Chapter 55 - Catfight (1/2)

Tang Qiu shook her head, fending off an incredulous laugh. “I’m not upset. It’s just… shocking they’re together, that’s all.”

Over the phone, Xie Qingqing had revealed that Ning Mufan had gotten into a fight at a bar last night. Afterwards, photos of him and Niu Caijie in bed together had been leaked on her social media. Despite her friend’s worry, she truly wasn’t upset. She recalled the events of the previous day. He confessed to me, and went to sleep with Niu Caijie right afterwards. It had all been a sham, then, leaving her flustered over nothing.

“You don’t have feelings for him at all?”

“Of course not!”

“Oh.” A pity, Xie Qingqing privately mused. “I was hoping you could escape from your sickly husband and find yourself a better man. I just didn’t expect that Ning Mufan would… Well, in any case, that crazy bitch Niu Caijie got lucky with him!”

“My husband will recover,” Tang Qiu insisted. “Even Professor Sun said so. Besides, he’s undergoing treatment now.” At the mention of her husband, her lips curved into a smile, but she didn’t notice. She and Ning Mufan had always been from two separate worlds; his confession had filled her with nothing more than a detached sort of surprise. He had his life, she had her own, and she had better things to do than engage in gossip about what he did with his.

Last night, Jiang Shaocheng had kissed her till she was breathless–then turned his back to her without warning. Dazed as she was, she had only managed to ask, “What’s wrong, dear?” He had insisted he was fine, but Tang Qiu wondered if he had been withdrawing from her in shame. His wife had been right next to him, yet he couldn’t…

With her medical knowledge, it wasn’t hard to imagine that a man without the ability to perform would view it as a weakness, a failure on the part of his masculinity.

***

Tang Qiu and Xie Qingqing were eating together in the canteen when Niu Caijie approached them, her expression smug. “I have news for you, Tang Qiu.”

.

Tang Qiu grabbed her friend’s arm, intending to move to another table, but Niu Caijie seized her wrist. “I slept with Ning Mufan,” she declared. “You’re not jealous, are you? He was so strong, so vigorous… I couldn’t get enough of him.”