Don't let me look down on you

Using the phrase 'beauty in the eyes of the beholder' really shocked me. I must calm down. Long Yejue's charm is too overwhelming, and I can't resist it at all.

Tang Miannian's earlier worries were not unwarranted.

Jiang City, while not small, is not overly large either.

The social elite circle is small; the same faces keep coming and going.

Su Shijie was one of those trailing behind, barely able to catch the tail end of this circle.

So, as soon as Tang Miannian came out of the restroom, she ran into the infamous "lotus flower" couple.

Her face turned cold, and she instinctively tried to avoid them, but Su Shijie had already spotted her.

He called out in surprise, "Miannian? Is that really you? I thought I saw someone familiar earlier, and I thought I was mistaken. But it really is you!"

Yan Youlan's previously calm smile instantly shattered into cold shards, turning into a sharp, venomous glare. "Su Shijie, not here. If you know what's good for you, keep your distance."

Su Shijie had never wanted to attend this kind of event with Yan Youlan. If it weren't for his mother always pushing him, he wouldn't have brought her. At that moment, he pushed her hand away, his face dark and indifferent. "Marrying you was just because my family wanted it. Don't think I'll go along with you. If you can't stand me, then leave!"

Yan Youlan was utterly devastated by his words. Her face turned pale as she clung to him. "Su Shijie, don't you have a conscience? I'm the mother of your child!"

"Right, the child. If it weren't for this child, I would've divorced you long ago!" Su Shijie cruelly threw the words at her, pulling his hand away and striding directly toward Tang Miannian, who was frozen in place.

His expression immediately softened, becoming affectionate. "Miannian, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere. You're all alone in Jiang City, and unfamiliar with the place. If you need anything, you can come to me."

Tang Miannian's face turned cold, and she looked at him with indifference, suddenly overwhelmed with self-loathing.

How could she have been so blind to fall for this man?

Look at his disgusting face now—he's the epitome of shamelessness!

He doesn't deserve to be called a man!

She pulled her hand away from his, her tone icy. "Mr. Su, you think too highly of yourself. Are we that close? Why would I need your help?"

"Miannian, don't do this. The more you act like this, the more it pains me," Su Shijie said, acting all deeply affectionate, as though he were about to kneel and beg for forgiveness.

Tang Miannian almost slapped him across the face.

He still had the audacity to claim that he was in pain?

Yan Youlan, standing behind him, glared at Tang Miannian with cold eyes, as though blaming her for everything that had gone wrong in her life.

The hatred in her gaze was growing stronger by the second.

Tang Miannian had grown tired of this scene. Since he had chosen Yan Youlan, he should stay with her. What was the point of pretending to regret it now?

After thinking it over, she decided to clear things up now to avoid endless entanglements in the future.

She was now Long Yejue's wife. If someone with bad intentions saw them together and exaggerated things, it could tarnish Long Yejue's reputation. She didn't want that kind of situation.

With a sigh, she finally said to Su Shijie, "Mr. Su, I think we need to clear some things up."

"Sure, but this place isn't suitable. There's a café next door; let's go there and talk," Su Shijie eagerly suggested.

Finally, she was willing to speak with him. To him, that was progress.

As long as she still had feelings for him, there was a chance to win her back.

Su Shijie was confident. After all, this woman had loved him for five years.

They say a woman's first love is the hardest to forget, and that was why he was so excited.

Tang Miannian glanced around at the people in the room, deciding that this wasn't the best place to talk things over. She nodded and agreed, "Alright."

Hearing that they planned to go to the café together, Yan Youlan was nearly driven mad with fury. She grabbed Su Shijie's arm, preventing him from leaving, and pleaded, "Shijie, don't go. I'm your wife. How can you treat me like this?"

"This is your own fault. You used the child as leverage to marry me, so you should have expected this outcome," Su Shijie coldly said, shaking off her hand and pulling Tang Miannian out of the hall.

Yan Youlan was struck hard, unable to keep her balance. She collapsed against the wall, using its cold surface to steady herself.

Tang Miannian!

Why don't you just leave!

Why is he still thinking about you when you've already been discarded?

What do you even have that's worth it?

The seed of hatred had sprouted, growing rapidly and uncontrollably in her heart.

Outside the door, Qi Yunmo, leaning against a car and smoking, caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. His eyes widened in mild surprise.

With a sly smile, he flicked the cigarette away and walked back into the hall.

Mo Chengyu, seeing Qi Yunmo return, was confused. "What are you doing back here?"

Qi Yunmo gave a mysterious smile. "Where's Jue?"

"Oh, he was just here. He probably went to find his wife," Mo Chengyu answered casually.

Qi Yunmo grinned, his lips curling in an amused way. He took long strides toward the man who was scanning the crowd for his wife.

Long Yejue, holding a wine glass and dealing with the constant stream of people trying to talk to him, kept glancing around with cold, searching eyes. 

She had only gone to the restroom—was it really necessary for her to take so long?

"Something wrong?" Long Yejue asked, clearly impatient. He had no interest in small talk.

Qi Yunmo leaned slightly forward, his smile widening, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, calculating light. "I can tell you where your wife went, but you'll have to give me the information I want first."

Long Yejue tightened his grip on his glass, coldly staring at the grinning Qi Yunmo.

The latter, unbothered by the tension, provocatively pressed on, "I saw your wife go to buy you a hat—green, by the way."

"…"

The glass in Long Yejue's hand shattered with a sharp crack. Crimson liquid spilled, dripping slowly down his right hand.

But the man simply furrowed his brows slightly, placing the broken glass on the nearby long table before speaking in a detached voice. "Where?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunmo knew his exchange had been successful.

A smile spread across his face as he pointed toward the door. "Exit here, walk right, and there's a café nearby."

Long Yejue took a tissue, calmly wiping his hand while casually replying, "When you have the time, you should visit Jue's place more often. You might find some unexpected surprises there."

With that, he discarded the tissue, ignoring the blood still trickling from his hand, and walked briskly toward the exit.

Qi Yunmo lowered his gaze, looking at the broken shards on the floor, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Jue's place?

He nodded slightly, as if understanding something. The playful glint in his eyes slowly turned cold.

Su Shijie brought Tang Miannian to the café next door.

She was intent on getting things over with quickly, but Su Shijie showed no sign of urgency. Instead, he happily asked, "Still the cappuccino, right? I remember it's your favorite. Whenever we used to go to a café, you always ordered this."

Tang Miannian pursed her lips and shook her head. "You're wrong. I don't actually like coffee at all. I only ordered cappuccinos because you thought coffee-drinking women were more charming."

Su Shijie froze for a moment, feeling awkward. "Did I really say that?"

"Yes," Tang Miannian replied, giving him no chance to redeem himself.

"I guess I've been neglecting you," Su Shijie said, his tone regretful. "But don't worry, I won't overlook you anymore. I'll cherish you more in the future." His voice turned sincere as he swore, "So what do you want to drink?"

"I don't need anything to drink. I just need to say a few things." She coldly rejected him, making it clear she had no intention of rekindling anything.

Su Shijie's expression darkened, and he spoke apologetically, "I know my actions hurt you deeply, but you need to believe me when I say I'm sincerely trying to change. We've been together for so long, and you know my character. I've never bowed down to anyone like this before. You're the first, and that proves you're different."

Tang Miannian almost exploded with rage.

How shameless could this man be?

She almost threw her coffee at his face!

Using all her self-restraint, she held herself back, coldly saying, "I think you misunderstood. While your departure did hurt me, it didn't leave me obsessing over you. We were together for so long, and maybe you don't know my character as well as you think. Some feelings, once wounded, can't be healed. No matter how hard you try or how much effort you put in, they stay scarred."

"Miannian..." Su Shijie sounded a bit panicked. He probably never expected her to be so resolute.

"From now on, please call me Miss Tang. Thank you." Her tone became even colder. "And Su Shijie, you're already a father. I don't like irresponsible men. Since you chose to marry, then go and live your life with her. We're already in the past. You need to accept that."

"But I love you!" He blurted out passionately, his voice full of emotion. "And back then, you loved me too, otherwise, you wouldn't have caused such a scene at my wedding, right?"

Her brows lifted in surprise. She studied him for a long time before speaking again.

The nearby tables, unaware of the tension between them, caused the waiter to fluster. "Sir, would you like me to call a doctor?"

The waiter had never seen such a handsome man and was stumbling over his words.

But the man's hand seemed to have crushed his cup.

Glass shards were embedded in his palm, and red blood flowed down, drawing attention with its stark, vivid color.

The man simply shook his head, rejecting the waiter's offer.

The waiter, confused, took one last look at the handsome man and quietly left.

Meanwhile, Tang Miannian had been watching Su Shijie coldly for a long time before speaking again, her tone icy and resolute. "When you got together with Yan Youlan, did you think you still loved me?"

Su Shijie froze, his face tightening as he stammered, "I... I was just momentarily blinded. You know, men make these kinds of mistakes."

Tang Miannian stood up abruptly, looking down at him from above. "Su Shijie, don't make me lose all respect for you."

"Miannian..." He tried one last time to struggle.

"Maybe I was just blind back then, falling for someone like you. So Su Shijie, get as far away from me as you can. Remember, someone who can be replaced isn't truly loved. You're nothing more than a stranger to me now."

Tang Miannian swore she'd never spoken such cold words in her life.

Even a rabbit bites when it's cornered.

This Su Shijie was showing off his absolute lack of dignity!