3. Apologize to the Enchantress

From the moment Lu Tingyuan arrived with Su Yiyi, people eager to curry favor with the Lu family immediately gathered around, calling out to Su Yiyi, "Sister-in-law."

Su Yiyi neither denied nor acknowledged it, blushing as she greeted everyone politely, "Hello."

Jiang Yao’s expression darkened upon hearing this.

She pulled Ji Qingran aside and demanded sharply, "What’s going on between you and Lu Tingyuan? Weren’t you supposed to be getting married? Even if you two argued, there should be limits. He knew this welcome dinner was for you, so what’s the meaning of him bringing another woman here? And letting others call her 'sister-in-law'?"

Ji Qingran had only started seeing Lu Tingyuan after going abroad, and few knew about their relationship—Jiang Yao being one of them.

Ji Qingran glanced toward the entrance and indeed saw Su Yiyi draped in Lu Tingyuan’s coat, following him everywhere, her hand tightly clutching his sleeve.

Or perhaps it was his hand—they were too far apart to see clearly.

"Did he really let others call Su Yiyi ‘sister-in-law’?" Ji Qingran asked Jiang Yao.

She tried to sound indifferent, but the fluctuations in her voice were obvious.

Jiang Yao, still simmering with anger, spat out, "Do you think I’m lying? They sounded way too familiar."

Ji Qingran’s world spun at those words.

She wanted to speak up for Lu Tingyuan, to say that they had broken up and that he was free to be with whomever he wished.

But her mouth opened and closed several times, her throat dry and parched, no sound coming out.

Her mind flashed back to that year when he visited her abroad. They were on a date when one of his friends caught sight of them and asked, "Who is she?"

He let go of her hand and, with a detached tone, introduced her as "a high school classmate."

Later, when she confronted him, asking why he refused to acknowledge their relationship, what was his reaction?

Ah, he looked at her coldly as she raged and finally asked with indifference, "You want everyone to know I’m dating you?"

Suddenly, the scar on her wrist ached sharply. She instinctively touched it, thinking, no matter how many years pass, she remains the same—forever burdened by stigma, forced to hide like a rat in the shadows even in love.

Perhaps her expression was too grim because Jiang Yao, filled with both sympathy and concern, angrily said, "I’ll go and give him a piece of my mind!"

Ji Qingran hastily stopped her, "No, we’ve already..."

Jiang Yao, nicknamed "Little Chili," was still furious and too much for Ji Qingran to restrain. Clomping in her heels, she stormed over to Su Yiyi without a word and splashed a glass of wine onto her.

"Ugh! You seductress! Don’t you know the man you’re clinging to already has a fiancée? Shameless!"

Those words struck a nerve with Lu Tingyuan.

He immediately pulled Su Yiyi protectively into his arms, his gaze on Jiang Yao icy and chilling.

Though furious, he still softly asked Su Yiyi, "Are you alright?"

Su Yiyi, drenched and trembling in his embrace, had never endured such humiliation before. Hearing his voice, her heart ached, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

---

"Senior brother, I don’t want to stay here. Take me away, please, hurry."

Ji Qingran arrived then, her leg still not fully healed and unable to keep up with Jiang Yao.

She saw Lu Tingyuan’s dark, brooding gaze at once.

Having been involved with him for six years, she knew he was on the brink of exploding. She quickly pulled Jiang Yao aside and explained to Lu Tingyuan, "I wasn’t clear enough—Jiang Yao misunderstood and was just standing up for me."

Lu Tingyuan looked at her, narrowing his eyes, his expression distant yet tinged with anger. "She’s standing up for you? So, you feel quite wronged?"

Tonight’s gathering was mostly of high school classmates; many had already turned their attention toward them.

Not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of old classmates, Ji Qingran pursed her lips and spoke with conciliatory sincerity, "I’m sorry, I apologize. It was my fault."

Years of repeating similar scenes made her habitually reach for Lu Tingyuan’s hand.

"Smack!"

Her hand was slapped.

It was Su Yiyi.

As she raised her hand to grab Lu Tingyuan’s shirt, her palm landed on Ji Qingran’s hand instead, hard enough to sting fiercely.

The sharp sound was like a slap to the face.

Su Yiyi timidly clung to Lu Tingyuan, her eyes red-rimmed as she said, "Senior brother, if my father saw me like this, would he be heartbroken?"

Lu Tingyuan’s briefly softened expression darkened again instantly.

"I won’t let you have it easy," he said to Jiang Yao, each word deliberate and cold.

Only Ji Qingran knew that the colder his tone, the angrier he was.

She tried to plead further, but Jiang Yao, already furious, snapped, "How do you plan to make things difficult for her? Do you even care about Qingran? Do you know how short a woman’s youth is? You’ve dragged her along for six years without marrying her, and now you’re supporting someone younger outside. What does she do? Have you ever thought about her situation?"

Jiang Yao’s words voiced all the grievances Ji Qingran harbored deep within.

She wanted to ask Lu Tingyuan if he ever considered how she would cope after he threw a city-wide spectacle of fireworks for Su Yiyi, a woman he didn’t even care enough to acknowledge as his fiancée. In the realm of fame and fortune, who would ever look kindly upon her?

She had no family to lean on, no parents to defend her. The only thing securing her place in Jiang City was her relationship with Lu Tingyuan.

Yet he had made her a laughingstock for Su Yiyi’s sake.

Lu Tingyuan sneered coldly at Jiang Yao, "You really think I’m afraid to move against you? The Jiang family— I don’t even have them in my sights."

Jiang Yao was so furious she struggled to breathe.

Ji Qingran stepped protectively in front of Jiang Yao, speaking calmly yet firmly enough for him to hear.

"If you lay a finger on my friend, I’ll find a way to deal with you. After all these years with you, I can dig up things to make you suffer."

She paused, then added meaningfully, "And make Su Yiyi suffer too."

---

Lu Tingyuan regarded her with unreadable intent for a long moment before suddenly laughing, "You’re threatening me?"

Ji Qingran licked her lips, stiffly replying, "Something like that."

His smile grew wider. "Alright, Ji Qingran, you’ve grown some spine."

She clenched her fists tightly and forced out, "I’ve always been like this—you know I won’t have a good life, but I won’t let those around me have it either."

Lu Tingyuan knew this well. He once found her character amusing; now it only vexed him.

He stared at her sharply, as if trying to pierce her soul.

"So, Jiang Yao’s words—were they your ideas? You think this way about Su Yiyi behind her back?"

Ji Qingran didn’t deny it.

His fury was evident.

Curious onlookers gathered around.

At that moment, Su Yiyi tugged fiercely on Lu Tingyuan’s hand, pleading, "Enough, senior brother, it’s just a small matter. Let’s go."

Lu Tingyuan wasn’t about to let it go so easily.

But seeing Su Yiyi trembling so badly, worried she might be frightened, he darkened his expression and left.

Before stepping out, he wrapped his coat tightly around her, fearing the damp clothes and cold wind might make her sick.

Having offended such a powerful figure, Ji Qingran and Jiang Yao lost the will to stay, and many guests began to leave. What should have been a pleasant welcome dinner ended abruptly.

They thought the matter was over, but Lu Tingyuan’s retaliation was just beginning.

---

A few days later, Jiang Yao complained about her aching feet as she squeezed onto a crowded bus to work.

Ji Qingran asked, "What happened to your car?"

Jiang Yao’s face stiffened, and she answered awkwardly, "I sold it. Lu Tingyuan seems to be suffering from some major problem lately; he’s been acting crazy, targeting me everywhere. Several investors I talked to have backed out because of him."

Ji Qingran’s expression darkened.

Jiang Yao tried to console her, "It’s just temporary. I’ll buy a new one once this passes—actually, I wanted to get a new car anyway."

Ji Qingran remained unconsoled.

As the workday neared its end, she took the initiative to contact Lu Tingyuan.

"What exactly do you want?"