Spellbound Hearts - Chapter 29 - The Boyfriend She Made Up

Song Zhaoli’s tone carried the air of a carefree playboy.

Liao Bei stared at him, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu from his words.

Meanwhile, Mother Ji brought two steaming plates of dumplings to the table.

Ji Xuan stepped forward, reaching out to grab one with her hand. Just as her fingers brushed the edge of a dumpling, Mother Ji swatted her hand with a pair of chopsticks. “Did you wash your hands?”

Ji Xuan winced, pulling her hand back with a hiss. “A little dirt never hurt anyone.”

Mother Ji chuckled indulgently. “Nonsense.”

Ji Xuan grinned. “Wu Shu said it.”

Mother Ji raised an eyebrow. “Does Wu Shu know you’re blaming her for this?”

Ji Xuan laughed playfully, shedding her usual strong, independent demeanor. “She must never find out.”

Mother Ji gave her a mock glare, though her eyes were full of affection. “Go wash your hands.”

Pouting, Ji Xuan dragged her feet toward the bathroom, glancing longingly at the dumplings on the table with every step.

After washing her hands, she returned to the table and reached out again, only for Mother Ji to hand her a pair of chopsticks.

Ji Xuan looked up. “Mom, isn’t this what they call a trap?”

Mother Ji smiled. “This is what we call civilization.”

It had been a long time since the mother and daughter had shared a meal together. On the surface, Mother Ji seemed strict, but in reality, she was a gentle and timid person. It was precisely because of this that Ji Xuan had to shoulder so much responsibility.

Halfway through the meal, Mother Ji placed a dumpling on Ji Xuan’s plate and asked, “You told Xiao Jin you have a new boyfriend. Is that true?”

Ji Xuan froze for a moment, knowing she couldn’t dodge the question. She mumbled, “Yeah.”

Mother Ji wasn’t convinced and fixed her with a probing gaze. “Really?”

Ji Xuan grabbed the glass of juice in front of her, taking a sip to buy time. She wanted to deny it, but the cascade of explanations that would follow made her hesitate. If she admitted the boyfriend was fake, Mother Ji would inevitably ask about what Xiao Jin had mentioned about “that night.”

And if “that night” came up, she’d have to explain being drugged. That would lead to Mother Ji blaming herself and possibly insisting they move back to Yan City. It was a chain reaction, like pulling on a loose thread in a sweater-once you start, the whole thing unravels.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Ji Xuan forced herself to nod. “It’s true.”

Ji Xuan rarely lied to her mother, so her firm tone left Mother Ji with little reason to doubt her. Still, she asked cautiously, “What kind of person is he?”

Ji Xuan improvised. “He’s pretty great.”

Mother Ji pressed on. “What does he do for a living?”

Ji Xuan replied vaguely, “Same field as me.”

Mother Ji’s curiosity deepened. “Is he with Wansheng too?”

Ji Xuan hesitated, not daring to lie about this. “No.”

Mother Ji frowned slightly. “Then where does he work?”

Ji Xuan bit her lip, her nerves making her accidentally bite into the dumpling in her mouth too hard. “Song Group.”

In Qing City, there were only a handful of real estate companies. She couldn’t say Wansheng, fearing her colleagues might slip up if Mother Ji ever moved to Qing City. Rongsheng was out of the question too-Xiao Jin would undoubtedly expose her. That left only Song Zhaoli’s Song Group.

Hearing the name, Mother Ji nodded. “I’ve heard of them. They’re always on TV. Seems like a big company.”

Ji Xuan muttered, “Yeah.”

Mother Ji continued, “Your father used to want to collaborate with Song Group. He tried several times, but in the end…”

Her voice trailed off, and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Ji Xuan knew her mother avoided talking about Father Ji and didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. She smiled gently. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we can change the subject.”

Mother Ji took a deep breath, composing herself. “When do you have time to bring your boyfriend home? I’d like to meet him.”

She glanced at the calendar on the wall. “How about next weekend? It’s a good day.”

Ji Xuan froze.

She should have known better than to let her mother change the subject.

When Ji Xuan didn’t respond, Mother Ji sighed. “I need to meet this boyfriend of yours. I have to make sure he’s good enough for you. Xiao Jin was too indulgent with you back then…”

At the mention of Xiao Jin, Ji Xuan felt a wave of nausea, like a fly had flown into her throat. “Mm.”

That night, Ji Xuan lay in bed, video chatting with Wu Shu.

Wu Shu was laughing so hard she nearly fell over. “Wait, wait, hold on-haha-you have to find a boyfriend to bring home next weekend? Where are you even going to get one?”

Ji Xuan leaned back against the headboard, massaging her temples in frustration. “I have no idea.”

Wu Shu waggled her eyebrows mischievously. “Look, I’ve always been against you getting tangled up with Song Zhaoli, but given the situation, he might be your only option. If worse comes to worst, just make do with him.”