After Breaking Off the Engagement, The Young Lady Deeply Regretted It - Chapter 30

But she couldn’t let go of Jing Xiao.

Fan Qingyu looked in the opposite direction, and a thought came to her—foolish, perhaps, but it might just work.

At Ouyang Fei’s house, she was holding a small spray bottle, watering her potted plants, humming a cheerful tune.

Jing Xiao peeled an egg:
“What did you say to Fan Qingyu?”

The watering can slipped from Ouyang Fei’s hand and fell to the floor. She gave an awkward laugh:
“Nothing.”

“I can’t be with her anymore, so don’t get involved.” Jing Xiao made her stance clear.

Ouyang Fei didn’t answer directly.
“I need to get ready for my date with my sister.”

Jing Xiao was incredulous.
“Date? You two are together?”

Ouyang Fei looked embarrassed.
“Strictly speaking, it’s more like I’m atoning on my own. After what happened last time, I thought my sister would mind.”

Jing Xiao didn’t want to interfere in other people’s affairs. She casually spread her hands. In the living room, the porcelain pot continued to release a sweet aroma. Her throat burned painfully, and in the end she couldn’t resist ladling out a bowl.

The snow pear and white fungus had been simmered until soft; the fritillaria was tender and pleasantly chewy. The amount of rock sugar was just right—enough to bring out the flavor without being cloying. After finishing it all, Jing Xiao’s throat did feel much better.

Ouyang Fei teased her with a click of the tongue:
“Who was it that said she wouldn’t eat anything made by her ex?”

Jing Xiao cleared her throat:
“You won’t even be home this afternoon. If I don’t eat it, it’ll just go to waste.”

Ouyang Fei laughed:
“Mouth says no, body says yes.”

Jing Xiao knew clearly that she couldn’t just erase her feelings for Fan Qingyu in an instant—it would take time. That snow pear soup was something Fan Qingyu had made especially for her, and she wanted to taste it.

They chatted idly for a bit. Then, seeing the time, Ouyang Fei tossed her keys to Jing Xiao and rushed out to drive.

By the time Jing Xiao went downstairs, she had changed her clothes. She sat where she was for a while, planning to leave later. Perhaps it was thanks to the pear soup, but the irritability of her sensitive period gradually faded. She unlocked her phone and stared longingly at a certain profile on a social app.

She had recently discovered that Fan Qingyu had an account on this platform, where she sometimes idly wrote short stories. Surprisingly, they were quite popular. Jing Xiao tapped on the pinned post.

It was a story with tens of thousands of likes, telling of a protagonist who gave up everything for love, throwing herself wholeheartedly into her relationship. Written from the lover’s perspective, it recorded every moment in detail until, in the end, the two kissed on a hot air balloon, sealing the happiest ending.

The story was dramatic yet tender, narrating the journey from secret admiration to pursuit, then finally to fulfillment. As Jing Xiao read, she found pieces of herself reflected in the protagonist.

So in Fan Qingyu’s heart, the best ending was a kiss on a hot air balloon.

Jing Xiao shook her head and cursed herself for being weak. Then she quickly put on her shoes, locked the door, and left Ouyang Fei’s home.

The Jing family’s old residence was not as extravagant as the Fan family’s mansion, but it was still top-tier. Apparently, someone had notified the guards in advance; she passed through unimpeded. Walking along the flower-lined paths, she felt oddly nervous. It was still early, so she didn’t rush inside. Instead, she strolled around to get familiar with the surroundings.

There was more of a lived-in atmosphere here than at the Fan residence. Except for the gate, there weren’t many security measures inside, only a few cameras for safety—this felt like a true home.

Jing Xiao reached the garden, where a tall elm tree towered. Its trunk was thick, branches lush, exuding a faint woody fragrance. It must have been decades old.

Feeling playful, she was just about to climb it when a displeased voice sounded behind her.

“Jing Xiao, what are you doing back here?”

The speaker was a woman with extremely delicate, almost feminine features: straight brows, danfeng eyes with a hint of white below the iris, and unusually wide double eyelids. Her short bob haircut made her look even sharper. She stood with arms folded.

Jing Xiao searched her memory but came up blank.
“And you are?”

Jing Lan sneered:
“Don’t pretend. Running off with that woman scrambled your brains, didn’t it?”

Jing Xiao figured out who she was. She had imagined Jing Lan as a calm, authoritative figure, but seeing her in person, she knew this kind of person could never amount to much. She couldn’t be bothered to argue, lost all interest, and headed for the main door instead.

Her sense of crisis faded, and she even hummed a little tune.

Slowly pushing open the grand wooden doors, she found the living room filled with people. At the center sat an elderly man, leaning on a yellowwood cane, his face kind and smiling.

Everyone else remained silent. Until he spoke, no one dared move.

It was her father who broke the surface calm, barking harshly:
“Kneel!”

Without hesitation, Jing Xiao bent her knees. Just as they were about to touch the floor, the old man blocked her with his cane.

“We’re family. What good does all this kneeling do?”

With his protection, the crowd visibly relaxed and began whispering among themselves.

Jing Xiao straightened up.
“Grandfather.”

There were no scoldings, no intimidation—just a gentle question:
“How have you been these past years?”

Jing Xiao gave a clever answer:
“I was naive before. Now I realize that staying by family’s side is what truly matters.”

The old man nodded.
“You must be tired. Go rest for now. We’ll talk about the handover in a few days.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Before leaving, she deliberately glanced at Jing Lan and flashed a provocative smile.

A servant led her to a room. Facing south, with plenty of light, it was clean and tidy—clearly kept in order, though rarely occupied.

The servant spoke with veiled disdain:
“I wonder what kind of life Miss has been living out there these past years. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Jing Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think the Fan family would let me sleep on the streets? Or do you just look down on them?”

She refused to let those years be treated as a joke, and instead used them to strike back. The servant choked, unable to respond, and retreated hastily.

Closing the door, Jing Xiao finally relaxed. She sprawled on the big bed without a care. Warm sunlight streamed through the elm’s branches, reaching even her floor—its boughs were that strong and high.

Half-dozing, eyes half-shut, she was about to drift into sleep when a rustling sound came from outside the window. She snapped awake, springing upright.
“Who’s out there?”

Sure enough, a hand appeared at the window—slender, fair, nails neatly trimmed and painted with pale pink polish. Jing Xiao’s heart lurched in recognition.

Opening the window, she locked eyes with someone familiar.
“Fan Qingyu?”

There were still a few leaves in Fan Qingyu’s hair. She was sitting on a tree branch, waving at her.

Jing Xiao lived on the second floor, not very high. Fan Qingyu was light, and the elm easily supported her.

“You… what are you doing here?” Jing Xiao asked, stunned.

Fan Qingyu stammered before finally telling the truth:
“I wanted to see you, so I…”

“So you climbed a tree into my backyard?” Jing Xiao’s tone shot up an octave. She could hardly believe Fan Qingyu would do such a thing. She had countless questions but chose not to press them.

Of course she was worried. Jing Xiao reached out her hand.
“Come in first.”

Fan Qingyu leapt lightly, landing on Jing Xiao’s window ledge. She explained quickly:
“You once gave me your backyard key.”

“No wonder.” With so many people around, sneaking in wasn’t that surprising.

Jing Xiao didn’t show much reaction. Sitting at her dressing table, she studied Fan Qingyu. The latter looked utterly lost, like a child caught misbehaving.

Jing Xiao broke the silence.
“Doesn’t your company need you?”

For once, Fan Qingyu wasn’t putting her career first. She stepped closer.
“My grandfather’s here. I wanted to see you.”

Jing Xiao frowned. Her family disapproved of their relationship. She had just returned—if anyone saw them together, it would cause trouble.
“What if my family finds you here?”

Fan Qingyu pressed her lips together, speaking carefully:
“It’s okay. I’ll leave soon. I won’t disturb you.”

She glanced at Jing Xiao nervously, afraid of upsetting her.

Jing Xiao sighed. She couldn’t understand Fan Qingyu anymore. When she had her, she didn’t treasure her—but only after losing her did she seem to care. If this went on, Jing Xiao feared she would soften.

“You should go back where you came from. We’ve broken up. This isn’t appropriate.”

“Broken up, but the engagement still stands.” Fan Qingyu pressed again, cheeks flushed, tugging timidly at Jing Xiao’s sleeve. “I don’t want to leave.”

Jing Xiao looked at her face. She couldn’t stay cold-hearted forever. With regret, she said:
“If only you’d been like this sooner.”

Fan Qingyu, seizing the chance, patted her chest.
“I’ve changed now.”

“I know. I can see it.” Jing Xiao admitted. But she wasn’t about to give everything up for her again, not right after returning home. Calmly, she said:
“I don’t like other people sleeping in my bed. There’s a small sofa over there. If you don’t mind, you can sleep there tonight.”

The word “other people” pierced Fan Qingyu’s heart. She forced a smile.
“Alright. Do you have any plans right now?”

“None. I’ll just rest.” Jing Xiao reclined on the bed again, completely ignoring her.

Fan Qingyu stood awkwardly, neither sitting nor leaving, until she finally spoke, her voice strained:
“I’ve already told Pei Lü—we won’t have any contact from now on.”

That reminded Jing Xiao of last time, when Fan Qingyu had promised to keep her distance, yet still chose profit over her word. She couldn’t trust her now. Her tone turned cold:
“Who you see or don’t see has nothing to do with me. You’re a businesswoman—you should know how to put the bigger picture first.”

Fan Qingyu’s face flushed and paled by turns. These were her own past words, now thrown back at her. Only now did she realize how much they hurt.

She had never endured such humiliation. Unlike her usual strength in the business world, her nose stung, her ears rang, and tears welled up.
“I really won’t contact her again.”

But Jing Xiao ignored her distress. After all, hadn’t Fan Qingyu ignored her countless times before?

Taking deep breaths, Fan Qingyu forced her voice to sound calm.
“Xiaoxiao, can’t you just… look at me?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that I don’t know how to respond to your words anymore.” Jing Xiao was exhausted—mentally burdened, short on sleep. She yawned carelessly. “We have nothing to do with each other now. Who you talk to, or don’t talk to, has nothing to do with me.”

Fan Qingyu hadn’t expected such finality. Her voice trembled.
“Xiaoxiao, your heart is so cruel.”

But she seemed to forget—Jing Xiao wasn’t cruel. She was simply giving back the treatment she had once received.

Jing Xiao couldn’t be bothered to argue.
“If you think I’m cruel, then leave. After all, you sneaking into my home is hard to explain.”

Fan Qingyu panicked.
“No, I’m not leaving.”

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