When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex - Chapter 10

In the end, Tang Yeran acquiesced to Su Yang’s suggestion and stayed overnight at her place.

Mainly because getting drenched in this heavy rain and catching a cold just wouldn’t be worth it. Since they had already agreed to maintain a normal, friendly relationship, being overly awkward would only make it seem like she still cared.

She didn’t linger in the bathroom, washing off the day’s dust as quickly as possible.

On the middle shelf of the cabinet lay a brand-new set of underwear. She and Su Yang were roughly the same size, so that wasn’t an issue.

Ten minutes ago, Su Yang had told her to make herself at home. But the moment she held that piece of cotton fabric in her hand, her ears inexplicably burned red.

It was strange. Back when they were together, sharing clothes had never felt like a big deal. Neither had shopping for underwear alone.

Yet now, here she was freshly showered, staying overnight at her ex-girlfriend’s place five years after their breakup, holding the other woman’s underwear in her hands. It was beyond awkward.

She suddenly regretted agreeing so hastily to stay over. Friendly? Yeah, right!

She searched the bathroom for a hairdryer, thinking she might as well dry the freshly washed underwear.

But after looking everywhere, she came up empty-handed.

Should she ask Su Yang to pass her the hairdryer?

The thought flashed through her mind for barely a second before Tang Yeran shook her head like a rattle-drum.

Bothering a sick person was one thing, but given her current state, facing her ex just wasn’t a good idea.

Otherwise, the atmosphere might get, too intimate.

She had washed her hair that morning, so it was now tucked under a shower cap.

And if Su Yang happened to ask why she needed the hairdryer that would just be?

Forget it. Since embarrassment was inevitable either way, she’d rather endure it quietly and minimize the damage.

In less than a minute, the speedboat in Tang Yeran’s mind had already circled eight hundred times.

Finally, she closed her eyes, steeled herself, and quickly slipped into Su Yang’s underwear and pajamas.

The pajamas were a soft pink silk. Su Yang might always appear cold and detached, but deep down, she had a girlish side.

Back when they had lived together, Tang Yeran had noticed that among Su Yang’s predominantly cool-toned wardrobe, there were always a couple of soft, pastel pieces mixed in.

Even after all these years, her taste hadn’t changed much.

Tang Yeran stood in front of the fogged-up bathroom mirror, staring at her blurred reflection.

Without makeup, she looked younger than usual, almost like she had traveled back to her college days.

Back then, as she and Su Yang grew closer, they had moved off-campus for a semester to avoid disturbing their roommates.

In their own private space, free from prying eyes, Tang Yeran had gradually let her true self emerge.

Whenever they didn’t have class, she practically glued herself to Su Yang 24/7.

Despite having plenty of her own clothes, she loved borrowing Su Yang’s, simply because she adored the scent that lingered on them.

In the early days of their relationship, Su Yang had been a pretty good girlfriend. Though usually quiet and aloof, she had indulged every one of Tang Yeran’s whims.

Emboldened by this, Tang Yeran would often lounge around at home in Su Yang’s pajamas, then suddenly leap onto her like a koala, clinging happily.

And Su Yang, worried she might fall, would wrap her arms tightly around her.

Back then, whenever Tang Yeran caught their reflection in the TV screen, it felt like they had always been meant to merge into one.

Staying overnight at Su Yang’s place was clearly not a wise decision. Even something as simple as a nightgown could trigger memories, though they only lasted a few fleeting seconds.

Tang Yeran hung the towel on the rack, obscuring half of the bathroom mirror, then turned and left.

When she reached the guest room, Su Yang happened to be stepping out, their eyes meeting at the doorway.

“The bed’s already made. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Having a sick person prepare the bed for her made Tang Yeran feel slightly guilty. After a brief silence, all she managed was, “Nothing else, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Su Yang lingered at the door, her gaze resting lightly on Tang Yeran’s bare face, showing no intention of leaving.

Tang Yeran turned slightly and walked into the room, drawing the curtains as she said, “It’s late. You should rest early, I’m exhausted too.”

“Mhm.” Su Yang responded softly, and a few seconds later, her footsteps faded into the distance.

That last “mhm” had carried a hint of grievance or maybe it was just Tang Yeran’s imagination, since she hadn’t seen Su Yang’s expression.

But given Su Yang’s cleanliness obsession, skipping a shower before bed was definitely worth sulking over.

Not that Tang Yeran wanted to be ungrateful, it was just that this situation was complicated.

Too much had happened today, and Tang Yeran didn’t want to torture her brain any further. She buried herself under the covers, cocooned tightly.

Outside, the rain had stopped at some point, replaced by another faint, rhythmic trickling sound.

Tang Yeran felt as though she were standing by the sea, gazing at the azure waves where a mermaid thrashed and splashed.

The mermaid’s figure was graceful, her movements tracing elegant arcs in the air, glimmering under the sunlight.

As Tang Yeran approached, the mermaid turned her expression cool, but her eyes locked onto Tang Yeran without blinking.

Su Yang!

Tang Yeran jolted awake from the bizarre dream. The room was pitch black. She grabbed her phone, 3 a.m.

The sound of running water still echoed in her ears. Thirsty, she fumbled along the wall for the light switch and headed to the kitchen for water.

Luckily, she’d boiled water before bed and left it in the kettle now it was just the right temperature.

Glass in hand, she sipped as she walked back toward the guest room. Passing the bathroom, she noticed the light was still on.

The earlier sound had come from here, though it had stopped now.

She tried to ignore it, but just then, the bathroom door opened.

Su Yang emerged, a towel draped over her shoulders, her hair twisted into a dripping wet bun.

“Did I wake you?” Su Yang asked gently, noting Tang Yeran’s stunned expression.

Tang Yeran took a sip of water instead of answering, letting her eyes convey the obvious.

What do you think? Bathing and washing your hair in the middle of the night, making me dream weird things.

She had planned to return to bed, but standing so close, a droplet from Su Yang’s hair suddenly unexpectedly landed on her arm with a soft plop.

The chill sent goosebumps prickling across her skin.

Rubbing her arm, Tang Yeran couldn’t resist adding as she turned away, “Your hair’s still wet. You shouldn’t tie it up yet.”

“But if I don’t, it’ll soak my clothes,” Su Yang replied calmly, as if her behavior were completely normal.

“So, you don’t have a hairdryer at home?” Tang Yeran hated her own meddlesome nature, but sometimes the words just slipped out naturally.

Both of them had woken up halfway through their sleep at this hour, still somewhat groggy, which made their conversation much more straightforward.

“There is one, but I haven’t used it in a long time. Not sure if it still works.”

As if to prove her point, Su Yang almost jogged to the adjacent master bedroom to fetch the hairdryer, presenting it to Tang Yeran like a prized possession.

Tang Yeran thought she must still be half-asleep, because she found Su Yang’s unintentional liveliness somewhat endearing.

By now, Su Yang had already plugged the hairdryer into the power strip. She fiddled with the switch, but the device remained silent. “See? It’s broken from disuse,” she said regretfully.

“You didn’t turn on the power strip,” Tang Yeran pointed out from a distance, making no move to help.

Following the instruction, Su Yang flipped the switch, and the hairdryer buzzed to life, making her eyes light up instantly.

“It works!”

It was never broken to begin with.

Seeing Su Yang’s genuine delight, Tang Yeran couldn’t help but ask, “So you weren’t planning to use this earlier? What were you going to do with your wet hair then?”

Su Yang touched her damp locks and answered honestly, “Towel dry it, check some work emails, and let it air dry.”

With hair that long and tied up, “air drying” would take considerably more than “a while.”

No wonder she became a boss at such a young age suffering from stomach issues, with wet hair in the middle of the night, yet still thinking about work. Her dedication was truly moving!

Tang Yeran almost felt like applauding. “What a brilliant plan. Maybe you should stick to it and not let work wait.”

If Su Yang couldn’t detect the sarcasm now, she’d have to be truly dense.

“But I’m sleepy now and want to go to bed,” she said softly, her voice gentle and pleasing in the quiet night.

Tang Yeran, however, had no mind to appreciate it.

Of course she’d be sleepy at this hour, why did she have to wash her hair so urgently in the middle of the night?

“Then hurry up and dry your hair so you can sleep,” Tang Yeran yawned, tossing out the words before turning back to her room.

The persistent buzzing from the living room suggested the hairdryer really hadn’t been used in ages. The noise was loud enough to seep through the closed door.

Tang Yeran tossed and turned in bed for five minutes. She told herself she must be unused to the bed, which was why the sound of the hairdryer kept her awake.

Unable to resist, she threw on her jacket and pushed the door open again.

Su Yang was still sitting on the living room sofa, bathed in warm yellow light, holding the hairdryer in one hand as it hovered over the top of her head for a long time.

From Tang Yeran’s angle, the back of Su Yang’s bun remained just as soaked as it had been five minutes ago.

This woman she wouldn’t even undo her bun while drying her hair, just to avoid getting her clothes wet!

At this rate, it would take forever.

Su Yang seemed too focused to notice the movement behind her. She lifted an arm, carefully tending to her bangs, when suddenly the weight in her hand disappeared.

“Sit still.”

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