Chapter 46

Xia Xi felt her luck was exceptionally good. After mentally giving herself a pat on the back for her good fortune, she settled in comfortably to eavesdrop.
"Stop making excuses. Who knows what you're really thinking?" Lin Wei's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Are you regretting it now? Regretting breaking up with that Xia Xi who was head over heels in love with you?"
"Don't talk nonsense. If you're asking what I'm thinking, you should ask yourself what you're thinking." Luo Chu'an sighed. "The state our relationship has come to, you should know the reason. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
"What do you mean by that?" Lin Wei's voice rose slightly. "Are you blaming me? Saying I'm not as gentle and virtuous as you imagined, not your perfect confidante?"
"Lin Wei, lower your voice. Do you want everyone around to hear us and make a spectacle of us?" Luo Chu'an's tone carried a hint of anger. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Since you insist on playing dumb and blaming our current situation entirely on me, then today, I'm going to lay it all out for you."
Luo Chu'an paused at this point, took a deep breath, and his voice gradually softened. "Lin Wei, I've waited for you all these years. Can you give me a clear answer today? Do you…do you actually like me?"
After Luo Chu'an asked this question, the private room fell into a long silence, so long that Xia Xi began to feel drowsy. Finally, a voice sounded again, "Luo Chu'an, I think I do like you."
"You think?" Luo Chu'an let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "No, you don't like me. You've just been keeping me as a backup all along. Think about it, Lin Wei. It's been so many years since you went abroad, and I've been waiting for you all this time. I've waited until my heart is exhausted. You've always given me hope, only to let me down again."
"You said you were bothered by Xia Xi's presence, but do you even know why I ended up with Xia Xi? It was because you said back then that you would never return to China. That's why I turned to Xia Xi."
Luo Chu'an fell silent for a long while before continuing slowly, "She's a pitiful person, and so am I."
Xia Xi curled her lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Luo Chu'an's words. She felt he was only half right. Xia Xi was indeed an innocent person dragged into this mess, but Luo Chu'an clearly wasn't. His actions were his own choices. Though his love life was troubled, he had pulled Xia Xi into their chaotic emotional whirlpool, causing her to change and ultimately leading to the tragedy of her life.
Of course, it couldn't be denied that Xia Xi's later transformation was largely due to her own choices, but the initial cause was her innocent involvement. She was the true pitiful one in this relationship, unloved and uncared for by anyone.
"Luo Chu'an, I'm sorry." Lin Wei's voice carried a hint of guilt, along with a touch of urgency and pleading. "To be honest, I don't know why either. You've been so good to me, yet I…Could you, could you wait a little longer? Wait until I can let go of my feelings for him, and then we can get married. You have to believe me, it won't take long, really, it won't be long."
"Luo Chu'an, will you wait for me?"
Luo Chu'an sighed, involuntarily lowering his head as he stared at the table in front of him. He nodded with a bitter smile. "Of course, I'll wait for you. I've been waiting for you all these years. I'm already used to waiting."
"Thank you, Luo Chu'an."
Thank you? Hah,
Xia Xi no longer had the heart to listen to the couple next door flaunting their affection. Frowning, she stared at the table, unsure how to react. Originally, she had planned to eat before leaving, but after hearing their conversation, she had completely lost her appetite. Their words had disgusted her to the core.
"System, did you record their conversation?" Xia Xi asked indifferently.
"Yes, host. Don't worry, it's all recorded." The system's voice sounded particularly cheerful, as if seeking praise. "And because we were so close, I even recorded a video of their conversation."
"You did well."
"Of course!"
"Oh, then you're amazing." Because Xia Xi was in a bad mood, her tone was as perfunctory as possible, clearly just humoring the system.
"Host -_-"
Xia Xi waited until the sounds from the next room had faded before stepping out of her private booth, only to run straight into the paparazzo. By the time she realized she had forgotten her baseball cap again, it was too late, the paparazzo snapped several photos of her in the blink of an eye and dashed off before she could react.
By the time Xia Xi gathered her wits and thought to chase after him, he was long gone.
Oh my god, are paparazzi in this world always this quick?

"If you were the firework over the sea, I'd be the foam of the waves. In that one moment, your light illuminated me"
Just as Xia Xi returned home and settled on the sofa with a book, her phone rang. She paused for a moment, then picked it up from the table.
Da He? Why is he calling me now? Could there be some important reminder he needs to share?
Puzzled, Xia Xi answered the call.
"Da He?"
"Xia Xi, can you please stop causing trouble for a single day?" The voice on the other end was so loud it made her jump. "Do you have any idea you're trending again?"
"I'm trending again?" Xia Xi sounded even more confused. "I haven't done anything these past few days."
"Did you go to Luo Chu'an's company today?" Da He's voice was filled with exasperation. "Even if you went, couldn't you have been more careful and avoided the paparazzi? And if you had to get caught, couldn't you at least have made yourself look somewhat presentable? Go online and see what kind of mess the paparazzi captured. I'm so furious!"
Isn’t Da He focusing on the wrong thing here?
"Ah, so that's why I'm trending." Xia Xi finally understood. Afraid of being lectured by Da He, she lied without batting an eye. "I did go to Luo Chu'an's company today, but I was just passing by. Who knew I'd run into him and Lin Wei? And I never expected to be caught by the paparazzi. Misfortunes never come alone. Am I being torn apart online?"
"Not really. This time, people actually feel sorry for you." Da He's voice sounded both resigned and amused. "Actually, from another perspective, this isn't entirely bad. Your variety show 'Cross-Border Singing Joy' is airing tomorrow, right? This could serve as some early hype. Even negative attention is still attention."
After hanging up, Xia Xi couldn't wait to open Weibo. The trending topics were filled with:
"Luo Chu'an Suspected of Dumping Xia Xi, Xia Xi Looking Increasingly Haggard."
"Luo Chu'an Shifts Affections, But Old Love Runs Deep."
"Xia Xi Using Drugs"
"Xia Xi Drastically Losing Weight"
"What Happens When a Looks-Reliant Vase Loses Her Appeal?"
Today's trending list was absolutely wild, half of the top dozen topics were about Xia Xi.
She couldn't help but admire the creativity of netizens. They could conjure up an entire palace drama in minutes, complete with vivid descriptions and seemingly logical arguments. Some of the stories were so convincing that even Xia Xi started to believe them, feeling like the tragic heroine of her own life.