After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: How About Coming Back to Nancheng With Me Someday?

Ji Wanmian hesitated for a few seconds. She didn’t voice her own opinion but simply nodded and smiled gently. “It suits us.”

After all, it wasn’t really a big deal—it’s not like it would fall off. And just knowing the ring on her finger was chosen by Pei Jinyue already filled her with joy.

“I’ll take them,” Pei Jinyue said, removing the rings and handing them to the store clerk.

Ji Wanmian was startled again and quickly said, “Let’s pay together.”

“Alright,” the clerk replied with a smile so wide her eyes nearly turned into slits. Cheerfully, she went off to wrap the rings.

Since Pei Jinyue had been doing all the choosing, Ji Wanmian hadn’t noticed where the prices were displayed. For someone like her, knowing the exact cost gave her a sense of security—though in such a luxurious and extravagant place, her heart hadn’t felt at ease from the beginning.

Soon, the clerk unintentionally answered her unspoken question.

When Ji Wanmian heard the eye-popping number, her eyes went wide in disbelief. Luckily, Pei Jinyue was standing beside her, which helped her barely maintain a shred of composure. Otherwise, she might’ve blurted out, “That’s so expensive—”

But Pei Jinyue didn’t even blink as she swiped her card.

Ji Wanmian debated whether she should insist on paying half, if only for the sake of pride, but before she could say anything, Pei Jinyue had already completed the payment.

As they walked home, Ji Wanmian was still dazed, her mind swirling with that shocking number. It was like she hadn’t fully processed it yet.

So much so that Pei Jinyue had to call her name twice before she snapped out of it and turned her head in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Jinyue asked, pointing to Ji Wanmian’s damp shoulder. “You kept tilting the umbrella toward me—you’re getting soaked.”

“Oh!” Ji Wanmian quickly corrected the umbrella position and apologized, “I zoned out just now.”

“What were you thinking about?” Pei Jinyue asked.

“Nothing—really,” Ji Wanmian shook her head. She decided not to voice her jumbled thoughts. She couldn’t possibly tell Pei Jinyue how much she regretted not working harder to earn more money.

“You were wondering why I still have money, weren’t you?” Pei Jinyue guessed.

Bingo. She hit one of Ji Wanmian’s thoughts exactly.

To be honest, Ji Wanmian had been wondering how Pei Jinyue was still able to spend like this, especially after her card had been cut off by Pei Yan.

“Pei Yan won’t completely give up on me,” Pei Jinyue suddenly began explaining, as if talking to herself.

Ji Wanmian nodded in understanding. “Right, what kind of mother doesn’t love her child?”

Pei Jinyue didn’t continue the explanation. She only found it ironic inside—Pei Yan didn’t love her. She just thought that as a daughter of the Pei family, Pei Jinyue couldn’t do anything that would bring shame by appearing broke.

But because of the unbreakable bl00d tie between them, Pei Yan was forced to play the role of a mother, pushing Pei Jinyue step by step toward what she believed was the ideal path.

Pei Jinyue stepped into a puddle.

Well then, she thought—if that’s how it is, she wasn’t going to go in the direction Pei Yan wanted.

Buying the rings was a declaration of her resolve to go astray—just in time for Pei Yan to see. She needed her to accept the truth early, especially since she’d soon be seeing Nian Nian again.

And as for who she bought the rings with—that didn’t even matter anymore.

She lifted her foot, sending ripples across the water.

The splash landed neatly beside Ji Wanmian’s foot.

But Ji Wanmian didn’t notice.

Her heart was a mess of emotions—joy, anxiety, excitement, fear—all tangled together, threatening to drown her.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her, interrupting her chaotic thoughts and giving her a moment to breathe.

“Wanmian? What a coincidence, running into you again.” Lu Yu had wanted to wave, but her hands were full—she was carrying two big shopping bags and had no free hand.

“Oh, hey Xiaoyu!” Ji Wanmian was surprised. They’d been running into Lu Yu a lot lately. “You’re out shopping too?”

“Yeah,” Lu Yu raised the bags slightly and smiled brightly, “Just picking up a couple outfits.”

Ji Wanmian responded with an “oh,” then remembered what Lu Yu had said previously and asked out of curiosity, “How’s your shop going?”

“I’ve got someone watching it for me,” Lu Yu explained. “It’s rainy today and business is a bit slow, so I figured I’d do a little shopping.”

Ji Wanmian nodded. It had been years since they were close, and things weren’t like they used to be, so she didn’t press for more details.

Lu Yu glanced at her phone, and her expression turned a bit anxious. “I was going to ask if you wanted to grab a meal since we missed it last time, but something came up and I need to get going. Sorry about that.”

“No worries at all,” Ji Wanmian waved. “We can meet up next time—just let me know and I’ll set a time.”

“Okay!” Lu Yu agreed quickly, but just as she lifted her foot to leave, she added, “But I probably won’t be free on New Year’s Eve. I’ve got something really important then.”

Ji Wanmian didn’t ask what it was. She just smiled and said, “Got it. I won’t bother you on New Year’s Eve.”

Lu Yu’s cheeks turned slightly pink. She smiled and waved as she said, “Bye-bye—”

Ji Wanmian waved back until Lu Yu disappeared down the street.

Only when even Lu Yu’s shadow had vanished did Pei Jinyue, who had been quietly ignored the whole time, speak up: “That girl’s name is Lu Yu, right?”

“Yeah,” Ji Wanmian replied. “She’s the one we ran into the other day too.”

Pei Jinyue made a thoughtful “mm” sound.

Sensing something in her tone, Ji Wanmian asked, “I know it’s not great to talk about others behind their backs, but… don’t you also get the feeling Xiaoyu…”

She hesitated, unsure if she should finish the sentence.

Pei Jinyue nodded. “Seems like it.”

Ji Wanmian felt validated by her reaction. She was just about to say, “See? I told you she seemed into girls too,” but Pei Jinyue’s next words made her stop mid-sentence.

“Actually… I think I’ve seen her before.”

“Huh? Really? But she went to high school with me,” Ji Wanmian asked, confused. “How would you have met her? Don’t tell me you’ve been to Nancheng before?”

Pei Jinyue shook her head.

She had never been to Nancheng, so meeting Lu Yu there was impossible.

But she had a sharp memory. Even a brief glance at someone could leave an impression. The only problem was that it was too faint to recall exactly where she’d seen her.

Suddenly, Ji Wanmian twisted her fingers in her coat and looked like she had made up her mind.

She asked the question that had been sitting in her heart for a while:
“Speaking of that… would you maybe come back to Nancheng with me someday?”

Even if she wasn’t ready to officially announce their relationship, Ji Wanmian still wanted her mom and dad to meet Pei Jinyue. That way, if there ever came a day when the truth had to be spoken, it would be easier to explain.

“Sure,” Pei Jinyue agreed without hesitation.

Before heading off to Su City to find Nian Nian, she would still be staying at Ji Wanmian’s place. It was important not to mess anything up.