When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex - Chapter 8

Tang Yeran had climbed eight flights of stairs to reach the eighteenth floor when it suddenly dawned on her: Why did I take the stairs? There were other elevators right there.

Well, no point dwelling on it now.

She quickly found Su Yang’s office unsurprisingly, it was the only room in the entire building still lit.

Though she had ascended the stairs with determination, now that she stood before the door, hesitation crept in.

Knocking out of the blue didn’t seem quite appropriate.

What should she say? “Thank you”? Too deliberate.

“Are you okay?” Their relationship wasn’t that close yet.

As she wrestled with her thoughts, a faint, weary voice drifted through the door.

“It’s unlocked. Come in.”

Did this woman have X-ray vision and super hearing?

Pushing the door open, Tang Yeran saw Su Yang curled up in the center of a sleek black executive chair.

The chair was spacious, making her already slender frame appear even more fragile.

On the marble desk sat a cup of water, long gone cold.

The office’s occupant had one hand on the mouse, the other resting limply on the desk, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the computer screen.

Her usually meticulously styled bun had loosened, a few stray strands falling over the corners of her eyes.

Against her pale complexion, she looked utterly drained.

Noticing someone had entered, Su Yang set the mouse aside and lifted her head, her expression tinged with exhaustion.

Seeing her like this, Tang Yeran felt a pang of discomfort. After mentally cycling through a dozen things to say, she finally settled on two words: “Busy?”

Su Yang glanced at the screen and murmured, “Not too busy. Just the marketing department’s report left to review.”

Tang Yeran almost laughed at the absurdity clearly weak as a kitten, yet stubbornly clinging to work. “You’re always running around during office hours, and now that it’s time to clock out, suddenly you’re diligent?”

“Patrolling departments during work hours is still working…” Su Yang defended weakly.

Hah. Still sharp enough to talk back must not be that bad off.

Noticing Tang Yeran’s displeasure, Su Yang worried she might turn and leave. Eyeing the water dispenser nearby, she added feebly,

“I just boiled water. Could you pour me a cup?” After a pause, she tacked on, “My legs feel weak.”

Great. Now she was giving orders.

Without a word, Tang Yeran picked up the cup, rinsed it with water, then filled it about two-thirds full from the dispenser, 70% hot, 30% cold before setting it back on the desk.

Su Yang took the cup and gulped down several mouthfuls. Setting it down, she seemed to regain some energy. “Thanks.”

Tang Yeran studied her for a moment. She looked like she hadn’t eaten all day. “Had dinner yet?”

“The cafeteria closes at six on Fridays. I ordered takeout an hour ago.” Su Yang checked her phone and sighed. “But the delivery guy sent it to the wrong place.”

And you couldn’t just order again?

Too tired to argue, Tang Yeran strode forward, grabbed the coat from the rack, and tossed it at Su Yang. “Get ready. We’re going downstairs to eat.”

Su Yang, watching her decisive movements, meekly reminded her, “I’m still a patient, you know.”

Oh, so she did realize that.

“If you don’t eat something soon, you’ll turn into a corpse.”

It must be said that as Su Yang grew older, she became increasingly delicate.

Now, taking advantage of being a patient, she refused to walk properly.

At 172 cm tall, she leaned half her body weight onto Tang Yeran, exhausting the latter.

Panting heavily, Tang Yeran hauled her to a congee shop downstairs and ordered, “Boss, one bowl of yam and lotus seed congee.”

Su Yang shot her a faint, resentful glance at this, pursing her lips in silent protest.

Tang Yeran caught the subtle reaction immediately. Though Su Yang seemed indifferent about food, she could be quite picky like how she always pushed yam to the side whenever it appeared in a dish.

So, Tang Yeran had done it on purpose.

The steaming congee arrived, accompanied by a small side dish.

Tang Yeran pushed the entire tray toward Su Yang, clearly intent on watching her finish it.

Su Yang picked up her spoon, instinctively trying to pick out the yam, only to freeze under Tang Yeran’s stern glare. Reluctantly, she put a piece into her mouth.

Her expression made it look less like she was eating yam and more like she was swallowing poison.

Su Yang had always had a sensitive stomach but stubbornly refused to eat yam. Back then, Tang Yeran had indulged her, going out of her way to find other stomach-nourishing alternatives.

After they separated, Su Yang gradually slipped back into her old habits from her solitary days.

But between her master’s program in the U.S. and her internship at Storm Entertainment, the workload was several times heavier than during college.

With no one to remind her and her own indifference, she had managed to develop chronic stomach problems over the years.

Now, Tang Yeran wouldn’t coddle her like before, afraid of upsetting her.

It wasn’t like she was allergic to yam, just picky. Ridiculous.

Under Tang Yeran’s watchful gaze, Su Yang finished the entire bowl of yam and lotus seed congee.

Though her pained expressions throughout nearly made the shop owner question his culinary skills.

Still, it had to be said after finishing the bowl, she did regain some energy, no longer looking like she was on the verge of collapse.

Noticing her complexion had improved, Tang Yeran suggested, “Maybe you shouldn’t drive today. Just call a Didi.”

Su Yang stayed silent beside her, silently scrolling through her phone.

Tang Yeran glanced over, the screen displayed a news article titled “24-Year-Old Woman Goes Missing After Exiting Ride-Hailing Vehicle; Police Search Yields No Results for Days.”

Tang Yeran: “…”

Seriously? This was the city center, she took taxis to and from work every day.

Fine. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Where do you live now?”

Su Yang’s apartment wasn’t far from Qianhe Company, just a half-hour taxi ride.

Like a fussy mother, Tang Yeran helped her out of the car, then all the way to the elevator entrance, even waiting dutifully until the doors opened. “You can take the elevator up from here by yourself, right?”

“No problem,” Su Yang murmured weakly, wobbling into the elevator, only to stumble and latch onto Tang Yeran’s arm in a death grip.

Tang Yeran: “?”

“My legs went numb from sitting too long,” Su Yang explained, looking genuinely apologetic.

With a sigh, Tang Yeran had no choice but to escort her all the way into the apartment.

Following Su Yang’s directions, she fetched stomach medicine and water. Only after making sure Su Yang took the pills did she finally have a moment to glance around.

The apartment had two bedrooms and a living room, with relatively new and minimalist decor. Apart from essential furniture, there was hardly anything else.

Not only did it make the space appear remarkably spacious, but it also gave off the impression that the owner could pack up and leave at any moment.

All in all, the place felt just like its owner, lifeless and devoid of warmth.

Tang Yeran wasn’t surprised by this. She withdrew her gaze and turned to see Su Yang, who had already taken her medicine, leaning back on the sofa with her eyes closed.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should go lie down and rest,” Tang Yeran suggested with a sigh, her tone friendly.

Su Yang shook her head slightly without opening her eyes. “Haven’t showered yet.”

Her fastidiousness remained unchanged.

“Do you even have the strength to shower by yourself right now?” Tang Yeran asked, trying to be patient.

“No,” Su Yang answered bluntly.

So what exactly are you implying?

Tang Yeran almost laughed in exasperation. Crossing her arms, she stared at Su Yang’s closed eyes. “Su Yang, I don’t remember you being this spoiled before.”

Su Yang opened her eyes and turned to look at the windowsill, her voice faint. “And I don’t remember you being this impatient with sick people before.”

Just as Tang Yeran was about to retort, she inadvertently followed Su Yang’s gaze and noticed a golden Maneki-neko figurine on the windowsill, a faded red amulet hanging around its neck.

The amulet looked somewhat worn and oddly familiar.

Tang Yeran took a closer look before realizing, it was the very same amulet she had given Su Yang years ago when she was sick.

During their sophomore year’s winter break, both of them had stayed in the dormitory to attend a school-organized winter camp instead of going home immediately.

At the time, they had each enjoyed the rare privilege of having a four-person dorm all to themselves, and Tang Yeran had taken full advantage of it, visiting Su Yang’s room even more frequently than usual.

That afternoon, after lunch, Tang Yeran appeared at Su Yang’s door as reliably as ever.

Su Yang, dressed in pajamas, opened the door and silently let her in before returning to her bed to read, quieter than usual.

“Su Yang, why didn’t you go to the library today?” Tang Yeran plopped down beside her, a hint of grievance in her voice.

Though they had never explicitly agreed on it, they had met at the library every morning at nine since the break started. She had thought it was their little unspoken understanding.

“Tired. Didn’t feel like it.”

Su Yang’s usual indifferent demeanor would have made others assume she was just being aloof, but Tang Yeran sensed something different.

She pressed a hand to Su Yang’s forehead, then her own.

“Are you sick? Did you see the campus doctor? Did you take any medicine?”

Su Yang let her paw linger on her face, enduring the liberties taken, before replying calmly, “Just a slight cold. No need for the doctor. Already took medicine.”

“Oh~” Tang Yeran nodded, then suddenly grabbed Su Yang’s legs and pushed her flat onto the bed. “If you’re sick, you should be lying down. What are you doing up and about?”

Su Yang glanced at her slippers, which had been kicked into the corner of the bed, and fell silent.

I got up to open the door for you.

Though Tang Yeran usually brimmed with boundless energy and carefree cheer, she could be surprisingly attentive when it mattered.

She propped Su Yang up against the headboard and wrapped her tightly in a jacket, ensuring no draft could reach her. “If you can’t sleep, you can lean back and read, but no more exposure to the cold, got it?”

With that, she scanned the room and walked over to close the open window.

She went to boil another pot of water, poured it into the thermos, and placed it at the foot of the bed.

Once everything was ready, she finally reopened the dorm room door.

Throughout this process, Su Yang remained quiet as a doll, yet her gaze never left Tang Yeran.

Noticing the reluctance in Su Yang’s eyes, Tang Yeran felt a flicker of delight. “I’m just going to the cafeteria to grab some food. I’ll be back soon, mind if I borrow your key?”

True to her word, she returned in just twenty minutes, carrying a box of porridge.

To Tang Yeran, Su Yang, who only had a mild cold looked as fragile as a glass doll, so much so that she nearly ended up feeding her spoon by spoon.

In the end, Su Yang, feeling embarrassed, took the food box and placed it on the foldable table. “I can manage on my own.”

Even while sick, Su Yang ate with refined manners, not making a single sound.

Tang Yeran sat beside her, watching with sparkling eyes.

Su Yang, flustered by the attention, unconsciously wiped her face. “Is there something on my face?”

“You’re so cute~” Tang Yeran leaned in and planted a loud kiss on her pale, translucent cheek.

Su Yang froze.

Since that fleeting kiss by the lake, though neither had openly acknowledged it, the dynamic between them had subtly shifted.

Their interactions had grown more intimate than before, but something as sudden as this… was still too abrupt.

Seeing the usually composed academic genius looking so dazed, Tang Yeran felt the urge to kiss her again.

This time, however, Su Yang dodged quickly, thwarting her attempt.

Tang Yeran sighed in disappointment but didn’t push further after all, the girl was still sick.

She pulled out a red amulet from her pocket and draped it around Su Yang’s neck.

“I swung by my dorm earlier. This is an amulet I got from Jinshan Temple, it’s really effective. Wear it, and it’ll ward off misfortune and keep you healthy.”

Su Yang hooked a finger around the amulet, a simple red cloth pouch embroidered with golden threads spelling “Peace and Joy.”

Though it was the most basic design, the moment her fingers brushed against the fabric, she felt an inexplicable warmth, as if it carried real energy, soothing her instantly.

She looked up at Tang Yeran’s radiant smile and stayed silent for a long moment.

“Hey, hey, don’t look at me like that, all moved and teary-eyed. I might not be able to resist kissing you again. But if you’re really that touched, you could always kiss me first~”

Tang Yeran grinned and tilted her face closer, making it easier for Su Yang to “act.”

“I’m going to sleep!” Su Yang wiped her mouth with a tissue, closed her eyes, and curled up under the covers like a fish.

Tang Yeran stared, dumbfounded, at this “magic trick” of instant sleep. Deciding not to tease her further, she tidied up the foldable table and food box before pulling a chair to the bedside to keep watch.

She had woken up at seven that morning, and now, at one in the afternoon, her usual naptime habits kicked in, she dozed off even faster than the patient.

Su Yang turned onto her side and opened her eyes to find Tang Yeran slumped over the bed frame, fast asleep, one arm draped over the edge.

Without makeup, her skin looked as soft and delicate as a baby’s, and her closed eyes made her long, thick lashes even more striking.

The usual vivacity was absent in her quiet slumber, but the serene expression made her look impossibly lovely.

Su Yang never considered herself someone who cared much about looks, but the moment she laid eyes on this girl, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to her.

Tang Yeran was a deep sleeper. Even as Su Yang moved her onto the bed, she didn’t wake instead, she rolled over and settled in even more comfortably.

The dorm’s single bed wasn’t particularly spacious, and Su Yang soon found herself pressed against the wall by Tang Yeran’s movements. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to push her away.

Gazing at the adorable way the girl beside her pursed her lips in sleep, Su Yang quietly leaned in, pressing a soft, joyful kiss to the corner of that faintly upturned mouth.

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