Volume One, Chapter 20: The Scandal of That Year

Shu Xingruo opened her notebook, calculated the date, and said, "I'll go on the 11th."

Su Rongze immediately replied, "I'll take you there on the 11th. No refusal allowed."

Shu Xingruo was puzzled. "Why would you want to take me all of a sudden?"

Su Rongze explained, "You work hard every day and have to drive such a long distance to treat my grandmother. I'm just worried about you driving while exhausted, you know?"

Shu Xingruo nodded. "Right, you really are thoughtful."

Su Rongze took this as a compliment and felt his mood brighten even further. He leaned in slightly, gestured toward the herbal tea on the coffee table, and asked, "Could you spare me some of this tea? I can pay for it."

It was as if Shu Xingruo had found a kindred spirit. She stood up, walked to the coffee table, took a box from the lower drawer, and handed it to him.

"I blended this tea myself. There's nothing precious in it, so it’s not worth much. Since you like it, Mr. Su, take it as a gift."

Su Rongze smiled as he accepted it. "Thank you, Dr. Shu!"

Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and asked, "By the way, are you free for dinner tonight?"

Shu Xingruo shook her head. "I have plans with my best friend."

Very well, he left, looking slightly disappointed.

After work, Shu Xingruo met Lin Anhe at an upscale Western restaurant. They both loved the steaks there and often dined together.

After ordering, Lin Anhe asked, "How did you manage to get that recording?"

Shu Xingruo took a sip of water and said, "I overheard it while hiding in the bathroom," and briefly recounted the events of the afternoon.

Lin Anhe then asked, "Do you still remember the details of what happened back then?"

"I do," Shu Xingruo replied immediately. Over the years, in her search for the truth, she had replayed that day in her mind countless times.

Even though six years had passed, it remained as vivid as if it were yesterday.

As Lin Anhe produced the voice recorder, the memories in Shu Xingruo’s mind came flooding back.

Six years ago in Hong Kong, Shu Xingruo, who had just graduated from university two months prior, was visiting her great-aunt with Shu Yanzhao and Ning Kefang, staying at her house for a short while.

Suddenly, one day, she received a call from Ji Yanli: "Classmate Shu, I heard you’re in Hong Kong. It’s Xinxin’s birthday party tonight; you should come!"

Shu Xingruo pursed her lips. "Why would you invite me to your girlfriend's birthday party?"

Ji Yanli, on the other end of the line, replied, "I have an important gift for you; you must come. The Begonia Hall at the Peninsula Hotel, seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late. And wear something nice!"

He hung up immediately after.

Shu Xingruo’s heart hammered in her chest. What could he possibly be giving her?

She had harbored a secret crush on him for a long time, but knowing he had a girlfriend, she had never expressed her feelings.

Now that he had suddenly mentioned a gift, she couldn't help but let her imagination run wild. Was he going to confess his feelings to her?

She was a person who dared to take risks, so she immediately went downstairs to buy a dress and have her hair and makeup done.

That day, she wore a lake-green cheongsam, which highlighted her fair skin and elegant curves. With her long, straight black hair and light makeup, she looked both beautiful and gentle.

When she arrived at the hotel, she saw Ji Yanli and He Xin surrounded by a large crowd. Ji Yanli looked surprised to see her, but said nothing.

Everyone was arranged to sit together, chatting and drinking. After a while, Ji Yanli showed no intention of giving her a gift, and Shu Xingruo, unable to sit still, prepared to stand up and ask him.

He Xin stood up and said, "Let's all raise a glass!"

Shu Xingruo didn't have a drink in her hand, so You Hongna, who was sitting next to her, handed her a glass.

Shu Xingruo, having no reason to suspect anything, drank it.

Before long, she was overcome by a wave of heat, and her consciousness began to blur.

In her haze, she saw Ji Yanli beside her. His face was flushed, and his touch was searingly hot.

He couldn't suppress the urge to kiss her, and though Shu Xingruo tried to push him away, she had no strength left.

The more he kissed her, the hotter he became, until he could no longer hold back, and within moments, he and Shu Xingruo were laid bare to one another.

His muscle definition was striking, his mermaid line and abs particularly handsome. When Shu Xingruo’s feverish palms touched him, he lost himself completely, pressing down on her with intensity.

By the time she regained her senses, they had already been intimate several times, and she was in great pain. She was terrified and anxious, unable to understand how this had happened.

Before she could even react, He Xin arrived with a large group of people to catch them in bed.

Hearing the commotion, Ji Yanli hurriedly pulled the quilt over himself and Shu Xingruo.

He Xin, who had stormed in, did not pull back the covers, but stood to the side, weeping.

"How... how could you do this to me?"

The crowd buzzed with gossip. Shu Xingruo, naked under the covers, was too scared to move.

Ji Yanli shouted impatiently, "Everyone, get out!"

He Xin ran off crying, and the crowd dispersed.

The two of them got up and dressed in the clothes scattered on the floor. As Shu Xingruo was about to leave, Ji Yanli blocked her at the door.

His gaze was icy, and with his sharp jawline, he looked like a blade ready to pierce through her chest.

Shu Xingruo retreated in fear.

After a long silence, Ji Yanli spoke slowly, his voice as cold as ice: "Why did you come to the party?"

Shu Xingruo said, "Didn't you call me? You were the one who told me the time and place."

Ji Yanli asked coldly, "What time did I call you?"

Shu Xingruo took out her phone to check her call logs, but the record was gone.

Shu Xingruo immediately realized she had been set up.

Ji Yanli did not make things difficult for her on the spot; he let her go.

Before she left, he left her with a warning: "I will investigate this. If I find out you were behind it, I will never let you off."

Shu Xingruo immediately reported the incident to the police, who arranged for her to have a blood test. The results showed she had ingested a large amount of a potent aphrodisiac.

The police retrieved the hotel’s surveillance footage. Shu Xingruo didn't know the name of the woman who had handed her the drink, but she remembered her appearance, and the police hired a sketch artist to create a portrait.

After a night of chaos, Shu Xingruo was picked up by her grandparents.

The next day, the internet was flooded with news of the sole heir to the Ji Group cheating on his girlfriend at her birthday party.

Netizens lashed out at him; the more people cursed him, the larger the scandal grew, until almost everyone knew.

The Ji Group was already at the center of a storm, and this sudden scandal left Ji Jia’an so furious that he nearly beat Ji Yanli to death, eventually landing himself in the hospital.

Wei Ying immediately brought Ji Yanli over to propose marriage. Ji Yanli looked entirely unwilling.

When Shu Yanzhao asked for Shu Xingruo’s opinion, she said, "I am willing to marry him."

She had admired him for a long time, and at this point, marrying him was the only way to quell the scandal.

She was willing to gamble—to bet that he would grow to love her for the rest of his life.

Ji Yanli was forced by Wei Ying to register the marriage. Once the certificate was obtained, the Ji Group’s PR team published it and debunked the rumors of infidelity, claiming they had been a couple all along.

The online scandal was suppressed.

Shortly after, Ji Yanli disappeared. When she saw him again, it was nearly noon the following day.

His first words were, "I want a divorce."