Chapter Thirteen: Iron Will and Tenderness Entwined at the Fingertips (13)

Chen Chuchu stared coldly at her senior’s sneering face, her heart filled with regret and anger. His attitude showed not the slightest hint of responsibility; instead, it revealed his despicable true nature. “Chen Chuchu, you don’t need to pay me back. Consider what happened last night as settling the debt. It was consensual; if you hadn’t taken the initiative, I wouldn’t have touched you.”

With that, he picked up the coat from the floor and draped it over his shoulders, showing no pity for Chen Chuchu, to whom he had just given her first time. “I spent quite a bit of effort on you. Don’t think I’ll be fooled by you forever.”

He sneered meaningfully and turned away, completely ignoring the scratch marks Chen Chuchu had left on his face. Chen Chuchu awkwardly gathered her scattered clothes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She had intended to give her first time to Gao Dingzhong because she felt it was a debt from her past life—that her rebirth was meant to compensate him and to be with him again.

But what was all this now? After all she had sacrificed, she ended up with the same person from her previous life?

At least back then, her senior only began to grow cold after marriage. From the current situation, he already despised her before they had even started.

Chen Chuchu’s heart was filled with confusion. She did not know where her future lay.

No money, unable to return to Gao Dingzhong, and now her purity was lost.

She truly didn’t know what she had left.

She collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.

Thinking of her tragic past life, she finally broke down and wept loudly in her room.

After crying for about an hour and a half, Chen Chuchu, her eyes swollen and red, got up from the bed. She knew she couldn’t just wait for death; she could not simply give up!

No matter what, she would never want any relationship with her senior again!

All her sorrow and pain in her previous life were caused by him; he had destroyed all her dreams and happiness.

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This time around, Chen Chuchu only wanted to live well. She only wanted to be with Gao Dingzhong and live a peaceful life.

She calculated the time—it wasn’t long before Fan Sijin’s car accident, less than a month away, possibly even just a few days.

Chen Chuchu bit her lip tightly. No matter what, she had to endure until then! No matter what!

With that resolve, she went to the bathroom to wash her face. Because her complexion was so poor, she took out a small makeup bag and applied light makeup. Then Chen Chuchu went out to find a public phone booth and dialed Gao Dingzhong’s number.

As soon as the call connected, she sobbed with a trembling voice, “Dingzhong, please help me! I’ve been bullied. My senior drugged me and… and…”

There was a pause on the other end before a voice said, “Then you should call the police. What good does calling Gao Dingzhong do? He’s not a cop or an official—at best, he’s just a soldier who served a few years.”

“Who is this?!” Chen Chuchu’s crying paused, her tone sharp.

“Why can’t it be me?” Fan Sijin laughed lightly. “Gao Dingzhong belongs entirely to me. What’s wrong with me answering his phone?”

Chen Chuchu was in a bad mood and didn’t want to waste words with Fan Sijin. She cut straight to the point: “Let Dingzhong take the phone!”

Fan Sijin was momentarily stunned, then laughed like a silver bell. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Do you really believe that if I hang up your call, he’d be angry?”

“Who do you think you are to do this?!” Chen Chuchu’s sharp voice seemed to pierce through the phone. She demanded, “I’m trying to reach Dingzhong, not you! Why are you stopping me? By order of arrival, I came first! I’m the one engaged to him—we’re practically married. Who do you think you are? You keep interfering! You’re meddling in someone else's marriage!”

If Chen Chuchu wasn’t this good at arguing, Fan Sijin wouldn’t believe such a bold person existed.

Since Chen Chuchu had dropped all pretenses, Fan Sijin felt no need to keep her composure: “Because right now, I’m his fiancée. Because I haven’t been sneaking around behind his back. Because I haven’t used him, but have always been helping him! Chen Chuchu, do you really think you can get back what you lost?”

That last question sent a chill through Chen Chuchu’s entire body!

If she hadn’t known clearly that no one would believe in the idea of “rebirth,” she might have thought Fan Sijin knew something.

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“I lost him, but I know I was wrong! I can change! If you return Dingzhong to me, I promise to be the perfect wife!”

“Oh, really? Then why should I help you? Who do you think you are? Does the whole world revolve around you? Besides, do I look kind-hearted to you?” Fan Sijin sneered incessantly. She couldn’t understand how Chen Chuchu came up with such overly sentimental words.

“You say you know you were wrong and want to change. If everyone who made mistakes could be forgiven just by wanting to change, criminals wouldn’t be sentenced, and robbers wouldn’t go to jail. Chen Chuchu, I don’t know if you understand, but listen carefully: in this world, whatever you gain is fate’s arrangement. What’s lost and cannot be recovered—if you keep trying to grab it back, you will eventually face retribution!”

“What retribution? Who do you think you are? You’re just afraid I’ll steal Dingzhong from you—you’re jealous!” Chen Chuchu was so angry she hung up the phone and cursed bitterly, “Short-lived witch! Who cares about your lectures? Who do you think you are!”

Everything was going against her, except for one small comfort—thinking about Fan Sijin’s impending car accident soon lifted her spirits slightly.

From that day on, Chen Chuchu and her senior became like strangers, two parallel lines that would never intersect.

Facing life’s hardships, Chen Chuchu had no choice but to sell her previously purchased designer clothes, cosmetics, and shoes at a low price.

Deep within her heart, a firm belief supported her: once Fan Sijin had her accident, she could naturally be by Gao Dingzhong’s side.

So, no matter what, she had to save enough living expenses for a month!

With this in mind, Chen Chuchu kept only her cosmetics and one outfit that best suited her temperament. She was ready for everything, her face glowing with a smile as gentle as spring breeze, as if the past with her senior had already faded into smoke and mirrors.

Her senior was also filled with confusion. Chen Chuchu no longer clung to him, which was undoubtedly a good thing for him.

After all, he already knew the woman’s true nature. But what he couldn’t understand was why, after they had gone together to her hometown to plead with Gao Dingzhong not to marry, when they were once deeply in love, Chen Chuchu seemed like a completely different person after returning from her hometown.