After the Divorce, the Heiress Omega Regretted It - Chapter 32

Luo Yunye knew that ever since something had happened to Qin Yiwan, neither Qin Rushuang nor Du Weimin had ever celebrated her birthday again.

When Qin Yiwan was little, she would still look forward to her birthday, hoping her mothers might treat her a little better that day—maybe surprise her with a cake or a gift—and that somehow, they’d go back to the way things used to be.

But year after year, her hope turned into disappointment. Eventually, her birthday became a day she dreaded.

Because it reminded her that yet another year had passed, and her mothers still hadn’t moved on from the loss of her sister. Maybe they’d long been trapped in the summer when her sister died, and the people they were now were just hollow shells—empty, emotionless.

“Well, I guess that counts as celebrating my birthday,” Qin Yiwan said as she checked the schedule her secretary had sent her for the next few days. She arranged calmly, “I’ll leave work on time tomorrow. Let’s do a candlelight dinner at six, then catch a movie at eight. Does that work for you?”

Her eyes drifted to Luo Yunye’s face. As she leaned down to sniff the roses, her chestnut-colored curls slipped off her shoulder, partially hiding her delicate features.

When she heard the question, she tucked her hair behind her ear, a soft smile in her eyes as she looked up and nodded. “It works. I’m free.”

She liked being part of Qin Yiwan’s plans. At least it meant she was still in her thoughts—still part of her world.

Right then, the phone rang. Qin Yiwan glanced at the screen. It was Luo Yunyi. She answered and stepped out of the room.

From where she sat, Luo Yunye could faintly hear the frail voice on the other end: “Can you come to my place?”

“What’s wrong?” Qin Yiwan asked.

“I have a fever… my parents are out traveling and haven’t come back yet. Aunt Zhang took a leave and isn’t here either. I feel really awful. Wanwan, can you come and keep me company?” Luo Yunyi said pitifully.

“If you have a fever, you should go to the hospital. What good is me being there?” Qin Yiwan replied coldly.

“I don’t want to go alone… can’t you come with me? Wanwan, my head is spinning… Please, can you come now?”

Qin Yiwan glanced toward the study where Luo Yunye was and hesitated. She frowned and said, “Wait for me.”

After hanging up, she went back into the study, tapping her phone lightly against her palm.

Even though she didn’t need to explain herself to Luo Yunye, they were still technically married. She felt she should at least say something.

“Um… your sister’s running a fever. No one’s home with her. I’m going to take her to the hospital.”

Luo Yunye looked up at her. “Can you stay and have some cake first before you go?”

“She’s really sick right now. We can eat cake when I get back—it won’t spoil.”

“If I asked you not to go, I’d look petty and unreasonable,” Luo Yunye said with a light smile. “Go ahead. You know I don’t get along with Luo Yunyi anyway. I’ll just stay here.”

Qin Yiwan could tell she was upset. She sighed and explained softly, “Yunyi and I grew up together. Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I can ignore her when she’s sick. If your friend were ill and needed you, I’d let you go too.”

“You’re right. I wasn’t trying to stop you.”

Qin Yiwan didn’t say anything more. No matter how she explained it, the fact remained: she was going to take Luo Yunyi to the hospital, and that would make Luo Yunye unhappy. Nothing could change that.

As Qin Yiwan’s figure disappeared out the door and the room fell silent, Luo Yunye slumped back into the chair and let out a long breath.

Luo Yunyi really knew how to pick her moments—always pulling these petty stunts. But what could she do when the one she loved kept falling for them?

Covering her eyes with one hand, Luo Yunye tried to calm herself down.

Don’t get mad, she told herself. As long as there’s no divorce, Luo Yunyi is still the third party.

But how much longer could she hold out?

There wasn’t even a corner of Qin Yiwan’s heart reserved for her.

******

Dinner that night was lavish. Grandma Qin, after hearing from Butler Lin that it was Luo Yunye’s birthday, sent her a stunning gemstone necklace.

Qin Rushuang and Du Weimin, unaware it was her birthday, hadn’t prepared anything. Feeling a little awkward, Qin Rushuang took off the jade bracelet from her wrist, gently lifted Luo Yunye’s hand, and slid it on. “I didn’t have time to get you a gift… take this instead.”

Du Weimin’s eyes widened. “Shuang’er, that jade bracelet… you’ve had it for over ten years…”

It was a gift from Old Madam Qin to Qin Rushuang when she gave birth to Qin Yiwan. She’d treasured it dearly ever since, always careful not to let it get scratched.

Du Weimin always thought Qin Rushuang would wear that bracelet until her death—who would’ve thought she’d be willing to give it to Luo Yunye?

Luo Yunye realized from Du Weimin’s tone that this wasn’t an ordinary gift. “Mom, it’s too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

She started to take it off, but Qin Rushuang stopped her. “I gave it to you. That makes it yours. Don’t take it off.”

Smiling, she patted Luo Yunye’s hand and sighed softly. “Wan’er lost her memory. She doesn’t remember everything you’ve done for her. Don’t hold it against her.

I wasn’t there for her when she was little, and I can’t control her now. I don’t have much say in your relationship… but I was the one who agreed to bring you into this family. I won’t let you be treated unfairly.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

Qin Yiwan didn’t return for dinner. Luo Yunye explained that she had to work late and had already prepared a gift.

No one called to ask when she’d be home, as if this had become the norm. Just like how Qin Yiwan never called when Qin Rushuang or Du Weimin missed dinner.

After the meal and cleanup, Butler Lin turned off the living room lights and gathered the staff to light candles and string up twinkling lights. The room transformed into something warm and magical.

When everything was ready, she headed upstairs with a video camera and knocked on Luo Yunye’s door.

The whole evening, Luo Yunye had been distracted, unaware of the preparations downstairs.

She opened the door to see Butler Lin holding a camera. She chuckled. “Butler Lin, what are you doing?”

“Young Madam, there’s a project that needs your inspection. Please come with me to the living room.”

Smiling, Luo Yunye followed. From the second floor, she saw the sparkling “Happy Birthday” lights, the soft candlelight forming a giant heart. She froze, then covered her mouth and let out a delighted laugh.

“Butler Lin… you set all this up?”

“I did it with the help of everyone. Zhao Ke, Wei Shuang, and Aunt Zhou all pitched in. We wanted it to be perfect.”

As the birthday song began playing, Aunt Zhou slowly wheeled out a two-tier cake from the kitchen.

Luo Yunye walked down the stairs with Butler Lin. Zhao Ke and Wei Shuang stood on either side, popping confetti cannons as she passed. White feathers burst into the air, glowing under the lights—romantic and dreamy. Luo Yunye raised her hands, catching them with a glowing smile.

“Thank you, all of you.”

She looked at everyone in the room, eyes misting with gratitude. “Thank you, Butler Lin. Thank you, Zhao Ke and Wei Shuang. Thank you, Aunt Zhou. Thank you.”

Qin Yiwan might not love her, but there were still people who did.

Luo Yunye stood in front of the cake and made a wish as everyone sang.

“All done!”

“Young Madam, blow out the candles!”

She did, and Zhao Ke turned the lights back on, revealing balloons and flower arrangements—and a life-size cardboard cutout of her looking cool and confident.

Luo Yunye burst into laughter. “Butler Lin, when did you even take that photo? It’s hilarious.”

“Taken by Wei Shuang. We snapped a bunch. I thought this one captured you best.”

“Oh? Captured what?”

“Your vibe—cool, confident, carefree, and full of sunshine.”

Luo Yunye hadn’t known Butler Lin could flatter like that. She laughed so hard she couldn’t stop and pointed. “Well said! You deserve a reward!”

She sliced a massive piece of cake and handed it to her. Butler Lin waved her hands, protesting, “Too big! I can’t finish that—it’ll make me fat!”

After handing out slices of cake, Luo Yunye got a call from Lin Yujia. Apparently, Qian Yue had gotten into a fight at a bar and needed backup. She told her to get there fast and hold the line.

“Don’t panic, I’m driving over right now.”

As Luo Yunye stepped outside, she noticed the string lights twinkling in the yard. Her tense heart melted a little.

The car sped down the road, and she quickly arrived at the bar Lin Yujia had mentioned. She locked the car and rushed inside—only to be met with total darkness. For a moment, she froze, thinking she had come to the wrong place.

But then, with the thump of a drumbeat, tiny lights flicked on one by one. Onstage, the drummer, guitarist, and live singer came alive, launching into an upbeat tune. While Luo Yunye was still lost in confusion, the spotlight smoothly shifted—landing on Qian Yue.

With a bright, clear voice, she sang, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

The house band joined in, singing the birthday song in harmony. Lin Yujia pushed out a cake, walked up to Luo Yunye, and gave her a big hug.

“Happy birthday, Yunye.”

“You scared me!” Luo Yunye said, both surprised and touched. “I really thought you were fighting someone at the bar. I was ready to take on five people at once! And you pull this? Lin Yujia, you’ve changed.”

“You said you had to work overtime tonight. I thought it was kind of tragic, having to work on your birthday, so I asked Yuejie if she was free, and we planned a surprise. It was actually her idea. I was just going to drag you to karaoke, but she said that was a little tacky.”

“Karaoke is kind of tacky,” Luo Yunye laughed.

They both chuckled, and Qian Yue came over and gave Luo Yunye a hug too. “Happy birthday, Yunye.”

She handed her a gift bag.

“Wow, even a present? You’re too kind. Thank you.”

“Yujia said your tablet’s getting old. Thought this would make a good gift.”

Actually, the tablet was originally Lin Yujia’s idea. But Qian Yue had no clue what to give and figured a tablet was a solid choice, so she offered to be the one to give it.

“I got you something too,” Lin Yujia added.

She returned to her seat and brought back a bag—it was a pair of Bluetooth headphones, and Luo Yunye loved them as well.

Qian Yue had rented out the whole bar for the night. It was just the three of them. The live band played on, dancers performed, and the trio sat in the best seats, drinking, chatting, and enjoying the show.

“I heard from Yujia that you’ve been working late a lot. Still that busy?” Qian Yue asked.

“Yeah, there’s a project we’re working on. It’s been hectic, but we should be seeing results soon.”

“By the way,” Lin Yujia chimed in, “have you named your smart dog yet? You can’t just keep calling it ‘smart dog,’ right?”

“A name… I haven’t decided yet. I’ll figure it out once it’s actually finished.”

“Then when it’s done, we’ll throw you another celebration!”

Qian Yue raised her glass. “Here’s to a successful project, daily happiness, and happy birthday.”

“Thanks, Yue-jie.”

A little tipsy, Qian Yue patted her on the shoulder and leaned in, slurring slightly, “Stop calling me ‘Yuejie’—it sounds so distant. Call me Qianyue or  Qian Yue. Either works. Yujia, you too, you hear me?”

Lin Yujia giggled, “Sure thing, Yuejie.”

“You little brat!”

Qian Yue playfully smacked her and turned to Luo Yunye. “I used to think Yujia was all quiet and proper, but now? Not so much.”

Luo Yunye widened her eyes at Yujia. “What did you do to make her say that?”

Lin Yujia shrugged with a laugh. “What could I have done? I’m totally innocent.”

Once Qian Yue got more drunk, she started spilling stories—somehow the topic shifted to Qin Yiwan.

“Ugh, you don’t know how fake Luo Yunyi is. Just looking at her makes me nauseous.”

She was recalling the time she went to the hospital to visit Qin Yiwan and ran into Luo Yunyi, who was all over Yiwan, acting sweet and clingy like she was some kind of fiancée. It was so annoying.

“Your friend seems to enjoy spending time with her, though.”

Luo Yunye sipped her drink with a calm, indifferent expression.

“Yiwan…” Qian Yue hiccuped, her cheeks red. “She comes off cold, but deep down she cares a lot about people around her. Luo Yunyi’s been trailing her like a loyal puppy for years—of course there’s some kind of emotional tie.

But love? I don’t think so. Yiwan’s totally clueless when it comes to emotions. Or maybe she’s just really resistant. Her guard is so high, most people give up before even getting close.

Honestly, I admire Luo Yunyi’s persistence. Classic clingy love-dog energy. Shameless but determined.

And you know what they say—‘a good woman fears a persistent suitor.’ If Yiwan ever decides to settle down, she might really consider her.”

After all that, Qian Yue waved her hand. “Why are we even talking about her? You guys don’t even know her that well. Let’s talk about you instead. Any girlfriends? Boyfriends? Need me to set you up with someone?”

Luo Yunye smiled and declined. “Thanks, Yuejie, but I just got my heart broken. Not really in the mood for dating right now.”

“What? You got dumped? That’s impossible—someone like you getting rejected?”

“Don’t ask,” Lin Yujia quickly whispered in her ear, “Her ex left her for her career.”

Qian Yue froze, then promptly collapsed onto the table, pretending to be dead drunk.

Luo Yunye and Lin Yujia chuckled. When it got late, Luo Yunye ordered a car for them and asked Lin Yujia to take Qian Yue home.

“What about you? How are you getting back?”

“I’ll call a ride in a bit. Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay,” Lin Yujia said as she steadied a swaying Qian Yue. “Text me when you get home.”

Luo Yunye walked alone for a while, letting the cool breeze clear her mind. It was already past midnight. Still, Qin Yiwan hadn’t called or messaged her to ask where she was.

In the silence that followed the noise, she felt an ache of loneliness.

She booked a chauffeur and headed home. The house was dark except for the string lights outside, still glowing gently.

She quietly unlocked the door, tiptoed upstairs, and—afraid of waking Qin Yiwan—slipped into the guest room to shower and go to bed.

Qin Yiwan was a light sleeper. She vaguely heard footsteps and opened her eyes, thinking Luo Yunye would come into the bedroom. But the footsteps faded away.

Earlier that evening, she had dropped Luo Yunyi off at the hospital and come home. Butler Lin was tidying up, and the cake she’d bought still sat on the table.

She walked over and asked, “You didn’t eat the cake?”

“Oh, that cake was from you, Miss? If we’d known, we wouldn’t have gotten another one.”

“Is Luo… Yunye upstairs?”

“She just went out. One of her friends got into a fight and asked her to come support them.”

Qin Yiwan took a deep breath. “And you let her go alone?”

“Zhao Ke offered to go with her, but the young madam said no—her friends don’t know she’s married yet. It’d be hard to explain.”

Qin Yiwan didn’t say anything and went straight upstairs. She wasn’t even sure what she was worried about. She kept tossing and turning in bed, thinking about calling or texting, asking how things were going. But in the end, she didn’t.

She’s an adult—she can handle herself. And if I call and her friends ask questions, that’s just more explaining to do.

When she heard movement in the house later, she thought Luo Yunye might come into their room—but she went to the guest room instead.

Fine. Let her sleep wherever she wants. Maybe it’s better this way. At least I’ll get some rest without someone else in the room.