After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Coincidentally, She Wanted to as Well.

By the time the movie ended, Ji Wanmian was full and satisfied. Looking at the now-empty plates in front of her, she placed a hand on her stomach—it had definitely rounded out a bit.

Well, who could she blame?

It was all because Pei Jinyue’s cooking was just too delicious.

“Pei Jinyue, you really have talent,” Ji Wanmian sighed for what felt like the hundredth time as she leaned back on the sofa.

“As long as it tastes good,” Pei Jinyue replied casually. She didn’t think it was talent—just something new she wanted to try.

“All right, I’ve rested enough.” Ji Wanmian stood up from the sofa, picked up the plates, and headed toward the kitchen. “Time to do the dishes.”

“I…” Pei Jinyue opened her mouth to speak.

But before she could finish, Ji Wanmian cut her off, saying, “It’s fine! This is simple—I can handle it on my own!”

Pei Jinyue waited until she was done talking before slowly explaining, “I meant, I can help you carry a couple of plates.”

Only then did Ji Wanmian realize she’d jumped to conclusions. Embarrassed, she laughed awkwardly and said, “That works too.”

The sound of running water filled the kitchen.

Perhaps because washing dishes was too boring, Ji Wanmian couldn’t resist striking up a conversation: “Pei Jinyue, do you want to travel somewhere?”

Pei Jinyue’s voice came from the living room: “Where to?”

While scrubbing the grease off the plates, Ji Wanmian said, “I haven’t really decided yet, but honestly, I kind of want to go everywhere.”

Pei Jinyue asked, “Is there no place you especially want to visit?”

“If I had to pick…” Ji Wanmian paused while putting the plates into the cabinet, “then I guess it’d be any city in the North. Mostly because I want to see snow.”

Pei Jinyue was puzzled. “Why do you want to see snow so badly?”

Focused on wiping water off the table, Ji Wanmian replied without thinking too hard, “I didn’t originally—but after hearing you say you like snowy days, I just wanted to see snow even more.”

Pei Jinyue didn’t respond.

It wasn’t until Ji Wanmian wrung the water out of the cloth that she realized how sappy her words had sounded. No wonder Pei Jinyue had gone quiet. She scrambled to rephrase, “I mean, mainly because I’m from the South. I haven’t seen much snow, so I’ve always dreamed of it.”

Still, Pei Jinyue said nothing.

Just as the air between them grew cold enough to freeze, Ji Wanmian was drying her hands when she suddenly heard Pei Jinyue say—

“Let’s go see it together sometime.”

Ji Wanmian froze in place like a machine that had shut down. Once her brain caught up, her heart began to race wildly.

“Yes!” she shouted without hesitation, rushing over to Pei Jinyue without even drying her hands.

It had rained today, and the weather was freezing. Her hands, just rinsed in cold water, were icy to the touch.

But after hearing those words and looking into Pei Jinyue’s eyes, Ji Wanmian’s world felt like spring—despite the winter chill outside.

But for Pei Jinyue, her heart had always remained in winter. It hadn’t thawed for anyone, not even after all these years.

And yet, for the first time, Pei Jinyue felt a flicker of regret.

Regret—for speaking on impulse and giving someone hope.

She had made empty promises before, sure. But this time… this time she felt uneasy. She wanted to explain to Ji Wanmian that they would never actually go on that trip.

No.

Pei Jinyue’s rationality pushed back.

There was no need to clarify.

She should raise Ji Wanmian’s expectations. She should let her fantasize. That way, when it all inevitably fell apart, Ji Wanmian would be so disappointed that she’d give up on this farce of a “romance.”

But looking at Ji Wanmian’s radiant smile, Pei Jinyue could feel just how cruel she was being.

“Wipe your hands,” Pei Jinyue said, handing her a tissue. She was clearly referring to the water droplets on Ji Wanmian’s hands—but as the words left her mouth, an image flashed across her mind: Ji Wanmian’s tear-streaked face.

Ji Wanmian happily accepted the tissue, silently praising Pei Jinyue for becoming more and more thoughtful.

“Let’s see what time it is so we can decide what to do next…” Ji Wanmian said cheerfully, pulling out her phone. But her smile slowly faded—and disappeared entirely.

Pei Jinyue noticed her dazed expression and asked, “Do what?”

“I have to finish my work! Ahhh—” Ji Wanmian shouted. One moment she was shopping, buying rings, eating, watching movies—and the next, it was already evening.

She looked out the window. Sure enough, it was pitch dark. Why did happy times always seem to fly by so fast?

She hadn’t even spent enough time with Pei Jinyue yet.

“Go do your work,” Pei Jinyue said. “I’ll just play on my phone.”

Ji Wanmian reluctantly walked over to her workstation. On one hand, she appreciated how understanding Pei Jinyue was. On the other hand, she felt the girl was a little too detached—she didn’t even try to keep her around.

Basically, Ji Wanmian was overthinking everything as she sat down, not wanting to focus on work.

And that’s when Pei Jinyue caught her in the act.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Jinyue asked.

Ji Wanmian answered honestly, “I don’t want to draw.”

Pei Jinyue, ever blunt, replied, “Then don’t draw.”

Ji Wanmian slumped onto the desk and mumbled, “I don’t have a choice. I need to earn money.”

Pei Jinyue didn’t respond.

Which Ji Wanmian understood. After all, all she’d done was complain—there wasn’t much anyone could say in reply.

Fine, she thought. Time to focus.

I need to make money to be worthy of Pei Jinyue.

As she thought this, she managed to cheer herself up, picked up her pen, and prepared to work.

Suddenly, she felt a shadow fall over her.

She looked up—Pei Jinyue had somehow moved behind her without her noticing.

“Are you having trouble with something?” Pei Jinyue leaned down slightly and asked softly beside her ear.

Ji Wanmian froze, her heart leaping to her throat, ready to burst out at any second.

Pei Jinyue’s voice wrapped around her ears—it was so beautiful, it might as well have been a song.

It was the first time Pei Jinyue had approached her during work. And now that she had… Ji Wanmian’s hands were trembling just trying to hold the pen, let alone draw a single panel.

“Don’t be nervous,” Pei Jinyue said gently, brushing aside a strand of Ji Wanmian’s hair and tucking it behind her ear.

In the process, her fingertips brushed against the burning skin of Ji Wanmian’s ear. Just that one touch was enough to make Ji Wanmian feel like her ears no longer belonged to her.

Oh no—

There’s no way I can focus now!

Ji Wanmian was about to turn around and tell the still-hair-tousling Pei Jinyue something serious like, “I really can’t concentrate with you here,” but the moment she turned, she met Pei Jinyue’s mesmerizing gaze.

She felt like her soul was being pulled out of her.

Ji Wanmian’s eyes slowly followed the line of Pei Jinyue’s gaze, then drifted down to her lips—rosy and soft.

Her mind went blank.

An impulse surged through her—she wanted to kiss her.

Then she heard Pei Jinyue softly speak.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

And—

Coincidentally, I want to as well.