Chapter 17: First Love
“Duan Yu is here, why didn’t you call me?” Before Duan Yu could answer the person’s question, a spoiled female voice cut in from nowhere.
“Chen Wei Qi, why are you everywhere?” Zhong Yang frowned, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
Lian Li followed the sound and looked. Chen Wei Qi was wearing a pink lotus-colored slip dress, her slightly curled long hair falling over her shoulders, her skin fair and delicate, and her features exquisite.
“I’m here, I’m here.” Chen Wei Qi playfully pouted at Zhong Yang, then turned to Jin Shi Yue, her demeanor softening as she said, “Brother Shi Yue.”
Chen Wei Qi is the cousin of Jin Shi Yue and Jin Yan Ting, and her past relationship with a male celebrity was widely known.
She desperately threw money and resources at the male celebrity, pushing him from obscurity to stardom. However, the male celebrity was ungrateful and cheated. But Chen Wei Qi was no pushover; she ended things swiftly, almost blacklisting him.
Chen Wei Qi looked well, showing no signs of a recent breakup. She shifted her gaze to Pei Qingji, “Brother Qingji.”
Pei Qingji nodded.
Chen Wei Qi’s peripheral vision caught Lian Li on the other side. She glanced at her expressionlessly. Lian Li was leaning on the sofa, slowly drinking an iced beverage and scrolling on her mobile phone.
Lian Li noticed, but showed no particular reaction.
After the pleasantries, the atmosphere livened up again. The person continued to ask Duan Yu, “Is the great beauty Duan returning to the country?”
Duan Yu checked the time and said, “I’ve already returned. I’ll be landing at ten tonight.”
“She’s arrived? It seems there will be another stir. Thinking back to those days… tsk tsk tsk.”
“Is this Miss Duan so formidable? Is she very beautiful?” someone who didn’t know asked.
“Beautiful, of course she’s beautiful. Sister Shiqing has been the campus belle since she was young,” Chen Wei Qi raised her face and joined the conversation. “She and our Brother Yan Ting are a perfect match, a match made in heaven!”
After speaking, Chen Wei Qi subconsciously tilted her head, looking at the man casually leaning on the single sofa.
She nervously probed his expression.
Jin Shi Yue’s long legs were casually crossed, exuding a hint of weariness. His sharp nose cut through the light and shadow, his face a mask of indifferent detachment.
The tension in Chen Wei Qi’s heart finally eased.
Those who came to Magnificent Blue Bay for leisure were all young ladies and masters from wealthy and noble families, each with an unapproachable background.
The underlying currents here were money, power, and desire. The Jin Family sat at the apex of this pyramid. Those who were initially not curious about Duan Shiqing immediately became interested upon hearing Jin Yan Ting’s name.
“Could it be that the great beauty Duan is the legendary first love of the Eldest Young Master Jin?”
“Of course it’s Sister Shiqing! They were childhood sweethearts, and their dating was passionate, envied by many. I still remember how Brother Yan Ting exhausted all his efforts to pursue Sister Shiqing back then.”
“In their first year together, fireworks were banned in the city. Brother Yan Ting somehow managed to set off fireworks specifically for Sister Shiqing. Half the city saw the sky spell out ‘Duan Shiqing’ in three large characters. For this, Brother Yan Ting was punished and knelt in the Old Master’s study to reflect for three full days, yet he didn’t feel he was in the wrong at all!”
Chen Wei Qi sighed emotionally, “When they were dating, so many girls’ hearts were broken!”
“It wasn’t just girls whose hearts were broken; boys’ hearts were broken too. But despite the heartbreak, everyone knew in their hearts that they were a match made in heaven, truly like a prince and princess from a fairy tale!” an insider added.
Someone mentioned that Jin Yan Ting had strong boundaries and was obsessively devoted to Duan Shiqing, his entire world revolving around her. Other women were simply invisible to him.
Someone else mentioned encountering Duan Shiqing in England not long ago. She had grown more beautiful with age, truly a captivating beauty.
Lian Li had heard about Jin Yan Ting and Duan Shiqing before, but it was always in fragments. This was the first time she was hearing such a large volume of information.
Bathed in the light cast from above, her thoughts drifted, leaving her somewhat dazed.
Jin Shi Yue’s gaze naturally fell on Lian Li. After just two seconds, his mobile phone vibrated; it was a call from Mrs. Jin.
As soon as Jin Shi Yue left, those who had been hesitant to join the conversation due to his presence immediately became active.
“Their relationship was so good, why did they break up?” a girl who had been listening intently asked curiously. “It couldn’t have been because she went abroad, right? What era is this? Going abroad shouldn’t lead to a complete loss of contact.”
“Didn’t they say Brother Yan Ting had other women around him? My friend saw Brother Yan Ting picking her up at Jingbei University. That young girl is still a student.”
Chen Wei Qi glanced at Lian Li and smiled faintly, “Just playing around. With someone as outstanding as Sister Shiqing, who would look at a beggar girl by the roadside?”
“That’s true. A princess with flaws is still a princess, while even the most precious beggar is still just a beggar.”
Lian Li’s lips moved slightly, her chest feeling heavy. She casually glanced at her mobile phone and saw a message from Jin Yan Ting: 「Message me when you’re almost done.」
The message was sent three minutes ago. Lian Li looked at it for a few seconds but didn’t reply immediately.
She put her mobile phone back into her bag.
Xue Shufan was playing a card game. Lian Li nudged her arm and said in a low voice, “I’m going to the restroom.”
Xue Shufan was meticulous in the laboratory but rather careless in her personal life. She took a couple of seconds to register before replying, “Oh, okay.”
Every part of the Magnificent Blue Bay Club was meticulously designed, and the restroom was no exception. From the large expanse of white tiles to the luxurious sensor faucets, exquisite decorative accents added a touch of opulent color, elegant like gilded gold.
Lian Li stood at the sink, quietly washing her hands, when the distinct sound of high heels clicking on the floor suddenly echoed behind her.
Chen Wei Qi stood beside Lian Li, applying lipstick while looking in the mirror, and said:
“Sister Shiqing is back. How long do you think you can still be so smug?”
Lian Li slowly finished washing her hands, “Probably until the day I die.”
“…”
Chen Wei Qi stood very close to Lian Li, able to clearly see a few strands of hair falling from Lian Li’s profile, soft and casually swaying.
Chen Wei Qi let out a scoff and said, “Don’t blame me for speaking harshly. Even if you lack self-awareness, you should at least have some shame. Sister Shiqing and Brother Yan Ting are a recognized couple. You’re with a man who has a girlfriend; does interfering in someone else’s relationship give you a sense of superiority?”
“Hating mistresses and having moral principles is a good thing. However, they broke up almost ten years ago.” Lian Li looked up, her clear eyes meeting Chen Wei Qi’s. “Chen Wei Qi, when you speak to me, please use your brain.”
Her tone was calm, showing no hint of anger.
Chen Wei Qi, however, stomped her foot in anger, her face turning red.
“Who is Sister Shiqing, and what is her status? Who are you, and what is your status? In many people’s eyes, you not only don’t deserve Brother Yan Ting, but you can’t even compare to a single strand of Sister Shiqing’s hair!”
Lian Li took a tissue to dry the water droplets on her hands and looked directly at Chen Wei Qi, “In what capacity are you speaking to me?”
