Surprisingly, Shi Xinxin chose to take a taxi back to her apartment this time. In the past, she would have considered such a long ride too extravagant. But now, money held little appeal for her.
What was the point of saving money? No matter how much she saved, she would never be as rich as Sheng Chenjin, nor would she ever have the high status that Ding Muyu and others enjoyed.
As they had said, she only had this much money, so why couldn't she use her meager funds to make herself a little happier?
When getting out of the car to pay, Shi Xinxin casually touched her pocket. Her hand brushed against the phone Sheng Chenjin had given her, which was in her bag.
She took out the phone and stared at it, lost in thought. What was she like? She was like a puppet, controlled by others. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were all provided by someone else. Her small salary was barely enough to support herself.
If it were up to her own abilities, she didn't know when she would ever be able to afford such an expensive phone. Someone like her was truly suited to be a pawn.
A little kindness or a small favor was enough to silence her, to make her quiet down and continue to obey the owner's wishes. Holding the phone, she looked up at the sky.
It was time to end this.
She picked up the phone, dialed Sheng Chenjin's number, and made the call. The call was answered quickly.
"What is it? Why are you calling me so early today?"
"Let's break up." Shi Xinxin got straight to the point, without any further ado. The person on the other end of the line clearly couldn't believe his ears.
"What is this? A new game?"
Despite asking, Sheng Chenjin felt a deep sense of unease.
"This isn't a game, nor is it a joke. Let's break up. Don't contact me again." After saying this, Shi Xinxin hung up the phone, not even giving Sheng Chenjin a chance to question her.
After hanging up, Shi Xinxin fought back tears, her eyes stinging. She quickly walked to the trash can ahead, casually tossed the phone in, and then rushed into the elevator.
Arriving at her apartment door, she fumbled to find her keys, unlocked it, and quickly rushed into the room. The moment she closed the door, she could no longer hold back.
Leaning against the door, she let go of everything. She slid down to the floor, her bag, keys, and documents scattering everywhere. She let her tears flow freely, her wails filling the entire room.
She slowly curled herself up, hugging her knees, like a little girl avoiding harm, having escaped back to her own home. Finally, she felt a long-lost, faint sense of security after shedding her burdens.
Because the phone had a tracking system, Sheng Chenjin was able to locate her near her apartment soon after Shi Xinxin hung up.
Before Shi Xinxin could break free from her tears, Sheng Chenjin arrived at her door. He knocked relentlessly, hoping Shi Xinxin would give him a chance to talk, at least an explanation.
However, Shi Xinxin hid behind the door, refusing to make a sound. Sheng Chenjin persisted, not giving up.
"Xinxin, open the door. Xinxin, what happened? Tell me, please open the door. I know you're inside. Open the door. If there's any misunderstanding, at least give me a chance to explain."
Sheng Chenjin pleaded from outside the door. Shi Xinxin initially held back, gritting her teeth, trying not to cry, hoping Sheng Chenjin would leave on his own.
"I know you're inside, and you know that if I wanted to, I could easily open this door. Do you really want to force me to use other methods?"
Hearing Sheng Chenjin say this, Shi Xinxin froze. That's right, what was she thinking? Why did she think that by hiding in her apartment, these rich people would leave her alone?
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Shi Xinxin slowly stood up, but she didn't open the door. Instead, she spoke to Sheng Chenjin through the door, "Go. I was very clear on the phone."
"What was clear? It wasn't clear at all. Tell me quickly, what happened?!"
"Is it necessary for you to act so insincerely now?" Shi Xinxin stopped crying. She didn't understand why Sheng Chenjin, who had bought Ding Muyu a manor and promised her a honeymoon, was now here questioning why she wanted to break up.
If she didn't break up now, would she be forced to step down from the position of fiancée in disgrace when things were exposed, under everyone's gaze? But she was too lazy to say these words to Sheng Chenjin again.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Mr. Sheng. I am very clear about my identity, and I know I don't deserve you, never have. Please leave. Don't disturb the lives of ordinary people like us again. I can't handle this kind of turmoil."
Even though Shi Xinxin was now convinced that she was merely a pawn Sheng Chenjin intended to use, her heart still ached because she had been very sincere in this relationship.
She suppressed the urge to cry, trying to speak without too much emotion so that Sheng Chenjin would believe she had thought this through seriously.
"Haven't we discussed this many times? You don't need to think so much. You just need to remember..."
"Mr. Sheng, some things are not as simple as you think. Just because we don't think about these problems doesn't mean they don't exist."
She forcibly interrupted Sheng Chenjin. She didn't want to hear any more so-called explanations. She was even too lazy to understand why Sheng Chenjin had deceived her time and time again.
With such an excellent woman like Ding Muyu by his side, and with Ding Muyu's every indication of deep love for Sheng Chenjin, why couldn't he let her go?
Didn't he understand that Ding Muyu had seen through his tricks long ago? No matter how Sheng Chenjin used her to provoke Ding Muyu, it would be useless.
Were all men so childish? She didn't want to teach Sheng Chenjin these big lessons. All she wanted now was to end their relationship. She wanted to return to her simple, ordinary life.
Eating cheap street food, shopping at discount stores. She didn't need so much wealth, nor such a large villa. Her small apartment was perfectly fine, and living alone was quite free.
Before she met Sheng Chenjin, her life was truly good.
"Are you sure you want to break up?" Sheng Chenjin asked slowly after a long pause, having listened to her words.
"I am very sure, Mr. Sheng."
Shi Xinxin took a deep breath. "The time I've spent with you has been the most painful period of my life."