My Idol Turns Out To Be My Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 22

Tang Hengzhi leaned against her pillow, looking at her phone. The light from the screen cast a soft, warm glow on her face. Whenever the display dimmed, on the verge of turning off, her cool white finger would gently tap the surface.

The light flickered back to life. She repeatedly read the last message sent by He Ye.

Over the span of three minutes, her expression shifted from its initial gravity to a sense of relief that was hard to describe. It was as if she had been accepted by the world again, the restless drumming in her ears gradually quieted, and a light, reborn from the ashes, flickered in her eyes.

At dawn, the sky after the rain was just beginning to brighten. The hollow calls of cuckoos drifted from the woods outside the window, while the rainwater accumulated overnight on the eaves dripped and tapped rhythmically.

Lin Sanyuan was woken up by the chill of the air conditioner. She had a habit of curling into a ball when she slept, occasionally tossing and turning throughout the night while clutching her favorite long pillow between her legs.

Her pillow was very soft, carrying a blend of body wash and an unfamiliar perfume that smelled exceptionally good. She couldn’t help but hug it a little tighter, feeling that the pillow had grown much larger and warmer. The heat radiating into her right palm felt soft and hot.

Half-awake, Sanyuan couldn’t resist giving it a little squeeze. She heard a soft “mnh” near her ear, and the pillow in her arms seemed to shift restlessly.

“Don’t move,” Sanyuan grumbled, her brows knitting together as if she were about to throw a sleepy tantrum. Then, she heard a very pleasant sigh.

The sound was close, close enough to pull her straight from her hazy state back into reality. Like a flash of lightning through her brain, Sanyuan jerked awake.

Outside, the water dripped and tapped, inside, the air conditioner hummed.

Tang Hengzhi appeared to still be fast asleep. Her long black hair was scattered across the soft pillow in a state of quiet, messy beauty. Her eyes were closed peacefully, her eyelashes straight and long. Her sleeping face was incredibly tranquil and beautiful, with superior features, a high bridge to her nose, and a very well-defined bone structure. She looked like one of those “CGI faces” people often talked about, almost too beautiful to be real. Even her sleeping posture was perfectly proper.

A character that usually only appeared in Sanyuan’s manga was now lying in the same bed as her. Sanyuan was clinging to her like an octopus, one hand having somehow slipped under the hem of Hengzhi’s shirt to rest against her chest.

Sanyuan finally realized where the warmth in her palm was coming from.

Her other hand was gripping Hengzhi’s arm, pressing her body close. Because she had just been fussing in her sleep, her body was still instinctively rubbing against her. Neither of them was wearing pants, and the sensation of warm skin against skin was excessively smooth.

Sanyuan’s eyes widened inch by inch, her mind exploding as if struck by a bolt from the blue. She had never been this stunned in her entire life. Terrified, her hand gave a sudden twitch, and out of habit, she instinctively tried to clench her fist.

She didn’t clench a fist, instead, she squeezed something else.

Tang Hengzhi’s brows furrowed in discomfort. A flush spread across her translucent, pale face like glowing red jade. Sanyuan quickly felt the temperature under her palm rising rapidly.

Soon, Tang Hengzhi opened her eyes calmly. Her gaze was clear. She placed her hand gently over Sanyuan’s wrist, her tone very patient. “Let go a little, it hurts.”

Sanyuan’s mind began to race like a stampede of wild horses. She felt that same sensation of nearly dropping dead from the other night, her heart drumming violently against her ribs. She didn’t even notice the subtle nuance in Hengzhi’s words.

Let go a little, rather than let go.

Sanyuan scrambled to pull her hand back. In her panic, her palm inevitably brushed against Hengzhi’s stomach, which was soft, like a kitten’s belly.

Hengzhi tilted her elegant neck, glancing at her with a helpless purse of her lips. She shifted her body, pulling her arm out from under Sanyuan’s chest.

Like a startled little animal, Sanyuan bolted to the other side of the bed. Her instinct was to jump out of bed and put on her shoes, but as she moved, she noticed something wrong under her T-shirt.

Her bra was off?!

When did she take it off? She had been sleeping while hugging Hengzhi’s arm, right?

God, someone just kill me now.

Sanyuan’s eyes darted around frantically, only to spot her bra tucked under Tang Hengzhi’s pillow. She went completely numb. Had she taken off her own bra last night and stuffed it under someone else’s pillow? Why didn’t she have a single memory of this!

Tang Hengzhi propped herself up but didn’t get out of bed. Leaning against the headboard, she picked up her phone to check the time. “It’s only four-thirty. You can sleep a bit longer.”

Sanyuan couldn’t possibly sleep now. She shook her head, then lowered it in shame. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know I was such a restless sleeper.”

Hengzhi’s thin gaze drifted over, and she let out a very faint, airy laugh. “I know.”

Sanyuan’s head dropped even lower, her feelings a tangled mess. “Yes, now you know.”

Heaven help me, how can someone be this nice? This kind of behavior was practically an assault, wasn’t it? Why didn’t she look angry at all? Her upbringing and temperament were just too good.

Tang Hengzhi raised the temperature on the air conditioner remote by one degree, then got out of bed to take off her shirt and change. Sanyuan wrapped herself in the quilt and turned away, not looking at her.

Hengzhi dressed quickly: a taupe Polo-style top with a stylish lace-up collar over a white shirt, a black tie, and vintage-style dark gray trousers held up by a simple brown leather belt. The overall look exuded a refined, handsome vibe.

Sanyuan was a bit dazed watching her and couldn’t help but speak up. “That outfit seems a little… complicated.”

Hengzhi’s expression remained composed. “Mnh, I suppose it is a little.”

“Are you going out today?”

“No.”

Sanyuan’s brows knit together. “Then why dress so elaborately? Isn’t your arm hurting and making it inconvenient?” She had assumed Hengzhi had a date.

Hengzhi flexed her fingers slightly. “It… shouldn’t hurt that much.”

Sanyuan opened her mouth, speechless for a moment. Her expression was hesitant. “Then last night, when you wanted me to help you put on that shirt…”

That shirt had been much easier to put on than this ensemble.

A glint of amusement touched the corner of Hengzhi’s eyes as she stifled a laugh. “Perhaps because it was my first time experiencing a car accident, I didn’t quite know how to gauge things. I thought it was serious and was a bit shaken.”

Sanyuan replied blankly, “Oh… uh? That’s not something you should experience often, right?”

Hengzhi let out a genuine laugh. “I think so, too.”

Sanyuan froze. God, when this person smiles, it’s just unfair… Who could handle seeing a face like that smiling at you first thing in the morning? Even a woman couldn’t hold out.

“Then…  I’ll get up and get dressed, too.”

Hengzhi walked around to Sanyuan’s side of the nightstand, dimmed the nightlight, and knelt by the bed. Looking at the dark circles under Sanyuan’s eyes, she said softly, “Sleep a little longer. Lack of sleep after drinking can easily affect your heart health.”

Huh?

Well, she might as well sleep then. Thinking back to her terrifying hospital stay, she didn’t want to go through that again.

***

Tang Hengzhi went down to the first floor living room and grabbed a glass bottle of mineral water from the fridge. She had just taken a sip when a head popped up from the sofa, staring directly at her.

“You never drink ice water. Why are you drinking it so early in the morning? Are you possessed?”

Hengzhi looked at He Wenyu, who was sprawled ungracefully on the sofa, and suddenly remembered Sanyuan’s description of her as “gentle and reliable.” She let out a muffled chuckle against the bottle.

Wenyu was baffled by the laugh. “What are you laughing at? Aren’t you afraid of a stomachache from drinking that cold stuff?”

Hengzhi took another sip, pursed her damp lips, and smiled faintly. “I’m a bit hot.”

“Hot?” Wenyu frowned. “It’s sixteen degrees Celsius today. You’re telling me you’re hot?” And you’re wearing two layers?

Hengzhi walked over and sat on the sofa, crossing her long legs lazily. She glanced at Wenyu. “Why aren’t you pretending today?”

“Ugh, don’t mention it. It’s all because of my parents. He Ye is already a mess, and if they saw this is my true nature, they’d be terrified. Pretending to be a cautious, gentle older sister all night is exhausting. I’m dying over here, I barely dared to speak yesterday.”

“If it’s so tiring, why didn’t you sleep all night?” Looking at her, Hengzhi knew she’d been playing video games the whole time.

Wenyu sighed. “Can’t sleep. Too much pressure.”

Hengzhi looked puzzled. Wenyu tossed the controller aside and lay back, sprawled out with one leg hanging over the back of the sofa, looking utterly hopeless.

“You don’t understand how scary the pressure to marry is from old people. I’m older than my brother, and now that he’s talking about marriage, I’m doomed! I’ll have to take the full force of the family’s fire alone. I’m already worried about how I’ll survive the New Year!”

Hengzhi said half-heartedly, “You could just find someone to marry.”

Wenyu went crazy, ripping off her long, straight black wig to reveal a flashy, wine-red wavy mane. “How? Who? Don’t you know I’m gay?!”

Well, that’s great, because I also know your brother is gay.

Hengzhi’s lips curved slightly as she gave some rather hollow comfort. “Don’t worry, your brother won’t be getting married anytime soon.”

Wenyu clicked her tongue, displeased. “Why are you being such a hater? My brother didn’t offend you, did he? Is it just that old business about his middle school crush on you? You were pretty brutal back then, putting his love letter straight into my dad’s study.”

“My dad, you know? An old-school cadre. He hates the idea of early romance. He went through three leather belts on He Ye. My brother was so traumatized he had a literal stress reaction to women. He didn’t date a single person for all three years of high school. Given his personality, think about how huge of a psychological shadow you cast on him.”

It was indeed huge, so huge that he apparently stopped looking for women altogether. He said he had a boyfriend now. So, when Lin Sanyuan asked him that question last night, it really had scared He Ye half to death.

Wenyu nudged Hengzhi’s shoulder with her elbow, a mischievous grin on her face. “Why the long face? I remember you were always cold to my brother. Why have you been so attentive to his business these last two days? You even offered to take care of his ‘girlfriend.’ Tsk tsk… don’t tell me you’re trying to go back to an old flame? You might regret it, but it’s too late to win him back now.”

Tang Hengzhi had no intention of telling her that He Ye had a boyfriend. She thought about it briefly and then simply nodded.

Wenyu’s elbow slipped, and her chin slammed hard into her knee. Tears sprang to her eyes. Her chin hurt, and her knee hurt even more.

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