Lu Yixue stared at the new message on her phone for a moment before politely smiling as she saw off the repair expert.
Unable to get a response, You Yi guiltily sent a few more cute emoticons she’d swiped from Song Zonghui, trying to act adorable.
After sending off the repair expert, Lu Yixue looked at You Yi’s emoticons and let out a cold scoff before blocking her again.
She should have realized long ago that You Yi wasn’t reliable at all.
Cheng Xuanyang had been busy lately running tests on the new custom inhibitor syringes Lu Yixue ordered, spending all her time on the factory production line, so she wasn’t someone Lu Yixue could approach.
As for the others… Lu Yixue irritably spun her phone around. If she used anyone else, they would definitely report back to Lu Lingjiang. The staff at the Research Institute weren’t there to handle her personal affairs.
For the first time, the Eldest Young Lady wanted to keep something from her family, only to discover she had no one suitable for the job.
“Me?” In the bar, Guan Yueying pointed at herself in disbelief as she leaned back in her chair. “You want me to go to Haicheng and check on Pei Shijin for you?”
Lu Yixue nodded calmly, showing no sign of the urgency churning inside her.
Guan Yueying sat up straight, rubbed her hands together, and grinned. “Ahem, so what exactly am I supposed to do? Don’t you need to give me the full backstory first?”
You Yi had been acting weird lately, refusing to sync information with her and always changing the subject whenever she asked.
“Pei Shijin is Zheng Xiaoshi,” Lu Yixue said succinctly. “Her gambling-addict father has shown up and might cause her trouble.”
“Oh my god!” Guan Yueying jumped up from her chair, her eyes wide in shock. “D-Does that mean she’s been secretly in love with you for ages?”
“Then why did she still get divorced?” Guan Yueying was utterly baffled. “If her secret crush came true, shouldn’t she cherish it?”
Lu Yixue’s face darkened. Guan Yueying just didn’t know how to read the room—she kept stabbing knives into people’s hearts. What else could it be?
Sometimes, when people got too close, all the beautiful illusions shattered.
Guan Yueying kept chattering on. “If I could marry my goddess, I’d treasure her every day, holding her in the palm of my hand. If she wanted the stars, I’d throw in the moon too.”
Back in M Country, she’d been a total fangirl. She’d deliberately tried to forget all that after returning home to heal her wounds, but now she couldn’t help bringing it up as an example.
“Your goddess has athlete’s foot and doesn’t wash her hands after using the toilet,” Lu Yixue said coldly.
“What? Impossible!” Guan Yueying wailed in anguish, grabbing Lu Yixue’s sleeve and shaking it. “She’s a pure, fragrant, soft little angel!”
Lu Yixue shook off her hand and walked away.
Guan Yueying chased after her, crying. “You’re making this up, aren’t you? Where did you even hear that? It has to be a lie!!!”
“You don’t even know my goddess. There’s no way you two have any connection!”
“Does your family have business in M Country? No way, it’s fake, you’re lying to me!”
Guan Yueying couldn’t accept that her goddess didn’t wash her hands after using the toilet! Athlete’s foot was manageable—maybe it could be cured—but not washing hands was just unhygienic.
Everyone in the bar stared at the two of them, whispering among themselves. They didn’t know what the gossip was, but it sounded juicy.
Lu Yixue took a deep breath. “Fine, it’s fake, okay?”
Guan Yueying squatted by the roadside, hugging a utility pole as she sobbed loudly. “Waaah, I can’t believe what you’re saying anymore!”
Lu Yixue: …
This woman seemed even less reliable than You Yi.
“I was just giving an example, got it?” Lu Yixue pinched the bridge of her nose. She often felt out of place because she wasn’t dumb enough.
Hic, Guan Yueying thought for a moment, then looked up and kept poking at Lu Yixue’s heart. “So you’re saying Pei Shijin lost interest because of some flaw of yours?”
“Hmm, you do have a lot of flaws: nitpicky clean freak, dictatorial, oblivious to romance, hates Alphas and doesn’t want to be marked. Plus, if someone likes you but gets no response for too long, even their feelings will wither.” Guan Yueying said it all seriously, then added, “Yep, my summary’s spot on.”
Lu Yixue laughed, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes—it was chilling. “Your goddess actually has three girlfriends. Their kids are already six years old.”
Guan Yueying: ?!
“I won’t let you slander my goddess! She’s only twenty-six and promised to stay with us, focusing on her career!”
Guan Yueying flailed her little fists at Lu Yixue, who pinned her against the utility pole and pulled up the evidence on her phone.
It was quite a coincidence, really. Lu Yixue had gone on a business trip to M Country with Lu Lingjiang, and Guan Yueying’s “goddess” had offered herself to Lu Lingjiang.
“Waaah, why didn’t you tell me sooner! Wait, were you hinting at something when you recommended other idols to me back then?” Guan Yueying wasn’t that slow.
Lu Yixue put away her phone. At least she wasn’t beyond hope.
Guan Yueying dragged Lu Yixue back to the bar and ordered a whole table of drinks. She needed to drown her sorrows.
The two heartbroken souls—one wore her emotions on her sleeve, bursting into loud cries now and then; the other kept everything bottled up, showing no trace of turmoil.
The next day, Guan Yueying woke up at two in the afternoon.
Her hair was a mess, and she looked utterly disheveled. Lu Yixue was completely inconsiderate. As Guan Yueying grumbled while searching for her phone, she saw a message from Lu Yixue: [High-speed rail at four p.m.]
Aaaah, that meant only two hours left! Guan Yueying had no time to complain. She rushed to wash up and pack.
She boarded the high-speed train just in the nick of time.
Panting in her business-class seat, she smugly thought that she was pretty reliable in a pinch.
Guan Yueying snapped a photo and sent it to Lu Yixue.
Lu Yixue replied instantly: [Be discreet. Don’t let her spot you, and if she does, don’t mention me.]
[OK! I absolutely won’t let Pei Shijin think you’re some obsessive stalker weirdo~] Guan Yueying chuckled mischievously. She’d always thought Lu Yixue’s concern for Pei Shijin stemmed from wifely duty.
But after Lu Yixue used her ex-goddess as an example yesterday, Guan Yueying had a new theory: Lu Yixue actually liked Pei Shijin!
After all, she herself had been a die-hard fan of her ex-goddess.
Waaah, her little angel, her sweet darling—how could she turn out to be such a slag?
Just thinking about her ex-goddess made Guan Yueying’s heart ache; she felt awful all over.
Lu Yixue found Guan Yueying’s message utterly annoying. What did she mean, “won’t let Pei Shijin think”? She wasn’t obsessively clinging in the first place.
It was just simple concern.
She could think of it as extended after-sales service from back then. If she’d sent someone to track down the runaway Zheng Guoli and deal with him properly, Pei Shijin wouldn’t be harassed by him now.
Once Lu Yixue straightened out her logic, her mood improved greatly.
She long-pressed the message and deleted it.
Returning to Haicheng this time, Guan Yueying’s mood was completely different.
Lu Yixue had invited her!
Key point: invited!
Guan Yueying felt triumphant, her expression smug and exuberant.
You Yi was called to pick her up. The moment she saw her, she reached out to touch Guan Yueying’s forehead.
“What are you doing? Don’t smudge my foundation.” Guan Yueying swatted You Yi’s hand away.
“I’m worried you burned your brain out. Do you know how swollen and red your eyes are?” You Yi forcibly pressed the back of her hand to Guan Yueying’s forehead. “No fever? Then why the crying and laughing?”
“Tch.” Guan Yueying rolled her eyes. “What do you know? I’m holding a grudge here. You’ve been dodging my questions these past few days—spill it. What are you hiding from me?”
“Fine, fine, I don’t get it. So what are you doing in Haicheng?” You Yi sidestepped Guan Yueying’s interrogation entirely.
She really didn’t know how to break the news.
These past few days, that kid Taotao had started calling Pei Shijin “Mommy”! Though she also called Song Zonghui “Mommy,” and sometimes called You Yi “Mommy” too when she saw her.
The kid was probably just a little dim and only knew how to say “Mommy.”
But who she called it to made all the difference!
In the bustling high-speed rail station, the brushed-off Guan Yueying merely jabbed You Yi’s chest with her finger, restraining herself. “You heartless jerk! Hogging all the gossip for yourself? After all I’ve done for you, you slag!”
You Yi rolled her eyes right back. “Come on, where are we staying? My place or a hotel?”
She asked, but she’d already prepared for Guan Yueying to crash at hers—it would give her an excuse to clean the house properly.
“Hotel.” Guan Yueying’s voice shattered You Yi’s plans. Under You Yi’s shocked gaze, Guan Yueying placed one hand on her hip, chin raised proudly. “I’m here on official business.”
“Huh? Since when did you betray us and get a job?” You Yi frowned.
Every Chinese New Year, she got criticized by relatives for not having a real job. She’d been thrilled that Guan Yueying was back to join her as a fellow unemployed drifter, hoping she’d share the heat this year.
Don’t be fooled by You Ling’s idle days—she owned several shops and made a few hundred thousand a year, though it paled compared to family dividends.
Striving hard didn’t mean much anyway; they had an older sister ten years their senior who already ran the family business.
“Uh… no, not that,” Guan Yueying dropped her hand from her hip. “Lu Yixue sent me. How’s that not official? She might not pay me, but I’m here with full legitimacy, righteous and proper…”
You Yi let out a sigh of relief, but it caught in her throat at the mention of Lu Yixue’s name, making her even more nervous. She pressed urgently, “What legitimacy?”
“Hmph, not telling you! Let’s go!” Guan Yueying slung her bag over her shoulder with flair and strode out.
