Shine on Me

The weather had been unpredictable these past few days. It was clear when I left D University, but suddenly, thunder rumbled, and a downpour began during the journey.

The taxi stopped in front of a café, and I hurried inside, already slightly damp from the rain.

Pushing open the door, a chime of wind bells sounded. The shop was nearly empty, with Rongrong as the only customer. She sat neatly by the window in a white knit dress, turning her gaze toward me at the sound.

I took a seat across from her, grabbing a tissue to wipe the water droplets off my face. Rongrong glanced outside. "It suddenly started pouring so heavily."

"Yeah," I put down the tissue. "Why did you suddenly want to meet?"

She continued looking out the window. "I remember the day I came to Shanghai for work, it was raining just as hard. Never thought it’d be the same when leaving."

Only then did I notice the large suitcase behind her. Surprised, I asked, "You’re leaving Shanghai?"

"Going to Shenzhen. My flight’s tonight." She finally turned her eyes back to me. "I kept wondering whether to see you before leaving. Couldn’t resist sending that text—didn’t expect you’d actually be here. Maybe it’s fate."

Her words left me puzzled. Had she broken up with Sheng Xingjie? But why leave Shanghai? Was Sheng Xingjie harassing her, or was the heartbreak too deep, driving her away?

Just as I was about to ask, the server brought over a cup of milk tea.

"Thought you’d arrive soon, so I ordered it for you. You like these, right?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Rongrong looked at me with an odd expression. "Actually, I know you pretty well."

"Not necessarily," I reflexively retorted. "Did you forget how you accused me of hiding your interview call?"

"Back then... whether I got into Sheng Yuan or not didn’t matter. It wasn’t my only offer. I was just happy to catch you in a mistake... I did wrong you that time. I formally apologize."

I was taken aback. The memory of running into her outside the hotel on New Year’s Day flashed in my mind—she’d also been shouting about apologizing then, but with a completely different, aggressive tone.

What had caused such a sudden change in her attitude?

A strange feeling welled up inside me, and I couldn’t bring myself to say something like "it’s all in the past." Before I could voice my doubts, she spoke again: "You sent those anonymous emails to my inbox, didn’t you? No need to deny it. Not many people know about Sheng Xingjie’s affairs."

I froze, the odd sensation deepening. Frowning, I said, "What are you talking about?"

Rongrong completely disregarded my response, smiling as she said, "It’s fine if you don’t admit it. Do you want to know how Sheng Xingjie and I broke up?"

"You broke up with Sheng Xingjie?"

"Of course. After you told me he was chasing someone else, I had to end it. Want to know what I did?"

A sudden smile crossed Rongrong’s face. "I took photos of the intimate texts he sent me, copied you by creating a new email account, and anonymously sent them to Old Mr. Sheng—his grandfather—and his uncles. When the scandal broke, Sheng Xingjie confronted me. I pretended to know nothing and asked him what was going on. He jumped to conclusions, thinking about our gathering and how I left my phone behind when I went to the restroom. He insisted you must’ve taken the photos while I was away. So stupid, right? With so many people around, how could you have done it? But he believed it without question, ran to Old Mr. Sheng, and claimed you all framed him. Ha.""At first, I gave him chances, but he kept lying to me and grew increasingly impatient. When everything came to light, he showed not a shred of remorse, guilt, or apology. Instead, he called me vain and accused me of spreading rumors, which gave you leverage against him. What did he take me for? During our relationship, I never took advantage of him in any way, and yet he treated me like this."

Rongrong laughed twice, her cheeks flushing an unnatural red. "But it doesn’t matter—he’ll get what’s coming to him. Sheng Xingjie thought I still loved him. I pretended to make a scene, refusing to break up, until he was too afraid to face me and sent his mother to deal with me. What kind of man is he?"

Her words came rapidly, yet the events she described were utterly unbelievable. Suppressing my racing heart, I tried to organize my thoughts and spoke slowly, "So you’re saying you received an email—you thought it was from me—that told you Sheng Xingjie was pursuing someone else. You discovered he was actually cheating, but instead of breaking up immediately, you arranged to meet me. Even the part about missing his call while in the restroom was deliberate, and during your call with him, you kept emphasizing the photos."

I recalled the details of that dinner. "You left last that night. Afterward, you took screenshots of the messages Sheng Xingjie sent you and forwarded them to Old Master Sheng and the rest of the Sheng family. And through Sheng Xingjie, you misled them into thinking I was the one who sent them. Is that right?"

Rongrong said admiringly, "You’re so clever to piece it together so quickly. Are you really this composed? Not even angry?"

"Why?" I asked coldly.

"Why? After Sheng Xingjie humiliated me like that, was I supposed to just quietly step aside and swallow the insult? Of course not. But could I make a public scene? No—then all the vile words would be directed at me. He might even retaliate. In the end, I’d be the one ruined by gossip while he walked away unscathed. Why should that happen? Who hasn’t once been the pride of heaven? What right did he have?"

"So you wanted revenge but were afraid of his retaliation, so you redirected the hatred toward me?"

"The esteemed Miss Nie, of course, wouldn’t be afraid of Sheng Xingjie."

"Even if you thought I was the one who sent the email to warn you?"

"Were you really being kind? If you truly wanted to help, why be so sneaky?" Rongrong sneered. "You just wanted to use me to help your boyfriend take Sheng Xingjie down."

Finally hearing the answer I had suspected, I felt nothing but exhaustion and had no desire to speak further.

But Rongrong seemed unable to stop. "I didn’t have to tell you any of this. Even if they came after you, you wouldn’t have been sure I sent the email, right? But pulling off such a brilliant scheme would be a shame if no one appreciated it. Besides, Zhuang Xu taught me all this."

The situation took an even more absurd turn. Unable to contain my shock, I stared at her in disbelief.

She smiled faintly. "We grew up together. No matter how much we fought or fell out, he wouldn’t stand by when I needed help. He’ll always be on my side."

Rain lashed violently against the windows as movement sounded at the door—another guest had arrived.

Rongrong looked toward the entrance, a smile blooming on her face. "Zhuang Xu is here."

Memories of the past surged through my mind.

What now? Another joint interrogation?

Leaning back slowly in my chair, I watched as a tall figure approached and pulled out the seat beside me.This was a round table against the wall, with exactly three seats. Rongrong and I sat facing each other, and after Zhuang Xu joined, it somehow turned into a peculiar triangle.

But I had absolutely no desire to be part of it.

"You're late," Rongrong said with a faint smile.

"Why did you ask to meet?" Zhuang Xu asked in a low voice.

"I haven't told you yet—I'm going to Shenzhen. There are several job opportunities there with much better pay than Shengyuan, so I wanted to say goodbye to you both."

Zhuang Xu replied indifferently, "Congratulations."

Rongrong said, "I never thought that before leaving, the people I'd most want to see would be you two."

Zhuang Xu's eyes flickered slightly, answering irrelevantly, "Shenzhen has excellent prospects."

Watching them exchange these pretentious pleasantries, I suddenly felt both amused and irritated. "Enough already. What kind of act are you two putting on?"

I looked directly at Zhuang Xu. "Did your advisor come too? What's with the big production? I know he helped you—and he'll always help you. So what?"

Zhuang Xu lowered his gaze expressionlessly.

"Even if you want to prove your unbreakable bond, you don't have to keep targeting the same scapegoat. Can't you find someone else?"

I turned a mocking gaze toward Rongrong. "You really impress me. In your eyes, I was the one who warned you about Sheng Xingjie's infidelity, yet instead of thanking me, you framed me. Too bad your tricks are probably useless. Whatever was in that email you sent to the Sheng family—intimate texts or whatever—just because you say I sent it doesn't mean I did. What does Sheng Xingjie's one-sided accusation prove? It's been days since this happened, and the Sheng family hasn't dared to confront me about it."

"Still, your little performance made me realize one thing: kindness should only be given to those who deserve it. Thanks for helping me wake up without paying too high a price. The coffee today is on me—consider it a farewell toast to your exciting new life in Shenzhen."

Her expression remained unchanged until my last words, when she suddenly bit her lip hard.

I had no interest in staying any longer. I signaled the waiter. "Check, please."

Outside, the rain had grown heavier. Even under the awning, raindrops sprayed against my face the moment I pushed the door open. But I’d rather stand in the rain than share the same space with them.

To my surprise, a few minutes later, they followed me out. I didn’t look back, and the person behind me didn’t speak either, silently standing by my side.

Through the downpour, I faintly spotted a taxi with its "available" light on. Just as I raised my hand to hail it, Zhuang Xu beat me to it.

The taxi stopped. Zhuang Xu turned to Ye Rong. "Don’t you have a flight to catch?"

Ye Rong looked surprised, hesitating before taking a step forward. The taxi driver rushed out into the rain to help her load her suitcase into the trunk.

Ye Rong walked slowly toward the taxi but paused after two steps, turning back to look at me. "We probably won’t see each other again, unless it’s at Silian or Xiaofeng’s wedding?"

She lifted her chin slightly. "Nie Xiguang, maybe what I did was pointless, but that’s only because I had too few chips to play. Everyone has their moment of glory—you can keep looking down on me if you want. But who knows what the future holds?"

"Then good luck," I said coldly.

The taxi driver began urging her to hurry.

She walked to the car and opened the door.

At the last moment, Rongrong stood in the rain, her gaze fixed on Zhuang Xu, her eyes filled with emotions too complex to decipher. "If I could go back, I wouldn’t listen to my parents again.""Have a safe trip," Zhuang Xu said indifferently.

As the taxi drove away, only Zhuang Xu and I remained under the eaves. I instinctively stepped aside. He shifted slightly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'll leave after saying a few words. You don’t have to act like you can’t wait to get away from me."

I stared at the white curtain of rain, surprised that he actually had something to say to me. Still, I didn’t turn to look at him, choosing silence as my response.

He, too, gazed at the rain before finally speaking after a long pause. "You really surprised me—anonymous letters."

He let out a scoff. "Who taught you to write them? The same person who taught you to be so sharp-tongued now?"

I couldn’t hold back anymore and turned to confront him. "Why did you do this? Couldn’t you just break up with Sheng Xingjie directly? Why drag us into this mess?"

"'Us'?" He repeated mockingly. "I dragged you into this?"

"Fine, if you say so," he said with indifference. "You can assume I just wanted to cause Lin Yusen some trouble. If he blames you, you can break up with him."

His words were utterly baffling. I stared at him, speechless.

He chuckled lightly again. "What you said inside earlier was quite impressive. So, what do you think Ye Rong should do? Just swallow the humiliation when she’s deceived? Not fight back?"

He was trying to lure me into a logical trap.

I suddenly calmed down, carefully choosing my words. "Ye Rong was deceived by Sheng Xingjie—of course she can fight back. Even if that process incidentally involves me and Lin Yusen, that’s fine, as long as hurting us wasn’t one of your goals."

"But why come to me now, gloating? What exactly are you so proud of? That you managed to hurt us too? So that was one of your goals, wasn’t it? And based on what? Some baseless assumption that I had ulterior motives?"

"It’s ridiculous, but coming from you, it’s not surprising. It’s not the first time, after all. In your mind, everything I do has some hidden agenda—that’s never changed. But Zhuang Xu, remember this: I have never hurt you."

"Never?"

After my long speech, he only replied with those two cold words.

Under the torrential rain, his eyes burned with icy flames.

I involuntarily took a step back.

A taxi emerged from the rain, and I quickly waved it down, desperate to leave this place.

As the car stopped and I was about to rush over, Zhuang Xu’s low voice halted me.

"Stop."

I froze mid-step.

"Ye Rong did come to me for help. She had some damaging material on Sheng Xingjie—handled properly, she could have walked away unscathed without dragging you... or anyone else into it." He gave a faint, mocking smile. "But she chose to release those photos. I couldn’t be bothered to guess her real motives, nor did I care to get involved. Understand?"

Without waiting for my response, he turned and strode into the rain, never looking back.