After Breaking Off the Engagement, The Young Lady Deeply Regretted It - Chapter 57

“You really are impossible,” Jing Xiao said with a laugh. “Be good, open your mouth.”

The Chinese medicine grew more bitter as it cooled. Fan Qingyu furrowed her brows deeply, and after finally finishing it, she collapsed on the sofa in relief.

Jing Xiao placed the ceramic bowl on the table. “Was it that hard to drink?”

“You try it and you’ll know,” Fan Qingyu blinked, remembering there was still a little leftover at the bottom. “There’s just a bit of the broth left—taste it.”

“I wouldn’t even try.”

Jing Xiao dug into a tin from the cabinet, gently pried open Fan Qingyu’s lips, and put a piece of hard fruit candy in her mouth.

The rich strawberry flavor, sour and sweet, filled her senses. Fan Qingyu pressed her lips together; as the strawberry taste fully masked the bitterness of the medicine, she looped her arms around Jing Xiao’s neck. “Thank you, sister.”

Jing Xiao tilted her head, brushing her nose against Fan Qingyu’s cheek. The strawberry scent spread between them. With a faintly teasing smile, she said, “You’re welcome. Is the candy good? It’s a niche brand I discovered recently.”

Fan Qingyu savored it. “It’s delicious. Doesn’t taste artificial at all.”

Jing Xiao instinctively blocked her waist. “When we have time, I’ll take you to get some beauty treatments—tidy up a bit.”

“Will you go too?” Fan Qingyu rubbed her cheek against hers, thinking of several top-notch salons she had in mind.

Jing Xiao glanced at her reflection in the window and joked, “I’ll go too. Lately I’ve been so busy, I’ve become a bit of a yellow-faced woman.”

“You’re not a yellow-faced woman at all.”

Fan Qingyu pressed close, speaking softly against her cheek. Jing Xiao didn’t catch a single word; she only remembered the gentle, clear voice and the strong strawberry scent.

“The strawberry scent is so nice.”

Fan Qingyu smiled brightly. “I want you to always remember strawberries, to always remember me, even if we—”

Jing Xiao placed her fingers against Fan Qingyu’s thin lips, not letting her finish. Firmly, she said, “We won’t ever separate again. I promise.”

That night, Fan Qingyu slept soundly. The next morning, she woke to find the space beside her empty. Yawning, she mumbled, “Jing Xiao got up too early.”

After washing up and heading downstairs, she saw a large truck parked at the entrance, with Jing Xiao supervising nearby.

Fan Qingyu poked her back. “Xiao, did you buy something?”

“Just some fruit, thought I’d make use of the free time,” Jing Xiao replied, then reminded her, “Come have your medicinal meal.”

Fan Qingyu’s appetite in the morning was poor; she only managed to eat half a serving of red date and goji berry tangyuan. Jing Xiao said nothing. Seeing staff packing durians, she hooked Fan Qingyu’s little finger. “Let’s go.”

On the car ride, Fan Qingyu’s heart thumped, unsure if it was excitement or nervousness—this was her first time accompanying Jing Xiao on a business trip.

As the car passed the airport, Fan Qingyu grew anxious. “We missed it.”

Jing Xiao patted her hand reassuringly. The car bypassed the crowds through a back entrance and stopped in a spacious, empty parking lot, where neatly dressed staff stood in formation, rushing to greet Jing Xiao warmly.

After handling some formalities and politely dismissing them, Jing Xiao led Fan Qingyu to board the plane.

The escalator felt empty under their feet; Fan Qingyu glanced around in awe at Jing Xiao’s boldness.

Their luggage was handled by personnel, and before they could even settle, a flight attendant with a sweet smile came by to introduce the services and wish them a pleasant flight, then left.

The private plane was extremely private, with its own entertainment, dining, and rest areas. Fan Qingyu curled up on the sofa under a blanket.

The plane flew smoothly, and she felt drowsy.

A steward pushed a cart, setting several exquisite pastries on the table, even thoughtfully unpacking disposable slippers by the sofa. “Miss Fan, please try them. You won’t be disappointed.”

“I don’t want to eat right now,” Fan Qingyu mumbled drowsily. But the journey was long, and she didn’t want Jing Xiao to be alone, so she stayed awake. Once the steward left, she stepped into the restroom to wash her face, despite the slightly ill-fitting slippers.

The cold water shocked her senses, and she returned refreshed to Jing Xiao’s side.

Jing Xiao’s long fingers moved deftly across the laptop’s fixed area, each keystroke landing in Fan Qingyu’s heart.

“Why aren’t you sleeping? You were almost dozing off,” Jing Xiao said, speeding up her work.

Fan Qingyu smiled faintly. “I want to keep you company.”

The sunlight reflected off the window, highlighting Jing Xiao’s fingers. Fan Qingyu noticed, “Did you paint your nails?”

Jing Xiao lifted her hand and looked. Recalling the sharp pain from catching a recent hangnail, she explained, “Nail care oil. The dry weather lately has given me a lot of hangnails.”

“Oh, but your nails will look really nice with nail polish,” Fan Qingyu said eagerly.

“You really want to paint my nails?” Jing Xiao teased.

Fan Qingyu realized her intentions were obvious and quickly shook her head. “It’s fine, I was just saying.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll finish this first,” Jing Xiao said with a playful smile. “Remember to do a natural color, or I’ll get distracted at work.”

Fan Qingyu felt as if the air around them was filled with pink bubbles. She quietly watched Jing Xiao, who sat there in a white shirt and semi-rimmed glasses, calm and poised.

Every move exuded maturity and a composed charm.

Fan Qingyu thought of a word she had never used before: sisterly aura.

Jing Xiao closed the laptop and personally handed her a piece of mousse cake. “I had this at a banquet earlier and thought it was delicious, so I had it specially made for you.”

The mousse cake was light gray, with a thin layer of chocolate ganache on top. Jing Xiao tossed the decorative cherries into the trash and placed it in Fan Qingyu’s hands.

Though reluctant, Fan Qingyu picked up the fork and tasted it. The cake melted instantly in her mouth; the bitterness of coffee blended with the sweetness of milk. She gave a thumbs-up. “I thought it would taste like chocolate.”

“The other plate is chocolate. I think chocolate is the tastiest,” Jing Xiao said.

While Jing Xiao enjoyed her cake, Fan Qingyu set up the manicure tools on the table, offering her hand first.

Jing Xiao put down her dessert and examined the portable nail lamp. “Why is this lamp so small?”

Fan Qingyu applied a pea-sized amount of hand cream to her hand, then used professional nail polish.

Once absorbed, she carefully applied base gel, pointing to the color chart. “Which color do you want?”

Jing Xiao tapped the lightest pink module.

Fan Qingyu worked quickly, curing each nail under the lamp, selecting the right shades to paint Jing Xiao’s nails. Her fingers instantly looked fairer, smooth and glossy. Proudly, Fan Qingyu said, “I’m really good at this.”

When the right hand was complete, Jing Xiao examined them in the sunlight and laughed. “They’re so beautiful, I’m afraid I’ll get distracted at work.”

Fan Qingyu hugged her waist. “No, you’re the best.”

Outside, the weather was clear, and the assistants played a few rounds of board games. At first, everyone was tense, but Fan Qingyu cracked a few jokes, and the group relaxed.

Jing Xiao rapped the table seriously. “Take it seriously.”

The lively atmosphere froze again. Playing board games with the boss was naturally intimidating for ordinary employees.

“Don’t scare them,” Fan Qingyu dealt the cards. “Don’t be tense, or it won’t be fun.”

Jing Xiao laughed heartily. “Were we pretending just now?”

Laughter filled the space as the game went on. When it was time for a break, Fan Qingyu’s drowsiness returned, and she dozed off on Jing Xiao’s shoulder.

The assistants and subordinates exchanged glances and left, taking two board games with them.

Jing Xiao poked her face. “If I knew you were this tired, why did you try to stay awake?”

Half asleep, Fan Qingyu waved off the interruption, grumbling, her forehead pressed against Jing Xiao’s shoulder.

“How am I supposed to move like this?” Jing Xiao said, trying in vain to push her off.

Jing Xiao rang the service bell; the steward rushed over. Jing Xiao gestured for silence, and the steward covered Fan Qingyu with a blanket and brought a U-shaped pillow for Jing Xiao.

Much more comfortable.

Fan Qingyu, having slept well the night before, woke up refreshed, stretching her back.

“Awake?” Jing Xiao gently moved her sore arms.

Fan Qingyu yawned. “I think I had a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

Fan Qingyu’s temples throbbed, and she said regretfully, “I don’t remember… it seemed about you.”

Jing Xiao massaged her elbows. “Sounds like a good dream.”

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t remember it.”

Fan Qingyu went to the restroom again, seeing her hair flushed red in the mirror. She recalled Jing Xiao’s earlier movements and, feeling guilty, quickly dried her hands and massaged her.

There were two clear palm prints on her clothes. Jing Xiao waved her arms. “It’s fine. I barely feel it now.”

Fan Qingyu helped relieve her muscles. “Why didn’t you let me get up and sleep on the sofa?”

“You were finally asleep. I couldn’t bear to wake you,” Jing Xiao replied.

Fan Qingyu firmly said, “Next time, you must wake me up.”

Jing Xiao agreed wholeheartedly.

As dusk fell, golden light illuminated the thick fish-scale clouds. Fan Qingyu glanced at her watch. “How much longer?”

Jing Xiao, losing track of time, reassured her, “Don’t worry. If you get bored, there’s a projector over there for a movie.”

Fan Qingyu curled back on the sofa. “I want to walk around a bit, stretch my muscles.”

Support After Breaking Off the Engagement, The Young Lady Deeply Regretted It