Chapter Twenty-Two: Competitive Spirited

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Du Xin was utterly furious with Du Zhiye; how dare she sully both her and Yan Xiufang’s reputation in front of Jiang Yingnan.

Du Zhiye paid no attention to Du Xin. Instead, she gazed pitifully at Jiang Yingnan, raising her still bleeding wrist before him as if to say, "Look, here’s the proof."

Jiang Yingnan lowered his eyes and glanced at Du Zhiye’s bleeding wrist, his brows furrowing. Du Zhiye saw this and felt a surge of joy, but she kept up the act, her face woeful and distressed.

Du Xin ground her teeth in hatred. Yet, being a well-bred lady, she could not act rashly; all she could do was swallow her anger.

Just as Du Zhiye was certain victory was within reach, Jiang Yingnan suddenly remarked, "It’s shallow."

Du Zhiye: "......?"

What did he mean?

Du Xin understood immediately: Jiang Yingnan was saying that Du Zhiye’s act was unconvincing, the cut on her wrist too shallow. To state it so bluntly would embarrass anyone, let alone the fiercely competitive Du Zhiye.

Du Xin’s mood brightened at once; she pressed her lips to hide her smile. "Sister, stop making a fuss."

The cut on Du Zhiye’s wrist was indeed not deep. She had wasted several tubes of “monthly blood” lipstick to convince Yan Xiufang she had bled profusely.

Now, with Jiang Yingnan so bluntly exposing her, Du Zhiye felt the whole affair rather pointless—most of all, humiliating.

She was...unable to save face.

Her lips pressed tightly together, her complexion shifting between pale and flushed, unsure how to respond.

"Still, you should see a doctor to get it bandaged," Jiang Yingnan added, looking away with indifference.

Du Xin’s expression changed slightly, her fingers tightening around the car door handle.

What did Jiang Yingnan mean by this? Was he going to take Du Zhiye to the hospital? He was, after all, Du Xin’s boyfriend.

Du Zhiye’s emotions were like a roller coaster. She lowered her wrist and smiled. "Thank you, Second Young Master."

Jiang Yingnan curled his lips, his expression filled with disdain. Du Zhiye cared little for such things; at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hitch herself to Jiang Yingnan—ideally, to spend the night with him.

Du Xin took a deep breath. She couldn’t win this round, but she refused to lose. She smiled. "Sister, sit in the back. Yingnan and I will take you to the hospital."

Du Zhiye was seeking to extend her life by a month by seducing Jiang Yingnan, not to steal Du Xin’s man. But clearly, Du Xin misunderstood.

Du Zhiye thought for a moment, then cheerfully agreed as she climbed into the back seat. "Alright."

On the way to the hospital, Du Xin sent a message to Tao Ranming, telling him that Du Zhiye had attempted suicide over their affair and was now on the way to the hospital.

When Tao Ranming received the message, he was drinking with friends.

Ever since he announced his breakup with Du Zhiye via social media, his mood had been bleak and oppressive.

Six years of feelings for Du Zhiye couldn’t be severed so easily.

When he saw Du Xin’s message, his mind buzzed, and for a moment, he felt breathless.

Tao Ranming didn’t want to call off the wedding; he still loved Du Zhiye. But...he remembered that night after their engagement, when he drank a little too much in his excitement.

Then, something irreversible happened.

Had it been anyone else, perhaps it would have been easier. But it was...

Tao Ranming truly didn’t know if Du Zhiye could ever forgive him.

He didn’t even dare let Du Zhiye know who it was.

When Tao Ranm