Ji Tong: "If she hadn't mentioned it, you wouldn't have broken up with her, would you?"
The question made Shen Su frown again. "That's a hypothetical situation that doesn't apply. Don't always ask these meaningless questions."
Ji Tong pursed her lips, displeased by his answer.
Shen Su ruffled her hair and patiently said, "No matter what she told you, don't take it to heart. I won't break up with you. If you're still worried, we can get married sooner. Be good."
Shen Su's voice was very gentle, and Ji Tong's emotions gradually calmed down, her rationality returning somewhat.
She rested her head on Shen Su's shoulder, feeling a bit annoyed. "Am I being too unreasonable?"
They had been together for so long without a single argument, and now it was Qin Siruan's words that caused their first disagreement.
"Next time Qin Siruan bothers you, remember to let me know," Shen Su instructed Ji Tong. "I'll handle these issues."
Shen Su knew Qin Siruan's personality well. Someone as innocent as Ji Tong was no match for her. Qin Siruan's few words could likely send her into a spiral of overthinking for the entire day.
After being soothed by Shen Su, Ji Tong's mood finally improved. The matter was temporarily put aside. They went out for dinner together and didn't mention Qin Siruan again.
However, Shen Su kept the incident in mind. He couldn't let Qin Siruan continue to bother Ji Tong, so he made time to meet with Qin Siruan.
He found Qin Siruan's contact information from his old phone.
Qin Siruan didn't seem surprised when she received his call, even asking with a smile, "Do you miss me?"
Shen Su had no intention of joking with her. "You know why I'm looking for you."
Qin Siruan laughed mockingly. "Can't wait to complain, can you?"
Shen Su: "Gu Song is here. Come over. We need to talk."
Qin Siruan naturally wouldn't refuse to meet Shen Su. After Shen Su told her the time and place, he hung up. Thinking of Qin Siruan's persistence, his expression became even colder.
He had dated many girlfriends, and Qin Siruan was indeed special. He had treated her very well, perhaps to the same extent as he treated Ji Tong now. But that was in the past. Qin Siruan's personality was clearly not as good as Ji Tong's. During their relationship, she often argued with him, and he was always the one to humble himself and appease her.
Once or twice was fine, but over time, anyone would get tired of it, especially her tendency to bring up breakups. That was something Shen Su couldn't tolerate. After countless attempts to appease her, he finally grew weary. When Qin Siruan proposed breaking up that time, he readily agreed, and they parted ways.
He thought that was the end of it, but Qin Siruan was unwilling. She pestered him for a long time after the breakup. When he refused to contact her, she even attempted suicide by cutting her wrists. She was rushed to the emergency room, and Shen Su rushed over. Fearing she might do something drastic again, he stayed by her side in the hospital for a few days.
He had truly done everything he could for Qin Siruan.
After that, Qin Siruan seemed to have come to her senses and stopped bothering him, going abroad to focus on her career. When they met in the United States two years ago, she didn't seem as desperate as before. At that time, when he interacted with her, there was a bit of a competitive element, wanting to see Feng Feng's reaction when other women appeared around him.
But Feng Feng never showed any interest in the matter, so he stopped seeking trouble. Their contact with Qin Siruan was severed again. He hadn't expected Qin Siruan to still harbor thoughts of reconciling with him, even going so far as to inquire about Ji Tong.
The next afternoon, Shen Su arrived at Ru Feng Club before his workday ended. Qin Siruan had already arrived.
Gu Song had met with Qin Siruan earlier. Upon seeing Shen Su, he immediately walked over and asked, "Why did you ask Qin Siruan to meet? Aren't you afraid Ji Tong will be jealous?"
Shen Su hadn't discussed this with Gu Song before. "Qin Siruan went to see Ji Tong."
When Gu Song heard this, he also started to feel a headache. "She still won't let go? Why is she so persistent?"
"Is Ji Tong alright?" Gu Song was a little worried. Ji Tong was no match for Qin Siruan. Such a simple person would surely be provoked by Qin Siruan's words.
At times like these, someone with Feng Feng's temperament would be less likely to suffer a loss.
Shen Su didn't commit to an answer, only asking him, "Has she arrived?"
Gu Song: "She's upstairs."
Shen Su grunted and then went upstairs.
Gu Song already had the answer to his earlier question. If Ji Tong were fine, Shen Su wouldn't have proactively asked Qin Siruan to meet.
Qin Siruan must have said something that made Ji Tong sad.
When Shen Su entered the private room, he saw Qin Siruan holding a cup and drinking water.
Seeing him approach, Qin Siruan put down her water cup and smiled at him, her beautiful face full of warmth. "You're here."
Compared to her, Shen Su's attitude was much colder.
He walked over and sat down, looking at her with a detached expression, completely devoid of the affection he once had, as if he were looking at a stranger.
The smile on Qin Siruan's face gradually disappeared, replaced by heartache and self-mockery. "You really don't want to see me, do you?"
Shen Su: "You know why I'm looking for you."
Qin Siruan: "Because I met your darling behind your back?"
Qin Siruan's words were filled with sourness. Shen Su truly treated Ji Tong specially.
Shen Su did not deny the term "darling." "Don't go looking for her again. If there's a next time, don't blame me for not showing you any respect."
Qin Siruan sneered, curling her lips. "How will you disrespect me? Will you drive me out of Nanjiang forever for her, never letting me return?"
Shen Su: "If you continue to bother her, I don't mind doing that either."
Qin Siruan: "Do you like her that much?"
Shen Su remained silent.
Qin Siruan remembered something. "You never warned me like this when I went to see Feng Feng."
Qin Siruan's previous imaginary rival had always been Feng Feng. She subconsciously felt that Feng Feng was the special one in Shen Su's eyes, probably because he had never had a woman of that type around him before.
And his gaze always followed Feng Feng. At least, Qin Siruan had never seen him so infatuated with a woman.
But now, mentioning this name to Shen Su again, he appeared incredibly calm, even saying, "Feng Feng and Ji Tong are incomparable."
Qin Siruan didn't understand the meaning of his words. "What do you mean incomparable? Is Ji Tong the most important one in your heart?"
Shen Su still didn't answer. He didn't need to explain such things to Qin Siruan.
Qin Siruan showed a self-mocking expression again. "If it were Feng Feng, I would be more accepting."
She could tell herself that Shen Su liked a completely different type of woman, that his taste had changed...
Furthermore, Qin Siruan had investigated Feng Feng before. She was very successful in her career. If she lost to someone like that, she could convince herself to accept it.