Chapter 121: The Intention

An Tong’s expression flickered for a moment before she softly explained, "I didn't ask him to come yet. Let's finish our meal first; there will be plenty of time to meet afterward."

"I think you're just stalling," Su Ji said, reaching across the table to pinch her cheek. "Trying to play a delaying tactic on your sister, aren't you?"

An Tong denied it, though her voice lacked any real conviction.

Su Ji wasn't about to make a scene over it. They chatted lightly for a while, and soon the waiter arrived with the restaurant's signature dishes. Throughout the meal, An Tong stole glances at Su Ji, as if trying to discern something from her expression. But having spent years navigating the entertainment industry, Su Ji had perfected the art of keeping a poker face.

While peeling a shrimp, she pursed her lips and gestured with her chin. "Eat your food. We’ll settle this later."

Twenty minutes passed, and once they were finished, they set down their chopsticks. Su Ji wiped her hands with a damp towel, lifted her chin, and said, "Alright, let's start from the beginning. Enlighten me: how exactly did the 'cabbage' run off on its own?"

An Tong didn't dare look her in the eye, gazing at her through her peripheral vision while nibbling her lip. "You already know everything..."

The air hung heavy for a few seconds before Su Ji let out a long sigh. "Do you think I'm meddling?"

"No," An Tong replied instantly, without a moment's hesitation. "I know you have my best interests at heart."

"At least you have a conscience." Su Ji curled her lip, sighing with a somber tone. "While marriage is your own business and I, as an outsider, shouldn't interfere, you're still young and don't understand how unpredictable human nature can be. I’m truly afraid you’re being deceived..."

Social media was full of news stories about naive girls being swindled out of their bodies, hearts, and money by men with ulterior motives. The examples of those left with nothing were countless.

An Tong looked at Su Ji, her tone solemn and serious. "I can distinguish between good and bad, and besides... he wouldn't deceive me."

However, Su Ji’s next question plunged An Tong into silence. She asked with a cold smirk, "He wouldn't deceive you? Then how do you explain him pretending to be a psychologist?"

An Tong was momentarily speechless, wanting to explain but not knowing where to begin. Finally, she offered a weak defense: "It wasn't a pretense. He holds a certification as a music therapist..."

Su Ji leaned back in her chair, gazing helplessly at the mural on the wall, her temples throbbing. You can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep. In just a few short months, this "cabbage" had fallen deeper than she could have ever imagined. The stifling atmosphere continued to spread.

After calming down, Su Ji sighed, "You don't need to defend him so fiercely. I didn't come here today to break you two up; I just wanted to understand the sequence of events. A bystander sees more than the person involved. If he’s as good as you say he is, why are you so nervous?"

"You look quite angry." An Tong bit her lip and proposed, "How about... you scold me first? Once you're done, I'll give you all the details."

Su Ji was so exasperated she actually laughed. Seeing An Tong’s expression—waiting to be lectured—she couldn't help but rub her forehead. Any desire to scold her had vanished.

Before long, Su Ji set aside her prejudice against Rong Shen for the moment and addressed the facts. "Did he explain to you why he signed a fake contract in the beginning?"

An Tong sipped her juice and shook her head. "He didn't say, and I didn't ask."

Su Ji’s temper flared again, but she managed to restrain herself. "Don't you think that’s incredibly strange? If he were upright and honorable, why would he use such underhanded tactics to deceive you?"

An Tong lowered her eyes, whispering her true thoughts, "Perhaps... he has ulterior motives."

Although she had never asked Rong Shen for his original intentions, that didn't mean she couldn't guess the possibilities.

"If you know he has ulterior motives, why aren't you rushing to get a divorce and escape this mess?" Su Ji’s voice rose, and she felt like she might have a heart attack.

Compared to her agitation, An Tong remained composed, showing almost no emotional fluctuation. "Both he and I have ulterior motives," An Tong said with a faint smile. "If we’re being honest, I’m not exactly innocent either."

Hearing this, Su Ji detected a level of rationality and maturity she had never seen before. Habit over the years had led her to view An Tong as someone inexperienced, treating her like a child. Now, as she re-examined the girl in front of her, those eyes—still clear and black-and-white—were no longer vacant or unfocused; they had regained a sense of vitality and light.

Su Ji’s mouth remained slightly agape for a long time before she murmured, "What is it you’re after from him?"

"What am I after..." An Tong stroked her water glass, her expression calm and gentle. "At first, I was after his ability to improve my mental state, and the fact that he gave me a discount on the therapy. Even if he has ulterior motives, they certainly aren't malicious. Regardless of what they are, he has truly made me better. For that alone, it’s enough to offset his concealment."

To an outsider, this would seem absurd, even leading to deep suspicion toward Rong Shen. But as the person involved, An Tong was the only one who knew the full story. From start to finish, Rong Shen had never acted in a way that crossed the line of their "doctor-patient relationship." Even if he wasn't a real psychologist, and even if there were hidden agendas behind his actions, none of that could erase the help he had provided.

Su Ji was stunned, too shocked to speak.

After a long while, she finally found her voice. "I don't know whether to call you clever or foolish. You know he has ulterior motives, yet you still married him?"

An Tong replied with perfect calmness, "The fish bites the hook willingly."

"Do you like him that much?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then does he..." Su Ji hesitated to ask, fearing that this hypocrite was merely playing with An Tong's heart.

A woman might not care about her partner’s background or family, or external prejudices and opinions, but she cannot be indifferent toward the relationship itself. Because most women prioritize love in their romantic lives, and the fact that An Tong was able to open her heart again because of Rong Shen was proof enough of how much she liked him.

At that moment, An Tong touched the watch on her wrist under the table and smiled. "I think it’s the same for him."

Su Ji turned her head and sighed, asking one final question. "Since he has ulterior motives, have you figured out what exactly he wants to get from you?"

An Tong’s hand stopped stroking the watch.

"No," she said, looking away, her tone faint. "Actually, it doesn't really matter anymore."

Su Ji: "..."

This cabbage really did have a heart of gold.

A few minutes later, feeling that the timing was right, An Tong led Su Ji out of the restaurant and set off toward Zhanzhou Tower to meet up with Rong Shen. On the way, watching the street scenery fly by outside the window, she thought back to Su Ji’s question.

*What exactly does he want to get from you?*

In reality, she had already guessed his intentions long ago. She hadn't been honest with Su Ji because she didn't want to provoke any further dissatisfaction toward Rong Shen.