As soon as the phone was connected, an urgent voice came from the other end. “Xiao Jing, why did you block me?”
Although he tried his best to restrain his voice, the irritation and frustration could still be heard. Amplified through the speaker, the emotions were made even more obvious.
Almost instantly, everyone turned to look at Jing Li, some even giving him amused looks, waiting to see how he would react.
But Jing Li was still lazily reclining on the sofa, picking up an orange and slowly peeling it layer by layer. He then leisurely pulled out a section and popped it in his mouth. It seemed to taste good as his eyebrows relaxed in enjoyment. Anyone could sense his leisure and contentment. Throughout the whole time, he didn’t even glance at the phone screen once, like a complete outsider unrelated to the call, showing no interest at all in the person on the other end.
This indifferent attitude immediately made the onlookers lose interest and turn their attention back to the phone screen. After all, eating melon doesn’t have to involve any particular person. Naturally, they would gravitate towards wherever the excitement was.
What’s more, it was indeed quite entertaining to see a scumbag kneel down and beg for mercy.
Not receiving any response for a while, Zhong Liangchen probably also sensed that his attitude had been too aggressive. After a few seconds of silence, he quickly softened his tone, “Xiao Jing, are you still angry at me? I’m sorry. I was indeed in the wrong this time. I apologize to you. Can we meet up tonight and have a good talk?”
Jing Li still didn’t say anything, too occupied with the orange. The fruit tasted really delicious. In the cultivation world, he had already attained a Golden Core physique that didn’t require food. Also, to nurture his body and temperament, he had never tried human food, so the flavors were a novel experience after arriving in this different world. Whenever he came across something that suited his palate, he would eat with utmost relish to show his appreciation for the food.
Seeing his completely absorbed and blissful expression as he ate, the people around him found it quite amusing. And thinking about the person on the other end still begging and pleading, they wondered if he knew that his impassioned performance couldn’t compare to the appeal of a single orange. Some couldn’t help releasing muffled laughs.
“Xiao Jing?” Zhong Liangchen heard the noise on the other end of the phone and called out in confusion. But it only caused more snickering, although everyone was smart enough to suppress it this time. So, he didn’t hear it very clearly and assumed Jing Li was busy with something. With the other party’s silent attitude, uncertainty grew in him about the situation.
“Xiao Jing, why aren’t you saying anything?” Zhong Liangchen asked anxiously, “Even if you’re truly very angry at me, at least give me a chance to prove myself, right? You can’t seriously be abandoning our relationship just like this?”
“We were together for almost two years, right? Over those hundreds of days and nights, we went through so much happiness and sorrow… Even now when I think back, I still feel very nostalgic.” Zhong Liangchen said longingly, “I still remember one time during a date, I brought you to the lake at the school track field, but it suddenly started raining. I hurriedly took off my jacket to cover your head, and you looked at me so touchingly with that warm smile. And that time I skipped class to bring you to Disneyland – you said it was the happiest day you had in so many years. There was also that time during a professional class when you suddenly had a fever and couldn’t get out of bed. I braved heavy snow to go to the school clinic for medicine and also especially went to your favorite congee shop five kilometers away to buy seafood congee for you…”
Zhong Liangchen recounted many things that happened during their time together, each thing poking at the softest parts of Jing Li’s heart. By the end, even Zhong Liangchen himself felt moved, unexpectedly realizing just how much he had done for Jing Li over more than a year. As long as the other still held even a shred of feelings for him, there was no way he would remain completely indifferent to Zhong Liangchen’s words.
And knowing Jing Li’s personality, even if he wasn’t moved to tears at this point, his heart should have already softened to the point of being unable to stubbornly reject Zhong Liangchen anymore, right?
Zhong Liangchen’s lips curled confidently. But before he could continue, an unfamiliar chuckle suddenly came from the earpiece, “Not bad, quite a veteran of the battlefield of love. Your sweet-talking skills are maxed out, huh? Did you use the same lines when in bed with that Lin Xiao too?”
Right after the person finished talking, bursts of laughter erupted from the other end of the call. From the sounds, there were quite a few people there.
Zhong Liangchen froze in shock for a moment before frowning, “Who are you?”
“Who am I? He actually asks who I am?” The speaker sounded like he had heard something hilarious, boldly laughing out a few times. Then amidst the clamoring voices, he jokingly replied, “Who I am doesn’t matter. What’s important is how you plan to beg our Jing Er Shao here. Hurry up, everyone is waiting to hear it.”
As soon as he finished talking, another wave of laughter rang out.
Only now did Zhong Liangchen realize the call on the other end was also on speakerphone. Thinking about all those previous words being heard by that group, his face rapidly shifted between red and pale, looking extremely ugly.
But keeping his intentions in mind, he forcibly suppressed his anger to calm himself as much as possible, “Where is Jing Li? Please let him take the call.”
“Er Shao, he’s asking for you – to take the call.” The person who had been talking to Zhong Liangchen turned with a smirk to glance at Jing Li. Seeing that Jing Li only gave him an indifferent look without any intention of responding, the previously barely restrained excitement in him instantly overflowed. Playfully, he asked, “Or should I chat with him for you?”
Jing Li lazily raised his eyebrows to signify his permission for the man to do as he wished.
In his memories, although the original’s group of friends were known for their wild and careless behavior, they weren’t really bad people. Besides saying some unpleasant things sometimes, they didn’t have any terrible habits.
But hearing unpleasant things directed at someone else could actually be quite entertaining depending on the situation.
Sure enough, upon receiving Jing Li’s consent, the young man grinned gleefully. “As you heard, Er Shao doesn’t seem to want to talk to you. But I’m very interested! Why don’t we chat?”
“Quite a lively show you put on today – ‘Rich second generation catches cheating boyfriend in the act, Scumbag desperately shields his sweetheart.’ hey, I didn’t expect you to be so devoted in love!”
“But I’m rather curious. Faced with our Er Shao’s handsome face that even the gods would envy, and his dazzling and glorious family status, how exactly were you still able to passionately devote yourself to that Lin Xiao?”
“Everyone loves vegetables and meat differently! Aren’t there people who don’t like bird’s nests and shark fins but prefer wild rural vegetables? After all, Mr. Zhong grew up immersed in Mother Nature’s embrace since childhood. Loving some little wild veggies isn’t too inappropriate right? Just look at those intense scenes in the video, tsk tsk tsk…” Someone in the back teasingly added, instantly drawing raucous laughter from the crowd.
Then another person guffawed, “Then hurry up and ask Mr. Zhong what those little wild veggies taste like! Still not tired of them after more than twenty years?”
“Hahahaha, maybe this wild vegetable really does have some tricks! You see, as soon as this incident came out, Mr. Zhong rushed over to defend his little wild vegetable!”
“But that’s only if our Er Shao is willing. You can’t let him take all the advantages, right? Playing both sides like that, does he really think our ‘Second Young Master’ is made of paper?”
“Not confident enough compared to Mr. Zhong it seems. Thinks that it might still work if he gives it his best shot?”
“Mr. Zhong is probably just confident that it might still work out for him. He probably thinks he still has a shot!”
……
The group didn’t hold back at all in their words and were completely uninhibited. Usually, they would have some boundaries with acquaintances from their social circle. But they naturally had no need for reservations against someone who curried favor with the powerful and betrayed Jing Li on top of that. From beginning to end, they never took this person seriously at all.
Of course, Zhong Liangchen understood this point clearly. But after relying on the Jing family’s influence for over a year and getting used to being flattered and placed high above others, there was no way he could take this humiliating treatment. But given his background and qualifications, when facing this group, he didn’t even dare retort. At most, he hung up the phone with a livid face before the other party said more ugly things.
However, the indignation and resentment in his heart did not get relief from ending the call, instead it madly accumulated to a peak.
Jing Li!!! How dare you allow them to insult me like this!!!
Zhong Liangchen clenched his phone tightly in his fist out of gnashing anger, then fiercely smashed it against the opposite wall. His face shifted between red and pale, twisted grotesquely.
But after venting, he collapsed in frustration onto the sofa. His whole being was filled with defeat and regret.
From Jing Li’s attitude just now, he finally belatedly realized that Jing Li had truly given up on him.
Thinking about what losing the Jing family’s background and support would mean for him, Zhong Liangchen seemed to instantly have all strength drained from his body. He slumped powerlessly against the backrest with a pale face.
Late regrets gradually rose in his heart. If, if only he hadn’t back then…
But there were no ifs in this world.
*
Jing Li didn’t have any interest in the thought processes of a scumbag. When the call was interrupted, he was still lazily sitting on the sofa, unhurriedly eating the orange without even lifting his eyelids.
“Hmph! He hung up just like that? I didn’t expect him to have such a bad temper!” The young man who had been talking to Zhong Liangchen raised his eyebrows slightly.
“Would he have dared to do this right under our Er Shao’s nose if he didn’t have a bad temper?” Someone jokingly mocked before sighing, “Though I really didn’t expect that someone who curries favors like him would actually be willing to give up a background like the Jings for a mere lover. Looks like that little star really does have some skills!”
“How many people in the entertainment industry are actually clean?” Someone sneered with contempt.
What happened in that person’s family was known to almost everyone present. Someone immediately echoed, “That’s true too. With the entertainment circle being such a huge vat of dye, all kinds of monsters and freaks like to slip in. Who knows what…”
Jing Li, who had shown no reaction the whole time, suddenly paused. Then seemingly casually, he asked, “There’s a lot of monsters in the entertainment industry?”
“Of course! It’s filled with disorderly groups of demons,” replied the person he questioned, thinking Jing Li was interested in this. He immediately continued, “All kinds of people and ghosts slip in for fame and profit, causing the atmosphere to be tainted with filth everywhere…”
But Jing Li didn’t listen carefully to his latter words, silently sinking into his own thoughts.
Right then, his little assistant suddenly rushed in from outside. Holding up a phone, he quietly said to Jing Li, “Er Shao, Director Yang just called. He said Lin Xiao’s image seems somewhat inconsistent with the character in the drama and wanted to ask your opinion. What do you think…?”
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