Female lead’s Delusion of Starting Over

Chapter 28 - The Banquet Begins

Chapter 28: The Banquet Begins

“Bing Qing, I’m begging you, help me think of a way. I really can’t lose Lu Li.” Zhang Ziqin looked at Su Bingqing pitifully, like a cat that had been abandoned.

“Is it only after losing him that you’ve learned to cherish him?” Su Bingqing looked at Zhang Ziqin with a complex expression, feeling a bit of heartache.

In her view, her sister had gone too far.

In the previous life, Lu Li didn’t give up, and she treated Lu Li like an old shoe. This life, Lu Li has given up, and she starts to cherish him.

“Now there’s another girl by Lu Li’s side, don’t you care?”

“I don’t care, I don’t care about anything, as long as Lu Li can come back to me.” Zhang Ziqin said firmly.

Having lost Lu Li twice, what else could she possibly care about? Compared to losing Lu Li completely, such matters are trivial.

“…Then go pursue him.” Biting her lip, Su Bingqing still gave her advice.

“Or are you too proud to let others know you like Lu Li?”

“No, of course not, it’s just that I don’t know how to pursue someone. And Lu Li seems to really dislike me now, I have no idea how to even talk to him.”

“Heh, as if you’d know how to talk to Lu Li. In the previous life, even though you clearly liked Lu Li, every time you saw him, all you had for him were insults,” Su Bingqing couldn’t help but sneer.

“What else can you do? Lu Li pursued you in the past, don’t tell me you don’t know how. Now, just use his methods to pursue him. I can’t think of anything else.” This way, it’s also a kind of revenge for Lu Li.

“No matter how he views you, if you’re truly determined, then don’t mind your pride. Don’t forget, Lu Li pursued you for eight whole years, and how did you treat him?”

Su Bingqing’s expression was especially serious, touching the most painful part of Zhang Ziqin’s heart.

Yes, if she couldn’t even let go of her so-called pride, what right did she have to chase after Lu Li?

She had already decided, no matter how many years it would take, she would pursue Lu Li unwaveringly. Yet, she panicked and backed down just because Chen Xiaoyi suddenly appeared. That was too improper.

“Thank you, Bing Qing, I know what I should do now.”

“And…”

Su Bingqing suddenly said.

“If you’re sincerely wanting to pursue Lu Li, don’t care about the other women around him. It’s normal for him to give up on you and find someone else. In Lu Li’s eyes now, you’re barely a passerby.”

The feeling of being cut by a knife surged again, and Zhang Ziqin couldn’t help but tear up: “I know, I know, I won’t care.”

Compared to those things, only losing Lu Li would truly terrify Zhang Ziqin.

In her previous life, Lu Li had to watch her with Ye Chen, even if it was just for business cooperation. How heartbroken he must have been. Now, she’s experienced it too.

Why should she be the only one allowed to hurt Lu Li, and not the other way around?

All of this is punishment for her.

Su Bingqing fell silent, surprised that her proud friend was actually willing to make such a sacrifice. Maybe this life, Zhang Ziqin really is different.

So… humble.

***

Two days flew by, and the banquet for old Mr. Cao finally began.

Luxury cars, rarely seen on ordinary days, were parked in the courtyard. Even though Mr. Cao only came to Hangzhou for recuperation, his standard of living was still top-notch.

“Phew, old Mr. Cao really has a lot of face, huh? Looks like all the big families in Hangzhou sent someone!” Ye Chen couldn’t help but marvel.

A pale-faced man beside him smiled and explained, “Old Mr. Cao isn’t from Hangzhou; he’s from the Cao family in the capital. His status is transcendental, and people coming to his birthday banquet include not just from Hangzhou, but also people specially coming from the capital.”

“Indeed!” Ye Chen was noncommittal.

The scale of this event was much larger than any previous banquet by the Zhang family.

Wonder if that woman Zhang Ziqin will come back today. Ye Chen has had his eye on Zhang Ziqin.

In his plan, Zhang Corporation was the best front for him to enter the domestic market. On one hand, Zhang Corporation was trying to break into the international market, and on the other, he needed a family to back him up to enter the domestic scene, where it’s tough to get a foothold.

Not to mention Zhang Ziqin herself is a stunning beauty.

A flash of eagerness crossed his eyes.

Although Zhang Ziqin rejected him last time, after thinking it over, Ye Chen guessed it was probably because she was upset from being ridiculed by Liu Menghan that day.

Otherwise, could it possibly be because of Lu Li?

Don’t make me laugh.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Mr. Lu Li from the Lu family has arrived,” suddenly a server announced, drawing everyone’s attention.

The Lu family’s status in Hangzhou was no small matter, with few families able to compare.

“Why is it Lu Li coming? In such an event, shouldn’t the Lu family send Lu Ya instead? Sending Lu Li, this waste, aren’t they afraid of losing the Lu family’s face?”

“Hahahaha, you’re using outdated information. Who doesn’t know, Lu Ya has been kicked out of the Lu family, now who knows where she’s gone. Moreover, Mr. Lu Li, what waste? After he took over Lu Corporation, geez, it’s a sight to behold.”

“Ah, Lu Corporation has become a mess under this prodigal son Lu Li?”

“Bullshit, I’m saying those corporations targeted by him are the ones in a sorry state, terrifying, terrifying,” he shivered involuntarily.

“Cut it out, he’s still Zhang Ziqin’s lapdog in my eyes. I don’t respect him.”

“You’re the one with outdated info. These few days, the whole of Hangzhou has been abuzz. It was Zhang Ziqin using the resources given by Lu Li that allowed Zhang Corporation to repeatedly turn crises into opportunities. Now Lu Li has stopped pursuing her and retracted all cooperative projects with Zhang Corporation.”

“Ah, so much has happened?”

The story of a rich man being a goddess’s lapdog is too clichéd. The lapdog turning around to devastate the goddess is the plot people love most!

In the crowd, Zhang Ziqin bit her lip, the conversation around her not intentionally lowered in volume.

Each word was like needles stabbing into her heart.