After Breaking Up With The Wealthy Heiress - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Most people living in “Xinghu Courtyard No. 35” carried a certain level of economic pressure. Regardless of the season or the temperature, they woke up earlier than most in this sprawling city.

Fang Yu was one of them.

With the current difficult employment market for university students, she couldn’t find an accounting firm internship nearby. Consequently, her commute from home to the firm took an hour and a half by subway.

It wasn’t even 7:00 AM yet. The sky held a tint of indigo when Fang Yu opened her eyes, beating her alarm clock.

Last night, under Tan Yunshu’s seduction and coaxing, she had repeatedly responded to the phrase “You can only be mine.” As a result, she had only slept for a few hours. Her head felt heavy and throbbed with a dull ache, but more than that, she was afraid the alarm would wake Tan Yunshu.

Tan Yunshu was still fast asleep in Fang Yu’s bed, wearing an eye mask. Only the delicate lower half of her face was visible, her breathing steady.

Fang Yu watched her for a few seconds, slowly reaching out to gently brush a stray lock of silky hair away from Tan Yunshu’s face before creeping out of bed.

She went into the small kitchen first.

Old apartments like this had no “interior design” to speak of; everything felt aged or “shabby.” Its only saving grace was that it was kept spotlessly clean, so it wasn’t repulsive. There was only one gas burner on the stove, and the utensils were kept in a small cabinet.

She turned around and took out some frozen dumplings to boil from an old refrigerator that had likely been running for decades.

The dumplings had been wrapped by her mother on Monday night.

Her mother, Fang Qin, had been hired as a live-in nanny by the Tan family three years ago. She had one day off a week. Every time Fang Qin came home for her break, she would prepare “breakfast” in advance and freeze it. Fang Qin was an expert at dough-based dishes—dumplings, wontons, steamed buns those were the staples of Fang Yu’s morning meals.

When Fang Qin first found out that the eldest daughter of the Tan family was also studying at Liucheng University, she had come home and told Fang Yu specifically: “Do not provoke Tan Yunshu.”

Even if they were in different departments, even if one was dazzling and the other was as lowly as dust, they were never meant to have an intersection.

Fang Yu had indeed followed that advice it was as natural as breathing.

Yet, it was Tan Yunshu who had provoked her instead. In these past three years, Fang Yu had heard that phrase “You are mine” countless times.

Thinking of this, Fang Yu stole a few glances toward the bedroom before slowly retracting her gaze. It wasn’t that she hadn’t imagined the scene of her mother discovering Tan Yunshu in her daughter’s bed, but the mere thought made her scalp tingle with anxiety.

The water in the pot came to a boil, releasing thick steam that instantly fogged up Fang Yu’s glasses. She pulled her thoughts together and dropped the dumplings into the pot one by one.

She only cooked enough for one person. Tan Yunshu wouldn’t wake up this early. A young lady with a comfortable life and no pressure to survive didn’t need to start her day in the dark like she did.

While the dumplings boiled, Fang Yu went to the bathroom to wash up.

The most conspicuous items in the bathroom were Tan Yunshu’s expensive skincare products, which looked completely out of place in that space. Fang Yu glanced at them, then at her own reflection. After a moment, she spat out her toothpaste, wiped her face haphazardly, and applied some basic baby cream.

After eating and washing her bowl, Fang Yu returned to the bedroom to find that Tan Yunshu had, for once, taken off her eye mask early. She was propped up on one elbow, looking at her with a beaming smile.

Tan Yunshu’s nightgown barely covered her thighs. In this posture, her graceful, beautiful curves were on full display. The weather today was overcast; the curtains hadn’t been drawn yet, and the room was bathed in a grey shadow. But Tan Yunshu’s eyes were bright and moist, completely unaffected by the gloom.

Fang Yu turned on the light and opened the wardrobe, pretending to be composed. Only when her back was turned to Tan Yunshu did her heartbeat feel somewhat normal.

She rifled through her clothes, asking casually, “Did I wake you up?”

The soundproofing here was poor; Tan Yunshu had been woken up by noise before.

“No,” Tan Yunshu’s gaze swept slowly across Fang Yu’s back, her tone lilted. “I woke up naturally.”

Fang Yu: “Oh.”

She followed up: “Are you hungry?”

“I’m okay,” Tan Yunshu’s tone remained the same. “I can just do some fasted cardio after I get home.”

“Mm.” The rejection was expected. Tan Yunshu had never once eaten a meal at her place.

Fang Yu could feel Tan Yunshu’s gaze on her back, but she didn’t feel the need to be coy. They had already done everything. She took off her pajamas right there, and reached for her bra. But just as she was about to fasten the hooks, a pair of hands slowly pressed against her waist.

The temperature and touch that didn’t belong to her caused Fang Yu’s fingertips to twitch. She missed the hook. She turned her head slightly, but before she could say a word, Tan Yunshu laughed and spoke first.

“Let me help you.”

Fang Yu lowered her hands and said somewhat stiffly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Tan Yunshu said nonchalantly. “I was the one who unfastened it last night, after all.”

Fang Yu: “…”

Tan Yunshu’s “help” was clearly not just about the hooks. She even used a commanding tone to tell Fang Yu to turn around. She knelt lightly on the edge of the bed, “adjusting” the front of the bra for Fang Yu. Her gaze was scorching, her fingertips grazing Fang Yu’s skin.

Fang Yu looked away, her lips pressed tight, her ears and cheeks flushed deep red.

Tan Yunshu pinched her slender waist again, looked into her eyes, and callously exposed her. “What are you shy for?” she teased.

“I’m not.”

Meeting Tan Yunshu’s teasing gaze and looking at that bewitching face, Fang Yu said solemnly, “I don’t have time to flirt with you right now, Tan Yunshu.”

“Then who do you have time for?”

Fang Yu stared at her but didn’t answer. She knew Tan Yunshu was doing this on purpose deliberately provoking her, forcing her to express her unwavering loyalty.

Seeing her silence, Tan Yunshu didn’t get angry this time. Instead, she pinched Fang Yu’s chin, a smile lingering on her lips. “You only have time for me, Fang Yu. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

Tan Yunshu shifted the topic. “I’ll drive you.”

“No need. Driving me would make it more likely that I’ll be late.” Morning rush hour traffic was no joke, and the traffic near the firm was notoriously congested.

Tan Yunshu raised an eyebrow but didn’t insist. “Alright.”

Two minutes later, Fang Yu headed downstairs with her backpack.

Once outside, she realized the weather was even gloomier than she thought. Dark clouds hung low, and a light drizzle began to fall. Fang Yu didn’t go back up to get an umbrella. She jogged into the subway entrance along with the crowd.

The subway during rush hour was packed. Everyone was in a hurry, and no one was smiling; they all looked exhausted. There were many office workers at Xinghu Station; those like her who commuted for over an hour were the majority.

While waiting for the train, Fang Yu lowered her head and sent a message to Tan Yunshu.

It’s raining. There’s an umbrella by the door.

This was the reason she hadn’t turned back for it. There was only one umbrella at home. She didn’t want Tan Yunshu to get wet, even though she knew Tan Yunshu might not need it… but what if she forgot this time?

Just as she thought this, Tan Yunshu’s reply came.

xxx: I have an umbrella.

Fang Yu pursed her lips and replied with an “Okay.”

The umbrella at home was a cheap item, much like her body wash. To her, an umbrella was just a tool to block the sun, wind, or rain. But the umbrellas Tan Yunshu carried had to be a matter of brand and aesthetics.

Her finger remained on the screen. She actually wanted to ask when they would meet next, but in the end, she didn’t. In this ambiguous relationship with Tan Yunshu, she was in the passive position.

Unexpectedly, in the gap of her brooding, Tan Yunshu sent another message: Miss me well, Fang Yu.

The six words looked blunt on the screen, but Fang Yu imagined the way Tan Yunshu would say them, and the corner of her mouth twitched into a tiny smile.

Okay.

The subway arrived. A gust of wind swirled through the station, tossing Fang Yu’s hair. The glass doors reflected her upright, lean figure. Fang Yu stepped forward, brushing past strangers to enter the carriage, hiding all her thoughts away once again.

Graduation is coming soon.

Just wait a little longer.

By then, Tan Yunshu can finally fall in love.

The drizzle in Liucheng lasted for two days, only clearing up on Saturday afternoon. The weather was just right.

Since Labor Day was approaching, the much-disliked “makeup work day” policy was in effect. This time, the holiday officially started on Saturday and lasted three days.

But Fang Yu rarely had a holiday. Since starting university, her part-time schedule was packed: tutoring, milk tea shops, handing out flyers, fast food restaurants… Only when she was exhausted to the point of collapse would she give herself time to relax.

She had already arranged her schedule for this three-day break: she was to work as a sales assistant for a beauty brand in a newly opened mall on the west side. This was a part-time job she had been doing since her sophomore year. It was tiring, but the pay was relatively higher. If the commissions were good, these three days would bring in a four-figure income, which she would then send back to her hometown.

Holidays always passed quickly. By the last day, the month had turned to May.

After standing and working for another hour, Fang Yu earned a ten-minute break. She didn’t stay by the display counter but sat in a resting area on the second floor nearby. There were sofas there, and she could still monitor the display counter.

Customers bustled through the mall. Fang Yu was wearing a skirt suit uniform. She sat with her legs together and her back straight. She took out her phone, scrolled through WeChat, replied to a few messages from part-time job coordinators, and then focused on her pinned contact.

There were still no red notification numbers.

At that moment, another part-timer named “Mengmeng” came over and sat next to her. She leaned her head on Fang Yu’s shoulder and let out a tired sigh. “Why isn’t it 10:00 PM yet, Xiao Yu?”

According to Fang Qin, when Fang Yu was being named, the official at the police station asked which “yu” it was. Fang Yu’s grandmother, who wasn’t very educated, said it was the “yu” for “happiness” (yu yue). But the word for “transcend” (yu yue) was a homophone. In the end, they put “Fang Yu” (transcend) on the household register.

Therefore, when working part-time, Fang Yu used the nickname “Xiao Yu” (happiness); it seemed a bit more lighthearted. Mengmeng had a lively personality and got along with everyone.

Fang Yu, however, felt a bit unnatural. She closed her phone and said, “Because it’s not 10:00 PM yet.”

Mengmeng laughed. “Hahaha.” She sat up straight, looked at Fang Yu, and reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Fang Yu’s ear. “Your hair is a bit messy, Xiao Yu.”

Fang Yu’s nerves tightened slightly. She adjusted her glasses and said, “Thank you.”

Shen Yingzhi watched as Tan Yunshu gazed at the resting area opposite them. Following her gaze, she didn’t see anything unusual. She couldn’t help but ask, “What are you looking at?”

Tan Yunshu snapped out of it, a smile spreading across her face. “Nothing.” Then she narrowed her eyes, looking a bit cold. “I just remembered that someone hasn’t been listening to me.”

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