Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After reassuring my fans, I turned off my phone.

Some people believed me, while others naturally didn’t. All I could do now was wait for Shen Sui’s response.

Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t respond, much less clarify things for my sake. Yet, I still-I still desperately hoped he would stand up for me. Just this once, I wanted him to be on my side.

I felt like I was walking a tightrope, having rushed onto the stage without any preparation. I knew perfectly well that I would fall eventually, but I still hoped to delay that moment just a little longer.

Isn’t unrequited love just another form of tightrope walking? But having walked this far, I couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of bitterness.

I counted the hours, staying awake until dawn.

After a quick cleanup, I got into the van that came to pick me up, trying my best to numb myself with work. Shen Sui remained silent, and the endless stream of online abuse directed at me continued for days.

They didn’t believe my claim that “the innocent remain innocent.” Instead, they drafted a list of eighteen questions, demanding answers.

How was I supposed to answer? Should I tell them that Shen Sui was the man I shared a bed with? He wouldn’t even acknowledge it.

If I didn’t reach out to Shen Sui, he wouldn’t contact me. Instead, it was Aunt Shen who called to check on me.

“I heard people are saying a lot of nonsense online. Don’t believe a word of it,” she said. “No matter how much of a bastard Shen Sui is, he would never cheat. I’ll make him apologize to you in a bit. Xiao Jiang, are you doing okay lately?”

I lowered my eyes and told her, “Not really.”

She seemed choked up by my words. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

“Xiao Jiang, you’re a good girl. If you were my daughter, I wouldn’t want you to be with Shen Sui. To be honest, I didn’t like you much at first, but I’ve seen how well you’ve treated him over the years. But since Shen Sui is my son, as a mother, I hope the two of you can make it work.”

I leaned against a door, watching the crew members bustle about on set. It wasn’t my turn to film yet.

The female lead, dressed in a school uniform, looked at the male lead with a smile and nudged him gently. The male lead feigned anger, but his eyes were full of warmth.

Shen Sui and I never had memories like that.

I didn’t answer her. Aunt Shen called my name again.

I pulled my gaze away from the scene. “Auntie, I think we just aren’t meant to be.”

“I used to think that if I worked hard to prove I loved him-if I let him feel it-he would eventually love me back. But that’s not how it works at all. Shen Sui probably only got engaged to me because you were satisfied with me. It could have been anyone.”

And yet, I had foolishly believed that I was somehow different to him, even if only for a fleeting moment.

Falling for Shen Sui had taken only a split second, but I had spent eight long years chasing after him. By the end, I couldn’t tell if I loved the man too much or if I was simply too unwilling to let go of my investment. Perhaps it was both.

In this unequal relationship, Shen Sui had never been unfaithful with another woman. Because of that, I thought there would eventually be a day when my feelings were reciprocated.

Now, he had shattered my ridiculous persistence. I couldn’t keep going. If I did, Jiang Zhi wouldn’t be Jiang Zhi anymore.