Chapter 31: Entanglement

Xiao Sihe’s suggestion caused a sudden flash of insight for Zhao Wenji.

It was true; that pair of scoundrels had been the ones to break faith first. Why should he continue to "guard" Peng Jiaxin from the shadows? That woman, who had moved on to another, had already dragged his dignity through the dirt!

Moreover, live streaming was incredibly convenient these days—all one needed was a smartphone. Zhao Wenji had a brain (though not a large one), and he knew that if he wanted to make Peng Jiaxin and that man named Chen Fan pay a heavy price, a few mere words would not suffice. He needed to be fully prepared.

Consequently, Zhao Wenji began contacting his friends in the industry, hoping they would help generate momentum. With Sister Hong still dealing with breach-of-contract paperwork and Peng Jiaxin yet to issue an official blacklist against him, Zhao Wenji had caught a perfect window of time. As a top-tier celebrity at Xinghai Entertainment, Zhao Wenji had many friends. While their bonds might not be deep, getting them to help promote that he would be live streaming at 8:00 PM on the platform was certainly not an issue.

However, some of the shrewder ones asked Zhao Wenji what he intended to say during the stream. If the kid blurted out something scandalous, wouldn’t that just be putting them on the spot? Seeing Zhao Wenji stammer and struggle to spit out a coherent answer, they declined his request. Even so, a significant number of people still agreed to help.

With the promotion settled, Zhao Wenji buried himself in writing a script. He was determined to ruin the reputations of those two scoundrels!

...

In Beijing, the moment Zhou Xuejing stepped off the plane, she headed straight for Yanjing University, or "Jingda" for short. This institution, hailed as the premier university in China, covered over two million square meters and housed multiple campuses; its faculty and teaching facilities were the best in the country.

The object of Zhou Xuejing’s online romance was a student at this very school. He was indeed smart, but not quite smart enough to have the university waive his tuition. In this school, geniuses were as common as dirt and monsters were as ubiquitous as dogs.

Liang Yufeng knew his own strengths and weaknesses well. The moment he learned that Zhou Xuejing was the daughter of a wealthy family, his brain instantly made the most calculated choice. Agreeing to her advances was a given, but it required a bit of tug-of-war! He needed to leave a deep impression on her mind so that he could maintain a long-term relationship with this rich young heiress. Even if they didn't end up married, when she recalled the hardships of pursuing him, she would subconsciously soften toward him.

Have you ever read those female-oriented web novels? Liang Yufeng wanted to become exactly that kind of "white moonlight" in Zhou Xuejing’s heart. That was why, even though Zhou Xuejing hadn't contacted him for two days, he forced himself not to reach out to her.

"Liang Yufeng, how come we haven't seen your goddess pursuer these past two days? Don't tell me she's lost interest in you?"
"We told you to just say yes, but you had to insist on taking it slow. Well, now look—she doesn't want you anymore."
"Both of you, stop it. Liang Yufeng is the one feeling the worst right now, okay?"

The three people in the dormitory spoke with sarcasm. Liang Yufeng’s face turned livid. When exactly had his relationship with his roommates become this strained? Oh, right—it was the moment he discovered his online girlfriend was a wealthy heiress.

Liang Yufeng was a student from a poor background, so his roommates and classmates had always been very considerate toward him. Yet, in his eyes, these acts were merely charity and pity. How did that saying go? "I'll take the gift, but keep your kindness to yourself." He, Liang Yufeng, did not need their pity!

It wasn't until he discovered his girlfriend was a wealthy second-generation heiress that his accumulated "grievances" finally erupted. He began to intentionally show off Zhou Xuejing’s excellence to his roommates, bragging about how wonderful it felt to be pursued by a rich girl. His attitude toward his roommates suddenly became condescending.

Zhou Xuejing was a hopeless romantic; otherwise, she wouldn't have hopped on a plane just to meet an online boyfriend. To win Liang Yufeng back, she started throwing money around, pursuing him the same way she had chased men in the past. Liang Yufeng maintained his "I'll take the goods, but keep the sentiment" attitude, keeping their relationship in a state of vague ambiguity, and then used the expensive gifts Zhou Xuejing gave him to show off in front of his roommates. Over time, their relationship had deteriorated into this.

"Come down, I have something to tell you."

Suddenly, Liang Yufeng received a message from Zhou Xuejing. He immediately straightened his back and triumphantly gestured toward the three of them. "Sorry, guys, she’s here downstairs to see me." Without waiting to appreciate the expressions on their faces, he turned and headed downstairs.

Having prepared for so long this time, what gift would Zhou Xuejing bring him? A luxury watch? A smartphone? Actually, I’d really like a laptop. I’ll try to find a way to drop a hint about that later.

His roommates moved to the window. Their dorm was on the third floor, and they could clearly see the beautiful figure standing in the shade of a tree, arms crossed.

"Tsk, where does this guy get such dumb luck?" Though they didn't want to admit it, they were truly envious. Who wouldn't want a tall, leggy, wealthy beauty?
"Man, this kid really hit the jackpot."
"He’s already changed his tune before even officially dating. If they actually get together, we’ll probably have to walk on eggshells just to speak to him."

The three were in a foul mood; Liang Yufeng’s ingratitude had truly hurt them.

"I don't want to watch anymore."
"Same."

After seeing Liang Yufeng appear in their field of vision, two of the roommates left. Only one man wearing glasses remained, watching silently. Soon, he saw the scene he had been expecting.

"You guys, come look."
"What is it?"
"Don't tell me she's giving him another expensive gift?"
"No."

The man pushed up his glasses, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "Just as I expected, that beauty is here to break up with Liang Yufeng."
"Huh? When were they ever dating?"
"...Don't get hung up on the details. Just come look."

The three gathered at the window again. They could clearly see the beauty saying something to Liang Yufeng. After she finished, she turned and left, leaving Liang Yufeng standing there, looking utterly devastated.

"Whoa... it really looks like she’s done chasing him. But tell me, how did you know?"

The man’s smile stiffened, and he was silent for a long time. "Because when my ex-girlfriend came to break up with me, she said the exact same thing that beauty just said to Liang Yufeng."

The same "come downstairs, I have something to tell you," the same scene, the same look of utter devastation. The only difference was that Liang Yufeng seemed a bit bolder than the man; he snapped out of his daze and dashed after Zhou Xuejing. He grabbed her wrist, looking at her with teary, blurry eyes.

"Why? Why are you saying things like this?"

Had this been a few days ago, Zhou Xuejing might have felt sorry for him, but now, she only felt a chill of disgust. How could a man be so dramatic?

"What the hell is it to you? Also, it was you who said we weren't a good fit, and now I think you were absolutely right, so I’ve decided to give up. Shouldn't you be happy?"

Zhou Xuejing tried to shake off Liang Yufeng’s hand, only to find his grip surprisingly strong.

"Let go of me!"