Oops, I’m the Scumbag Ex in Her Storyline - Chapter 59

On New Year’s Eve, although Li Jingshu insisted she wanted to cook the reunion dinner for everyone, both Bei Lanlan and Xin Yan persuaded her to rest. Being soft-hearted, she soon relented.

In the end, it was Bei Lanlan who prepared the dinner. Her cooking skills were still a bit raw, but a New Year’s feast isn’t about the taste—it’s about togetherness and abundance. Once the plates were full and everyone was present, who cared whether it was delicious?

Moreover, even as a novice, Lanlan had mastered the essentials. The flavors were close enough, and Xin Yan, especially supportive, even had an extra bowl of rice compared to usual.

Li Jingshu, mindful not to eat too much, spent the latter part of the meal watching them with a smile. From many small details, she could tell their closeness was genuine. Before today, she had worried that Lanlan and Xin Yan were only pretending in front of her, staging a reconciliation—but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

They had originally planned to stay up to welcome the New Year, but Li Jingshu had long maintained a very regular schedule. Sleepiness hit her on time, and after a brief struggle, Lanlan escorted her back to her room. By the time she returned, Xin Yan was already gone from the living room.

Lanlan glanced around and noticed a figure on the balcony.

Sliding open the door, she saw Xin Yan standing there in a sweater, seemingly unbothered by the cold. Lanlan approached and said, “It’s getting warmer.”

Xin Yan smiled: “That’s what the Spring Festival is for—it’s a reminder that spring and warmth are just around the corner.”

Lanlan exhaled deeply, stretching lazily, and rested her head on Xin Yan’s shoulder. “Once it’s warmer, let’s go out for a spring outing and fly kites. I’ve always wanted to do that as a child, but never had the chance.”

Xin Yan nodded: “Sounds great. We can even have a picnic. I’ll bring the qingtuan I make.”

Lanlan lifted her head. “You can make them?”

Xin Yan shook her head: “No.”

Lanlan was momentarily stunned by the straightforward reply—until Xin Yan turned to her with a gentle smile: “I can learn. Now that I’m not alone, I should pick up these little life skills.”

Lanlan’s heart swelled, though her expression said: You should’ve done this earlier. Amused by her contradictory face, Xin Yan leaned on the railing and gently kissed Lanlan’s slightly chilled lips.

Lanlan returned the kiss. After a while, she wrapped her arms around Xin Yan, feeling her back was a little cold. She rubbed Xin Yan’s shoulders and asked, “Why have you been standing here so long?”

Xin Yan sighed softly: “I wanted to see if anyone would set off fireworks. Seems the flyers weren’t exaggerating—away from the city and its noise, even New Year feels quiet.”

Understanding, Lanlan had no choice but to let it go. She pulled Xin Yan back to the living room. “No fireworks for now. We’ll get some for ourselves when we return home.”

Xin Yan reminded her: “Cities prohibit fireworks.”

Lanlan grinned: “At my school, just two kilometers out, it’s countryside—light them up freely, and we can even go to the hot springs.”

Xin Yan immediately added it to her plans.

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The sanatorium allowed family members to stay longer during the New Year. Xin Yan wanted to stay a few extra days, but by the afternoon of the first day, she had to leave to pay New Year’s visits.

Lanlan had planned to go with her but chose to stay another day with Li Jingshu. Xin Yan didn’t suspect anything and left quickly. Li Jingshu waved her off with a smile and, returning to the ward, looked at her daughter.

“Xin Yan invited you to celebrate with her. That shows she values you. If you refuse, what will she think?”

Lanlan replied calmly: “She won’t overthink it.”

Li Jingshu asked, “She’s pure, yes, but what about you? Why don’t you want to go?”

Lanlan hesitated but eventually confessed: “I want to start my own company.”

Li Jingshu paused, then smiled: “That’s good. But how does it relate to Xin Yan?”

Lanlan explained: “The company isn’t fully set up yet; everything is just beginning. I want to handle it myself and, once it’s done, give her a surprise. If she visits people who are her partners, and they know our relationship, they’ll tie me to her for her sake, giving me benefits I don’t want. This time, I want to rely on myself.”

Li Jingshu nodded slowly. “Lanlan, you’ve always been your mother’s pride.”

Lanlan started to smile—until Li Jingshu added: “…but you handled this poorly.”

Lanlan froze.

Li Jingshu sighed. “I know Xin Yan usually takes care of you more, so you want to prove yourself and also get closer to her. But if you don’t tell her your thoughts, do you know how your actions look?”

Lanlan asked softly: “Like what?”

Li Jingshu said earnestly: “Like a bird spreading its wings—ready to leave her and soar on your own.”

Lanlan was silent.

Li Jingshu continued: “In love or marriage, understanding goes the distance. Even someone as gentle as Xin Yan, when she sees the person she’s always protected suddenly strong enough to stand alone, her first reaction won’t be joy. If she still loves you, it’ll be disappointment.”

Lanlan had never considered that. Seeing her stunned, Li Jingshu patted her hand. “Think carefully. I’m going for a nap. In the afternoon, shall we do some pottery? I still have plenty of materials left.”

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Half an hour later, Lanlan left the ward for fresh air. The balcony was too cold, the hallway airtight, and the building shared central air—inside or out, the air smelled the same.

Lost in thought, she spotted Lu Wanqiu sitting near the wall, reading.

From such a distance, Lanlan couldn’t see her expression clearly, and Lu Wanqiu shouldn’t have noticed her. Yet Lu Wanqiu lifted her head, and their eyes met.

They stayed silent for five seconds, then simultaneously scoffed. One turned back to her ward, the other wheeled herself to a distant room, signaling her desire to stay away.

Lanlan stayed another day. By the next afternoon, around four o’clock, she left. Few family members remained. Li Jingshu, busy chopping in the kitchen, brought a plate of dragon fruit to Lu Wanqiu’s door after ten minutes.

Li Jingshu often visited; sometimes Lu Wanqiu would let her in, sometimes not. Today, after initially refusing, she relented and had the nurse bring her back.

Holding the plate, Li Jingshu cheerfully coaxed: “Try some. Xin Yan sent this. Two boxes! I couldn’t eat it all myself. It’s delicious and very sweet, unlike any other variety.”

Lu Wanqiu replied mildly: “I don’t eat this fruit.”

Li Jingshu paused, muttering quietly: “Just like Lanlan… she hates dragon fruit too.”

She moved to take the plate back, but Lu Wanqiu relented: “Can’t waste someone’s kindness. I’ll try a small piece.”

Meanwhile, Xin Yan, returning from her visits, passed an open fruit dessert shop. She asked the driver to stop: “Wait, I’ll get a dragon fruit mille-feuille. Lanlan loves it most.”

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If it happened once or twice, Lu Wanqiu might be fooled. But five, six, seven, or eight times, even she would realize Li Jingshu was deliberate.

Yet it was always small matters—fruit, going to bed early. Nothing major, so even when she knew, she didn’t confront Li Jingshu. On good days, she played along; on bad days, she refused, unaffected by Li Jingshu’s words.

Lu Wanqiu knew Li Jingshu was clever and respectful of boundaries, so if her mood was good, she would chat a bit.

Until one warm spring afternoon, Li Jingshu casually said:

“Lanlan is about to graduate. The defense hasn’t started yet, but her thesis has already been submitted to competitions and organizations. Her grades are the highest in her year, and the paper is excellent. She might even speak at the ceremony. Ah, my Lanlan—always so outstanding. Luckily, no one surpasses her; she hates being outdone. Even after graduation, if someone breaks her record, she’d be furious.”

Lu Wanqiu raised her head: “Do you think Lanlan has such a place in my heart that I’d change my life for her preferences?”

Li Jingshu had braced for this reaction. She coughed, looked down, tugged at her clothing: “Just trying. If I don’t try, I’ll never know.”

Lu Wanqiu smiled: “Aren’t you afraid you’ll turn me over and then I’ll go bully your daughter?”

Li Jingshu laughed outright. “Impossible. Once you leave, you won’t even think of my Lanlan.”

Lu Wanqiu paused, looking away, but Li Jingshu’s voice still reached her ears:

“Only those trapped focus all attention on someone. The truly free have too many distractions. Lanlan—so fond of Xin Yan—still divides her life: half on Xin Yan, half on her career and studies. A beautiful life. Sometimes I envy her. But

I’m trapped, so I can only focus on you.”

Lu Wanqiu couldn’t help but glance back: “Shouldn’t it be on Lanlan?”

Li Jingshu nodded: “Yes. Before, definitely Lanlan. But now, she’s living so well—I have nothing to worry about. So, I worry about you instead.”

Lu Wanqiu studied her, finally asking: “Xin Yan said she’d build a sanatorium at home. Has it been finished yet?”

Li Jingshu: “…”