After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  It’s Love, It’s Reluctance, It’s Heartache. 

Ji Wanmian had a stomachache.

After waking up in the morning and finishing the leftover cake from last night, she began to feel a dull discomfort.

She didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a minor issue, and drank a bottle of soda. That only made the pain worse.

She clutched her stomach and curled up on the sofa, feeling so unwell that she didn’t even have the strength to pour herself a glass of hot water.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ji Wanmian frowned and didn’t get up right away.

“Ji Wanmian.”

Pei Jinyue’s voice came from outside the door.

Ji Wanmian’s eyes flickered. For a moment, she forgot about the pain, quickly pulled on her slippers, and leaned against the wall as she staggered to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Pei Jinyue collapsed into her arms without a word.

Startled, Ji Wanmian instinctively caught her, arms wrapping around her as she urgently asked, “What happened?”

Pei Jinyue still didn’t say a word.

Ji Wanmian bent down and caught a whiff of alcohol. She pressed her lips together. She didn’t need to ask further—she already knew the reason. Struggling to get Pei Jinyue onto the sofa, she turned around to close the door.

But Pei Jinyue grabbed her wrist and murmured, “Don’t go…”

Ji Wanmian’s heart trembled.

Pei Jinyue didn’t hold her tightly; she could easily break free. But something inside her wanted to continue feeling the warmth of that palm.

She suddenly felt angry at the cold wind outside—how dare it chill Pei Jinyue’s hand like that?

Even though Pei Jinyue’s eyes remained shut, her lips didn’t stop moving. “Niannian…”

Well then, it wasn’t just Pei Jinyue’s hands that were cold anymore—Ji Wanmian’s heart had gone cold too.

She looked down at Pei Jinyue’s hand and gently pulled hers away before closing the door.

But as soon as she shut it, another wave of sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She nearly collapsed from the intensity and had to crouch in the entryway to steady herself.

From the sofa, Pei Jinyue mumbled without opening her eyes, “Can I trouble you for a cup of hot water?”

“Okay,” Ji Wanmian replied weakly. She used all her strength to stand, but only took a few steps before stumbling and falling to the floor.

Thud—

The loud noise startled Pei Jinyue and sobered her up slightly.

She opened her eyes and turned toward the sound, seeing Ji Wanmian sitting on the floor with a pale face.

“What happened?” Pei Jinyue walked over and helped her up. Looking at Ji Wanmian’s tear-filled eyes and red nose, she asked, “Did you get hurt?”

“It hurts… no, no, not really,” Ji Wanmian quickly waved her hands and turned her head, not daring to meet her gaze.

Pei Jinyue’s tone grew a bit more serious, as she always was in such situations: “Tell me the truth. You don’t look well.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ji Wanmian finally spoke up, touched by her seriousness: “My stomach hurts a bit.”

Pei Jinyue placed a hand on her abdomen and tilted her head, forcing Ji Wanmian to meet her eyes. “Here?”

Ji Wanmian bit her lower lip, trying not to cry out. Even though the pain hadn’t completely gone, she could still feel discomfort—and the heat of Pei Jinyue’s palm. It felt like it burned right through her skin and into her bones.

“N-Not anymore…” Ji Wanmian stammered and took two steps back. “I-I’ll go get the water…”

She turned away, her heart racing so fast she couldn’t breathe. If Pei Jinyue kept treating her like this, she might lose control the next second.

“Alright.” Pei Jinyue didn’t press further and lay back down on the sofa, massaging her temples.

Whether it was her mood that had shifted or her body that had adjusted, Ji Wanmian’s pain had lessened. She brought back two cups of hot water, placing one on the table and handing the other to Pei Jinyue.

Pei Jinyue took it without hesitation, thanked her, and began to drink.

Ji Wanmian observed her: makeup partially smudged, eyeliner smeared at the corners of her eyes, and her curls slightly messy. Combined with the lingering smell of alcohol, Ji Wanmian guessed—Pei Jinyue must’ve been out drinking all night and didn’t go home.

So she leaned down and softly asked, “Where were you last night?”

Pei Jinyue had just swallowed a sip of water. She set the cup down and gave her a cold look. Her voice turned frosty: “Where I go at night has nothing to do with you, does it?”

Ji Wanmian hadn’t expected that her simple concern would make Pei Jinyue angry. Her heart raced in panic, and she stood frozen, unable to speak.

It wasn’t until she saw Pei Jinyue stand and walk toward the door that she hurried to explain: “I was just trying to check on you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Pei Jinyue paused but didn’t turn back. Her voice remained cold: “Ji Wanmian, you should know exactly what our relationship is.”

Hearing that, Ji Wanmian let out a bitter laugh. Her voice trembled. “Miss Pei, then can you make it clear what exactly our relationship is? You come and go whenever you please.”

Only then did Pei Jinyue turn back. After a moment of silence, she looked at Ji Wanmian’s upset expression and said calmly, “Calm down.”

“Fine, I’m calm.” Ji Wanmian took a deep breath and continued, “Just one last question—did you forget my birthday?”

Pei Jinyue blinked, vaguely recalling a past conversation, and said, “Happy birthday.”

“My birthday was yesterday,” Ji Wanmian said, holding back the pain in her chest.

“Oh,” Pei Jinyue responded. “Then happy belated birthday.”

Ji Wanmian was speechless.

All the emotions—grievance, anger, disappointment, sorrow—mixed into silence at that careless “happy belated birthday.”

“Forget it. Just go.” Ji Wanmian was tired and sat back down on the sofa, no longer in the mood to talk.

But then Pei Jinyue suddenly walked over to her.

“Here.”

Ji Wanmian looked up and saw a beautiful silver bracelet. She recognized it—it was the one Pei Jinyue wore most often.

She looked at her, confused.

Pei Jinyue met her gaze and said, “Birthday present.”

Ji Wanmian was stunned, mouth opening in disbelief. After a moment, all she could say was, “Huh?”

Pei Jinyue didn’t reply, just lowered her eyes and silently watched her.

Ji Wanmian secretly pinched her palm.

Pei Jinyue gave her a gift!

And not just any gift—her favorite bracelet!

What should she do?

How could she show just enough gratitude and happiness without looking completely overwhelmed and excited?

But Pei Jinyue didn’t give her time to react. She waved the bracelet slightly and asked, “You don’t want it?”

“I do!” Ji Wanmian didn’t hesitate for even a second, afraid if she waited too long, Pei Jinyue would change her mind.

“Then keep it.” Pei Jinyue placed the bracelet in her hand, adjusted her collar and hair, and turned to leave. “I’m going.”

“Don’t you want to rest a while?” Ji Wanmian called after her. “Why did you come here, then?”

Pei Jinyue didn’t look back as she opened the door. “Forget it. I’d rather go home.”

Ji Wanmian clutched the bracelet and quickly followed, calling out, “Did what I said earlier make you angry?”

Pei Jinyue stepped out. Just before closing the door, she looked at Ji Wanmian and said, “Yes, but don’t overthink it.”

“I’m sorry, I just—” Ji Wanmian began, but Pei Jinyue cut her off.

“Ji Wanmian, stop apologizing all the time.” And with that, she closed the door.

The soft click echoed in Ji Wanmian’s ears. She stood there, still holding the bracelet, staring at the door Pei Jinyue had just shut.

No idea how long she stood like that. Eventually, she sighed and turned to sit back on the sofa.

She tilted her head up, not sure if she was staring at the ceiling or just zoning out. Her mind was completely blank. She knew she should be thinking—but she just couldn’t.

She already suspected Pei Jinyue came over because she wanted something to happen.

It wouldn’t have been the first time Pei Jinyue showed up drunk.

But Ji Wanmian wondered—was it her question that truly upset Pei Jinyue, or was it because she had a stomachache, so Pei Jinyue decided to leave?

Ugh—

Ji Wanmian raised the bracelet, watching it sparkle in the light. She shook it in front of her eyes, trying to distract herself from her tangled emotions.

But how could she possibly remove Pei Jinyue from her mind?

She loved her too much—so much that she was beginning to forget who she was. One glance at Pei Jinyue’s slightest sadness was enough to make her heart ache.

So even though Pei Jinyue had never defined their relationship, she was still willing to stay by her side.

Just like always—whenever Pei Jinyue asked, Ji Wanmian never said no.

Someone once joked with her, “Ji Wanmian, are you afraid to say no to the heiress?”

She had only smiled back. It wasn’t fear.

It was love, reluctance, and heartache.

But now, comparing the past and the present, Ji Wanmian began to feel hesitation.

The sparkling bracelet was in her hand. She should have been smiling with joy, maybe even bouncing around in delight.

Before falling in love, Ji Wanmian didn’t really understand what it felt like.

But when she stared at the bracelet, she could see Pei Jinyue again in her mind.

Pei Jinyue’s beauty and grace were undeniable. Even with smudged makeup, she was stunning.

Ji Wanmian had to admit—she admired Pei Jinyue’s looks, just like everyone else.

But it wasn’t jealousy—it was admiration.

Because more than Pei Jinyue’s looks, it was that moment when she stood up for Ji Wanmian that mattered most.

That was the day Ji Wanmian fell in love.

That one moment of being moved had cost her years of affection.

But—

Is this what loving someone is supposed to feel like?

Ji Wanmian didn’t know.

And since she couldn’t figure it out for now, she decided to focus on something else.

So she put the bracelet away, got up from the sofa, and sat at her desk.

To finally do something she had dreamed of for years.