The Breakup Didn’t Stop Me From Owning the World - Chapter 4

Lan Muyu desperately tried to summon some emotion but ultimately failed to squeeze out even a few tears. She could only cling pitifully to the hem of Li Ruonan’s clothes.

Li Ruonan ruthlessly pulled her hem away. “Go stay at a hotel by yourself.”

“No!” Lan Muyu blurted out, then realizing her reaction was too strong, quickly explained: “I just turned down Fu Yao. I’m all alone in Yuncheng with no connections. What if I get kidnapped…”

“Oh? And what does that have to do with me?” Li Ruonan sneered. “Need I remind you, Miss Lan? We have no relationship now.”

Lan Muyu gritted her teeth—she wanted to strangle her past self who had called off their engagement. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “But my parents entrusted you with looking after me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell on you?”

Li Ruonan gave a light hum. “Then by all means, Miss Lan, go back to Yancheng and complain about me.”

At the mention of her parents—who were so angry they’d threatened to disown her—Lan Muyu shrank back. Even if Li Ruonan was here on their behalf, she couldn’t possibly return home now.

Don’t ask—the answer was pure cowardice.

As Lan Muyu fiddled with her fingertips, the car gradually came to a stop. The driver, Xiao Zhang, opened the door for Li Ruonan. “President Li, we’ve arrived.”

Li Ruonan handed her laptop to the driver and stepped out. Lan Muyu quietly pressed her face against the car window, waiting. Night had fully fallen, and the streetlights on either side were blurred by the curtain of rain.

The next second, the car door she was leaning against opened from the outside. Thankfully, Lan Muyu grabbed the back of the passenger seat in time, preventing herself from tumbling out from the momentum.

Li Ruonan reached out a hand. Seeing Lan Muyu was unharmed, she casually braced herself against the doorframe. “Aren’t you getting out?”

“Out for what?” Lan Muyu eyed Li Ruonan warily, hugging the passenger seat tightly. “Don’t think you can shake me off. I’ll sleep in this car tonight.”

“I ordered dinner at home. But I suppose Miss Lan has already eaten at her girlfr—ex-girlfriend’s parents’ place. My mistake.”

Home?

Lan Muyu immediately perked up, scrambling out of the car to catch up, ducking under Li Ruonan’s umbrella. “Wait for me! I’m hungry, so hungry!”

The residential area was beautifully landscaped—even in the dark, the carefully designed greenery was visible. After crossing a pebbled path, the three arrived at a standalone villa and closed their umbrellas.

Lan Muyu heard Li Ruonan order, “Open the door.”

Obligingly, Lan Muyu stepped aside to make way for the driver, mentally grumbling about Li Ruonan—how could she even hand her keys to the driver?

No wonder people said big CEOs only knew how to make money and had zero life skills.

But couldn’t she at least hire a female driver?

Then again, if some young women were driving Li Ruonan around every day, getting close to her… Lan Muyu shuddered. Absolutely not.

Yet the driver she was staring at didn’t move, merely giving her a friendly smile.

Lan Muyu: ?

Just then, Li Ruonan turned around and looked at her. “I told you to open the door.”

“Me?” Lan Muyu pointed at herself, bewildered.

“The card I gave you earlier is the key.”

Lan Muyu pulled out the card and realized it was indeed a keycard resembling a bank card.

So she’d been tricked?

She was about to get angry, but then it struck her—a house was far more valuable than ordinary money. This seemed… like a pretty good deal?

She had originally planned to play the pity card and didn’t intend to use the money from this card. But who could have guessed Li Ruonan would be so generous, gifting her a villa right off the bat?

“This… this is really too much, isn’t it?” Lan Muyu stepped forward, swiped the card, and swiftly tucked it into her bag—her movements seamless.

After all—she was afraid Li Ruonan might regret it.

Once the card was safely stowed away, Lan Muyu let out a soft sigh of relief and walked inside, her steps noticeably lighter.

On the very first day of her rebirth, she’d already earned a villa. Whose rebirth could possibly compare to hers?

The interior was decorated in a minimalist palette of black, white, and gray, exuding an elegant simplicity. Daily necessities and some fruits were already prepared inside.

The driver placed Li Ruonan’s belongings on the sofa before quietly closing the door and leaving. Li Ruonan glanced around and asked, “Do you like it?”

“I do.”

“Good. The card I just gave you was from your parents before I came to Yuncheng.” Li Ruonan walked naturally to the kitchen counter and poured two glasses of water.

Lan Muyu froze mid-step, her face still wearing the smile she hadn’t had time to retract. “W-what did you say?”

“I said, this is the house your parents bought. If you really want to live here with me, that’s fine.”

Seeing Li Ruonan’s expression that practically screamed ‘I’m letting you stay here out of charity,’ Lan Muyu snatched the glass and slammed it onto the coffee table, splashing water everywhere. “This is my parents’ house! What do you mean, ‘if I want to stay’?”

“Oh.” Li Ruonan remained unfazed. “Of course, you can call your parents and ask for it. Until they agree, the house belongs to me.”

Damn it!

Li Ruonan knew full well she wouldn’t dare!

Using my parents’ money to bribe me—what a brilliant scheme.

And here I thought Li Ruonan had a sudden burst of kindness to support me. Turns out she’s still the same old ruthless capitalist!

When Lan Muyu stayed silent, Li Ruonan asked, “Are you staying or not? If not, turn right on your way out. You might still catch the driver and hitch a ride—no charge.”

Lan Muyu grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and sat cross-legged on it. “I’m staying. Of course I’m staying. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I never said it was free.” Li Ruonan had already opened her laptop, her gaze dropping to the wine-stained hem of Lan Muyu’s dress resting on her knee. “Go take a shower.”

Lan Muyu blinked slowly, setting the pillow aside but making no move to leave.

Li Ruonan looked at her in confusion. “Still not going?”

“Mmm, really?”

“Yes.” Li Ruonan opened a spreadsheet, assuming Lan Muyu was referring to the shower.

Lan Muyu’s fingers slowly trailed up to the straps of her dress, gently tugging at the bows on her shoulders until they loosened, turning the dress into a strapless one. Her fingertips brushed over her chest, pulling the neckline even lower, the pale curves nearly spilling out.

Seemingly spotting an issue in the spreadsheet, Li Ruonan frowned, took a photo with her phone, and sent a voice message, “Redo this.”

But the moment she set her phone down, she froze.

Beside her, Lan Muyu reclined lazily, the neckline of her dress so low it nearly revealed everything. Yet Lan Muyu herself seemed utterly unbothered, blinking at her with a teasing smile curling on her lips.

Lan Muyu was born with striking features. Given a second chance at life, her eyes had lost some of their innocent clarity, replaced by the depth of complex experiences. With just a slight flutter of her enchanting peach-blossom eyes, she could captivate hearts effortlessly.

Li Ruonan swiftly grabbed a nearby suit jacket and threw it over Lan Muyu’s head, covering her face. “Get away from me.”

She looked just like the monk Tang Sanzang being teased by a seductive demon.

Lan Muyu slowly pulled the jacket off, her hair slightly disheveled. She ruffled it lazily and grinned. “So, Miss Li, do I still need to pay for staying here?”

“Yes.” Li Ruonan pretended as if nothing had happened, continuing to review the financial reports on her computer, though the tips of her ears had turned faintly red.

Fine, if she had to pay, then so be it. She was broken anyway.

If it came down to it, she’d just lie back and offer herself as payment.

For Li Ruonan to land a future superstar like her—destined to take the entertainment industry by storm—was nothing short of a jackpot.

Ahem. Even if she ended up as a D-list celebrity, Li Ruonan wouldn’t be at a loss.

Not wanting to push too hard, Lan Muyu tugged at her collar, humming a tune as she stood up. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Every bedroom on the second floor has one. The takeout will arrive in a few minutes—you should be done by then.”

“Got it.”

The sound of running water filled the bathroom as Lan Muyu stood under the showerhead. The last time she had bathed felt like a lifetime ago—literally. Since her rebirth, events had unfolded one after another, leaving her no time to pause. Now, she finally had a moment to ground herself in this world, to feel the tangible reality of being alive.

Her fair fingers ran through her hair as she tilted her chin up, exposing her slender neck. Her eyes half-lidded, she let the water cascade over every inch of her skin, as if bidding farewell to the past.

About ten minutes later, the water stopped. Lan Muyu casually wrapped herself in one of the bathrobes from the bathroom and headed downstairs, droplets still trailing from her damp body, leaving a faint trail behind her.

Li Ruonan had changed into a fresh shirt and was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking on the phone. Hearing the movement, she turned around and froze for a split second at the sight of Lan Muyu before quickly regaining her composure. “Go dry your hair.”

Lan Muyu nodded. As she turned away, she glanced down at herself—the loose bathrobe, her half-dried body, the faint flush from the hot shower.

Wasn’t this supposed to have an effect?

She turned back to study Li Ruonan, just as the other woman ended her call and turned around, their gazes colliding.

Lan Muyu quickly averted her eyes, but Li Ruonan called out, “Come here.”

“Oh.” Lan Muyu walked over, watching as Li Ruonan rummaged for something. She waited quietly, pulling out her phone and opening Weibo.

The hashtag about her signing with Fu Family’s Tianhao Entertainment had already skyrocketed from beyond the top thirty to the number one trending spot, even surpassing news about a popular celebrity arrested for personal misconduct.

Lan Muyu: ?

For a minor celebrity like her to dominate the top spot? Clearly, someone was pulling strings.

While Lan Muyu was lost in thought, Li Ruonan retrieved a hairdryer and walked over leisurely, remarking offhandedly, “I got revenge for you.”

Lan Muyu immediately understood—Li Ruonan was helping her stir the pot first.

She flopped down onto the sofa, her body limp yet still managing to cross her legs lazily. Gently touching her lips, she said in a soft voice, “Silly, you misunderstood. That’s not what upset me.”

Li Ruonan: …

Li Ruonan sized up Lan Muyu with a look that seemed to say she was disappointed in her. With a cold laugh, she asked, “Then would you like me to escort Miss Lan back to Tingyu Intercontinental now?”

“No, no, no.” Lan Muyu slowly sat up and leaned closer to Li Ruonan, whispering, “Want to know why I’m angry?”

The close proximity made Li Ruonan slightly dazed. She followed Lan Muyu’s lead and asked, “Why?”

“Want to know?” Lan Muyu’s lips curled up again as she stretched out her hand. “Pay up!”