Chapter 40: You and I Are the Closest People to Each Other

Back home.

Wen Zhixian calmly called out, “Qi Yanjing.”

Qi Yanjing looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

“I met someone at the store today,” she said, her gaze fixed firmly on him.

As she spoke, a name popped into Qi Yanjing’s mind, though his expression remained unchanged.

Wen Zhixian paused for a moment, then said, “She said her name is Shen Zhi.”

She tried to read his face for any hint of reaction, but there was nothing.

“She said this wedding ring was the one you gave her,” Wen Zhixian continued. Her voice faltered slightly as she feared Qi Yanjing’s answer would be harsh.

Her calm tone left Qi Yanjing surprised—how could she ask him about this so calmly? She was being so direct with him.

He quickly spoke to reassure her, “It’s not.”

Although his words were brief, Wen Zhixian felt a sense of relief, her anxiety loosening.

Qi Yanjing took her delicate wrist and pulled her onto his lap. “To me, the wedding ring is a symbolic item. I wouldn’t just give it away. When you asked me if I’d been in a relationship, that person was Shen Zhi, but like I said, it wasn’t a pleasant one.”

“I had already broken up with Shen Zhi before I got this ring. Maybe she saw the design of the ring and misunderstood that it was for her. But I didn’t buy this ring for anyone in particular—I simply liked it. I didn’t even notice the size of the band meant for women.”

So when the ring fit perfectly on Zhixian’s finger, he was surprised.

That was just how he was—he bought things based on his emotions.

Qi Yanjing pulled her close and lowered his voice, “Zhixian, when she provoked you, did you doubt me? Did you get angry?”

“In that moment, I felt like I was deceived again,” Wen Zhixian admitted. “I hate keeping things from exes. There were a few minutes when I wasn’t thinking straight.” Her gaze softened, yet held firmness. “But now, you and I are the closest to each other. I want to hear it from you, not anyone else. I don’t want any distance between us that could let others interfere or take advantage.”

There shouldn’t be deep misunderstandings or hurts between the closest people.

Qi Yanjing paused for a moment, feeling a mixture of emotions.

Something seemed to spread within his heart.

Suddenly, Wen Zhixian’s playful “Ah” snapped him out of his thoughts.

She looked into his eyes. “I regret it so much. I didn’t stand up for myself.”

That woman, Shen Zhi, had provoked her so much, and she hadn’t retaliated.

Regret! So much regret!

Qi Yanjing chuckled, but before he could speak, Wen Zhixian wrapped her slender arm around his neck, a playful smile on her face. “Yanjing, why did you break up with her?”

Previously, Qi Yanjing had briefly mentioned that it was due to differences in opinions, but it was just a passing remark. Now, Wen Zhixian wanted to know more about him.

“Shen Zhi and I were in the same department. She’s three years older than me. We started dating in the second semester of my junior year, but it only lasted until my senior year. During that time, I participated in a prestigious financial competition outside my major and won. After that, she often brought up the idea of me going into business after graduation. Eventually, it got worse—my state didn’t improve, and it even became worse than before. Not long after, we broke up.”

She knew about Qi Yanjing being kidnapped before, which might be linked to his family’s business, and that was probably why he didn’t want to pursue that career.

“Zhixian, thank you for choosing to ask me rather than getting angry with me.”

As soon as she said those words, she was momentarily stunned—she truly had treated him like her closest loved one.

Wen Zhixian leaned affectionately against him, giving a small hum. “You care so much about my feelings. I’ve said I’ll treat you well.”

Qi Yanjing gently caressed her face, a stir of emotions rising within him.

…

After finishing his work in the study, Qi Yanjing couldn’t stop thinking about what happened today, feeling increasingly irritated.

He hated that people connected to him went out of their way to trouble Zhixian.

He sent a message to Zhou Chuyu: “Tell Shen Zhi not to be so full of herself. Her act is really nauseating.”

Zhou Chuyu: “What’s going on? Is she asking for a reconciliation?”

If she had said these things directly to his face, he wouldn’t have been this angry. “She’s bothering Zhixian.”

Zhou Chuyu: “Alright, I’ll pass it on.”

He added: “Professor, looks like you’ve fallen in love.”

Zhou Chuyu knew that Qi Yanjing had been in a relationship before, and Shen Zhi’s behavior had only worsened over time. Especially in the last two months before her internship, she started pressuring Qi Yanjing, even going so far as to destroy his work and erase his name. She did all of this in hopes of getting him to agree to go into business after graduation.

At first, she had seemed so reasonable, telling Qi Yanjing, “After we marry, I’ll handle things at home, and you should focus on learning how to do business.”

This woman was ambitious. Qi Yanjing’s abilities far exceeded hers, and it baffled him that she would say such things.

However, he understood. Shen Zhi didn’t come from a good background, and she had a sick grandmother, so she was eager to climb the social ladder. But she couldn’t just stay in her comfort zone and have others work hard for her, could she? Did she expect Qi Yanjing to take on the responsibility for her family’s care?

She may have dreamed of it, but it was just a fantasy.

Later, when Qi Yanjing broke up with her, he had been so happy that he almost wanted to celebrate with fireworks. He immediately deleted her contact details.

Recently, she added him back, and of course, he accepted—mainly because he was curious to see how this ambitious woman was doing now.

It seemed like she was working at a large media company and managing an account with some fanbase.

She had pressured Qi Yanjing so much before, and now she appeared to be all about personal ambition and starting her own career.

He quickly passed on a message to Shen Zhi from Qi Yanjing.

But the message seemed to disappear into thin air, with no reply.

The next day, after finishing his work and preparing to go home, Qi Yanjing ran into Shen Zhi as he exited the gate of Hua A University.

Shen Zhi stepped out of her white BMW and stood in front of him, smiling. “Qi Yanjing, long time no see.”

Qi Yanjing’s expression remained as calm as ever, not wanting to engage with her.

“Long time no see,” he replied coldly.

“Would you like to catch up?” Shen Zhi asked with a smile.

There were a few things she wanted to say in person.

They found a nearby coffee shop to sit, but Qi Yanjing couldn’t help but feel that the coffee didn’t compare to the one at Zhixian’s shop. After only one sip, he set the cup down.

Shen Zhi remarked, “It doesn’t seem as good as the one at Boss Wen’s shop.”

The mention of Zhixian made Qi Yanjing’s expression grow even colder.

Shen Zhi smiled faintly. “Yanjing, why the long face? A girl won’t like you like this.”

Qi Yanjing’s demeanor remained indifferent as he slowly spoke, “Miss Shen, that address is a bit too familiar. I would never speak to my wife like this.”

“The things you said to my wife were a bit presumptuous. We’re not at the point where I’d be giving her a ring.”

Shen Zhi’s smile immediately froze. A few days before their breakup, she had unintentionally seen Qi Yanjing buying a ring. The diamond was quite large, and she was certain it was meant for her. Perhaps he wanted to appease her and get her to follow his plan for a business career. She had hoped to get the ring sooner.