Volume One, Chapter 14: There Are No Feelings Between Lu Jinchuan and Me

In the hospital room, Ji Shu sat alone on the bed, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

She picked up her phone to check for unread messages when a notification from the entertainment section appeared at the top of the screen.

“I want the fireworks in Beicheng to be set off just for you.”

Normally, Ji Shu would have ignored such frivolous entertainment news, but this time, two words caught her eye, and she instinctively swiped to open it.

The link redirected to Weibo, where the headline was marked with a bright red “hot” symbol.

She clicked in.

The first popular comment read, “Did everyone see the fireworks in Beicheng last night? Here’s a little secret—it was a surprise prepared by a certain CEO named Lu for his beloved returning home.”

Scrolling through the replies, netizens quickly chimed in:

“Secret? Let me reveal—it was CEO Lu Jinchuan lighting them for our star, Xing Yuan!”

“Oh my god, what kind of novel is this turning into reality? Did I just transmigrate into a book? Is this really for us mere extras to witness?”

“I’m not jealous, not jealous at all, just a slight 40% envy.”

“A friend of mine attended Xu Xingyuan’s homecoming party yesterday. I can only say, ship them all you want—they’re the real deal!”

“But didn’t some news say that CEO Lu is already married?”

“Upstairs, are you just a hater? If you’re jealous, just admit it. Someone like Lu Jinchuan getting married would definitely have a grand wedding.”

“Exactly! I don’t care. The dancer and the CEO as a couple? I’m all in!”

And so on.

She scrolled further, seeing nothing but blessings and shipper comments. The few skeptical remarks were quickly drowned out by enthusiastic fans.

Every online voice was buzzing about how perfectly matched Xu Xingyuan and Lu Jinchuan were.

Ji Shu didn’t want to read any more. Just as she was about to put away her phone, a gentle knock sounded at the door.

She looked up, eyes narrowing slightly when she saw who it was.

Xu Xingyuan entered with a graceful smile.

But to Ji Shu, that smile seemed so insincere.

Xu Xingyuan spoke softly, “Ji Shu, Jinchuan told me you fainted last night and were sent to the hospital. Are you feeling better now?”

Ji Shu replied coldly, “Unfortunately, it was just a cold. Sorry to disappoint you.”

Her phone screen was still lit, and Xu Xingyuan’s eyes immediately caught sight of it. She raised an eyebrow playfully.

“The media can't dig up any real news these days, so they fabricate all sorts of stories. I told Jinchuan not to make such a big fuss, but now everyone knows. We really need to have a talk about her.”

Ji Shu wasn’t naive enough to believe Xu Xingyuan was genuinely concerned. As expected...

Xu Xingyuan smoothed her skirt and elegantly sat down on the chair beside the bed.

“Ji Shu, you wouldn’t be upset over something so trivial, would you? Jinchuan likes to surprise people now and then. This necklace I’m wearing was actually bought by him three years ago at an auction in New York. I was quite shocked at the time.”

Ji Shu knew that necklace well.

Three years ago, after Lu Jinchuan disappeared silently for two months, he reappeared in the news from New York.

At the auction house, he spent 300 million yuan to secure the poetic ‘Starry River’ necklace now around Xu Xingyuan’s neck.

The media was abuzz with speculation about who the true owner was until a week later, when it appeared on the neck of Xu Xingyuan, the prima ballerina of the Swan Ballet Company.

People suddenly understood: Lu Jinchuan had flown to the US just to buy this necklace because it contained the character for “star.”

Since then, Xu Xingyuan and Lu Jinchuan had become a celebrated love story among the Chinese community.

How laughable.

Ji Shu’s fingers clenched the bedsheet so tightly that her fingertips began to tingle. Did everyone have to stab a knife into her heart?

Xu Xingyuan glanced meaningfully at Ji Shu and continued.

“When I met Jinchuan, you hadn’t even come to Beicheng yet. We grew up together from high school through university. I was just one step away from becoming his wife.”

“Although you two are married, he’s flown to the US to see me more than once in these three years. He told me you separated the day after your wedding. Even though he lives here in Beicheng, he hasn’t seen you once.”

“Honestly, Jinchuan doesn’t need to explain anything to me because I know his heart belongs to me, and I’m willing to believe in that.”

Xu Xingyuan grew increasingly emotional as she spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and casting a glance at Ji Shu lying on the bed.

It was undeniable—Ji Shu was stunningly beautiful, enough to stir jealousy.

Even lying pale and weak in the hospital bed, her beauty remained untarnished, making her all the more pitiable. She sat quietly, effortlessly drawing the gaze of most onlookers.

Because of her long years of dance training, Ji Shu had to exercise extreme dietary discipline. Over time, she spent a fortune maintaining her appearance and body, undergoing various cosmetic treatments just to keep herself at her best.

Years ago, just because Lu Jinchuan casually said, “I like girls who can dance ballet,” her family forced her to take up dance.

She only began learning in middle school, which meant she had to invest hundreds of times more effort and energy than others.

In that dance studio, she endured countless sleepless days and drenched herself in sweat until finally, she stood by Lu Jinchuan’s side as she had dreamed.

But all the hope and happiness were shattered the moment Ji Shu appeared.

How could she not hate?

She wished Ji Shu had died yesterday after eating that pineapple cake she was allergic to, so no one would ever come between her and Jinchuan again.

“Ji Shu, I know there’s no love between you and Jinchuan. I know you’re in the process of divorcing. Once that’s finalized, I’ll marry him. I hope by then you won’t interfere with our relationship anymore, okay?”

Ji Shu’s fingers trembled slightly, gripping the bedsheet so hard her knuckles whitened. She forced down the turmoil within.

Her pride and dignity would never allow her to show weakness in front of Xu Xingyuan.

“Xu Xingyuan, do you really cherish someone I don’t want so much?”

She no longer wished to listen to Xu Xingyuan’s recounting of her love story with Lu Jinchuan.

With a voice devoid of warmth or emotion, Ji Shu said, “Fine. I don’t want Lu Jinchuan anymore. I’ll give him to you. You’re right—there’s no love between us. So if you want him, just take him.”

Ji Shu clenched her fists tightly. She thought that after saying those words, the years of pent-up emotions would finally be released, and she would feel a sense of relief.

But instead, the opposite happened.

Rather than feeling lighter, a crushing weight pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She had told Lu Jinchuan countless times about divorce and thought her heart had grown hard.

Yet speaking those words, pushing the man she had loved for ten years into another woman’s arms, brought pain beyond description—as if someone was carving deep wounds into her heart, one knife after another, each more agonizing than the last.

Only now did Ji Shu realize just how deeply Lu Jinchuan had taken root in her soul.

At that moment, footsteps echoed at the door. Lu Jinchuan appeared from around the corner, followed by Roger.

He stood at the doorway, dressed in a tailored gray suit beneath a black overcoat.

His gaze was cold and sharp, fixed unwaveringly on Ji Shu lying in the hospital bed, as if trying to see through her face into her heart.

Their eyes met, and time seemed to freeze in that instant.