Chapter 61

Chapter 61

What's the matter?

Lin Tingyue bolted upright in bed, quickly snatching her phone.

It was the final-year thesis group chat.

There were four people in it—everyone from the same class, and they shared the same advisor.

Lin Tingyue hadn’t been close to them at first, but because her formatting and tables were so clean and precise, the professor used her thesis as a sample. It was the only thing she had going for her as a struggling working girl, and sometimes the others asked her for help. After back-and-forth interactions, they eventually became familiar with each other.

Even after graduation, they kept chatting in the group and often joked around. Since they all lived in City A, they’d even met up a few times in person.

While Lin Tingyue was spacing out for just a moment, the chat was already blowing up.

Zhang Zili: OMG WHAT HAPPENED?!

Zhang Zili: Suisui, give us details!

Zhang Zili: Impatient.jpg

He Manhui: I told you men are all trash!

He Manhui: Rolling up sleeves.jpg

After thinking for a moment, Lin Tingyue replied: Suisui, tell us what happened. Let’s see if we can help.

Soon, a voice message popped up from Chen Sui. Lin Tingyue tapped to play it—

*"Sniff… I—I can’t stop shaking… I keep breaking into sobs… How could he lie to me like this… ughhh…"*

Chen Sui’s voice was hoarse, clearly crying. Eventually, they agreed to meet up the next day.

Too worried to sleep, Lin Tingyue decided to dig around online—and found something seriously wrong.

Clutching her phone tightly, she resolved to tell Suisui everything the next morning.

The next day.

They met at a dessert shop downtown, choosing the spot because they hoped eating something sweet might cheer Suisui up.

Of the four, Chen Sui arrived last. She wore a mask and sunglasses—if she hadn’t walked straight to their table, they wouldn’t have recognized her.

Zhang Zili blurted out, “Suisui, what happened to you?”

Meanwhile, He Manhui was already cracking her knuckles, furious. “Did that bastard hit you?”

Among them, He Manhui came from the roughest home life.

Her father was an alcoholic who would beat her mother when drunk. As a result, she wanted nothing to do with men. After getting into university, she picked up side gigs whenever she could. Eventually, she moved her mother in with her and started training in Muay Thai, determined to hold her own.

Touched by their worry, Chen Sui shook her head. “He didn’t hit me. He just… stood me up last night. I cried my eyes out.”

Relieved it wasn’t violence, He Manhui squeezed Chen Sui’s hand. “Then where was he last night?”

Zhang Zili’s eyes widened as a thought struck her. “Wait, he didn’t…?”

“Yep, exactly what you’re thinking. Suisui’s boyfriend spent last night in a hotel with his *best friend*!”

Zhang Zili’s jaw dropped. She’d only been joking, but that bastard actually went through with it!

"Suisui, we’ve got your back when you face him. Don’t worry—me, Lili, and Yueyue won’t leave your side."

At He Manhui’s suggestion, Chen Sui slowly shook her head. He Manhui snapped, "Suisui, you can’t keep letting him walk all over you. That’ll just embolden that asshole even more."

"I agree. At first, Suisui's boyfriend and his 'bro' played it safe, but once he realized she was sweet-tempered, never checked his phone, he got cocky—from once every two weeks to now, like, every two or three days."

Zhang Zili and He Manhui swore under their breath.

Since when does being gentle mean he gets a free pass?

And what kind of 'bro' is this? Let’s be real—they’re just hookup buddies.

Chen Sui clenched her fists. "Manman, you got me wrong. I’m not trying to go easy on that creep. I just think I should face him like a damn queen, not like this… a total mess, boo-hoo."

Zhang Zili snorted and pinched Chen Sui’s cheek playfully. "Let’s get a look at Her Royal Highness, then."

With that, she playfully tugged at Chen Sui’s mask and shades.

Chen Sui laughed. "Cut it out."

Seeing Chen Sui cheer up, the others relaxed too.

He Manhui nodded. "That’s the spirit. You don’t let some cheating scumbag off the hook. Name the time, and we’re there."

"Aww," Chen Sui choked up, hugging them all. "You guys are the best!"

The mood lightened, they each ordered drinks and desserts.

Lin Tingyue glanced outside while eating her cake. "Wait—why’s *he* here?"

The other three exchanged confused looks. Who?

"Suisui’s boyfriend, Wei Shi, doesn’t have just one ‘bro.’"

So… Wei Shi and all his so-called 'bros' are sleeping together?

He Manhui narrowed her eyes, a scheme brewing. "Suisui, do you have a photo of Wei Shi?"

"I do." Chen Sui sent it over, puzzled. "Manman, what are you planning?"

What’s she planning?

To pit the cheater against his side hoes, obviously.

"Genius! But how will they know that guy’s connected to Wei Shi?"

Zhang Zili slung an arm around Lin Tingyue’s shoulder. "Manman’s got a nose for this drama."

Lin Tingyue blinked. "What kind of nose?"

"Breaking up couples."

She suddenly recalled He Manhui’s track record and fell silent.

She was like some kind of cheating-avenging vigilante—no girl wronged was left unchampioned.

But those times always required He Manhui to psyche herself up for ages—nothing had ever been this easy before.

Cut off abruptly, Jiang Ming looked at the girl in front of him and frowned. "Hey, what's up?"

He Manhui said, "I remember you—you're Wei Shi's buddy, right?"

"You know Wei Shi?"

"Yeah, I just saw Wei Shi with his arm around another guy heading into a hotel. Were they gonna game without you?"

Gaming?

Yeah, right—gaming my ass.

He couldn't believe Wei Shi would cheat on him behind his back.

"Wei Shi’s really gonna game without me?" Jiang Ming forced a smile, but it came out sinister with his gritted teeth. "Which hotel was it?"

"Oh, I got this! Huasheng Hotel, Room 601."

He Manhui added, "Huasheng Hotel, Room 601—but don’t rat me out, got it?"

"My god, so dead-on? Manman’s got psychic skills or what?"

He Manhui, a former tarot dabbler: "..."

"Thanks."

Jiang Ming walked a few steps forward before suddenly glancing back at He Manhui.

He Manhui: "?"

Did he figure out she was lying?

Wait, is he insane? Did he think Manman was trying to cozy up to Wei Shi, hoping to get closer to him like that? So he was just warning her not to set her sights on his man?

"What if that guy was someone *you* stole from him? Are side pieces really this shameless these days?"

He Manhui wanted to puke.

Once she’d calmed down a bit, she crept behind the decorations by the dessert shop entrance, rounded up the other three girls, and started dumping makeup into Chen Sui’s hands like crazy.

Chen Sui: "...Manman, are you okay?"

"Your Highness, slap that makeup on—we’re storming in to catch them red-handed!"

"Ohhh, got it!"

Finally catching on, Chen Sui linked arms with the others and power-walked while still nailing her makeup. By the time they stepped into the elevator at Huasheng, she was fully beat.

"Queen behavior!!!"

Zhang Zili: "That’s my queen for you."

He Manhui: "Leave no survivors."

Lin Tingyue: "No mercy! No mercy!"

Chen Sui’s nose burned again—she was on the verge of tears.

Zhang Zili quickly said, "Don't cry, don’t cry—your makeup will smudge."

Chen Sui was on the verge of tears: "*Manman*, in a few days, I’ll replace all your makeup with waterproof stuff."

He Manhui chuckled.

Chen Sui hugged the three of them, giving each a little nuzzle.

"Aww, my heart’s melting," Chen Sui murmured as she patted Lin Tingyue's head. Her own heart had melted too.

The elevator reached the sixth floor. As the doors opened, the hallway noise hit their ears.

"Wei Shi, with so many, can you handle it?"

"What the hell kind of talk is that???"

"Jiang Ming, what are you worried about? Back then, everything was consensual. Don’t act like I wronged you or something."

"Once a scumbag, always a scumbag."

Jiang Ming was furious, his eyes red with rage: "I’ll *fucking* kill you both."

Three men brawled in the hallway, each out for blood.

"Bravo. Just bravo."

By the time they were all worn out from fighting, Chen Sui showed up. She walked in like she owned the place, stopping right in front of Jiang Ming and glancing at the other two.

Unexpectedly, all three went pale seeing her.

Crossing her arms, Chen Sui mocked, "Wow, you *do* have some shame."

"Suisui, let me explain—"

"Save it," Chen Sui raised an elegant *stop* hand. "I’m not here to hear excuses. I came to do one thing only—"

"Jiang Ming, we’re through."

"Ahhhh, Sui-jie, you're *iconic*!"

As Chen Sui approached them, she still carried that boss energy.

Zhang Zili extended her hand. "Your Highness, need a hand?"

Chen Sui cleared her throat. "Mhm."

But Zhang Zili grabbed her hand and squeezed it teasingly.

Chen Sui: "!"

"The audacity!"

Still giggling, the four stepped into the elevator.

"Even though I didn’t even get to *flex*, still a win!"

The trio shared a look—Lin Tingyue had already *psychic*-flexed.

She just hadn’t said it out loud.

Apart from them, there was also a man in the elevator.

When they entered, the man was on the phone.

"Honey, the company sprung overtime on me. I can't help it. I'll come back as soon as it's over, okay?"

Overworked employee Lin Tingyue deeply sympathized. "Ugh, overtime is the worst!"

Then they stared in shock as the man exited the elevator and embraced a woman, even making out with her right in public.