Chapter 21: Watching Him Change Clothes!

Lian Youyou rolled up her sleeves as she spoke, stretching out her arm before Quan Qing’er.
“Look at this, I’ve truly been bullied to death by his wife. That old woman—they have no feelings left for each other, yet she clings to my boyfriend, refusing to divorce him.”
Qiao Jing nearly burst out laughing; the injuries on Lian Youyou were all from her fall from the sixth floor, not from any beating.
“Is his wife really that awful?” Quan Qing’er couldn’t help but think of Qu Wuyan.
“Youyou, I’ve told you, what you’re doing is wrong!” Qiao Jing joined in Lian Youyou’s little drama, pointedly criticizing by implication, “No matter how bad she is, she’s still his legal wife. You and he will never have a real future!”
“But… but I really love him. He promised he’d marry me. I… sob… sob…” Lian Youyou, worthy of her actress title, summoned tears in an instant, tossed aside her knife and fork, and collapsed into Qiao Jing’s arms, weeping.
So Lian Youyou and she shared the same misery… Quan Qing’er started to feel sorry for Lian Youyou.
She understood Youyou all too well. Though Fan Chi was twenty years older than her, and perhaps in everyone else’s eyes she was just using him to climb higher, and he was only playing with her, in her heart, she truly loved Fan Chi.
“Don’t cry, Youyou. If you love him, you should hold on. Things like status aren’t important.” Quan Qing’er handed Lian Youyou a tissue.
“What do you know!” Lian Youyou raised her head, her smeared makeup nearly startling Quan Qing’er, “You haven’t been through what I have, how could you possibly understand?”
“I do understand!” Quan Qing’er’s voice was soft, yet echoed with conviction.
Lian Youyou wiped her tears and sniffled, “What do you know? You don’t understand…”

“Of course I do.” Quan Qing’er grasped Lian Youyou’s hand, speaking gently, “Youyou, I understand how you feel. Your pain and confusion—I know them. Because we are the same kind of people.”
“You mean…”
“Yes, we’re the same.” Quan Qing’er’s voice dropped to a whisper.
Lian Youyou’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
With those words, she knew her dinner tonight was worth every penny, and her act of suffering hadn’t been in vain.
…
At Lu Ming’s home, the vast floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a dazzling cityscape of Binhai at night. The quiet living room was shrouded in darkness, the flavor of night thick in the air.
That girl Youyou still hadn’t contacted him, not even a single message…
He’d thought, after filming the commercial and receiving her endorsement fee, she’d come straight to share her joy with him.
But no.
It was nearly midnight, and still no word.
At such a late hour, Youyou must have returned to her dorm and fallen asleep.

Setting down his glass of red wine, Lu Ming strode into the bathroom.
He took off his shirt and was just about to undo his belt when he sensed a strange, inexplicable feeling.
Turning around, he saw Lian Youyou standing at the bathroom door, wine bottle in hand, her large eyes fixed unwaveringly on him.
“When… when did you get back?” Meeting Lian Youyou’s gaze, Lu Ming felt his neck flush with embarrassment and stammered, “Why didn’t I hear… not a sound…”
“Just got back.” Lian Youyou’s eyes remained unshifted.
Lu Ming, at a loss, asked, “Did you… see something?”
“I saw it all,” Lian Youyou answered without hesitation.
When she returned, the living room was pitch dark, only the bathroom glowed faintly.
The bathroom door was ajar, and through the crack, Lian Youyou just happened to catch the scene of Lu Ming changing his clothes.