Chapter 4: "I Don't Like It Dirty, I Didn't Play at All"

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Song Xi glanced at the screen and noticed that the large solitaire diamond ring was gone, leaving only the other diamond rings. As expected, that huge diamond was too expensive. He must have withdrawn it, letting her choose from the remaining ones. She had never met such a stingy yet straightforward man before. Surprisingly candid. Just as Song Xi was about to say she didn’t want any, the man spoke up: "I have a flight to catch in ten minutes, so your time is limited. If you don’t like any now, we can pick again when I return from my business trip." It was just a ring, nothing to make a fuss over. She simply chose the smallest diamond, an everyday style, and said, "Let’s go with the one on the bottom left." "Alright," Jing Zhuo replied, then turned to the clerk, "Wrap this one up too." "Certainly, sir." There was a rustling sound, then the call ended abruptly. What a quick man. He hadn’t even shown his face; Song Xi hadn’t seen his handsome features before the call got cut off. Zhang Hening had been watching the whole scene from start to finish and offered his wise opinion: "He definitely thought the big diamond was too expensive and couldn’t bear to buy it. I told you, men are miserly when it comes to money. Every cent they spend on women is calculated. Better to rely on your sisters. When I get money from my older brothers, I’ll save up and buy you something nice." Song Xi twitched her lips, "Thanks for that." "By the way," Zhang Hening continued, "that stingy husband’s voice sounded familiar, that cold tone... I think I know someone like that." "But no such stingy guys around me. Maybe I misheard." She got worked up again, launching into a tirade about stingy men and scoundrels. Song Xi cut her off, "Want some sesame paste?" "Yes." "What about the dipping sauce?"

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"Also yes." After enjoying hotpot, the two went to the pet store to pick up Song Xi’s kitten. When she moved to the capital, she had her little cat transported too, and it had been staying at the pet store for a few days. The kitten, a black and white cow-patterned cat named Quirky, got along very well with Zhang Hening’s golden retriever, Kiki. Once home, Quirky raised its tail high, wagging it like a propeller, and the cat and dog dashed up and down the stairs playfully. Song Xi returned to her private guest room, took a shower, and changed out of the clothes still smelling of hotpot. Sitting back at her desk, she took out her onboarding documents and checked everything one by one. Before arriving, she had passed an online interview with a company in the capital; she was set to start her new job tomorrow. Everything was perfectly arranged. Suddenly, her phone buzzed—an incoming call from a familiar number. Without a second thought, she hung up immediately. Seconds later, the same number called again, persistent as if it wouldn’t give up until she answered. With an expressionless face, Song Xi picked up. The man’s voice came through: "Song Xi, stop playing games, okay? I’m giving you a way out now. If you don’t come down, that’s it—no second chance!" Song Xi replied coolly, "We’ve already broken up. Can you be a decent ex and just disappear? Don’t embarrass yourself." The man tried to explain, "You broke up with me just because I was at a club with a client? I told you that was business. Those girls were clients’ picks; I just waited outside. I don’t do that stuff, I think it’s dirty." Song Xi snapped, "Get lost." She hung up coldly and blocked the number. Two seconds later, another number called; she blocked that one too. Sometimes, when speechless, the only reaction left was laughter. "Client fun? I didn’t join. I think it’s filthy. I sat outside. I’m the cleanest guy in the world. I’m a devoted, perfect man." Ten out of ten men spout this nonsense, and Chen Mian still thought she’d believe it.

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And yet, Chen Mian had fooled her with these words for two whole years. Later, a video surfaced online showing her so-called devoted and clean boyfriend embracing two other women, kissing one on the left cheek and the other on the right. Even a dog wouldn’t be so eager to gnaw on something. Song Xi felt deeply ashamed of her own foolishness in having dated him for three years. She already predicted that every time she quarreled with Zhang Hening in the future, she’d say, "And then there’s that worthless ex of mine—I don’t even want to talk about him…" Luckily, her current husband was none the wiser, so the embarrassment was somewhat contained. — The next morning, a dedicated delivery person from a certain mall stood outside the He residence, holding a large, exquisite gift box. "Miss Song Xi, we have a gift for you to sign for." Zhang Hening was lounging on the sofa; upon hearing the voice, he got up curiously. "Darling, what did you buy? It looks so high-end and classy!" She wanted to sign for Song Xi but heard the delivery person politely say, "Sorry, the gift is valuable and requires the recipient’s signature in person." Song Xi came downstairs and signed for it herself. The gift box was handed to her. She had just moved in on the first day and hadn’t bought anything—who had sent her a gift? Song Xi opened the box to find two small black velvet boxes inside. Opening them, she instantly recognized the contents. Diamond rings—two of them. One was a huge solitaire diamond ring, the other a smaller everyday diamond design. Could it be... from her stingy husband?