My Ex Who Dumped Me Comes to Hook Me Up Every Day - Chapter 15

Jiang Yuhuai gently rubbed her wine glass and murmured, “I know.”

Under the dim lighting, her face appeared pale, as if she might collapse at any moment. Yet a stubborn, unwavering glint shone in her eyes.

It was unclear whether she was still recovering from the injuries she’d sustained a few days earlier or simply exhausted from her shift the previous night.

Even Lu Yitong, who never held back her sharp tongue, found herself unable to say anything too harsh.

Jiang Yuhuai had never really had any other girlfriends; her only true relationship had been with Jin Zhou.

But C City was vast, and Jin Zhou had even moved abroad. After all these years, for Jiang Yuhuai to suddenly and inexplicably reunite with her ex-girlfriend?

It was like losing a hundred-yuan bill while traveling, only to have the same bill blow back and slap you in the face at work the next day.

More likely to happen in a dream.

Lu Yitong studied Jiang Yuhuai’s shifting expression.

Was this a fated, karmic entanglement, or was someone deliberately orchestrating this reunion?

She suspected the latter was more likely.

Lu Yitong asked bluntly, “Did you seek her out?”

Jiang Yuhuai shook her head.

“We ran into each other by chance. She was drunk, and then…”

In Lu Yitong’s eyes, this deliberate omission was entirely unnecessary.

After all, they were both adults. When the wheels of the car were practically rolling over her face, she couldn’t possibly misunderstand what he meant.

Lu Yitong raised an eyebrow. “So, you two ended up in bed again?”

Jiang Yuhuai remained silent for a moment before explaining, “I took advantage of her.”

Lu Yitong waved dismissively. “Alright, alright, spare me the details. You’re the bottom anyway, whether you took advantage or not makes no difference.”

Jiang Yuhuai shook his head, adding with meticulous precision, “I’m a 0.5.”

Lu Yitong: “Oh.”

Who cares who’s the top or bottom? No one gives a damn, okay?

I’m a single aristocrat, I’m a single aristocrat, a single aristocrat…

After mentally repeating this mantra a hundred times, Lu Yitong pressed, “And then what happened?”

Jiang Yuhuai briefly recounted the rest of the story.

Lu Yitong pondered aloud, “She rescued you and got hurt in the process?”

Jiang Yuhuai nodded slightly.

Lu Yitong spoke frankly, “Honestly, I think lawyers are just naturally driven by a sense of justice. Maybe she really was just trying to save her client? Don’t you think so?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yuhuai agreed, his eyes lowered in a submissive manner.

Lu Yitong had never met Jin Zhou in person, and her knowledge of their relationship came primarily from Jiang Yuhuai’s accounts.

But Jiang Yuhuai was reluctant to share many details, claiming she had forgotten most of them.

All that remained vividly in her memory was the living-dead-like apathy that had enveloped her.

A tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

Lu Yitong scratched her head, feeling utterly stumped. “What are you thinking? Do you still like her?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yuhuai replied.

Under the colorful club lights, Jiang Yuhuai’s pupils shimmered with iridescent hues, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

Lu Yitong wasn’t particularly surprised by this answer.

She had long suspected that her friend had never truly let go of her feelings for her ex-girlfriend.

“Do you still want to be with her?” Lu Yitong pressed.

This question seemed far more difficult to answer.

Jiang Yuhuai hesitated for a long moment before finally saying, “Yes.”

But the matter wasn’t about what she wanted.

Lu Yitong saw through her thoughts and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“Asking you is pointless. The real question is whether that Little Lawyer even wants to get back together with you.”

Jiang Yuhuai lifted her glass and took a small sip, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Lu Yitong narrowed her eyes and asked a question that had been burning in her mind for ages: “How did you two even meet in the first place?”

Jiang Yuhuai and Jin Zhou’s first encounter had happened long ago.

At that time, she hadn’t even started college yet.

That day, Jiang Yuhuai was busy as usual at the shop, with a long line of customers waiting outside.

In a deserted corner of the plaza, a girl had suddenly appeared.

She had dark, half-tied hair, wore a blue-and-white baseball jacket, and light-wash jeans.

Her skin was fair and delicate, giving her a clean and refreshing look.

A very beautiful person, Jiang Yuhuai thought of Jin Zhou at first glance.

But with the shop so busy, handling customers was already a challenge. If it had been just that, Jin Zhou wouldn’t have warranted Jiang Yuhuai’s individual attention.

When exactly did Jiang Yuhuai start focusing on this girl?

It began when she noticed Jin Zhou occasionally glancing at her.

Jin Zhou always had a deep frown etched between her brows, her thin lips pressed into a tight line, and her high, proud nose gave her an air of brooding intensity.

Only in those fleeting glances at Jiang Yuhuai did a bright spark flicker, revealing a genuine, youthful radiance.

Instinctively drawn to this contrast, Jiang Yuhuai grew curious about the reason behind this transformation.

It didn’t take long to find the answer.

Jin Zhou stood outside the shop until nightfall. Just before closing time, she treated all the staff to milk tea.

From that day on, she came every day.

As usual, she bought milk tea for everyone, but with one difference: Jiang Yuhuai’s cup was the most expensive, accompanied by a variety of fancy cupcakes.

Jin Zhou made no attempt to hide her feelings.

Even Jiang Yuhuai, who was usually oblivious to romantic advances, couldn’t help but notice the special treatment.

As a result, she never drank the milk tea Jin Zhou offered, and she shared the cupcakes with the other staff.

Then one day, Jin Zhou cornered Jiang Yuhuai on her way home from work and confessed her feelings.

At that moment, Jiang Yuhuai didn’t hear the girl’s fervent and passionate confession. Instead, she was calculating the cost.

One cup of milk tea cost twenty yuan, so eight cups would be one hundred and sixty yuan, plus the cupcakes.

It probably cost around two hundred yuan, maybe more.

This had been going on for half a month straight.

Three thousand yuan—to Jin Zhou, it seemed like just a casual remark.

That was more than Jiang Yuhuai earned from her summer job in two months, and more than Jiang Xuemei made in half a month of hard work.

Jiang Yuhuai and Jin Zhou belonged to different worlds.

She had no desire to pursue any further contact with Jin Zhou, not even friendship.

Jiang Yuhuai lowered her gaze and answered Lu Yitong’s question: “When I was working at the milk tea shop.”

Lu Yitong hesitated. “…She worked with you?”

Jiang Yuhuai shook her head. “We just happened to meet.”

Lu Yitong pondered. “So, she started pursuing you from then on?”

Jiang Yuhuai stared at the liquid in her glass, seemingly lost in thought.

“Yes.”

Perhaps the shock of their reunion had stirred something deep within her. For once, Jiang Yuhuai was willing to talk more than usual.

Lu Yitong seized the opportunity. “Then why did you break up with her?”

“Because…”

Jiang Yuhuai paused, her eyes filled with complex emotions, as if unsure where to begin.

Lu Yitong ventured a guess. “Was there trouble in the relationship?”

Jiang Yuhuai firmly denied it. “No.”

Lu Yitong understood.

“So, there was some hidden reason? Can you tell me about it?”

Jiang Yuhuai’s brow furrowed slightly, looking deeply conflicted.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Lu Yitong knew Jiang Yuhuai’s reserved nature well. Her usual reticence was normal; it would be strange if she suddenly opened up completely.

She smiled to ease the tension. “If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. We’ve known each other for years—don’t give me that act.”

Jiang Yuhuai was well aware of Lu Yitong’s understanding nature. She smiled back. “Then I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Deal.”

Lu Yitong ordered enthusiastically, and in an instant, the table was covered with aesthetically pleasing shot glasses.

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Yuhuai would likely have urged Lu Yitong to drink less.

But today, she too was in the mood to indulge herself, so she didn’t say a word to stop her.

They continued chatting idly.

“So, does Jin Zhou know why you broke up with her?”

“No.”

Lu Yitong’s words slurred slightly. “When are you planning to tell her?”

Whether from lack of rest or the alcohol taking effect, Jiang Yuhuai felt a dull ache in her temples. She closed her eyes, propping her head with one hand, trying to ease the discomfort.

“I don’t have any plans to tell her for now.”

Lu Yitong’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Jiang Yuhuai gave a faint reply.

“Mm.”

Lu Yitong earnestly advised her, “How can you win her back if you don’t say anything? If you have a reason, now’s the time to explain. You might even gain some sympathy points. Maybe the Little Lawyer will soften and agree to get back together, right?”

Jiang Yuhuai shook her head. “It’s not appropriate.”

Lu Yitong’s vision went dark.

“Not suitable? What’s not suitable?”

Lu Yitong grabbed Jiang Yuhuai by the shoulders and shook her vigorously, as if trying to shake the water out of her brain.

“Dr. Jiang? Jiang Yuhuai? Big Sister Jiang? Please listen to Teacher Lu’s advice, okay?”

Jiang Yuhuai opened her eyes slightly, her voice soft but firm, leaving no room for argument. “I still want to wait a little longer.”

In truth, she had taken Lu Yitong’s words to heart. She knew she needed to explain things to Jin Zhou.

But not to play the sympathy card, and certainly not to exploit Jin Zhou’s potential regret or remorse by pressuring her to reconcile.

This was an answer she had owed Jin Zhou all along.

Jiang Yuhuai would tell Jin Zhou exactly what had happened back then, and why she had left.

The problem was, she wasn’t sure how to deliver these truths in a way that would minimize the pain for Jin Zhou.

More importantly…

Jiang Yuhuai had been the one to end their relationship. Even knowing the truth, Jin Zhou’s pain couldn’t be erased.

People often say that a broken mirror can never be made whole again.

This means that no matter how a shattered bronze mirror is repaired, it will always bear a web of cracks across its surface.

This is an objective truth.

But when Jiang Yuhuai applied this to her relationship with Jin Zhou, she refused to accept this predetermined, judgment-like conclusion.

She thought—

I’ll face it head-on. I’ll make amends.

I’ll forge a whole mirror anew.

The twenty-one-year-old Jin Zhou and Jiang Yuhuai were a thing of the past.

But the twenty-seven-year-old Jiang Yuhuai still had a chance to be seen anew by Jin Zhou.

The night was half over. Having finished her work, Jin Zhou prepared to sleep.

Ding-a-ling!

A sudden ringtone pierced the silence.

Jin Zhou turned to look at her phone on the bedside table.

The screen lit up, displaying an unknown number.