Purely Accidental - Chapter 61
Chapter 61
The evening wind was icy, the bright moon like jade.
The world fell into complete silence, as if even the air had been sucked away.
Xu Jingshu stood rooted to the spot, silently gazing in the direction where the two had departed, Pei Youshan's words still lingering in her ears.
—Boyfriend.
—A good ex should act like they're dead.
It sounded like it was meant for that man, yet also seemed directed at her.
Her heart suddenly felt hollow, as if a piece had collapsed.
Did Pei Youshan like men?
She couldn't be sure. Pei Youshan had never explicitly stated she only liked women—in fact, she only ever mentioned being attracted to good-looking people.
So... Pei Youshan could like handsome men too.
Xu Jingshu didn't actually know Pei Youshan's exact address. She had just felt like coming over on a whim, never expecting to run into her.
With a man she'd never seen before.
Recalling the scene she'd just witnessed—that unfamiliar man's face under the streetlight, delicate and handsome, exuding freshness and cleanliness—
He was indeed good-looking, fitting for someone appearance-focused like Pei Youshan.
Pei Youshan had never specifically mentioned this man before, always referring to him vaguely as a "friend" or "sister."
But was this what she meant by "friend"?
Or was this not that kind of friend at all, but rather... her new lover?
Xu Jingshu stood silently, her mind in chaos, her heart tangled like a ball of yarn, twisted so tightly she could barely breathe.
She didn't want to acknowledge the term "new lover," but that kiss on the cheek, fueled by jealousy, pushed her thoughts relentlessly toward it.
And those three words—"boyfriend"—pierced her heart, making her doubt everything.
Had they really ended just like that?
Had she truly moved on, fallen for someone else, no longer caring for her?
Did she really want her to be a "good ex," to act like she was dead?
Xu Jingshu slowly lowered her lashes, the loneliest hues of late autumn reflected in her deep eyes, fading into a dim, flickering light.
She was like a lone log adrift at sea, lost and helpless—or a drenched puppy, pitiful beyond words.
Had she really... stopped loving her?
......
After Pei Youshan and Shao Xingcheng high-fived to celebrate finally driving away that scumbag, the atmosphere lightened considerably.
Shao Xingcheng clasped his hands together dramatically. "Thank you, Miss Pei, for your heroic sacrifice of bestowing a kiss upon me. I shall forever remember your great kindness. This humble one swears—just this once, never again."
He had always been someone who knew his boundaries, clear on what was and wasn't appropriate.
If not for that disgusting, clingy jerk, he would never have let Pei Youshan kiss him.
Pei Youshan played along, hands on her hips. "Good. You'd better remember my kindness."
Shao Xingcheng: "Aye-aye."
Then, with a gentle smile, he said, "Come on, let's go home. I'll braid your hair—make you so beautiful that next time you wear it out, Xu Jingshu won't ever want to leave your side."
The moment Pei Youshan heard that name, she glared at him. "What nonsense are you spouting? Who said anything about her seeing it?"
Shao Xingcheng teased, "If not for her, then who? Isn't she the only woman in the world who can awaken your worldly desires?"
Pei Youshan, unable to refute, waved him off. "Go away! It—it has nothing to do with her!"
Shao Xingcheng chuckled. "Alright, alright. Who do you think you're fooling? We both know you too well."
"Let's go home."
After taking a few steps, a particularly icy autumn wind swept past.
Pei Youshan paused, as if sensing something, and glanced back toward the neighborhood gate, her brows slightly furrowed.
Suddenly, she thought of Xu Jingshu.
Her gaze dropped to her wrist, lost in thought for a moment before she gently clasped it, pressing her lips together in silence.
"What's wrong?" Shao Xingcheng asked. "Did you leave something at the park?"
Pei Youshan shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Let's go."
Xu Jingshu had gone too far—she deserved that bite. Hmph.
......
Inside the bar, warm yellow light from the overhead lamps silently enveloped the counter, flowing like water through the woman's soft hair.
Slender, elegant fingers tapped lightly against a glass, her stunning features breathtakingly beautiful.
A woman approached her boldly, phone in hand.
"Excuse me, miss, could I get your—"
Before she could finish, Xu Jingshu slowly lifted her head, her red lips glistening, half-lidded eyes cold and sharp as frost, exuding an intimidating aura without a word.
The woman faltered under that gaze, immediately choking back her words. "S-sorry to bother you!" she stammered before scurrying away.
This wasn't some beauty—this was the King of Hell in disguise!
"Tsk, so fierce." A figure settled onto the stool beside her, voice laced with amusement. "Who pissed off our President Xu?"
Xu Jingshu glanced at her. "What are you drinking?"
Xu Ge turned to the bartender. "Juice."
Then, looking back at Xu Jingshu: "No alcohol for me. I have to drive later, and if Xue Yingyue finds out, I'm dead."
Hearing this, Xu Jingshu was abruptly reminded of the past.
Back when she and Pei Youshan were still together, Pei Youshan would always remind her not to drink during business dinners, or to get a designated driver—so caring she'd practically offer to pick her up herself.
But now, all of that was gone.
She laughed bitterly, taking a sip of her drink, her eyes downcast.
"She has a boyfriend now."
"Mhm—wait, what?!" Xu Ge's expression twisted in shock, suddenly doubting her own ears. "A boyfriend?! Are you sure?!"
Xu Jingshu's expression remained unreadable as she swirled her glass. "She said it herself..."
Xu Ge's face instantly turned complicated, her gaze at Xu Jingshu brimming with sympathy.
Here was a woman who had finally fallen in love, only for it to end in such misery... How tragic.
She patted Xu Jingshu's shoulder. "So... what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know."
A hint of heartbreaking confusion flickered in Xu Jingshu's eyes as she wearily closed them, the faint redness at their corners only accentuating her delicate beauty.
"My mind's a mess right now. I need time to think..."
Everything that had happened recently felt like her punishment.
If she could have foreseen this future, she would never have lied to Pei Youshan, never hurt her, never pushed her away.
It was, without a doubt, the stupidest and most regrettable thing she'd ever done.
Xu Ge sighed. At this point, assigning blame was meaningless.
She offered her shoulder for Xu Jingshu to lean on, gently patting her back with the same tenderness she used to soothe her daughter at home.
"Then take a couple days off. The company will be fine with Chairwoman Xu and the rest of us handling things."
"Rest properly, relax. If you need anything, just call—we'll be there."
Xu Jingshu exhaled heavily, nodding slightly with a frown.
......
After two days of contemplation at home—sometimes sitting on the balcony for entire afternoons—Xu Jingshu finally reached a decision.
—If she had to die, she'd die with clarity.
She would confront Pei Youshan directly. Even if it was true, she needed to hear Pei Youshan admit it to her face, to properly close this chapter of their love story, so she could move on and become the "good ex" who acted like she was dead.
At least until Pei Youshan was single again.
How could she give up so easily when she loved her this much?
Xu Ge happened to visit that day. Upon hearing her decision, she immediately sighed in relief.
This "die with clarity" attitude was classic Xu Jingshu.
"Go for it. I support you!"
Xu Jingshu slipped on a loose black trench coat and held out her hand.
Xu Ge blinked. "What? Need cab fare?"
"..."
Xu Jingshu gave her a deadpan look. "Your phone. She blocked mine."
"Both of them."
Xu Ge: "..."
She scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Uh... your cat blocked me too..."
Xu Jingshu: "?"
Xu Ge: "Remember? Initially, you used my phone to contact her, so I had her number saved. Then last time, when I tried putting in a good word for you... turns out I got blocked too."
"Probably... she mistook my number for one of yours."
Xu Jingshu was speechless.
The fact that Pei Youshan had dug up and blocked a number from so long ago proved just how furious she was—angry enough to cut off all possible traces of her.
After a brief pause, a thought struck her—someone Pei Youshan wouldn't refuse. She grabbed her bag and phone decisively. "Never mind. You might not be able to get her out anyway."
"I'll go find Chu Shimiao."
......
Before leaving, Xu Jingshu had her secretary Zhang Jingjing check Chu Shimiao's schedule for the day. Upon learning she was filming at Nanhai Park with her crew, she drove straight there.
After parking, she headed toward the park's center.
Nanhai Park—a place that had witnessed countless couples blossom, hailed as Jiang City's sacred ground of love.
Xu Jingshu and Pei Youshan had come here on dates too, but reminiscing about those sweet moments now only made her current solitude feel all the more crushing.
Especially with how heavy her heart was.
No one could feel good about hearing the person they loved reject them.
She couldn't help recalling that night—the kiss on the cheek, the word "boyfriend," that delicate face—her heart felt stabbed by a thousand knives, the pain beyond words.
She refused to believe Pei Youshan could move on so quickly, but facts spoke louder than words, leaving her helpless.
Suddenly, that delicate face seemed to materialize before her, overlapping with a man standing beneath a tree in the distance.
Overlapping?
She snapped back to reality, freezing in place, her gaze locked onto that spot.
The man Pei Youshan had kissed was standing under the shade of a tree, tilting his head up slightly—
—to kiss and embrace another man, like lovers in the throes of passion.
Xu Jingshu instinctively clenched her fists.
The shock and disbelief in that moment were indescribable.
Countless possibilities whirled through her mind like a gust of wind, her breath unconsciously stilling.
The sight of their intimacy only fueled her fury.
—He was cheating on her Shanshan!
Her eyes turned icy, her entire body radiating a deadly aura that warned others to stay away.
She took a step forward, ready to confront him for Pei Youshan's sake—then abruptly stopped.
What right did she have to do this?
If he had deceived Pei Youshan... hadn't she done the same?
After a moment of silent hesitation, her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
No, it wasn't the same.
He had deceived Pei Youshan's feelings—but she hadn't. Despite her initial lies, her love had been genuine. That much was undeniable.
Yet she remained rooted in place, hesitant, no longer as resolute as when she'd arrived.
But Pei Youshan hated being lied to. If she found out this "boyfriend" had deceived her too, wouldn't she be even more devastated?
Xu Jingshu could already picture her expression upon learning the truth—these repeated betrayals would break her...
Just imagining Pei Youshan in pain made her heart ache.
She didn't want her to suffer...
She hadn't meant to hurt her...
She glanced back at the scene beneath the tree.
The two men were still lost in their own world, completely oblivious to the existence of a certain beautiful girlfriend.
—The sight reignited her anger.
No. Regardless of anything else, Pei Youshan had the right to know.
A period of heartbreak was better than being strung along by a scumbag.
She couldn't just stand by and watch someone as wonderful as Pei Youshan fall into the hands of such trash!
......
After finishing her scenes, Chu Shimiao sat down to rest.
Just as she took a sip of coffee, she heard a series of respectful greetings from behind: "President Xu."
The next second, a slender hand landed on her shoulder, followed by an utterly emotionless voice drifting down from above. "I need your help."
Chu Shimiao, straw between her teeth: "?"
Coming all this way... to ask for her help?
How rare. Was this the power of love?
After shooing away the people around them, Chu Shimiao tilted her head up with a raised brow. "This is about Shanshan again, isn't it?"
Xu Jingshu didn't deny it.
"What is it? Tell me first," Chu Shimiao said, propping her chin on her hand. "Then I'll decide whether to help you lure her out."
Xu Jingshu spoke: "She... was deceived again."
Chu Shimiao was stunned, momentarily marveling at the self-awareness in her use of "again" before snapping back to the seriousness of the situation.
Seeing she wasn't joking, she finally agreed to call Pei Youshan.
As she waited for the call to connect, she muttered sympathetically, "Ah, my poor little ancestor... Why do you keep running into liars..."
Xu Jingshu's brow twitched. She looked down at her. "Since when was she your ancestor?"
"..."
Chu Shimiao coughed lightly.
"That's none of your business. Don't ask questions you don't want answers to!"
......
Right after her meeting ended, Pei Youshan drove to Nanhai Park's east gate.
Mainly because Chu Shimiao had sounded so urgent on the phone, claiming she'd been "deceived again" in such grave tones it seemed like skipping this meeting would haunt her for life.
So, following instructions, she arrived at the east gate.
Only to find Xu Jingshu waiting for her on a stone bench.
"..."
She was speechless. Stunned.
So this was the legendary "haunt me for life" scenario?
The moment Xu Jingshu saw her, the dullness in her eyes brightened slightly. She immediately stood and approached, as if afraid Pei Youshan would turn and bolt. "Shanshan, I need to talk to you."
"It's important."
Pei Youshan crossed her arms. "Go on."
Seeing her so composed, Xu Jingshu frowned worriedly. "Prepare yourself first. I'm afraid this might be hard to hear."
Pei Youshan: "?"
What kind of nonsense was this now?
What could possibly be harder to hear than "my girlfriend is my ex-fiancée"?
She refused to believe it.
After a pause, Xu Jingshu finally spoke: "Shanshan, your boyfriend—"
"Isn't straight."
Pei Youshan's peach-blossom eyes widened further and further, "shock" written all over her face. For a moment, she didn't even know where to begin untangling this mess.
After a long, stunned silence, she finally gritted out through clenched teeth: "Who the hell started the rumor that I have a boyfriend?!"
Xu Jingshu: "?"
So... it was all a misunderstanding?!
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