Chapter 8: The Three-Second Man

Yun Fu, who had been watching them with casual indifference, suddenly changed her expression—her gaze in that instant as sharp as a drawn blade.

She looked at the posturing Du Xingyuan, the corners of her lips lifting ever so slightly. “You don’t need to worry about my business. But your kind-hearted ex-boyfriend here didn’t leave out a single cent of the penalty fee, did he?”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you say I could come to you if I had difficulties? Didn’t you say you were in so much pain? Then give me back the termination fee.”

Du Xingyuan looked troubled, dazedly facing the imposing Yun Fu before him. She was so unfamiliar now, so unrecognizable that he felt at a loss.

If this were the old Yun Fu, she would have already flushed with embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes—instead of retorting like this and leaving him with no way to respond.

Ning Lan was startled for a moment and quickly changed the subject.

“Sister Yun Fu, all of that money went to the company, not to Xingyuan alone. Otherwise, he’d have a hard time explaining himself.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a bank card from her bag and handed it to Yun Fu with a smile. “There’s a thousand yuan on this card. If you’re having trouble getting by, just use it for now.”

How considerate and gentle she appeared.

“A thousand?” Yun Fu sneered. “How generous.”

“No need. As for these clothes, you can have them.” Yun Fu lazily raised her hand, her slender, fair fingertips brushing lightly across the garments. “After all, you seem to like the things I throw away, don’t you?”

“You—!”

Yun Fu smiled faintly, though not a hint of warmth touched her beautiful eyes.

She carried a solitary pride that made people unable to look her in the eye—like the most powerful ruler atop a snow-capped mountain, exuding an unstoppable aura.

Seeing her so defiant and untamed, Ning Lan bit her lip in secret fury, though none of it showed on her face.

She put on a sweet smile, took Du Xingyuan’s arm, and spoke in a gentle voice, “Sister Yun Fu, I know you still can’t let go of Xingyuan.”

Then, as if struck by a pitiful thought, she put on a helpless, vulnerable expression. “But, but I truly love Xingyuan, and he loves me. You can’t hate me just because he doesn’t love you. I really want to be friends with you, and I hope you’ll give us your blessing.”

She played the part perfectly: though bullied, she was still willing to be generous and even offer help.

A glint of mockery flashed in Yun Fu’s eyes.

No wonder the original Yun Fu could never get the upper hand with her. Ning Lan’s skill was passable—the scent of “green tea” was strong.

But with Yun Fu, such tricks were simply not enough.

“I do bless you two. After all, trash goes with trash forever,” she said, arching her brows with pride. “There’s no reason for me to take back what I’ve thrown out.”

“You—!”

Du Xingyuan felt that Yun Fu was completely ungrateful. “Yun Fu, Xiao Lan is only trying to help out of kindness. If you can’t appreciate it, there’s no need to act like this.”

Ning Lan immediately put on a hurt, pitiful look.

“Sister Yun Fu, I know you can’t let go of Xingyuan, but he loves me. Forced love never ends well. Even if you keep holding on to him, you two will never be happy.”

She slowly walked toward Yun Fu, her face full of false concern: I’m doing this for your own good.

Because their argument was attracting attention—especially since all three were strikingly attractive—passersby began to gather around.

Upon seeing them, some sharp-eyed onlookers immediately recognized the trio who had been dominating recent headlines.

People hurried over, some even pulling out their phones to record.

“Isn’t that Du Xingyuan, president of Star Entertainment?”

“Yeah, and the woman next to him is his current girlfriend, right? That must be the ex. What a dramatic scene.”

“So the ex is clinging on and making a scene? These women… They’ve already broken up, why keep pestering him?”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t it be better to part ways peacefully? Instead, she’s making a scene—if I were a man, I couldn’t stand it either.”

“He’s already moved on. Honestly, the new girlfriend seems much more sensible. No wonder he broke up.”

“Exactly.”

The surrounding chatter reached the trio’s ears. Ning Lan was laughing inwardly, though her face remained sweet and innocent. “Don’t blame Sister Yun Fu; she’s just… too in love to let go.”

“Let go of what? I can’t stand this kind of clingy ex-girlfriend—disgusting!”

“If I were that guy, I’d steer clear. She’s like a piece of sticky tape you can’t get rid of.”

The more they gossiped, the more delighted Ning Lan grew inside.

She couldn’t help glancing at Yun Fu, fully expecting to see her angry and stifled, unable to defend herself.

Instead, Yun Fu leaned against the door, her gaze lowered, utterly unperturbed. She merely looked up and swept her eyes over them.

That single glance sent a chill through everyone present—so cold and incisive it made their backs go numb.

Yun Fu narrowed her star-bright eyes, looked in their direction, and gave a soft laugh. “Me, unable to let go of him? A three-second man isn’t even worth my attention. Since you like it, why not get married on the spot?”

“And besides, you keep repeating that he loves you—are you so insecure you have to remind yourself over and over?”

“…”

The murmurs behind them fell silent; even Du Xingyuan and Ning Lan were stunned.

“Pfft, what does she mean by that?”

“Three-second man? So that’s what President Du is like…”

“None of these three are any good. Haven’t you checked online? One’s a scumbag, one’s a backstabbing green tea friend, and the other’s a blacklisted, scandal-mongering minor celebrity.”

“Whatever the case, that sister is awesome. She’s not at all like what the net rumors say—I’m a fan now.”

Du Xingyuan’s face turned a deep, livid shade from anger.

“You! How can you say that about Xingyuan?” Ning Lan hadn’t expected Yun Fu to strike so harshly—it was like a slap in the face.

Truth be told, Du Xingyuan had indeed been acting strangely in that department lately… he really couldn’t last more than three seconds. Yun Fu’s words hit the mark.

But he hadn’t always been like this… could it be he really had lost his edge?

“As his ex-girlfriend, don’t you think I have the right?”

“…” That only made the onlookers more convinced—Du Xingyuan had a problem.

Du Xingyuan’s face was almost black, his jaw clenched in rage, cheeks flushed. The stares and whispers around him made it hard to breathe.

He looked toward Yun Fu, but she remained calm and unruffled.

Yun Fu cast a cool glance at Ning Lan, brushed past her, selected a few more garments, and handed them to the clerk. “I’ll take these.”

She produced a bank card, but it was no ordinary card—it bore the mark of the Lian family. The clerk’s face changed dramatically.

That insignia belonged solely to the head of the Lian family—Lian Hanqi.

The head of the Lian family, owner of Yun Guang Mall; compared to his vast fortune, even this supremely wealthy mall was just the tip of the iceberg.

The clerk couldn’t stop stealing glances at Yun Fu’s stunning face, but judging by her clothes and the insults thrown at her just now, this woman—whom they had no recollection of—absolutely shouldn’t possess such a card.

Noticing the clerk’s surprise, Ning Lan and Du Xingyuan looked over. When their eyes fell on that bank card, their expressions froze.

“This—this is a Lian family card. How could you possibly have it?”