Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 4

When Qi Ning spoke, her tone and expression were lazy, as if she were casually chatting about the nice weather. Her attitude seemed indifferent, but Chen Churan could detect a hint of warning in her eyes.

She had never seen the usually easygoing Qi Ning wear such a smile before. Even the air around them seemed to grow heavier, making Chen Churan force an awkward laugh. “No, no, I was just curious.”

Qi Ning neither confirmed nor denied it. Just then, the waiter brought their food, and the topic was dropped.

The meal passed harmoniously, and they even decided where to go shopping afterward.

While touching up her makeup, Chen Churan casually asked, “The National Day holiday is coming up soon. Any travel plans?”

“Eh.” Qi Ning rested her chin on her hand, calculating the time. “It’s only August now. Isn’t it a bit early to think about October?”

“Not at all. Some places require booking tickets in advance, you won’t get them last minute.” Chen Churan paused, then added, “I’m planning to go to the countryside for some photography. Want to come with me?”

Chen Churan ran her own photography studio and had a flexible schedule, often taking spontaneous trips. She had invited Qi Ning before, but as a hardworking office worker, Qi Ning could never just abandon her job.

But the National Day holiday was a full seven days.

“Well…” Qi Ning thought carefully before replying, “Actually, I was thinking of going to Guiyue Bay.”

“Alright.” Chen Churan didn’t press further. She snapped her compact shut, it was time to leave after the meal.

Before she could say anything else, however, she suddenly noticed a man and woman walking down the corridor. The man looked vaguely familiar, and she quickly matched his face to his identity. Her expression instantly changed.

After steadying herself, she said, “Uh, Qi Ning…”

“Hmm?”

“Have you and Zou Ruiming been fighting lately?”

“No. Why?”

Chen Churan took a deep breath to calm herself. “Turn around and look but brace yourself first.”

Qi Ning frowned in confusion. Behind her was a partition, and beyond that, the guests at the next table.

Chen Churan’s expression clearly meant something was up. Leaning back slightly, Qi Ning turned and peered through the lattice partition, immediately spotting an unfamiliar woman.

Just as she was puzzling over it, she heard a very familiar male voice. Her face stiffened.

Seeing her reaction, Chen Churan knew Qi Ning had recognized the man at the next table as her boyfriend, Zou Ruiming.

A man and woman dining alone in a private booth, no matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious. Chen Churan was already preparing how to comfort Qi Ning afterward.

Hearing Zou Ruiming’s voice, Qi Ning’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t react immediately. Instead, she quickly composed herself and strained to listen to their conversation.

He had claimed to be on a business trip, yet here he was, still in Chonghai City. That alone was questionable, but having dinner with a woman didn’t necessarily mean he was cheating. Even if he was guilty, she’d give him a chance to explain himself before condemning him.

“A-Ming, when are you taking me on a trip~?” The woman’s voice was sickly sweet, sending shivers down Qi Ning’s spine, disgust prickling her skin. But the man seemed to enjoy it.

“Whenever you want, darling,” he replied warmly.

As he spoke, his hand reached across the table to hold hers, his expression turning suggestive. “Sweetheart… we have all the time in the world.”

Qi Ning: “…” She stood up from her seat with an expressionless face.

“Hmph, Zou Ruiming, you sure know how to have fun.”

The two were still lost in their own world, completely oblivious to the extra person at their table, even mistaking her for a waiter bringing dishes. Qi Ning stood before their table, arms crossed, staring coldly at the man who had cheated on her with a mocking smile.

Zou Ruiming, whose face had been brimming with joy moments ago, never expected to run into Qi Ning here. Guilt instantly drained the color from his face. Before he could speak, the woman beside him piped up, “Ah Ming, didn’t you two already break up?”

Only then did Qi Ning shift her gaze slightly toward the woman. Under the overhead lighting, her fake face was so pale she could’ve starred in a horror movie, who knew how many layers of foundation she had caked on? And those double eyelids looked even more artificial than her cleavage.

If looks weren’t enough, she made up for it with makeup. Her only redeeming feature was her ample chest. Being cheated on by a woman like this left Qi Ning feeling disgusted.

“Qi Ning, I—” Zou Ruiming scrambled to his feet, trying to explain, but she cut him off with a cold snap, “Shut it, you scumbag.” Her expression was darker than he’d ever seen, and the imposing 6’1″ man actually froze under her icy glare.

The woman, intimidated by Qi Ning’s aggressive stance, stayed silent, too afraid to speak up as the other woman.

Qi Ning curled her lips into a scornful smirk. “You two really are a match made in hell, trash deserves trash.” She turned to the woman. “Since you like cheating garbage so much, you can have him. A homewrecker and a scumbag may you rot together forever.”

“Qi Ning, you—” Being insulted to his face, whatever trace of remorse Zou Ruiming had evaporated instantly. His face twisted in fury as he suppressed his anger. “If you’d been even half as sweet and considerate as Jiaojiao, we wouldn’t have ended up like this…”

In their three months together, Qi Ning had never acted coy or spoiled around him, rarely speaking softly. She lived unapologetically for herself, which made him feel none of the pride a man should have in being relied upon. Jiaojiao, on the other hand, was the epitome of a delicate, clingy woman the type men couldn’t resist.

While he enjoyed having a beautiful, presentable girlfriend, he also wanted to take things further. But Qi Ning was guarded, and as a man with needs and no self-control, straying was only natural. He just hadn’t expected to get caught so quickly.

Comparing one woman to another was practically begging for death. Qi Ning suppressed the urge to flip the table, clinging to the last shred of rationality for the sake of public decorum.

“Blaming others for your own incompetence, I’ve never seen someone justify cheating so shamelessly. You’re something else, Zou Ruiming.” She let out a cold laugh. “You get the treatment you deserve. Did you really think you were worth my sweetness?”

Without giving him time to react, she grabbed the cup from the table, the heat of the tea still warm against her fingers.

Without hesitation, she flung the tea straight into Zou Ruiming’s face. Splashes hit the woman as well. Qi Ning slammed the cup back onto the table. Jiaojiao, startled by the outburst, didn’t even wipe the tea off her face, sitting there dumbfounded.

“Signboard boyfriend, I’ll make sure you can’t hang on any longer.” Qi Ning coldly declared before turning on her heel and walking away.

Zou Ruiming, who had just been splashed with hot tea, was too spineless to chase after her or even retaliate.

Qi Ning knew he wouldn’t dare fight back, a freeloading playboy who lived off his parents, the factory they handed over to him had never turned a profit since he took charge. Even his siblings had no faith in him. If not for her connections, he wouldn’t have any business coming his way now.

All he did was idle around, his only redeeming quality being his good looks and the way he doted on her. But now that his ugly facade had been exposed, Qi Ning was utterly disgusted. She had originally hoped for a clean break, but things had turned out far uglier than expected.

“Qi—Qi Ning… w-wait for me!”

It wasn’t until she had walked all the way out of the commercial district that Qi Ning remembered her companion. Chen Churan had been trailing her the entire time, lugging shopping bags and her purse. Thankfully, the scene at the restaurant hadn’t caused much of a stir.

Throwing a cup of tea was already being polite. If this had happened during her fiery school days, she would’ve tied the cheating scum and his sidepiece together and beaten them both.

“Sorry about that,” Qi Ning said, her expression softening slightly as she took her belongings from Chen Churan. She offered an awkward smile. “I was just lost in thought.”

She was wondering why she had been so indecisive. If she hadn’t liked him, she should’ve broken up the very next day after they started dating. Instead, she tried to make it work, only to end up with a cheating scandal. It made her sick to her stomach.

“It’s fine!” Chen Churan waved it off. They had come out to relax and shop, but stumbling upon an affair was anything but relaxing.

She tried to console her, “That trash isn’t worth it. Trash belongs with trash, let them rot together! Don’t be sad, okay? Want me to take you out for a drink?”

Qi Ning tilted her head, lips curling into a sardonic smile. “Do I look sad to you?”

“I was planning to break up with him anyway. I never invested any real feelings. The only regret is the potential suitors I missed out on these past few months.” She even sighed with genuine regret.

Chen Churan still wasn’t entirely convinced. After a moment’s thought, she added, “If you’re upset, don’t bottle it up… You can lean on me. A good cry might help.”

Qi Ning raised her hand, pressing the pad of her middle finger to the corner of Chen Churan’s eye. Just as the other woman looked puzzled, she spoke.

“My lipstick costs 400, eyeshadow 500, foundation 600. My entire face is built on money. Do you really think that scumbag is worth me wasting a single cent?”

Chen Churan considered this and realized she had a point. Women’s makeup was expensive every bit of it was an investment. A cheating loser didn’t deserve it. She scrutinized Qi Ning’s expression but found no cracks in her composure. Reluctantly, she said, “Alright then… still up for shopping?”

“Not anymore. I’m not in the mood,” Qi Ning replied briskly.

After parting ways with Chen Churan, Qi Ning didn’t linger outside. She drove straight home.

The first thing she did was set down her bag, then she began rummaging through her belongings as if searching for something.

Eventually, she gathered a small box of miscellaneous items.

Inside were all the gifts Zou Ruiming had given her handbags, small pieces of jewelry, cosmetics, and the like. She cleared them all out, some still unused, and unceremoniously dumped the entire box into the hallway trash bin.

Among these items, the handbags alone were worth tens of thousands, not to mention the rest. Keeping them at home would only irritate her. She wasn’t foolish enough to return them to the scumbag, better to toss them and be done with it.

She took a shower as if nothing had happened, then sat on the sofa wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown. Glancing at the time, 8 PM she figured the other woman should have finished her work by now.

“Jingjing!”

The moment the call connected, Qi Ning called out in a sulky tone.

“When are you coming back?”

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