After the Divorce, the Heiress Omega Regretted It - Chapter 52

The forest behind Jingling Temple was once lush and green. After several days of heavy snowfall, it now lay cloaked in white—an ideal place to enjoy a snowy landscape.

Gu Qianyue held onto Luo Yunye’s arm and said she wanted to climb to the top to see the snow.

Qin Yiwan hooked her arm around Gu Qianyue’s. “Sounds good, let’s go together.”

Luo Yunye didn’t want her tagging along and directly declined, “Miss Qin, why don’t you go with Miss Luo Yunyi instead? Qianyue and I want some time alone.”

Qin Yiwan hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection. She stood frozen for a moment.

Gu Qianyue had originally come to meet Luo Yunye for a date and didn’t want others tagging along—especially Luo Yunyi, whom she disliked. But she couldn’t bring herself to say no outright.

She hadn’t expected Luo Yunye to say it so plainly. Embarrassed, Gu Qianyue gave an awkward laugh and tried to smooth things over. “Wanwan, don’t take it to heart. You know how it is—we just started dating, still in the honeymoon phase. We just want a little alone time.”

“As if we’ve never had alone time,” Luo Yunyi muttered, pulling Qin Yiwan’s arm and dragging her away. “Come on, Wanwan. Let’s go do our own thing. We don’t need to hang out with them.”

“I just thought it’d be more fun with a group,” Qin Yiwan said, glancing at Luo Yunye and offering a small, apologetic smile. “Sorry for intruding.”

She turned to leave as soon as she finished. Gu Qianyue wanted to follow and say something, but Luo Yunye held her back by the wrist. “Let her go.”

Seeing Luo Yunyi following after her, Gu Qianyue didn’t insist. She frowned slightly and looked at Luo Yunye. “You don’t… seem to like Wanwan very much?”

“No,” Luo Yunye took her hand and started walking up the mountain. “I just don’t want to be disturbed.”

Gu Qianyue was delighted by this response. She clung to her arm, leaning into her with a playful pout. “So possessive? If we really become a couple, will I still be allowed to hang out with my friends?”

“Of course,” Luo Yunye slipped her hand into her coat pocket. “I’m not unreasonable.”

On the way up, they encountered quite a few people also there to enjoy the snow. Many temple visitors had come prepared—after offering incense, they brought snacks to enjoy on the mountain, chatting and taking photos with friends and family. Some rested at a mountainside pavilion, sharing their food and taking in the view. It was all very relaxing.

Luo Yunye and Gu Qianyue hadn’t planned ahead, so they didn’t bring any food. When Luo Yunye spotted someone selling oranges nearby, she went over, bought a few, peeled one, and handed it to Gu Qianyue.

If it had been before, Gu Qianyue would’ve turned up her nose at such ugly-looking oranges. But now, with limited options—and more importantly, because she was with Luo Yunye—everything tasted sweet.

After a while, Gu Qianyue noticed that Qin Yiwan and Luo Yunyi had also reached the pavilion. She glanced at Luo Yunye, hesitating—she wanted to call out to them, but was afraid they’d come over and annoy Luo Yunye.

While she hesitated, Qin Yiwan and Luo Yunyi walked straight into the pavilion and sat across from them without even acknowledging their presence.

Luo Yunyi took off her backpack and handed Qin Yiwan a box of strawberries and cherries she’d brought along. Qin Yiwan thanked her, opened the box, then got up and walked over to Gu Qianyue.

“Qianyue, want some fruit?”

Gu Qianyue felt embarrassed and gave her an apologetic look as she picked out a strawberry. “Thanks, Wanwan.”

Then Qin Yiwan turned to Luo Yunye and held out the box. “Miss Yunye, would you like some fruit?”

Luo Yunye gave her a glance, then looked away. “No, thank you.”

Qin Yiwan took a slow breath, nodded, and returned to her seat. She placed the fruit between herself and Luo Yunyi, then picked up a strawberry and took a bite. Juice burst forth as she bit down.

Luo Yunyi reached for a tissue and leaned over to wipe her mouth. Qin Yiwan didn’t move, but out of the corner of her eye, she looked at Luo Yunye.

Luo Yunye wasn’t even looking their way, seemingly indifferent to how close the two were.

Gu Qianyue leaned in and whispered into Luo Yunye’s ear, “Look at them—Luo Yunyi even wiped her mouth. They’re way more intimate than we are.”

Luo Yunye tucked a stray lock of Gu Qianyue’s hair behind her ear and leaned in close. “If you want, we can be more intimate too.”

From Qin Yiwan’s angle, it looked like her lips were nearly brushing Gu Qianyue’s ear. She couldn’t hear what was said, but Gu Qianyue giggled, playfully smacking her. “That’s too much! I’m not that dramatic.”

Luo Yunye took the opportunity to pull Gu Qianyue into her arms. Her gaze swept coldly across the pavilion toward Qin Yiwan, expressionless—but the meaning was clear. She was emphasizing her relationship with Gu Qianyue and silently telling Qin Yiwan to stop having thoughts she shouldn’t.

Qin Yiwan met her gaze and suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She looked away, only to feel an arm suddenly drape over her shoulders. It was Luo Yunyi, who looked provocatively at Luo Yunye.

Qin Yiwan abruptly stood. “I’m going to take a look over there.”

She stepped out of the pavilion and walked through the snow toward the edge of the mountain. The view here was expansive, offering a clear look at the snowy world below.

Luo Yunyi wanted to go with her, but just as she stood, a call came in from home. The signal was weak, and she had to keep shifting her phone to get a better connection.

A few latecomers noticed Qin Yiwan standing at the edge, silhouetted beautifully against the snowy landscape, and came over to take photos.

More and more people gathered, and Qin Yiwan, not wanting to be in their shots, stepped aside. But she misjudged—her foot slipped on the snow, and she tumbled, falling and rolling down the slope.

“Oh my god! Someone just fell down the mountain!”

“Hurry! Quick!”

Luo Yunye and Gu Qianyue heard the commotion and stood up.

Seeing Luo Yunyi still fiddling with her phone and no sign of Qin Yiwan, Gu Qianyue grew nervous. “Where’s Wanwan?”

Nearby tourists were panicking. “Who fell? Who was it?”

“It was a woman in a black puffer coat and a hat—she was posing for pictures and slipped.”

“Has someone called for rescue? If not, I’ll call now.”

“We already did—just now.”

Gu Qianyue’s heart dropped when she heard the woman who fell wore a black coat and a hat. She shoved through the crowd. “Wanwan—did Wanwan fall?”

A fog had begun to settle over the mountain. From here, they couldn’t see a thing down below. Panic swelled in Gu Qianyue’s chest. She reached for her phone to call rescue, but others said they’d already done so.

“Yunye, what do we do now?” she asked, nearly in tears.

Though a storm of emotion raged inside her, Luo Yunye remained outwardly calm. “Don’t panic. I’ll go down and check.”

“Are you going to climb down from here?” Gu Qianyue grabbed her arm. “No, don’t—what if you fall too? I’d be worried sick.”

When Luo Yunyi came back and heard what had happened, she was so shaken that she collapsed to the ground. Crawling to the edge, she shouted down into the fog, “Wanwan!”

The mountain was cold and blanketed in snow. If Qin Yiwan had lost consciousness, hypothermia was a serious risk.

Luo Yunye knew they couldn’t wait any longer. She cupped Gu Qianyue’s cheek and said gently, “Don’t worry. I’m really good at climbing. Wait here—if I find her, I’ll call you.”

“Yunye… Yunye…” Gu Qianyue didn’t want her to take the risk, but also didn’t want to waste time that could save Qin Yiwan’s life. Torn between the two, she watched Luo Yunye grab nearby weeds and tree roots and start going down.

Seeing her move so swiftly and with such agility, Gu Qianyue relaxed just a little. Then she looked over and saw Luo Yunyi still lying dramatically on the ground.

She kicked her. “Why are you still on the ground? Don’t you like Wanwan? Why aren’t you going down to find her?”

“I…” Luo Yunyi wanted to help, but she had zero athletic ability. From this height, she’d probably tumble down like Qin Yiwan had—only making things worse.

Besides, Luo Yunye was already down there.

As Luo Yunye made her way down, gripping roots and wild grass, one patch came loose and sent her sliding several meters. She quickly grabbed at whatever she could. Her palm scraped across sharp stalks, stinging as bl00d welled from the cuts.

She clenched her teeth to steady herself, then continued downward. Mist curled through the mountain, obscuring her vision. With Qin Yiwan dressed entirely in black, spotting her in the fog became a real challenge.

The slope was covered in tall wild grass, and beyond that was a stretch of dense forest.

Luckily, a relatively flat section appeared mid-slope. Luo Yunye vaguely spotted Qin Yiwan’s figure—she was clinging to the grass, inching her way across. Once she landed on level ground, Luo Yunye hurried over and lifted her up. “Qin Yiwan? Qin Yiwan, wake up!”

Everything around them was a blur of white mist. Luo Yunye pulled out her phone—no signal. She couldn’t call or even message Gu Qianyue.

Yiwan’s hand was ice-cold. Afraid she might go into hypothermia, Luo Yunye held her tightly, her cheek pressed to Yiwan’s, and tucked Yiwan’s hands inside her own clothes to warm them up.

But as the heat her body had stored from descending the mountain began to dissipate, Luo Yunye started to feel the chill herself. Now all she could do was hope rescue would come quickly.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, swallowing what little sunlight remained. The mountain air turned even colder and dimmer. Luo Yunye tightened her grip around Qin Yiwan as her mind raced for a solution.

Then she remembered—she had packed a lighter days ago to light fireworks for Gu Qianyu. Since they were also going to burn incense today, she had kept it in her bag.

She gently laid Yiwan down and began gathering all the nearby wild grass into a pile. As long as someone up the mountain saw the fire, they’d know where to find them.

After pulling up the grass, she collected some dry branches. Making sure the fire wouldn’t spread to the surrounding brush, Luo Yunye crouched down and struck the lighter.

The snow-dampened grass wouldn’t catch easily. It took her several attempts, but finally, the flames began to grow steadily. Once the fire was burning bright, she returned to Yiwan and held her close again, the two of them warming beside the blaze.

With the fire crackling, the warmth returned to their limbs. Luo Yunye silently prayed that Qianyue and the others would see the smoke and hurry down.

Wrapped in heat, Qin Yiwan slowly stirred awake. Her mind was groggy and her body was heavy. She looked at the person in front of her and, for a moment, thought she was dreaming.

“…Yunye?”

She reached up to touch Luo Yunye’s face, only for the other woman to flinch away. Yiwan gave a small, helpless smile. “Do you hate me that much? Even in my dream, you won’t let me touch your face?”

“If you’re awake, Miss Qin, then sit up and warm yourself properly.”

Luo Yunye helped her sit up. After a few moments, Qin Yiwan’s head cleared, and she realized—it wasn’t a dream.

She remembered tumbling down the mountain. But how had Luo Yunye ended up here?

“Did you fall down, too?”

That didn’t seem right. Luo Yunye hadn’t been standing near her earlier. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they both fell to the same spot.

“No… wait.” Yiwan frowned. “You came down here on purpose to find me?”

Luo Yunye stirred the fire with a stick and turned away. “I couldn’t just let you freeze to death here.”

“Why not?” Yiwan looked at her intently. “Wouldn’t that be a perfect way to avenge A’wan?”

Luo Yunye picked up a stone and hurled it into the flames. Sparks shot upward, dancing across her cold, tense face. “I told you—don’t bring up A’wan.”

Yiwan was startled by her sudden anger and held her breath. “If you can’t let A’wan go but still date Qianyue, that’s not fair to her.”

“If you know I’m with Qianyue, then what the hell are you doing today?”

Luo Yunye suddenly grabbed her by the collar and yanked her close, fingers tightening around her neck. Her voice was low and icy. “Qin Yiwan, worry about yourself. Stay out of things that don’t concern you.”

Yiwan stared back at her, grabbed her coat, and pulled her down sharply. She tilted her head up and kissed her.

Luo Yunye hadn’t seen it coming. Her eyes went wide, and she shoved Yiwan away forcefully. Yiwan fell back onto the ground, panting.

“You say you don’t want to hurt Qianyue—how is this fair to her? She was nearly in tears when she found out you’d fallen down the mountain!”

Yiwan turned her head. She saw Luo Yunye furiously wiping her lips again and again, like she was trying to scrub away contamination.

Her heart broke a little more. She said softly, “I just… for a moment, I thought we were still in that dream—falling together down the slope. I lost control. Don’t take it to heart. I won’t let Qianyue know anything until you two break up.”

“Don’t bother,” Luo Yunye snapped. “We’re not breaking up.”

“You two won’t last,” Yiwan said quietly. “Qianyue is the Gu family’s darling. They’re never going to let someone like you, with no background, into their home.”

She smiled bitterly, only then realizing her face hurt. She reached up and touched it and her fingertips came away red. “Is my face bleeding?”

Luo Yunye had noticed earlier. A thin cut, made by wild grass, dotted her cheek with tiny crimson beads—strangely beautiful in the firelight.

“It’s nothing. Just a scratch. It’ll heal soon.”

But Luo Yunye was burning up. She didn’t know if it was the fire or something else, but her whole body felt hot and tight. Her patience wore thin, and she didn’t want to talk anymore.

She unzipped her coat roughly and started breathing heavily.

Across from her, Yiwan noticed something strange—the scent of winter plum blossoms lingering in the air.

Sure, it was the right season for plum trees to bloom, and finding them in the mountains wasn’t strange. But the fragrance had appeared suddenly… and was intensifying by the second, thick enough to make her head spin.

She rubbed her temples. “Yunye… are you… entering your heat cycle?”

The words hit Luo Yunye like a slap of cold water. She always used inhibitors at the first sign—never once had she let it run its course.

Now, her whole body itched like ants were crawling under her skin. Sweat gathered on her forehead. And when she looked at Qin Yiwan—she wanted to bite her, kiss her, strip her bare…

The thought alone made her feel even worse.

No. She couldn’t.

She was human. Not a beast.

“Get away from me,” she gasped, curling in on herself. “Stay back.”

“Yunye…”

Seeing Yiwan about to step forward, Luo Yunye gritted her teeth and shouted, “I said get away from me!”

Yiwan froze where she stood, torn between advancing or retreating. Her hands clenched, then loosened again. “I’m just trying to help. I promise… I won’t tell Qianyue anything.”

“If you really want to help me, Qin Yiwan… then please,” Luo Yunye said through clenched teeth, “just stay away.”

She would rather endure this torment than lay a finger on her.

Qin Yiwan took a slow step back, and another. Her eyes brimmed with tears again.

Falling down the mountain hadn’t hurt this much.

Not even close.