In the lobby, Luo Jingyi searched for her phone to call the coordinator. Out of nowhere, someone suddenly yanked her arm, forcibly pulling her away resulting in her phone hitting the marble floor. The screen cracked on impact. By reflex, she freed herself and extended her leg, digging her heels into the assailant's shoes.
Luo Jingyi heard groans of pain so she spun around and her eyes collided with Wen Minghua's angry ones. Looking at the man sharply, she bent to pick her phone. This was the original's ex-fiance who she abandoned on their wedding day. Back then, the original was too in love with this man that she slaved herself for him. Just because of the stupid deal he had with his friends, he wooed her. The original was socially inept and was often bullied hence, she was overjoyed when he started paying attention to her. Little did she know, when he proposed to her, Wen Minghua and his friends were laughing at her gullibleness. She had fallen to their trap which she only discovered a few minutes before the wedding march was about to start. The moment she heard the truth, she left the place. His original intention of shaming her in front of everyone went south because he was the one who got abandoned.
"What are you doing here?" Wen Minghua questioned crabbily.
"Why shouldn't I be here?" Luo Jingyi's brows angled up, shoving her phone inside her bag.
Annoyance settled on his face upon hearing her retort before it turned into something else. There was the cocky stance he always carried around according to the original's memory.
"Don't tell me you appeared here because of me?" He stated conceitedly as though he was certain. When Luo Jingyi never said a word, he went on scoffing at her. "I am already married to a beautiful wife. Something broken like you, I will never take it back."
Luo Jingyi nearly erupted in cackle with his self-centered assumption but ended up rubbing her thumb on her temple and slightly castigated the original body in her head. 'You are stupid for falling to this idiot. He thinks the world revolved around him.'
Luo Jingyi ignored him and walked forward but Wen Minghua blocked her. Her steps faltered and reminded herself to be patient, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Did you know that I am presenting my paper on biohybrid artificial organs? It's definitely going to get the grand prize. This year's winner will be granted research funding by NewLife Healthcare Corporation."
Luo Jingyi watched silently as he stood there gloating.
"Oh, I forgot that you didn't become a doctor like the rest of us. Why don't you come to sit in to refresh your memory? I'll talk to the organizer. Consider it as doing a favor for you. After all, we have a history." He sounded benevolent yet sarcasm was written all over him.
Listening to his nonsense, Luo Jingyi smirked inside. She shook her head for even spending a second to listen to the man's gibberish.
"Wait here. Let me tell the organizers." He turned away to approach a woman at the registration counter. He took two forms and returned to where Luo Jingyi was standing before handing it to her. But she didn't reach for it.
"Dr. Luo, I am sorry." The program coordinator ran to her side apologetically. She was ordered to take care of Dr. Luo because she was the team leader of the judging panel.
"I'll bring you to your seat." She added when Dr. Luo didn't say anything.
Wen Minghua, who put down his hand which was frozen on-air, wondered. Surmising that the woman made a mistake, Wen Minghua laughingly edged forward and butted in, "Please forgive my intrusion. But this woman is not Dr. Luo. Her name is Han Jingyi."
The program coordinator's eyes ping-ponged between the man and Dr. Luo before it stilled on Luo Jingyi, ignoring the man.
"Dr. Luo, do you know him?"
"Just nobody. Consider him a flea, buzzing where he wasn't needed."
Flea? Wen Minghua's face crumpled upon hearing what she said.
"What did you say?!" Wen Minghua gripped and twisted her arm. The force wasn't light thus, Luo Jingyi felt the pain.
The last ounce of restraint in her was decimated. Luo Jingyi freed herself from his grip by kicking him in the groin. He staggered.
"Touch me again and you'll be sorry. And don't forget that I was the one who dumped you. Why should I be interested in someone I discarded? Ridiculous!" Luo Jingyi scoffed and walked away.
Holding off the pain at the area she hit, Wen Minghua's face became distorted. He was also reminded that she left him embarrassed when she didn't appear on their wedding day and eloped with another man, making him the laughing stock of the whole city. If it wasn't for her scandal to cover it up, people would have talked about him for a long time.
"Dr. Luo, should we allow him to enter?" The coordinator asked, uncertain of what to do.
Heaving a sigh of frustration, Luo Jingyi ordered. "Let him register. Double-check his entry to the contest."
'Let's see what he has.'
The woman lowered her head and acknowledged it. She was still in awe after witnessing Dr. Luo defend herself.
Clenching his fist, Wen Minghua followed her but was stopped when he was asked to show his registration id. He glanced at the two forms on his hand and feeling of humiliation passed him.
Because his voice was very loud earlier, he had attracted attention and people were now gawking at him like he was a big joke. He intended to shame her but she crushed his self-esteem by mere words. Hearing all the words around him, an incorrigible expression settled on his face.