The following morning, Qin Lan woke up feeling drained, as if the weight of the previous night had settled into her bones. Her dreams had been filled with images of Lu Yan and Ji Yi, their figures blending together in a swirl of confusion and heartache. Now, in the light of day, the reality of the situation seemed even more unbearable.
She sat up in bed, her silk sheets cool against her skin, and stared out the large window overlooking the city. Despite the brightness outside, a sense of gloom hung over her. She hadn't spoken to Lu Yan since the gala. He had left with Ji Yi, and that was all she knew. His absence was a confirmation of everything she feared—Ji Yi was back, and Qin Lan's place in his life was as fragile as ever.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, jolting her out of her thoughts. With a sigh, she picked it up, half-expecting another cryptic message from the unknown sender. Instead, it was a message from Li Ming.
"Have you given any more thought to my offer?"
Qin Lan stared at the screen, her mind whirling. Li Ming's proposal lingered in her mind like a dangerous temptation. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since the night they had spoken in his office. He had offered her an escape, a way to take control of her life and break free from the invisible chains that bound her to Lu Yan.
But accepting Li Ming's offer felt like stepping into a dark and unpredictable world. It was a world where she would no longer be the passive, compliant wife. Instead, she would become something else—someone with power, with leverage. But what would she have to sacrifice in return?
Before she could decide, the door to the bedroom creaked open, and Lu Yan walked in. He was dressed in his usual immaculate suit, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the sight of him took her breath away, but then the memory of the previous night rushed back, and the cold knot in her stomach returned.
"Lu Yan," she began, sitting up straighter. "We need to talk."
He closed the door behind him and crossed the room, his movements controlled, as if he had prepared for this conversation. When he finally met her gaze, his eyes were calm, devoid of any emotion.
"I agree," he said quietly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "There are things we need to discuss."
Qin Lan swallowed, feeling the tension between them thicken. "Why didn't you tell me Ji Yi was back?"
Lu Yan's jaw clenched slightly, a flicker of something—guilt, perhaps—passing through his eyes. But when he spoke, his tone was even, almost too controlled. "It wasn't something I felt was necessary to mention at the time."
"Not necessary?" Qin Lan's voice cracked. "She's the woman you loved. The woman you still—" She stopped herself before the words could fully form. Did she really want to know if Lu Yan still loved Ji Yi? Deep down, she already knew the answer.
Lu Yan's gaze softened, but only slightly. "Ji Yi is part of my past, Qin Lan. She came back unexpectedly, and I didn't want to stir up unnecessary emotions."
Qin Lan let out a bitter laugh. "Unnecessary emotions? Do you even hear yourself? You brought her to the gala, Lu Yan. You walked in with her, knowing exactly how that would look."
"It wasn't intentional," he replied, his voice firm. "I didn't mean for you to see us like that."
"But you did," Qin Lan said, her voice trembling. "And now I'm left wondering if I'll ever be more than a substitute in this marriage."
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air. Lu Yan's face remained impassive, but his eyes told a different story. There was something there—something buried deep beneath the cold exterior he always wore. But whatever it was, it remained locked away, inaccessible to her.
"I never asked you to be a substitute," Lu Yan finally said, his voice low. "You knew what this marriage was from the beginning."
Qin Lan's heart sank. His words confirmed what she had feared all along—that she had always been nothing more than a convenient arrangement for him, a way to fill the void left by Ji Yi.
"You're right," she whispered. "I knew what this was. But I thought—" She stopped herself, choking on the words. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, things would change. That Lu Yan would see her for who she truly was, not as a stand-in for someone else.
Lu Yan stood up, his expression as distant as ever. "I have a meeting in an hour. We can continue this conversation later."
Qin Lan stared at him in disbelief. Was that it? Was this all he had to say to her after everything that had happened? She had laid her heart bare, and all he could offer was the promise of another conversation that may never come.
"Of course," she said coldly, her voice hollow. "Go to your meeting. It's what you do best, after all."
Without another word, Lu Yan turned and left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft click. And just like that, Qin Lan was alone again, the silence of the room pressing down on her like a suffocating weight.
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Later that day, Qin Lan found herself sitting in a small café downtown, nursing a cup of tea as she stared blankly out the window. The bustling streets of the city passed by in a blur, but her thoughts were far from the present. She couldn't shake the conversation with Lu Yan from her mind—the coldness of his words, the finality of his indifference.
Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was another message from Li Ming.
"I'm serious, Qin Lan. You don't have to do this alone. Let me help you."
Qin Lan stared at the message for a long time. There was something comforting about Li Ming's persistence, about the way he seemed to genuinely care about her well-being. But at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder what his true motives were. Was this about her, or was this just another move in the complicated game of power and influence that surrounded them?
As she debated whether to respond, the door to the café opened, and a familiar figure walked in. Qin Lan's heart skipped a beat as Ji Yi approached her table, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"Qin Lan," Ji Yi greeted her, her voice smooth and warm. "May I sit?"
Qin Lan nodded, her pulse quickening. She hadn't expected to see Ji Yi so soon, especially not here, in such an intimate setting. There was something disarming about Ji Yi's presence—she was effortlessly graceful, her every movement calculated but not forced. Qin Lan had always imagined her as the perfect woman, the kind of person who could capture Lu Yan's heart without even trying.
Ji Yi sat across from her, folding her hands neatly on the table. "I wanted to talk to you. About Lu Yan."
Qin Lan's stomach tightened. "What about him?"
Ji Yi's smile faded slightly, her gaze turning serious. "I know you've been through a lot since we… parted ways. But I need you to understand something. Lu Yan may not show it, but he cares about you. He wouldn't have married you if he didn't."
Qin Lan's breath hitched. "You don't know anything about our marriage."
"I know more than you think," Ji Yi said softly. "And I know Lu Yan. He's not an easy man to understand, but he's not heartless."
Qin Lan stared at her, unsure of what to believe. Was Ji Yi trying to reassure her? Or was this another subtle reminder that no matter what happened, Lu Yan's heart would always belong to her?
Before Qin Lan could respond, Ji Yi leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering. "Be careful, Qin Lan. There are people in Lu Yan's world who will do anything to keep things the way they are. Don't let yourself get caught in their games."
With that, Ji Yi stood, her smile returning as if their conversation had been nothing more than a casual chat. "Take care of yourself, Qin Lan."
And then she was gone, leaving Qin Lan with more questions than answers.
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End of Chapter 8
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