Jingxia Rose

Chapter 167 [Shi Yi 017] Shi Wan, you're awesome!

The appearance of Madam Yi did not make Shi Wan think much.

But perhaps it was those last words of hers that, although Shi Wan didn't take them too seriously, felt as if invisible needles were piercing her heart.

It doesn't hurt, but it can be uncomfortable.

She also understood that wealthy and privileged families like theirs would definitely look down on an internet celebrity like her.

Of course, she doesn't need their respect.

She's been hard-boiled for nearly thirty years; she's never softened, nor has she ever thought of softening.

So she didn't go to Yi Xu's birthday party that night.

Ji Xian messaged her halfway through, asking why she hadn't gone yet. She replied that she couldn't leave and told her to have fun first.

Less than five minutes later, Yi Xu called, "Where are you?"

"I can't go. Have fun and happy birthday." Shi Wan's words were concise, and her voice was not much different from usual, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a strange sense of distance.

It was too noisy on Yi Xu's side, so he naturally didn't notice this.

He frowned. "Why aren't you coming all of a sudden? Didn't you say you were coming? We've been waiting for you."

"Busy. You play, I'm hanging up."

Shi Wan hung up the phone after saying that.

Yi Xu was a little confused.

So they just stood me up like that?
What's the point of him throwing such a big party today?
"Old Yi, didn't you say you were bringing your girlfriend? Where is she? Why hasn't she arrived yet? Does she not want us to see her?"

Just as he was feeling utterly bewildered, someone suddenly started shouting and jeering.

He didn't say anything, but came back and took a swig of his drink. He prepared to get up and go find her, saying, "You guys drink whatever you want tonight, I'll go first..."

"Where are you going? The cake hasn't even been cut yet! Is it appropriate for the birthday person to try and run away?"

"That's right, come and cut the cake."

Yi Xu was thus drawn in, and while drinking, he became somewhat distracted, and when cutting the cake, he was even more absent-minded.

"You've lost your soul?" Lu Xuming nudged his arm. "What happened? You're not like yourself at all today."

Jiang Huaichuan: "You've been bewitched by your girlfriend? I've never seen you like this before!"

Chu Feng: "Didn't you say you'd introduce us? Why haven't you arrived yet?"

Yi Xu wiped the cake off his hands, not answering their barrage of questions, but patting Lu Xuming, who was closest to him, on the shoulder, "I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on things for me, make sure nothing goes wrong, I'll be right back."

"Hey, what's going on?" Chu Feng called out, but he couldn't stop him.

The way they walked away was incredibly resolute.

Today was destined to be a day for drinking. He specially called a driver, and after getting in the car, he told Shi Wan where she lived, "Go to Shangxi Garden."

Yi Xu chose the snooker club he co-owns with Jiang Huaichuan as the venue for his birthday party.

It only takes about 20 minutes to get to Shangxi Garden.

When he got downstairs, he didn't get out of the car right away, but instead called Shi Wan first.

The phone rang for a full half minute before being answered, "Hello?"

"Are you off work yet?"

"I really don't have time today..."

Today is his birthday, after all, and Shi Wan was planning to tell him tomorrow.

For her, it didn't matter which day she said it.

But it's still a rather unpleasant topic, and putting herself in her shoes, she definitely wouldn't want to hear about it on her birthday.

"I'm at the entrance of your residential complex."

Yi Xu interrupted him.

Shi Wan was taken aback. "Weren't you at a party?"

"What's the point of my gathering if you're not coming?"

Shi Wan frowned and pursed her lips. "Ten minutes."

Ten minutes later, Shi Wan's white BMW pulled up on the side of the road near the residential area. She unfastened her seatbelt, glanced casually at the bag on the passenger side, and hesitated.

This is the birthday gift she prepared for Yi Xu yesterday.

But now that they've met, dragging things out isn't her style, and it's not a serious relationship anyway; it's just ending a casual fling.

This conflicted feeling came on very unexpectedly.

Just then, there was a knock on the car window; it was Yi Xu walking over.

She didn't take the bag after all, and got out of the car.

"What happened?" Yi Xu glanced at her, his brows furrowed, and asked in a deep voice.

Shi Wan met his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "It's nothing. I've been really busy these past few days, and besides... I just felt that given our relationship, there wasn't much need for me to attend your birthday party."

"Our relationship?" A chilling glint appeared in Yi Xu's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't that right? We're just friends with benefits." Shi Wan's brief words could be described as cold-blooded and ruthless.

Her expression remained largely unchanged, and her tone was icy cold.

But Yi Xu froze.

His pupils trembled slightly, and he began to stammer, "P... P friends?"

He scoffed, his gaze darkening, and through gritted teeth, he raised his voice, asking each word carefully, "After all this time, you still consider me just a casual sex partner?"

Those burning, sharp eyes seemed to want to engulf her in a raging fire and burn her to ashes.

His temper flared up suddenly, and Shi Wan was taken aback for a moment. But recalling his attitude over the past two months, her expression faltered, and she belatedly realized, "You...you didn't think we were dating these past two months, did you?"

Yi Xu took in the surprise, probing, and astonishment on her face.

The fire in my chest burned brighter and brighter.

He was fooled.

I was tricked for two whole months.

Actually, there were some clues. Now that I think about it carefully, their "relationship" was not very reasonable or normal.

Aside from the occasional meal, I spend most of my time in hotels.

There wasn't a single decent date.

Even when they chatted on WeChat, it was very infrequent. She would either use "being busy" as an excuse or dismiss him with a few words.

Indeed, she really was just fulfilling the duties of a casual sex partner.

He was the one who misunderstood and overstepped his bounds.

But when he took the initiative to suggest "let's give it a try," he meant he was already dating!
How could she have misinterpreted it like this?

Yi Xu, who has always been pampered, at ease, and used to controlling situations and even people's hearts, experienced this contrast for the first time.

Anger, shame, humiliation, suffocation, and a pain in his heart that he hadn't felt for many years all swept over him.

It engulfed him and destroyed him in an instant.

"Heh, um, okay, alright." Yi Xu tapped his cheek with the tip of his tongue with a playful expression and nodded self-deprecatingly.

At that moment, all his emotions turned into deep helplessness and repression. He gritted his teeth and glared at Shi Wan, "Shi Wan, you're something else!"

As Shi Wan watched his furious back recede into the distance, a slight tremor ran through her heart, and a difficult-to-describe emotion welled up within her.

irritable.

She scoffed, looked away, turned and got into her car, then stepped on the gas and drove into the residential area.

When she arrived at the parking lot, she didn't rush up. Instead, she leaned against the wall next to the elevator, smoking one cigarette after another. The gray smoke gradually blurred the indifferent expression on her pretty face.

After getting into the car, Yi Xu looked through the window at the white BMW across the street and drove in without hesitation.

"Grass!"

He angrily punched the car door.

With a 'bang,' the car door dented inward a little, and bruises and abrasions appeared on the metacarpal bones of his hand, with beads of blood oozing out.

This anger might stem from the shame and resentment of being tricked, or from Shi Wan's heartless departure.