After Breaking Off the Engagement, The Young Lady Deeply Regretted It - Chapter 62

After leaving that romantic city and returning to the capital, Jing Xiao ultimately acquired the mobile game’s copyright at the lowest price acceptable to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown pretended to be relaxed, but a thin layer of sweat had already formed on his face. “Miss Jing, you are truly resourceful,” he said.

Jing Xiao raised her glass in a toast: “Likewise, Mr. Brown.”

With everything settled, Jing Xiao had her assistant deliver an invaluable antique painting. Having previously learned about Mr. Brown’s tastes, she knew this painting would soothe him—and indeed, it smoothed his brow, earning repeated praise for Jing Xiao’s vision.

After a friendly farewell, Jing Xiao got into her business car. Everything was at a pause, and she leisurely closed her eyes to rest, while a few subordinates whispered among themselves about the follow-up progress.

“Lower your voices,” Jing Xiao lifted her eyelids and noticed the sky outside darkened with clouds, as if brewing a massive storm. Her temples throbbed. “Is it going to rain? You can’t even handle something this small?”

The subordinate in charge of booking tickets stammered, “President Jing, we double-checked before coming. No rain was forecast. Everyone can vouch for that.”

Jing Xiao turned back, her brows shadowed with a faint gloom. “Forget it.”

Her concern was actually for Fan Qingyu.

Back at the hotel, a heavy rainstorm was imminent. Raindrops dotted the ground in small puddles. Unable to hope for clear weather, Jing Xiao had to postpone their return to the country. Pushing open the hotel room door, she found Fan Qingyu looking anxious, still coordinating with collaborators to postpone the inspection schedule.

Guilt surged in her chest. She cuddled against Fan Qingyu’s shoulder like a little puppy, quietly seeking her attention.

Fan Qingyu glanced back and smiled faintly, making a “shush” gesture, then continued negotiating.

On the other end, the other party spoke bluntly: “President Fan, you’re making this difficult. Our factory is private, and you’re delaying the inspection. Isn’t this just deliberately causing trouble?”

Fan Qingyu, though irritated, remained polite: “Mr. Li, how about I have Xiao Jiang come tomorrow?”

The man named Li immediately refused: “No, just expedite things. We’ll treat the samples as ordinary ones.”

Fan Qingyu firmly rejected this: “Impossible. First-version samples cannot have even the slightest error. Xiao Jiang can handle delivery tomorrow.”

After a long silence, Li seemed to remember he was dealing with the former heiress of the Fan family and softened his tone: “Fine, but our company will not be responsible for any losses afterward.”

“Understood.”

After hanging up, Jing Xiao wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, rubbing against her neck with playful affection. Her voice carried a subtle hint of unintentional coquettishness: “Xiao Yu, touch me.”

Fan Qingyu sighed, placing her phone back on the table, adjusting her mood, and letting her fingers play in Jing Xiao’s hair: “Like a little puppy.”

“I only act like this with you,” Jing Xiao said, holding her tightly and spinning her around. Due to fatigue, both collapsed onto the bed. Jing Xiao’s chest ached as she worried: “We’re just starting out; there’s no need to care about those small-time, petty people.”

Fan Qingyu propped her head up, tracing her collarbone with soft, delicate fingers: “I know. Starting out is always like this. Honestly, it’s nothing. If anyone delays my profits, of course I’ll be annoyed.”

Jing Xiao lowered her lashes: “The weather here changes so suddenly. For safety, we should wait for the skies to clear before leaving.”

Fan Qingyu feigned indifference: “It’s fine. A day or two doesn’t matter. I can just reconnect with the collaborators.”

Jing Xiao patted her chest: “If funds aren’t enough, tell me. I’m not short on money right now.”

Fan Qingyu chuckled. She knew Jing Xiao hadn’t fully secured her position as the heir of the Jing family yet; her liquid assets and expenses were still limited. The gifts for Mr. Brown alone had already cost her dearly.

Fan Qingyu declined politely: “We should save where we can. I’ll have Xiao Jiang keep a closer watch.”

“Alright.”

Fan Qingyu poked her face, earnestly reminding her: “Even with liquid funds, save when possible. Don’t spend extravagantly.”

Only then did Jing Xiao realize that Fan Qingyu was worried about her overdrawing funds. Seeing her serious expression, she couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t worry. I don’t only rely on the Jing family’s little profits. Money won’t be an issue—you’ll have as much as you need.”

Fan Qingyu gave her a thumbs-up: “Impressive.”

With almost everything settled, Jing Xiao finally relaxed slightly. She reached into her pocket and popped a hard candy into her mouth.

The sweet fruity scent spread in her mouth as she crunched the remaining candy. She stood up and drew aside the partially closed curtains.

Outside, the sky was gray and foggy, draping everything in thick mist. Walking on the plush carpet, she felt a sense of calm. The rain pattered gently, creating ripples on the parched ground.

“Xiao Xiao, there’s a tea set here,” Fan Qingyu said. She had intended only to watch a movie but found the plug hidden in the TV cabinet. Opening it revealed a complete set of tea-making tools.

“You want to make tea?” Jing Xiao unpacked the set. “Doesn’t look like a hotel provision—probably left by a previous guest.”

Fan Qingyu picked up the disposable tea bags that had accumulated over the past few days, joking: “Where did all this tea come from? Should we really make it? Seems a bit overkill.”

Jing Xiao didn’t mind the leftover equipment. She set it up and dropped the tea bags in: “No matter, let’s just brew it for fun. Smelling it’s nice enough.”

Fan Qingyu contacted the front desk for dinner—simple steak, pasta, and croissants. Jing Xiao set up a small round table to make tea, and they sat side by side.

Though the hotel had hot water, Jing Xiao, wanting the full tea-making experience, used mineral water. The tea set quietly worked. Fan Qingyu opened a small window, letting the rain’s sound filter in clearly without soaking the carpet.

The rain was crisp and soft, reflecting a wet, flowing light. Dark clouds churned, mingling with the mist to form an ink-and-wash painting. Large raindrops splashed on the glass, leaving long streaks as they slid down.

The rain sounded like a delicate web, enveloping the ears, making time unnoticeable. Both immersed in the gentle sound.

“Xiao Xiao,” Fan Qingyu’s voice was as soft as the rain.

Suddenly, lightning streaked across the sky, casting her face pale like a figure in a painting.

Jing Xiao’s eyelids twitched, unable to look away.

The teapot gurgled and bubbled until boiling water splashed, scalding Jing Xiao’s arm. Only then did she snap out of her trance.

“What’s wrong? Were you so captivated by me?” Fan Qingyu saw her arm reddened and immediately turned off the teapot, leading her to the bathroom to rinse.

Following Fan Qingyu’s guidance: “I don’t know why, but just now it felt like you were far away from me.”

Fan Qingyu tapped her forehead: “You got distracted over this?”

Luckily, only a few drops touched her arm, and the redness faded after rinsing with cool water.

Dinner arrived. Besides the meal, the hotel provided nuts and some fruit. Fan Qingyu explained: “Even with limited conditions, it shouldn’t be too simple.”

Jing Xiao had no appetite and picked up a delicate plate to place shelled peanuts.

The tea wasn’t high quality. Fan Qingyu sipped lightly, then added water to the pot, adjusting the temperature to maintain a gentle heat.

The subtle tea fragrance filled the air. Although picturesque, neither felt inclined to fully enjoy it.

Fan Qingyu opened her phone. The software didn’t detect a foreign location, still showing domestic headlines. She scrolled through some silly videos.

“Oh my god, the rich and powerful are too ridiculous…”

It was clearly AI-processed. Fan Qingyu normally wouldn’t care, but this time, her gaze lingered. Her pupils dilated, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. She accidentally dropped her phone heavily on the floor.

Jing Xiao asked with concern: “What’s wrong?”

Fan Qingyu trembled all over, her pale lips stammering words she couldn’t form. Jing Xiao finally realized something was off, gripping her shoulders and shaking her gently.

Picking up her phone, Jing Xiao saw two familiar figures.

Both were slim and well-proportioned women, their hair delicate. Though pixelated and dressed very differently, anyone determined could, with further investigation and the creative writing of social media, identify them.

Jing Xiao’s heart sank. The strange sounds Fan Qingyu heard in the water city previously had originated from this.

Fan Qingyu didn’t understand why she reacted so strongly. After calming slightly, she swallowed and said: “Xiao Xiao… your family… is everything okay?”

Recently, the news of Jing Xiao and Fan Qingyu breaking up had made a huge stir, becoming a hot gossip topic. Some netizens speculated whether the two in the photos were them, but it was soon drowned by other information.

Most people assumed the photo showed a regular Chinese couple on vacation, unaware of someone having secretly photographed and exaggerated it.

This was not uncommon. Similar incidents had happened before, and the video had just appeared, so few netizens had dug out details.

Fan Qingyu exhaled. She checked the video info; a big “Breaking” tag was on it. Given modern netizens’ mentality, it was no surprise it went viral. Clearly, someone had deliberately orchestrated this.

Jing Xiao clicked her tongue, not replying directly to Fan Qingyu, only patting her hand to reassure her.

She dialed a string of numbers, headaches mounting.

As a businesswoman, she knew not to put all eggs in one basket. Luckily, she hadn’t relied entirely on the Jing family. Otherwise, this incident would be impossible to resolve through the family’s PR department.

Jing Xiao glanced at Fan Qingyu by the window. She stared blankly outside, fists clenched on her clothes, lost in thought.

She couldn’t understand why, in this era of freedom in relationships, as an adult, she couldn’t openly travel with her girlfriend.

Standing in the shadows, one hand on the table, her knuckles tapping in no rhythm, she contemplated whether some of her choices had truly been right.

The Jing family was rife with internal scheming, entangling countless interests. For now, her and Jing Lan’s company shares were almost equal. If Jing Lan bought off a few more shareholders, all her efforts would be meaningless.

She couldn’t read old Jing’s mind.

Thinking of this, Jing Xiao shivered at the thought. Perhaps in such a traditional family, elders don’t fully care for younger members; everything is based on ability.

The rain intensified, shattering any previous sense of tranquility. Jing Xiao felt nothing but annoyance.

Perhaps it was time for her to fight for herself.

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