37.Sarcastic

Nathan stopped Chen Xin from rushing into the hospital room to confront Leng Qing, unaware that after calling Chen Xin to the stairwell, the curious Ye Chen approached the door of the hospital room.

Initially, Ye Chen just wanted to check if Lin Xiaowan had calmed down. However, he was greeted with the sight of her leaning against Leng Qing's chest. Unlike Chen Xin's patience, Ye Chen immediately lost his temper. He kicked the door open, stormed in, and reprimanded her: "Lin Xiaowan! Can't you behave yourself? You have a boyfriend, and here you are, cuddling with another man. What is this supposed to mean?"

Xiaowan, whose emotions had just stabilized, was startled by his loud accusation. Sitting upright, she glanced at him, and tears began streaming down her face again.

Ye Chen froze, momentarily unsure of what to say. Xiaowan suddenly charged at him like an enraged little beast, pushing him out of the room while using her bag to hit him repeatedly. She cried and shouted, "Who told you to yell in the hospital room? If Leng Qing dies because of you, I'll make you pay for it!"

"Damn it, he seems fine to me! Still has the strength to hold you, doesn't he? How is he even close to dying?" Ye Chen dodged her hits while retorting, "Stop it! If you don't stop, I'm going to hit back!"

"Go ahead, hit me if you dare! Isn't it your job to take care of others during the race? Is this how you take care of people?"

"I said I'd take care of Chen Xin, not Leng Qing! His life or death has nothing to do with me! Ahhh! Stop hitting me, damn it, I'm really going to hit back!"

With that, Ye Chen grabbed Xiaowan's bag and seized her wrists, pulling her closer in frustration. "Don't push your luck! I'll go straight to Chen Xin and tell him what you were doing with Leng Qing in the hospital room. Let's see if he'll dump you!"

Xiaowan glared at him for a moment, her large eyes brimming with tears, and then burst into tears again.

At this moment, Chen Xin and Nathan returned from the stairwell. Seeing Xiaowan crying, Chen Xin immediately walked over and asked, "What happened?"

Xiaowan threw herself into Chen Xin's arms, pointing at Ye Chen as she cried, "He bullied me! He hurt me! Look, my hands are all red because of him!"

"I… What the hell! I was defending myself, okay? You've got some nerve crying! Why don't you tell him what you and your lover were doing in the hospital room?" Ye Chen accused.

Chen Xin raised his voice to stop their argument. "Enough! Stop it, both of you. This is a hospital! Today has been exhausting for everyone. Let's all just go home. Thank you for coming to the hospital with Xiaowan and me."

Left with no choice, Ye Chen snorted in frustration, gave Xiaowan one last glare, and left.

Nathan politely nodded at Chen Xin and wanted to speak to Xiaowan, but seeing her lack of interest in engaging with him, he smiled bitterly and left as well.

Chen Xin gently stroked Xiaowan's cheek and asked softly, "Do you want to spend more time with Leng Qing?"

"No need. The doctor said he'll be fine. Let's go home," Xiaowan murmured, snuggling against his chest.

"Alright." Chen Xin finally relaxed a little and led her out of the hospital. Just as they were about to get into the car, a woman's voice called out, "Xiaowan."

Xiaowan stopped in her tracks and turned toward the voice, spotting Katherine standing not far away.

She turned to Chen Xin and said, "Can you wait for me in the car? That's an old friend of mine. I'll go say a few words to her."

"Okay."

Taking a deep breath, Xiaowan walked over to Katherine and smiled faintly. "Long time no see."

"Yes, it's been a while. The last time we met was January last year, wasn't it?" Katherine sighed. "Is Leng Qing okay? Is his injury serious?"

Xiaowan shook her head. "His arm is broken, but otherwise, he's fine. Thank you for asking."

"That's good to hear." Katherine smiled warmly. "I wanted to talk to you about something, but it's late, and after everything that happened today, you must be in no mood. Could we find a time to chat tomorrow?"

"Of course, no problem," Xiaowan agreed. They quickly settled on a time and place. Xiaowan waved goodbye. "I'll head back now. See you tomorrow."

"Wait," Katherine suddenly called out.

Xiaowan had anticipated this. She closed her eyes briefly in reluctance before turning back. "Anything else?"

Katherine's expression was complicated. "I know you've moved on and started a new relationship, and maybe it's unnecessary to bring this up. But… Lance won the Oscar for Best Actor this year. He fulfilled your dream. Did you know that? It happened this February."

Xiaowan clenched her fists slightly, her expression calm. "I didn't know before, but now I do. Thanks for letting me know."

"He asked me to tell you something. He's always—"

"If tomorrow's conversation is going to be about him, then there's no need for us to meet," Xiaowan interrupted coldly. "As you said, Lance and I broke up a long time ago. I'm not interested in anything about him."

Katherine quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. I promise, tomorrow's conversation won't involve him."

Xiaowan nodded, forcing a light smile. "Good, then I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, she quickly returned to Chen Xin's car.

"All done?" Chen Xin asked.

"Mm." Xiaowan nodded, leaning into his arms. "Let's go home. I'm so tired today."

"Alright."

Chen Xin turned the car around and drove out of the hospital. As they passed by the white girl, their eyes briefly met. He intended to smile politely at her, but unexpectedly, he noticed the complex expression on her face.

It was as if her gaze said: "You're just lucky to be with Xiao Wan."

Chen Xin frowned slightly but didn't say anything, redirecting his attention to the road ahead.

After they got home, the tired Xiao Wan quickly washed up and lay down on the bed, checking something on her phone. Chen Xin was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, and the words Nathan had said to him in the stairwell kept echoing in his mind. Although he didn't want to admit it, Chen Xin knew Nathan was right. He was indeed bothered by the place that Leng Qing occupied in Xiao Wan's life.

She refused to change the profile picture with Leng Qing on Instagram. They often communicated with each other via their phones. What made him feel worse was what happened tonight. Leng Qing got into a car accident, and Xiao Wan immediately put him behind and rushed to save him. If Chen Xin hadn't smashed the car window with a rock, he almost doubted whether Xiao Wan would have used her head to break the glass in her desperation.

What was even more ironic was that Leng Qing's car accident happened because he had planned to use his car to hit Chen Xin. But Chen Xin didn't want to tell Xiao Wan the truth. After all, he was a man, and he had no concrete evidence. Telling Xiao Wan this might seem like he was complaining, and he didn't want to appear petty. After all, racing was inherently dangerous.

He also understood that Xiao Wan had known Leng Qing for a longer time, and their relationship—whatever kind it was—had undoubtedly deepened over time. But no matter what, he was Xiao Wan's boyfriend now. Was his position as her boyfriend not as important as Leng Qing's place in her heart?

Chen Xin couldn't help but peek out of the bathroom to look at Xiao Wan on the bed. He wanted to ask her these questions, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Perhaps Nathan was right. Chen Xin, on the surface, pretended to be a gentleman, but inside, he was petty. He wasn't as gentle and graceful as he appeared. The longer he stayed with Xiao Wan, the more his darker thoughts intensified.

He wanted to lock her up with delicate chains, or trap her in a beautiful cage, like keeping a precious canary, so she could no longer smile at other men. She should only look at him, think of him—he should be her whole world.

But whenever Xiao Wan leaned into his arms, he felt ashamed of his own thoughts, realizing they were worse than beastly.

Caught between these two conflicting emotions, his pride usually prevailed, making it impossible for him to lower his pride and tell Xiao Wan that he wasn't a generous man, that he was incredibly jealous.

Just like now, he desperately wanted to pin Xiao Wan down and bite her shoulder to warn her never to see Leng Qing again, never to cry on his chest again. But he couldn't do that. He had always been confident that he could win Xiao Wan's heart completely with his charm, but now he wondered if his confidence was really just arrogance.

"What are you playing with on your phone?" Chen Xin casually asked, pretending not to care, while secretly mocking himself for pretending to be generous. How hypocritical.

Xiao Wan immediately put her phone away and shook her head, "Nothing, are you done brushing?"

"Yeah."

Chen Xin lay next to her, and Xiao Wan immediately curled up in his warm, broad embrace. "Xiao Guai, thank you today."

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for saving Leng Qing." Xiao Wan rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I'm sorry. After thinking about it, I realized Ye Chen was right. I shouldn't have been so close to Leng Qing. You're the one I like, but… I was really scared, so I lost control. Leng Qing… is the most important family member to me, besides my grandmother. I hope you don't mind, I'll be more careful from now on."

Chen Xin didn't expect Xiao Wan to bring up this matter on her own. Was it because he showed something? No, it was probably because she was smart and rational enough to realize the problem and clear things up.

Chen Xin's heart immediately opened up. He kissed her cheek and said, "It's okay, I don't mind."

He said that, but deep inside, another voice mocked him: "You say you don't mind, but I don't know who was so bothered earlier that they almost broke the toothbrush."

"Do you want to hear about my relationship with Leng Qing? Why I say he's my family?" Xiao Wan asked carefully, still resting in his arms.

Chen Xin felt disgusted just hearing his name and didn't want to know about their past. That would only make his already fragile mood even worse. So he smiled and said, "Let's talk about it another time. Right now, I have something more important to do."

"Huh? What is it?"

Chen Xin flipped over and pinned Xiao Wan underneath him, pushing aside the messy hair from her forehead. His heavy male scent sprayed on her face as he said, "Who was it who told me that if I won today's race, they'd sleep with me?"

Xiao Wan's eyes instantly brightened, and she hugged his broad shoulder. "Really? You promised? Oh, you're so annoying, why is this so sudden? I was planning to play some nice music to set the mood first, maybe even help you lose your virginity—mmph…"

Chen Xin kissed her noisy mouth in time, pulling her little tongue in a gentle yet urgent manner, while his hands went behind her to undo the clasp of her underwear. But he had never done this before and couldn't get it open. Xiao Wan couldn't help but giggle at him: "You idiot, it's obvious you're a virgin. You can't even undo a bra, hahahaha—ah!"

Chen Xin squeezed her sensitive waist, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong with being a virgin, huh?"

Xiao Wan immediately stopped teasing him and obediently kissed his face. Chen Xin, unable to undo the bra, decided not to bother. He simply slid down her shoulder strap, and Xiao Wan gasped, covering her chest. "You're so rough! I… I like it! Can you be even rougher?"

"…" Chen Xin chuckled and pinned her hands to the bed, then kissed his way down from her chin to her neck.

He felt Xiao Wan's long, flexible legs wrap around his waist, and he couldn't help but let out a low gasp. He bit her earlobe and whispered, "Xiao Wan, can you say something for me? Then I'll let you have me."

"What do you want me to say?" Xiao Wan excitedly touched his waist. "How big are you?"

"Say you love me." Chen Xin whispered gently in her ear, "Once you say that, I, Chen Xin, will belong to you. I'll do whatever you want, without any complaints."

But the girl in his arms gradually froze. She looked into the deep affection and sincerity in his eyes, and, unable to bear it, she averted her gaze.

Chen Xin immediately understood. He stopped moving, feeling a chill in his heart. He whispered, "Can you say you love me?"

Xiao Wan expressionlessly pushed him away, sat up on the bed, and put on her sleepwear.

Chen Xin grabbed her arm, holding onto the last shred of hope. "Just say it once, okay? I know you might not love me yet, but can you just say it to comfort me? That one sentence will be enough."

"I've never said those words." Xiao Wan broke free from his grip, coldly saying, "I've never said it to any man, and I don't plan to. I'm sorry, I can't say it to you."

After saying this, she stood up and walked out with a cold, determined step.

In Chen Xin's heart, the darker side instantly took over, and he couldn't help but bitterly ask, "You really never said anything? Not to me, not to your previous boyfriends, but you must have said something to Leng Qing, right? After all, he's the most important man in your heart, isn't he?!"

Xiao Wan stopped in her tracks, looking at him in shock. "How can you still be hung up on Leng Qing? I thought I already explained everything to you. I never—"

"Never what?" Chen Xin also stood up from the bed and stepped closer to her, "Never slept with him, or never told him you loved him? Sorry, I don't believe either of those!"

Xiao Wan's expression gradually shifted from shock to hurt, then finally to indifference. She glanced at him coldly and said, "Yes, I've slept with him, many times. In my heart, he's more important than you. What are you going to do about it?"

"You—"

"Are you angry now? Don't like me anymore?" Xiao Wan sneered. "I thought you always understood me, more than all my previous boyfriends. But who would've thought, it's still the same! Chen Xin, since you can't accept my past with Leng Qing, then why pretend to be so magnanimous?"

"I don't mind your past with him, I mind your present!" Chen Xin continued to approach her, "Even now, he's still lingering around you like a ghost. Xiao Wan, don't you think this is unfair to me? Don't you think you should keep your distance from him? No matter how good he was to you in the past, those responsibilities are mine now. Why do you still cling to him? Or do you just like the feeling of having all men revolve around you?"

As soon as the last words left his mouth, Chen Xin regretted them. He quickly stepped forward and tried to grab Xiao Wan's hand. "I didn't mean it like that, I—"

But Xiao Wan forcefully pushed his hand away, her pale lips trembling. She looked at him with disappointment and sadness before turning and running out of the room.

"Xiao Wan! Xiao Wan!" Chen Xin immediately chased after her, but when she turned and glared at him coldly, he had no choice but to stop.

He could only watch helplessly as she drove away into the night. In frustration, he returned to the bedroom, walked to the bathroom, and tried to wash his face to calm himself. However, as he looked into the mirror, a mocking voice echoed in his mind:

"See, this is the consequence of exposing the bitter, dark side of your heart. Now, she will never be deceived by your gentle, gentlemanly facade. You'll never win her heart."

Chen Xin growled in anger and threw a porcelain cup at the mirror with a loud crash.

·

The next afternoon, Xiao Wan sat at the café where she had arranged to meet Catherine, stirring her cold coffee with a small spoon. There were dark bags under her eyes, a sign of a sleepless night.

A moment later, at exactly noon, Catherine arrived. She waved at Xiao Wan and smiled as she sat down. "Have you been here long?"

"Not long, just a bit." Xiao Wan's voice sounded tired. "Sorry, I'm a bit worn out today. If you have something to say, just say it directly."

Catherine looked at her with concern and nodded. "Okay, I won't beat around the bush. Xiao Wan, my dance team passed the district selection this year and will soon compete in the city-wide street dance competition. But… I'm still lacking in some choreography, and I was wondering if you could come help us?"

Xiao Wan had a feeling that Catherine was going to ask her for this even before she arrived. She and Catherine had met in late September two years ago when Xiao Wan had just turned 20. At that time, she had seen an online ad for a dance team recruiting members for the upcoming U.S. Street Dance Championship. Xiao Wan thought it seemed interesting, so she signed up.

Catherine was the captain of the team. Her family was poor, but she had a deep passion for street dance, and the other girls in the team had similar situations. The reason they wanted to participate in the competition was partly to prove their skills, and partly to win the large prize money and see if they could use the exposure to get into the entertainment industry.

Xiao Wan wasn't interested in those things; she just joined because she was intrigued. She inherited her grandmother's artistic talent and was very skilled in both dance and music, so she passed the selection easily and became a member of the team. Not long after, she was promoted to vice-captain due to her excellent choreography skills. They had competed in N City's selection and passed effortlessly. At that point, they should have been aiming for the U.S. championship, but Xiao Wan withdrew for some personal reasons.

Now, Catherine was asking for her help again. Xiao Wan's expression darkened slightly as she said, "Catherine, you should know I can't participate in such competitions on TV. Even if I go, that woman will find a way to kick me out, and it might affect your team. I don't want to drag you down."

"I understand. I'm not asking you to join the team." Catherine said anxiously, "I just want you to help us with choreography. You don't have to appear on TV, I'll pay you for your work."

Xiao Wan thought for a moment and then said, "Okay, but no payment, just a few moves."

Catherine was touched by Xiao Wan's kindness, knowing she was trying to be considerate of her financial situation. "Thank you, Xiao Wan. You're still so kind, no wonder all the boys like you."

Xiao Wan smiled sarcastically. "Where did you hear that nonsense? Men don't like women just because they're kind. Most men care about looks. If I didn't have this face, no man would ever like someone like me."

"You shouldn't say that…"

Catherine wanted to comfort her but was interrupted by Xiao Wan. "Alright, let's not talk about that. When can I come help with the choreography?"

"This Friday night, is that okay?"

"Sure." They quickly agreed on the time and place for their next meeting. Catherine was very grateful and wanted to treat Xiao Wan to a meal, but Xiao Wan just shook her head. "No need. I'm not hungry, you go ahead and do what you need to do."

Catherine looked at Xiao Wan's weak face and couldn't help but ask, "You don't look well. Is it… because of what I said about Lance yesterday? Did it upset you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It has nothing to do with him, don't blame yourself." Xiao Wan shook her head, "It's something else."

Catherine hesitated and nodded. "Okay, if you need anything, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Mm."

After they waved goodbye, Catherine walked a few steps before turning around and cautiously asking, "Xiao Wan, have you… have you seen Lance's speech at the Oscars?"

Xiao Wan's fingers, still holding the coffee spoon, trembled slightly. "No."

"I know it might be hard for you, but I think you should watch it."

After saying that, Catherine turned and left. Xiao Wan sat in her seat, frozen for a long time, before pulling out her phone and searching for this year's Oscar ceremony video. She quickly found the segment where the Best Actor was announced.

She took a deep breath and pressed play.

The video started with beautiful music. The presenter pulled out the envelope, and the name was announced: "The Best Actor is… Lance Meyer!"

The audience erupted in applause, and the camera cut to the guest seats. A 21-year-old young man with short light blond hair and green eyes, Lance, blushed slightly upon hearing his name. His elegant, glamorous mother next to him screamed with excitement and gave him a warm hug. Lance, however, gently patted his mother's back and stood up to walk to the stage.

He had a fair face and a tall, slender figure, yet he didn't look weak at all. Instead, he gave off an air of elegance and grace. Lance walked up to the podium, took the little golden statue from the presenter, took a deep breath, and said into the microphone: "Honestly, when I came to this ceremony, I didn't dare to hope too much because the actors who were nominated alongside me are all great talents, whom I deeply respect…"

Applause broke out again, and the camera cut to the other actors who didn't win, all of them smiling and clapping for Lance's victory. When the applause died down, Lance continued, "I want to thank the director, the entire production team, my agency, and my friends who have supported me along the way, allowing me to achieve what I have today. A year ago, I was just an unknown street dance team member, but it's your support and help that brought me here to this great podium. I am truly grateful."

The audience applauded once more. Then, Lance paused and said seriously, "But the person I'm most grateful for is someone very important to me."

At that moment, the camera naturally turned to his mother, who had her chin held high in pride, waiting for her name to be mentioned.

But the next second, Lance said: "I want to thank the woman I love the most. Even though we're no longer together, I still love her. I want to take this opportunity to say a few words to her—"

With that, he raised his Oscar statue and smiled sadly at the camera. His voice was gentle as he spoke: "Look, Kitty, I did it. I promised you I would win an Oscar, and I did. I don't know if you're watching this, but I really hope you are. We promised we would visit your hometown together one day. Even though you left me, I went there alone. Your hometown is just as beautiful as you described, and I really liked it. I just want to say, maybe you don't love me anymore, but I will always love you, and I'll wait for you. If one day you decide to come back to me, just call me. No matter the distance, I'll come for you. You know my phone number. I'll never change it."

At this point, the camera quickly switched to his mother, whose face had gone from proud to awkward and angry, glaring at her son.

The video ended, but Xiao Wan's tears flooded out uncontrollably.

She couldn't help but cover her face with her hands, softly sobbing. A passing waiter noticed something was wrong and asked with concern, "Are you okay, miss?"

Xiao Wan paused for a moment, slowly removing her hands from her face. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were red. She calmly nodded at the waiter, "I'm fine."

Then, she packed up her things and left the café, just like the time she had walked out of Lance's hospital room—cold, heartless, and never looking back.