Chapter 27: Between You and Me, We Are Just Strangers

Some people you think you'll never meet again in this lifetime, never even imagined meeting, yet you encounter them at the most ironic of times.

Fortune as vast as the sea and life as long as the mountains?

Birthday banquet?

Fatherly kindness and filial piety?

The corners of Hua Lianxi's lips curled slightly in self-mockery as she clasped the cocktail glass tightly, trying hard to suppress the urge to slap him.

The man, once handsome and dashing in old photos, now in his sixties, appeared thin but exuded elegance and happiness. Back then, she had personally set fire to the photo of the couple that Hua Zhenzhen cherished, cursing him with all her heart as the flames raged, wishing him a miserable life.

In a world of extreme suffering and overflowing happiness, those who live in bliss are not worth remembering for a lifetime, not worth going mad for. Even if you go crazy for him, lose your life for him, and even your normal life, he remains happily untouched.

Such irony made Hua Lianxi feel thoroughly cold in an instant.

The youthful outline from years ago gradually became clearer. In a flash, Ran Zhongcheng overlapped the unfamiliar woman before him with the beautiful woman in his memory seamlessly. With a "clang," the door to his memories opened, and the hidden past flashed through his mind like scenes from a black-and-white movie.

"It seems I've never heard of a prestigious family with the surname Hua in this city. Is Lianxi not from here?" Suppressing his changing breath, Ran Zhongcheng slowly spoke, smiling as he inquired about Hua Lianxi's background from Kong Chengyi, secretly wanting to gather more information about her.

"Not a prestigious family, just from an ant-like background, born into a poor family at the bottom, naturally not a good match!" A prestigious family, indeed. Hua Lianxi's suppressed anger surged to her throat, resenting his assumption of a perfect match.

The obvious sarcasm and dissatisfaction in her words made Kong Chengyi feel a strange sensation. His large hand, wrapped around her slender waist, tightened, pulling her closer to him. Just as he was about to whisper in her ear, the manager of Chengzai Hotel appeared with slightly hurried steps, bowing respectfully and whispering, "Young Master Kong, Mr. Ran, may I have a word with you?"

Raising an eyebrow, Kong Chengyi nodded, releasing his tight grip and softly instructing, "Stay here for now!" At the same time, he gestured for Ran Zhongcheng to follow him to the hotel's reception room.

With a soft "mm," Hua Lianxi didn't look up, casually picking up a glass of vodka.

Nodding slightly, Ran Zhongcheng glanced at Hua Lianxi again before signaling Ran Fang to leave with him.

Only after their steady footsteps faded away did Hua Lianxi slowly raise her head, her reddened eyes fixed on the slender figure moving away.

The spicy vodka poured into her mouth, spreading across her tongue. What should have been a sharp pain felt bitter to Hua Lianxi, like the most bitter herbal concoction in the world, instantly causing her proud tears to flow uncontrollably, harshly washing over her fragile soul.

Ten minutes later, Kong Chengyi found Hua Lianxi in the lounge, seeing her drink vodka glass after glass. He frowned in displeasure, his hands in his pockets, not intending to stop her.

Her empty stomach quickly filled with the burning vodka, the discomfort like ants gnawing began to churn in her stomach, but she didn't stop her reckless drinking. Hua Lianxi wished she could get thoroughly drunk in the shortest time possible, to escape the harsh reality completely, even pretending this was just a dream, a dream where everyone disappeared and never appeared in her peaceful world.

"Chengyi, aren't you staying a bit longer?" Ran Zhongcheng had reconfirmed the birthday cake style with the hotel manager and changed the banquet flow. After arranging everything, he found Kong Chengyi had disappeared from the banquet hall and hurriedly searched for him.

The loathsome voice suddenly drilled into her ears. Hua Lianxi looked up, seeing only Kong Chengyi standing like an ice sculpture, and she slowly stood up, leaning on the sofa armrest. Her lips curved elegantly, revealing a sweet smile, and she softly called out, "Husband!"

"No, you enjoy the evening!" His rich voice calmly declined Ran Zhongcheng's invitation. Kong Chengyi reached out to hold her slender fingers, "Let's go home."

Standing side by side, Kong Chengyi sharply smelled the strong spiciness permeating her, even covering her fragrance. Their intertwined fingers pinched slightly, a definite punishment. He didn't like drunk women, especially at a banquet full of guests.

As if not feeling his fingers' pressure, Hua Lianxi smiled sweetly, voluntarily snuggling into his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist, and whispered hotly into his ear, "Yes, let's go home."

Ran Zhongcheng watched the two leave, his gaze lingering on Hua Lianxi leaning against Kong Chengyi. His white eyebrows furrowed tightly, feeling a strange discomfort.

The black sedan raced through the brightly lit bustling city. Hua Lianxi sat leaning back with her eyes closed as if asleep, yet when the car smoothly stopped at Xiao Yue Residence, she was the first to get out.

Casually draping his coat over his shoulder, Kong Chengyi impatiently yanked off his tie, rolling his sleeves to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. He squinted slightly, watching the slightly disordered steps of the woman walking ahead.

Her tight black dress swayed with her steps, like a lively willow branch, and she casually held her golden clutch with her slender fingers. Her long, smooth hair was let down casually, slightly fluttering in the breeze, her slender figure under the faint moonlight appeared exceptionally harmonious, stirring his long-extinguished flame to gradually brighten under the soft moonlight.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. The slender black figure suddenly fell to the ground, her bag thrown aside, hands and legs pressed against the ground, her hair hanging down.

Kong Chengyi rushed forward, kneeling on one knee to support her shoulder, leaning down to ask with concern, "What happened? Did you sprain your ankle?"

The sharp and thin heel was his first instinctive judgment, and he quickly took off her high heels.

Letting her hair hang down, Hua Lianxi's hands remained on the ground, as if not hearing his concerned inquiry, immersed in her own world, not responding to him.

Ignoring her lack of response, Kong Chengyi straightened her legs, carefully checking her ankle. In the moonlight, he saw the slightly swollen ankle, pondering whether he should carry her.

"Can you walk by yourself?" Helping her stand, Kong Chengyi wrapped an arm around her, letting her rely on her strength to stand, holding his coat and her high heels in the other hand.

"Heh, what if I can't walk? Should I just sit here?" Her head lifted slowly, revealing a face stained with tears, "Isn't it just my own fault? Is it my own mistake?"

Her own mistakes, shouldn't she bear all the bitter consequences? Just like her mother, who fell in love with someone she shouldn't have in her youth, spending her life enduring the bitter consequences, repaying the debt of youth.

Frowning, Kong Chengyi suddenly grabbed her shoulders, his dark eyes bursting with accumulated anger, "If it's not your own fault, is it someone else's? Who forced you to wear such high heels? Who forced you to drink vodka with such flair? Didn't you enjoy the spicy intoxication just now? Or, are you already drunk?"

The anger in his heart surged more and more violently. Kong Chengyi's mind flashed with Hua Lianxi's long gaze when Cheng Shaobai firmly said, "I'll wait for you." Wasn't she just drinking out of happiness? Was she eager to return to his side at this moment?

She pushed him away forcefully, stumbling back a few steps barefoot, her tear-stained face appearing even paler under the moonlight, "Yes, I forced myself, I enjoyed the vodka, I'm not drunk, not at all!" She wanted to get thoroughly drunk, wanted to forget the nightmare's beginning, wanted to remove the emotions constantly surging in her heart. She shouldn't have such emotions, and on this ridiculous night, she hated herself even more.

"Hmph!" He snorted coldly, leaning closer, his long fingers pinching her slender chin forcefully, "Not drunk? It's best to recognize your identity clearly, remember you are still my wife, Kong Chengyi's wife!" Even if she was a custom-made wife, she was still exclusively his, still only belonged to him.

"Wife? Hahaha, prestigious family? Perfect match? Haha, it's truly laughable. He surely doesn't know I'm just a fake wife, not even a poor family's member!" Remembering Ran Zhongcheng's inquiry, Hua Lianxi couldn't help but laugh, tears flowing more intensely with her laughter, "Young Master Kong, am I just a joke? I'm merely holding your money under the title of your wife! I'll remember, I'm just a role you customized as needed, just a role, between you and me, we are just strangers!"

Having redrawn the boundary between them, Hua Lianxi forcefully broke free from his grip, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, stubbornly enduring the ankle pain, staggering toward the door.

With tightly pressed lips, veins visible on his forehead, the flame in Kong Chengyi's heart burned more fiercely, almost consuming his rationality, almost uncontrollably wanting to pull her back, to silence her, so she couldn't speak such vicious words anymore.

Strangers? Even sharing a bed, even under the same roof, they were considered strangers? After all, he was just her financial backer.

Stumbling all the way, Hua Lianxi bit her lip hard, tilting her head stubbornly, not letting herself shed another tear.

Stubborn as she was, she wouldn't let herself repeat her mother's mistakes, wouldn't allow herself to fall into illusory emotions, wouldn't let herself be entangled painfully, even losing herself; she wouldn't fall in love with noble families, and even less would she have anything to do with the filthy Ran Zhongcheng, wouldn't let him appear in her world again.