My Online Lover Lives Next Door (GL) - Chapter 11

“Actually…” He Qing took a deep breath and finally said with difficulty, “She and I were in an online relationship.”

As soon as she said the words “online relationship,” it was as if He Qing had used up all her strength. Her previously straight back slumped slightly.

Online relationship? No wonder her boss had asked about this topic before.

Lu Feng had already suspected it before, but the idea of an online relationship seemed too trendy for He Qing, so he didn’t dare to associate it with her.

But it turned out that his boss was just as human as everyone else.

Since Lu Feng was able to work alongside He Qing, he was definitely not slow-witted. After all, he was a graduate of a prestigious university.

Even though He Qing had only said one sentence, Lu Feng suddenly had a bold thought when he connected it to He Qing’s strange decisions recently.

“Ms. He, your online girlfriend… could she be the girl who lives across from you?”

It wasn’t surprising that Lu Feng could guess. He Qing gave a small hum in response.

What the hell? It was true?! Lu Feng was shocked.

On one hand, she was in an online relationship with this girl, and on the other hand, she moved in next door as her neighbor. Her intentions were obvious.

Clearly, she wasn’t satisfied with just an online relationship. She wanted to take it into real life.

“Then… Ms. He, have you told her that you’re her online girlfriend?” Lu Feng asked.

He Qing shook her head. “No.”

Lu Feng: That makes sense. No one is required to immediately confess their online identity upon meeting in real life.

Lu Feng then asked, “So… after meeting her, without telling her who you are, did you show your feelings for her?”

He Qing nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Feng: “…”

Not telling her who you are, yet still flirting with her? Ms. He, are you trying to sabotage yourself?

No wonder the girl was ignoring her now.

Lu Feng sighed and finally came to a conclusion. “Ms. He, do you know what kind of relationship you’re in?”

“Hmm?”

“Ms. He, you might not like hearing this, but I have to say it.” Lu Feng took a deep breath and gathered his courage. “Based on what you just told me, I think that girl must be a good person, but you… are kind of a jerk.”

Jerk? He Qing frowned in displeasure. “I’m not a jerk.”

She had only ever liked one person—her Little Star.

“Yes, yes, you’re not a jerk. This technically isn’t being a jerk, but… you’re playing two different roles,” Lu Feng explained.

His boss was too caught up in her own emotions to see clearly, but as an outsider, it was obvious to him.

“Ms. He, right now, you’re playing two roles. One is her online partner, where you two are in a romantic relationship. The other is her neighbor, where you two have only just met and are barely acquaintances.”

“You know that both versions of you are the same person, but she doesn’t. So when she sensed your intentions, she made the right choice—to stay away. She’s a good girl.”

He Qing fell into deep thought. Lu Feng was right. Not only right, but he also made her realize something she had been avoiding.

She and Little Star needed to be honest with each other.

Only with honesty could Little Star stop keeping her at a distance.

But honesty also meant admitting that she had deceived her.

She remembered what Little Star had said in the car last time—if she admitted to lying, she would have to accept the consequence of breaking up.

He Qing frowned tightly, her voice heavy, “I don’t want to break up.”

“Ms. He, there’s a saying: ‘Destroy everything first, then rebuild.’ If you break up online, you can win her back in real life.” Lu Feng sincerely offered his advice.

Destroy everything first, then rebuild? He Qing was a decisive person, but this time, she hesitated.

After work, He Qing sat in her car for a long time. It wasn’t until the streetlights outside lit up that she finally got out and went home.

Just like the past few days, the door across from her own remained shut. She stood at the door and listened quietly. Inside, she could hear soft footsteps—Little Star was home.

A bitter smile appeared on He Qing’s face.

She could hear Little Star’s footsteps, so Little Star must have heard her coming home too. Yet the door never opened again.

He Qing suddenly remembered the last time Jian Fanxing had told her the door’s passcode. She considered what would happen if she used it to go inside.

Little Star had a good temperament, so even if she used the passcode, she probably wouldn’t treat her too coldly. At most, she would just express her displeasure, right?

He Qing didn’t know what was wrong with her. All she knew was that when she snapped back to reality, she was already standing in front of Jian Fanxing’s door, her finger hovering over the keypad.

Even though Jian Fanxing had only mentioned it once, He Qing had memorized the numbers completely.

Her heart pounded as she felt like a thief. Her hand refused to obey her mind.

Her brain sent the memory to her fingers, and she pressed each number in sequence.

Beep, beep, beep…

The sound of an incorrect password snapped He Qing out of her daze.

Wrong password?

No, Little Star had changed it?!

Was it for security, or… to keep her out?

He Qing wanted to believe it was the first reason, but reason told her it was the second.

Feeling lost, He Qing returned to her apartment and sat on the sofa. She scrolled through her chat history with Jian Fanxing—

From strangers to acquaintances, from friends to lovers. Every caring message, every warm word, every playful moment, every time she acted spoiled…

Seeing these messages, He Qing’s lips curled into a smile.

Little Star always made her happy.

But then, thinking of Jian Fanxing’s coldness, her heart tightened as if an invisible hand was squeezing it. A suffocating feeling overwhelmed her, just like the time her company almost went bankrupt. She felt trapped in darkness, struggling, suffering, and yet she had to keep going. She had wanted to die, but she had to live.

He Qing quickly grabbed a cigarette from the drawer, put it in her mouth, and lit it with trembling hands. As nicotine filled her lungs, the pressure eased slightly, and she felt a little better.

She let out a dry laugh. See? She wasn’t as strong as people thought.

With a sigh, He Qing had to admit—she was just an ordinary person, with emotions, worries, and fears. Most of all, she feared losing Jian Fanxing.

She wanted more than just an online relationship—she wanted to hold her for real.

Perhaps… she should follow Lu Feng’s advice: destroy everything first, then rebuild.

After finishing her cigarette, He Qing made up her mind. She picked up her phone, typed five words into the chat, sent the message, then logged out of WeChat.

After a moment’s hesitation, she even logged out completely and tossed her phone aside. Then, she walked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.

————————–

As usual, Jian Fanxing sent a message to her “girlfriend” near the end of the workday.

When there was no immediate reply, she wasn’t worried. Her girlfriend had told her before that work was far from home, so she was probably driving.

Then, a WeChat notification sounded. Excited, Jian Fanxing grabbed her phone, smiling—

But the moment she saw the message, her expression froze.

“Let’s break up.”

Jian Fanxing’s eyes lost focus as the words replayed in her mind.

Break up? Why?

Had she done something wrong?

Jian Fanxing’s tears fell uncontrollably, like beads strung together, one after another. Her fingers trembled as she quickly tapped to start a voice call. She wanted to ask her sister in person—why?

Why did she break up with her?

But the ringtone kept going, ringing for so long that Jian Fanxing’s anxious heart gradually turned cold.

Her sister… wasn’t answering?

She wasn’t even picking up her calls anymore?

Jian Fanxing refused to give up. She called again.

Still, no one answered, even after a long wait.

Again and again, she called. Jian Fanxing lost count of how many times she dialed. All she knew was that her chat history with He Qing was now filled with missed call notifications.

Her hand, gripping the phone, trembled—from a slight shake to a visibly strong one.

“Sister, answer the phone.” Jian Fanxing’s voice was full of sobs. She forced her eyes wide open, staring at the screen without blinking, afraid that if she even blinked, she would miss He Qing calling her back.

“Sister, why? Why?”

“Why are you breaking up with me?”

“I don’t want to break up. I don’t want to break up!”

“Sister… Sister…”

After countless unanswered calls, Jian Fanxing finally couldn’t hold back her sobs anymore.

Her crying started soft but gradually grew louder and louder.

Hearing the commotion, Lu Yao hurried out of her room.

Seeing Jian Fanxing curled up on the sofa, her face covered in tears, crying uncontrollably, Lu Yao’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly walked over.

“Fanxing, what’s wrong?”

Jian Fanxing didn’t lift her head. It was as if she hadn’t even heard Lu Yao’s voice. She just kept crying, trapped in her own world, murmuring over and over:

“Why? Why did Sister break up with me? Why won’t she answer my calls? Why…”

Break up?

Lu Yao’s gaze fell on Jian Fanxing’s phone screen, which was still lit up. A long list of missed voice calls appeared before her eyes.