Chapter 58: Chapter 58 The True Face of the Painful Mask_1
While Guo Haozhen was chasing Su Xuan, Liu Yiming ran into a problem of his own.
"Yiming, why have you suddenly become so cold to me?" Chen Jingjing asked, stubbornly clinging to him in a corner of the street. "Did I do something wrong? You owe me an explanation!"
She knew her pursuit of Su Xuan was hopeless. Leaving aside the other beautiful women, Wang Xuehan alone was far beyond her league. Su Xuan had taken Wang Xuehan to transfer money—one hundred million yuan! Even if Wang Xuehan was an otherworldly fairy untouched by mortal desires, she would surely be moved by that. There was absolutely no chance for her and Su Xuan.
But she couldn’t be left without a backup plan. Liu Yiming was that backup.
"Jingjing, do you really want an explanation?" Liu Yiming shook her hand off, lit a cigarette, and took a drag against the wind. "I was going to keep it to myself to save face for both of us. But if you really want to know, I won’t hold back. Once I’ve said my piece, though, we go our separate ways. We’ll stay out of each other’s lives."
"You..." A vague panic crept into Chen Jingjing’s voice. "What are you talking about?"
"I saw you go looking for Brother Su last night." Liu Yiming tapped his chest with the hand holding the cigarette. "Chen Jingjing, don’t think that just because I’m a man, I’ll tolerate all your mistakes and put up with everything you do.
"A man’s heart is made of flesh and blood, you know! We might look strong on the surface, but we also need to be loved, pampered, and treated with tenderness and loyalty!
"What have you ever given me?! Other than constantly taking from me—demanding designer bags, designer clothes, luxury cars, a 200-square-meter house—what have you given me?
"Did you think I was truly satisfied just because I complimented how good you sound in bed? There are plenty of girls who can moan better than you! The money I’ve spent on you is enough to hire one hundred, two hundred, even three hundred girls who sound even better!
"Even if last night never happened, I would have broken up with you eventually! Also, I always thought Yang Xinxin couldn’t compare to you, but now I realize she’s a hundred times better! I really should have pursued her back then!"
Liu Yiming said it all in one breathless rush, then gasped for air.
That felt damn good! So damn satisfying! It’s a shame no other guys were here to see it. They would’ve given me a thumbs-up for sure!
"Yiming, I... I... I just wanted to ask Su Xuan how he made his fortune, that’s all!" Chen Jingjing stammered. "I didn’t want anything to happen between us! Right, I saw a blonde, blue-eyed girl in Su Xuan’s room when I was there! There was a red mark on her mouth where he’d hit her! I never thought Su Xuan had tastes like that, that he’s some kind of per..."
THUD!
A dull sound echoed as Liu Yiming slammed his fist into a nearby tree. Blood began to seep from between his knuckles.
He spoke each word with chilling emphasis, "Chen Jingjing, Brother Su is my brother. If you badmouth him again, my next punch won’t hit a tree. I swear I’ll cripple you."
Chen Jingjing immediately shut her mouth and took two steps back. Liu Yiming was terrifying in that moment, like a completely different person.
"Goodbye, Chen Jingjing." Liu Yiming licked the blood from his fist and, with the cigarette dangling from his lips, walked away into the wind.
"Yiming, is there really no chance for us?" Chen Jingjing squatted on the ground, crying out to his retreating back.
Then, she saw him stop. Relief washed over her. In the past, whenever she cried, Liu Yiming would always soften and do anything to comfort her. This time would be no different, right? Aren’t men weakest to a woman’s tears?
"Heh."
But Liu Yiming only turned his head slightly, not even his body, and said, "Chen Jingjing, my heart is covered in scars. I can’t love you anymore. It’s over between us, forever. Just go."
"Yiming, I didn’t even go into Su Xuan’s room! Can’t you just turn the page on this? Didn’t you always say your greatest virtue was being magnanimous? Besides, I’m a woman. Is it wrong to want a better option? Even if I was wrong, I know that now, isn’t that enough? I’m begging you, please come back to me!"
Her voice drifted on the street-corner wind. The leaves on the tree rustled, as if shaking their heads.
"Tch!" Liu Yiming let out a soft scoff. "Chen Jingjing, you didn’t want a better option. It’s obvious you wanted it all. You were trying to keep me on the hook while secretly pursuing my brother Su!
"Let me tell you something. We’re not kids anymore! Only children want to have everything. Adults have to make a choice, even if it hurts.
"And you already made your choice.
"So, you lost me.
"Goodbye."
Liu Yiming dropped the cigarette butt, ground it out with his foot, and strode away without looking back.
Once love is gone, you shouldn’t chase it. Otherwise, it isn’t love.
"Huh?" A couple passing by stopped and stared at Liu Yiming’s face in surprise.
"Is that the real-life Mask of Sorrow guy?"
"Probably not!"
"Then why does he look so tormented? Like he’s wearing a mask of sorrow?"
"Maybe he’s just in a lot of pain!"
***
Meanwhile, in a taxi on the way to the airport.
Heading home...
Yang Xinxin watched the scenery blur past the window, pursing her soft lips. She had come to visit Teacher Wang intending to take Su Xuan down a notch, but she was the one left reeling from his effortless counterblows. She had also wanted to show off in front of her old classmates. In the end, helping Su Xuan lay his cards on the table for Guo Haozhen, spelling out his assets one by one, had become her greatest moment of showing off.
But she wasn’t complaining. She was genuinely happy.
Su Xuan had made her understand so many things and helped her leave her old self behind.
Time to go home! I’ll go home and help my husband build his career! It’s better to go home and weave a net than to stand by the water envying the fish.
ACHOO!
Yang Xinxin suddenly sneezed.
Is someone talking about me? Hehe.
She closed her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. Goodbye, Su Xuan.
***
In a Rolls-Royce Phantom on the way to the bank.
"Su Xuan, are you really going to transfer one hundred million to me? Even if only a small part is for my father’s treatment, you’re still giving me the full one hundred million?" Wang Xuehan asked from the passenger seat, her gaze gentle and concerned as she watched him drive lazily.
Su Xuan glanced at her beautiful face and smiled. "Do you really not want me to?"
"I..." Wang Xuehan’s small mouth opened slightly. "I do need your help, and I want you to give back to the school, to help other teachers in need and kids who can’t afford their tuition, but... but that’s one hundred million! After you transfer it, will you have any money left for yourself?"
Although she knew Su Xuan was rich, she had no idea *how* rich he was. She had no real concept of the industrial assets he possessed and was worried he would leave himself short.
PFFT!
Su Xuan was amused by his ever-considerate senior. He chuckled, "I’m worth tens of billions right now. Donating one hundred million is like donating one dollar out of a hundred. It’s nothing to me."
"Oh." Wang Xuehan’s small mouth fell open. "Ten billion!"
Just then, Su Xuan’s phone chimed with a text message. He glanced at the sender’s name, and his expression shifted slightly. He looked at Wang Xuehan. "It’s from your father."
Wang Xuehan’s heart skipped a beat. "Did something bad happen?"