Rebirth as the Richest Woman in the World
Chapter 842 - 844, A Faint Arc (First Update)

Chapter 842: 844, A Faint Arc (First Update)

Hearing this, Zi’s eyes already held a layer of admiration, and then she added, "But that’s not right. If this Situ Ya is really a good person, why didn’t she warn you when you were with Shen Haoguang? Instead, she even helped Shen Haoguang deceive you?"

Duanmu Sheng’s expression remained unchanged. "Didn’t you also warn me many times before? Unfortunately, love blinds. Even if it wasn’t Situ Ya at that time, there would have been other women. At least Situ Ya saved my life in the end. If it were someone else, I might be dead and buried by now."

With these words, Zi’s expression improved significantly, "Maybe I really misunderstood her, but regardless, she shouldn’t have kept things from you. Although she may not be the main culprit, she is still an accomplice! You should avoid people like her in the future."

Zi was a person with very upright principles. A part of why Duanmu Sheng ended up in her current situation was due to Situ Ya, so Zi found it difficult to accept her at the moment.

Duanmu Sheng smiled faintly, not saying much more. No matter what, Zi Qi was only looking out for her.

After finishing her drink, Zi started playing with Nian’en.

"Nian’en, look, little duckies, quack quack quack..." Zi picked up a little duck toy and amused Nian’en with it.

Nian’en laughed heartily.

Duanmu Sheng watched the pair, the elder and the younger, and a warm glow appeared in her eyes.

Zi Qi was a really good and warm man.

In the past year or so, he had helped her and her daughter a lot.

If she had parted ways with Shen Haoguang back then, would she have a different result with Zi Qi now?

Duanmu Sheng narrowed her eyes.

Nian’en seemed to be missing a father.

Every time Zi appeared, Nian’en would smile very happily.

Zi stayed at the bakery for a while before leaving.

Duanmu Sheng, holding Nian’en, sent him to the door, "Nian’en, say goodbye to uncle."

"Little Nianen, goodbye." Zi waved at Nian’en, and as if understanding Duanmu Sheng’s words, Nian’en waved his little chubby hands at Zi.

Just as Zi turned away, Duanmu Sheng called out to his retreating back, "Zi."

"Sheng Sheng, what is it?" Zi turned around, a smile blooming at the corner of his mouth, a bit sunny and somewhat heroic, which was mesmerizing.

Duanmu Sheng smiled slightly, "Come visit when you have time."

"Mhm." Zi nodded.

Duanmu Sheng held Nian’en and watched Zi’s figure disappear down the street.

A long time later, Duanmu Sheng turned around and went back into the bakery.

Shortly after, Lin Xiyuan arrived. Unlike usual, Lin Xiyuan came alone today, without Zhou Yiheng by her side, and her eyes were red.

"Sheng Sheng," Lin Xiyuan’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

Duanmu Sheng immediately noticed something off with Lin Xiyuan and quickly invited her to sit down, "Xiyuan, what happened to you?"

Lin Xiyuan sniffled, not saying a word, but tears uncontrollably started falling from her eyes.

"Xiyuan, what’s wrong? Did my cousin bully you?" Duanmu Sheng asked anxiously.

Lin Xiyuan remained silent, pulling out a tissue to wipe her tears.

"Xiyuan, talk to me, you’re really freaking me out!" Duanmu Sheng said, frantic. In her eyes, Lin Xiyuan had always been a strong girl, rarely seen in such a state.

Lin Xiyuan suddenly started crying loudly, "Sheng Sheng, Yi Heng, Yi Heng, he’s with someone else now... He doesn’t love me anymore..."

Duanmu Sheng frowned slightly and poured a glass of water for Lin Xiyuan, "Xiyuan, don’t panic, take your time and tell me. Could this be a misunderstanding? My cousin isn’t that kind of person." Zhou Yiheng might have been a bit thoughtless, but he certainly wasn’t the type to two-time.

Lin Xiyuan sniffled, trying to calm herself, "Sheng Sheng, I’m telling the truth! Yi Heng really is with someone else now! If he doesn’t like me, he could have just told me directly. I’m not the kind of person to cling desperately! As long as he told me that he already found someone he likes, I would immediately leave him! Why did he have to do this to me..." Her voice broke as she collapsed into sobs.

Lin Xiyuan was crying heartbreakingly, her eyelids swollen red, showing how deeply she valued the relationship.

As Duanmu Sheng patted Lin Xiyuan’s back, she said, "Xiyuan, calm down for a moment and tell me exactly what happened. If it’s really as you say, I will definitely stand by you."

Becoming involved with a ’mistress,’ such a heartbreaking situation, was something no one could easily accept.

Lin Xiyuan dried her tears and choked out, "This morning that woman sent me a text message on her own initiative. At first, I thought it was a malicious message meant to stir up trouble between me and Yi Heng, until she sent me a picture from Yi Heng’s WeChat, and that’s when I realized it was true. Sheng Sheng, how could he do this to me? I love him so much! How could he treat me this way!" By the end, Lin Xiyuan had broken down into loud crying.

As Duanmu Sheng patted Lin Xiyuan’s back, she asked, "Where’s the photo? Can I see it?"

Lin Xiyuan took out her phone, navigated to the WeChat page, opened a photo, and handed it to Duanmu Sheng.

It was an explicit bed photo.

The woman in the photo didn’t seem old, with colorful hair and a nose ring; she had a tattoo on her chest, clearly the type of restless girl.

The male protagonist was none other than Zhou Yiheng himself.

Seeing the photo, Duanmu Sheng was appalled! This Zhou Yiheng really was too irresponsible! He was already at the point of discussing marriage with Lin Xiyuan, yet how could he get involved with such an indecent woman!

"Stop crying, Xiyuan! I’ll take you to confront Zhou Yiheng right now!" Duanmu Sheng was so angry she didn’t even call him cousin anymore.

This Zhou Yiheng, such a disappointment!

Lin Xiyuan was pulled outside by Duanmu Sheng, who made a phone call to Zhou Yiheng arranging to meet him at a lawn square.

Since it was not a glorious matter, naturally, they couldn’t meet in a crowded place.

At this time of the year, the lawn square had the fewest people.

About half an hour later, Zhou Yiheng appeared at the lawn square. He walked over, clearly annoyed, "Sheng Sheng, what’s the meaning of this? Couldn’t you have said whatever it is on the phone? Why did you have to drag me out here?"

At this time, Zhou Yiheng had yet to notice Lin Xiyuan’s unusual behavior.

Without a word, Duanmu Sheng raised his hand and slapped Zhou Yiheng’s left cheek.

Zhou Yiheng was stunned by the sudden slap, looking at Duanmu Sheng, "Duanmu Sheng, have you gone mad?"

Lin Xiyuan was also a bit stunned; she had not expected Duanmu Sheng to start with a slap and looked at him in bewilderment.

"Zhou Yiheng, confess honestly, what have you done to wrong Xiyuan?" Duanmu Sheng demanded, staring intently at Zhou Yiheng with a cold tone.

Lin Xiyuan hung her head, softly sobbing.

Zhou Yiheng, looking somewhat innocent, said to Duanmu Sheng, "What did I do? Duanmu Sheng, are you sick? Xiyuan, what exactly is going on?"

Lin Xiyuan kept her head down, saying nothing.

Duanmu Sheng continued, "Still pretending, huh? You really don’t know what you’ve done? Zhou Yiheng, do I need to spell it out for you?"

"What have I done? Is that what I’m pretending?" Zhou Yiheng said with a face of innocence.

"Fine," Duanmu Sheng nodded, "It seems you won’t give up until you’re pushed to the brink!"

"You’re crazy!" Zhou Yiheng, one hand covering his left cheek, took Lin Xiyuan’s hand with the other, "Xiyuan, let’s go! Don’t bother with this lunatic!"

"Don’t touch me!" Lin Xiyuan harshly pulled away from Zhou Yiheng’s hand.

"Xiyuan, what’s wrong? Who’s bullying you? Why are you crying?" Zhou Yiheng looked at her with genuine concern, his eyes twinkling with distress.

"Get away from me! I don’t want to see you!" Lin Xiyuan turned away coldly. Although she liked Zhou Yiheng, she had her pride, and her tastes were not so peculiar that she could share a man with another woman.

Only then did Zhou Yiheng realize something was seriously amiss. He glanced at Duanmu Sheng with a flicker of guilt in his eyes, coughed lightly, and then said, "Sheng, what exactly is going on here?"

Duanmu Sheng turned with a cold look, pulled out Lin Xiyuan’s phone, and handed it to Zhou Yiheng with an unfriendly tone, "See for yourself!"

Upon seeing the photo on the phone, Zhou Yiheng’s complexion changed instantly, he quickly said, "Xiyuan, listen to me, it’s not what you think, it was just an act with that woman, you’re the only one I love!"

Zhou Yiheng had never imagined that a woman with whom he had had just a one-night stand would have kept such a photo and also sent it to Lin Xiyuan while he was asleep.

He didn’t even know the woman’s name.

Moreover, he had never intended to be with this woman; she had set him up.

But such words, he knew, were definitely not going to be believed.

"Don’t touch me!" Lin Xiyuan brushed off Zhou Yiheng’s hand, "Zhou Yiheng, let me tell you, it’s over between us! From today on, we go our separate ways, a clean break!" Lin Xiyuan’s stance was firm. She was never one to drag things out and could not tolerate a man’s infidelity.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yiheng was completely panicked and quickly grabbed Lin Xiyuan’s hand, bending his knees and kneeling down before her.

"Xiyuan, don’t do this; I really didn’t intend for this to happen, I love you, please don’t leave me." Zhou Yiheng put aside all his pride as a man and knelt on the grass, desperately pleading with Lin Xiyuan.

This scene also shocked Duanmu Sheng.

A man willing to kneel before a woman surely proved that he genuinely loved her.

Lin Xiyuan pushed away Zhou Yiheng’s hand, "Our fate ends here. Persisting obnoxiously does no good for anyone, goodbye." With that, she turned and walked away.

The moment she turned, the previously clear skies suddenly became overcast, with thunder rumbling and lightning flashing.

And then, a torrential downpour began.

Watching the two parting in the rain, Duanmu Sheng didn’t know what to say.

From a woman’s perspective, she could not tolerate a man’s unfaithfulness.

But, from the standpoint of a cousin, she also hoped her cousin could find happiness.

She brought Lin Xiyuan to see Zhou Yiheng not to see them break up, but to resolve the issue. She thought that after slapping Zhou Yiheng and having him apologize, they could let bygones be bygones. After all, everyone makes mistakes. But she hadn’t expected Lin Xiyuan to be so resolute.

Zhou Yiheng knelt in the rain, weeping endlessly, unwilling to get up.

The figure of Lin Xiyuan grew farther and farther away.

And no one noticed the faint smile at the corner of Lin Xiyuan’s mouth.

**

Elsewhere.

Zi, holding an umbrella, strolled along the streets of Ancient City Street.

When she reached a small alley, she paused and looked into it.

A young girl stood with an umbrella in one hand and a wooden board in the other, half crouching on the ground, building a small wooden house.

Amidst the rain, faint meows could be distinctly heard.

It was the sound of a kitten’s cry.

"Don’t be afraid, Little Yellow, the wooden house sister is building for you this time is very sturdy, it won’t collapse again," the girl comforted, petting the head of the large ginger cat.

This girl was none other than Situ Ya.

In the veil of rain, her profile appeared especially elegant, shedding its mature sophistication for an air of ethereal grace, like an ancient ink wash painting.

If looked at for a while, this Situ Ya seemed somehow different from before.

The large ginger cat meowed, seemingly responding to her.

Situ Ya smiled slightly and pulled out a bag of cat food from her bag, pouring it into a bowl. She then reached into the small wooden house, "Yellowie, you’ll have to make do sharing the cat food with Little Yellow."