Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 43

After signing the “unequal treaty” with Lu Ang, Yu Yao drove Xu You to the largest shopping mall near her home.

For Chinese people, the biggest celebration of the year is the Spring Festival. Over the past few years abroad, preparing New Year goods mostly relied on online shopping with forwarded packages and Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown. This year, being able to experience the atmosphere of everyone on the streets and alleys participating, she was very excited.

Xu You knew that Yu Yao’s excitement didn’t end there. On the way to the supermarket, her girlfriend Mai called, saying that she had wrapped up everything on her end and booked the earliest flight to come celebrate the New Year with them. This was the joy of reuniting with a lover, making her ecstatic and overjoyed.

After parking the car and entering the large supermarket from the underground entrance, Xu You pushed the shopping cart while Yu Yao was in charge of filling it.

Decorations, couplets, festive fruits and snacks, people and goods, everything was dazzlingly arrayed.

When they were young, they always looked forward to this day. But as they grew older and the pressures of schoolwork and life piled up, everyone’s anticipation for the holiday gradually diminished. Now, with new people joining, and foreigners unfamiliar with Chinese culture at that, it suddenly felt like going back many years, and Yu Yao’s enthusiasm was higher than ever.

After a round through the supermarket, the receipt stretched over a meter long, and the items, too many to carry even with four hands, filled most of the storage space in the car.

Xu You sat in the passenger seat, checking the photos sent by the spy, Lu Ang.

Judging by the background, it seemed to be a KTV or some private room they often frequented. In the dimly lit environment, there were figures both familiar and unfamiliar to her. A blank wall was covered with balloons and decorations, with the two letters “XY” prominently displayed in the center.

It was amusing, a scene that had never appeared in previous years.

A birthday celebration without the person it was meant for, who was it really for?

Besides, she was still alive. Stirring up trouble like this right before the New Year only brought annoyance and bad luck, nothing else.

“What are you looking at?” Yu Yao fastened her seatbelt and set the navigation. Having just moved to Beicheng, she still couldn’t drive without relying on GPS.

Xu You turned off her phone. “Nothing. You should just take me to the hotel to get my luggage first.”

After all, Lu Ang had been Zhou Siyu’s close friend for over twenty years. Though he promised to help her, she trusted him but not entirely. Staying at the hotel again might lead to other “friends” showing up, and even changing hotels carried the risk of being tracked down again. After discussing it with Mai and Yu Yao, she decided to move into the guest room at Yu Yao’s place temporarily until she returned to Australia.

After picking up her luggage and checking out, the evening rush hour had already begun. No matter the price of the car, everyone had to crawl slowly along with the traffic.

“After this road, turn left. It’s less congested over there.” They weren’t in a no-honking zone, and the blaring horns from outside the car windows nearly drowned them out. Xu You quickly glanced at the road signs and pointed out a smoother route to Yu Yao.

Yu Yao followed her suggestion, turning on the signal and waiting for a chance to change lanes.

She kept her eyes on the side mirrors, her foot steady on the accelerator, and her shifting gaze caught Xu You’s furrowed brow.

Xu You relaxed into the leather seat, tilting her head to look out the window. The ponytail she had tied up in the morning had come loose, and her thick, dark curls covered the side of her face. But the hidden part was reflected in the glass, her eyes, clouded with mixed emotions, looked dull and listless. Paired with her frail figure, she seemed utterly pitiful.

The car moved forward a bit further, and the road signs on the right slipped past. The navigation system recalibrated the route, and the mechanical voice spoke again.

“Please move to the left lane. In five hundred meters, turn left onto Shengshi Avenue.”

The proposed solution was the same as the one Xu You had provided. The sudden sound broke the silence, and Xu You withdrew her gaze, turning on the car’s music player.

The car’s Bluetooth connected to Yu Yao’s phone, and her playlist was almost entirely filled with French songs. As the music shuffled, a soft melody flowed out. Yu Yao bit her lower lip, silently relieved that Xu You couldn’t understand French, sparing her from being annoyed by the melancholic love songs.

The time on the phone screen had just ticked from 59 to 00. At the very moment the new day arrived, Xu You’s phone was flooded with dozens of birthday wishes. Yu Yao, who lived under the same roof, had not only sent her a heartfelt message but also personally knocked on her door to deliver a birthday gift.

Xu You sat with her on the carpet, fingers busy replying to messages while casually discussing the company’s future plans.

“How’s the hiring going?”

Yu Yao swirled the red wine in her glass, her face grim. “I’ve already posted the job listings on all the major platforms, but our company is still in its early stages, the venue is just finalized, and the renovation hasn’t even started. It’s not easy to attract talent right now.”

“Put some effort into it yourself. If you’re in a hurry, consider paying extra to speed up the renovation. As for employees, see if you can poach some or wait for the spring recruitment season after the New Year. Don’t worry, there’s always a way to overcome difficulties.”

After clearing all the notification red dots on her phone, Xu You scrolled through her messages again and realized she hadn’t received anything from Xu Tian. A strange feeling crept into her heart.

Her younger sister, who had grown unusually clingy and admiring after her teenage years, always made sure to send blessings and gifts on birthdays and holidays, right on time. This year, despite being apart, she hadn’t even sent a message, completely out of character.

Yu Yao’s response interrupted her thoughts. Xu You lowered her gaze, deciding to assume that Xu Tian was asleep due to the time difference and would reach out during the day.

“I’ve looked into several research institutes in North City, and they’re all doing quite well. I plan to contact them and see if we can collaborate. There’s no use rushing. Let’s focus on celebrating your birthday and enjoying the New Year first,” Yu Yao said, finishing the wine in her glass in one go.

Once her best friend started talking, she was wide awake. The two moved to the living room, watching movies, eating, and drinking until dawn began to break.

Mai’s flight was scheduled to arrive in North City in the afternoon. Around noon, the two were woken by their alarms, quickly got ready, and headed out. With Mai absent, Xu You took the passenger seat to help navigate. As she raised her hand, her diamond ring clinked against the window, and she quickly reminded Yu Yao.

“You’re wearing your couple’s ring, right? And you have the gift for her?”

Yu Yao waved her hand in front of Xu You’s face and then pointed to the glove compartment. “I always put it on right after washing up. The gifts are in there. I’ll tell her as soon as she gets in the car.”

Xu You breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly recalling that she, too, had once received gifts in the passenger seat. But the person who had given them to her was now a thing of the past. They had never worn couple’s rings, and they never would in the future.

Reflecting on her time with Zhou Siyu, the further Xu You moved forward, the clearer she saw things. They had shared many sweet moments, but there were even more regrets.

After parking the car, the two hurried straight to the international arrivals gate.

Mai didn’t have a local SIM card, so Yu Yao had instructed her to connect to the airport Wi-Fi as soon as she landed and get in touch. Worried, Yu Yao kept sending voice messages without pause. Xu You couldn’t understand a word of the long French sentences. She glanced at the large flight information board, found Mai’s flight details, and saw that its status was already listed as “Arrived.”

Before long, Yu Yao received a phone call, and the young couple established contact. Left with nothing to do, she leaned her arm against the partition, watching the exit.

At 3 p.m. local time, it was nearly 5 p.m. in Australia. With some free time, Xu You thought of her sister, who had been silent for a while, and hesitantly decided to give her a call.

The call connected quickly, but the connection seemed poor. When Xu You asked questions, Xu Tian kept hemming and hawing, sometimes claiming she couldn’t hear clearly, other times exchanging a few words with someone else.

Worried her sister might be up to no good, Xu You insisted, “Turn on the video and let me see where you are.”

“I’m busy right now, can we do it later?” Xu Tian tried to brush her off.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll ask Mom and Dad,” Xu You countered, unfazed, using their parents as leverage.

Xu Tian had been spoiled growing up and wasn’t usually afraid of their parents, but she had recently convinced them to let her pursue some unconventional art projects, something they hadn’t initially approved of. If Xu You tattled, they would likely change their minds.

There was a long silence on the other end. After a busy signal, Xu You received a video call from her sister.

Xu You was genuinely worried about her sister’s safety; otherwise, she wouldn’t have resorted to threatening her with their parents. When the call connected and she saw Xu Tian in a hoodie, shivering, her brows furrowed tightly.

“Where are you?”

It was the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and wearing so many layers should have made her overheated, yet she was trembling unusually.

Xu Tian deliberately held the phone very close, the screen almost entirely filled with her face, which bore a resemblance to Xu You’s. The limited background made it hard to gather any useful information.

“Hold the phone farther away,” Xu You commanded.

Xu Tian was reluctant, trying to laugh it off. “Come on, sis, I really have things to do. Can I call you back when I’m done?” Her tone was pleading, assuming her coquetry would soften her sister, but it didn’t work.

Xu You had long been immune to such tactics. She stared sternly, waiting for her sister to comply.

Seeing her sister’s unyielding expression, Xu Tian couldn’t hold out and slowly pulled the camera back.

In the background she had intentionally obscured, people were bustling about, carrying large bags and dragging suitcases of various sizes. They shared similar East Asian features, and upon closer inspection, the backgrounds behind the two sisters matched perfectly.

“Sis, are you at the airport too?” Xu Tian, who always relied on their mother to pack her seasonal clothes, had misjudged the weather. Rubbing her arms and shivering violently, her teeth chattering, she still couldn’t hide her excitement.

Xu You didn’t know whether to praise or scold her. Her little sister had sneaked over without telling her, and to make matters worse, she was dressed so lightly. If she caught a cold, it would be a hassle.

“Sorry, I just wanted to spend my birthday and New Year with you, and visit Grandpa before school starts,” Xu Tian said, hitting Xu You’s weak spot directly.

Mentioning Grandpa made Xu You relent. She glanced at the exit number behind her sister, patted Yu Yao, gave a few instructions, and headed off to find her.

“Stay right there and wait for me. Stay away from the draft.”

As she spoke, someone passed through the automatic doors, and a gust of wind lifted Xu Tian’s short hair, revealing her slender, exposed neck. Right on cue, she let out a massive sneeze.

Xu You quickened her pace to a run, anxious to pick up her sister, and didn’t notice the familiar figure brushing past her.

…

The day before, Youyou had been frightened by Yu Yao at the police station and returned home with a high fever. The task of picking her up, originally assigned to Qin Keyi, fell to Zhou Siyu. Traffic was congested on the way from the city center, so she arrived late.

They had agreed to meet at the exit. From a distance, she spotted a tall, burly white man looking around.

She waved at him and hurried over, but as she stopped, her attention was completely captured by a pair of lovers kissing passionately.

In this era, same-sex and opposite-sex relationships held equal status, and seeing two women kissing passionately at the airport wasn’t particularly unusual. However, when her gaze unintentionally swept over one of their faces, her breath began to slow.

The pair, a tall white woman and a shorter Chinese woman, were completely absorbed in each other, their eyes closed as their lips pressed together.

The seemingly beautiful scene shattered the moment the shorter woman’s face became visible.

Xu You’s partner was cheating.