Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 44

Even after recognizing Yu Yao’s face, Zhou Siyu overcame both physical and psychological discomfort, reaching out to rub her eyelids with her not-so-clean hand.

Having confirmed that one of the two was Xu You’s partner and keenly noticing that she wore a matching couple’s ring with Xu You while also wearing another matching ring with this foreigner, Zhou Siyu had no reason to sit idly by and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

“Zhou, is that someone you know? If so, why not go say hello?” the white man asked in broken Chinese, watching Zhou Siyu continuously film the kissing pair with her phone.

He found it quite strange. While there was no explicit law against such filming in the United States, the gentlemen he knew always maintained proper decorum, neither looking down on strangers nor trying to ingratiate themselves.

In his understanding of Chinese, Zhou Siyu’s behavior was called… what was it again? Oh, right! secretly taking photos.

Feeling too embarrassed to keep watching the two women being intimate, he averted his gaze to the floor and asked Zhou Siyu again, “Zhou, is this… acceptable?”

After finishing the recording, Zhou Siyu put away her phone with satisfaction. She gave him a relaxed smile, the long-accumulated resentment on her face dissipating, her eyes sparkling with clarity.

Casually brushing off her dustless clothes, she said, “Robert, this isn’t something you need to worry about.”

“Oh, alright.” The white man named Robert pressed his fingers to his temples. “If we’re not discussing your personal matters, then let’s talk about company business. Recently, three or four years? I’ve invested money, but your company…”

“Now is break time, Robert. I think work matters are best discussed after the holidays. Let’s go, they’re all waiting for you.” Seizing the fact that he couldn’t speak Chinese fluently, Zhou Siyu didn’t bother with further pleasantries and took a few steps forward.

In the bustling airport hall, no one paid them any attention, much less noticed Zhou Siyu.

Robert was nudged forward by the mention of “them,” dragging his suitcase closer to her. Meanwhile, she cast another ambiguous glance at the two women, who had parted lips and were now embracing each other.

When Xu You found her younger sister Xu Tian, the latter’s lips had turned purplish from the cold.

“Sis!” Xu Tian had been looking around eagerly ever since she learned her sister was coming to pick her up. Spotting her sister’s stern face, she left her suitcase behind and practically launched herself into Xu You’s arms.

Xu You staggered back a step but managed to steady herself. Instead of returning the hug, she grabbed the hood of Xu Tian’s sweatshirt, pulling her away as if handling a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

“Quite the bold one, aren’t you? If you’re so independent, why didn’t you check the weather forecast and wear more layers?” Xu You chided while unzipping her own down jacket, making a show of taking it off to give to her sister for warmth.

Xu You wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, but ever since she started living with her “helpless” younger sister, her maternal instincts had been awakened by Xu Tian’s clumsiness. She found herself instinctively caring for her, worrying about her, and nagging her.

Realizing her sister’s intention, Xu Tian quickly grabbed both sides of the unzipped down jacket before Xu You could fully remove it, stopping her from going further.

Under the jacket, Xu You wore only a thin white T-shirt. Without the thick clothing to conceal her frame, her prominent bones stood out starkly, making Xu Tian’s heart ache.

“I’m not cold, there’s heating indoors,” Xu Tian insisted stubbornly. She moved closer, crouching slightly to rezip her sister’s jacket, carefully sliding the clasp upward.

The plastic zipper slid up and down smoothly. She had just pulled it up to Xu You’s lower abdomen when a light slap landed on the back of her head.

“Trying to act tough with me?” Xu You tugged her clothes back and, while Xu Tian was still stunned, took off the garment that carried her body warmth and scent and draped it over her younger sister. She asserted her authority over Xu Tian, “Talk less. If you’re worried about me catching a cold, keep up. Let’s find your sister Yaoyao and the others so we can get in the car and go home quickly.”

“Who are you all here to pick up together?” Xu Tian obediently followed, dragging her oversized suitcase and taking quick, small steps to keep up with Xu You. “How’s your company doing? Mom and Dad said if you haven’t settled on a place yet, you could consider moving to Shanghai. They mentioned they have connections there who could help you.”

Xu You’s strides grew longer and faster. Both sisters knew that establishing themselves more quickly would be easier in Shanghai, a city they were both familiar with and had connections in. But Yu Yao wanted to start a business without family support, she didn’t want to live her life under the shadow of being “so-and-so’s daughter.” She wanted to prove through her own efforts that she could provide a stable life for Mai in China.

The startup capital for their company came from years of savings from both their jobs. The house and car were compromises from their elders who couldn’t bear to see them struggle, but Xu You knew all subsequent maintenance and various expenses would still fall on her, another significant cost.

“Don’t worry about us.” Xu You’s sudden summer attire attracted some attention from passersby. Unbothered by the stares, she tucked her curly hair behind her ear and scanned the area for Yu Yao and Mai.

Not wanting to invite more annoyance, Xu Tian pointed into the distance, “Sister Yaoyao is over there kissing Mai.”

As expected, she received another light slap, this one filled with affection.

It was similarly gentle, landing on her down jacket with an audible pat. Zhou Siyu, who had walked some distance away, didn’t pause at the sound. Robert glanced around and informed her that it was just two girls play-fighting, one of whom was wearing a T-shirt. Zhou Siyu acknowledged with an “oh,” her mind already occupied with how to get Xu You’s phone number without annoying her.

After waiting for the couple, who were acting like newlyweds reunited after a long separation, to finish their affectionate moment, the four of them successfully met up at the exit.

Mai warmly greeted the two sisters with cheek kisses. On the way to the parking lot, Xu You wore Mai’s scarf around her neck while both their suitcases were handled by Yu Yao.

In the car, Yu Yao and Mai sat in the front seats, while Xu You and her sister took the back.

Warm air blew from all directions, gradually restoring warmth to Xu You’s skin. It took nearly twice as long as the trip there for the four of them to reach Yu Yao’s luxurious home.

During the drive, Yu Yao and Xu You exchanged meaningful looks. Once the car stopped, Xu You quickly pulled her somewhat clueless sister into the house first. Xu Tian, realizing belatedly, briefly interrupted the couple by going around to the front of the car to retrieve her suitcase from the storage compartment.

“We can’t all stay here and bother your sister Yaoyao. How long are you planning to stay? I’ll look into booking a hotel or finding a short-term rental.” Once inside, Xu You pulled disposable slippers from the shoe cabinet for Xu Tian.

Xu Tian rocked her heels back and forth to slip off her sneakers: “I want to stay for a while. Didn’t you plan to come here for travel during university? You made so many itineraries back then. Now that I have the chance, I want to visit all those magnificent landscapes I’ve never seen before.”

Mentioning travel excited Xu Tian so much that she forgot about the dark period nobody was allowed to bring up. When she realized her mistake, she immediately lowered her head, awaiting her sister’s scolding.

Seeing her sister’s instantly obedient expression, Xu You patted her fluffy head.

Though the pain was tacitly avoided by all, they had already run into each other.

More than three times in two days.

“Wishful thinking! How could you possibly see all the great landscapes of our motherland in such a short time?” she said, then suddenly changed her tone, as if disgusted, “After such a long flight, you’ll have to wash your hair three times tonight. So dirty!”

“What’s so dirty about it? Smell it… it’s fragrant!” Xu Tian, completely guilt-free, shoved her head toward Xu You, who took a step back for every step forward Xu Tian took.

Just as Xu You was about to stumble and fall, the mischievous child finally stopped fooling around. She pulled out her enormous suitcase and unloaded a pile of items onto the center of the living room, then sat down beside them.

“What’s all this?” Xu You looked down at the small mountain of things, not daring to touch them.

Xu Tian rummaged through the pile and pulled out an A4-sized scrapbook, handing it to her. “Here, this is a birthday gift from your fans.”

Fans? A gift?

Xu You was a bit confused. She had opened social media accounts on foreign platforms, but she had kept her identity well-hidden. She only posted her artwork, how did they know her birthday and prepare such a gift?

She took the scrapbook but didn’t rush to open it. Instead, she gave her sister a look that said, “Confess everything.”

The mischievous child tried to brush it off, but a sharp “Hmm?” from her sister made her sit up straight and spill the truth.

It all started when she realized that her sister hadn’t celebrated her birthday even once in the years since she went abroad. After privately asking Yu Yao, she learned that Xu You had been hurt when she left Zhou Siyu, leaving behind painful memories. She didn’t want her sister to spend such an important day licking her wounds alone year after year because of a terrible person. So, she came up with this idea herself, to overwrite old scars with new memories.

The pseudonym “Esme” had brought her sister a new life and hope.

So, a few months ago, she began planning. She found a platform where her sister had no account and rallied a hundred fans from all over the world. She sent out the empty scrapbook, which traveled over mountains and across oceans, passing through dozens of countries, until it was filled with words in various languages and finally returned to her. The pile of items scattered on the floor were additional gifts sent by the fans.

Xu You sniffled and gave Xu Tian a big hug.

“Hurry up and look. To be honest, it was pretty difficult. Esme the great artist’s fans are just as cautious as she is. It took me a lot of effort to gather these hundred people.” Even the mischievous child had her moments of obedience, and she still knew how to act spoiled in her sister’s arms.

Xu You began flipping through the bulging scrapbook. The first page was likely added last by Xu Tian, a large “Happy Birthday” written in purple ink, with a drawing of their family of four below.

At the sight of it, the emotions she had been holding back instantly burst.

Who would believe that the sister of the rising artist Esme struggled so much with stick figures that the four figures were indistinguishable from one another?

Suppressing a laugh, she continued turning the pages. She could read Chinese and English effortlessly, Italian she could mostly understand, but the unfamiliar characters further on were a real challenge.

“Thank you,” Xu You said, closing the scrapbook before her tears could spill over.

The pain had long since faded in the repetition of new days, like the bitter coffee she once disliked, once in her mouth, it would eventually dilute to the point of being negligible.

She was content to have such a thoughtful yet occasionally scatterbrained younger sister, a loving family and friends, and even supportive online acquaintances she had never met in person. This sense of fulfillment and happiness far surpassed what she had experienced during those years by Zhou Siyu’s side.

There were so many well-wishes today that she couldn’t read them all at once. She decided to save them and slowly savor every word.

“Why thank them? It’s because of you that they’re willing to trust me and join in celebrating your birthday,” Xu Tian said, handing her gift to her sister first. “This is what I prepared for you, please don’t think it’s too simple.”

After Yu Yao and Mai finished their sweet moment, they noticed the scene in the living room and naturally joined in. Mai’s gift had been shipped to Australia and arrived just in time. After a video call with their parents, they all gathered to unwrap the presents.

Xu Tian had made it clear she didn’t want expensive gifts, so most were handmade, some were imitations of her paintings, others were long, heartfelt letters filled with affectionate praise, and various origami crafts.

Before the hotpot delivery arrived, Xu You organized all the gifts and, for the first time, posted something online that included glimpses of her personal life.

Logging into her overseas account was slow due to the internet speed. While waiting for the “sent successfully” notification, her inbox was suddenly flooded with messages.

As Xu Tian helped the couple clean up the kitchen and wash the fruit, Xu You stole a glance at them and, feeling reassured, let a hint of annoyance show on her face as she carefully read through a collaboration request from YUYOO.

After reading the entire message, Xu You had only one impression: troublesome.

She hadn’t expected that, even years after YUYOO went public, Zheng Ran was still handling these matters. The official document bore traces of his distinctive tone, unmistakably his.

[Sorry, I have no interest in collaborating. Please do not contact me through any means again. Thank you!]

Xu You bluntly rejected Zheng Ran… no, YUYOO.

Finally, her post went live. Likes and comments poured in rapidly. She wasn’t in the habit of replying, so she simply dropped a red heart in the comments section, closed the app, and went to answer the doorbell that had just rung.

Yu Yao had ordered the most upscale hotpot delivery in the area, a lavish spread costing nearly five figures.

The cake Xu Tian had ordered arrived just as all the dishes were laid out on the kitchen island.

…

The bubbling hotpot night kicked off. Before it officially began, Lu Ang added fuel to the fire.

[LA: Happy birthday.]
[LA: Old Zhou asked if I could give her your number or pass on a message through me.]

Xu You maintained her smile, her good mood undisturbed.

[Xu You: I’ve received the wishes. As for the rest of the garbage, please clean it up and toss it into the trash along with that person.]