It was like a lily that had not yet bloomed, yet already exuded a faint, sweet fragrance.
This flower had bloomed for him before. Sadly, he hadn't had the chance to savor it properly before it withered.
After a period of absence, it had miraculously come back to life, even more beautiful and alluring than before.
Lu Jin’s throat moved as he subtly caressed his chin, suppressing the urge to reach out and touch her.
He smiled with the confidence of a victor, "Can we sit down and talk now?"
Shen Yue wasn't sure if she could trust the man before her, but she desperately wanted to recover her lost memories. Whether it was true or false, there was no harm in listening.
With that thought, Shen Yue sat down opposite Lu Jin.
Her hands rested on the table, her fingers like jade, so white they were almost translucent. The thin skin revealed faint, bluish-green veins beneath, lending her a fragile, delicate air.
Once she was seated, Lu Jin, as if deliberately to pique her interest, said nothing. He merely glanced at the menu, then looked up and asked, "Would you like something to eat?"
Shen Yue lowered her gaze, her eyelashes, thin as cicada wings, trembling slightly. "No, no thank you."
Lu Jin had only asked casually. He ordered two Tiramisus.
After handing the menu to the waiter, Lu Jin looked up at Shen Yue. He couldn't resist reaching out to touch her face. The moment his fingertips brushed against her, Shen Yue quickly pulled away, her eyes betraying an undisguised wariness.
Lu Jin felt a flicker of annoyance sparked by her gaze. He seemed to realize that gentleness wouldn't work, so he decided to be direct.
He studied Shen Yue with an impassive expression, then suddenly curved his lips. "Are you that afraid of me?"
Shen Yue unconsciously tightened her grip on her fingers and directly voiced her confusion, "What did you mean by that just now?"
Lu Jin smiled. He was a charming man with a striking, somewhat roguish face, his eyebrows arched in a rakish, debonair manner.
Instead of answering Shen Yue's question directly, he posed another.
"Are you with Xie Jiangsheng now?"
Although phrased as a question, his tone was one of certainty.
Shen Yue nodded without hesitation.
Lu Jin realized that one aspect of this woman hadn't changed: her enduring foolishness. Even with her memory gone, she was still fixated on Xie Jiangsheng, so devoted.
A mocking smile slowly spread across Lu Jin's lips, but a chilling anger flickered in his eyes.
Lu Jin tilted his head, his eyes devoid of mirth, and spoke words that were deliberately cruel, "Do you really enjoy being the other woman so much?"
Shen Yue could hardly believe her ears. It was like a bolt from the blue, or as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head, leaving her utterly chilled.
Her face was deathly pale. Her beautiful, dark eyes stared blankly at Lu Jin, as if she couldn't comprehend his words.
Her voice was dry, even trembling, "Wh-what do you mean by that?"
Lu Jin feigned surprise, but his eyes held a deep malice. "Oh? You don't know? Xie Jiangsheng has been married for three years, and he's deeply in love with his wife. Don't tell me you're completely unaware."
Shen Yue's ears buzzed, as if pricked by sharp thorns, creating a ringing in her ears.
Her face, already pale, now seemed almost translucent. She stared blankly at Lu Jin, her body trembling slightly.
Shen Yue tried to force herself to remain calm, her voice still shaky. "Do-do you have any proof?"
The woman's face was pale, her lips red. Her fair skin emitted a soft glow, her shoulders slender and delicate, suggesting a fragile, easily shattered nature.
Her eyes were reddening, but she still tried to maintain a brave front.
Pathetic, yet endearing.
A trace of heat ignited in Lu Jin's eyes, his smile taking on a tender, affectionate quality. "You can easily find out the truth about this by asking around. I have no reason to lie to you. If you don't believe me, go and ask yourself."
When Xie Jiangsheng got married, the wedding had been a grand affair, with reporters present and even trending on social media. However, three years had passed, and it had all faded into obscurity.
Shen Yue watched Lu Jin, calm and collected, and her heart sank as if filled with cold lead.
The image of the man's refined and handsome face surfaced in her mind. Every time he looked at her, it seemed filled with tenderness, a tenderness that didn't appear to be feigned.
Lu Jin had no reason to lie either.
If this were true, then Xie Jiangsheng was indeed a master of deception.
To have maintained such a pretense for so long, to have acted so fond of her, treated her so well, and led her step by step into falling for him.
What had Xie Jiangsheng been thinking then?
Did he find her utterly laughable?
Did he think her utterly stupid?
A wave of deep, poignant pain surged from the depths of her heart, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
Lu Jin's long fingers caressed Shen Yue's cheek in a way that felt intimate. He lowered his voice, murmuring softly and tenderly, "You already had a painful experience with him before. How is it that you still haven't learned your lesson?"
Her best friend lowered his gaze, his thick, long eyelashes obscuring most of the emotion in his eyes. He withdrew his arm and smiled, asking his friend to turn around. His narrow, upturned amber eyes, illuminated by the sun, were clear and bright, like a piece of exquisite crystal.