Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 45.1

After her birthday, Xu You enjoyed several rare days of peaceful, blissful life.

Despite Yu Yao and Mai’s repeated attempts to persuade her to stay at their home, she still rented a spacious apartment with Xu Tian in a neighborhood not far from theirs. Originally, she had intended to choose a smaller place, but considering how her younger sister had been pampered by their parents all her life, she gritted her teeth and picked the most expensive one. When paying the rent and deposit, she winced at the numbers on the deduction bill.

Living freely in a big city also required a means of transportation. Without plans to settle down permanently, she opted to rent a car as well.

With both housing and transportation sorted, Xu You took on the role of tour guide and driver, leading the girls to check out the famous attractions in North City.

Ancient architecture blended with modern trends. During her university years, all her free time had been occupied by Zhou Siyu and drafting assignments. Whenever Zhou Siyu had free time, she would only take Xu You to high-end restaurants and shopping malls to pass the time. This trip gave her a fresh perspective on North City.

As a top-tier metropolis, North City was filled with skyscrapers and a fast-paced lifestyle aligned with international standards. Yet, it also preserved ancient relics weathered by time, as well as old architectural styles like hutongs and courtyard houses, embodying a slower way of life.

The perfect fusion of old and new created a unique, unparalleled North City in her mind.

Yu Yao and Xu Tian had learned about her fight with Zhou Siyu and immediately agreed that Xu You should visit a temple to properly pray and rid herself of the bad luck Zhou Siyu had brought.

The two were quite persuasive, and since Mai had never seen a temple before and was very curious, Xu You planned a trip to Xiangshan that combined hiking and temple visits.

The mountains in the north offered distinct scenery in each of the four seasons: blooming flowers in spring, lush greenery in summer, fiery red foliage in late autumn, and withered leaves with snow-capped peaks in winter, appearing solemn and mysterious from afar.

After warning them that the climb wouldn’t be easy, the group set off energetically from the foot of the mountain. Coming from France, where mountainous terrain is scarce, this was Mai’s first real hiking experience. She kept stopping to take photos of the frost-covered trees, frozen lakes, and waterfalls along the way.

The four of them walked at a leisurely pace, hardly noticing the passage of time, and soon arrived at Xiangshan Temple within Xiangshan Park.

The smoke from burning incense curled upward as if trying to reach the round sun in the clear sky. In such a serene environment, even Mai, who hadn’t been reminded, instinctively softened her footsteps and lowered her voice.

Xiangshan Temple was known for its efficacy in granting wishes related to love. Each of the four bought a stick of incense and prayed devoutly for themselves and their loved ones.

Xu You didn’t have any particularly strong desires. First, she prayed for her parents and family’s health. Second, she wished for her sister’s academic success. As she pondered her third wish for herself, her phone vibrated silently in her coat pocket, disrupting her concentration.

Her thoughts scattered, and she found it difficult to refocus, her mind distracted by the unknown message. Hastily, she made a final wish for everything to go smoothly. Little did she know that this momentary distraction would not only fail to free her from Zhou Siyu’s entanglement but would instead pull her into an even deeper whirlpool.

Xu Tian, following the example of other worshippers, went through the prayer routine before slipping outside to enjoy the view of North City and breathe in the fresh air. Mai equated drawing lots and interpreting the results with tarot card readings, so the two happily sought out a temple master to have their love fortunes told.

The master, initially worried about the language barrier upon seeing Mai’s blonde hair and blue eyes, was surprised by her fluent Mandarin and ended up not charging them for interpreting the lots.

Xu You suddenly grew somber. While everyone was busy, she went to check that message, an exhibition invitation email from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The email account had been created when she left to stay in touch with her professors. After lying dormant for four years, this sudden invitation brought no joy, only a faint unease stirring within her.

It was too abrupt. The Central Academy had never held any outstanding graduate exhibition before. A calm lake surface rippling for no reason inevitably made one wonder if undercurrents were already swirling beneath.

She leaned against a red-painted stone pillar in the temple. Weather-beaten, parts of the pillar had peeled away, revealing the original concrete beneath.

“Patron, if you wish to be free from what troubles you, you must go with the flow and wait for the right moment to break through,” a weathered voice murmured softly.

She hadn’t noticed the elderly monk standing before her. Hearing his voice, Xu You straightened up. The monk, serene as a chrysanthemum, offered a few words of guidance before walking away. Clutching her phone, her fingers tightened around it.

She had come with faith, and with faith, she would follow the old monk’s advice.

Outside the temple, Mai was noticeably happier than when they had arrived. Asking Yu Yao, she learned that their fortune slips had been extremely favorable, interpreted to mean not only smooth sailing for their relationship but also that it was unshakable. Mai’s grasp of idioms wasn’t strong; she only knew “smooth sailing” as a wish for a safe journey. After Yu Yao’s explanation, her smile didn’t fade.

Continuing uphill, the path to the summit suddenly narrowed and became cramped. Melted snow had frozen over, and the seldom-climbed stone steps were too slippery to stand on. Prioritizing safety, the four of them turned back without a second thought.

Descending the mountain, New Year’s Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.

To give Mai and Xu Tian, who had never experienced a Chinese New Year, an authentic taste of the festivities, Xu You booked a room at a modern agritourism spot in the suburbs. The owner provided a New Year’s Eve dinner, and the location was outside the fireworks-restricted zone. The moment Xu Tian stepped out of the car, she exclaimed it felt like being back in Australia and quickly made friends with the local cats and dogs.

While the lively child braved the cold outside playing with the animals, the three adults stayed indoors with the heater, playing cards and cracking sunflower seeds. As dusk fell, dinner was delivered, and the four of them gathered in the living room, eating their New Year’s Eve meal while watching the Spring Festival Gala.

The owner had provided alcohol, and they had brought their own too: red wine, white wine, and imported spirits circled the table. Even the dull comedy sketches became lively paired with good food, drinks, and company. Before the New Year’s countdown began, the living room was empty, with bottles toppled on the table and floor.

The TV in the spacious room remained on. Against a red backdrop, a long row of hosts stood, elegant and poised. After taking turns delivering auspicious greetings, they began the final countdown.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

With a unified “Happy New Year,” dazzling fireworks shot into the sky outside, bursting into shimmering sparks that lit up the night and illuminated everyone’s faces in the open yard.

“In the new year, I hope my sister can be happy every day and quickly get over that jerk Zhou Siyu…”

It was only then that Xu You learned Xu Tian couldn’t hold her liquor. During dinner, she had earnestly claimed she’d never been drunk before, and her sisters, giving her the benefit of the doubt for the holiday, hadn’t stopped her.

Little did they know, the so-called myth of her never being drunk was simply because she had never drunk alcohol before.

Fireworks bloomed brilliantly, one after another exploding in the sky. Amidst others shouting “Happy New Year,” she grinned widely, baring her teeth, and loudly “made a wish.” By the time Yu Yao reacted to the mention of Zhou Siyu’s name and tried to cover her mouth, it was already too late.

A dry palm pressed firmly over her mouth. Even though she could only manage muffled sounds, Xu Tian stubbornly persisted in finishing the second half of her sentence. Feeling the dampness on her palm and meeting Xu Tian’s equally moist, puppy-like eyes, Yu Yao didn’t let go.

“Mmph, mmph mmph mmph?”

Xu Tian blinked rapidly. Yu Yao guessed she was saying, “What’s wrong? Why are you covering my mouth?”

Her fingers twitched as she pinched Xu Tian’s cheek. “Wishes should be kept in your heart. If you say them out loud, they won’t come true.”

Xu Tian stopped blinking, her eyes flickering with a mix of emotions: surprise, regret, and remorse. Her drunkenness faded just a little as she struggled free from Yu Yao’s grasp, throwing herself into Xu You’s arms and mumbling apologies.

Xu You didn’t take it seriously. Wishes like “marrying Zhou Siyu” were ones she had made countless times in her heart, yet they had never come true. How could a careless remark or two from a young girl suddenly make them materialize?

Yu Yao lit the last and largest box of fireworks. The fuse sizzled and burned out, followed by a thunderous boom as thousands of meteors descended across the sky: dazzling, magnificent, and so breathtaking that everyone fell silent.

The fleeting brilliance lingered in their hearts long after. As the outskirts of the city returned to tranquility, Xu You and Yu Yao each took one of the girls back to their rooms.

Xu Tian’s drunkenness manifested in her already talkative nature becoming even more loquacious. Dragged into the room by her sister, washed up, and tucked into bed, she rambled on until the early hours of the morning. Strangely enough, the next day she woke up refreshed and energetic, as if nothing had happened.

Xu You sat up in bed, yawning, and saw Xu Tian already dressed, perched by the window, peeking through a gap in the curtains. In her groggy state, she could only marvel at the boundless energy of the young.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, rubbing her temples. Her phone screen lit up, it wasn’t even 9 a.m. yet.

Startled by the sudden sound, Xu Tian let go of the curtain, her upper body swaying slightly as she turned around. “Snow. It snowed last night. There’s a thick layer on the ground.”

“Want to go skiing? I’ll book you a flight. We’re close to the Northeast, you could go play for a few days.” Xu You couldn’t suppress another big yawn.

Xu Tian shook her head. “No, I don’t want to. I just want to stay with you.”

“When are we going back to Shanghai to see Grandpa?” she continued.

Xu You lowered her gaze, lost in thought. It had been over three years since she last visited the old man. He loved to reminisce about her, and she was sure he’d been complaining about her down there. These days were a time for visiting relatives and friends across the country, and as the younger generation, they really ought to hurry and pay him a visit, to keep him company.

Yu Yao and Mai hadn’t finalized their plans yet. After some consideration, Xu You told Xu Tian they would discuss it together when they met up. If the couple wasn’t returning, she and Xu Tian would break away from the group and book flights for the next day.

“Why not go back today?”

Xu Tian was full of questions, but Xu You ignored her. Pulling on a thick sweater, she left the warmth of the bed and walked over to the window, drawing the curtains open completely.

The heavy snow had blanketed all traces of daily life, firework debris lay hidden beneath it, fields and houses were covered. As far as the eye could see, the golden sunlight reflecting off the snow was dazzling and inexplicably warm.

There was a reason she wasn’t returning today. She had already given a definitive reply to the email from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, but in the past couple of days, she’d received another message, this one from Professor Liu. It wasn’t pressing for an answer, just checking in on her, asking how she was and about her recent circumstances.

The person she felt most guilty about for leaving without a word back then was Professor Liu, with whom she had already established a mentorship relationship. Before returning to see her grandfather, she decided to visit Professor Liu and apologize to him in person.

The four of them had breakfast and built over a dozen snowmen of various sizes in the yard. After a snowball fight, they drove back to the city. Yu Yao and Mai hadn’t yet finalized their plans to return home, but when they brought it up, Xu You seized the opportunity and booked flights for them to go back together.

After dropping the young couple off at their homes, Xu You dragged Xu Tian along to go shopping at the mall.

As it turned out, young people’s energy wasn’t limitless. On the way home after their shopping spree, if it weren’t for the seatbelt holding her in place, Xu Tian, who was already dozing off, would have bumped her forehead into several big bruises.

After making sure Xu Tian was tucked into bed, Xu You quietly closed the bedroom door and drove to the other side of the city.

She hadn’t informed Professor Liu in advance about her visit today. It was impolite, but part of it stemmed from her unease, she wasn’t fully prepared for a formal meeting. By making it a surprise visit, if Professor Liu and his family weren’t home, she could find an excuse to come another time.

This was the first time she had driven alone since returning to the country. She remembered this road vividly, the congested overpass had once blocked her from seeing Grandma Su one last time. But today, it was perfectly clear.

Parking spaces in the old residential complex were severely lacking, so she parked her car in a paid lot at the entrance. Carrying several bags, she leisurely walked toward the building etched in her memory.

The elevator was old, and the mechanical sounds of its operation echoed in the stairwell. As she pressed the button, Xu You could hear the thumping of her own heartbeat.

“Who is it?”