My Ex-Girlfriend Has Always Been Secretly in Love with Me - Chapter 1

“Tell me, why are you two breaking up this time?”

Qiao Xin signaled for the housemaid to leave, then walked over to Yu Yixian with a small cake in her hand.

As Yu Yixian’s best friend, she naturally knew this person’s biggest flaw: she was overly sentimental and a “love brain.”

Since childhood, Yu Yixian had been strikingly beautiful, like a living doll. She had big eyes, long eyelashes that fluttered like small fans when she blinked, fair and tender skin, and a natural head of brown curls.

Being good-looking was one thing, but her personality was also wonderful—passionate and thoughtful, without any spoiled-princess attitude. She never refused when asked for help, which only made more people fall for her.

By high school, Yu Yixian realized she liked girls. She spent half a month agonizing over it before coming out to her family.

Qiao Xin had never expected Yu Yixian to be so bold; she just came out, just like that.

Because of Yu Yixian’s sexual orientation, Qiao Xin felt a bit awkward interacting with her at first. Later, she realized nothing had changed, and soon after, Yu Yixian introduced her first girlfriend to her, which put Qiao Xin completely at ease.

After all, she still preferred looking at handsome guys with six-pack abs.

Although Yu Yixian was sentimental, she was extremely devoted to every girlfriend she had. Qiao Xin, as her best friend, saw it all, but unfortunately, the results were never very good.

Qiao Xin still remembered one time when Yu Yixian’s ex-girlfriend called at one o’clock in the morning saying she wanted to eat candied hawthorn.

It was summer at the time, and there was absolutely no place selling candied hawthorn around. Without a word, Yu Yixian climbed out of bed, opened a video tutorial, learned how to make it on the spot, froze the results with ice, packed them in an insulated container, and delivered them after getting dressed.

Qiao Xin could spend a whole day and night recounting similar stories.

Conversely, once Yu Yixian’s love faded, she became as cold as if she were a different person. No matter how much the other party pleaded, she would never change her mind.

However, Qiao Xin didn’t think there was anything wrong with Yu Yixian doing this. If you didn’t cherish her when she loved you, who else could you blame?

Sometimes, Qiao Xin also felt it was strange. A person as perfect as Yu Yixian—with looks, with family background, and who was obedient when in a relationship—how could her path in love be this disastrous?

Perhaps this was what they called “no one is perfect.”

It was just that this relationship ended so quickly that it surprised Qiao Xin.

If she remembered correctly, Yu Yixian only told her she was in a relationship at the beginning of this year.

Qiao Xin picked up her phone nearby and checked the time. It was February 24th. To break up in less than two months?

This was likely Yu Yixian’s shortest relationship ever!

Yu Yixian finished the last bite of her small cake and, under Qiao Xin’s curious gaze, sighed gloomily.

“She cheated, I found out, so we broke up.”

Qiao Xin was three parts shocked, three parts confused, and four parts baffled. “Wait, hold on, say that again. I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

Who cheated? Had she been staying up too late recently and started hallucinating? Would someone actually cheat on a girlfriend as obedient as Yu Yixian?

Yu Yixian was amused by Qiao Xin’s incredulous expression, but the facts were just as they were.

She had seen with her own eyes the scene of Xia Ke kissing that woman. The silver strand of saliva stretching between their lips when they parted seemed to mock her: Look, your girlfriend said she was busy lately, and this is what she was busy with.

She had been feeling suffocated with too many people coming and going at her house, so she decided to return to school early. The holiday wasn’t over yet, and no one else in her dorm had returned. Feeling bored, she intended to go to the library to study, and that was exactly when she stumbled upon that scene.

Actually, she was also puzzled. Xia Ke’s school was in the neighborhood; how could she manage to cheat right in front of her?

However, her love had vanished at that very instant, and she didn’t want to care about anything else.

She had simply proposed the breakup, turned around and left, made a round of calls, and found that only Qiao Xin was free, so she simply had the driver take her over.

After hearing Yu Yixian describe the scene, Qiao Xin still couldn’t believe it. That someone would cheat on a girlfriend as good as Yu Yixian was insane—it was something she, who hadn’t encountered true love even after 20-plus years of being single, couldn’t fathom.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me. Are you busy these next few days?” Yu Yixian leaned back on the sofa, staring at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

Qiao Xin didn’t know why she asked that, but she honestly shook her head. “I don’t really have anything going on. You know my school starts late and the food is terrible, so going back too early is just torture.”

Yu Yixian came back to her senses, her eyes rolled, an idea forming in her mind. She sat up, snapped her fingers, and raised an eyebrow. “Perfect! Let’s go out and have some fun!”

Qiao Xin thought it over and agreed. It would be good to go out for a few days to keep Yu Yixian company and help her clear her mind. After all, no matter who it was, encountering such infidelity wouldn’t feel good.

Once she received Qiao Xin’s agreement, Yu Yixian immediately returned home to get her documents, asked the housekeeper to inform her parents that evening, and came back to find Qiao Xin. When they were discussing where to go, Yu Yixian’s phone suddenly lit up. She glanced at it and immediately turned it face down.

Qiao Xin looked over suspiciously. “Whose call is that?”

“Don’t worry about it. Have you decided where to go? I remember you were curious about the ice sculptures in H City before the New Year. Do you still want to see them?” Yu Yixian flipped the phone away and spoke naturally.

Qiao Xin was immediately led by her train of thought, her eyes filled with excitement. “I do!”

Half a month later.

After finishing class, several roommates discussed that it would be warm and cozy to have hot pot in this cold weather. Yu Yixian was now single and had plenty of free time. Everyone had good boundaries, and since Yu Yixian didn’t talk about the reason for the breakup, they didn’t pry.

However, the news of Yu Yixian being single had spread, and many suitors began to stir.

Wang Xiaoyue smiled, wrapped her arm around Yu Yixian’s, and said to the other two roommates, “Our busy girl finally has time to accompany us, everyone better not let her go!”

Yu Yixian lightly bumped Wang Xiaoyue with her shoulder and teased, “You brat, I’m going to fish out all the shrimp paste you love to eat later!”

Ye Qian put on her coat, raised her hand to join the fun, “Share half with me, share half with me!”

Tang Jia stood to the side, pursing her lips in a shy smile, her bright eyes fixed on the happily smiling Yu Yixian.

The four of them changed their clothes and headed out, chatting and laughing along the way. They didn’t expect a wrench to be thrown into their plans at the school gate.

Ye Qian glanced at the expressionless Yu Yixian and whispered to her, “We’ll go wait over there for you.”

Tang Jia didn’t really want to leave. She stood in place, looked at Yu Yixian, and then looked at Xia Ke with unwilling eyes. She bit her lip, wanting to stay and hear what they had to say, but in the end, she was dragged away by Ye Qian and Wang Xiaoyue.

Yu Yixian had her hands in her coat pockets, her gaze indifferent. In front of her, Xia Ke, with red eyes and a nose reddened by the cold, spoke pitifully: “Yixian, I really know I was wrong, please forgive me.”

Yu Yixian glanced at the students passing by and looking back with curiosity, then signaled for Xia Ke to follow her. The two moved to the side, and the curious gazes finally lessened.

“Xia Ke, I remember we already broke up.”

“No, I don’t agree!” Xia Ke grabbed Yu Yixian’s sleeve in an agitated state, her eyes red and tearful. “If I don’t agree, then it doesn’t count as a breakup! You like me so much, how can you be this cold-hearted? I just… I just couldn’t help myself, but the one I like is still you! You like me so much, why can’t you forgive me just this once?”

After hearing Xia Ke’s answer, Yu Yixian almost laughed in anger. She rubbed her brow, adjusted her mood, and looked at Xia Ke. “Xia Ke, we broke up. Do not come pestering me again. You are with her, so don’t come looking for me.”

These past half a month, Xia Ke had been calling and messaging her frantically, which already made her somewhat annoyed. Xia Ke and she were not at the same school, otherwise, she feared she would have found her dorm room.

It’s just that Yu Yixian hadn’t expected Xia Ke to block her at her school, and to put on this “refusal to break up” act. If that was the case, why did she cheat in the first place?

Yu Yixian only felt confused. Her affection had dissipated the moment she witnessed Xia Ke’s cheating; all that remained was the courtesy she had been accustomed to since she was a child.

“No, I don’t like her. I was just playing around with her. Yixian, I was wrong, forgive me, I really only like you!” Xia Ke’s tears fell as she spoke, and she hugged Yu Yixian, crying while rubbing against her.

Yu Yixian leaned back slightly. Such a repulsive posture made Xia Ke, who was shedding tears, stiffen and look up in disbelief. “Do you really not like me anymore?”

Clearly, before this, Yu Yixian liked hugging her the most, whispering in her ear that she was soft and fragrant, and that hugging her felt like a cloud.

Yu Yixian was helpless. She had said it many times.

“Hmm. I don’t like you anymore.” Yu Yixian pushed her away with gentle but firm movements. Watching Xia Ke cry so much that her makeup was ruined, she体贴 (thoughtfully) took a tissue from her pocket. “Wipe your face.”

Xia Ke seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline, grabbing Yu Yixian’s hand firmly, and said excitedly: “You are still caring about me. You were lying just now, you obviously still like me!”

Yu Yixian frowned and pulled her hand out of Xia Ke’s grasp. The paper in her hand was torn by the two of them.

Yu Yixian didn’t pay attention and instinctively released her hand. The remaining half of the tissue was blown away by the cold wind, only to be caught by a pair of slender, fair hands with distinct knuckles.

Yu Yixian followed those hands upward. A dark coffee-colored coat covered the bony, distinct wrists, and further up, she looked straight into a pair of eyes that seemed like an unfathomable cold pool. At this very moment, she seemed to hear the sound of her own heart beating.

One beat, then another.

She seemed to know what love at first sight was.