CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 22: OH NO, HAVE I BECOME A FLOWER THIEF?

Lee Li was in a good mood. Today was the ten-year reunion for her university class.

At the hotel dinner earlier, she felt as if she had regained the charm of her youth. Upon learning she was divorced, the men at her table all flocked around her, cracking risqué jokes. She just laughed, not minding at all, because this moment felt just like the old days. She recalled her time in school when she was the center of everyone’s attention.

With the aura of a White Moonlight, she skillfully played these old boys, reeling them in until they were hooked. Even Wang Jiadong, who had been the most attentive to her recently, was kept at arm’s length. Her skills at playing the field were masterful. For years, she had cultivated the persona of a chaste, literary goddess to captivate men’s hearts. Combined with the tragic story of her unhappy marriage and misplaced trust, she inspired a protective instinct in all her male classmates. Her game was on another level; even a seasoned playboy like Wang Jiadong, who had waded through a sea of flowers, was now firmly caught in her web.

Now, their group had moved on to a KTV. She had just finished a duet of "Intimate Lovers" with a male classmate, and the performance sent the private room into a frenzy of whoops and hollers. All the men’s eyes were on her, which naturally displeased the women. Just then, a large glass of alcohol was "accidentally" spilled all over her. It was hard to tell if it was deliberate or not.

Wang Jiadong immediately scurried off to buy her a new outfit so she could change in the restroom.

Just as she reached the restroom door, she froze. A couple was embracing intimately near the sinks. The girl was pretty, with a tall figure, and looked to be only seventeen or eighteen. But the man she was clinging to... looked suspiciously like her ex-husband, Sun Dasheng, the man she had just discarded.

She squeezed her eyes shut and chuckled inwardly. I must have had too much to drink. Otherwise, how could I be hallucinating? This is something out of a sci-fi movie. There’s no way Sun Dasheng—with no house, no car, and no money—could have a young, beautiful girl throwing herself at him.

"Lee Li, are you alright?" Wang Jiadong’s concerned voice came from behind.

She opened her eyes and turned to face him, stumbling slightly. "Wang Jiadong, you won’t believe what I just saw," she laughed. Before he could respond, she continued her rant, "I actually saw that loser Sun Dasheng hugging a pretty seventeen-year-old girl. Tell me, am I going crazy?"

To her surprise, the man before her didn’t laugh along. An astonished expression spread across his face as he pointed behind her and stammered, "Sun... Sun..."

Lee Li’s expression soured. "Sun who? Don’t tell me it’s actually Sun Dasheng?"

She spun around on her red high heels, and the smile on her face instantly froze. The man cuddled up with the young girl was, indeed, her ex-husband—Sun Dasheng!

Her face filled with confusion and disbelief. This girl was younger than her, prettier than her, and even taller. If Sun Dasheng couldn’t even hold on to someone like her, how could he possibly land such a high-quality woman? Lost in her thoughts, she was so focused on belittling Sun Dasheng that she didn’t even notice her own self-deprecating description.

"He’s a complete loser now. How is this possible?"

Hearing his goddess’s question, Wang Jiadong’s eyes darted around as his cleverness came to the forefront. "Heh... Little Li, I’ve figured it out," he said, deciding to draw out the suspense. "Take a guess."

"Just spit it out," Lee Li snapped, not in the mood for games.

He didn’t take offense at her tone. "If you ask me, this girl doesn’t even know him," he explained.

"Why do you say that?" Lee Li asked.

"Can’t you see she’s completely wasted? Sun Dasheng probably just found her passed out in some corner." He wore an expression of intellectual superiority as he stated with conviction, "A lot of young girls these days don’t understand how complex the world is or how wicked people can be. They don’t know how to protect themselves when they’re out. This one probably went out drinking with friends, got plastered, and came to the restroom alone, only to be preyed upon by Sun Dasheng."

After hearing his analysis, Lee Li’s expression softened, and she nodded thoughtfully. "That’s what I was thinking. How could a pathetic loser like him have that kind of charm? So he’s just a filthy pervert. I’m so glad I divorced him and cut all ties." She then commanded, "Get your phone’s camera ready. We’re going to record his disgusting behavior."

Filled with a sense of righteous purpose, Lee Li strode toward them. CLICK-CLACK-CLICK...

Sun Dasheng hadn’t noticed them. He had a more pressing problem. Fang Sihan was clinging to him, and he couldn’t get her off. He remembered that night on his balcony when even the seemingly frail Yun Yuqing had hugged his waist so tightly he couldn’t break free. It was even harder with Fang Sihan, who was well-built and surprisingly strong. These young women always looked so delicate, as if they needed help opening a water bottle. But when it came down to it, they seemed to possess boundless strength that most men couldn’t match.

"Sun Dasheng, let go of that girl!"

Just as he was at his wits’ end, a thunderous voice boomed in his ear. He looked up, stunned to see two people he’d rather not have run into.

"Is there a problem, Ma’am?" he asked coolly, glancing at them.

His indifferent tone stung Lee Li. How dare he? He gets caught red-handed molesting a girl in public, and he has the gall to be this calm? Where did he get the audacity?

Lee Li pointed at Wang Jiadong. "We’ve already recorded your crime," she said viciously. "You can wait for the police to lock you up."

Her words left Sun Dasheng completely baffled. What did I do? Why am I about to be locked up?

He looked at Wang Jiadong’s smug face and the phone held high in his hand, then at Fang Sihan in his arms. It finally clicked. They thought he was doing something illegal.

"Excuse me, this is my friend. She’s had too much to drink, and I was just about to take her home," he retorted sharply. "Please don’t project your own filthy thoughts onto me."

"Heh heh heh... Save it for the police. We’ve already called them," Wang Jiadong sneered, stepping closer with the recording phone still raised.

What kind of B-movie villain are you? Sun Dasheng scoffed internally, but he didn’t take the man’s threat seriously. His conscience was clear.

Before long, local police officers arrived. There was usually a police office near the university, so their response time was fast. An older officer led the way, followed by a younger one. They began to verify the details of the incident.

The arrival of the police even startled the KTV manager, who rushed out in a panic. What in the world is happening today? This can’t be a surprise vice raid, can it? No way. The boss has connections; we’d usually get a tip-off for something like this.

When he arrived, he heard Wang Jiadong and Lee Li describing