After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Ji Wanmian, Let’s Be Together.

Lu Yu responded with an “oh,” not catching the tension between the two, and simply pointed behind her to the hotpot restaurant, saying, “I’m Lu Yu, Wanmian’s high school classmate. Since we ran into each other, do you want to have hotpot together…”

Her mind spun for a moment, unsure how to address the woman in front of her. After a pause, she finally said, “Wan Mian’s friend.”

The woman in front still smiled politely and replied, “Pei Jinyue.”

Ji Wanmian lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with Pei Jinyue, and silently muttered to herself: So calm and gentle in front of others, huh.

Noticing Lu Yu’s startled expression, Ji Wanmian looked over in confusion and finally realized her friend was surprised.

“Xiao Yu, what are you thinking?” Ji Wanmian poked at Lu Yu’s down jacket with her fingertips.

Pei Jinyue lightly cleared her throat.

Ji Wanmian immediately dropped her hand.

Lu Yu snapped back to reality, embarrassed, her cheeks flushed. She quickly explained, “Ah, it’s nothing, I just knew someone with the same last name before.”

“It’s fine, there are lots of people with the same name in this world,” Ji Wanmian said to comfort her.

“Yes, yes,” Lu Yu replied quickly, stammering from nervousness.

Seeing her odd behavior, Ji Wanmian felt something was off too, but didn’t dwell on it—Pei Jinyue’s sudden appearance had already thrown her off.

Realizing she’d been acting strange, Lu Yu steadied herself and her tone returned to normal. Her gaze bounced between Ji Wanmian and Pei Jinyue as she said, “Sorry about that. So, are we having hotpot together?”

Pei Jinyue didn’t respond and instead looked to Ji Wanmian.

Sensing her gaze, Ji Wanmian already knew what answer was expected.

She clenched her coat, swallowed her anticipation, looked at Lu Yu with a forced smile, and said, “Sorry, we won’t be joining you.”

Lu Yu didn’t show disappointment. She smiled and waved, saying, “No worries, let’s do it next time.”

Ji Wanmian let go of her coat and sighed silently, replying with a quiet “Okay.”

Pei Jinyue seemed pleased with the answer. Her lips curved slightly as she slipped her hands into her coat pockets and said to Ji Wanmian, “Let’s go home.”

Ji Wanmian nodded and, as she said goodbye to Lu Yu, glanced longingly at the hotpot restaurant behind her.

She followed behind Pei Jinyue.

At that moment, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted anymore.

But just moments ago, she really only wanted to have hotpot.

Why couldn’t Pei Jinyue grant her that small wish?

The moment the door closed with a “bang,” it was like a fuse had been lit—everything Ji Wanmian had been holding in exploded.

“Why did you show up all of a sudden?” Ji Wanmian asked, standing by the entrance, visibly upset.

The woman in front of her took off her coat and hair clip. Her long, silky hair cascaded over her back.

Pei Jinyue sat naturally on the sofa, placing her coat aside. Leaning back against the cushions, she tilted her head at Ji Wanmian and asked casually, “Don’t want to see me?”

Just those few words, simple as they were, crawled all over Ji Wanmian’s heart like a swarm of ants.

So annoying.

So painful.

Her lips were chapped, and big tears rolled down uncontrollably. She covered her face, not wanting Pei Jinyue to see her so broken.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Jinyue slowly stood up and walked over, speaking softly.

“I…” Ji Wanmian didn’t even know where her mess of emotions had come from. She just felt utterly wronged, but when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t say a thing—until finally, all she could blurt out was: “I wanted hotpot…”

Pei Jinyue raised her brows, confused. “You’re crying because… you didn’t get hotpot?”

“Ugh, I can’t explain it to you,” Ji Wanmian was frustrated and threw her hand aside instinctively.

Unfortunately, it landed squarely on Pei Jinyue’s face.

Ji Wanmian immediately stopped crying, hearing the sharp inhale from Pei Jinyue.

Through blurry tears, she saw Pei Jinyue holding the spot where she’d been hit.

“Does it hurt?” Ji Wanmian, still sniffling, reached out to touch Pei Jinyue’s cheek.

But before her hand reached, Pei Jinyue leaned in.

“I’m sorry… mmph…”

Fresh from the cold, her whole body still chilly—but in that moment, their lips were warm.

Ji Wanmian’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected Pei Jinyue to kiss her so suddenly. Instinctively, she pushed her, but quickly reached out to steady her so she wouldn’t hit the wall.

Pei Jinyue stepped back two paces, but never broke eye contact. Her gaze was intense, burning, like she might pounce again at any moment.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Ji Wanmian cried again, her voice hoarse.

“You didn’t want me to?” Pei Jinyue leaned closer, her fingers trailing slowly from Ji Wanmian’s cheek down to her neck. “Why are you crying?”

Ji Wanmian swallowed hard, trembling under her touch. The moment Pei Jinyue’s hand touched her, it felt like bugs crawling over her chest.

It was overwhelming.

Overwhelming enough that she almost forgot to cry.

They were so close—close enough to share breath.

Ji Wanmian wanted to ask so many things: Who is “Nian Nian”? Why didn’t you show up on my birthday? Have you forgotten it? Were all those promises lies…?

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask if Pei Jinyue loved her.

In the end, she lowered her head, throat choked up, unable to say a word.

Pei Jinyue embraced her again, kissing her from the chin up, bypassing her lips, and catching a tear with the tip of her tongue.

Still unsatisfied, the lady slipped her hand under Ji Wanmian’s clothes, gently pinching her waist.

Ji Wanmian let out a muffled sound.

Pei Jinyue’s smile curled as she moved in again, taking them from the wall to the sofa.

This time, Ji Wanmian didn’t even try to hold back. She whimpered from the pain, and the tears that had just stopped started flowing again.

Then, something felt different. Ji Wanmian sensed something was wrong with Pei Jinyue today.

“You… are you upset?” Ji Wanmian panted, gripping her shoulders, looking up.

Pei Jinyue nodded. “Mm.”

“What’s wrong?” Ji Wanmian, teary-eyed, looked at her in concern.

“Nothing,” Pei Jinyue didn’t want to explain. “Keep going.”

“No.” Ji Wanmian scooted to the other side of the sofa, pulling her slipping clothes back up. Though still sniffling, her expression turned serious. “Pei Jinyue, can you tell me? I want to know why you’re upset. Who made you sad? I want to know if I can help…”

Pei Jinyue frowned and turned her head away, clearly reluctant to speak.

“Why won’t you tell me anything?” Ji Wanmian grew more upset, grabbing her wrist. “You’re always like this, Pei Jinyue. You never say anything to me.”

Still, Pei Jinyue didn’t answer.

So Ji Wanmian let it all out: “So, Pei Jinyue, what exactly am I to you? Just a distraction?”

“That day I stopped you and said I ‘liked’ you, you already knew how I felt.”

“I was scared you wouldn’t understand, so I never made a formal confession. But hasn’t it been obvious? I go to see you whenever I can, follow you around like your little lackey…”

Overwhelmed and emotional, Ji Wanmian ran barefoot to her drawer, pulled out her stash of money and bracelet, and dumped them all on the coffee table.

“I’m not doing this for the money! It’s for you! Just because I like you!”

Pei Jinyue looked from the money to Ji Wanmian.

“You knew all along! Otherwise why would you…” Ji Wanmian’s hand instinctively went to her lips, but quickly lowered again. “So, Pei Jinyue, even after all that, just answer me one thing—do you like me or not?”

Pei Jinyue leaned back on the sofa and didn’t respond right away.

Ji Wanmian’s heart felt colder than the winter outside, but she held herself together and said, “If you don’t, it’s fine. I’ll just go back home. I haven’t made anything of myself here anyway. And this apartment’s lease is almost up…”

Her words trailed off into rambling, like she was trying to drown her despair with noise.

But Pei Jinyue cut her off.

“Ji Wanmian, let’s be together.”

Her tone was as cool and calm as ever, as if nothing had changed. Her expression unreadable, just like always.

But those few simple words stunned Ji Wanmian. Her mouth hung open, yet no words came out.

Even though she’d heard her clearly, she couldn’t believe it. She almost wished it were just a hallucination.

Seeing her stunned expression, Pei Jinyue patiently repeated: “Ji Wanmian, we’re in a relationship now.”

Bang—

Ji Wanmian’s heart bloomed like a firework.

…

Not far away, another “bang” sounded.

It was Lu Yu, who had fallen while carrying goods.

The items were unharmed—she’d protected them well.

But she’d fallen hard. Worse yet, she’d taken off her coat to move more easily, leaving her exposed and vulnerable to the impact.

Struggling to get up, the pain from the fall made it difficult.

She carefully set the goods aside and tried to use her uninjured arm to push herself up.

Just then, someone reached out a hand to her.

Lu Yu looked up slowly.

Then she smiled softly.

“You came after all.”

Pei Siche.