My Idol Turns Out To Be My Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 59

Lin Sanyuan didn’t feel she had done anything wrong in this matter. However, it was true that her actions had upset Tang Hengzhi. Upon a quick analysis, it seemed like such a trivial thing. She couldn’t bring herself to say something like, “Is this little thing really worth getting angry over?”

It left her feeling quite conflicted.

“I…”

“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter anymore.” In the end, it was Tang Hengzhi who bowed her head first. She pulled out a chair, sat down, and lowered her head to quietly sip her porridge.

Her reaction said everything.

See? What an unreasonable person. Tang Hengzhi was the one who had said they “weren’t close” in the first place, yet she didn’t even remember saying it. Instead, when she heard the words “not close” coming from Sanyuan’s mouth, she bristled with anger, tore off her shirt, and grew flustered in her desperate attempt to distance herself.

But the fact that she would get angry and feel aggrieved with her was actually a good thing. For Tang Hengzhi, this was the most valuable feedback she could receive from Lin Sanyuan, it was enough to suppress the insecurity growing silently in her heart. At the very least, it made her feel that this one-sided attempt to draw closer was no longer a fool’s errand.

Lin Sanyuan found her reaction quite strange. She wasn’t sure if “it doesn’t matter” meant the matter had passed or if Tang Hengzhi had simply given up hope. She rubbed the hem of the shirt she was wearing, feeling a bit hesitant.

Should she take the clothes off and give them back now or not?

“Have you had breakfast?” Tang Hengzhi asked, taking small sips of the brown sugar porridge with egg drops.

“Oh, yes, I’ve eaten,” Lin Sanyuan replied, nearly biting her tongue. Why was she “oh-ing”?

Tang Hengzhi pursed her pale lips. Now that she had reigned in her emotions and quieted down, the frailty of her illness became apparent again. Her gaze shifted slightly, lost in thought, before she asked softly, “Does it… does it hurt?”

“Huh? What hurts?” Sanyuan asked. It wasn’t like she was the one who was sick.

Tang Hengzhi set her bowl down and looked up at her quietly. “Didn’t you get into a fight? Doesn’t it hurt?”

Lin Sanyuan realized what she meant. “Ah, you saw the video online, didn’t you? It’s fine, it doesn’t really hurt.” Speaking of this made her feel a little energized, after all, even Qiao Lian had said she looked pretty cool back then.

Tang Hengzhi gave a soft hum and looked down. “I never knew you could fight.”

“I’m not that good at it. The anger just went to my head at the moment. Looking back on it carefully, I’m actually a little scared.” After all, high school boys are basically fully developed. He was so much taller than her, and with that natural physical advantage, it was quite terrifying to think about what could have happened if the fight had truly spiraled out of control.

Tang Hengzhi fiddled with her knuckles, her voice light as if she were gently pulling at a thread. “Are you and Qiao Lian very close?”

“Ugh… it’s not really about being close or not. It’s mostly because the things that male classmate said were so nasty and vicious. Just because his confession failed, he went out of his way to rub salt in her wounds. Nine years of compulsory education were truly wasted on him.”

“His confession failed?”

“Yeah. That guy likes Qiao Lian, but he chose to confess on the day of the parent-teacher meeting. Qiao Lian is something else, too, why did she have to be so aggressive when rejecting him? She tore up his love letter right then and there. The guy completely lost it, insulted her mother, and even used her mother’s suicide to trigger her. I still have the recording, but I don’t want to play it for you. If I hear it again, my lungs might actually burst from anger. A brat like that won’t learn his lesson unless he gets punched.”

Tang Hengzhi knit her brows tightly, her breath hitching slightly. Her expression became uncharacteristically solemn. “Suicide?”

Lin Sanyuan sighed, her tone turning heavy and serious. “It was likely some wealthy family drama. Qiao Lian’s father seems to be quite rich, but her parents divorced later. The relationships involved are too complicated, I don’t fully understand them myself. Even though Qiao Lian is quite mature for her age and maybe a bit rebellious at school, when I was looking after her, she was a very good kid at home. She never threw tantrums, ate whatever she was given, and in the end, she just lacks parental love. Sometimes I wonder, how could anyone have the heart to just leave such a good kid alone?”

Tang Hengzhi listened quietly, remaining silent for a long time. Finally, amidst a thousand tangled thoughts, she managed to pull herself back. Her soft eyelashes fluttered slightly as a sudden illusion took hold. She felt that, perhaps at some point, she had been comforted by this oblivious person in front of her, just like Qiao Lian had.

Tang Hengzhi looked down and took a bite of a shumai. She still couldn’t taste much, but it didn’t have that metallic, rusty flavor that the honey water had this morning.

“So, it was just an older person’s protective instinct toward a younger one, right?”

The way she asked that felt very off.

Lin Sanyuan was suddenly shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You’ve been throwing a tantrum all morning because you were…”

The word was too sensitive. Lin Sanyuan felt they weren’t quite “close” enough for that yet, and she hesitated, wondering if she should say it.

Tang Hengzhi pursed her lips. “Just say whatever you want to say.”

Lin Sanyuan gritted her teeth and whispered, “Are you jealous?”

What kind of thirty-year-old adult gets themselves jealous while scrolling through videos online? These two things were completely unrelated, yet she had been brooding over it for so long. She was truly speechless.

Tang Hengzhi was a very straightforward person.

“Yes,” she nodded candidly, then lowered her head. She looked honest yet inexplicably, hilariously pitiful. “I shouldn’t be jealous. I’m reflecting on it.”

Heavens, how could she be so obedient? Lin Sanyuan felt a bit dizzy. No, why? Could someone really like her to this extent? Jealousy? Someone was actually jealous because of her?

“You’re jealous over that? Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”

“Is it?” Tang Hengzhi, who said she was reflecting but actually sounded a bit accusatory, gave her a fleeting look. “You’re very timid, and you’re clearly afraid of pain, yet now you’ve learned how to fight. I have never… seen you look so courageous.”

And that courage wasn’t because of her.

When it came to feelings, Tang Hengzhi was never a generous person. In fact, her possessiveness was far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. Even though they were broken up and she had no standing or right to say anything, she still hoped that every unique trait of Lin Sanyuan would be triggered by her alone.

Lin Sanyuan was quite dissatisfied, causing her to speak quickly without thinking. “If you’re jealous, just be jealous. Why are you insulting me by saying I’m timid and afraid of pain? If I’m so useless, then why do you still like me?”

“Mm, so you did know I still like you.” Tang Hengzhi’s tone was natural as she lowered her head to scoop up a spoonful of hot porridge, though she didn’t drink it.

Damn, it felt like she had been effortlessly flirted with again. Lin Sanyuan’s face flushed. she couldn’t quite handle this blunt, exposed way of expressing love. And using such a calm tone, too. It was so annoying.

Lin Sanyuan pursed her lips, feeling that the misunderstanding needed to be cleared up. “Anyway, it’s not what you think between me and Qiao Lian. How old is she? I wouldn’t be so twisted as to make a move on a kid like that.”

Tang Hengzhi asked, “How old is she?”

“She just turned eighteen.”

Tang Hengzhi gave a meaningful “oh” and raised an eyebrow. “A six-year difference.”

What of it? Did she think Sanyuan couldn’t do the math? She knew how to add and subtract, okay. After two seconds of silence, Lin Sanyuan’s brain suddenly sparked. She abruptly realized that she and Tang Hengzhi also had a six-year age difference.

Tang Hengzhi nodded thoughtfully, looking quite serious. “Mm, I’m twisted. I made a move on a kid.”

Help…

Lin Sanyuan was startled into a fit of coughing. Not wanting to deal with Tang Hengzhi anymore, she hurried into the kitchen to shred potatoes.

Seeing that Sanyuan had no intention of leaving for now, Tang Hengzhi’s quiet heart began to stir. Her sick body was still a bit sluggish, but after eating some hot food, her condition was much better than it had been in the early morning.

After their conversation, Tang Hengzhi didn’t really want to sit there eating alone. She picked up her plate, decided not to bother with chopsticks, and walked up behind Lin Sanyuan. She used two fingers to pick up a shumai and eat it while watching her shred the potatoes.

Lin Sanyuan knew she was watching, but for some reason, she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t stand the feeling of being stared at directly, so she forced herself to find something to talk about.

“A heavy cold usually ruins the appetite. I’ll make some hot and sour shredded potatoes. You don’t need to add brown sugar or eggs to your porridge at lunch. Try having it with the potatoes instead. If you think it’s good for your appetite, I’ll fry some pork with peppers for you. I’ve already marinated the meat, it’s in the fridge.”

Lin Sanyuan’s knife skills were excellent. She sliced the potatoes evenly, stacked them, and shredded them with quick, graceful movements. She really lived up to the nickname in that video. She had a very strong “motherly” vibe about her.

The semi-open kitchen was actually quite well-ventilated, but there had been a thunderstorm that morning, leaving the air heavy and muggy. It was May, and the early summer heat was beginning to set in.

Tang Hengzhi watched the thin layer of sweat forming on the nape of Sanyuan’s neck. She took a soft bite of the shumai and said quietly, “Should we turn on the air conditioning?”

Lin Sanyuan frowned. “Do you want to stay sick for a few more days?”

Tang Hengzhi pondered for a moment before saying, “Then I’ll sleep in the guest bedroom tonight, and you can have the master bedroom. You can turn the AC on in there.”

Wait, how could this person naturally assume she was staying the night? Who’s talking about master and guest bedrooms with you?

Lin Sanyuan said crossly, “Being an ex is really something, isn’t it? You think you can just get free care and home-cooked meals? I haven’t even charged you for today’s labor yet. I’m going back this afternoon.”

Tang Hengzhi seemed a bit disappointed, but she didn’t say anything. She only asked softly, “What time are you leaving? I’ll drive you.”

“No need, I can take a taxi. You should go upstairs and sleep for a while after eating. The doctor is coming to give you an injection tomorrow.”

Tang Hengzhi didn’t really want to go upstairs, she just wanted to talk to her more. “So, what are we now…”

Lin Sanyuan thought she was going to ask what their relationship was. Was she about to demand a formal status? Fortunately, Tang Hengzhi didn’t drop a bombshell right then and there.

Instead, she asked, “Are we close now?”

Lin Sanyuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Close? Aren’t we already close? Once this plate of shredded potatoes is ‘cooked’ through, we’ll be even closer.”

Tang Hengzhi laughed along with her.

She leaned against the kitchen counter, quietly watching Lin Sanyuan. Her gaze was like lava beneath a glacier, flowing silently and searingly hot. She called out her name softly, “Yuanyuan…”

No one had ever called Lin Sanyuan that before.

The name entered her ears with a gentle weight, slipping into her narrow life. It felt like a fleeting breeze, yet it seemed to have gathered all the greenery of the mountains.

Support