Chapter 49

Ever since the time Huo Xin went home, she had been very bothered by the fact that Jiang Muti had become Zhou Lu’s fiancée before her.

After a confrontation, her feelings worsened, and the imagined rival she disliked turned into the woman she hated the most in her life so far.

She had never been so seriously humiliated by anyone before because she was usually the one doing the humiliating.

And because of the rumors spread by the Jiang family, claiming she indiscriminately belittled people from that school, including Zhou Lu who was studying there, Huo Xin had to explain herself carefully to Zhou Lu for a long time.

To this day, Zhou Lu still seemed displeased about her going to the school and confronting Jiang Muti.

Huo Xin interpreted it as Zhou Lu being unable to forget his old feelings for Jiang Muti. Even if that wasn’t the case, at least the previous engagement meant something to him.

This made Huo Xin even more jealous, so she desperately gathered every bit of information about Jiang Muti. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known anything about her, even something happening far across the Pacific.

Then, she discovered that less than a year ago, this woman had been an overweight, pig-like fatty, which made it even more amusing.

She had planned to double the humiliation she had suffered earlier, but Jiang Muti’s sharp tongue and the many sycophants around her caught her off guard, leaving her unable to react in time.

It wasn’t until Ji Feishi came over that she finally had a brief moment to regain her composure and think about using the situation to her advantage.

Although the Huo family had come from far away, they had done their homework because they were planning to open up a market here.

They obviously knew about the famous Ji family, but had never met the person who was reportedly even more highly regarded than Zhou Lu in many aspects.

Now that she had seen him, and with his obvious feelings for Jiang Muti and the visible flirtatious atmosphere between them, Huo Xin felt even more certain that Jiang Muti was fickle. She had just broken up with Zhou Lu, and now she was already exchanging glances with another man.

No, maybe she even had an affair with him while still with Zhou Lu.

This was the strange thing about a girl’s heart. Jiang Muti’s brief period of switching affections wasn’t shameful in her eyes, but if Jiang Muti still had lingering feelings for Zhou Lu, Huo Xin would probably go crazy.

In any case, Huo Xin likely imagined a scenario where Jiang Muti would cry and regret not making a different choice, while Zhou Lu remained cold and indifferent, and she herself would be the final emotional victor, which would please her.

In any case, whenever she saw an excellent young man showing interest in Jiang Muti, she felt extremely resentful and irritated.

So, she specifically pointed out Jiang Muti’s embarrassing past to remind everyone of the fact that she had once been overweight.

If the young man who had been on a date with her tonight couldn’t stop thinking about it, then she would consider herself the loser.

As expected, when Jiang Muti heard this, she turned around. Huo Xin met her gaze and provocatively smiled.

However, the unexpected happened: Jiang Muti didn’t react with shame or anger. Instead, she raised an eyebrow at Huo Xin and said, “Losing weight? I’m not stingy when it comes to sharing my experience, but my principle is that you first have to fully understand your body before starting.”

“Miss Huo, with your high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and sharp chin like a shoehorn, I think you could use some more body fat to soften that harsh appearance.”

“To be honest, you’re already engaged, and while personal aesthetics are a private matter, aren’t you worried that Zhou Lu might have nightmares when he sees you late at night?”

“You should listen more to your family’s doctor’s opinions—oh, I’m sorry, I made an assumption. You probably have so many family members that the doctor might be too busy to give proper attention.”

Huo Xin saw that nothing, not even this, could stop Jiang Muti’s sharp tongue. She sneered and said, “That’s right. I, from a humble family, could never have the boldness of Miss Jiang, the big shot.”

“I heard you lost a hundred pounds in just over five months. No wonder you have a professional medical team. To be honest, comparing your old photos to now, it’s like looking at two different people—your eyes are bigger, your nose is more defined, and your chin is sharper—”

She paused halfway, covering her mouth and taking a deep breath. “You didn’t happen to get some work done, did you? Ah! Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just something that came to mind.”

Jiang Muti found it amusing and felt that, as a vicious supporting character, this woman had quickly learned to use such tactics. Last time, at the school gate, she had twisted things around to make Zhou Lu doubt her, and today, she used the same trick to cause trouble.

Jiang Muti shrugged. “I don’t know when they started selling miracle drugs that allow people to undergo plastic surgery without any recovery time and still go about their daily lives. I assume Miss Huo has experienced that, right?”

“But speaking of this, does Miss Huo still hold any prejudice against modern medical aesthetics?”

Huo Xin felt that Jiang Muti was now at ^[1]“The end of her rope” means that someone has reached the limit of their patience, endurance, or resources. It suggests that they are out of options, struggling, or feeling helpless.the end of her rope, with her explanation sounding feeble. It made Huo Xin almost savor the feeling of being unable to explain herself when Jiang Muti had spread those vicious rumors about her earlier.

She smugly responded, “Heh, plastic surgery is just plastic surgery, it’s all about using external forces to change your inferior genes.”

Jiang Muti clicked her tongue. “So strict? Then what about your definition of this field? Are things like beauty injections not allowed?”

Huo Xin thought that this girl had already started messing with her own face at a young age, and maybe she had accidentally hit the mark. Looking at Jiang Muti with contempt, she said, “Of course, it’s considered part of it. Don’t you think it’s pathetic for women who have to rely on that to maintain their appearance?”

Jiang Muti nodded. “I see—”

Then, she loudly called out to Zhou Lu, who was chatting a few meters away. “Zhou Lu, come here.”

When Zhou Lu turned around and saw Huo Xin and Jiang Muti standing together, his head immediately throbbed.

This was a combination of someone who couldn’t stay out of trouble and someone who was an expert at picking fights. They should never be in the same frame.

Zhou Lu didn’t want to deal with them, but he knew if he didn’t listen to Jiang Muti, it would be him who would look bad.

So, reluctantly, he walked over, and Jiang Muti pulled him in.

Under Huo Xin’s jealous gaze, Jiang Muti said, “Although it’s not really appropriate for someone younger like me to say this, you should go home and advise your mom to stop getting regular injections to hydrate and maintain her skin.”

“Huh?” Zhou Lu was confused. What did this have to do with his mom? He didn’t understand anything about women’s makeup or skincare.

Jiang Muti explained, “Your mother and my mom have been exchanging skincare tips for a while now, even recommending beauty doctors to each other. You know, as you get older, you start caring about wrinkles and skin condition.”

“But just now, when I was talking to Miss Huo, she seemed particularly opposed to modern cosmetic treatments. She even said that those who use medical aesthetics are just looking for a way to fix their inferior genes.”

She looked at him awkwardly. “You see, while I’m a bit sorry for your mom, as the old saying goes, marriage is a matter of two families, and they must learn to get along.”

“After all, you, with your inferior genes, are lucky that Miss Huo could even consider you. You should really treasure her from now on.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lu immediately realized that Jiang Muti was once again attacking everyone indiscriminately, and his face darkened.

Huo Xin then realized that Jiang Muti had cleverly twisted her words again and tried to trap her in her own statement. She countered, “Don’t twist my words. I never said—”

“Well, you’re the one who called regular injections a form of plastic surgery, right? And it’s a fact that Aunt Zhou gets regular skincare treatments. How can you accuse me of twisting the facts?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, fine, I know Miss Huo is great, and she’s willing to marry a man with such inferior genes. Obviously, she really loves Zhou Lu. As for me, I, the former fiancée, can only wish you two the best.”

Seeing Zhou Lu’s expression growing darker, Huo Xin panicked. But remembering her previous lesson, she forced herself to calm down, determined not to let Jiang Muti lead her by the nose again.

As soon as her eyes landed on Ji Feishi, an idea suddenly flashed in her mind. She forced a smile and said, “Miss Jiang, you’re really something, always worrying about me, but forgetting about your own matters.”

“I don’t mean any harm, I’m just worried about what people might say. It’s fine for us girls to hear it, but what if it’s a guy, like this young master Ji next to you? His family is known for their strict values—what if he minds?”

Unexpectedly, Ji Feishi, who had been quiet and not involved in the conversation, immediately responded, “I don’t mind.”

The slap in the face came too fast, causing Huo Xin’s expression to twist. “Oh, really? I thought, with how quiet young master Ji has been standing here for so long, you might be trying to take the opportunity to get to know Miss Jiang better.”

Ji Feishi shrugged. “No, not at all. I just like watching her when she’s talking to people—she looks so proud. That’s why I didn’t interrupt.”

Was this speaking? Or was this just stirring up trouble? Zhou Lu thought to himself, realizing Ji Feishi had a particular fondness for troublemakers.

Ji Feishi continued, “I feel a bit bad for Miss Huo though, having to come all this way to let her speak freely while also making sure I enjoy watching. It’s a little embarrassing.”

“You—”

Huo Xin had never been put in this kind of situation by a young man her age. Since she was attractive, even if someone was already in a relationship, they would still treat her with politeness and courtesy.

But when she compared it to Ji Feishi’s blatant, unconditional support, she felt bitter thinking about Zhou Lu, who was always indifferent to her. She immediately grew to hate Jiang Muti even more.

Zhou Lu, seeing that Ji Feishi was repeatedly embarrassing himself, but still not winning, cleared his throat in annoyance.

Huo Xin was already feeling down and exhausted, and at this point, she had no choice but to give up with resentment.

Jiang Muti, looking as victorious as ever, left with Ji Feishi.

The banquet that day was hosted in the best hotel, with guests filling the large hall. But since most of the people were gathered in one place, it wasn’t difficult to find some peace and quiet.

Ji Feishi led Jiang Muti to a quiet corner in the hallway, where there were flower arrangements with cats and a sofa for people to rest on, making it relatively peaceful.

Jiang Muti, pleased by his earlier words, didn’t question his choice of location.

Ji Feishi then asked, “How have you been these past few days? Are you okay?”

“You’re talking as if we haven’t been in contact every day,” Jiang Muti replied.

Although this was their first meeting since returning from the island, they had each other’s phone numbers and social media accounts, and were friends online.

Recently, Yun Duo had been accompanying her to the banquets, helping her pick out dresses and designs for her makeup, and they had been together almost all the time.

Seeing how frequently they were chatting, everyone joked, “People in relationships don’t even talk as much as you two.”

Ji Feishi chuckled. “It’s not the same. What I want is to actually see you.”

He continued, “I remember your birthday is after the New Year. We had planned to go out, but things kept getting in the way. Do you have time tomorrow?”

Since the day he had taken her away from Zhou Lu at the racetrack, things had been busy at the Jiang family. They hadn’t had the chance to reschedule their date.

Jiang Muti, hearing this, recalled the situation, but she felt the growing distance between them was becoming dangerous.

If her side was still in chaos, Ji Feishi’s attitude was the complete opposite.

She twitched her mouth. “You… you didn’t even ask if I wanted to go out, you just asked if I’m free. It feels like we’re already a couple—am I imagining things?”

Ji Feishi, hearing this, replied without hesitation, “Isn’t that the case?”

Seeing Jiang Muti’s expression that was hard to describe, Ji Feishi’s face darkened. “Are you still going to deny this after you asked me to hug you?”

What kind of awful conversation was this? If a third person heard it, they’d think these two were already involved.

Jiang Muti knew she wasn’t being fair, but her mind was all over the place.

At this moment, Ji Feishi cupped her face in his hands, his dark eyes locking onto hers as he said, “You like me, I know. I thought that the distance we had after coming back from the sea was enough for you to realize how you truly feel.”

Jiang Muti knew something was off with her, but facing such direct pressure, she still tried to hold her ground.

“Don’t overthink it. Do you know the ^[2]Bridge Effect refers to the misattribution of arousal, a psychological phenomenon where people mistakenly associate their heightened physiological response (such as increased heart rate and … Continue readingbridge effect? If it had been someone else at that time, I probably would’ve reacted the same way.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Muti sensed a sudden shift in the atmosphere, the air seemed thicker, and heavier.

She looked up and met Ji Feishi’s gaze. Inside his dark eyes, something stirred violently.

“Heh, the bridge effect?”