After the Online Romance with the Campus Beauty Roommate Went Wrong - Chapter 43

Inside the luxurious private room, the music pulsed with deafening intensity.

Su Ningyue was mid-sentence when Sang Shi’an’s phone, resting on the coffee table, rang. She answered, exchanged a few casual words about being out with friends, and hung up.

Su Ningyue ventured, “Was that Senior Jian?”

Sang Shi’an replied casually, “Yeah, I forgot to say goodbye when I left home.”

She poured another half-glass of whiskey, the amber liquid clinging to her lip. Diamond earrings, extravagant and dazzling, dangled from her exposed earlobes, swaying gently with her nonchalant movements.

“Her engagement with my brother has been called off,” Sang Shi’an said, raising her hand to greet a friend who had just entered the room. She accepted a birthday gift with a smile before revealing Jian Chenyu’s true purpose to Su Ningyue, who stared in astonishment. “But I overheard their conversation. She probably wanted to explain.”

Sensing something amiss in Sang Shi’an’s demeanor, Su Ningyue quickly pressed her hand over her friend’s glass. “Explain what?”

Sang Shi’an tore open the newly gifted box with a dismissive smile. “Who knows? Just think of it as… adult social etiquette. Since I caught them, she and my brother had to offer some kind of explanation.”

Su Ningyue didn’t believe it was that simple. If it were, Sang Shi’an wouldn’t have come to the party tonight; she would have confessed to Jian Chenyu immediately or brought her here directly.

“Little Sangsang,” Su Ningyue said slowly, meeting Sang Shi’an’s gaze and analyzing her, “does this mean you’ll end your online relationship with Senior Jian?”

“Since she’s no longer engaged to your brother, you can reveal your identity to her using your anonymous account, right?”

Sang Shi’an instinctively wanted to deny it, but she opened her mouth and no words came out.

She picked up her wine glass, took a sip, her beautiful eyes remaining expressionless, as if she were drinking water.

Nearly three minutes passed before Sang Shi’an took another large gulp, draining the glass. She casually wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her posture relaxed. “If you were trying to seduce someone anonymously, would you voluntarily reveal your identity afterward?”

Su Ningyue hadn’t expected Sang Shi’an to be so principled.

Sang Shi’an opened WeChat and switched to her Cat Cat Account. There was an unread message from Jian Chenyu. She glanced at it: after Sang Shi’an had said she was going to the train station to pick up her mother tonight, Jian Chenyu had asked if she needed help.

If she said she needed help, Jian Chenyu would come to the train station, and they could meet Cat Cat in person. Perhaps… he might even take her to Universal Studios.

After all, her birthday hadn’t taken up the night session at the amusement park.

Based on what Jian Chenyu had said this morning, there should still be a night session, right?

The thought suddenly shattered Sang Shi’an’s carefully maintained composure.

The awkwardness of being probed by Su Ningyue paled in comparison to the sudden, overwhelming panic that gripped her heart. Jian Chenyu had already made it clear to her brother that he wouldn’t accept an arranged marriage, rendering the Cat Cat Account obsolete. She couldn’t continue pretending to be Cat Cat, living a false romance.

Jian Chenyu loved the beautiful, obedient Cat Cat who had loved him wholeheartedly from the start—not the ill-tempered Sang Shi’an who had ulterior motives from the beginning.

Even though they were the same person.

Sang Shi’an realized she had always been jealous of Cat Cat, jealous of her position as Jian Chenyu’s girlfriend. But her lifelong pride prevented her from ever truly playing the role of Cat Cat, becoming a mere substitute.

“You’re right, I need to make things clear,” Sang Shi’an said, forcing herself to calm down as she began typing.

My mom wants me to take the civil service exam and move back home after graduation. My hometown is too far from Yan City. With only a few months left, I’ve thought about it a lot, and I can’t keep delaying you, Older Sister. I think we should break up.

Being able to briefly have my older sister was the most beautiful memory of my college years. Older Sister, please don’t look for me. Just blame me for being selfish.

Older Sister, let’s break up.

Switching to her user page, Sang Shi’an pressed her lips into a tight line as she systematically blocked and deleted.

Then she flipped her phone face down.

She thought, even if she forced Jian Chenyu to confront her relationship with Cat Cat, Jian Chenyu would never love her. Putting herself in Jian Chenyu’s shoes, she knew she could never forgive a liar.

She and Cat Cat were completely different people. The late-night Universal Studios trip, the rose petal heart… even if Jian Chenyu wanted to meet Cat Cat in person, she would never find her.

The booth grew more crowded, and the joyful commotion grew louder. Sang Shi’an couldn’t suppress a short, choked sob, which was swallowed by the music.

“Jian Chenyu was probably planning to meet Cat Cat in person today. She prepared so much for it. She even took me to the amusement park during the day to familiarize herself with the layout for tonight’s plans.” Su Ningyue turned sharply to look at her, catching Sang Shi’an’s self-mocking smile.

“Jian Chenyu really loves Cat Cat. As someone directly involved, I could feel that love, just like I love her. Before she broke off her engagement with my brother, I thought I still had a chance. But today, I realized it was never possible.”

The light in Sang Shi’an’s eyes dimmed. “I hurt her with Cat Cat. How could I ever tell her I like her again?”

Before Su Ningyue could respond, Sang Shi’an took a deep breath and continued, “It’s also a lie that I don’t want to admit Cat Cat is me. I’m not nearly as carefree as I thought. Every time I get close to Jian Chenyu, deliberately making intimate gestures only to be subtly pushed away, I desperately want to tell her, ‘I’m Cat Cat! I’m the girlfriend you personally acknowledged!’ But the next moment, I’m shattered by her helpless tenderness. In her eyes, I’m just her little sister.”

Su Ningyue couldn’t help but protest, “Maybe you’re misinterpreting things? I don’t think Senior Jian sees you only as a little sister.”

Having an older sister herself, Su Ningyue knew better than anyone the difference between how a sister looks at her sibling and how a lover looks at their beloved.

“Don’t try to comfort me,” Sang Shi’an said quietly. “I have no one else to confide in. Just let me vent to you. Don’t take these rambling thoughts too seriously.” She paused, then let out a short, self-deprecating laugh.

The icy liquor slid down her throat, leaving a vivid curve at the corner of her eye. Even the light seemed to favor her. She straightened her makeup in the phone’s reflection before heading toward the dance floor where her friends were gathered.

Su Ningyue hurried after her. “Wait for me!”

As midnight passed, Sang Shi’an predictably got drunk.

Among her invited friends were several high school students who didn’t have the freedom of college students. As they gradually left, the party naturally dispersed.

The private room had been booked by Sang Shiyue, so there was no need to settle the bill. As Sang Shi’an reached the entrance, she spotted the family’s familiar driver. “Aunt Li?”

“Your brother asked me to deliver your birthday gift,” Aunt Li explained, shaking the car keys in her hand. “I figured you might need me after drinking, so I waited. Shall I take you home?”

Sang Shi’an’s head was throbbing, so she was relieved to avoid hailing a taxi. She initially planned to bring Su Ningyue along, but the sight of the car made her headache intensify.

A pink Lamborghini—exactly the kind of thing an older man like Sang Shiyue would assume a young girl would like.

She could only help Su Ningyue get a taxi first before leaving with the driver.

The club was quite a distance from her home, about an hour’s drive. Just before the driver merged onto the expressway, Sang Shi’an suddenly remembered something and pointed in another direction. “Take me back to school instead. Going home at this hour would wake my parents.”

The driver nodded and turned the car around.

As the elevator ascended, Sang Shi’an felt a wave of dizziness. The normally unremarkable speed of the elevator made her head spin. Her drunken gaze struggled to stay focused, but she couldn’t suppress the nausea churning in her stomach from the alcohol.

When she opened the door, the living room was dark. Sang Shi’an sighed in relief and slowly shuffled toward her bedroom.

Where could Jian Chenyu be right now?

After seeing Cat Cat’s breakup message, she probably wasn’t drowning her sorrows at a bar, was she?

Sang Shi’an felt a pang of worry. She decided to handle another matter first before contacting Jian Chenyu.

She had rushed back specifically to destroy all the cosplay outfits Cat Cat had worn that night, before Jian Chenyu could discover them.

Sang Shi’an returned to her bedroom, closed the door, and began sorting through her walk-in closet.

The outfits Cat Cat had worn were piled in the farthest corner. Each set was lavish, each representing a night shared only between her and Jian Chenyu.

Dizzy and disoriented, Sang Shi’an could still recall Jian Chenyu’s words and tone from that night—the possessiveness she had never shown before, and the raw desire that had radiated through the screen.

All of it fueled by her obsession with Cat Cat.

Clutching Jian Chenyu’s clothes, Sang Shi’an rolled around on the floor like a drunken kitten.

Oh no, I want to cry even more now.

Just as Sang Shi’an was about to roll a third time, a knock came at the door. “An’an?”

Sang Shi’an startled violently. The moment the lock clicked, she sprang to her feet and shoved the clothes beneath her into the closet.

A split second before Jian Chenyu’s footsteps drew near, Sang Shi’an slammed the closet shut, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her throat.

“Were you organizing the closet?” Jian Chenyu asked. The room was warm from the heater, and she wore a pale champagne-colored silk nightgown with long straps that revealed her delicate collarbones. Her long hair cascaded over her chest, partially concealing the low neckline.

Sang Shi’an owned an identical nightgown, bought during her last shopping spree on Jian Chenyu’s credit card. She had initially thought it was a perfectly normal dress, but tonight, it felt overwhelmingly provocative.

Jian Chenyu carried a suit draped over her left arm. From the glimpse of the collar, it was a tailored suit. Sang Shi’an’s mind was still racing with thoughts of the clothes in the closet, and she barely glanced at Jian Chenyu’s arm before forcing herself to sound calm. “I can’t find the robe for my pajamas. Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”

“I knocked, but I was worried you might be too drunk to open the door, so I came in without permission. I’m sorry,” Jian Chenyu said, waving her phone’s call history as she explained. “Your driver must have reported your arrival to your brother. He just called me and asked me to check on you.”

Jian Chenyu remained standing at the entrance of the walk-in closet, maintaining a relaxed distance of two or three meters from Sang Shi’an. Sang Shi’an relaxed as well. “Oh, I see. Thank you for coming all the way here to check on me.”

“You’re welcome,” Jian Chenyu replied, typing a few words on her phone, presumably contacting Sang Shiyue. After sending the message, she showed no sign of leaving. “Are you planning to sit on the floor all night?”

Sang Shi’an steadied herself against the wardrobe and stood up, cautiously observing Jian Chenyu’s expression. Strictly speaking, Jian Chenyu’s current mood should be similar to her own—both of them had just experienced heartbreak.

Jian Chenyu placed the clothes she was carrying on the central island and walked over to help Sang Shi’an up. “In your garden earlier today, did you happen to overhear what I was saying to your brother?”

Sang Shi’an’s tense body relaxed at the question. She ventured cautiously, “Was I supposed to?”

Jian Chenyu chuckled softly at her words. “If you heard it, then I don’t need to have my brother tell you again.”

Her voice was gentle, just like it had been at the amusement park earlier that day, so tender it made Sang Shi’an want to lose herself in it. Sang Shi’an nodded blankly. “I heard it.”

“Are you sure you heard everything clearly?” Jian Chenyu pressed.

Sang Shi’an nodded again. “Yes, I heard everything clearly.”

Jian Chenyu fell silent, gazing at her as if weighing something in her mind.

Sang Shi’an couldn’t understand why such a simple matter as canceling an engagement required such scrutiny. “When I arrived, you and my brother were discussing dissolving the engagement.”

She then summarized the rest of the conversation: “…Then my brother asked if you had someone you liked. You said that person wasn’t as mature or steady as my brother. My phone rang, and I left so I wouldn’t interrupt.”

In truth, her phone hadn’t rung. She had fled after hearing Jian Chenyu say, “Cat Cat isn’t as mature or steady as your brother.” But there was no need to explain that to Jian Chenyu.

This time, Jian Chenyu’s reaction was even stranger. She ruffled Sang Shi’an’s hair, as if praising her, and smiled gently. “It seems you really did hear everything clearly.”

Sang Shi’an: ?

As Jian Chenyu approached, Sang Shi’an could see the expanse of smooth, pale skin at her chest with just a slight downward glance. She averted her eyes and forced out polite, perfunctory words: “You’re so wonderful. You really don’t need to settle for an arranged marriage. It’s good you spoke up.”

Jian Chenyu lowered her hand, seemingly intrigued by the topic despite the late hour. “Oh? What makes me so wonderful?”

Remembering that Jian Chenyu might have seen the news of Cat Cat’s breakup and might need comforting, Sang Shi’an praised her: “Everything about you is wonderful! You’re beautiful, kind, highly educated, capable, and you don’t mess around with people, which makes you feel so safe. You’re just… exceptionally wonderful.”

Jian Chenyu pressed further: “But what if one day you realize I’m not as wonderful as I seem? What if I’m not as composed and collected as an ‘older sister’ should be? Would I still be wonderful then?”

Sang Shi’an: “No one can stay calm all the time.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jian Chenyu said, shaking her head. “For example, I’m not as detached as I appear. I care about money, which is why I forced my parents to choose between me and their relatives. I care about fame and fortune, which is why, even while studying finance at Yanjing University, I spend all my free time conducting experiments and publishing theses.”

She paused, then turned to Sang Shi’an, her eyes gleaming with a profound intensity, the lamplight reflecting like dark flames. “Similarly, in interpersonal relationships, especially when it comes to romance, I’m far from the calm and self-controlled person I usually am—”

“Why are you telling me this?” Sang Shi’an interrupted hastily, as if sensing something she couldn’t quite grasp. “I’m going to take a shower. You should go back to your room and sleep.”

As Sang Shi’an turned to leave, she felt Jian Chenyu press close against her back. The skin against hers was cool, and Jian Chenyu’s breath brushed against the back of her ear.

“An’an, you need to listen.”

The sudden deepening of Jian Chenyu’s voice sent a shiver down Sang Shi’an’s spine. She swallowed nervously, thinking she must have had too much to drink tonight.

How could I think this voice sounds so much like Jian Chenyu’s voice from the Cat Cat videos?

Gentle yet commanding, it rooted her to the spot.

Sang Shi’an laughed casually. “Alright, alright, I’ll listen. Consider it my ideological re-education for coming home late. Come on, Sister Chenyu.”

After a moment of silence, a soft laugh came from behind her, the clear and elegant voice seeming even more distinct.

She felt Jian Chenyu lean closer, as if testing the waters. When she didn’t immediately resist, Jian Chenyu’s arm tightened around her waist.

In the brightly lit walk-in closet, the mirror reflected their intimate embrace.

The voice, muffled as if through a veil, said, “I wish you would get to know me better, not just online.”

Sang Shi’an’s body tensed abruptly, the tightening around her waist almost suffocating her. In that moment, she desperately wished Jian Chenyu was referring to the Jian Clan’s online profiles or the descriptions of their scientific achievements.

But fate rarely grants such wishes.

“…My Cat Cat.”