Yunqi Restaurant maintained its consistently extravagant and refined European-American style decor. The ceiling was designed with depictions of classic European paintings, and the central crystal chandelier cast a dim glow over the artwork, creating a perfect finishing touch.

Soft candlelight illuminated the dining table, casting hazy shadows across the diners’ faces.

Ji Xianlin stared unblinkingly through the gray partition at the two figures engaged in cheerful conversation across from her.

The man carried himself with elegance, every gesture reflecting the polished manners of a wealthy scion. As they chatted and laughed, he swapped his plate of neatly cut steak with the woman’s.

The woman was poised and confident, holding her own in conversation without being outshone by the man. Whether discussing industry research or strategic planning, she handled everything with ease. Her casual remarks earned her the man’s generous approval.

Comparing herself to the woman, Ji Xianlin looked down at herself.

She couldn’t help but mock herself inwardly all she knew how to do was vie for attention, and her methods were always underhanded and unbecoming.

“See it now? When have I ever lied to you, Alin? Lu Yuchen is not a man to be trusted,” Ji Mingxi advised earnestly beside her.

Her younger sister would never come to her senses without seeing the scoundrel’s true nature with her own eyes. The medicine might be strong, but at least it worked quickly.

She took Ji Xianlin’s hand and gently comforted her, “There are plenty of men out there. Why does it have to be him?”

The Ji family was no longer what it used to be. Lu Yuchen would never give up the Shen family a lucrative opportunity to help them fill their financial gaps.

What he wanted was in-laws who could bolster his position, not a marriage alliance that would drag him down. Compared to the Chu family, which could offer him support and insider information, their Lin family was already at a disadvantage.

If she hadn’t returned early, her foolish younger sister would still be kept in the dark by that man.

“He’s just forced by circumstances, Sis… He said he would always love me.” Ji Xianlin’s nose tinged red, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall.

Even after witnessing this scene, she still made excuses for him.

Ji Mingxi was exasperated. “Forced by circumstances? Who could force him? Even if Lu Xuemei closed that door, he could find plenty of ways to leave if he wanted to.”

“But look at what he’s doing now.”

Ji Mingxi gripped her arm, pointing at the harmonious pair in the next room. The man raised his glass in a toast, and the woman responded with soft laughter.

Ji Xianlin shook her head. She couldn’t believe that the man who had solemnly vowed his love for her just yesterday was now sitting in a restaurant, clinking glasses and sharing laughter with another woman.

Her trembling fingers swiped across her phone screen twice, and shortly after, the man’s phone in the next room chimed.

As if sensing something, he muted his phone without even looking at it. When calls came in one after another, Lu Yuchen finally reacted. He gestured to Chu Shiyi and stepped outside to answer the call.

His face showed impatience, but his voice came through the phone as if coaxing a child, “What’s wrong, Alin? I’m at the company. Is something the matter?”

Listening to the familiar voice through the phone, Ji Xianlin watched as the man stood in the corridor with one hand in his pocket, occasionally turning back to nod reassuringly at the woman in the private room.

Unable to hold back, Ji Xianlin covered her mouth and wept. She clutched her handbag tightly, her nails digging into the leather and leaving deep marks.

She didn’t understand. Why was he doing this? Why was he lying to her?

Hearing no response from her, Lu Yuchen frowned and glanced at his phone to confirm the call was still connected before speaking again, “Alin?”

“Are you still there?”

“Ah Chen, I…” She was crying so hard she could barely speak, but didn’t want him to notice anything unusual. After forcing back her sobs, she finally spoke.

Even so, her voice carried an unmistakable tremble of tears.

Lu Yuchen noticed immediately. “What’s wrong, Ah Lin? Why does your voice sound like that? Are you crying?”

He seemed suspicious, or perhaps it was a guilty conscience. He quickly glanced around, confirming everything was fine before relaxing.

Ji Xianlin shook her head where he couldn’t see her. No longer hiding her tearful voice, she begged him to return. “I… I’m in so much pain, Ah Chen. My stomach hurts terribly. Can you come back and stay with me?” If he would just come back, she would pretend she hadn’t seen anything today. She would still love him as before.

They could still go back to how they were.

Lu Yuchen refused: “Wait for me, Ah Lin. I can’t leave right now. I’ll come find you as soon as I finish work, okay? I’ll send the family doctor over. Please bear with it a little longer.”

Ji Xianlin felt her heart grow cold. Broken glass remained broken – even if repaired, it would never be the same.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she gradually faced reality, understanding they could never return to how they were. “Never mind. Focus on your work. I’ll be fine after resting.”

“Okay, take care of yourself then. I need to get back to work.” Lu Yuchen hung up without the slightest hesitation, not waiting for Ji Xianlin’s response.

The phone returned to silence with a dial tone. When she looked up, the man was already calmly seated in the private room, without any trace of anxiety – unlike a husband worried about his wife.

Ji Mingxi watched everything coldly, completely unsurprised by Lu Yuchen’s behavior.

The phone clattered to the floor. Ji Xianlin lost all strength and collapsed into Ji Mingxi’s arms, her face pale and lips trembling. “What should I do, sister? What should I do? Everything’s gone… He doesn’t want me anymore…”

“It’s alright, Ah Lin. Everything will be fine. It’s us who don’t want him anymore.” Ji Mingxi patted her back rhythmically.

The crying continued in the private room. Ji Mingxi suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the man sitting calmly at the table. Shen Yanli appeared completely detached, his slender fingers lightly tapping on his teacup, the silver cufflinks on his wrist swaying accordingly.

The sound of crying in the room clearly displeased him. Shen Yanli lifted his gaze to stare at the two women. When Ji Mingxi met his eyes, she couldn’t suppress a shudder.

Though his expression remained neutral, Ji Mingxi could still feel the suffocating pressure emanating from him.

She helped Ji Xianlin up and handed her over to the bodyguards, signaling them to take her home first.

Silence returned to the room. She stayed behind, seemingly wanting to say something.

“Ah Yan, thank you for arranging all this. On behalf of the Ji family, I thank you.” Ji Mingxi picked up the wine bottle from the table and poured herself half a glass. She raised it expectantly, waiting for Shen Yanli’s response.

He didn’t answer, instead taking a calm sip of his still-warm tea, ignoring her words entirely.

Having expected some sympathy from him, Ji Mingxi found herself in an awkward position when no response came. Gritting her teeth, she downed the red wine in one go.

Only then did Shen Yanli speak leisurely: “My wife often gets distressed over your Ji family matters. I don’t want to see her alienated because of you. This wasn’t done for your sake.”

He waved his hand, and Assistant Chen handed him documents from behind.

“Here is the contract. Sign it, and I’ll ensure you safely navigate through this crisis.” His voice was calm, devoid of any fluctuation.

“A-Yan, I…” Ji Mingxi had something to say, but looking at him, she couldn’t utter a single word.

Shen Yanli didn’t wait for her to sign and stood up to leave.

“A-Yan, it’s been so long since we last met. Aren’t you even willing to sit down and have a proper chat with me?” Ji Mingxi stopped him.

“Miss Ji, there’s nothing for us to discuss.” His expression was indifferent as he looked down at her from his height.

“A-Yan, are you still angry about me going abroad?” She blurted out anxiously.

“I had no choice. You know that, A-Yan. I love painting. I can’t be trapped in the country my whole life. I have my own dreams and ambitions to pursue.”

Shen Yanli remained expressionless. He took two steps back to create distance between them, his words laced with cold mockery: “Miss Ji, what does your dreams and ambitions have to do with me?”

How could they not matter?

She persisted, still trying to approach him.

“Chen Sheng.” Shen Yanli had grown impatient, his tone icy as he called to the person behind him.

Assistant Chen quickly stepped forward, placing his arm in front of Ji Mingxi. “Miss Ji, our madam is waiting for the sir. Please maintain your dignity.”

“A-Yan, can we talk? If you’re still angry, I can apologize. I’ll do anything you want. I don’t believe you sent someone to find me and bring me back just to expose Lu Yuchen’s true nature.”

“We agreed on five years, but I’ve returned early and won’t leave again. Give me another chance to go back to how things were before, okay?” Ji Mingxi spoke urgently, afraid he would leave.

When Old Master Shen first began looking for a granddaughter-in-law, he settled on the Ji family. At that time, the two happened to be attending the same university, so he had them spend time together, planning to choose an auspicious date for the engagement if things went well.

Back then, Shen Yanli didn’t take the matter seriously. It didn’t matter to him who became Mrs. Shen. He was indifferent to Ji Mingxi’s presence. If marrying her would make his grandfather happy, then so be it.

But now it was different. Thinking of Lin Zhiyu, a hint of softness flashed in Shen Yanli’s eyes.

Having one young lady at home was enough.

“Miss Ji.” He paused. “If you don’t want anything to happen to the Ji family, behave yourself.”

“I don’t mind retracting what I just said.”

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