'Guiying' picked the scattered cards from the floor and lazily flipped it open.
"Oof. Such heartwarming words," she chuckled. "Who could imagine that this same man would embrace your arch rival? So romantic. Today is Valentine's Day. Zhou Ai is enjoying her victory and love on this beautiful day while you are crying miserably here," she clicked her tongue.
She crumpled the card in her fist but found a force resisting her.
"No! Don't ruin it!" She cried. "That is precious to me! He...He gave it to me."
She hastily gathered all the gifts and cards and put them back in the cupboard. She collapsed on the floor, not knowing what to do anymore.
pa??? ?<0>??? She saw an incoming call from her brother. The fear of talking to him gripped her so hard that she took several steps away from her phone as if running away from it.
"Don't...don't want to talk to him. No...Don't want to listen..." She covered her ears and shut her eyes, wanting to separate herself from the world.
Amidst that fear, a peal of laughter broke in the air.
"Come on, why are you so afraid, my dear? Isn't he your brother? He is family. You should be thrilled. He is definitely calling to console you...or maybe sing Zhou Ai's praises of how he is proud of her more than you?"
"No...No...This is all a lie," she swallowed several gulps, feeling thirsty. Yet she didn't want to drink water. Her hunger, thirst, thoughts - everything had come to a standstill.p????-?(0??)?.???
But someone hadn't.
Guiying shook and stood on her feet. She ignored the phone and the incoming call from her brother. Instead, she took another cigarette from the pack and lit it.
She crossed her legs and sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling, a stream of smoke filling the air.
"Enough is enough, my dear. You have suffered a lot. Now MrPerfect showed his true colors. Everybody betrays you in the end. And I am tired of saying the same things over and over. I cannot let you be in charge anymore, otherwise you will only keep destroying your life like this. Not anymore..."
The shades of her pupils kept growing darker and darker. Her cheeks were wet with the traces of tears, but her expression didn't resemble that of any sadness or grief.
Instead, a fierce fire burned in her eyes. She crinkled the cigarette in her hands, and she slightly hissed with the pain as the lit part made a dark spot at the center of the palm.
She heard the sounds of tears and betrayal breaking her heart apart. She felt the grief of watching the man she loved embracing another woman. She felt her thoughts and emotions having no place to go.
That's where 'she' came in.
She smiled. "Take rest, dear. Take a good rest. You have been an idiot all this time, so from on...let me handle this." p???? ?(O)???
—
Nian, who was thoroughly beaten into a pulp by Xing Bi, was lying akin to a dead body in his car. His heart and spirit was crushed with the way how Xing Bi spat fire out of her mouth and fists.
Though at the back of his mind, he felt as if he was missing something super important detail that he was supposed to confront about.
But once Xing Bi's punches landed upon him, he was dead meat.
Ah, my love story...my poor, poor love story.
As if his fooling around wasn't enough that the one person who could have helped him extinguish her anger was the very person he messed up with.
Why? Why oh God why? Why did Zhou Ai have to be connected to Xing Bi!? Why!?
The car door opened and Jin stepped in.
"Jin! You bastard! Why did I bring you here? To help me butter up Xing Bi and save my love story! Where did you disappear off!? I didn't see you anywhere." ρ?????(?)?????
But Jin didn't reply.
"Jin? I am talking to you!"
He snapped from his stupor and glanced at him. "What?"
Nian's expression turned ugly. "How dare you disrespect your eldest brother? So many things happened. Where were you all this time?"
"Nowhere," he flatly replied, his gaze expressionless.
Nian watched him carefully and asked, "Is something bothering you?"
"Hm? Why do you think so?"
"You seem different," he stated.
Jin smiled. "It's nothing."
Nian heavily frowned. He couldn't point his finger on it, but Jin seemed a little different from when they had arrived at the Summit.
He released a sigh.
"I don't know what to do anymore. Zhou Ai gave me the biggest shock of my life. Who knew she would be connected to Xing Bi!"
Then he suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed. "I remember what I was missing out on! Jun and Zhou Ai! The other biggest shock I got tonight was when Xing Bi said that Jun and Zhou Ai lived together!"
Jin paused and narrowed his eyes. "Bro Jun and...Zhou Ai?"
"Yes. How is it possible? Jun would let another woman stay in his house?" Nian said with an incredulous expression. "Zhou Ai also agreed to this, but I don't understand how this can happen? Jun doesn't even let any woman touch him. I agree she is a good person, but still...It feels unbelievable. I need to talk to Jun about this..."
Then he had also seen Jun personally inviting Ai to Sky.
"And what is he doing at the Summit anyway? I thought he and Shui will be on a date tonight," Nian narrowed his eyes. "Something is...not right here. Jun has changed."
Jin said nothing.
"Let's go back home, Bro."
Nian thought to have a good word with Jun later. He then recalled his failed attempt to get Xing Bi back and burst into tears. "Ah...I think the only way remaining is for me to kill her future lover whenever that would be," he shook his head.
—
Liu Villa.
Jin walked into his room, darkness enveloping his figure. He didn't bother to switch the lights on. He poured himself a glass of whisky and sat on the couch, his head leaning back.
He took a sip and stared at the ceiling, his eyes never blinking once.
"This isn't supposed to happen, Bro. This is not how you should be living your life. No matter how good Zhou Ai is, you cannot hold any future with her," his quiet voice reverberated in the air.
"The only woman by your side can be Han Shui. Isn't that why..." he tilted his head, an unreadable glint passing his dark eyes, "I had to die by your hands?"
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