Spellbound Hearts - Chapter 47 - The Audacity of Age

Song Zhaoli was never one to play the saint.

In his entire life, he had only ever sponsored one person-Ji Xuan.

Hearing Liao Bei’s words, his face darkened noticeably.

On the other end of the call, Liao Bei didn’t dare breathe too loudly. After a long pause, he finally let out a helpless chuckle. “Song, I swear, I didn’t mean for this to happen. It’s all just a big misunderstanding…”

Song Zhaoli’s voice was cold and sharp. “What exactly happened?”

Liao Bei hesitated. “It’s not something I can explain in a sentence or two. I’m on my way to your office right now. I’ll explain everything in person.”

Meanwhile, Wu Shu had already shifted the topic from Liao Bei to Song Zhaoli.

She blinked curiously at Ji Xuan. “You really stayed at Song Zhaoli’s place last night?”

Ji Xuan gave a nonchalant “Mm” and explained, “He had a high fever and accidentally called me instead of Qiu Lin.”

Wu Shu raised an eyebrow. “And you actually bought that excuse?”

“It wasn’t a lie,” Ji Xuan replied calmly. “When I got there, he was completely out of it.”

Wu Shu nodded, accepting the explanation. “Well, that’s some coincidence.”

Talking about Song Zhaoli being delirious suddenly brought back the memory of that inexplicable kiss from the night before.

Song Zhaoli had said: “Ji Xuan, do you think I wouldn’t dare?”

Wouldn’t dare what?

Even now, Ji Xuan couldn’t figure out what he had meant.

As they chatted idly, Ji Xuan glanced over. “Where are you headed now? Home or back to the office?”

Wu Shu tugged at Ji Xuan’s sleeve like a child. “Xuan Xuan, can you take half a day off to keep me company? Honestly, I’m still shaken up from everything that happened.”

Ji Xuan smiled faintly. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

Wu Shu sighed dramatically. “What can I say? A broke hero has no dignity.”

Ji Xuan couldn’t help but agree with that sentiment. In this world, money opens doors; without it, you’re stuck.

At the next intersection, Ji Xuan made a U-turn and used the car’s Bluetooth to call her office. After giving a few instructions, she drove toward her apartment complex.

“What do you feel like eating? I’ll cook for you today.”

Wu Shu leaned against Ji Xuan’s shoulder in mock adoration. “You’re the best, Xuan Xuan. If you were a man, I’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

Ji Xuan nudged her away with her elbow. “Too bad there’s no ‘if.'”

Laughing, they arrived at Ji Xuan’s apartment complex. After parking the car, they walked to the nearby supermarket to buy groceries.

Wu Shu, being the picky eater she was, felt that ordinary food wouldn’t be enough to heal her emotionally scarred soul after the day’s events.

In the fresh produce section, Ji Xuan picked up some beef and lamb, then added some salmon to the cart.

Trailing behind with the shopping cart, Wu Shu asked, “Hot pot?”

Ji Xuan glanced back while selecting vegetables. “Barbecue.”

Wu Shu’s mouth watered at the thought. “At home?”

Ji Xuan nodded. “Didn’t you say the other day you wanted to try it at home? I bought a grill. This is the perfect chance to test it out.”

Wu Shu pointed at the salmon. “Then why are you getting that?”

Ji Xuan’s lips curved into a playful smile. “Let’s splurge a little. I’ll make a cold salmon salad for you.”

The mention of food instantly elevated Ji Xuan’s status in Wu Shu’s mind to a towering six-foot-three. She grabbed Ji Xuan’s arm in mock devotion. “Xuan Xuan, let’s just be a couple. I promise I’ll treat you right.”

Ji Xuan pulled her arm free. “My life’s already a mess. Please, let me keep at least one corner of it clean.”

The groceries totaled over five hundred yuan. At the checkout counter, Wu Shu insisted on paying.

Ji Xuan, her hands full with bags of various sizes, couldn’t stop her. Once they were out of the supermarket, Ji Xuan used her phone to transfer six hundred yuan to Wu Shu via Alipay.

Wu Shu’s Alipay notification chimed with a voice alert. Hearing it, she frowned and turned to Ji Xuan. “Are you crazy? Letting me make a profit off you?”

Ji Xuan chuckled lightly. “It’s not for nothing. I forgot to buy drinks and alcohol earlier. My hands are full, so you’ll have to go back and get them. Keep the change.”

Wu Shu muttered under her breath, “It’s not like I’m short on money.”

Ji Xuan replied, “But I value you as a friend.”

Friendship, after all, required balance. A favor here and there was fine, but too many times, and it could strain the relationship. Money didn’t grow on trees for anyone.

Wu Shu knew about Ji Xuan’s family situation and felt for her. But Ji Xuan wasn’t about to take advantage of Wu Shu’s kindness just because of her own troubles. Even if Wu Shu had more to give, over time, even the fattest sheep would be sheared bare.

Ji Xuan’s tone was calm yet firm. Wu Shu couldn’t argue with her and reluctantly turned back into the supermarket.

While Wu Shu went back inside, Ji Xuan set her bags down on the steps near the entrance of the residential complex. They were too heavy, and her hands ached from the weight.

As she bent her head to stretch her fingers, pale and marked from the strain, a sudden chill swept over her. The air carried a sharp, metallic tang-blood.

Before Ji Xuan could look up, Wu Shu’s startled scream rang out from the supermarket entrance. “Xuan Xuan!!”

Ji Xuan pressed her lips together, wiped a streak of blood off her face with her hand, and raised her head.

Standing before her was Xiao’s Mother, her face twisted in anger. In her hand was a small red bucket, still holding remnants of black dog’s blood that hadn’t been fully poured out.

Seeing Ji Xuan look up, Xiao’s Mother launched into a tirade.

“Black dog’s blood, perfect for driving away bad luck.”

“I went to the market first thing in the morning to get it fresh.”

“Everyone, come and see this jinx! Before my son got involved with her, everything in his life was smooth sailing, his future bright. Ever since they got together, nothing’s gone right for him. Now he’s even been fired from his job.”

“You’ve been sneaking around with other men, and then you had the nerve to throw dirt on my son. Is there no justice left in this world?”

The more Xiao’s Mother ranted, the more animated she became. A crowd began to gather at the entrance, drawn by the commotion.

Wu Shu, seeing the scene unfold, quickly took off her suit jacket and tried to drape it over Ji Xuan. She also pulled out some wet wipes from her bag to clean Ji Xuan’s face.

But Ji Xuan refused, pushing Wu Shu’s hand aside. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to face Xiao’s Mother.

At five foot seven, Ji Xuan wasn’t short for a woman. Her height alone made Xiao’s Mother instinctively take two steps back. “W-what are you trying to do?” she stammered.

Ji Xuan’s expression was icy. Without a word, she raised her hand and slapped Xiao’s Mother across the face.

The slap sent Xiao’s Mother stumbling backward.

Ji Xuan immediately closed the distance between them. Her voice was steady, but her words cut like a blade. “People can talk nonsense, but they can’t distort the truth. Likewise, you can play the elder card, but that doesn’t give you the right to act disgracefully.”