When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex - Chapter 34

Tang Yeran had left the hotel during the day with a little tail trailing behind her, but by evening, she returned alone.

Originally, she thought Su Yang’s act of bravery was commendable, so she had gone out of her way to buy bandages and medicine, intending to “do a good deed” herself.

But that person turned out to be ungrateful.

[Ranran, I still have some things to discuss with Professor Mei, so I can’t accompany you for now.]

Who asked for her company anyway? It was Su Yang who had stubbornly followed her around like a tail so annoying!

Tang Yeran tugged at the clothes in her hands as she packed her luggage for tomorrow’s return to City C, her movements rough with frustration.

She had brought a small suitcase for this trip, and if the clothes weren’t folded neatly enough, they wouldn’t fit inside.

Right now, she was inexplicably irritated, and after several failed attempts to fold the clothes properly, she resorted to brute force, shoving them in haphazardly. Just as she was about to give up, a knock sounded at the door.

She opened it to find Su Yang standing obediently in the doorway, holding a plastic bag.

At the sight of her, Tang Yeran felt a wave of relief, but she immediately schooled her expression into a stern one. “It’s so late, President Su. What brings you here?”

Calling her “President Su” again that sour tone was really delightful.

Su Yang wanted to laugh but held it in.

She lifted the plastic bag slightly. “The instructions say these bandages need to be changed every three hours. It’s hard to do it with just one hand. Can you help me?”

Tang Yeran glanced at Su Yang’s right arm, wrapped in white gauze. The blood had already seeped through, blooming like a rose. It looked like it had been more than three hours since the last change.

This person really…

“Come in,” she said stiffly, though she naturally stepped aside to let her in.

Su Yang once again waltzed right in, only allowing herself a small smirk when Tang Yeran wasn’t looking.

The next second, when she turned to meet Tang Yeran’s gaze, she was back to her usual meek and pitiable expression, weakly lifting her injured arm.

“Sit down first.”

Tang Yeran directed Su Yang to the sofa, then carefully cradled her injured arm as she unwrapped the old bandage.

The wound wasn’t very long, but it was deep, cutting across the otherwise flawless, jade-like skin in a stark, unsettling contrast.

And this was after the bleeding had stopped, what had it looked like before?

Tang Yeran stared at the wound for several seconds without moving.

Su Yang, noticing the heartache in the other woman’s eyes, quietly scooted closer.

Realizing she had been staring, Tang Yeran quickly grabbed an alcohol swab to clean and disinfect the wound. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Su Yang’s delicate brows furrowing in pain.

“If it hurts, just say so. No need to hold it in.”

“Okay.” With permission granted, Su Yang let herself go.

“Ah!”

“Ouch!”

“Mmm!”

The sounds were soft but laden with suppressed pain, melodious and suggestive enough to make one’s ears inexplicably warm.

Tang Yeran: “…”

Maybe you should just shut up.

But she didn’t actually say it out loud. After all, the injured party reigned supreme.

Seeing that the woman in front of her was turning red from her ears to her eyes like a little rabbit, Su Yang hummed a few more times before finally stopping her teasing.

Despite the complicated emotions swirling inside her, Tang Yeran’s hands remained meticulous as she wrapped the wound. Soon, a fresh, pristine “white dumpling” was secured in place.

Su Yang lifted her neatly bandaged arm, a hint of pride in her eyes. “Ranran, your skills are amazing. Can I ask for your help again next time?”

“There’s going to be a next time?” Tang Yeran snapped.

“You were quite the hero today, facing a desperate criminal armed with a weapon bare-handed. Sure, you know martial arts, you’re amazing!”

Tang Yeran shuddered at the memory of the scene, while the person before her not only showed no remorse but even laughed.

“Ranran, are you worried about me?”

This time, Tang Yeran didn’t deny it. “Any normal person would be worried, even just out of humanitarian concern, okay?”

Su Yang smiled, her eyes narrowing. “I know Ranran has always been a very kind person. You’d worry no matter who got hurt today.”

“If I hadn’t stepped in, you would’ve found a way to save that little girl, just like you did back then across from the school.”

The incident Su Yang referred to happened during their junior year, when Tang Yeran encountered two troublemakers extorting a classmate. She pretended the dean was nearby and scared them off.

But that situation was different both in nature and in danger.

Tang Yeran hadn’t expected Su Yang to remember something so long ago. She scoffed at herself, “I’m not as brave as you. All I can do is talk a big game.”

Su Yang shook her head, still smiling. “Ranran isn’t lacking in bravery, Ranran is smart and rational.”

“If you’d rushed to fight that criminal today without enough self-defense skills, that wouldn’t be bravery, it’d be recklessness.”

“Even though you only used words, you bought time and distracted the criminal, giving the police a chance to get into position. Otherwise, I’d have at least one more wound.”

“Doing the right thing means protecting yourself first. I know that. Before I stepped in, I checked the criminal’s stance his steps were unsteady, not trained.”

“I didn’t expect him to have another weapon. That was my oversight, but it wouldn’t have been fatal.”

Tang Yeran’s nose tingled at these words, but her tone remained sharp. “Suddenly so sweet-tongued are you planning to mooch off me the whole time you’re injured?”

“Can I?” Su Yang was surprisingly candid, her gaze soft as water.

Tang Yeran: !

Of course not…

“Fine.”

The moment Tang Yeran agreed, Su Yang’s eyes lit up. Though her smile seemed genuine, it always gave Tang Yeran an eerie feeling.

Tang Yeran: …

Is it too late to take it back?

There was no taking it back. Ever since Tang Yeran gave her that opening that night, Su Yang had stuck to her like glue for days.

When they returned to City C, An Xin had to stay a few more days for work, leaving Tang Yeran and Su Yang to take the high-speed train back together. Tang Yeran was puzzled.

“I remember you’d just arrived in City Y after I interviewed Teacher Mei. How’d you wrap things up so fast?”

Here it came again, that familiar, meaningful smile. This time, Tang Yeran understood the subtext.

You really do care about me.

Annoyed by her own slip, she turned her head away. “Never mind, then.”

“Nothing to hide.” Su Yang caught one of Tang Yeran’s hands and gave it a playful shake, trying to get her to look back.

“Actually, I came to City Y this time to discuss the Martial Arts Theme Collaboration for ‘Shining Candy’ with Teacher Meilin.”

“Since we ran into each other on the street yesterday, we settled everything at once. So there’s nothing else left to do.”

The story goes back to the day Su Yang acted bravely to uphold justice. It turned out that she had sent Tang Yeran away to discuss a collaboration.

Recalling the scene, Tang Yeran found it somewhat amusing. “You’re really something, discussing a partnership on the street with your arm still injured. Shouldn’t such an important deal be finalized in a more formal setting?”

“Not exactly on the street,” Su Yang said, taking advantage of Tang Yeran’s softened attitude to secretly play with her fingers. “We found a café. We only settled the broad strokes of the collaboration. The details of the electronic contract will be handled by the business department.”

“You’re leaving for City C today, so I had to make the most of my time.”

Tang Yeran turned to see the sincerity on the other’s face, no hint of a joke.

So the reason she had been in such a hurry to work was because she wanted to come back with her?

A warmth spread through Tang Yeran’s palm, and she looked down to find Su Yang had somehow turned her hand into a plaything.

She yanked her hand away abruptly. “And here I thought President Su was the epitome of efficiency. Turns out you just wanted to latch onto me for free care.”

“Exactly,” Su Yang said, her hand now empty, immediately reaching for the other one, clinging relentlessly. “My wound can’t get wet, and there are so many inconveniences lately. You promised you wouldn’t abandon me while I’m injured.”

Tang Yeran: ?

Did I ever say that?

Glancing at the blood-stained bandage on Su Yang’s arm, Tang Yeran thought, Fine, consider it my daily good deed, helping others in need.

Little did she know this “daily good deed” would stretch into several days.

To make it easier to change Su Yang’s bandages, Tang Yeran, barely settled back into her own home in City C, was whisked away to Su Yang’s place.

She had initially refused, but she had always been weak to soft pleas and couldn’t stand pitiful, dejected expressions.

Besides, there was the adorable Little Gold here.

After all, they’d already shared a bed before. Now, staying under the same roof in separate rooms, how bad could it be?

Tang Yeran quickly reassured herself and, while Su Yang was working in the study, cuddled Little Gold to her heart’s content.

“Baby, did you miss me after all this time? You seem to have put on some weight.”

During Su Yang’s business trip, she had asked the cleaning lady downstairs to come by daily to refill the cat food.

Upon returning, Yuanbao had visibly plumped up, making Tang Yeran seriously suspect whether Su Yang had been putting the cat on a diet before.

Having been a house cat for so long, Yuanbao was unfazed by strangers, purring contentedly on Tang Yeran’s lap.

When Su Yang emerged from the study, she saw the heartwarming scene of the two getting along like the closest of sisters.

Watching the golden cat dozing off on Tang Yeran’s lap, she suddenly felt a pang of irritation. She scooped up the kitten with one hand. “Go sleep in your bed.”

Little Gold was deposited into the cat bed by the sofa, gave her tail a few flicks, and promptly curled up to continue napping.

Unlike the cat’s easygoing nature, Tang Yeran was displeased. “What was that for? I wasn’t done petting her.”

“She’s been shedding lately,” Su Yang pointed at Tang Yeran’s pants, where a few golden strands of fur were indeed clinging.

Tang Yeran picked off the cat hair with a tissue and tossed it into the trash, muttering under her breath.

“Yuanbao is indeed at the age where he’ll start shedding. I read online that kittens need more protein, fat, and vitamins when they shed. Does your current cat food meet those standards?”

“Speaking of which, the sunlight has been perfect lately. You should take Yuanbao out more often to soak up some sun, it helps with calcium absorption.”

“Oh, and don’t forget to brush his fur regularly, at least twice a day. Using a fine-tooth comb or slicker brush can effectively remove dead skin and loose hair.”

“He could also use a bath now. Every two or three months is good to get rid of excess fur. Just make sure the shampoo isn’t irritating…”

She was getting carried away when she looked up and met Su Yang’s gaze, those eyes were full of resentment.

Tang Yeran felt uneasy under the stare. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Su Yang remained silent. After several seconds, Tang Yeran suddenly realized.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I completely forgot. Let me go wash my hands first, then I’ll change your bandages when I come back.”

Support When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex