After the Divorce, the Heiress Omega Regretted It - Chapter 46

When Qin Yiwan got home, she saw Qin Rushuang sitting on the couch, staring off into space. The living room lights were off, and she sat quietly in the dimness, looking unusually lonely.

Yiwan softened her steps as she approached. Only when she got closer did she realize just how much older Qin Rushuang looked. Her eyes were tired, her expression worn—she didn’t have the spirit she used to.

“You’re back?”
Qin Rushuang gave her a rare smile, as if she had been waiting there just for her.

That gentle expression tugged at something soft in Yiwan’s chest. Her long lashes fluttered as she quietly replied, “Mm. Why are you sitting here in the dark?”

She turned to switch on the light, but Qin Rushuang stopped her.

“Don’t,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ear and taking a deep breath. “I just want to sit for a while. I can’t sleep anyway.”

She had personally seen Du Weimin off to prison. She thought she would feel nothing but hatred and thought she wouldn’t care. But after all those years of living together—being looked after in every little way by Du Weimin—now that she was gone, everything felt out of place. There was no one to talk to.

Middle-aged, successful, and alone—what did it amount to but loneliness?

Yiwan could tell there was something she wanted to say, so she sat down beside her.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. Somewhere along the line, they had gotten used to the silence between them—used to indifference, used to keeping their lives separate.

Qin Rushuang tilted her head to look at Yiwan. Her profile bore a striking resemblance to her younger self, right down to the stubbornness etched into her features.

Back then, she had been proud and headstrong, unwilling to tolerate even a hint of grievance. Losing Qin Yiyao had felt like the end of the world. She thought everyone had wronged her and lashed out at anyone who came near, venting without restraint.

Now, with age and maturity, looking back, she could see how much she had gotten wrong.

She had failed both Yiwan and Du Weimin.

Her eyes grew red at the memory. She blinked quickly and wiped away a tear as if by accident. “Butler Lin said you went to Luo Dongbin’s birthday party today?”

“Yeah. Just dinner.”

Yiwan knew she was watching her, and she could hear the strain in her voice. But she didn’t look back—afraid of seeing guilt or regret in her eyes, afraid her own buried feelings might come flooding back and drown her.

Sending Du Weimin to prison hadn’t been easy for her either. But like her mother, she too was proud and stubborn—unable to bend, unable to swallow her pride.

“Do you… still have feelings for Luo Yunyi?”

“It’s not romantic. Yunyi’s more like family. After all these years, I guess I just got used to having her around.”

Qin Rushuang let out a relieved sigh. “Good. You probably didn’t know—after your accident, when you fell into a coma, the Luo family assumed you wouldn’t wake up. They rushed to change the engagement.

Yunyi did like you, but even then, she didn’t insist on staying with you. Feelings like that don’t last. Better to let them go.”

“I know.”

Yiwan stood. “It’s late. You should get some rest.”

Just as she turned to leave, Qin Rushuang suddenly grabbed her wrist—then quickly let go, as if startled by her own impulse.

“Is there something else?” Yiwan didn’t turn around. Her voice was cool and emotionless.

“Yunye wasn’t here to monitor you. Everything she did—she did because she wanted to.

The day she married you, she was just a proud, impulsive kid.

I can’t interfere with your divorce, but I just wanted you to know—she’s done a lot for you. Maybe… maybe you’ve misjudged her.”

If Qin Rushuang had said those words to her in the past, Yiwan wouldn’t have believed her. She would have only thought Luo Yunye had manipulated even her mother.

“I understand.”

Yiwan took a long, deep breath and slowly walked upstairs. After tossing her bag onto the sofa, she headed into the bathroom to wash up—but Luo Yunye’s image wouldn’t stop appearing in her mind. The way she stood, so calm and poised in that crowd…

Yiwan splashed cold water on her face, trying to chase the images away.

She didn’t hate Luo Yunye, not really. What she hated was being married to someone without even knowing it.

If they’d met under different circumstances… maybe things would’ve turned out differently.

******

After finishing her finals, Luo Yunye was invited by Gu Qianyu to celebrate the end of exams with her and Lin Yujia at a ski resort.

Gu Qianyu didn’t mention that she’d also invited Qin Yiwan, so when Luo Yunye saw her there, she froze in surprise for a moment—then quickly composed herself, pretending not to know her. She greeted Gu Qianyu politely and followed them into the equipment hall.

Once they’d all changed into their gear, Gu Qianyu leaned on her ski poles and looked at Yunye with anticipation. “Yunye, how’s your skiing?”

“Not bad,” Yunye smiled as she checked her bindings. “At least I don’t fall.”

“Then take me with you? I’m not very good.”

Yunye laughed. “Senior, you brought us all out here—and you’re saying you can’t ski?”

Gu Qianyu looked slightly embarrassed. “Well, I figured I could get you to teach me.”

“Alright then.”

Yunye smiled and agreed.

The four of them headed to the top of the slope. As soon as Yunye glided out onto the snow, Gu Qianyu let out an excited cheer.

Her form was elegant—like a bird skimming the snow. Whether turning or navigating steep slopes, her movements were smooth and fluid. Snowflakes kicked up in her wake, glittering in the sun like a silver wave. Passersby stopped to watch, clapping in admiration.

“Wow! Yunye’s amazing. Yujia, picking skiing was the best idea ever.”

Even Lin Yujia was stunned. “I had no idea she was this good.”

Yiwan had been watching her from the moment she set off. In a crowd full of awkward first-timers, Luo Yunye stood out like a crane among chickens—brilliant and impossible to ignore.

Wherever she went, she became the center of attention. Her looks were only part of it—she had the knowledge, the presence, and the skill. She sparkled.

An alpha like that—so strong yet so considerate—Yiwan suddenly found herself understanding why that lovestruck version of herself had fallen for her.

Her heart gave a sharp thump. She drew a long breath, and just as Yunye was about to turn around, she darted off in the opposite direction—gliding past her without making eye contact.

When Yunye returned, Gu Qianyu was practically glowing with excitement.

“You’re amazing! Come on, take me for a round?”

“Sure.” Yunye smiled modestly. “Let’s go.”

Gu Qianyu, grinning from ear to ear, looked toward Yiwan, who was already far off down the slope. “Yujia, can you keep an eye on Yiwan for me?”

“Got it. You two have fun. I’ll go find her.”

The truth is, Gu Qianyu wasn’t terrible at skiing. She didn’t need someone holding her hand—but the whole point of coming here had been to get close to Yunye.

With her helmet on, no one could see her expression. So she simply latched onto Yunye like a cute accessory, screaming in delight as they raced down the slopes.

Yiwan stayed nearby, watching them move almost like a couple. Yunye was seriously trying to teach her, but Qianyu clearly didn’t care—she just wanted to stick close.

Not wanting to watch their closeness anymore, Yiwan slid off to the edge. Lin Yujia followed quietly, not saying much—just staying nearby.

After a while, Yunye told Gu Qianyu she could try on her own and looked around. That’s when she spotted Yiwan skiing alone in the distance. Lin Yujia was surrounded by a group of kids, probably explaining some basics.

“Let’s go join them,” Yunye said.

Gu Qianyu grabbed her hand and called out, “Yiwan!”

But just as she shouted, she saw someone who clearly didn’t know how to ski barreling toward Yiwan from behind. Her face changed. “Watch out!”

Even before the words left her mouth, Yunye had already taken off.

Yiwan, wearing her helmet, hadn’t heard the warning. All she saw was Yunye suddenly rushing straight toward her. Her heart skipped, and she instinctively backed up.

In a flash, Yunye reached her and grabbed both of her hands. Yiwan froze. Before she could react, Yunye had pulled her into a spin, the two of them twirling away together.

Yiwan had no idea what was happening. As they turned, she glanced back and saw the reckless skier slam into a man at the bottom of the hill—both of them tumbling down.

Only then did she realize why Yunye had rushed over so suddenly.

Still, they hadn’t stopped moving, and Yunye hadn’t let go.

Worried Gu Qianyu might notice something, Yiwan tried to pull her hand free. But instead of releasing her, Yunye only gripped her tighter and picked up speed—adding little tricks and turns as they went.

“Luo Yunye, let go of me!”

Yiwan wasn’t afraid of falling—it wasn’t about skill. She just didn’t want Gu Qianyu to see them like this. Her heart was a mess, and trying to match Yunye’s rhythm only made it worse.

She hit a small bump and nearly lost balance, but Yunye caught her by the waist just in time. Wind whistled past them. Yunye chuckled in her ear.

She didn’t say a word, but Yiwan somehow felt like she was teasing her—and couldn’t quite explain why that made her feel the way it did.

When they finally came to a stop, Yunye let go and turned away without a word.

Yiwan stood frozen. A moment later, Lin Yujia and Gu Qianyu skied over. Seeing they were okay, Gu Qianyu threw her arms around Yiwan. “You scared me to death! Thank God you’re alright.”

Yiwan patted her back. “I’m a bit tired. I’ll go rest.”

“Let’s get some barbecue. It’s perfect for winter—nice and warm.”

They changed and drove down the mountain, finding a high-end barbecue spot. A waiter grilled the meat for them while they ate and chatted.

“Yunye, why don’t you come work at my company after graduation? ”

Yunye swallowed her bite and dabbed her lips with a napkin before smiling. “After what happened with that product launch, no one in the industry wants to take a chance on me. I’ve sent out résumés but haven’t heard back. If you don’t mind having me, I’d love to.”

Yiwan knew she meant the product launch incident. The Qin family hadn’t blacklisted her directly, but others avoided her because of the connection—no one wanted trouble.

She stayed silent, eating quietly, not offering an explanation.

“I want to come too!” Lin Yujia raised her hand. “I want to work with Yunye!”

“Great! You can both join,” Gu Qianyu said happily, her smile reaching her eyes as she looked at Yunye.

Under the table, Luo Yunye accidentally tapped Yiwan’s foot. Yiwan coughed suddenly, choking on her drink, her face flushing red. She quickly pulled her foot back.

“You okay, Yiwan?”

Gu Qianyu handed her a glass of water and patted her back.

Yiwan took a sip and stood. “I’m going to the restroom.”

She didn’t relax until the door was shut behind her. Then she sighed—and felt a wave of irritation.

Why did she feel guilty?

She and Luo Yunye had nothing to do with each other anymore. Even if they ran into each other, she should treat her like anyone else—like Lin Yujia.

So what exactly was she feeling guilty about?