Ning Jin took great pride in having stolen Jin Yao from Chi Yu in less than two years.
She played a delicate game of push and pull with Jin Yao, leading everyone to believe they had long since shared mutual feelings.
But that wasn't the case.
Even today, despite Jin Yao confessing his love to her multiple times, Ning Jin still hadn't agreed to be with him.
It wasn't out of moral concern about the stigma of stealing someone else's boyfriend; it was simply a strategy of playing hard to get.
Jin Yao was someone who relished a challenge. For him, the unattainable was always the most desirable.
Ning Jin always believed she had the situation firmly under control.
But now, she was starting to panic.
Jin Yao was stubborn and rebellious; once he set his mind on something, nothing could sway him.
When Chi Yu fainted in front of him, he didn't even blink.
The depth of his disdain was unmistakable.
Yet, in just over ten days, he was willingly letting Chi Yu support him as they walked.
His expression was calm. Though not warm, he wasn't resisting either.
Jin Yao instinctively wanted to pull his hand away, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he extinguished it.
[Do you want to be a man, or a dog?]
His body stiffened like a statue, forcing a smile at Ning Jin, "What brings you here?"
Ning Jin, more composed than him, nonchalantly lifted the thermos in her hand, her tone light, "Miss Chi injured her ribs. My mother made pork bone soup and asked me to bring it over, hoping it might help her recover."
Chi Yu observed the subtle tension between the two with amusement, feeling like the typical villainess in a melodrama, bent on separating star-crossed lovers.
Seeing that Chi Yu had no intention of speaking, Ning Jin prepared to deliver the soup to the hospital room.
She had just taken a step when Chi Yu's cold voice halted her.
"Take it away. It seems you've forgotten—I despise meat soup."
Ning Jin stopped, biting her lip, her voice tinged with sadness, "My mother set five alarms and stayed up half the night to make this. It's a gesture of kindness. Could you at least try a little?"
Chi Yu let out a derisive laugh, as if Ning Jin's words were some sort of joke. "Why should I inconvenience myself just for her pitiful goodwill?"
Any normal person, after hearing Ning Jin's plea, would have reluctantly taken a sip, thinking it's unkind to reject someone's kindness.
But Chi Yu was clearly no ordinary person.
Having been pampered and adored by her family her entire life, she always got what she wanted. Anything she disliked—no one could force it on her.
Ning Jin's slender fingers tightened around the handle of the thermos, and she glanced helplessly at Jin Yao, her eyes brimming with vulnerability, begging for compassion.
Unable to hold back, Jin Yao spoke up on behalf of Ning Jin's mother. "Aunt Zhao is only looking out for you. Perhaps you could…"
Before he could finish, Chi Yu withdrew her hand from Jin Yao's arm, looking up at him with a mocking smile. "So, you don't want to bask in the sun anymore?"
Jin Yao felt as though he had become a kite in Chi Yu's hands, with her effortlessly pulling the strings of his emotions.
Suppressing the frustration roiling within him, Jin Yao's lips twitched as he said, "Let's go."
He extended his hand to her again, but this time Chi Yu didn't take it.
She walked ahead on her own, brushing past Ning Jin, and with a smile, casually remarked, "Congratulations on your concert. It was quite the success, wasn't it?"
Ning Jin's pupils contracted, and she couldn't help but glance nervously at Chi Yu, remembering how restless Qi Hui had been these past few days.
But Chi Yu didn't return her gaze, as if the words she had just spoken were meant solely for herself.
Jin Yao only had time to hurriedly comfort Ning Jin with a "Don't be upset," before hastily chasing after Chi Yu.
As Ning Jin watched the two of them disappear by the elevator doors, an unsettling feeling crept into her heart, as if something was slipping out of her control.
Inside the confined elevator, silence loomed.
Jin Yao opened his mouth several times, only to close it again.
Seeing his tormented expression, Chi Yu felt an urge to laugh.
Clearly, the words she'd said earlier in the hospital room had frightened him. In the past, he would've already been championing Ning Jin's cause by now.
"Go ahead, ask." Chi Yu's tone was indifferent.
Jin Yao, feeling like he'd been granted a reprieve, initially wanted to directly ask why she harbored such animosity toward Ning Jin's mother.
But after a moment's thought, he opted for a more diplomatic approach. "Why don't you like meat soup?"
After all, he had practically grown up with Chi Yu and could recall that she wasn't a picky eater. In fact, she used to love soup made with yam, pork ribs, and corn when they were younger.
How had her tastes changed as she grew older?
Chi Yu was surprised that this was his question.
Talking about meat soup brought back an unpleasant memory.
As the elevator doors opened, Chi Yu stepped out first. Jin Yao thought she wouldn't answer him, but then she stopped and looked back at him.
"Do you remember Snowball?"
Jin Yao's face was blank. Chi Yu's voice turned mocking. "You don't even remember the gift you gave me? Are you suffering from premature dementia?"
Chided for his poor memory, Jin Yao couldn't afford to get angry. He finally remembered. "The rabbit I gave you when we were twelve?"
Chi Yu's expression darkened as she noticed Ning Jin approaching from the elevator. "I raised it for three years, and your Aunt Zhao 'accidentally' cooked it without telling me what it was. She said it was good for my health. I vomited for two days."
By this point, Ning Jin had already reached them.
Chi Yu lowered her voice on purpose; Ning Jin had no idea what Chi Yu and Jin Yao were talking about.
Sensing the crisis, Ning Jin knew she had to act quickly, to pull Jin Yao back to her side before things went further awry.
"Jin Yao, your homework book is at my house. Maybe we can go together later and…"
Annoyed, Jin Yao furrowed his brows and interrupted Ning Jin.
"Did Aunt Zhao know that Snowball was the pet I gave to Chi Yu? How could she be so careless as to stew it?"
Ning Jin was momentarily dumbfounded by the question.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Chi Yu's cold smirk and realized she had fallen into a trap.
Ning Jin cursed inwardly but quickly crafted a look of distress and guilt.
In no time, tears welled up in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry. Miss Chi was gravely ill back then, and my mother was just worried for her. She believed in a misguided remedy and made a foolish mistake. Though I knelt for two days, Miss Chi never forgave my mother. But since four years have passed and she's still upset… maybe I should—"
Her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees, looking humiliated. "Maybe I should kneel until Miss Chi forgives me."
Although Jin Yao was angry at Ning Jin's mother, he couldn't bear to let her endure such humiliation in the middle of a busy hospital.
He helped Ning Jin to her feet, watching her wipe away her tears, and any anger he had dissipated, replaced with sympathy.
"Since this happened so long ago, and Aunt Zhao already knows she was wrong, let's just leave it in the past."
Ning Jin bit her lip, casting a cautious glance at Chi Yu, and whispered, "I'm just not sure how Miss Chi feels about it."
Jin Yao turned to face Chi Yu, who was smiling—gently, even kindly.
But her words caused both Jin Yao and Ning Jin's faces to go pale.
"You motherf**ker. If I didn't have to obey the law, I would've skinned her alive and stewed her as revenge for Snowball. You're lucky you still have a mother."
Did they really think they were worthy of her forgiveness?