After the Divorce, the Heiress Omega Regretted It - Chapter 49

Luo Yunye walked Gu Qianyue to her doorstep. Just before they parted, Gu Qianyue hesitated for a moment, then shyly asked, “Can we take a photo together? I want to post it on my Moments.”

Worried Luo Yunye might say no, she quickly added, “Just our shadows—we don’t have to show our faces.”

It was Gu Qianyue’s birthday today, and the request wasn’t unreasonable. Luo Yunye nodded in agreement.

They stepped under a streetlamp, the light casting their shadows long on the pavement. The winter night was bitterly cold, sobering Gu Qianyue from the lingering buzz of alcohol. Wrapped tightly in her thick coat, she showed Luo Yunye how to hold out her hand so their shadows would form a heart together.

Luo Yunye thought that would be the end of it. But then Gu Qianyue asked her to lower her head slightly and stay still while she adjusted her position—drawing so close it was as if they were about to kiss. Luo Yunye instinctively flinched back, but Gu Qianyue chuckled, “Don’t move. Just faking the angle. Don’t be nervous.”

Her breath brushed against Luo Yunye’s ear, and though it made her a bit uncomfortable, she held the pose and let Gu Qianyue snap a photo of their shadows—appearing as if they were kissing.

Once the shot was taken, Gu Qianyue stepped back with a gentle and composed smile, her eyes sparkling. “I know it was sudden, confessing to you today. You might need some time.”

She added, “About that one-month trial I mentioned… Think about it. If, by the end of the month, you still don’t have feelings for me, we’ll break up. We can still be friends. Okay?”

*****

Luo Yunye’s heart had died the day she found out A’Wan had been killed by Qin Yiwan. When she returned to campus, she became the most sought-after Alpha without even trying. Plenty of Omegas confessed to her, but she had no interest in love.

She thought she would live her life alone, burying the past and moving on quietly. But just as she was ready to put it all behind her, Qin Yiwan regained her memory—and with it, dragged every happy and painful moment back to the surface.

Luo Yunye realized that even healed wounds still throbbed. Burying them wasn’t the same as letting go.

Maybe true closure meant being open to a new relationship.

“Qianyue,” Luo Yunye said gently, “let’s try it for a month. During that time, aside from holding hands and hugging, we won’t do anything more intimate. If, after that month, we decide to stay together… I’ll kiss you then.”

Gu Qianyue always thought she wouldn’t get flustered around Luo Yunye. After all, she was two years older and had more experience in love, usually being the one taking the lead. But hearing Luo Yunye seriously talk about the terms and timing of their relationship—especially that quiet promise, “I’ll kiss you then”—her cheeks flushed red, heart racing with a long-lost flutter of excitement.

“Then… it’s a deal.”

Still slightly dizzy, she turned to leave but then spun back around, opening her arms. Her cheeks were glowing. “Can… can I have a hug?”

Luo Yunye stepped forward and pulled her into a polite, brief embrace. Then she smiled and waved, “Go on inside. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Gu Qianyue walked away with a light heart, turning back to wave a few steps later—only to trip on a step she didn’t see and nearly fall flat. Embarrassed beyond belief, she scrambled up, heart pounding louder than it had during her confession, kept her head down, and rushed into the house without looking back.

Seeing she wasn’t hurt, Luo Yunye relaxed and chuckled. Senior Gu really was cheerful and outgoing… and sometimes adorably clumsy.

When Luo Yunye got home, it was already late. Lin Yujia had stayed over and turned on the heater early, so the room was warm. Luo Yunye hung up her coat, changed her shoes, and headed to the kitchen for hot water. Just as she came out, the living room light flipped on.

Lin Yujia came running out in fluffy pajamas, practically bursting with excitement. “Did you kiss Senior Gu?!”

She waved her phone, showing Gu Qianyue’s Moments post—two overlapping shadows that, to the untrained eye, looked exactly like a couple sharing a sweet kiss.

“Spill it—what’s going on with you and Senior Gu? You said you didn’t like her. Now you’re accepting her confession and posting PDA? Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly dating this whole time!”

Luo Yunye calmly took a sip of hot water and replied, “It’s not what you think. We didn’t kiss—she angled it that way for the photo without telling me.”

She added, “And… we agreed to try dating for a month.”

Lin Yujia lost a bit of her gossip-driven enthusiasm and teased, “Wow. Are you guys doing the whole contract dating trope?”

Luo Yunye laughed at the term. “When you put it that way, it does sound cheesy. But honestly, it fits where we are right now.”

“So… you guys are starting your dates tomorrow?”

Lin Yujia suddenly looked sad. “Wait—if you two start going out… does that make me the third wheel now? Oh god, I just realized what this means!”

Luo Yunye linked arms with her and smiled. “It’s fine—you can come on our dates too.”

Lin Yujia shook her head. “Forget it. I don’t want to be the human-sized lightbulb.”

She pouted dramatically. “Can’t believe your romance is breaking my heart instead.”

Luo Yunye couldn’t help but laugh. “Want me to introduce you to someone?”

“No thanks,” Lin Yujia replied with a sigh. “Not in the mood right now.”

Back in her room, Luo Yunye scrolled through Gu Qianyue’s Moments post. A big group photo from the birthday party caught her eye, and she immediately spotted Qin Yiwan standing beside her. Everyone else was smiling naturally, but Qin Yiwan stood cool and detached, her faint smile distant and unapproachable.

Time had passed, and somehow, Qin Yiwan now felt unfamiliar.

The next photo was the shadow picture with Gu Qianyue. Luo Yunye gave it a like.

******

After regaining her memory, Qin Yiwan had quietly removed Luo Yunye from her block list.

Now, seeing the shadow “kiss” photo on Gu Qianyue’s Moments, she zoomed in again and again, trying to find even the slightest inconsistency. But the more she stared, the heavier her chest felt—like a stone pressing down.

And when she saw Luo Yunye had liked the post, a wave of bitterness surged up. She locked her phone, but sleep wouldn’t come.

She sat up and buried herself in work, using it to numb the ache, ignoring the chill creeping into her body.

She’d planned to be discharged the next day. But the late-night overexertion caught up with her—she came down with a fever and had to stay in bed hooked up to an IV.

When Qin Rushuang came to pick her up and found her pale and unconscious, she was stricken with guilt. Yesterday, when she heard about the car accident, she dropped everything and rushed to the hospital. She wanted to stay by Qin Yiwan’s side but was turned away.

Qin Yiwan had told her, “I remember now. I want to be alone.”

Thinking back on the things she’d said at the hospital bedside, Qin Rushuang’s heart clenched with remorse. She’d left, but now she regretted it deeply.

She adjusted Qin Yiwan’s blanket and turned up the heater, then brought a cup of hot water to her lips. Qin Yiwan turned her head away.

Years of absent maternal affection suddenly overwhelmed her, but as Qin Yiwan watched her bustling around anxiously, she didn’t feel touched—only bitter.

She didn’t want this last-minute care.

Qin Rushuang knew she hadn’t been a good mother. Her efforts now were just guilt-fueled attempts at redemption. And when Qin Yiwan refused her again, she was deeply hurt.

“How about some fruit? I can peel you an apple.”

“No.”

“A pear? Maybe a banana? ”

Qin Yiwan stared at her expressionlessly. “I don’t want anything. Please leave. Go to work. Don’t waste your time on me.”

Qin Rushuang stood frozen, with the banana in her hand, tears welling in her eyes. She said nothing more, simply wiped her tears, and forced an awkward smile. “Okay. Rest well. I’ll come back later.”

Even as she left, Qin Yiwan didn’t look at her. Tears shimmered in her own eyes. She thought of all the hurt she had caused—her mother’s and, more painfully, Luo Yunye’s.

Thinking about it now, she realized: Luo Yunye probably wouldn’t forgive her and maybe didn’t even want to see her again.

She closed her eyes, and silent tears slid down her cheeks—for herself and for Luo Yunye.

*****

Luo Yunye was brushing her teeth when Qin Rushuang called.

She’d slept in after drinking the night before. Gu Qianyue had asked her to lunch, so she was just getting ready when she saw “Qin Mom” pop up on the screen.

She paused, then answered, curious what she wanted.

“Yunye, Wanwan’s come down with a bad fever. She’s at the hospital on an IV. She won’t let me take care of her… If you have time, could you go see her?”

Luo Yunye spit out her toothpaste and replied coldly, “President Qin, you know I’m divorced from Qin Yiwan.”

She added, “I’m having lunch with my girlfriend. Sorry, I won’t be able to visit.”

She hung up, then hovered over Butler Lin’s contact for a second—maybe to ask about Qin Yiwan’s condition—but decided against it.

It’s just a fever, she told herself. Nothing serious. She’s had them before. She’ll be fine.

******

For their first date, Gu Qianyue dressed extra nicely. Luo Yunye, with her subtle makeup, looked effortlessly elegant.

They went to a private kitchen restaurant—coincidentally, the same one where Qin Yiwan had taken Luo Yunye for her birthday.

This time, Gu Qianyue booked the whole place. Under the soft strains of a violin, the two of them sipped red wine and shared a quiet, slightly flirtatious meal.

Then Luo Yunye’s phone vibrated, disrupting the atmosphere. She glanced at the caller ID and stiffened. Heart pounding, she stood up. “Excuse me. I’ll take this outside.”

The screen kept flashing: “Wife.”

Luo Yunye stepped out, took a deep breath, and answered, “Hello? Who is this?”

Qin Yiwan heard the question and knew—Luo Yunye must’ve deleted her number.

“It’s me,” she said.

She was holding the rings, the ones that  Luo Yunye had commissioned before their divorce. 

Luo Yunye already knew it was her. Her voice remained calm. “Miss Qin. What is it?”

“I just received the rings you had made. I have yours… When would be a good time to drop it off?”

“No need,” Luo Yunye replied lightly, almost amused. “We’re divorced. I don’t need a wedding ring anymore. You can throw it out. Thanks.”

“T-Throw it out?”

“Mhm. Or do whatever you want with it. But there’s no need to contact me about it again.”

Her tone was polite—almost cold. Strictly business.

Qin Yiwan’s eyes stung. She’d known this would happen, but still, she’d hoped… Now hearing it for real, it hurt more than she expected.

“Okay. I understand.”

After hanging up, Luo Yunye looked at the contact name—“Wife.”

She hesitated, then changed it to “Miss Qin.” A moment later, she added her to the block list.