Oops, I’m the Scumbag Ex in Her Storyline - Chapter 58

A week later, Bei Lanlan called Jing Chu as promised—but she wouldn’t let Xin Yan listen in. She stayed in her own room, talking for nearly half an hour before finally emerging.

Xin Yan sat upright at once. Bei Lanlan shared the outcome:

“They didn’t break up. Kong Zhiluo is cutting down her schedule. In half a month, she’ll fly to Barcelona to spend New Year with Jing Chu.”

The New Year was still some time away, and for a celebrity, managing to clear so much time for vacation was no small feat.

It felt like the matter had been settled, yet not really. After all, being together for this stage didn’t mean they could still hold on in the next.

Kong Zhiluo’s personality, and the constant separations forced by their careers, remained immovable obstacles between them.

The rest would depend entirely on themselves.

Xin Yan kept her outlook balanced—neither optimistic nor pessimistic. If she spoke from her own private wish, though, she hoped they would break up. Jing Chu deserved better.

________________________________________

The company’s annual gala took place during that same half month. Despite her hectic schedule, Kong Zhiluo still made time to attend.

For Bei Lanlan, it was her first time officially appearing before the entire company. Quite a few people approached Xin Yan, asking if wedding bells were near.

She couldn’t very well tell them the truth—that they were already married and preparing for divorce—so she just smiled and said nothing.

When the gala ended, the whole company plunged into year-end reports. Once those were done, everyone could finally head home for the holiday.

In the past, Xin Yan had always been one of the last to buy her ticket back to her hometown. Sometimes she couldn’t even go at all, because of overtime.

This year, her “no-overtime policy” held firm till the very end. Meanwhile, Bei Lanlan had been busy writing her graduation thesis. Even during winter break, she often went to the lab.

That day, as Lanlan was about to head out again, Xin Yan stopped her and asked about New Year’s plans:

“Do you think we should bring Auntie Li home from the nursing center, or should the two of us go there and spend it with her?”

Lanlan paused while changing her shoes. “I’m not sure… Give me a couple of days, I’ll ask her what she prefers.”

“No,” Xin Yan interjected quickly. “Let me go. By the time you ask, it’ll already be the 27th, and there won’t be enough time to prepare. Since I’ve got today off, I’ll visit her myself. Is there anything you want me to tell her?”

Shoes on, Lanlan stood up, nodding. “Yes. Tell her to stop talking to Lu Wanqiu!”

Xin Yan: “…”

She was still in the delicate phase of trying to win over her future mother-in-law. She wouldn’t dare pass on such an imperious message.

Still, she nodded vaguely. Lanlan was in too much of a hurry to notice her half-hearted answer. At the doorway, Lanlan tipped her head up, gave Xin Yan a quick kiss, and then shut the door behind her.

Xin Yan only set out around one in the afternoon.

When she arrived at the sanatorium, Li Jingshu greeted her with mild reproach.

“Why so late? If you’d come earlier, I could’ve cooked you lunch.”

Xin Yan smiled kindly but thought to herself: Better this way. From now on, I’ll always come at this hour.

Lanlan hadn’t exaggerated—aside from her few signature dishes, anything Li Jingshu cooked tasted… peculiar. And when the flavor wasn’t strange, the food was far too heavy for the stomach. Twice already, Xin Yan had ended up with diarrhea.

“Lanlan’s at school again working on her thesis,” Xin Yan said warmly. “I came to ask if you’d like to spend the New Year with us. If you’d rather stay here, we can apply with the home so Lanlan and I can stay a few days with you.”

Li Jingshu waved her hand. “No need for all that trouble. Just come on New Year’s Eve and have dinner with me. Then head home for the night. You’re a young couple—don’t leave your home cold and empty during the holiday. It needs the warmth of people.”

Xin Yan knew she was trying not to burden her daughter. She coaxed gently:

“But New Year is meant to be spent with family. You know my situation—my parents are gone. If you don’t join us, it’ll just be the two of us. So lonely, don’t you think?”

Li Jingshu chuckled. “You’re just trying to soften me up.”

Xin Yan grinned. “So… is it working?”

“Of course it’s working.”

Her gaze drifted toward the rooms across the hall. Looking at the heavy isolation doors, she sighed. “You two are thoughtful. Some patients… it makes no difference whether their families are here or not.”

Xin Yan followed her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her voice:

“I know you mean well. But… Lanlan doesn’t like her. And she doesn’t like Lanlan either.”

Li Jingshu nodded. “I know. They’re like two blades, point to point. They’re too alike, that’s the problem. When I see Wanqiu so pitiful, I can’t help wanting to be kind to her.”

Xin Yan fell silent. She couldn’t see the resemblance at all—Lanlan was a little sweetheart, while Lu Wanqiu was a walking nightmare.

But she also knew she wasn’t objective. She’d disliked Wanqiu from the very beginning. And truth be told, Wanqiu had been quiet for a long time now. Xin Yan had even once seen her doing crafts with Li Jingshu. Her clumsy hands kept smearing glue everywhere, her frustrated expressions uncharacteristically lively.

Xin Yan offered gently, “That’s why, until they can peacefully coexist, it’s probably better not to let them meet.”

Li Jingshu laughed outright. “Peacefully coexist? Forget it. Impossible. They’ll never get along.”

Xin Yan: “…”

So you knew too.

Li Jingshu continued, “I never expected them to. Lanlan’s my daughter—I’d never force her to deal with someone she dislikes. As for Wanqiu, to me she’s just a sick child. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’ve never had any expectations. Everything’s left to fate.”

Xin Yan looked at her with deep respect. “Your mindset is admirable. I should learn from you.”

Li Jingshu smiled. “Then why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”

Xin Yan: “…”

…Better not.

________________________________________

On the other side, Lu Wanqiu sometimes heard faint bursts of laughter from the next room, but not clearly enough to catch the words.

It had been some time since Lanlan last threatened her. Wanqiu had been quiet outwardly, but inside she still burned. Day after day, she plotted ways to get back at Lanlan. Xin Yan herself hardly crossed her mind anymore.

Expose online that Xin Yan was just a stand-in?

No good—Xin Yan would smooth things over. She was a love-struck fool now, willing to say anything nauseating to protect her beloved.

Set a trap to show Xin Yan Lanlan’s true character?

That wouldn’t work either. A love-struck fool doesn’t care about reason. And besides, Lanlan was so brazen, Wanqiu suspected Xin Yan already knew full well what Lanlan was like.

Wanqiu fumed. Why? Why does someone as awful as Lanlan still get Xin Yan’s love, still remain Li Jingshu’s most precious daughter? She doesn’t even have to pretend, and life treats her well. That kind of happiness… I’ll never have it.

If she ever showed her real self, everyone around her would flee.

Well, maybe not everyone. Perhaps one person would stay—

Li Jingshu, who already had a “demon daughter” of her own.

Sometimes, the look in Li Jingshu’s eyes made Wanqiu feel like she’d been completely seen through. Yet Li Jingshu never said anything—she just kept acting like a kind aunt, bringing her food, inviting her to activities for older folks, even carrying those things over herself when Wanqiu couldn’t go out.

Wanqiu never liked being around the elderly—they were boring.

She still wanted to be with people her own age. Someone like Xin Yan.

And yet, thinking back now, she couldn’t remember why she’d suddenly fixated on Xin Yan in the first place. Only that overwhelming urge to drive away everyone else around her and pull her into her sickroom, so she could only see her.

What would happen after that? Wanqiu herself wasn’t sure.

________________________________________

Xin Yan arranged things with the staff, and since the rules relaxed over the holiday, she and Lanlan were allowed to stay in the nursing home until the second day of the New Year.

On the 29th, they came. The hospital forbade luxurious, fuzzy New Year decorations, but ten-yuan packets of plastic window decals were fine. They plastered them up as much as they liked. It was simple, but at least it felt festive.

Many patients, like Li Jingshu, either couldn’t or didn’t want to leave. The halls were livelier than usual, and even though people couldn’t see each other, Xin Yan could feel the atmosphere shift.

There were rarely children in the facility, but today, some had been allowed in. Though the nurses kept reminding them not to be loud, children being children—once they got excited, they forgot the rules.

Two little boys darted into the hallway, chasing each other. At first they were quiet, but when one stumbled and fell, he screwed up his face, ready to cry.

Xin Yan, just happening to see, burst forward with the speed of her old track days. She crouched in front of him, covering his mouth before the wail could escape, and soothed him quickly:

“You’re a brave little man, aren’t you? Brave boys don’t cry. Let Auntie check—see? No injuries. Then there’s even less reason to cry. You fell, so you get up again. Look around—these people are sick. If you cry, it’ll make them sad. You don’t want that, do you?”

Tears still glistened in the boy’s eyes, but he nodded. Only then did Xin Yan uncover his mouth. She smiled. “Good boy. What were you two playing just now?”

The other boy mumbled nervously, “We… weren’t playing anything.”

They’d just suddenly started running. Neither knew why.

Xin Yan chuckled. “I see. Well, Auntie has some toys. Come with me for a bit. When your parents come, they’ll find you here. Sound good?”

At the mention of toys, both children’s eyes lit up. They followed happily, not realizing they’d probably cry again when their parents came searching later.

From behind the isolation doors, Lu Wanqiu watched the familiar scene unfold.

And suddenly, she remembered why she had once, after only meeting her once, become so fixated on Xin Yan.

Because she, too, wanted someone to play with her.