After Abandoning Her, She Discovered That Her Partner Was a Paranoid - Chapter 24

“Are you sure you want to come?” Jing Feizuo asked Wen Jin, who was spraying perfume on herself, double-checking.

Wen Jin paused. “Is that a problem?”

“Not exactly…” Jing Feizuo hesitated. “I just worry you might not fit in with the atmosphere.”

Under Wen Jin’s gaze, Jing Feizuo gritted her teeth and added, “Well, if a seven or eight-year age difference doesn’t matter, then we’re practically the same age.”

Wen Jin smiled thinly. “What kind of atmosphere are we talking about?”

“Never mind,” Jing Feizuo said, regretting her words. She stomped her foot and pushed Wen Jin toward the door. “You’ll see when we get there.”

By the time they arrived at the party, the sky was already tinged with orange-pink hues.

The moment Wen Jin stepped into the villa’s courtyard with Jing Feizuo, she finally understood what Jing Feizuo meant by “atmosphere.”

A long, folding table snaked across the lawn like a snow-white serpent, covered with a rough burlap tablecloth. The table was already laden with freshly grilled skewers, pizzas straight from the oven, and bottles of various liquors stacked beneath it.

“Jing! What did you bring?”

Jing Feizuo glanced at the boy who called out and pointed to the whole roasted suckling pig behind her.

The boy laughed, winking at Jing Feizuo. “You get me.”

He held up a beer bottle and popped the cap open with a lighter, sending foam spraying half a meter into the air. The crowd erupted in cheers.

As they continued deeper into the courtyard, they spotted the grill, now glowing red-hot. Sizzling pork belly sizzled on the rack, splattering grease onto a nearby girl’s jeans. She shrieked and jumped back, nearly colliding with Jing Feizuo.

Jing Feizuo steadied her. “Amy, watch out!”

Amy, recovering from her fright, thanked him.

Noticing Wen Jin beside him, she shot Jing Feizuo a knowing look. “Bringing the family along?”

“Yep,” Jing Feizuo replied. “I won’t be partying too hard with you guys tonight.”

After a few more exchanges, the two finally reached a relatively quiet corner.

Wen Jin glanced sideways and saw a group gathered around a high standing table playing beer pong, the dull thud of cups hitting the table ringing out incessantly.

Rubbing her temples, Wen Jin suddenly chuckled. “No wonder you usually avoid these gatherings. It’s just not your style.”

Jing Feizuo raised a finger and wagged it at Wen Jin. “I was just unfamiliar with these kinds of events. It’s hard to relax in an unfamiliar environment.”

“It must have been a while since you’ve been here too, right?”

“There’s still a difference,” Jing Feizuo said, frowning as she struggled to explain her feelings to Wen Jin. “Here, no one cares about your status. They only care about good food, good wine, and gossip. You can get close to anyone, confide in them, but the next day everyone will tacitly keep quiet. It’s quite liberating.”

Wen Jin nodded in understanding. “So no one’s sucking up to me here.”

Jing Feizuo’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “That’s just because they’re too ignorant to recognize you.”

Just as she finished speaking, she heard someone calling her name.

Both women turned to see a girl waving at them. “Hey~”

“My former roommate, Xia Lin,” Jing Feizuo said, stepping forward to introduce them. “Wen Jin, my girlfriend.”

“Hi!” Xia Lin greeted Wen Jin with a smile. “Can I borrow Jing Feizuo for a bit? It’s been so long, I have some private things I want to talk to her about.”

Remembering something, she suddenly raised her hand defensively. “Oh, right, I have a boyfriend.”

Wen Jin didn’t object. “You’re free to do as you please.”

Xia Lin seized the opportunity to pull Jing Feizuo aside, lowering her voice. “Is that the legendary Director Wen of the Wen Group?”

Jing Feizuo glanced sideways at Wen Jin, who stood a short distance away.

Wen Jin was dressed simply today, but her near-perfect figure and extraordinary aura ensured she would draw attention no matter what she wore.

“Mm-hmm,” Jing Feizuo replied, withdrawing her gaze. “Don’t provoke her.”

Xia Lin raised an eyebrow. “What, afraid I’ll get acquired?”

“Afraid you’ll go bankrupt.”

Xia Lin chuckled, then quickly regained her composure. “Zhou Xubai will be here today too.”

Hearing the familiar name, Jing Feizuo didn’t even blink.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Xia Lin pressed, “Aren’t you worried your girlfriend will get jealous?”

Jing Feizuo shrugged, feigning indifference. “Zhou Xubai and I broke up ages ago.”

Any jealousy she might have felt should have been exhausted when she saw my collection notebook, Jing Feizuo thought.

The tendrils of memory brushed against that night when her privacy had been exposed, and she couldn’t help but shudder.

Xia Lin, oblivious to Jing Feizuo’s reaction, dismissed her concerns with a meaningful glance. “Do you know how many times Zhou Xubai has secretly asked me about you?”

Jing Feizuo quickly changed the subject. “Didn’t you say you needed my help with something?”

Xia Lin waved her hand dismissively. “Focus on your exhibition first. I know what’s important.”

Barbecue smoke billowed into the air.

Jing Feizuo leaned back in her rattan chair, watching her friends noisily flip meat skewers, squabble over the last piece of grilled corn, and sneak lemon slices into each other’s beers.

These meaningless, childish games brought her a long-lost sense of relaxation, completely dispelling the inexplicable chill she had felt earlier.

Wen Jin sat beside her, holding a glass of sparkling water.

Jing Feizuo glanced at her. “Aren’t you eating?”

“Waiting for you to pick your pieces,” Wen Jin replied, gesturing toward the grill. “You only eat the ones without charred edges.”

“How did you know?”

Wen Jin smiled, offering no explanation.

Just then, a grilled beef rib was handed to Jing Feizuo.

“Here, no charred edges,” the grilling boy said, distributing his handiwork. He noticed Wen Jin. “Oh, who’s this?”

“Wen Jin,” Jing Feizuo said, accepting the plate. “My girlfriend.”

The boy’s eyebrows nearly shot up to his hairline. Recovering from his shock, he placed a piece of grilled meat on Wen Jin’s plate as well. “Wow, you actually brought a date!”

Jing Feizuo kicked him playfully. “We walked past your beer foam when we arrived.”

“Really?” the boy chuckled sheepishly. “I didn’t notice.”

Wen Jin smoothly steered the conversation: “Did you guys have gatherings like this in college too?”

“Way crazier than this!” The boy immediately veered off-topic, launching into a rambling story. “One time, Jing got drunk and insisted on painting Zhou’s portrait on the dorm rooftop—”

Jing Feizuo shot him a dark warning: “Hey!”

The boy mimed zipping his lips shut and walked away with his meat.

Wen Jin turned to Jing Feizuo. “Zhou?”

“A junior from my department,” Jing Feizuo replied casually, secretly praying Wen Jin had forgotten the detailed entries in that notebook.

In truth, Wen Jin had already spotted Zhou Xubai earlier, but for some reason, neither of them had greeted each other.

This inexplicably relieved Jing Feizuo.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew livelier, and Wen Jin gradually warmed up to the group.

With the food in the courtyard nearly gone, the group began moving indoors, preparing for round two.

Amy charged into the living room first, clutching a case of red wine. She kicked aside scattered cushions, clearing a space on the floor.

Xia Lin rummaged through the storage room and pulled out several board game boxes, arranging them in front of everyone.

The room immediately filled with excited chatter as they debated which game to play. Jing Feizuo couldn’t help but rub her ears.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Oh, it looks like we’re out of wine!”

This grave discovery brought the clamor to an abrupt halt.

The noisy discussion quickly shifted from choosing a game to deciding who would go buy more wine.

Jing Feizuo, unwilling to participate in the chaotic decision-making process, stood up and volunteered, “I’ll go get it.”

Wen Jin, about to rise with her, was beaten to it by a girl who declared, “You can’t carry that much alone. I’ll go with you.”

Another moment of silence followed.

Only a few oblivious stragglers continued to urge the pair to hurry back.

Jing Feizuo glanced at Zhou Xubai, who had also stood up, but said nothing as she headed straight for the door.

Seeing this, Zhou Xubai grabbed his coat and jogged after her.

Xia Lin watched their retreating figures, inwardly cursing Jing Feizuo.

She turned to Wen Jin, trying to salvage the situation. “How about we vote for your girlfriend’s game choice?”

The night air was slightly chilly. Jing Feizuo walked with her hands tucked into the pockets of her trench coat, her pace a little faster than usual.

Zhou Xubai kept half a step behind her, their arms occasionally brushing lightly due to the uneven rhythm of their steps, only to quickly separate again.

Jing Feizuo glanced back at her. “The convenience store should be just around the corner.”

“Mm,” Zhou Xubai murmured, her fingers kneading the cuff of her sleeve. “Do you remember how we used to sneak out late at night to buy beer in college?”

Jing Feizuo didn’t respond immediately.

Of course she remembered.

Back then, Zhou Xubai would always cling to her arm, practically hanging off her, laughing and complaining about the vending machine’s glaring lights. Now, the distance between them could easily accommodate a vending machine.

She finally replied with a casual, “Something like that, I guess.”

A moment of silence stretched between them.

Zhou Xubai suddenly spoke up. “The first week you were at Luna, I tried to call you, only to realize you’d blocked my number.”

A cold wind swept through the space between them, swirling up a few withered leaves.

Jing Feizuo deliberately misinterpreted Zhou Xubai’s words. “I’m not just someone who’s chasing after a better life.”

Zhou Xubai’s voice trembled with emotion, bordering on tears. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Jing Feizuo stopped walking until she was beside Zhou Xubai.

Seeing tears on her former lover’s face, she instinctively sighed, reached out to wipe them away, and explained, “I just hoped that since we’d decided to part ways, we could both let go of the past and start fresh.”

“I’m sorry,” Zhou Xubai said, covering her face as she tried to compose herself. “I know you have a girlfriend now. I don’t want to break you up. I just wanted to tell you that I tried to find you again later…”

Jing Feizuo pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket and handed them to Zhou Xubai. “I know.”

Zhou Xubai noticed the bracelet dangling from Jing Feizuo’s wrist and suddenly asked, “Did you throw away the bracelet I made for you back then?”

This time, Jing Feizuo answered sincerely, “No.”

The bracelet was safely stored in her collection box, nestled beside the gift from Contestant No. 2.

Zhou Xubai sniffed, saying nothing more. “Let’s go buy some alcohol.”

When the two returned to the villa with several bottles of alcohol, the board game boxes on the table had already been cleared away.

Jing Feizuo frowned in confusion. “What did you guys decide to play?”

Someone pointed to the arranged empty bottles. “Truth or Dare, of course! Losers either answer truthfully or take a drink—Jing, don’t hide so far away!”

Jing Feizuo retreated a few steps, then lifted her chin. “So cliché? You guys play, I’ll just watch.”

Another person called out, “It’s been ages since you played this game!”

Jing Feizuo smiled. “Because I’m more mature than you guys.”

“Bullshit!” Ella grabbed her arm. “Your girlfriend’s playing, you can’t back out now!”

Jing Feizuo finally noticed Wen Jin sitting at the edge of the group, relaxed and still holding her unfinished glass of wine.

Their eyes met briefly. Wen Jin raised her glass with a slight lift of her eyebrows. “I really like this atmosphere.”