"You don't dare admit what you've done?"
"Wait, why are you two fighting over my fiancée? I'm her fiancé!"
"I don't understand what you're saying, Master Su, so naturally, I don't know what to admit."
"Enough!"
Su Zhiyi, who had always played the gentle and obedient girl in front of the three men, finally lost her temper at their incessant bickering.
Her brow furrowed, her snow-white cheeks flushed with anger, drawing the attention of the trio.
Anger and委屈 intertwined on that pretty face. Her light brown eyes welled up with tears, as if pushed to the edge, on the verge of crying any second.
She looked pitiful, like a wronged kitten.
"Explain? There's nothing to explain! We're just friends!" A single tear of grievance trickled from the corner of Su Zhiyi's eye, rolling down her flawless cheek. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Si Yanjing. "You never trusted me. Fine, don't trust me. I'll never like you again!"
"How could I ever love someone like you?"
Seeing Su Zhiyi cry, Si Yanjing became flustered.
The coldness on his handsome face shattered like a cracked mirror, revealing the panic underneath.
Su Qinghuai had stressed to him several times before they came:
"Su Zhiyi isn't as innocent as she seems. She's a master of acting and manipulating hearts. We're all just her playthings."
But the moment Su Zhiyi cried, Si Yanjing, being a simpleton, completely forgot Su Qinghuai's words and felt an impulse to pull Su Zhiyi into his arms and comfort her.
The same Si Yanjing who had just demanded an explanation now stammered, trying to explain to Su Zhiyi instead.
"Baby, don't cry. I didn't mean that. Of course, I believe you're just friends. Listen to me..."
Su Qinghuai gritted his teeth in frustration, glaring at this hopeless, lovesick 'temporary ally.'
"You're hopelessly stupid."
Su Zhiyi wiped away the deliberately shed tears from the corner of her eye and said decisively: "I don't want to hear your explanation!"
"Haha, how interesting," Song Lian chuckled, looking like a gleeful bystander.
"Stop gloating over there."
Su Qinghuai's head was about to explode.
The sound of Song Lian's laughter and Si Yanjing's comforting, together with Su Zhiyi's sobs, made his vision blur, and he almost wished he could die.
Si Yanjing's lips parted, wanting to explain to Su Zhiyi, but she was too 'unstable' to listen.
Song Lian seized the opportunity to rescue Su Zhiyi.
He stood up, walked to her side, placed a hand on her shoulder, and patted it twice comfortingly.
"Master Si, don't you understand Zhiyi's meaning? She doesn't want to hear your explanation now."
Su Zhiyi didn't bother about eating anymore. The priority was to resolve this awkward situation.
Song Lian had clearly given her an out. If she followed his lead, she could escape this love arena where three men had gathered.
Dealing with one man was easier than three.
Without hesitation, she abandoned Si Yanjing and Su Qinghuai and chose Song Lian.
Just like before, when she had abandoned Song Lian and Su Qinghuai to choose Si Yanjing—no hesitation.
Su Zhiyi stood up with Song Lian's help. His coat wrapped around her slender body, and in full view of the other two, Song Lian openly pulled her into his arms.
Si Yanjing was stunned and furious at the scene: "You—"
"Si Yanjing, don't speak. I don't want to hear your explanation." Su Zhiyi sobbed softly, the corners of her eyes flushed a bewitching red, holding back tears. "Let me calm down."
Song Lian, now like a victor, laughed even more heartily.
The usually composed man couldn't contain his smugness and raised an eyebrow at the two losers.
"Master Si, I think Zhiyi has made herself clear. You should reflect on your own issues."
"As for you, Master Su... I really don't understand what you're implying. We barely know each other. Slander me if you must, but please don't do it in front of Zhiyi. Thank you."
"Gentlemen, until next time."
Song Lian openly led Su Zhiyi away.
The two men left behind stood there for a long time, until the figures of Song Lian and Su Zhiyi disappeared from their sight.
To have his fiancée taken away by her ex-fiancé right in front of him—Si Yanjing felt immense humiliation.
He even began to doubt if he should have come to the restaurant with Su Qinghuai to catch Su Zhiyi and Song Lian on their date.
If he hadn't stumbled upon this awkward scene, he wouldn't have said things to hurt Su Zhiyi. She would have finished her date with Song Lian and returned to their home, and he could have pretended nothing happened.
He couldn't help but blame Su Qinghuai.
"It's all your fault. If not for you, Zhiyi wouldn't have left with Song Lian."
"Just now, she said she loves me. It didn't sound like a lie at all. If she said she loves me, then she truly loves me."
Su Qinghuai's mind still echoed Song Lian's last words, which drew a clear line between them and tried to slander him in front of Su Zhiyi.
The veins on his forehead bulged. He clenched his fists in anger.
He only regretted being too well-mannered, not landing a punch on that hypocritical face before Song Lian left.
Hearing Si Yanjing's stupid remarks only added fuel to the fire of his rage, making it burn even brighter.
"Don't talk to me either. Hearing your voice makes my blood boil."
His voice was icy.
"I misjudged Song Lian when I cooperated with him. I didn't think through the consequences, and that treacherous bastard backstabbed me. I accept that."
After berating Song Lian, he didn't forget to scold the idiotic lovestruck man in front of him.
"Cooperating with you was the worst decision I've ever made. You're still fantasizing about impossible things. You're utterly hopeless."