My Ex Who Dumped Me Comes to Hook Me Up Every Day - Chapter 22

Jin Zhou spoke calmly, “If Dr. Jiang hadn’t provoked her, the other party likely wouldn’t have retaliated, would she?”

“But I genuinely like her,” Jiang Yuhuai said, her tone playful yet tinged with sincerity.

Jin Zhou remained unmoved. “Self-proclaimed affection might be more accurately described as harassment. Has Dr. Jiang ever asked if her feelings are reciprocated?”

Jiang Yuhuai skillfully steered the conversation back to the cat.

“Lawyer Jin isn’t a cat. How can you possibly know what she needs?”

The two women clashed, their words sharp and pointed.

Though they spoke of a cat, the underlying tension suggested something more.

Qu Xinran, who had never witnessed such a confrontation, looked helplessly at Wen Yan, whispering, “A-Yan, those two…”

Qu Xinran was a classic “natural airhead.” Though she rarely spoke, her eyes brimmed with richer emotions than most people’s.

When those round, dewy eyes turned to Wen Yan, her ears softened, and a faint sweetness resonated in her heart.

Wen Yan grinned confidently at her girlfriend. “They’re always like this, Ranran. Don’t worry, just watch me.”

Qu Xinran nodded, looking only half-convinced.

Seizing a lull in their argument, Wen Yan stood up. “Oh, I just remembered something!”

Jin Zhou and Jiang Yuhuai both stopped arguing and looked up at her.

Wen Yan dramatically fanned herself, glancing around. “Whew… the atmosphere’s getting a little heated. Anyone want a drink?”

Understanding she was trying to defuse the tension, the group readily dropped the topic and began chattering about drink options.

In the end, milk tea won by a narrow margin.

“You guys keep playing,” Wen Yan called out. “Jin Zhou and I will go get it.”

Everyone agreed immediately, except for Qu Xinran, still jet-lagged, who asked innocently, “Isn’t it easier to order delivery in China? Why go out?”

Oh, this silly girlfriend of mine, Wen Yan thought fondly.

Instead of explaining, she simply smiled and patted Qu Xinran’s cheek. “You’re coming with us too.”

Though last night had been another night of reckless abandon, the night was, after all, the night, and emotions had prevailed.

During the rational daylight hours, Jin Zhou would have jumped at the chance to avoid Jiang Yuhuai’s irritating face.

She nodded. “Alright.”

Today happened to be a weekday, avoiding the weekend crowds, so the milk tea shop next door wasn’t too busy.

The line moved quickly, and they placed their orders in no time.

Jin Zhou had a feeling Wen Yan’s intentions went beyond simply getting them out of a tight spot.

Sure enough, as soon as they found a table and sat down, Wen Yan eagerly piped up.

“Zhou’er, there aren’t many people around now. You can tell me, right?”

Jin Zhou sat up straight, feigning ignorance. “Tell you what?”

Qu Xinran, seated next to Wen Yan, darted her eyes between the two, looking utterly curious.

Wen Yan cleared her throat. “Ahem, of course—about you and Jiang Yuhuai!”

Jin Zhou glanced at her dismissively. “There’s nothing to tell. It’s just… how it is.”

Wen Yan clicked her tongue, recognizing this stubbornness. This girl would never confess until the very last moment.

“After you hung up on me that day, I carefully replayed the woman’s voice in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more familiar it sounded. Tell me the truth—were you with Jiang Yuhuai at the time?”

Jin Zhou shook her head decisively. “No, you must have misheard.”

Wen Yan narrowed her eyes, refusing to believe her. “Then who was with you?”

“A friend,” Jin Zhou replied.

“Who?” Wen Yan pressed.

Jin Zhou hesitated. “You wouldn’t know them.”

Wen Yan rolled her eyes. “Give me a break. Our friend circles are pretty tight-knit. Whether they’re in China or abroad, I know everyone. Just tell me which friend it was. Spill the name.”

It was common knowledge that Liu Zi’s intelligence network was formidable, and she was always at the forefront of gossip.

Jin Zhou had experienced this firsthand during her years studying abroad.

She knew she couldn’t hide anything from Wen Yan.

At this point, the best strategy was to close her eyes, relax, and pretend not to hear.

Just as Jin Zhou was about to do this, Wen Yan suddenly exclaimed in mock surprise.

“Zhou’er, did you get bitten by a mosquito?”

Jin Zhou froze for a moment.

A mosquito bite?

Wen Yan leaned closer, not content with just observing herself. She pointed dramatically at Qu Xinran.

“Ranran, look at her neck, right by her collarbone. It’s red. There must be a huge mosquito in the house.”

Qu Xinran didn’t need Wen Yan’s detailed description; she had already clearly seen the purplish-red mark.

Her thin-skinned ears flushed crimson.

After all, that wasn’t a mosquito bite at all—it was unmistakably a hickey.

Seeing Qu Xinran lower her head and noticing Wen Yan’s knowing smirk, Jin Zhou immediately understood what this “mosquito” really meant.

She stood up abruptly.

“You two go ahead. I need to use the restroom.”

Wen Yan winked mischievously. “No problem, I get it.”

Under the cold fluorescent light, the hickey reflected in the mirror stood out starkly.

Jin Zhou splashed some water on it and rubbed it with her hand.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t fade. Instead, the purplish-red mark became even more glaringly obvious.

Jin Zhou recalled Jiang Yuhuai’s meaningful gaze as she left that morning.

It was clear Jiang Yuhuai had done this deliberately.

Jin Zhou felt no particular emotion.

After all, they were just friends with benefits.

They had already shared moments of such intimacy and vulnerability.

It would be absurd to confront Jiang Yuhuai over something so trivial.

Her only thought was:

Jiang Yuhuai compared her to a cat, but she herself was the one acting like a territorial animal, marking her territory.

Beneath the neatly buttoned shirt, hidden from view, lay even more chaotic and unbearable marks.

In this context, a single kiss mark seemed insignificant.

Jin Zhou applied some foundation, which didn’t completely conceal it but at least made it less conspicuous.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, confirming her appearance was presentable.

This will have to do.

When Jin Zhou emerged from the restroom, Wen Yan and Qu Xinran had already returned with their milk tea.

She entered the private room to find everyone chatting amiably, creating a harmonious scene.

As she settled into her seat, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the person across from her.

Before leaving her seat, Jiang Yuhuai had been alone.

Now, a woman sat beside her.

Long, wavy hair cascading to her waist, silver hoop earrings, and a figure-hugging leather jacket and pants.

A strikingly assertive appearance.

Yet when she spoke to Jiang Yuhuai, her features softened, as if she were handling something fragile and precious.

With a single glance, Jin Zhou recognized her identity:

Jiang Yuhuai’s admirer.

Exceptional beauty and extraordinary talent.

Most people would consider themselves fortunate to possess even one of these qualities, but Jiang Yuhuai seemed to be blessed by the heavens.

She was not only stunningly beautiful but also remarkably accomplished.

Simply sitting upright, she radiated an otherworldly, unique aura.

This very quality had drawn countless suitors to her during university, each declaring their affections like moths drawn to a flame.

Back then, Jiang Yuhuai had always maintained a perfectly proper social distance from everyone.

So Jin Zhou hadn’t been worried.

But now—

The woman leaned back in her chair, speaking animatedly, as if sharing something amusing.

Jiang Yuhuai looked up at her and returned the smile.

It was clear the two had known each other for a long time.

“Hey, Zhou’er,” Friend A chimed in, “is your law firm planning any expansions lately? My mom gave me some startup capital, and I’d love to join.”

Jin Zhou responded calmly, “Not recently, but I can keep an eye out for you.”

“Really?” Friend A perked up. “Could you tell me more about—”

While chatting with her friends, Jin Zhou’s peripheral vision kept drifting involuntarily to the pair across the table.

Jiang Yuhuai had gotten something on her clothes.

The man gently brushed it off and handed her a tissue.

Jiang Yuhuai took the tissue, smiled, and said something else.

Their movements were intimate and natural.

During the exchange, their fingers inevitably brushed.

Jin Zhou frowned, feeling inexplicably annoyed.

It felt as if something unclean had tainted something she considered her own.

Sensing Jin Zhou’s distraction, Friend A followed her gaze and immediately understood.

“Zhou’er, don’t you know her?”

Her.

Both women knew exactly who they were referring to.

Jin Zhou remained silent.

She was actually curious about the woman’s identity, but she refused to admit that the source of her unease was a nameless stranger across the room.

Friend A, ever perceptive, introduced her: “Jiang Shuyi, the student council president from our year. I heard she started her own design company recently.”

Jin Zhou’s gaze narrowed slightly, but she ultimately gave in to her curiosity and asked, “Are they close?”

Friend A nodded. “Probably. I occasionally saw them walking together in college. I thought you knew her…”

Friend B chimed in, “Don’t you guys know?”

“Know what?” Friend A asked.

Friend B glanced at the two figures across the room and whispered, “I heard that once, Jiang Yuhuai was cornered by a group of thugs in the alley by the school gate. Jiang Shuyi had to bring the school security guards to rescue her. That’s why they’re so close.”

Jin Zhou froze.

Cornered by thugs in the alley by the school gate…

How had she never heard about this?

Friend A voiced her question.

“When did this happen? How come I don’t know about it?”

Friend B rolled her eyes. “Probably during the second semester of their senior year, right before they started grad school. You were studying for your exams back then, completely oblivious to the outside world. How would you know?”

Jin Zhou unconsciously tightened her grip on her cup.

Senior year…

That was the year she left for F Country.