After Breaking Up, I Married the Dying Tycoon in a Flash-Chapter 380 - 22: Gentle Trap (Part 22)

"You’re certainly straightforward," sneered Xie Quan, disdainfully looking at her, "Our family’s status is not something you can afford to climb. People should know their place, I advise you to quit while you’re ahead."

Quit while you’re ahead—this phrase had always been firmly etched in An Jiayi’s heart.

She considered herself sensible enough and had never aspired for things that didn’t belong to her.

Therefore, she looked at Xie Quan with sufficient calmness and said slowly, "You might have misunderstood. I’ve already planned on leaving Xie Zhang, and it is not possible for me to be a substitute in his extramarital affair."

Xie Quan was noncommittal about An Jiayi’s statement. His gaze was scrutinizing and contemptuous as he said, "Do you think that by saying this now, I will believe you? What I want is not your promise."

An Jiayi’s hands clenched into fists, with tears of humiliation in her eyes, "What exactly do you want?"

"I heard you have a sister who is also in the entertainment industry, doing quite well..."

"Chairman Xie..." An Jiayi took a deep breath, her eyes tense, "I think, the issue between me and Xie Zhang has nothing to do with my sister."

"It could be unrelated, but it could also be related." Facing An Jiayi’s distraught helplessness, Xie Quan was even more triumphantly, coldly looking at her, saying, "If you dare to stay by Xie Zhang’s side, the first unlucky person will be your sister!"

An Jiayi felt as though she was struck by lightning, a chilling cold piercing through her limbs, almost screaming in agony, frantically begging for help.

But no one would come to her rescue. She could only look at Xie Zhang, becoming more and more humble and say, "What do you want me to do? Just say it. I have only one condition: do not harm my sister and the people around me."

Xie Quan’s smile was one of anticipated satisfaction.

People who came from the lower class, like her, were soft targets all over. With just a flick of his fingers, he could make her beg for mercy without end.

Xie Quan handed a card to An Jiayi, "I want you to find a way to make Xie Zhang give up on you. From now on, take this card and leave Xiangjiang."

An Jiayi agreed without any finesse; she fully conceded, humbly accepting Xie Zhang’s charity, and did not forget to plead in a hoarse voice, "I will do everything as you say, just don’t harm my sister, I beg you."

Xie Zhang’s face bore a smug look, he sneered at An Jiayi, leisurely saying, "That depends on my mood. Rest assured, if you obey well, I can spare a lifeline for you and the people around you."

An Jiayi had earned a lifeline. As she watched Xie Zhang leave without any lingering sentiment, she knew she had secured her lifeline.

The night was silent, and she clutched the blanket tightly in her arms, crying soundlessly.

After that incident, Xie Zhang never appeared in An Jiayi’s life again; that entanglement was like the final period at the end of a sentence.

The end of their relationship was not a happy parting, but full of resentment and anger.

An Jiayi was out of options; all she could do was to save what she could.

Just as Xie Quan had expected, she indeed could not afford to lose, not even the slightest risk of failure could she bear.

Bian Yue had come to visit several times, bringing a lot of things for An Jiayi.

She didn’t know what had transpired between the two, thinking it was just a common quarrel.

It was raining outside, and Bian Yue sat with her on the couch.

Bian Yue said, "Jiayi, do you want to reconsider going back to Xie Zhang? He has changed a lot since you left, becoming much more introverted. I can tell, his feelings for you are genuine."

An Jiayi lowered her head, looking at her own palm.

The scorching heat was burning, repeatedly scalding her heart.

She revealed a bitter smile and said in a low voice, "Whether his feelings for me are genuine or not... it doesn’t matter anymore. Bian Yue, we can’t go back."

Bian Yue’s eyes filled with deep incomprehension, not understanding why people in love could not be together.

An Jiayi didn’t want to explain to Bian Yue the so-called realities, which were raw and bloody—she found them too filthy to continuously display in front of Bian Yue.

She could only look at Bian Yue helplessly, her eyes filled with an indissoluble sorrow.

Then, on the day before An Jiayi’s birthday, she made a phone call to Xie Zhang.

That was the day she had booked her departure flight.

She had locked herself in her room for many days, all work suspended, unable to compose herself as if nothing had happened, as if she could just go on living life as usual without a care.

She felt that wasting away in her room was actually quite fine.

During times of numb pain, all sensations become dull, and, ironically, it wasn’t so unbearably painful anymore.

So that phone call didn’t really mean anything special; she just wanted to ask Xie Zhang if he could perhaps not hate her.

This was the only concern she had left.

She used extreme measures to push him away, but now, when everything was set in stone, she still sought his forgiveness.

It was okay if they couldn’t be together, or if they were to never cross paths again in life, but only if he didn’t hate her.

Ultimately, she didn’t want the emotions she had tended with care to end up harboring nothing but hatred.

But people shouldn’t harbor greed.

The person who answered the phone wasn’t Xie Zhang—it was Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan’s voice carried a sarcastic tone; she said: "An Jiayi, why is it you?"

Jiang Yan’s vocal cords were damaged from drinking too much alcohol before, and her voice sounded harsh and unpleasant.

An Jiayi’s mind went blank, and with dull uncertainty, she asked, "You and Xie Zhang..."

"Oh, you’re asking about us? Yes, we are together now." Jiang Yan laughed with disdain, saying, "An Jiayi, who do you think you are? Xie Zhang can have any woman he wants; don’t get too full of yourself."

An Jiayi found it hard to breathe, she cut off the call, and suddenly, her spirit turned to ash.

Xie Zhang wouldn’t lack women by his side, but why did it have to be Jiang Yan?

Had Xie Zhang forgotten all the things Jiang Yan had done to her?

He once cared deeply for her, then why now, was he aiming for her most vulnerable spot?

In the end, there was nothing to say but that it was all her own fault.

An Jiayi closed her eyes and slowly moved toward the balcony.

Outside was continuous rain. The moment she stepped on the balcony railing, she felt not the slightest chill.

After a long while, she closed her eyes, without a hint of hesitation, and leaped...

Her body experienced the sensation of weightlessness, and just before her breathing stopped, An Jiayi seemed to return to her first encounter with Xie Zhang.

The dashing young man was sitting poised and at ease, surrounded by a crowd. Someone offered him a light, a spark gently brushing against his face leaving flickering shadows as he politely listened to their flattery, showing no particular expression but at the same time, in a casual moment, turned his face to look at her.

An Jiayi heard him say to Wang Shao beside him: "Let her leave."

Yet she walked towards him, her eyes bright, "Mr. Xie, nice to meet you, my name is An Jiayi, could we become friends?"

Not lovers, but friends...