Time passed little by little, and the old-fashioned pendulum clock chimed ten o’clock with a clang.
Ding Ning ignited all the candles and began to pack his luggage with no expression. The pain of grief made him not want to stay here for a minute.
He uncovered the floor tiles under the bed and took out the old parcel that he brought to Ninghai. It was made of canvas, old, but still well-knit.
He replaced the floor tiles, pulled out a piece of luggage and opened it, then took out some wearable clothes from the wardrobe, folded and put them neatly in the luggage.
Then he carried the parcel on his shoulder, pulled the luggage, put the key of the room on the table with the candles still burning, opened the door without hesitation, and left without looking back and unwillingness.
When he just got out of the corridor, a dazzling light shone from far to near. Ding Ning stopped and took a step back, standing in the passageway with darkness.
“Creak!”
A slight brake sounded, and a black deluxe Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicle stopped in front of the building.
A handsome man in a white shirt and black-rimmed glasses got out from the driver’s seat and walked quickly with great gentleness to the front passenger seat to open the door.
He reached out his left hand to hold the door, smiled, and said, “My princess, you are home!”
A slender leg wearing mesh stockings got out of the car. Under the beautiful leg, it was a seven-inch-high white high-heeled shoe. The man leaned back slightly and seemed to extend his hand to hold.
A waterfall-like hair showed up at the side door, between which was a beautiful and fair face with a blush.
Wearing a beautiful white evening gown and seven-inch high heels, the noble and elegant Ling Yun walked down from the passager seat and smiled at the man, “Thank you, Brother Junwei!”
Her shiny neck was wearing a shiny diamond necklace, which was still dazzling in the darkness. Seeing that, Ding Ning felt a fitful pain in his heart.
Tonight, she really looked like a princess. He had known her for five years, but she had never been so beautifully dressed in high heels. Today, she presented her beautiful side for another man. A prince and a princess, they stood together and looked so perfect for each other.
“I will walk you in!”
The man gracefully raised his arm and gestured Ling Yun to hold it.
Ling Yun hesitated and smiled embarrassedly. But she reached out and held his arm after all.
Looking at this scene, Ding Ning gripped his fist hard. His heart was as painful as being torn. He lowered his head and walked out dragging his luggage.
“Ding Ning, when did you come back?”
Ling Yun suddenly saw Ding Ning, shouted in surprise, and then immediately realized something. She released the man’s arm in panic, “Ding Ning, this is not what you think. Please let me explain!”
“There’s nothing to explain. I am leaving. I wish you happiness!”
There was no pain, no hatred, and no jealousy, only a ruthless nonchalance that was cold and bitter in Ding Ning’s eyes.
Ling Yun felt a sharp twinge in her heart as if something was missing. She reached out her hand to hold Ding Ning and said anxiously, “Please listen to me. It’s not what you think!”
Ding Ning slowly and firmly shook off her hand, did not look at her, dragged the luggage, and strode forward. The voice of nonchalance came through the night wind,
“From the moment you cheated on me, what the truth is has been no longer important, cherish it. See you, erm, no, no more, princess!”
Ling Yun’s movement dropped. Her hand that was reaching out stopped in the air stiffly, and her eyes turned vacuous and desperate with tears dripping down her cheek uncontrollably.
“Yes, the most basic thing between two people in a relationship is trust, but I have deceived him. Although it is not intended, deception is deception. There is no reason to talk about it.”
“Should I hold him and tell him that I was forced by my mother to go to the blind date. The reason that I went shopping with the man was to tell him that I already had a boyfriend, and I held his arm because I was not used to wearing high heels, my feet hurt that I needed him to be a walking stick.”
All explanations seemed to be so weak at this moment because Chu Yunxiu was an issue that they could never sort out.
“He is your boyfriend?” The man’s slightly magnetic, mellow voice rang in her ear.
“Now, probably not.”
Ling Yun looked up and opened her mouth, letting her tears flow back into her eyes. Except for crying in front of Ding Ning, she never shed tears in front of other men.
She was Ling Yun, the big sister of Fuxing Street, and Ding Ning’s Master Yun, she would only reveal the most vulnerable side in front of her beloved.
“Explain to him well. If he really loves you, he would understand.”
The man seemed to be very kind, but Ling Yun did not notice a sense of scheme flickered on the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you. I have already arrived home. You should go back!”
Ling Yun said with a calm expression on her face. It sounded polite and distant.
She felt regretful and sorry that she went to the blind date at the back of Ding Ning and ran into him when she held the man’s arm.
“It was just a few steps, why not refuse him? Ding Ning is the one who you love the most. Why still tangle with him.”
“Is it really because of the pressure from mom? Or you already started to like the man in front of you, that you get obsessed with his gentleness and reasonableness.”
“Ling Yun, you are a wanton woman.” Ling Yun deeply blamed himself.
She had to admit that the man in front of her was extremely excellent. And every word he said was able to touch the most sensitive part of her heart.
She liked his voice, his demeanor, his care, and his gentleness, and she once lost her feelings that she had passed her affection to him.
But when she saw Ding Ning leaving with a determinate coldness, her heart was twitching pain, and she realized that she did not pass her affection to another man. She always loved Ding Ning, determined and persistent.
Her feelings for the man in front of her were not the love but the missing family affection. In him, she seemed to feel that she was given care with fatherly love, and that was all.
“I will leave then. I will call you when I get home safe!”
The man said with a gentle voice, got in the vehicle neatly, and started the engine, ready to leave.
“No, we won’t meet again. I don’t want him to misunderstand me again!”
The cold voice of Ling Yun came through. It was as cold and heartless as Ding Ning’s voice, without any emotions.
The man’s mouth slightly twitched in an undetectable way. He still smiled warmly and said, “Even if we can’t be a couple, it’s okay for us to be friends.”
“Sorry, I have many friends, and I don’t need you. I don’t want him to have any misunderstandings. Let’s end here!”
Ling Yun said in a stiff voice, turned her back, and left in high heels. Her graceful figure was as elegant as a white swan in the night.
The man stared at her back for a long time, and there was a hint of blackness in his eyes. He cursed in a low voice,
“Crazy bitch, you thought I am in love with you? I am here to retaliate against Ding Ning. Wait and see. Slowly, I will make you fall for me. And I will dump you after you make Ding Ning miserable!”
“Boom”!
He stepped on the gas pedal, and the Mercedes-Benz off-road left like an arrow from the string. He wanted to catch up with Ding Ning, who made him get suspended from his post for a long time, to enjoy the disowned-dog look of him.
Yes, this man was the chief of the Intelligence Division of the National Security Intelligence Bureau, Liu Junwei. Because he made the wrong decision to let Monkey die, he was suspended from his post for a long time to retrospect by Mo Fei.
He was waiting to get promoted happily. And that made him very confused as if he were struck by lightning. At the same time, he started to hate Ding Ning to the core for saving Monkey’s life.
He believed that all the unfair treatment he had suffered so far was due to Ding Ning—if he did not save Monkey officiously, how could he be punished?
His ambition was big, but his mind was very small. He did not reflect on his own mistakes. Instead, he got angry at Ding Ning and swore to retaliate against him.
Just in time, his aunt was about to set him up with a girlfriend. He wasn’t in the mood to go to a blind date. But after he found that the girl on the picture brought by his aunt was Ling Yun, he got overjoyed and agreed right away.
As the chief of the Intelligence Division of the National Security Bureau, he knew all information about Ding Ning like a book, including his dubious relationship with Ling Yun that was like the best friends but also lovers.
The other participant in the blind date arranged by his aunt was Ling Yun, which fit in exactly with his wishes. He would not be Liu Junwei if he failed to seize the chance to retaliate against Ding Ning.
Ding Ning’s good at martial arts. He certainly wouldn’t be silly to fight him or kill him. The best way to retaliate was to seduce his love away to destroy his mindset.
It could vent his hate without breaking the law. What revenge method could be better than that in the world?
Ling Yun walked to the door of the house lost. She was about to open the door with the key when she found Ding Ning’s room was half-close with the light still on.
That made her feel refreshed, and a glimmer of hope grew in her heart. “Ding Ning has not left. He still cares about me and will come back.” She kept cheering herself up.
She opened the door and walked into Ding Ning’s room. She got drawn to the cake with the candles still burning at first sight. Ling Yun covered her mouth with tears falling like rain.
She walked up to the table and uncovered the empty bowls that were put upside down covering the dishes. An enticing aroma started to fill her nose.
Stir-fried squid, stewed sirloin with lily, spicy tofu, fish-flavored pork… Each was a dish that she liked.
She recalled her birthdays over the past five years. It was like a movie playing in her mind. No matter how busy or tired he got, he would celebrate her birthday with her.
On her birthday every year, she would melt into his brilliant smile and gentle eyes. At that time, she was the happiest princess.
Princess, the word seemed so ironic at this moment!
“Ding Ning, do you know? I just want to be your princess. I am sorry, I was wrong. I should not lie to you, sorry. Please come back, wuwuwu…”
Ling Yun opened the unimpressive small gift box on the table as if she found a treasure. When she saw the platinum necklace, she finally couldn’t help but cry out loud.
She knew how stubborn Ding Ning’s temper was. Once he had made his decision, nothing could hold him back. She got very regretful for being of two minds and not able to refuse her mother’s usual tricks.
She grabbed the platinum necklace tightly, just like the drowning man clutching the last straw.
With tearful eyes, she pulled off the necklace that was said to be worth more than one hundred thousand dollars by Chu Yunxiu, threw it to the corner of the wall like rubbish, and put on the birthday gift that Ding Ning gave her with care.
She went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror with red and swollen eyes, stroked the necklace with fondness, murmured in a low voice,
“Ding Ning, I was wrong. I will turn back your heart, and I won’t let you leave me again. From today on, this necklace will always be with me.”
“Oh, my sweetheart, what are you doing? This diamond necklace is worth more than one hundred thousand dollars. Why did you throw it away?”
Chu Yunxiu, who was startled by Ling Yun’s crying, went over at some point. She looked at the torn diamond white gold necklace in the corner, quickly picked it up and shouted distressedly.
“More than one hundred thousand? Didn’t you say that it was a high imitation that you bought with a hundred dollars?”
Ling Yun’s eyes suddenly narrowed and asked with a cold and icy voice.
“What do you mean that I bought a high imitation with a hundred dollars? This is a genuine diamond necklace worth more than one hundred thousand dollars. It was a gift from Junwei. I was afraid that you wouldn’t accept it. So I lied that it was a high imitation!”
Chu Yunxiu squatted on the ground trying to put the necklace pieces back together. She did not notice Ling Yun’s abnormality and answered with an air of a matter of course.
