After the Divorce, the Heiress Omega Regretted It - Chapter 4

After sleeping all afternoon and just finishing dinner, Luo Yunye lay in bed, holding Qin Yiwan’s hand, wide awake. The thought of little Yiwan waiting for her protection stirred an unexpected sense of guilt—like she was breaking a promise.

The more anxious she felt, the harder it was to fall asleep. Luo Yunye covered her forehead with a sigh, took a few restless breaths, and gave up on sleeping altogether.

She leaned in close to Yiwan, gently rubbing her cheek with the girl’s hand.

 “I’m sorry. I really want to be with you right now, but I can’t. Please take care of yourself, don’t do anything foolish. If anyone bullies you, just remember—wait for me. I’ll make them pay.”

*****

Qin Yiwan walked down the corridor toward her classroom, dressed in her school uniform and carrying her backpack. She was beautiful and came from a prominent family—nearly everyone at the private school knew her by name.

Suddenly, Luo Yunye’s voice echoed in her ears. Yiwan looked around, startled. No one was there.

She began to wonder if the voice was just a hallucination, brought on by the trauma of her sister’s death. Maybe this “Luo Yunye” was a guardian figure she’d made up in her own mind.

Other students noticed her turning and searching, and though they pretended not to see, they all glanced at her out of the corners of their eyes. Then, remembering what had happened to her sister, they quickly looked away and scattered.

Qin Yiwan took a deep breath, gathering herself. She walked into the classroom, pretending nothing had happened, opened her book, and focused on her morning reading.

Not long after, the teacher entered with a new student. Heads turned as she introduced the girl. “This is a new student who’s just transferred to our class. Everyone, please give her a warm welcome.”

Applause followed. Yiwan didn’t even lift her head, too focused on catching up with the material she’d missed while absent.

The teacher smiled. “Yunyi, go ahead and introduce yourself.”

The girl on the podium wore a long white dress and clutched the straps of her backpack nervously. Transferring from a small-town school to this elite private institution had made her feel deeply insecure. Everything here looked elegant and expensive, and her heart beat faster when the teacher asked her to speak.

“H-hello, everyone. My name is Luo Yunyi. I… I hope we can all get along.”

She bowed deeply, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

The class clapped again, but this time a few giggles broke out. Yunyi’s face turned even redder, convinced they were laughing at her.

The teacher assigned her a seat, and the class moved on. Qin Yiwan barely looked up before burying herself back in her book.

During the break, Yiwan went to the restroom. On the way, she spotted Wang Lu and her clique cornering the new girl in a hallway.

As she passed by, she heard Wang Lu ask, “Your name is Luo Yunyi? Is that the ‘yi’ from ‘reluctant to part’?”

Luo Yunyi… Luo Yunye…

The name triggered something. Qin Yiwan stopped and turned to look at Yunyi. Then she strode over, pushed Wang Lu aside, and stood face-to-face with the new girl.

“Hi, I’m Qin Yiwan. Do you know someone named Luo Yunye?”

Her voice trembled with urgency, her eyes full of desperate hope.

Yunyi’s expression flickered. She knew the name. If this girl knew her connection to Luo Yunye, it could cause trouble. She lowered her gaze and mumbled, “S-sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name.”

It was a lie. Her ears turned scarlet.

Wang Lu, who had been observing closely, noticed the lie instantly. Her gaze shifted to Qin Yiwan, whose face had fallen with crushing disappointment—as if Luo Yunye were someone extremely important to her.

“Yiwan,” Wang Lu said casually, “What does this person look like? Maybe I’ve seen them before.”

But Yiwan simply shook her head, dazed, and turned away.

She’d gotten her hopes up. Like a drowning person clutching a stray plank, she’d wanted so badly to believe someone could save her. But it was just a fantasy. She had to stop thinking about that person.

She rushed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to snap herself out of it.

Wang Lu, however, remained curious. She looked back at Luo Yunyi—clearly lying.

Grabbing the girl’s arm, she demanded, “You really don’t know anyone named Luo Yunye?”

“N-no, I don’t,” Yunyi whispered, even quieter than before.

Wang Lu shoved her roughly. “Maybe you don’t know how things work around here. Qin Yiwan’s the daughter of our school’s director. If you lie to her, you’re done.

Oh, and just so you know—delicate alphas like you? I could knock out ten of you with one hand.”

Yunyi stumbled back into the railing, pain shooting through her back. But she didn’t dare cry out. These students were all rich or powerful—people she couldn’t afford to offend.

A week passed in a blur.

Qin Yiwan hadn’t seen Luo Yunyi again and convinced herself she’d imagined the entire thing.

Going home used to be something she looked forward to. Now, it was what she dreaded most.

She was terrified her mother would be upset, or worse—pretend she didn’t exist. But what she feared the most was being locked alone on the balcony.

In the dead of night, she would curl up in that dark space, waiting for dawn, every second dragging like an eternity.

At first, she cried, screamed, begged to be let back in. But no one ever came. No one even responded.

She hadn’t even been this afraid when she’d been locked up by bad people… or when she was hurt… because back then, she believed her mother would come save her.

She had hope.

But ever since her sister died, she had become the villain in her mother’s eyes.

Her mother—the person who had once loved her most, the person she’d loved more than anything—had now become her greatest source of fear.

*****

When Qin Yiwan came home from school, the housekeeper, Uncle Mo, told her that Qin Rushuang and Du Weimin were away on a business trip. He then brought out the dinner he had already prepared.

Dinner used to be a lively family affair. Now she sat alone at the table. And oddly enough, without her mother’s cold face across from her, without the fear of being scolded, Qin Yiwan actually felt a strange sense of relief.

After eating, she went upstairs to review the day’s lessons. She had fallen behind during her hospital stay, and afterward, with Qin Rushuang unwilling to even see her, no one had been arranged to help her catch up. She was struggling to keep pace now.

One question on her homework completely stumped her. She tried searching for explanations online, but her answer was still wrong. Confused, she rewatched the video tutorial and gave it another shot—but no luck.

Just as she was growing frustrated and about to give up, a slender finger reached past her shoulder, pointing at her workbook. A shadow fell over her, followed by a soft, familiar voice she remembered so clearly:

“You can’t use the standard method for this one. Look—”

Qin Yiwan didn’t move at first. She waited until Luo Yunye finished speaking, then slowly turned to face her. It was as if she needed to make sure this wasn’t a dream. She reached out and grabbed her arm, eyes misting over.

“Who are you really?” she asked, voice small and full of hurt. “Why did you appear out of nowhere… and then vanish? I… I…”

She couldn’t finish her words. Tears just rolled down on her cheeks.

She had already convinced herself that Luo Yunye was just a figment of her imagination. So why could she see her again now—so clearly, so real? She could touch her.

Luo Yunye pulled a tissue from the desk and knelt to gently wipe away her tears. Her voice was soft and warm.

“You probably won’t believe me, but… I’m your future wife. When you turn twenty-two, we’ll get married. But for now, because of… certain reasons, this is the only way we can meet.”

She smiled gently. “*Xiaobao’er, don’t cry. Want me to take you out for some fun?” 

(*Xiao Bao means little darling, little treasure.)

Qin Yiwan didn’t know what to believe. But somehow, just having her there made her feel safe. She sniffled and looked back at her homework, slightly embarrassed.

“But I haven’t finished my homework yet.”

“Then I’ll do it with you.”

Luo Yunye pulled over a chair and sat beside her. She watched patiently as Qin Yiwan worked, offering help when needed. Whether it was Luo Yunye’s presence or simply feeling understood, Qin Yiwan focused like never before and soon finished everything.

At eight o’clock that evening, Qin Yiwan grabbed her small bag and phone, heading downstairs. The bodyguard at the door stopped her with an outstretched arm.

“Miss, the Madam has instructed that you’re not to go out at night.”

“I’ll just be out for a little while. I’ll be back soon.”

Uncle Mo came over when he heard the commotion.

“Miss, where are you going? I can drive you.”

With Uncle Mo by her side, Qin Yiwan felt a bit more secure—but she had no idea where Luo Yunye was planning to take her. She hesitated, fumbling for an answer.

Uncle Mo, assuming she just wanted an excuse to sneak out, said gently, “It’s late, Miss. You should get some rest upstairs.”

Qin Yiwan knew they wouldn’t let her leave alone. She looked toward the gate, silently hoping Luo Yunye would appear and take her away.

But outside, there was only the dull glow of streetlights. Just as disappointment began to set in, she suddenly heard the roar of a sports car engine.

She turned sharply and saw a bright red sports car appeared with Luo Yunye—racing into the courtyard with a loud growl. The car swerved straight toward them.

Startled, Uncle Mo pulled Qin Yiwan back while the bodyguards drew their guns, ready to fire. But Luo Yunye executed a perfect drift, spinning the car to a stop right at the entrance. She stuck her head out the window and shouted:

“Get in!”

Qin Yiwan turned to Uncle Mo, clearly nervous.

“Don’t shoot. She’s a friend of mine.”

“Miss, your friend just stole a car from the house.”

Uncle Mo eyed Luo Yunye with growing suspicion, clearly not pleased.

“I asked her to get it,” Qin Yiwan quickly explained. “I wanted her to take me out.”

“Miss, the Madam strictly ordered you not to leave the house at night. You should really go back and rest.”

“Uncle Mo, when Mom comes back, she can punish me however she wants—but right now, please, let me go out. I just want some fresh air. She’s really my friend. She won’t hurt me.

“If you’re worried, you can follow us in your own car.

“Please, Uncle Mo. I’m tired of nightmares and sleepless nights. Just this once… help me.”

Her eyes brimmed with sorrow as she looked at him.

Uncle Mo had served the Qin family for decades. He had watched Qin Rushuang grow up and cared for Qin Yiwan like his own granddaughter. He knew exactly what her life at home had become.

Maybe she really did need to get out. Maybe it would help her grieve, and begin to heal.

“Wait here. I’ll go get the car. I’ll come with you.”

He didn’t allow her to ride with Luo Yunye. So Luo Yunye drove slowly, trailing behind them.

When they arrived at the amusement park and parked, Luo Yunye walked over, took Qin Yiwan’s hand, and gave Uncle Mo a nod.

“Don’t worry. I’d never hurt her. You can follow us if you want.”

“Miss, this park belongs to the Qin family. You’re free to enjoy yourselves.”

His words were clearly also a warning to Luo Yunye—if she tried anything, she wouldn’t make it out.

“Let’s go.”

Luo Yunye turned to Qin Yiwan with a bright smile, then took her hand and led her in. The two of them ran off like birds freed from a cage, disappearing joyfully into the crowd.

The bodyguards followed from a distance.

Uncle Mo watched as Qin Yiwan rode the carousel with Luo Yunye. He didn’t know what they were saying, but for the first time in so long, he saw a genuine, lighthearted smile on her face.

Since that terrible incident, she hadn’t smiled at all. Only cried.

He had seen it clearly. He cared for the younger sister too, but he knew deep down that what happened wasn’t Qin Yiwan’s fault. She was a victim too, and she didn’t deserve to keep suffering like this.

But what power did a housekeeper have in the affairs of the Qin family?

All he could do… was give her this one small moment of peace, now that her mother was away.

After the carousel, Luo Yunye led her to the roller coaster.

Qin Yiwan had never ridden anything so intense. She screamed in pure terror, clinging tightly to Luo Yunye’s hand, feeling like her soul was about to fly out of her body.

“Look!”

Luo Yunye pointed up at the sky.

Qin Yiwan turned just in time to see fireworks exploding in the air. The brilliant bursts lit up the night, so close they felt almost within reach.

She turned back to look at Luo Yunye, her face bathed in the glow of fireworks. Those bright, starry eyes shimmered with laughter, radiant and beautiful.

“So pretty,” Qin Yiwan whispered.

She wasn’t sure if she was talking about the fireworks—or the girl beside her.