35. The Ex-Girlfriend Appears

As Xie Wuji was about to leave the small supermarket with two hefty bags of food, a white Ferrari suddenly pulled up. He froze in surprise, for two people stepped out of the car, and one of them was unmistakably his ex-girlfriend, Zhu Feifei.

Zhu Feifei wore a luxurious fur coat from Baleya. Her long, wavy hair was a deep brown-black, her features were exquisitely delicate, her skin fair as porcelain, and she wore a pair of sunglasses.

Xie Wuji clearly saw the large diamond ring glittering on Zhu Feifei's ring finger, and in an instant, he understood everything.

Zhu Feifei removed her sunglasses and looked Xie Wuji up and down. His clothes were as plain as ever, and the two bags of instant noodles in his hands made her frown even more.

“Ha, looks like your ex-boyfriend has quite the appetite,” chuckled the middle-aged man beside her. He looked about thirty-five or thirty-six, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, tall and upright, his leather shoes polished to a mirror shine. A gold Santos watch gleamed on his wrist—a timepiece worth at least two hundred thousand.

Zhu Feifei strode forward and slapped the plastic bags from Xie Wuji’s hand; the bags fell to the ground. “Why are you always like this? We’ve broken up, yet you still insist on embarrassing me!”

Her tone was sharp and severe, no different from the way she had always spoken to him.

Xie Wuji kept his head down, rubbing his nose. “It seems we’ve already broken up. Since that’s the case, whatever I do or eat is none of your concern.”

He felt a surge of anger. In the past, whenever he came home, Zhu Feifei would barely acknowledge him—always glued to her phone or busy with calls. Now, in less than a month, she already had a new benefactor at her side.

“Watch your tone,” the middle-aged man interjected, stepping in front of Zhu Feifei. “I just don’t understand—how could a goddess and top model like Feifei have wasted two years with someone like you?”

“That’s between me and Feifei. What are you two doing here today?” Xie Wuji asked.

“What? We’re here to pick up some clothes—just one of those would cost you a year’s salary. Did you really think a pauper like you could ever provide for Feifei?” the man sneered.

Xie Wuji’s eyes reddened. He stared wide-eyed at Zhu Feifei. “Feifei, you’ve known him for a while, haven’t you? Those clothes… they were bought before we broke up—so you…”

“I…” Zhu Feifei faltered, guilt flickering in her expression.

“To tell you the truth, Feifei only stayed with you because she was waiting for me to divorce my wife. Now that I’m divorced, she’s going to be my wife. We’ve been together since last August. She often told me how disgusting you were, how you pinched every penny on oil, salt, sauce, and tea. If she’d stayed with you, it would have been the worst luck of her life. Get out of the way!” The man gave Xie Wuji a shove.

But Xie Wuji reacted swiftly, grabbing Zou Tianhua’s hand. “You two lied to me together—this is too much, too cruel!”

“You’re just a broke recent graduate—what makes you think you can act tough in front of me?” The man flicked his cigarette away and glanced toward the car. Immediately, two burly men in black suits got out and flanked Xie Wuji on either side.

“Let go!” one of them barked.

A tidal wave of humiliation rose in Xie Wuji’s heart. He realized he had been deceived for over half a year. His eyes grew wet. Gripping Zou Tianhua’s jacket with all his strength, his knuckles turned white.

Zhu Feifei couldn’t stand the sight. “What are you doing? Don’t mess up Hua-ge’s clothes. They’re worth more than you could ever afford!”

“How did you become like this?” Tears finally streamed down Xie Wuji’s face. “You weren’t like this before…”

Zhu Feifei bit her lip. “By the time you make something of yourself, I’ll already be old. I can’t wait any longer—a woman’s most beautiful years are so few.”

“So… if you didn’t love me anymore, you could have just told me. I would’ve let go. Why did you have to lie to me?” Xie Wuji choked out.

“Let go!” came a roar from the suited brute, but Xie Wuji hardly noticed. His heart felt as if it had been sliced open, the pain so sharp it made his insides tremble.

Suddenly, a fist the size of a rugby ball crashed into Xie Wuji’s face without warning. He staggered backward, crashing into a streetlight pole.

Yet even then, Xie Wuji refused to let go, and Zou Tianhua’s sleeve was now torn at the seam.

“Let go!” Zou Tianhua gritted his teeth.

Xie Wuji ignored him, fixing Zhu Feifei with a burning gaze. Zhu Feifei, feeling her conscience waver, dared not meet his eyes.

A barrage of punches and kicks rained down, finally igniting Xie Wuji’s fury. Suddenly, he caught one man’s fist and twisted it downward—there was a sharp crack as the man’s arm broke.

Zou Tianhua was stunned. Just a moment ago, Xie Wuji had seemed utterly pathetic, but now, he stood formidable and unyielding.

Xie Wuji had always held back, unwilling to use the skills he’d learned in another world in real life. To him, their punches felt like nothing more than an itch.

But if he kept yielding, they’d only become more ruthless.

“Turns out your ex still has some backbone,” Zou Tianhua sneered. “He dared to fight back—go on, all of you, teach him a lesson. Beat him hard!”

Clenching his jaw, Xie Wuji lashed out. In the blink of an eye, he knocked all four bodyguards to the ground—each with a single punch, swift and efficient, leaving no room for doubt.

In that moment, Xie Wuji’s expression turned cold and distant. “Zhu Feifei, if you have anything left to take, do it quickly. From this day forth, we owe each other nothing. Go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

Zhu Feifei was taken aback. The once fawning Xie Wuji had suddenly grown so icy, saying words she’d never expected. Normally, he would have pleaded for reconciliation.

But she didn’t realize that her actions this time had finally and completely extinguished Xie Wuji’s hope for her.

Zou Tianhua looked at his four writhing bodyguards, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had never imagined Xie Wuji could be so cold, so capable.

“You useless bunch,” Zou Tianhua cursed. “I give you cars, I give you money, and you can’t even handle one guy. What good are you?”

“Boss, it’s not that we weren’t up to it—this guy’s trained! He’s so fast we couldn’t even see his punches. Why didn’t you tell us her ex was such a formidable fighter?” one bodyguard groaned from the ground.

Zhu Feifei’s lips trembled. She looked at Xie Wuji as if she were seeing a stranger. Her throat was dry; she tugged at her collar. “Wuji, you…”

“Just call me by my full name. We’re no longer connected—there’s no need for familiarity. Take your things and leave,” Xie Wuji said, shaking his head.

He walked over to Zou Tianhua and whispered, “Feifei’s mouth skills are impressive, aren’t they? I took good care of your future wife for a long time—you ought to thank me.”

Zou Tianhua flushed with rage, his face twisted. “What did you say? I’ll kill you, you bastard!”

“Come now, Zou Tianhua, heir to the Zou Group. With my skills, how many in your villa do you think could stop me? Leave a line of retreat for others, and perhaps we’ll cross paths again. No one knows what the future holds.” Xie Wuji clapped Zou Tianhua on the shoulder, picked up his bags, and strode homeward.

He paused suddenly and called to Zhu Feifei, “By the way, when you’re done collecting your things, give the keys to the landlord. There’s no need for you to come back to my humble place anymore.”

Zhu Feifei trembled with anger, her body shaking. She thought, Wasn’t I the one who dumped Xie Wuji? How did it end up feeling like he had walked away from me?

“Hua-ge…” Zhu Feifei approached, concerned. “Are you all right?”

“Get lost!” Zou Tianhua slapped her hard across the face. “You lied to me, didn’t you? Told me your ex was useless—he’s obviously military or something, a real fighter. You set me up, didn’t you?”