After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: If She Catches Real Feelings, It’ll Be Trouble.

Pei Jinyue didn’t come home last night.

Ji Wanmian waited the whole time—waited until dawn, until she finished all her work, until she finished the latest storyboard drafts—but still, Pei Jinyue hadn’t returned.

Gone again.

But this wasn’t the first time.

Ji Wanmian submitted her work, rubbed her temples, got up to turn off the lights in her room, and stretched out her sore back.

Might as well take out the trash and get some sleep.

She walked to her bedroom, opened her wardrobe to change clothes, and spotted an envelope sitting atop her clothes.

She opened it and found it contained enough money to match what she’d earn from a month’s worth of hard work drawing.

Ji Wanmian smiled bitterly.

She silently sealed the money back up and placed it together with the previous cash Pei Jinyue had left, neatly tucked away, ready to be returned the next time they met.

But who knew when that would be?

Whether Pei Jinyue would come back, and when—she had no idea. All she knew was that Pei Jinyue could show up at any time, and just as easily disappear.

Ji Wanmian sighed, changed clothes, grabbed the trash, and stepped outside.

In the south, winter feels the same inside and out—only outside there’s wind, which makes it feel colder.

She buried her chin into her turtleneck, walking with her head down. Probably from lack of sleep, her steps were wobbly.

A passing aunt helped steady her.

Ji Wanmian bowed repeatedly, murmuring “thank you” several times.

The aunt laughed heartily and waved it off. “No worries. You look exhausted. Be sure to rest well!”

Ji Wanmian nodded earnestly.

On the way back from throwing out the trash, Ji Wanmian kept thinking of what the aunt had said. Her words and tone were just like the sweet potato-selling granny from the night before.

Strangers, and yet they showed concern for her well-being.

And the person who lived in her heart didn’t seem to care at all.

Ji Wanmian sighed and opened her phone, scrolling to her contacts. She stared at the name “Jinyue”, lit up on the screen, but didn’t dare press the call button.

Because Pei Jinyue had told her before: she was often busy and might not be able to answer. If something came up, she’d call Ji Wanmian herself.

Ji Wanmian held her phone, thinking: Maybe Pei Jinyue will call in the next second…

“La la la—”

Just then, her ringtone rang.

Her heart trembled; she held her breath and looked at the caller ID in excitement.

“Mom”

Ji Wanmian pressed her lips together. The wild thumping in her chest settled down. She exhaled and picked up the call.

“Sweetie, are you busy? I didn’t get a reply from my messages, so I figured I’d just call.”

Her mother, Ji Lan’s, voice made Ji Wanmian’s nose sting with emotion. She stopped walking and sat down on a bench nearby.

After calming herself, she tried to sound upbeat. “Not busy. I probably just missed your messages.”

“Are you sleeping and waking early?” Ji Lan asked with a smile in her voice, warm and gentle. Even through the phone, her concern came through clearly. “Have you eaten? Had anything good lately? Is it cold there? Are you layering up? Wearing thermal underwear?”

“I’m not cold, I’m all bundled up. I’m super disciplined, of course I’m sleeping and waking on time! As for food—I just finished eating actually! Let me list all the yummy stuff I’ve had.” Ji Wanmian clutched her hungry stomach and desperately searched her memory for dishes to name.

Ji Lan must’ve been tidying something on her end—there were faint rustling sounds—but she still asked curiously, “What did you eat?”

Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Ji Wanmian replied, “I’ve been eating so well lately I can barely remember—crayfish, sweet and sour ribs, skewers… And tonight I’ve got hotpot plans with friends!”

“No cake?” Ji Lan seemed to move closer to the phone.

Ji Wanmian blinked in confusion. “Huh? Why would I eat cake?”

“Oh my goodness, sweetie—today’s your birthday!” Ji Lan raised her voice in mock exasperation. “Look at the date—it’s November 29!”

Ji Wanmian gasped, swiping her phone open to check the calendar. It really was her birthday.

She rubbed her temples. With the recent rush to meet deadlines, the lingering sadness, and her constant thoughts of Pei Jinyue—she’d completely forgotten.

“Busy enough to forget your own birthday?” Ji Lan teased gently. “Weren’t you the one who used to love birthdays the most as a kid? One year, I tried to surprise you and didn’t say anything. You thought I forgot and sulked for days! Took me forever to cheer you up. But now, look at you, all grown up and forgetting your own special day.”

Wanmian pouted. In that moment, hearing her mother’s voice made her want to pour out everything—to say how hard it was living here, with barely enough income to cover rent, bills, and food. That she had to save for ages to go out for fun. That she’d been living on bread and instant noodles for days.

It was really tough. She wanted to go back home to Nancheng.

So Ji Wanmian opened her mouth, ready to say the words “I want to come home”, when her eyes fell on a note below the date in her calendar:

“The day Yueyue promised to spend my birthday with me!”

She froze, her mind flashing back to what Pei Jinyue had said last year: “I’ll spend your 24th birthday with you.”

“Sweetie?” Ji Lan’s concerned voice brought her back. “Why so quiet?”

Ji Wanmian replied softly, “Ah, I’m still here.” Then she lowered her head and stared at the note, silently.

After a long sigh, she said lightly, “I guess I wasn’t that busy. Just out with friends so much that I forgot.”

She lied.

Because she still had hope.

“Oh, the same Pei classmate you’ve mentioned before?” Ji Lan asked with no surprise, no suspicion. “You used to bring her up a lot during our calls.”

Wanmian was surprised. She hadn’t expected her mom to remember Jinyue. “You remember?”

Ji Lan laughed. “Of course. How could I not remember what you’ve said?”

Wanmian laughed too, almost to tears. She raised a hand to her eyes and mumbled, “Ugh, stop being so sentimental.”

“That moved by a few words?” Ji Lan teased. “You better be careful—don’t let someone sweet-talk you into anything too easily. You’re all alone in a faraway city—I can’t help screen your dates.”

Though she wasn’t pressuring her to date, Ji Lan still nagged gently: “Just be cautious, okay? Don’t fall for a bouquet of flowers thinking that means true love. If someone really wins your heart, at least tell me. I’ve been there too, you know.”

Wanmian was half-laughing, half-crying. “Okay, okay! I’m not a kid anymore.”

“I’m just worried you’ll get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, I’m doing just fine.” Ji Wanmian stood up and started walking, picking up her pace to sound busier. “Anyway, I’ve got something to do now.”

She really couldn’t keep listening to her mom’s voice—if she did, she might just pack up and head home on the spot.

Ji Lan gave a quiet “ah” on the other end, and let out a soft sigh.

“I called you on the weekend on purpose, and you’re still busy? Did I bother you? I should’ve texted first…”

“Never mind, go do your thing. But remember to have a proper celebration. Go out with your little Pei classmate or some friends. Have fun. I transferred some money to your account—should’ve gotten the message.”

“And remember, if you’re ever upset, just call me. If it gets too hard, come home. We can find a good job for you here.”

She spoke faster at the end, like she was racing the clock to get all the important things out.

After the call ended, Ji Wanmian didn’t feel relieved. She held her phone to her ear a moment longer before finally setting it down.

She really loved her mom.

But she couldn’t control her own emotions sometimes.

Thankfully, Ji Lan was patient and loving enough to give her the courage to keep living alone in this unfamiliar city.

Standing at the elevator, she hesitated, then turned around and walked several laps around the complex. Many people passed by—some familiar neighbors, others strangers.

But not Pei Jinyue.

Of course, not Pei Jinyue.

She lowered her eyes and finally stopped waiting. No point catching a cold in the cold wind.

Back home, she changed into pajamas, ready to fall into bed. She’d pulled an all-nighter and could barely keep her eyes open.

She meant to check if Jinyue had messaged her, but instead saw her mom had sent a bunch of videos.

She played them one by one.

The first was dark and shaky until her mother’s smiling face filled the screen.

“Sweetie! Happy birthday! You—hey, come on, get over here and wish your daughter a happy birthday too!”

Ji Wanmian laughed. Her mom looked more energetic than her twenty-something self.

“I’m not doing something that childish—I’ll just send her money,” grumbled her dad in the background.

Ji Lan’s smile disappeared. She gave him a cold stare.

“Sweetie! Happy 24th birthday!” her dad suddenly exclaimed, grinning, appearing on camera and waving enthusiastically.

All it took was one look from Ji Lan to turn him into a birthday cheerleader.

“Wishing our daughter, Ji Wanmian, endless joy and happiness!”

After watching, Ji Wanmian laughed for a long time—so much that her eyes narrowed and her hands shook typing a reply:
“This birthday girl thanks you both!”
She added a cute emoji, then lay down, ready to sleep.

So Ji Wanmian closed her eyes.

And Pei Jinyue opened hers.

She was woken up by her ringtone.

Annoyed, she sat up in bed and grabbed her phone. Seeing the caller ID only made her angrier.

“Pei Yan”

Technically, that was her mother.

But when she picked up, she didn’t say “Mom.” Her tone was cold, like speaking to a stranger.

Maybe even colder.

Raking her fingers through her hair, she asked sharply, “What is it?”

“You said you’d come to the company the night before last. Where did you go?” Pei Yan asked.

Jinyue scoffed. Her voice hoarse. “President Pei, do I have to report my every move to you? Why not install a tracker on me?”

Pei Yan didn’t get angry. Her tone stayed level. “This training opportunity is important.”

But it was exactly that bland tone that irked Jinyue even more. She held the phone farther away and got out of bed, pulling on clothes.

“Please distinguish between what’s important to me and what you think should be important,” she said.

Pei Yan deflected. “Your sister’s going.”

Sister.

One word from Pei Yan’s mouth, and Jinyue instantly lost her composure.

“Then go cultivate Pei Siche! Why are you calling me?” Jinyue exploded. “If my sister’s so great at everything, then don’t bother with me at all! I stayed out all night, slept off a hangover till morning—what does that have to do with you?”

Pei Yan called her name sternly: “Pei Jinyue.”

“President Pei, you’re all about efficiency, right? Time spent on me is wasted. Invest it in Pei Siche instead. That’ll yield better returns.”

With that, she hung up, still fuming. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. So she powered off her phone altogether.

If she hadn’t drunkenly turned it on last night, she wouldn’t have had to take that damn call.

She couldn’t sleep anymore, even though she’d barely gotten a couple hours after stumbling home from the bar.

She walked to her closet, browsing through her stylish clothes. But while picking something to wear, Ji Wanmian’s face popped into her mind.

Truth be told, before she came home last night, she had considered going to Ji Wanmian’s instead.

But then she thought—maybe she shouldn’t see her every day.

Because if the other girl fell in love for real, that would be trouble.