My Ex Who Dumped Me Comes to Hook Me Up Every Day - Chapter 20

After an indeterminate amount of time, the sound of rain grew louder in her ears, and Jin Zhou’s consciousness gradually returned.

The conversation had veered into increasingly dangerous territory.

Jin Zhou decided to retreat first.

“I should go upstairs,” she said.

Jiang Yuhuai replied, “I’ll come with you.”

This request was somewhat presumptuous.

After all, the upper floor housed the law firm, not a hospital, and Jiang Yuhuai had no legitimate reason to accompany her.

Yet Jin Zhou didn’t voice her refusal.

With her tacit consent, Jiang Yuhuai entered the office and settled on the sofa in the corner.

Jin Zhou sat at her desk reviewing case files, while Jiang Yuhuai worked on her own tasks on the nearby sofa.

Neither woman explained why they were staying, nor did Jin Zhou ask why Jiang Yuhuai wasn’t leaving.

They spent the time in comfortable silence, sharing a surprisingly pleasant moment.

At 7:50 PM, most of the lights in the law firm went out.

When Jin Zhou finished reviewing the case in front of her and looked up, she found Jiang Yuhuai watching her with focused, earnest eyes.

Feeling slightly awkward, Jin Zhou stood up and grabbed her coat.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

The downpour arrived with fierce intensity. Within hours, the city streets were already flooded to ankle-deep, judging by the pedestrians wading through the water.

Given the intensifying rain, it seemed likely that car travel would be restricted within a few more hours.

“Want to grab a bite together?”

“How are you getting home?”

The two women asked simultaneously.

Jin Zhou deliberately ignored Jiang Yuhuai’s invitation.

Seeing her lack of response, Jiang Yuhuai volunteered, “I didn’t drive. I guess I’ll have to wade home.”

Jin Zhou glanced up at her.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but behind Jiang Yuhuai’s innocent gaze, she thought she caught a flicker of shrewdness.

“…Then I’ll give you a ride.”

A subtle curve appeared at the corner of Jiang Yuhuai’s lips. “Then I’ll trouble you, Lawyer Jin.”

They got into the car, Jin Zhou staring straight ahead.

“Buckle up. The car has GPS—just enter your address.”

Jiang Yuhuai promptly entered her home address.

“XX Map, pleased to provide navigation. Destination: Shuxiang Jiayuan Community, total distance ten kilometers, estimated travel time twenty-three minutes…”

Hearing that name after so long, Jin Zhou’s hands paused momentarily.

She was naturally familiar with the residential complex where they had lived together during their university years.

But when that place name was connected to Jiang Yuhuai as she was now, things seemed to become shrouded in mist.

The person in the passenger seat cast fleeting glances at Jin Zhou’s face. Jin Zhou placed her hands on the steering wheel, pretending not to notice.

The drive was silent, and they soon arrived at the location indicated by the navigation system.

Jin Zhou parked the car steadily. The street and its layout remained exactly as she remembered them from six years ago.

Two young women, holding hands and chatting animatedly, strolled past on the sidewalk, likely students from C University.

Jin Zhou felt a sudden wave of nostalgia, as if she had been transported back to those years.

Jiang Yuhuai beside her remained silent.

Jin Zhou turned to look at her, only to find Jiang Yuhuai’s eyes tightly closed—she had fallen asleep in the car.

Instead of waking her immediately, Jin Zhou’s gaze traced the contours of Jiang Yuhuai’s face.

Compared to just a few days ago, Jiang Yuhuai seemed to have grown even thinner.

The dark circles under her eyes were now almost impossible to conceal, and her lips had an unnaturally pale cast.

It was hard to tell if Jiang Yuhuai’s pallor was due to a restless night or skipping dinner the previous evening.

Jin Zhou gently patted Jiang Yuhuai’s shoulder and called her name softly, “Jiang Yuhuai? Jiang Yuhuai?”

After several attempts, Jiang Yuhuai finally stirred awake.

The drive hadn’t been long, but it was enough time for a harrowing nightmare.

Jiang Yuhuai opened her eyes, remaining disoriented for a long moment as she stared blankly at Jin Zhou.

The silence stretched until a crystalline drop fell.

Feeling the warm, wet sensation on the back of her hand, Jin Zhou froze, the polite words she’d prepared dying on her lips.

“You…”

Jiang Yuhuai’s composure returned swiftly, so quickly it was as if her earlier vulnerability and loss of control had been mere illusions.

She casually wiped the corner of her eye.

“Just got some sand in my eye.”

The car windows hadn’t even been opened. Where would sand have come from?

Jin Zhou frowned but didn’t call out the flimsy excuse.

“Mm-hmm.”

Jiang Yuhuai straightened up, unbuckled her seatbelt, and smiled. “Want to come upstairs? I still have some groceries at home.”

Jin Zhou politely declined. “No need to trouble yourself.”

Jiang Yuhuai looked at her, a hint of unspoken hope in her voice. “It’s no trouble at all. Just a simple meal. Would you?”

Jin Zhou glanced at the rain and said casually, “It’s getting late, and the water will get deeper soon, making it easy to stall.”

The Audi A6 Sportback had a low chassis and wasn’t well-suited for driving through flooded roads.

Jiang Yuhuai couldn’t think of a good reason to keep Jin Zhou.

She lowered her gaze and said, “Then… next time, perhaps.”

Raindrops like rolling beads struck the windshield, only to be wiped away by the wipers before they could splash, leaving no trace behind.

Jin Zhou asked, “Did you bring an umbrella?”

Jiang Yuhuai had always made it a habit to keep an umbrella in her bag.

But if she said no, would Jin Zhou stay with her?

Weighing the possibilities in her mind, Jiang Yuhuai replied, “No.”

“The rain’s quite heavy. You can’t possibly walk without an umbrella—”

Jin Zhou reached for the spare umbrella in the car and handed it to her.

“I’ll lend you this.”

In the end, she had overthought things.

“Thank you,” Jiang Yuhuai paused. “Then… see you next time.”

Whether they would ever meet again was uncertain.

What was certain was that Jin Zhou would never initiate another meeting.

So she simply replied politely to the first part of her statement: “You’re welcome.”

The car door opened, and the heavy rain slanted into the car, bringing a chilly gust of wind.

The person in the passenger seat suddenly froze, remaining motionless for a long moment.

Jin Zhou gently prompted, “Is there anything else?”

Amidst the pattering rain, Jiang Yuhuai’s weak voice drifted in on the wind.

“I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit unwell.”

Jin Zhou frowned, her mind immediately jumping to Jiang Yuhuai’s low bl00d sugar.

She pulled a chocolate bar from her bag and handed it to Jiang Yuhuai. “Eat this first.”

Jiang Yuhuai trembled as she unwrapped the chocolate, shoved it into her mouth, and leaned back against the seat.

A flicker of concern flashed in Jin Zhou’s eyes. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Jiang Yuhuai shook her head with some effort, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something.

But her voice was too faint for Jin Zhou to hear, so she instinctively leaned closer.

Only when that familiar breath brushed against her ear did she finally catch Jiang Yuhuai’s words.

“I might need to rest for a while… Don’t worry about me.”

With that, Jiang Yuhuai closed her eyes.

“Jiang Yuhuai? Jiang Yuhuai!”

Jin Zhou tried to rouse her, but neither calling her name nor gently shaking her shoulder elicited any response.

Only the faint rise and fall of her chest offered any proof that she was still alive.

Jin Zhou stood frozen, at a loss for what to do.

If they went to the hospital, most outpatient clinics would already be closed, leaving only the emergency room as an option.

Jiang Yuhuai was a doctor herself, so she likely understood her own condition.

If she said she was fine, then it probably wasn’t anything serious… right?

Still, Jin Zhou couldn’t shake off her unease. She pulled over at a roadside clinic.

“Hello, my friend is feeling unwell. She’s in the car. Could you please take a look?”

The doctor’s diagnosis confirmed Jin Zhou’s suspicions: exhaustion, lack of rest, and low bl00d sugar from skipping dinner had caused Jiang Yuhuai to fall into a temporary unconscious state.

It wasn’t anything too serious.

Since she had already eaten chocolate, all she needed was to rest and replenish her sugar levels when she woke up.

Despite the reassuring words, Jin Zhou still felt conflicted when she returned to the car.

Given Jiang Yuhuai’s condition, she couldn’t just leave her here.

But she had no idea where Jiang Yuhuai lived.

She couldn’t possibly… drive her home again, could she?

Jin Zhou pressed her temples, trying to clear her thoughts.

To avoid any unexpected complications, it was best not to…

After a moment’s thought, she decided to call back the number from that day.

Beep…

The call went unanswered.

Jin Zhou waited a while and tried again.

After the ringing stopped, the familiar mechanical female voice spoke:

“The number you have dialed is currently busy. Please try again later.”

Staring at the darkened screen, Jin Zhou fell into deep thought.

Had she been… blocked?

In any case, after much back-and-forth, Jin Zhou finally drove Jiang Yuhuai back to her apartment complex.

By the time they arrived, the murky floodwater had already submerged more than half of the car’s wheels.

The rain showed no signs of letting up. Fortunately, the complex was situated on higher ground, so the flooding wasn’t too severe.

But judging by the situation, Jiang Yuhuai likely wouldn’t be able to return home tonight.

Jin Zhou sighed, resigned to the fact that her ex-girlfriend would be staying over again.

Jiang Yuhuai wasn’t heavy, and Jin Zhou easily carried her upstairs on her back.

After settling Jiang Yuhuai on the sofa, Jin Zhou took a moment to run to the nearby vegetable supermarket.

For someone with hypoglycemia, the most important thing to do after recovering from an episode is to eat long-lasting carbohydrates.

Like bread or crackers.

Jin Zhou didn’t really need to prepare an elaborate dinner.

Initially, she had only planned to grab something quick and easy to tide her over.

But as she browsed the supermarket, her basket gradually filled with more and more ingredients: pork trotters, winter melon, kelp, red dates…

Just enough for a nourishing soup.

Jin Zhou remained completely unaware of the excessive sway her heart was taking toward her ex-girlfriend.

She dutifully carried the groceries home and began preparing dinner.

Nine o’clock.

In the kitchen, Jin Zhou watched the ingredients simmer gently in the pot while talking on the phone.

The caller was Wen Yan, a close friend from college.

Wen Yan had majored in French and worked for two years after graduation before pursuing further studies abroad.

Recently, she and her girlfriend, whom she met in France, were planning to return to China to discuss their engagement with both families.

The call was to invite Jin Zhou to their engagement banquet in a few days.

Wen Yan’s voice sounded slightly nervous.

“Zhou’er, I’m planning to invite Jiang Yuhuai. Would you… feel uncomfortable?”

Jiang Yuhuai and Jin Zhou’s past relationship had been widely known among their circle of friends.

Everyone had reached a consensus: Jiang Yuhuai’s name was absolutely forbidden to be mentioned in front of Jin Zhou.

But an engagement banquet was a special occasion, making things difficult for Wen Yan.

Upon hearing this, Jin Zhou’s hand froze momentarily.

Before she could reply, a familiar voice called from the doorway:

“Jin Zhou, how long have I been asleep?”

Jiang Yuhuai had woken up.

Wen Yan on the other end of the line paused. “Zhou’er, do you… have someone else at home?”