Chapter 264 - 199: The Feeling of Complete Defeat

Ever since WeChat came along, not many people were willing to make phone calls anymore.

Aside from sales calls, it was either someone you were really close with or someone older. You had to be at least one of the two.

She tapped open her call log. Sure enough, aside from her grandparents, there were calls from a handful of friends like Peng Huan, and... Jiang Sheng.

Having just announced her relationship that day and gone out to dinner with Shui Sulan that evening, Ni Bingyan had a good idea why they were calling.

She wasn’t impatient. She called them back one by one, confirmed the news, and thanked them for their congratulations.

After a long hesitation, she finally returned Jiang Sheng’s call.

Ever since the sponsorship scandal, after which they had gotten back in touch, Jiang Sheng would occasionally send her a WeChat message or call her. He never said anything flirtatious or did anything to put her off; he just shared amusing anecdotes from his life.

His words were witty yet tactful—the perfect gentleman.

Ni Bingyan was always cool toward him, but since he had never confessed his feelings, she couldn’t find an opportunity to reject him. So he just remained awkwardly in her contacts.

Normally, Ni Bingyan wouldn’t have called back after seeing his missed call. But today was different. ’Maybe a proper talk will give him closure,’ she thought, ’and we can finally go our separate ways.’

The call connected almost immediately.

"Hello?"

The moment Jiang Sheng spoke, Ni Bingyan knew he was probably drunk. With a slight turn of her thoughts, she could even picture what he looked like.

His eyes would be half-lidded, his long lashes drooping, and he’d be lying there quietly—no tears, no fuss, just perfectly placid.

The memories she’d inherited from the body’s original owner always made her feel incredibly awkward whenever she dealt with Jiang Sheng.

It felt like she was a creep, spying on her best friend’s relationship by poking a hole through the paper window to watch the young couple 24/7.

The worst part was that she found it unbearable, yet she couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know the truth and was still treating her as if she were his girlfriend—the very woman she felt she’d usurped.

In a way, everyone involved was a victim.

But the god of transmigration was a capricious being! This was just how it had to be!

’Since I can’t change it, I just have to accept it.’

"Hello, this is Ni Bingyan. You called me earlier. Is something wrong?"

The sound of shattering glass came through the phone. He’d probably knocked a glass off a table with his elbow.

Jiang Sheng didn’t say anything. Only the sound of his slow breathing was audible.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Ni Bingyan sighed softly before prompting him, "Hello? Can you hear me?"

There was still no response. Just as Ni Bingyan was about to feign a bad connection and hang up, Jiang Sheng finally spoke.

"So, being with me was just settling, but being with him isn’t?"

He spoke very slowly, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. He probably wasn’t even sure himself how much of it was love.

Ever since she talked about her criteria for a partner on that show, Ni Bingyan had been prepared for Jiang Sheng to confront her. He never brought it up, though. ’So he was just waiting for this moment!’

Ni Bingyan didn’t answer his question. Instead, she began to recount, her voice calm and even.

"On the first day we were together, he took out a promise ring he’d had for a long time. He smiled as he slid it onto my finger and told me that our love was stronger than gold, asking me to try my best to grow old with him.

"On the second day we were together, he took me to a gathering with his friends. They were all his married buddies, and they brought their wives and children. The kids called me ’Auntie,’ the wives were incredibly warm to me, and his friends all praised him for his excellent taste.

"On the third day we were together, he said he wanted the whole world to know I was his girlfriend and that he wanted to marry me. So, we planned the public announcement.

"That same evening, his mother, who is usually very private, took me out to dinner in a very public way. She gave me a carefully chosen gift, treated me to a wonderful meal, and told me she liked me very much, and that because she liked me, she wouldn’t allow anyone to say a single bad word about me..."

Jiang Sheng clenched his jaw, letting tears stream down his face. Without a word, he hung up.

Ni Bingyan knew he was crying.

In the past, it was always the original owner who cried in secret, living in a muddled haze of pain and expectation for three years. Now, it was his turn to suffer.

But Ni Bingyan felt no sense of satisfaction or revenge.

She admitted she was selfish. She had taken over someone else’s body and her family but was unwilling to be kind to the man the original owner had loved.

In truth, Jiang Sheng hadn’t done anything wrong. In most people’s eyes, he was an excellent man.

’But while you can compromise on other things,’ she thought, ’you just can’t force matters of the heart.’

Being ruthless now, severing his hopes so they could both start new lives... it was for the best. Better to rip the band-aid off.

After hanging up, Ni Bingyan took several deep breaths to compose herself before video-calling her dad.

"Hey! Why are you still up so late? I was already asleep!"

Ni Guangli sat up with a yawn and answered the video call. Seeing it was her, he couldn’t help but sigh.

*Sigh.*

’A daughter is a debt you can never repay.’

When she was little, she’d cry all night. As soon as evening fell, she’d start wailing, and she wouldn’t stop unless he was the one to hold her and walk her around the room. No one else would do.

’Now she’s in her twenties and still video-calling in the middle of the night, keeping me from my sleep!’

Ever since he was diagnosed with kidney stones, Ni Guangli had handed much of his work over to his apprentices and eased up on his live-streaming schedule.

The ultimate goal for many internet celebrities is to become an investor, but he was already an investor. Once his interest in streaming began to wane, it was only natural for him to shift his focus.

"Dad! I made my relationship official today! You knew, right?"

Ni Bingyan’s eyes were sparkling, which made Ni Guangli frown.

"Of course I know! How could I not? The whole world knows! You ungrateful girl, you couldn’t even give me a heads-up! Thank goodness my son-in-law is dependable and knew to call me in advance. If a reporter had come asking and I didn’t know anything, they would have twisted my words and claimed I disapproved of your relationship or something..."

Scolded by her dad, Ni Bingyan pouted. "But I told you right after I said yes to him~"

"You need to get this straight! Getting into a relationship and announcing it to the public are two different things! How are they the same?"

Ni Bingyan didn’t argue. She held up the watch Shui Sulan had given her.

"Okay, okay, Dad, I was wrong. Please forgive me! I’ve run into a bit of a problem, and I’m panicking because I haven’t told you about it!"

"What is it?"

’Even though she’s in her twenties, I still have to be the one to figure things out for her when she’s in trouble. What a handful!’

Despite his thoughts, Ni Guangli’s tone immediately softened.

He was glad his daughter still trusted and relied on him.

"So, Mrs. Sang gave me a diamond watch, and I feel it’s too valuable. I was embarrassed to accept it. But it was such a thoughtful gesture, and she even had it specially engraved with my and Sang Yuan’s names. She must have had it custom-made a long time ago, so I ended up taking it."

When Ni Guangli saw the watch, he thought his daughter’s humble background was making her self-conscious again.

Resisting the urge to fly to Beijing overnight and broaden her horizons for her, Ni Guangli took a deep breath and waved his hand dismissively.

"If she gave it to you, just accept it graciously. It’s just a watch. What’s there to feel so awkward about?

"You two just focus on your relationship. Seeing you happy together is the best thing we as parents could ask for.

"Don’t overthink it, you hear? When you make a lot of money, it just becomes a number. Genuine affection is what’s most important. You know they’re treating you well, so you just have to treat them with the same sincerity.

"And another thing, stop looking down on yourself. You get this straight: you are my, Ni Guangli’s, only daughter. Do you have any idea how much money our family has? If all the money your dad has earned isn’t enough for you to hold your head high, then what the hell have I been working my butt off for?!"

Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"Okay, Dad, I get it."

She had to admit she did have a bit of an inferiority complex.

But it hadn’t made her timid or taken away her courage to face the world.

"But Dad, that’s not why I was asking. It’s not about whether to accept it, but what I should give in return. I don’t want to just accept their gifts for nothing. It’s impolite not to reciprocate a gift, right?"

Ni Guangli shot her an approving look.

"You’re right to think that way. Leave it to me. Now that you’re officially a couple, his mother gave you a gift. I certainly can’t let Little Sang be left out. You two just focus on being happy together; Dad will handle the rest."

"What are you planning to give him?"

"Hey! Don’t ask so many questions. Your dad knows what he’s doing."

"Oh, Dad, that’s not what I meant. The Qixi Festival is coming up, but I have to go to Guisheng for my cousin’s wedding, so I can’t spend it with him. I want to get him a gift, but I have no idea what to give."

*Sigh.* ’This blockhead of a daughter!’

Ni Guangli sighed to himself but patiently offered his advice. "Giving a gift is simple. Just get him what he likes!"

Ni Bingyan said shyly, "He likes me~"

Ni Guangli immediately blew a fuse. "A young lady like you, giving gifts? What kind of grown man needs to receive gifts anyway? You just need to wait to receive gifts from him, that’s all! Don’t even think about such nonsense!"

Seeing him get all worked up, Ni Bingyan hung up the video call, laughing. The more she thought about it, the funnier it was!

The original owner had been so naive. She had moved in with Jiang Sheng at the Xishuiwan Villa without any formal commitment—no engagement, not even the official title of "girlfriend." She had lived in a limbo where she was neither the mistress of the house nor a guest. Ni Bingyan would never be that foolish.

’No matter how sweet love is, you have to keep a clear head,’ she thought. ’Protecting yourself should always be the top priority, no matter what.’