Dating My Ex After Breaking Up - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shen Zhirou sat in the driver’s seat, connected the car’s audio system to her phone’s Bluetooth, and played some soft music. She lowered the window a bit, and a gentle breeze brushed against her face, lifting a few strands of her slightly curly hair. Shen Zhirou tucked them back lightly and focused on driving.

Fifteen minutes later, Shen Zhirou’s car reached the gate of Jiangbei University. She registered with the security guard and drove into the campus. When she arrived at Shen Yumian’s dormitory building, Shen Zhirou called her, “Mianmian, are you ready? I’m downstairs at your dorm.”

“I’m ready. Sis, why did you come to pick me up at the dorm? I could’ve just met you at the main gate. I’m not a three-year-old kid,” Shen Yumian teased her sister playfully. She tied back a strand of her hair, giving it a slightly messy yet charming look.

Shen Yumian wore a white short-sleeved top and a slim-fitting pair of black jeans. Her eyes sparkled with unstoppable energy. She grabbed her phone and rushed downstairs to find her sister, looking as excited as a puppy who hadn’t seen its owner in ages. If she had a tail, Shen Yumian might have wagged it like a propeller.

At school, she was usually composed and mature. When she wore skirts, she seemed especially cool and distant, which made many girls at Jiangbei University like her. But Shen Yumian rejected everyone, male or female. Dating would interfere with her earning money, and she didn’t want her sister to work too hard. She was a total sister’s girl!

Shen Yumian quickly took the elevator downstairs and spotted her sister waiting not far from the dorm entrance.

Shen Zhirou wore a white long dress that day. The waist was perfectly cinched, with a tie design that made her look slim and elegant. Paired with white leather shoes, she looked gentle and serene.

Shen Zhirou saw her sister too. Shen Yumian’s eyes lit up as she ran toward Shen Zhirou and hugged her tightly, cooing, “I missed you so much.”

Shen Zhirou chuckled softly and patted her sister’s back, her eyes full of warmth. “We just met last week. Do you have to be so dramatic?”

“It’s not dramatic. I just missed you,” Shen Yumian said. At school, she was usually aloof, but with her sister, she loved to act spoiled.

Shen Zhirou patted her sister’s back again, her voice calm and steady. “Alright, people are staring at us. Let’s go eat dinner. Get in the car.”

“Did Tongtong change her car?” Shen Yumian asked, noticing her sister was driving a different car.

“No, this is her car,” Shen Zhirou explained as she got into the driver’s seat.

Shen Yumian settled into the passenger seat, puzzled for a moment. After a few seconds, she realized who her sister meant by “her.” Since her sister didn’t have many friends, it had to be Zhao Tongtong, the girlfriend Shen Zhirou met through a blind date.

Shen Yumian caught on, staring intently at Shen Zhirou. “Sis, ‘her’ is your girlfriend?”

“Hmm.” Shen Zhirou’s ears turned slightly red, and her grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“Sis,” Shen Yumian leaned over, her eyes scanning her sister. If not for the seatbelt, she might have tilted her whole body.

Shen Zhirou’s face flushed under her sister’s gaze, her watery eyes showing a hint of shyness. She glanced at Shen Yumian quickly. “What? Sit properly. You’re staring so much, I can barely drive.”

“You seem to really like your girlfriend. I’m so curious what she looks like. Do you have a photo to show me?” Shen Yumian was eager to know who had won her sister’s heart, especially since Shen Zhirou never dated before.

Shen Zhirou thought about it. She didn’t actually have any photos of Lu Yao. They hadn’t taken any together, and Lu Yao never posted selfies on her social media. “No, but I’ll bring her to eat with us sometime.”

“Great! Then we’ll be a family of three—me, you, and your girlfriend. We’ll be a little family,” Shen Yumian said excitedly. Honestly, though their mother stayed in touch over the years, Shen Yumian always felt awkward around her. Maybe childhood memories left too deep an impression, and even now, Shen Yumian couldn’t forget them.

Meanwhile, people who knew Shen Yumian from her dorm started gossiping. After all, humans love to gossip. Shen Yumian was only close with her dorm roommates and spent most of her time working part-time jobs. So, hardly anyone, except her roommates, knew she had a sister.

“Was that Senior Shen from fourth year? Who was she hugging? She’s a bit shorter and looks so gentle.”

“Could it be her girlfriend? I heard from my classmates that Senior Shen never dated in college. Turns out, she’s already taken.”

“And that sister who picked her up was driving a Bentley. I want a rich sister like that too.”

“Yeah, they looked pretty good together when they hugged.”

Shen Zhirou had no idea people were gossiping about her and her sister. She drove to a Sichuan Restaurant, parked the car, and went inside with Shen Yumian. Her sister loved spicy food, and Shen Zhirou was fine with anything, so she picked a place her sister liked.

Shen Yumian teased, “Sis, when I start working, I’ll take you out to eat yummy food every week. Oh, and your girlfriend can come too.”

Shen Zhirou’s eyes softened. Her sister was about to graduate, and Shen Zhirou felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The dishes Shen Zhirou ordered arrived quickly—spicy diced chicken, spicy bl00d curd, and other dishes Shen Yumian loved. Paired with rice and iced juice, it was perfect.

Shen Zhirou wasn’t very hungry. After a few bites, she watched Shen Yumian eat. Shen Yumian had a big appetite and acted like a kid when eating with her sister, not at all like the cool senior her classmates talked about. She even teased her sister now and then.

Shen Zhirou looked at her sister, her eyes curving slightly. When she was in college, she often felt insecure. Her parents’ tuition and living expenses barely covered her needs. If she wanted new clothes or to eat out, she had to work part-time jobs constantly. Her college years were tough and frugal, so when she started her first job, she had little material desire. Others talked about new clothes or makeup, but Shen Zhirou felt unfamiliar with it all and had no urge to buy anything.

Things got better when she joined AFN Group. Her salary increased, and she gradually spent money less cautiously, becoming more confident.

Seeing her sister now, Shen Zhirou felt relieved. Shen Yumian was doing better than she had, not overly self-conscious about their family’s situation. This comforted Shen Zhirou the most. When Shen Yumian was in college, Shen Zhirou’s job was stable. Besides the tuition and living expenses their parents covered, Shen Zhirou sent her sister two thousand yuan each month. She didn’t want Shen Yumian to miss out on group dinners or activities because of money.

Shen Yumian noticed her sister wasn’t eating much and looked up. “Sis, why are you just watching me? Eat with me.”

Shen Zhirou smiled. “Okay, I’ll eat with you. Eat more. I ate at the company cafeteria at noon, so I’m not that hungry.”

“Hmm, eating with you is the best,” Shen Yumian said, showering her sister with compliments and making Shen Zhirou laugh lightly.

After dinner, Shen Zhirou dropped her sister back at the dorm and returned home. She rested in the living room for a bit before showering and changing. By the time she lay in bed, it was past 9 p.m.

Shen Zhirou flopped onto the soft bed, rolled around in the blankets, and checked her phone for pinned messages. There was still no red notification dot. She sighed, tapped the pinned contact lightly, and stared at the starry sky profile picture with a slightly aggrieved look. She mumbled softly, “Is work that busy? Not even one message back? It’s Friday, and you’re still working late?”

No one replied, of course. Her finger tapped Lu Yao’s starry sky profile picture, sending a “patted Lu Yao” message.

Shen Zhirou chuckled and shook her head. Patting probably wouldn’t work with Lu Yao. A kiss might do the trick. Her ears turned red at the thought, and she buried herself in the blankets.

At first, Shen Zhirou wasn’t used to this bed. The mattress was so soft that she sank into it. That night, though, she was too caught up with Lu Yao to notice the mattress’s comfort. After sleeping on it for days, she got used to the softness, but she wasn’t used to not having Lu Yao in her arms.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao finished her work early. After a meeting, she returned to her hotel to rest. She saw all of Shen Zhirou’s messages but didn’t feel like replying. To her, those pointless questions didn’t need answers. But her parents’ visit was unexpected.

Lu Yao thought about Shen Zhirou’s messages and called her parents. Shen Zhirou was her chosen marriage partner, and she rarely met someone so compatible, especially in bed. Lu Yao didn’t want her parents to ruin her plans to marry Shen Zhirou.