Chapter 40: A Scoundrel Is Just That

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Ruoying had never met Yaliying, nor did she know that her parents were already aware of Yaliying’s true identity, so her gaze upon Yaliying was purely that of an outsider. Liu Minghe, however, did recognize Yaliying, for her previous drama, "God's Notebook," was about to be adapted from its original novel, and they had just signed the contract.

Liu Minghe also knew that Li Zhuwang was Ruoying’s boyfriend; Ruoying and Li Zhuwang had been together for five years and were classmates, so their circles overlapped heavily.

As a result, the atmosphere was subtly awkward.

The girl who had told him “come home early tonight” just that morning was now laughing and chatting with another man, and Li Zhuwang felt a pang of disappointment he couldn’t quite explain.

Ruoying wanted to face all this bravely, but found herself unable to do so. She and Liu Minghe had just stepped towards the restaurant when Li Zhuwang and Yaliying happened to be leaving—a collision of paths that could not have been more dramatic.

Yaliying, of course, was much more mature than Ruoying, her expression expertly concealed, though she herself was surprised by Ruoying’s transformation.

Liu Minghe remarked, “What a coincidence.”

Li Zhuwang wasn’t familiar with Liu Minghe, but Yaliying couldn’t avoid greeting him—he was now technically her superior.

“Yes.” Yaliying nodded slightly, “Hello.”

She smiled gently, her gaze drifting past Ruoying, inwardly puzzled; although Ruoying did look tense and awkward, she wasn’t as anguished as Yaliying had expected.

Moreover, if Ruoying was now involved with Liu Minghe, her identity would be exposed.

She furrowed her brows, originally not intending for Ruoying to learn her identity so soon.

Li Zhuwang didn’t dare meet Ruoying’s eyes, nor face his own feelings. He and Yaliying weren’t holding hands—after all, this was near his company, and he had only just broken off his engagement, fearing embarrassment before his colleagues.

Rumors had been swirling, too; Ruoying was somewhat headstrong, but well-liked at work, and Li Zhuwang’s affair before the engagement had already become gossip—life was hardly easy.

The encounter lasted only a moment, after which Liu Minghe led Ruoying inside, sparing her the awkwardness of further conversation.

As soon as they sat down, Liu Minghe noticed Ruoying was distracted, which was to be expected. He didn’t rush her, handing over the menu and waiting patiently for her to order.

Truth be told, he’d been busy with work lately, and his love life had stagnated. He wasn’t blind to Jiang Huiyuan’s affections, but having grown up with her, he felt nothing romantic.

Now, for some reason, looking at Yin Ruoying, he felt a surge of emotion—a desire to care for her deeply.

The thought made him chuckle inwardly.

“Have you decided?” he asked.

Liu Minghe knew if he didn’t prompt her, Ruoying would continue to drift.

Ruoying startled, then smiled apologetically, “Just a moment!”

She quickly selected a few dishes and handed the menu back to Liu Minghe.

Her mind lingered on that woman, a strange sense of familiarity tugging at her.

Liu Minghe picked a few more dishes, then heard Ruoying ask, “What’s the name of that woman just now?”

He had expected her to ask, it was written plainly on her face.

Ruoying felt a little embarrassed; her fiancé had run off with another woman, and now upon meeting them, she was asking about the woman’s name—her own conflicted feelings made her feel pitiful.

“Her pen name is Yin’e,” Liu Minghe replied, “her real name is… Ruoying?”

He hadn’t finished when he noticed something was wrong with Ruoying—her reaction was unmistakable, as if she’d been struck by a sudden blow.

“Ruoying, what’s wrong?” Liu Minghe asked anxiously, suddenly finding his hand grasped tightly by Ruoying.

Because they had just ordered, Liu Minghe’s hands were on the table, and Ruoying’s trembling hand gripped his.

She was visibly shaken, her entire demeanor fragile.

“Is her name Yaliying?”

She abruptly recalled that name stored in her phone.

“Yes,” Liu Minghe nodded, then gently held her hand in return, “Don’t worry, is something the matter?”

Ruoying believed herself strong, but when the events of several months ago linked to the present, she trembled all over, her breath faltering. She had thought herself brave enough to face everything, yet beneath the truth seemed to lurk other schemes.

She wanted to speak to Liu Minghe, but upon meeting his gaze, tears spilled uncontrollably down her face, her lips quivering, unable to utter a word.

She knew how unsightly she must look, but for so long, she’d had no one to lean on.

Her journey had been joyful and rewarding, but fraught with hardships—she’d never told anyone about the car accident she survived, or that she’d wrapped herself in a blanket, shivering on foreign streets, waiting for the police, terrified beyond measure. She’d never spoken of nearly contracting a virus in India, being hospitalized under observation for over a week. The wilful little princess she once was had weathered so many trials, yet was undone by Liu Minghe’s concerned gaze.

She lowered her eyes, avoiding his, her tears falling onto the table.

A waiter approached with their food, but Liu Minghe quietly gestured for him to wait, mouthing, “Later.”

Then he rose and sat beside Ruoying, gathering the tearful girl gently into his embrace.

Ruoying didn’t resist; at this moment of collapse, she desperately needed someone to lean on.

Liu Minghe let her cry as long as she needed, then wiped her tears before summoning the waiter again.

Ruoying felt a bit embarrassed.

After eating a little, Liu Minghe said, “Perhaps I can help you, if you trust me.”

Ruoying hesitated; alone, it was indeed inconvenient.

Liu Minghe saw she wanted to speak further and ordered two hot drinks.

Only then did Ruoying begin to recount everything.

She didn’t even hide how she had criticized Yin’e in the papers before. She felt it was all connected, and it was embarrassing enough—she wasn’t afraid of Liu Minghe making fun of her.

Liu Minghe found it odd, too: Yaliying had been targeting Shen Xiuzhen, repeatedly making trouble for her, then stealing her boyfriend.

Even in the drama, Shen Xiuzhen’s character was hardly sympathetic.

His eyes darkened as he saw Ruoying’s expectant look; he smiled slightly, “I’ll help you investigate—I also think something’s off.”

Ruoying thanked him gratefully, and they chatted about travel notes before Ruoying prepared to leave.

Liu Minghe couldn’t ask her to stay, not now—he had plenty of time ahead, and at his age, he couldn’t afford to pursue romance idly. He was looking towards marriage and wanted to spend more time with Ruoying.

Besides, meeting a girl who made his heart race was so rare; he had to be careful not to let her slip away.

Liu Minghe offered to drive Ruoying home, but she refused; she could say anything except that she was living at Li Zhuwang’s house.

Qin Shiluo noticed her reddened eyes but said nothing. Ruoying greeted them, chatted for a bit, then went upstairs.

Living in the Li household was awkward, but she had to endure it.

·

While Ruoying was in the throes of collapse, Yaliying was nearly there herself. Her first act of revenge was to make Shen Xiuzhen suffer, which had been effective; next was Ruoying.

She wanted their family to taste the pain of losing a lover.

Unfortunately, Ruoying and Li Zhuwang had no children, so she couldn’t experience the agony of being abandoned and raising a child alone—the suffering she endured was far less than what her mother had borne.

But just as Yaliying thought victory was near, it seemed… Ruoying’s companion had changed.

She was nearly amused in her fury.

That companion was her own boss, a man she had once admired for both talent and looks.

If Ruoying no longer cared for Li Zhuwang, all her painstaking efforts were for nothing!

Jealousy was there, but Yaliying felt far more indignation—the grievances of over twenty years, her mother’s pain, she intended to repay them all!

Li Zhuwang took Yaliying’s hand, sensing her foul mood but not knowing why; was it simply because she’d seen Ruoying?

Ruoying… he felt unsettled himself.

Yaliying subtly withdrew her hand.

She was somewhat moved by Li Zhuwang, but only because she was too caught up in her role; his gentleness confused her, but she knew well—such easily captivated men were of little value.

Her thoughts were chaotic.

Upon returning home, Han Jinghui was listening to dramas. After her shower, Yaliying tried to read, but her mind was restless, fearing her efforts might be wasted.

She had no idea Yin Ruoying and Liu Minghe knew each other, much less that Liu Minghe’s attitude towards Ruoying was markedly different.

Thinking it over, she called Shengmei, who had shared an office with Ruoying—the two were neighbors, and all news of Li Zhuwang came from her.

“Yaliying, what’s wrong?” Shengmei was concerned.

Yaliying asked, “Do you know what kind of relationship Ruoying has with Minghan Culture’s President Liu Minghe?”

Shengmei felt a bit guilty; she knew Ruoying had left, even that Ruoying had been hospitalized (Shen Xiuzhen used this as an excuse to cover up the real reason for Ruoying’s absence).

“I don’t know, she never mentioned it. Why, is something new happening?”

Yaliying didn’t elaborate, simply saying no and hanging up.

Her mood was foul, and Li Zhuwang was feeling low as well.

He’d planned to see a movie with Yaliying that night and come home late, but she insisted on going back to accompany her mother.

Back home, Qin Shiluo told Li Zhuwang to check on Ruoying, saying she was upset.

With a heavy heart, Li Zhuwang approached Ruoying’s door, hearing her talking on the phone—the door wasn’t tightly shut. Her cheerful voice drifted out.

“Hey, let’s meet up!” Ruoying said excitedly, “That’s wonderful, Minghe-ge, I can’t wait!”

Minghe-ge… Li Zhuwang recalled Ruoying used to call him Zhuwang-ge.

Peeking through the crack, Ruoying was laughing brightly, her large eyes curved, her delicate features radiant.

A subtle jealousy stirred in Li Zhuwang’s heart.

Ruoying had no idea Li Zhuwang had come home early; she was simply delighted because Liu Minghe had invited her, Han Zhien, Li Yingzai, and Rachel out for a barbecue. She was thrilled—she’d never had many friends, and while she got on well with Ma Maling, Maling always flirted with Zhuwang in front of her.

It happened time and again; she was exhausted.

Now with new friends, she felt utterly reborn.

Li Zhuwang considered knocking, but with her constant “Minghe-ge,” he sighed and walked away.

Author’s note: Tomorrow, Ruoying will learn the truth! Quick resolution!

So many girls appeared yesterday—little demons, all secretly hiding away~~~