newbobooks Chapter 281 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 1
Chapter 281 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 1
Back on her hillside, Ji Xiaosong lazily basked in the sun as usual.
Rongrong floated over and asked, "Ah Song, how about you consider not carrying your previous memories this time and following the original character's persona completely?"
"why?"
"This will provide a different experience and will also help your spiritual practice."
"Okay, let's go."
*
Ji Xiaosong's fingers gripped the edge of the makeup mirror tightly, the small diamonds from her nail polish digging into her palm.
The mirror reflected the glaring betrayal in the WeChat chat window, as sharp as a blade.
The latest message next to her fiancé Chen Mo's profile picture was sent ten minutes ago:
“Honey, I’ll come find you after that idiot finishes his wedding. Today is our third anniversary.”
"Chen Mo, you bastard!"
Ji Xiaosong gritted her teeth, wishing she could crawl along the cell phone signal, drag Chen Mo out, and beat him up.
Outside the dressing room, the emcee's enthusiastic voice rang out: "Let's welcome the most beautiful bridesmaids!"
The champagne-colored skirt, studded with rhinestones, swept past her calves. Ji Xiaosong mechanically stood up, her fingernails scratching the phone screen with a harsh sound.
"Sister Xiaosong, here's the bouquet!"
An intern wearing a light purple tulle dress handed over a bouquet of baby's breath, the stems still covered with water droplets from the ice bucket.
Ji Xiaosong lowered her head and sniffed; the sweet floral scent mixed with the smell of alcohol hit her head.
She sneered, "Ha, that grandson Chen Mo specifically told me not to drink this morning, so it was all to fool around with his little vixen! Does he really think I'm blind?"
The crystal chandelier on the banquet hall ceiling suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight swept across her pale face.
Ji Xiaosong saw Chen Mo standing at the end of the catwalk, a corner of a red velvet box peeking out of his suit pocket.
"Oh my, just three days ago you were all mysterious about giving me a surprise at the wedding, and it turns out you gave me a cuckold's horns as a surprise? What a 'surprise'!"
Ji Xiaosong muttered under her breath, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Now, bridesmaids, please present the wedding rings to the newlyweds!"
The emcee's voice came over, but to Ji Xiaosong it sounded as distant as if it came from the deep sea.
Ji Xiaosong walked towards the stage in ten-centimeter stilettos, and the wedding dress lighting spotlights suddenly turned to the second-floor viewing area.
Behind the wisteria-decorated Roman columns, a woman in a backless red dress was recording a video on her phone. The rose tattoo on her collarbone gleamed eerily under the lens, exactly the same as the embroidery on the lace panties in Chen Mo's bathroom.
"Hmph, those two adulterers are really brazen!"
Ji Xiaosong trembled with anger. "Don't you even know where you are? You're up to no good, playing tricks right under my nose. Do you really think I'm easy to bully?"
Suddenly, the champagne tower tipped over with a crisp sound.
Ji Xiaosong reacted quickly, grabbing the tequila from the waiter's tray and downing it in one gulp, the strong liquor burning her throat.
She ripped off her cumbersome shawl and rushed into the emergency exit, cursing as she did so:
"Chen Mo, you just wait, I'll teach you a lesson!"
The pearl-encrusted waist chain jingled in the darkness.
The neon sign of the rooftop bar was blurred into blood-red spots of light in the rain.
When Ji Xiaosong burst through the carved wooden door, her high heels got stuck in the metal threshold.
She stumbled and fell toward the bar, the silver bracelet on her wrist hitting the marble countertop with a crisp, resonant sound.
"Two Long Island Iced Teas, quick!" Ji Xiaosong shouted to the bartender.
She brushed her wet bangs behind her ears and caught a glimpse of her smudged eye makeup in the mirror behind the bartender.
The peacock blue eyeshadow bleed into eerie patterns in the tear stains, much like the shape of the unfamiliar lipstick smeared on Chen Mo's car.
The bartender pushed the prepared drink in front of her. Ji Xiaosong picked up the glass, tilted her head back, and gulped it down. The spicy liquid slid down her throat, burning her stomach.
"What a terrible day! It's full of upsetting things!"
While cursing, Ji Xiaosong gulped down another mouthful of wine.
Just then, the sound of shattering glass came from the VIP box at the end of the corridor, and a corner of the dark red velvet curtain was lifted by the night wind.
Ji Xiaosong stumbled forward, counting the iris patterns on the wallpaper, noticing that one of her high heels was missing.
She pushed open the door, and a strong smell of cedar mixed with the stench of blood hit her.
Moonlight streamed in obliquely through the French windows, and the man stood backlit in front of the wine cabinet, his white shirt collar stained with dark red wine.
He held the half-broken Burgundy glass, the shards of glass reflecting a faint, cold light in his palm.
Ji Xiaosong squinted and saw a small scar on his left eyebrow bone, as if it had been cut by a sharp weapon.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Why are you making such a bloody scene? Are you acting in a movie?" Ji Xiaosong said sarcastically.
A hint of surprise flashed in the man's originally cold eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a more complex emotion.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The man's voice was deep and tinged with displeasure.
"Me? I was betrayed by a man and I'm really upset! And you, what's wrong with you? Did you get beaten up or did you smash your wine glass because you couldn't stand it?"
Ji Xiaosong didn't back down and retorted.
The man snorted coldly, "Hmph, stop talking nonsense."
"I'm talking nonsense? I think you're the one who's being ridiculous, a grown man acting all profound here."
Fueled by the alcohol, Ji Xiaosong became more and more animated as she spoke.
The man suddenly grabbed her waist and pressed her down onto the leather sofa, the wristwatch digging painfully into her ribs.
"What are you doing? Let me go!"
Ji Xiaosong struggled, but the alcohol greatly reduced her strength.
In her dizziness, Ji Xiaosong heard the soft sound of a belt buckle being undone, and a shiver ran through her as her cold fingertips brushed against the back of her neck.
The moment the pain struck, she bit the man's shoulder, the salty, metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
The man groaned, but his hands did not stop moving; instead, they exerted an irresistible force.
Ji Xiaosong's consciousness became increasingly blurred under the combined effects of alcohol and pain, and she felt as if the whole world was spinning.
In this crazy and chaotic night, time seemed to lose its meaning.
I don’t know how long it took, but everything finally returned to calm.
The man fell into a deep sleep, and Ji Xiaosong, under the influence of the alcohol, also drifted into a state of confusion.
At three in the morning, a torrential downpour lashed the glass curtain wall, and Ji Xiaosong woke up with aches and pains all over her body.
The silk shirt lay crumpled on the carpet, and the crocodile wallet slipped from the man's coat pocket, its gold-stamped HS initials stained with dark red lipstick marks.
With trembling fingers, she opened the intercom. On the back of the black card was a sticky note with a string of numbers written on it: 1438.
She stared at the string of numbers, her mind blank, completely unable to understand what it meant.
"What the hell is this? 1438, is it a password or some random code?"
Ji Xiaosong frowned and muttered to herself.
Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Ji Xiaosong snapped out of her daze, grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door.
The elevator mirror reflected an ambiguous red mark on her neck, and the top button was nowhere to be found.
She lowered her head in shame, trying to cover the marks with her hair.
"Damn it, what stupid thing did I do last night!"
Ji Xiaosong cursed herself in her heart as she quickly walked out of the elevator.
It wasn't until she got into the taxi that she realized she was still clutching the platinum cufflink in her palm. The eagle totem's wings had pierced her flesh, leaving a bloody mark on her pale skin.
Ji Xiaosong gazed at the still torrential rain outside the car window, tears blurring her vision once more.
"Chen Mo, you bastard, you've ruined my life! And you, that inexplicable man, this isn't over between us!"
Ji Xiaosong sobbed softly, her heart filled with anger and resentment.
Everything that happened that night was like a nightmare, but the pain in her palm reminded her that it had all really happened.
The crocodile leather wallet with the abbreviation HS and the mysterious numbers inside were like a fog, shrouding her mind. She didn't know what impact this would have on her life afterward; she only knew that her peaceful world had been completely shattered.