Despite his internal grumbling, Old Wu didn’t dare to actually make Zong Qi angry. He trotted over and practically ripped Wu Yi off of Ji Li. "For goodness’ sake, can you just settle down? Let’s go home, all right?"

Wu Yi was just putting on a drunken act. She only dared to be so clingy because she knew Ji Li had a gentle temperament. The moment Old Wu arrived, she instantly straightened up and behaved herself.

It dawned on Ji Li. "You... The entertainment industry is really missing out on a talent like you. What a shame."

Wu Yi winked at Ji Li. "Li Li, I’m heading out now. I’ll come see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Hang out? Go home and sort out your own mess first," Old Wu cut in. "We can talk about hanging out after that. Thanks for taking care of her today. I’ll take her home now." He gave Wu Yi a push on the back. "See you around."

Ji Li nodded slightly. "Okay. Don’t cry anymore. There’s always a way to work things out."

Although Ji Li found it hard to stomach Wu Yi’s act of pretending to be drunk, she didn’t actually dislike her. There are some things you can’t say or do when you’re sober, so it was probably good for Wu Yi to be able to vent a little.

Ji Li shook her arm a little. ’People who’ve been drinking really are heavy,’ she thought with a sigh.

Zong Qi glanced at Ji Li. "Let me take you home."

Only then did Ji Li really notice him. "You... You’re the one from before... Thank you for your help earlier. If it hadn’t been for you and the waiter, it would have taken me much longer to find the reunion."

"Yes, that was me. I’m Zong Qi." Seeing that Ji Li recognized him, Zong Qi chuckled softly. "Thank you for looking after Wu Yi today. Shall I take you home?"

Ji Li paused for a moment. "My hotel is nearby, and you’ve been drinking."

The implication was clear: it was inconvenient, and she didn’t need a ride.

Zong Qi replied, "I’ve called for a driver. Besides, I only had one drink, so I’m completely sober. The roads around here are a bit complicated. Are you sure you can manage by yourself?"

Ji Li considered it for a moment. "In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. I really don’t know this area. Do you know what’s going on with Wu Yi? She seemed incredibly upset."

’Wu Yi had seemed perfectly normal at the start of the reunion, laughing, talking, eating, and drinking. Who knew that after a few drinks, she would become so utterly miserable?’

Zong Qi explained, "She has a childhood sweetheart, around the same age as her. Their families had them engaged, but he went and got another woman pregnant."

Ji Li’s eyes widened slightly. "No wonder."

Zong Qi glanced sideways at Ji Li. "You don’t seem all that surprised."

"Wu Yi is actually very capable. My impression of her has always been that she’s composed, outstanding, and good at everything she does," Ji Li said slowly, recounting her memories. "Even back when we were students, we’d heard she had a childhood sweetheart. Practically all of our classmates knew about him."

"I figured the only thing that could truly hurt her would be matters of the heart. After all, she always seems so strong."

"Perhaps," Zong Qi said coolly, his tone laced with disdain for Feng Yi. "When they got engaged, we warned her that Feng Yi didn’t seem ready to settle down, but Wu Yi wouldn’t listen. Now, she’s had to learn the hard way."

Ji Li sighed. "That’s why you should never get swept away by a man’s love. The best thing you can do for yourself is to always stay clear-headed."

Zong Qi suddenly asked, "Speaking from experience?"

"I wouldn’t call it experience," Ji Li said with a smile. "I’m at my hotel. Thanks for bringing me back. Travel safely."

’She had no intention of discussing her private life with anyone, especially not a stranger. Even though he had helped her and driven her home, those were minor gestures. They certainly weren’t enough to touch her heart, let alone make her open up to him.’

Watching Ji Li’s retreating figure, Zong Qi let out a low chuckle. ’So aloof,’ he thought.

Ji Li had thought her encounter with Wu Yi was a one-time thing, but when she woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find an invitation from her. Wu Yi was asking her to afternoon tea, both to catch up and to apologize for her behavior the night before.

Ji Li didn’t feel she could refuse. Besides, she had heard of the cafe Wu Yi recommended; it had excellent online reviews. So she accepted, and before long, she was seated inside.

Unlike her dejected state the previous night, Wu Yi now seemed mostly back to normal, except for the dark circles under her eyes.

Wu Yi boldly waved her hand in front of Ji Li’s face. "Look. I’m free."

Ji Li glanced at her bare finger. "I remember you used to wear a plain band there. Back when college first started, you were the only one in our class with a boyfriend."

Wu Yi smiled. "I returned that plain band this morning. He got another woman pregnant; of course I had to let him go. No matter how he handles it, there’s no going back for us."

Ji Li nodded in approval. "You’re right. That’s just how life is. Once you take a wrong step, there’s no going back. No matter how painful it is, you have to let go when you need to. Dragging it out will only make you sink deeper into the mud."

Wu Yi was curious. "How did you get over Wen Zhe back then? Was it painful when you let go?"

"Of course it was painful, but I knew I could get over it." Ji Li paused for a moment. "It was the day Wen Zhe confessed his feelings to Xia Mo that I suddenly understood. If I can’t find someone who loves me to the core, then I’ll stop pursuing love. From now on, I’ll just focus on money, on taking care of the people around me, and on making my own life comfortable."

"As for love, I can give that to myself. I can spoil myself."

"In fact, looking back on it now, I feel like I was so foolish back then. Seriously, it’s as if my younger self had her eyes plastered over with mud. It’s so clear to me now that there was nothing special about him at all, except for the fact that he’s a huge player."

"How did you know what I was going through back then?" Ji Li asked, her own curiosity piqued. She thought she had hidden her feelings so well. How did Wu Yi know?

"You can tell if someone is in love by looking at their eyes," Wu Yi said, happy to share her observations with Ji Li. "To be honest, the way you used to look at him was painful for even me to watch. You were always chasing him, always so careful. But it’s different now. The way you look at him now is ice-cold."

"But I never expected you to be able to give up just like that. When I saw Wen Zhe yesterday, he looked pretty pathetic."

"Whether he’s pathetic or not has nothing to do with me," Ji Li said coldly. Since Tan You had so decisively severed the ties between her and Wen Zhe, Ji Li was free of her sunk costs. She had no intention of ever getting involved with him again.

"He comes from a happy family, has a respectable job, wants for nothing, and has loving parents. A minor emotional setback like this is nothing, in my opinion. Besides, feeling sorry for a man only leads to your own misfortune."

"Believe it or not, it won’t be long before he’s surrounded by women again. So when it comes to a man’s ’sincere and true feelings,’ it’s best to just take them with a grain of salt."

Ji Li stirred her coffee. "Let’s talk about something else. It gets boring when the conversation only revolves around men."