"Like? Follow? Xing Zheng had no impression at all. He remained silent, and Li Xun knew the answer. He had always been like this, his heart only occupied by his white moonlight, how could he notice other women? 'Once, she followed you and saw you go to the hospital. She went up to care for you, but you drove her away. After that, I never saw her approach you again.'"
"She must have been hurt. At that time, they were only twenty years old. Qiao Wei was a well-known alumna of Penn, praised by everyone. Countless men fancied her, yet she was deeply devoted to Xing Zheng. That time, she must have been terribly hurt."
"The information Li Xun found also corroborated this. A month after Xing Zheng drove Qiao Wei away from the hospital, she got together with Xiao Shu. Xiao Shu was already in his final year of university."
"The two fell deeply in love, their combined strength making them a campus legend. Their relationship was stable. After Qiao Wei finished her undergraduate studies, she married Xiao Shu, who had just graduated with his master's degree. She gave up her offer from Stanford and returned to Kyoto with him. What happened afterward was unknown. Their accounts of the divorce were also remarkably consistent: incompatibility."
"That reason, upon hearing it, was clearly a fabrication. 'Did Xiao Shu contact you, and is it related to Qiao Wei?'"
"'Can you contact Qiao Wei?' Xing Zheng asked Li Xun. 'Where is she now?'"
"If this matter truly originated because of Qiao Wei, finding her would become a crucial breakthrough."
"'After she divorced Xiao Shu, there was no news of her. Even former classmates couldn't reach her,' Li Xun said. 'I've sent people to look for her.'"
"Xing Zheng grunted, 'You can use my people.'"
"Before going to sleep that night, Lin Mei saw the statement issued by Shuang Mu's public relations department. Just as Xing Zheng had said, in the statement, he cleared her name, even going so far as to tarnish his own reputation. He even spun the past 'seduction' into revenge for unrequited love."
"The public opinion immediately shifted. Lin Mei's image transformed from a vixen who unscrupulously seduced another's fiancé to a weak woman who was forcefully taken by a capitalist and had no power to resist. Those who had attacked her before apologized, and some media outlets also came forward to apologize for their past remarks. Lin Mei herself had not made any appearance, nor had anyone bothered her."
"Lin Mei looked at the statement and let out a mocking laugh. The news had already been suppressed by Xiao Shu. Xing Zheng's statement, coming so late, what was its purpose? Did he think she would be moved by it and offer herself up for humiliation again, just like before? Dream on!"
"Xiao Shu had done Lin Mei a great favor. Lin Mei was immensely grateful to him. This day, as Xiao Shu had to attend to some business, she volunteered to accompany Xiao Mutian to her piano lesson."
"While Xiao Mutian was in class, Lin Mei waited at a coffee shop near the training institution. Unexpectedly, she ran into Jiang Chu Bi here."
"Upon seeing the radiant Jiang Chu Bi, Lin Mei could only think of the phrase 'enemies meeting on a narrow road.' Recalling the recent news, Lin Mei didn't even have the thought of greeting Jiang Chu Bi. However, Jiang Chu Bi acted as if nothing had happened, holding her coffee, and sat down opposite her."
"Lin Mei frowned and was about to get up when Jiang Chu Bi interrupted her, 'Do you really dislike seeing me that much?'"
"'Does Miss Jiang think she is very welcome here?' Lin Mei retorted sarcastically."
"'The news wasn't my doing,' Jiang Chu Bi knew very well why Lin Mei's words were so sharp. 'It happened suddenly, but he had already gotten people to suppress it immediately. Shuang Mu's public relations department also issued a statement last night.'"
"'Oh, should I be eternally grateful to you?' Lin Mei sneered. She hadn't wanted to argue with her, but Jiang Chu Bi's hypocritical approach truly pushed her to her limit. 'Why come to me and pretend? If it wasn't you, then who was it? It's such a coincidence, right after your divorce statement was released, someone dug up my scandal. What, is someone trying to provoke the nonexistent friendship between us?'"
"Jiang Chu Bi could naturally sense Lin Mei's anger. She had always been patient, but now, with her sharp tone and so many words, none of them hit the mark. Jiang Chu Bi couldn't help but mock, 'There's naturally no need to provoke us. If you used your brain even a little, you would know that the other party wanted to break you and Xing Zheng apart. You actually fell for it, how foolish.'"
"All of Xing Zheng's efforts and thoughtfulness for her, all the silent things he did, and in the end, he had to bear such a false accusation. Lin Mei didn't even have that much trust in him. Why bother?"
"'Yes, I am foolish, otherwise, how could you come up with such an outrageous and clumsy reason to lie to me?' Lin Mei pressed aggressively. 'Even if it wasn't you, why did I have to bear such a scandal back then? Wasn't it thanks to you? Your statement clarifying things is just giving me justice. What, do you expect me to be grateful?'"
"Jiang Chu Bi was rendered speechless by Lin Mei's words for the first time. She also felt Lin Mei's deep hatred for Xing Zheng from her words. After a long silence, she finally said to Lin Mei, 'The reporters were called by me. I hated you and wanted to ruin your reputation. Before that, he knew nothing. If you want to hate, you can hate me alone.'"
"Lin Mei's brow furrowed even deeper. What did Jiang Chu Bi mean by coming to her and distancing herself from Xing Zheng? She wanted her to hate her, not Xing Zheng? What did that mean?"
"'Xing Zheng and I are not married, nor have we slept together,' as a woman herself, Jiang Chu Bi knew what Lin Mei cared about most. She didn't need to explain these things to her, but given Xing Zheng's personality, he would surely not say them. Even when explaining, Jiang Chu Bi did not forget to wound Lin Mei. 'However, Chen Qi and I have indeed been together many times.'"
"'I'm not interested in your affairs!' Lin Mei told Jiang Chu Bi to leave. 'Please stay away from me. I don't want to see you.'"
"'I really don't know what they like about you, tsk.' Jiang Chu Bi looked at Lin Mei's angry demeanor. Even when angry, she only had a few abusive words, like a rabbit without spirit. When flustered, she would only get red-eyed, and couldn't even win an argument with others. Why would Xing Yan like such a woman?'"
"'I don't know what you're talking about.' Who are 'they'? Lin Mei suspected that Jiang Chu Bi, having divorced, was unwilling to accept it and was talking nonsense to her. 'He divorced you because he has a new love. If you're not reconciled, you can go confront his new love. Don't bother me.'"
"'New love?' Jiang Chu Bi seemed to hear a ridiculous joke. 'You're saying, A Zheng has a new love?'"
"Lin Mei: 'You can ask him yourself. I don't know about his affairs.'"
"'You really don't know!' Jiang Chu Bi showed disdain. 'If you understood him even a little, you wouldn't say such foolish things!'"
"'Why should I understand him? What relationship does he have with me?' Perhaps driven to desperation, Lin Mei swore."
"Jiang Chu Bi, however, laughed. 'After all these years, his sincerity towards you has been fed to the dogs.'"