
Li Changjing glanced at her.
Fang Qi was taken aback for a moment, then continued, "Sister Juan, you've changed! You're so polite to me now! You can come whenever you want, even right now!"
"Okay, how about tonight?"
Fang Qi was taken aback for a moment, then it's settled. I'll book the place and send it to Young Master Qing later.
After hanging up the phone, Wen Yining looked up and saw Li Changjing sizing her up.
She lowered her gaze, and after hanging up Fang Qi's call, the room became very quiet, and the atmosphere between the two of them turned into a stifling and cold one.
Wen Yining silently placed his phone on the table and turned to continue looking for something.
*
The two arrived at the private room Fang Qi had booked at the restaurant. As soon as they entered, they heard voices. There were already five or six people sitting on the sofa behind the screen.
There weren't many people today, but it was still the same few privileged young men I'd seen before coming and going.
Wen Yining followed Li Changjing inside, keeping a safe distance.
The other people on the sofa also saw Wen Yining, and they were all stunned for a moment before casually looking away. No one said a word, as if she had never disappeared for three months.
Fang Qi, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced between Li Changjing and Wen Yining, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He then looked at the speaker and casually remarked, "Go to hell, you talk like I haven't invited you in ages. Spit out that box of my mother tree individual plants."
Li Changjing sat on the sofa, ignoring the noisy group over there, and stared straight at Wen Yining, his meaning self-evident.
Wen Yining looked at him and then at the seat next to him. She paused, then sat down in the seat closest to her.
Li Changjing's face instantly darkened, revealing the coldness in his very bones.
After Fang Qi finished speaking with the waiter, he returned and saw the two people's seats. His emotions were subtle yet swift.
After the cold dishes were served, the group chatted as they headed to the table. Wen Yining waited until they all stood up before she stood up herself. As soon as she stood up, her neck tightened and a weight pressed against her back, forcing her to be pulled forward.
She subconsciously turned her head and saw Li Changjing's cold and stern profile. He didn't look at her, but put his arm around her from behind, grabbed her neck, and led her to the dining table.
Seeing his expression, Wen Yining felt a chill run down her spine. Without resisting, she obediently followed him to the table and was pushed into a chair. Li Changjing pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. He still didn't look at her. His profile was illuminated by the glass lamp above his head, making him appear cold, white, and sharp.
Wen Yining didn't dare to resist anymore, and obediently let Li Changjing talk to others casually as before, while casually serving her food and soup.
The two didn't exchange a single word.
Everyone at the table could see that something was off between the two. They kept their eyes down and didn't give each other a second glance, nor did anyone dare to bring up Wen Yining.
After finishing her meal, Wen Yining put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth. She noticed Li Changjing's condition and didn't dare to leave immediately. She said in a low voice, "I'm finished eating. I want to go out for some fresh air."
Li Changjing finally glanced at her, his expression softening slightly. "Go ahead, remember the name of the private room."
Fang Qi watched the two of them across the table.
Wen Yining nodded, stood up, and walked out.
She got up and left, and only then did Li Changjing turn around to look at her retreating figure.
As soon as she stepped outside, she exhaled, glanced left and right, and walked towards the window at the end of the corridor.
She took two steps and looked back. Li Changjing's bodyguards followed her, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far. It was obvious whose orders they were carrying.
Wen Yining's expression darkened, and her initial relief was immediately dampened. Resistance was futile; the bodyguards wouldn't listen to her.
She turned around, took a breath, and continued walking.
The end of the corridor was far from the private room she had just left, leading to a stairwell. She pushed open the door, walked to the window, and tried to open it. The late winter night wind immediately rushed in.
I don't know how long I stood there, but then I thought, "No wonder I couldn't find you."
Wen Yining turned around, and Fang Qi looked at her with a smirk.
He turned to the bodyguards not far away and said, "Your young master is being protected so tightly, he can't possibly fly away."
The bodyguard glanced at Wen Yining, and the other woman smiled.
Fang Qi lazily lit a cigarette. "I want to chat with my sister Juan for a bit."
The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, then nodded and walked away.
The two of them were left alone in the somewhat dark stairwell. Wen Yining asked, "Are you here to act as an intermediary for Li Changjing?"
Fang Qi chuckled, exhaling a smoke ring as he held a cigarette. His peach blossom eyes curved into crescents, exuding a roguish charm. "Why don't you just stay with him? All this arguing and bickering, aren't you tired? You should know that if he wanted to, plenty of girls would throw themselves at him. Putting aside his family background, just look at his face—he's really good-looking. There are plenty of girls willing to throw themselves at him."
Wen Yining looked at Fang Qi and felt that communicating with them was despairing; they were all the same.
"You already said it was someone else."
Fang Qi took a drag of his cigarette and nodded. "But he's now practically throwing himself at you. Don't be naive. Seize his current feelings for you and climb the social ladder. Then you'll have everything you want, fame and fortune will be yours."
Wen Yining lowered her head, revealing a smile without any sharp edges, which made her already beautiful and harmless face look even softer. She raised her eyes, her tone calm and peaceful, but her eyes were filled with a sharp emotion. "You two are truly friends. According to you, just because he has power, influence, and that face, I should throw away all my dignity and pride, let him summon me and dismiss me at will, live under his control without any freedom, and then wait patiently for him to get tired of me, or wait for him to get married and become his mistress in the shadows, or when I encounter another choice, I should abandon him without hesitation again, is that right?"
Fang Qi dropped all his nonchalant attitude, staring at her intently without saying a word.
Wen Yining stared coldly at Fang Qi for a few seconds, then stepped past him and walked out.
Behind him, Fang Qi's voice came, "Let's cooperate. You're doing me a favor, and you're also doing yourself a favor."
Wen Yining paused and turned to look at him.
Author's Note: Although it's not a purely daily update, I do write a lot of words [glasses]. On average, I'm updating about 4,000 words a day.
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