Chapter 11

The hospital room was once again left with only me and Shi Chuan.

After the door was closed, he walked up to me, lowered his head, and said:

“Zhaozhao? Are you angry?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Shi Chuan.”

I didn’t want to get entangled with him any further.

“We’re getting a divorce.”

“No way!”

He reached out, trying to grasp my hand.

“You always refuse to take good care of yourself, and I can’t help but worry.”

“Don’t say things like that, Zhaozhao, I’m the person who loves you most in this world.”

“Zhaozhao, I’m begging you.”

“Never say that again…”

I lowered my eyes, looking at the hand he was holding.

With my other hand, I pried his fingers off one by one.

“Don’t you understand, Shi Chuan?”

I looked at him, my face calm.

“I said, I don’t love you anymore.”

When I left, Shi Chuan lowered his eyes and didn’t look at me.

He simply said, “Zhaozhao.”

“You’ll come back, there’s only me by your side.”

I pretended not to see the glimmer in his eyes.

After leaving the hospital, I didn’t go home.

I blocked Shi Chuan’s phone number and WeChat.

Shi Chuan registered a new phone number.

He sent me messages every day.

He said he didn’t mean it.

That day, he was just too angry and spoke without thinking.

As for Wen He, he didn’t love her.

It was just a momentary hormonal impulse.

I never replied.

And the cooperation with Jiang You’s company was handed over to a new contact person.

Everything seemed calm.

Until that day.

When I was leaving work, the company entrance was suddenly surrounded by a swarm of reporters, making it impenetrable.

The security guards couldn’t drive them away.

I was in the office handling the last bit of work when the door was suddenly knocked.

A young female subordinate with a flushed face and sweating brows said:

“It’s not good, you should check Weibo.”

I took out my phone and opened the trending topics.

I had been on it a few times before, either because of my designs going viral or some celebrity wearing my designed dress.

The entertainment section’s top headlines were glaring:

#Designer Teacher

#Ming Zhao Designer

A buzzing sound filled my ears.

Followed by a racing heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and the light before my eyes dimming.

It felt like being dragged back to that hospital room years ago.

Struggling in darkness.

Like being wrapped in a cocoon.

“Ming Zhao!”

“Ming Zhao!”

The young woman’s voice suddenly rose.

I snapped out of my delusion, cold sweat covering my back.

“Ming Zhao, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

I held onto the chair, rubbed my temple, and clicked on the trending topic-

It was about the incident when our college professor was dismissed years ago.

All true.

The top comments in the comment section were:

-[Who would’ve thought? She dresses so glamorously every day now, maybe she seduced the teacher on purpose back then?]

-[College alumni here, never expected this kind of thing, she took leave for about ten days and then returned to class, couldn’t tell at all.]

-[No way, can’t tell at all, always felt she did it on purpose? Would someone who’s been through that still work in this field?]

-[Poor teacher, probably seduced for grades or something, then the scheming girl turned on him? Ugh, so disgusting.]

-[Probably selling her body for work too? Maybe even the designs are from someone else…]

-[[Image][Image] Dared to wear skirts after being assaulted? [Surprised.jpg] But her figure is really good.]

-[I don’t believe any woman who’s been through that could wear skirts as if nothing happened.]

-[…]

The insults were like tides.

The misled rhythm, one wave higher than the last.

“Ming Zhao…?”

The office door was knocked, Ji Yan stood outside, tilting her head to look at me:

“Ming Zhao, it’ll take a while to clear the front entrance, let me take you to my place today.”

“Safer.”

I nodded.

On the way back.

I opened the still trending topic.

Amidst the shocking malice, there were still some rational and clear-headed people.

I sighed, but then saw a black-and-white edited photo of myself.

-[Scheming girl! She seduced him and then turned on him.]

-[So dirty!]

I pressed my forehead, Ji Yan glanced at me: “Should I help you take down the trending topic?”

I shook my head.

The phone rang suddenly, an unfamiliar call.

But I instinctively knew it was Shi Chuan.

-Even knowing that the current situation was all orchestrated by him.

To force me back to his side.

See.

Only he would always be there, by my side.

Just like back then.

When Ji Yuan left me, he appeared.

Stayed by my side, telling me: he would always be there.

I pressed the hang-up button.