The number of times Ji Tong had discussed such matters with Shen Su was few, this being one of the rare occasions.
Shen Su did not mind her bringing up the past. After careful consideration, he told her, "You must be the third."
Upon hearing this, Ji Tong smiled and said, "That's not bad." It was far fewer than she had imagined.
Before dating Shen Su, Ji Tong already knew he was likely a master of romance. Coupled with his age and experience, he must have had many girlfriends.
Three... was a number she could completely accept.
Ji Tong's response was somewhat unexpected. Shen Su looked at her smile, a hint of helplessness in his expression, "I thought you would be jealous."
Ji Tong replied, "There are only three, why should I be jealous?"
Shen Su mused, "Occasional jealousy is also a bit of romantic spice."
Ji Tong countered, "You only say that because I'm not jealous. If I were jealous every day, you'd find me unreasonable."
Shen Su was amused again, surprised by how much she understood.
Regarding the topic of ex-girlfriends, Ji Tong touched upon it briefly and then dropped it. Later, they chatted about other things and finished the meal together.
Shen Su stayed at Ji Tong's place for over an hour before leaving.
The next morning at eight o'clock, Ji Tong was dressed and ready for work. As she boarded the bus, she was completely unaware that she had been followed all the way.
On Thursday, Ji Tong returned to the firm to handle some matters.
During her lunch break, Ji Tong went to the coffee shop downstairs to buy a coffee. Just as she sat down with her coffee, a woman appeared opposite her.
The woman was very beautiful, with a face that was both gentle and sexy. She seemed approachable, but her eyes were far from friendly.
In that instant, Ji Tong searched her memory but couldn't recall ever meeting the woman, nor did she know the source of her hostility.
It was impossible to dismiss this as a coincidence, as the woman's gaze was fixed on her face, filled with jealousy and hatred, which was deeply unsettling.
Since the woman remained silent, Ji Tong finally spoke, "Do we know each other? Are you looking for me?"
Ji Tong maintained a polite demeanor, not showing impatience despite the woman's attitude.
Upon hearing Ji Tong's voice, Qin Siruan was reminded of the scenes she had witnessed of Ji Tong acting affectionately with Shen Su in recent days. She let out a mocking laugh.
Qin Siruan asked, "Shen Su hasn't mentioned me to you?"
Hearing Shen Su's name from her lips, Ji Tong's expression stiffened. Combined with the woman's hostile attitude, even the most naive person would understand the reason.
Ji Tong replied, "No, who are you?"
Qin Siruan introduced herself and said with a smile, "I'm the one who dated him for several years and was almost married to him."
This statement seemed intended to emphasize her status, especially the part about almost getting married. Whether it was true or not, her confidence in saying it suggested that Shen Su had treated her very well back then.
Ji Tong responded, "Oh, but what business do you have with me?"
Qin Siruan pressed, "Do you think Shen Su will marry you? Do you think he's serious about you?"
Ji Tong answered without hesitation, "Of course, I trust him unconditionally."
Such a naive response earned her another round of Qin Siruan's mockery, "You don't know him at all."
"A young girl like you, fresh out of college, has never been his type. He likes mature women. Being with you is just a pastime for him at most. If you had any sense, you'd break up with him soon and stop fantasizing about someone who doesn't belong to you."
Qin Siruan's tone was condescending, much more so than when she spoke to Feng Feng. After all, Ji Tong's presence couldn't compare to Feng Feng's.
Ji Tong felt utterly bewildered. Being lectured like this by someone she didn't know, it was as if she was worthless in Qin Siruan's eyes, merely a plaything for Shen Su in his spare time.
Although Ji Tong was good-tempered, she couldn't maintain a smile after being insulted like this. She became somewhat angry. "Miss Qin, I know how he treats me. I don't need a former girlfriend to remind me. If you want to get back together with him, I suggest you go directly to him instead of trying to sow discord here. It makes you look classless."
Politeness was reserved for those who deserved it. Qin Siruan had shown her no respect, so Ji Tong wouldn't let herself be bullied.
Clearly, Qin Siruan hadn't expected Ji Tong to retort like this. Her expression turned unpleasant. "Who are you calling classless?"
Ji Tong calmly replied, "You know in your heart."
Qin Siruan chuckled, "He treats you very well now, doesn't he? Attentive, caring for your every need. When he and I were together, he even remembered my menstrual cycle. For a while, I thought I'd never meet another man as considerate as him."
"He would cook for me, and when I was sick, he would stay by my side day and night. Anything I wanted, he would find a way to give it to me..."
Hearing Qin Siruan say this, Ji Tong did feel a pang of discomfort.
It was likely that Qin Siruan was one of the ex-girlfriends Shen Su had mentioned who cooked for him. Coupled with Qin Siruan's words, it was evident that Shen Su had been very devoted to her back then.
The treatment she was now enjoying wasn't unique; others had experienced it before.
People were inherently greedy. Who wouldn't want to be the most special person in their partner's world?
However, Ji Tong maintained a sliver of rationality. She knew Qin Siruan was deliberately saying this to make her feel unbalanced. If she showed any loss of composure, she would fall into her trap.
Therefore, Ji Tong calmed her emotions and calmly retorted, "What's the point of you telling me all this? You've already broken up."
"If he could break up with me, he can break up with you," Qin Siruan said. "Don't think that just because he's good to you now, it will last forever. He is the most cruel person in the world."
Qin Siruan suddenly moved, unfastened her watch, and raised her arm to present it to Ji Tong.
Ji Tong lowered her gaze and saw the scar on her wrist. It was a long mark, and its shape indicated how deep the wound had been.
And this location...
"See?" Qin Siruan said with a smile. "When he broke up with me, I attempted suicide for him. Even then, he showed me no mercy."
Ji Tong pursed her lips, suddenly speechless.
She didn't know how she should feel about this. Logically, Shen Su's ruthlessness towards his ex-girlfriends should make her happy, as it indicated he would have no lingering entanglements with them.
But she couldn't feel happy. She even started to imagine that if she were to become that ex-girlfriend one day, would Shen Su be equally ruthless towards her?
Women's minds were delicate. Even hardships that hadn't befallen them, they couldn't help but empathize with.
As a result, her mood couldn't easily lighten.
And women understood women best. Seeing the look in Ji Tong's eyes, Qin Siruan knew exactly what she was thinking.