My Ex-Girlfriend Said She Was A Fairy - Chapter 3

The atmosphere was terrible.

All around them, the chatter was loud and lively, but between the two of them, it was as cold as if everything had frozen solid.

This wasn’t a good time for a reunion, Wen Yuchuan thought helplessly as she watched Ji Qingyi bury herself in her food, refusing to even glance her way. But Wen Yuchuan had no choice but to do this now, regardless of the circumstances.

After all, she wasn’t trying to reconcile with the other woman. She just needed Ji Qingyi to remember her—whether it was fondness or resentment, as long as she felt something unusual toward her, that was enough. So-called “having feelings” could include either love or hate, right?

Still, even so, if possible, Wen Yuchuan hoped Ji Qingyi wouldn’t despise her quite so much. She wondered what she could say to break the ice, but nothing came to mind. Nothing would work.

For a moment, she regretted her decision. Anything she said now would be ill-timed. Maybe she should have waited longer. But there was no going back to before they entered the restaurant, so she had no choice but to carefully weigh her words.

“Is it good?”

After much deliberation, that was all she managed to say.

Ji Qingyi glanced up at the woman across from her. She didn’t want to engage in such a forced, meaningless conversation and chose to remain silent.

That should shut her up, Ji Qingyi thought.

…

A new round of silence began. If they were still together, Wen Yuchuan would have accused her of giving her the cold shoulder. But considering they had broken up a year ago—and it was Wen Yuchuan who had initiated it, using some absurdly vague reason at that—she had no right to complain. The fact that Ji Qingyi hadn’t cursed her out already spoke volumes about her restraint.

Before Wen Yuchuan could come up with a more natural line, Ji Qingyi suddenly stood up. She had finished eating.

Ji Qingyi was treating her like a complete stranger now, Wen Yuchuan thought. That much aligned with her expectations, but… Wen Yuchuan was starting to regret how abstractly she had acted back then. It left her with no plausible story to spin now, no way to make the other woman forgive her.

“It’s dark out. Let me walk you back.”

Wen Yuchuan spoke with her usual smile.

The corners of her lips remained effortlessly lifted, but seeing that familiar, carefree grin only made Ji Qingyi feel worse.

“No need.”

Ji Qingyi’s tone was icy.

The moment she spoke, she realized how stiff she sounded, as if she was angry. She should have been more polite—that would have been the natural way to treat a stranger. Maybe adding a “thank you” at the end. But those words stuck in her throat, unsaid. Probably because she really didn’t want to show this woman any courtesy.

Her bluntness made it seem like she was still hung up on her ex. And though that was true, Ji Qingyi didn’t want the other woman to think so.

At that thought, Ji Qingyi couldn’t help but sigh. Her performance was just awful. If this were a competition between exes reuniting, she had already lost. At the very least, she couldn’t fake that indifferent smile like the other woman could.

Tch. So damn annoying. Ji Qingyi shot another glance at her before looking away.

“Just to the end of the street.”

“No.”

Hearing the blunt refusal repeated, Wen Yuchuan didn’t respond further. She opened her mouth slightly but made no sound. The words on the tip of her tongue slid back down her throat with a swallow, disappearing into the silence.

Ji Qingyi noticed the other person hesitating to speak, biting her lower lip until the slight pain brought her back to her senses.

She couldn’t help but let out another soft sigh.

It wasn’t as if Ji Qingyi had never imagined reuniting with Wen Yuchuan. But imagination and reality were worlds apart—everything had caught her completely off guard.

In her fantasies, she should have been far more natural and carefree, dressed impeccably, utterly indifferent to the past. She would have teased the other person effortlessly, slipping in a few mocking remarks here and there. That was how Ji Qingyi had thought she would handle it—more mature, more composed, detached and free of any intense emotions.

But reality was nothing like that. Fortunately, she had always been good at pretending. Playing the part of someone aloof and indifferent was second nature to her, at least sparing her from looking any more disheveled than she already felt.

She couldn’t afford to feel sorry for the other person. Watching Wen Yuchuan lower her eyes, revealing a rare flicker of emotion, Ji Qingyi reminded herself. They had no ties anymore. There was no reason for her to care.

Without another glance at the person across the table, Ji Qingyi turned and walked straight out the door.

The night had grown even colder.

The rain had left behind a damp chill that seeped into the bones like a magical attack, piercing deep into the body.

Puddles dotted the ground, reflecting the city’s lights and turning the surroundings into a mirrored world, the bright reflections almost dizzying to the eyes.

Ji Qingyi tightened her coat around her as she walked, feeling cold both inside and out. She glanced at the person trailing beside her and sighed inwardly. The food Wen Yuchuan had just ordered had barely arrived before she abandoned it entirely, following Ji Qingyi out without taking a single bite.

But there was nothing Ji Qingyi could do about it. If Wen Yuchuan insisted on tagging along so stubbornly, she couldn’t exactly pick a fight to drive her away.

Wait—wasn’t this stalking? Technically, if an ex was harassing you, you could call the police, right? Ji Qingyi suddenly considered the idea. She was still debating whether it was worth threatening Wen Yuchuan with that when she heard the other woman speak softly.

“Watch out.”

Before Ji Qingyi could react, a sudden glare of light flashed in her eyes. The next moment, she was pulled in front of Wen Yuchuan as a car sped past, splashing water exactly where Ji Qingyi had been about to step.

…

It wasn’t a big deal, but getting drenched would have been miserable.

Now, Ji Qingyi could hardly scold her. At the very least, she couldn’t immediately tell her to leave—not after Wen Yuchuan had just helped her. Damn it. Why did that car have to show up at the worst possible moment? Ji Qingyi glared at the retreating taillights.

Her wrist was still being held. She gave it a slight shake, and Wen Yuchuan obediently let go.

Swallowing her irritation at the car, Ji Qingyi turned back to Wen Yuchuan, who was still smiling—lips curved, dark eyes crinkling as she looked at her.

This woman was insufferable.

Tch. Ji Qingyi clicked her tongue in displeasure. To make things worse, she immediately heard Wen Yuchuan’s quiet laugh, which to her ears sounded like pure mockery.

“We’re at the intersection. No need to walk me further.”

At the crosswalk, Ji Qingyi suddenly spoke, recalling Wen Yuchuan’s earlier words.

“Alright, I won’t.”

Wen Yuchuan didn’t press further, and Ji Qingyi secretly exhaled in relief.

“Which way are you going? I’m heading that way.”

Wen Yuchuan asked casually, pointing toward the direction she intended to take—across the street.

What rotten luck. Ji Qingyi was going the same way.

…

Today must be cursed—what awful luck.

Ji Qingyi’s face remained expressionless. Though she wanted to scream and vent her frustration, she quickly dismissed the thought. It seemed exhausting, and just imagining it made her throat hurt. Better to stay quiet and pretend nothing happened.

It’s fine, just a little farther. It’s not like we live together, haha. She comforted herself with these words, only to suddenly feel like fate had dealt her a cruel hand.

The only resistance she could muster against this wretched situation was to keep her face cold and silent. It wasn’t an act of aloofness—she was just too tired to speak.

And so, the two of them stood side by side in an eerily quiet atmosphere, waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

“You’re heading this way too? What a coincidence.”

No, not a coincidence at all.

Ji Qingyi felt inexplicably irritated at the sight of Wen Yuchuan’s upturned lips. Still, she held back, stubbornly refusing to say a word.

“Do you live far from here?”

Wen Yuchuan spoke again.

By now, they had already crossed the street and, as if by unspoken agreement, turned the same corner. In a few hundred meters, they would reach the entrance of Ji Qingyi’s apartment complex.

…

Is this person actually following me?

Ji Qingyi didn’t respond. Instead, she suddenly stopped walking—she had reached her limit.

She turned to face Wen Yuchuan, who was slightly taller. She had to tilt her head up to meet those eyes—eyes so familiar that locking gazes with them filled her with an involuntary pang of sorrow.

“Stop following me,” she said, struggling to suppress her emotions, her expression stern.

“I’m not following you,” Wen Yuchuan replied with a light laugh, her tone cheerful. As if worried about upsetting the other, she tacked on a coaxing note at the end.

“Then why are you walking this way?”

“Because I live just ahead.”

Ji Qingyi froze for a few seconds at the response. It can’t be that much of a coincidence…

“What, do you live up ahead too?”

“…”

Ji Qingyi chose silence. She could only console herself with the thought that there was more than one complex ahead—surely her luck wasn’t that bad. And even if they were in the same complex, they couldn’t possibly be in the same building, on the same floor… though she had heard that the tenant next door had just moved out.

…No, no, no. There’s no way I’m that unlucky. If it really turns out to be this much of a coincidence, I’ll have to find time to burn some incense and cleanse myself of this bad luck.

Shaking off her thoughts, she started walking again. Wen Yuchuan continued trailing behind.

Ji Qingyi wanted nothing to do with her, but Wen Yuchuan kept trying to strike up a conversation, chattering away without a care for peace and quiet. Even though Ji Qingyi refused to respond, the other woman seemed undeterred.

Is the silent treatment not working? She distinctly remembered a time when the slightest cold shoulder would send Wen Yuchuan rushing to her side, half-jokingly, half-pitifully accusing her—making her want to laugh despite herself, only to end up indulging her even more.

Tch. Why am I thinking about the past again?

Annoyed at her own wandering thoughts, Ji Qingyi let out an impatient sound, cutting off the memories.

Before she could fully regain her focus, the path ahead suddenly darkened. Her feet carried her forward out of habit—until she bumped into something.

“Do you really hate me that much?”

Wen Yuchuan had unknowingly positioned herself in front of Ji Qingyi. Hearing the dissatisfaction in Ji Qingyi’s voice, she instinctively blocked the other’s path, and pitiful words slipped effortlessly from between her teeth.

The other stood too close, blocking the distant lights. When Ji Qingyi looked up, all she could see in the darkness were Wen Yuchuan’s pitch-black pupils, faintly glimmering.

Though her words feigned grievance, the corners of her lips curled in a faint, casual smile.

It was just a meaningless joke, not serious—Ji Qingyi felt as if the other was saying this. Once again, she felt toyed with.

Casually uttering ambiguous words that crossed the boundaries of their relationship was something she aspired to do. But now, even giving a natural response felt like an impossible task. She was still the one being played with.

Ji Qingyi felt a sting in the tip of her nose. That familiar ache returned, the same ridiculous feeling she had when they broke up.

“Yeah,” Ji Qingyi blinked a few times, her eyes burning, waiting until the heat subsided before daring to meet the other’s gaze again. She spoke deliberately, word by word, “So could you please stay away from me?”

This was absolutely not what Ji Qingyi wanted. She had always hoped to appear composed, to make sure the other couldn’t detect that she still clung to the past. But in that moment, she couldn’t tolerate Wen Yuchuan’s effortless ease, so the words spilled out just like that.

How pathetic, she thought bitterly. It was obvious—she still cared.

“Sorry…”

Hearing Ji Qingyi’s words, Wen Yuchuan opened her mouth but could only manage an apology. The rest of her words were swallowed back. There was nothing she could say, only a sincere gaze fixed on the other. Her eyes brimmed with sorrow, but in the pitch-black night, Ji Qingyi couldn’t see it.

Not that it would have mattered even if she had. They each had their own grief to conceal—no time to spare for the other’s emotions.