Chapter Twenty-Four: The Pitiful Creature Cast Aside
After saying that, I turned around and left. He called after me, but I ignored him.
He caught up to me and grabbed my arm. “Lanshan, that’s not what I meant. I just think… there’s something regrettable about all this.”
I asked, “Regrettable? Rong Luozheng, keep your regrets to yourself. In fact, you’re just like me—abandoned and pitiful.”
He said, “Lanshan, if you truly love Du Fanchuan, I can help you.”
Suddenly, I understood. “Rong Luozheng, are you proposing a deal?”
He didn’t hide it at all. “Yes. I’m handling my divorce… I’ll take your sister away, and you can carry on your little life with Du Fanchuan.”
I couldn’t help but ask, “What’s so great about Yi Huayang that you’re all fighting over her like this?”
He replied, “Just tell me—do you agree or not?”
I shook my head. “Once something is tainted, I don’t want it anymore.”
He tried to reason with me. “That’s your choice. As for me, I’m set on Yi Huayang.”
With that, he turned and left, walking away with the air of a hero going to his death—a display of tragic bravery.
No, actually, it was just downright pathetic.
In the middle of the night, the phone rang. I fumbled for my phone under the pillow, answered groggily, and mumbled a greeting.
A woman’s voice asked, “Who are you?”
Still half-asleep, I snapped, “You called my number and you’re asking who I am? Are you out of your mind?”
Her breathing quickened. “Put Luo Ange on the phone.”
I despise anyone who disturbs my sleep, so I shouted impatiently, “Luo Ange? Never heard of him.”
Luo Ange, Luo Ange—that pervert?
Suddenly, I woke up in a panic. My first instinct was to hastily switch off my phone and fling it onto the sofa.
I was wide awake now, nerves jangling. This was bad—if some woman was looking for that pervert in the middle of the night, she was either a lover or a fling. If she found Luo Ange, would she goad that maniac into coming after me?
After breakfast, I turned on the TV for the news. I needed some noise to cover my inner turmoil.
On the financial news, they reported that the skincare brand “As Dear As Myself,” under the Luo Ai Group, had sold out shortly after launch, capturing half the market. The brand’s founder, Ms. Shu Aiqing, announced she was developing a cosmetics line set to launch next Valentine’s Day.
I switched to the entertainment channel and, to my surprise, saw that pervert. Dressed to the nines, he was attending a movie’s opening press conference, flanked by the leading actresses, both newly famous and very popular.
I was about to change the channel, but then I heard the film was adapted from a novel by Chun Xiao, one of my favorite authors. I put down the remote and watched.
So Luo Ange was one of the film’s investors—no wonder he was there, surrounded by beautiful women.
Looking closely, the scar on his forehead was barely visible now, doing nothing to diminish his wickedly handsome face. No wonder those two actresses kept leaning closer to him, pressing their fair chests against him.
He sat there like an emperor.
A couple of days later, my grandfather finally gave in to my persistent pleas, handled my discharge papers, and sent me back to school.
Having missed so many classes, I spent most of my free time in the library. Qilin gave me a cell phone as a gift; I refused, but he insisted it was an early birthday present and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
That afternoon, Xia Qi showed up mysteriously, saying she wanted to take me somewhere. I assumed she was setting me up on a blind date. Ever since that scumbag two-timed me, she’d been determined to find me a boyfriend who was one of a kind.
We went to the pedestrian street, and she led me straight into a café. Once seated, she pointed toward a spot in the far corner.
I saw only a woman’s back—long, wavy hair, somehow familiar.
Anxious about finals, I pressed Xia Qi impatiently, “What is this about? If you don’t tell me, I’m leaving.”
She shushed me and pointed at the door. I turned my head, and a familiar figure hurried in.
I was stunned—it was Rong Luozheng.