Chapter 9: With Nothing Left

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Qin Sheng, inside the room, was the first to react. He rose and greeted De Ling.

“De Ling, long time no see.”

The others also came to their senses, each wearing a different expression.

“I... came to see Mr. Ye.”

Lu Feng, seated beside Qin Sheng, was quick to answer. “Zigui isn’t feeling well after the time difference, so Brother Ye took her to the pharmacy downstairs. They’ll be back soon.”

Qin Sheng kicked Lu Feng under the table, and only then did Lu Feng fall silent.

The inquisitive gazes inside the room were far too obvious. Without hesitation, De Ling closed the door and withdrew.

On her way toward the lobby, she ran straight into Ye Hongxiao and Song Zigui.

Song Zigui stood in front of Ye Hongxiao, rising onto her toes as she leaned close to his ear and whispered something. De Ling saw the faint smile at the corners of Ye Hongxiao’s lips.

She wanted to avoid them, but there was nowhere to hide.

Ye Hongxiao noticed her first. The smile on his lips gradually faded, and his brows slowly drew together. The person standing before him must have noticed the change in his expression as well, for she followed his gaze toward De Ling.

“Sister De Ling?”

De Ling tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Zigui, long time no see.”

Song Zigui had not expected to see De Ling here either. Her startled expression lasted only a second before instantly giving way to her usual sweet and charming smile. She ran toward De Ling.

“Sister De Ling, why haven’t you contacted me in so long? I’ve missed you terribly.”

Looking at the sweet smile on her face, De Ling’s inner alarm bells began to ring.

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The last time Song Zigui had smiled at her like that, the cat De Ling raised had been thrown out the door the very next day.

That cat had been a birthday present from her mother, and De Ling had raised it from a tiny kitten into adulthood.

The reason it had been abandoned was that Song Zigui claimed to suffer from severe rhinitis and to be allergic to pet fur.

Her father had told her to yield to her younger sister, and she had silently agreed. Yet the very next day, Song Zigui had brought home a majestic hunting dog.

So it turned out that she was not allergic to fur at all. She simply disliked De Ling.

The last time, it had been her beloved pet.

What would it be this time?

“Sister De Ling, my mother was saying that it’s been a long time since she saw you, too. When will you come home and have a family dinner with us?” Song Zigui gazed at De Ling with an innocent, harmless look.

If De Ling had not seen her true nature since childhood, she might truly have been deceived by that guileless face.

“No. I’ve been very busy lately,” De Ling replied coldly.

After saying this, De Ling noticed that Ye Hongxiao’s brows had knitted even more tightly.

Song Zigui continued, “Then have dinner with us tonight. There are so many things I want to tell you.” She turned to Ye Hongxiao. “Brother Ye, is that all right?”

Ye Hongxiao glanced at De Ling, then drew his lips into a slight smile and answered Song Zigui gently, “As long as you want to.”

The trace of bitterness in De Ling’s heart surged once more.

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She had pursued him like a lovesick dog, begging him for just a few minutes of his time, and had still failed. Yet with a single word from Song Zigui, he was willing to agree to dine with her in the same private room.

Since he and Song Zigui had grown up together and shared such sincere affection, De Ling wondered, what had everything between him and her ever meant?

Perhaps it had all been nothing more than a joke.

Her chest felt painfully constricted, yet she still allowed Song Zigui to lead her into the private room.

As soon as the door opened, everyone inside wore the expressions of spectators eagerly awaiting gossip. Only Qin Sheng rose and gestured for De Ling to sit beside him.

Song Zigui refused on her behalf. “Sister De Ling has to sit next to me.”

De Ling had no choice but to sit beside Song Zigui.

Ye Hongxiao, seated not far away, glanced at her. When their eyes met, De Ling could see the coldness in his gaze and how unwelcome he found her presence.

She withdrew her eyes, lowered her head, and pretended to look at her phone to escape his scrutiny.

Where she sat did not matter. Whether she ate or not did not matter either. Her purpose today was to settle the details of their future cooperation with Ye Hongxiao. As long as that was accomplished, what did it matter what Song Zigui wanted?

In any case, she had already lost everything.