After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 10

Lin Feiruo found staying in the study a bit boring, but the thought of going out and likely being met with Jian Xiyan’s cold face made her sit back down obediently.

A cold face she could handle—after all, an iceberg beauty is still a beauty—but if those eyes were filled with disdain, Lin Feiruo couldn’t take it. She liked looking at beautiful women, but she couldn’t simply ignore someone’s open contempt for her.

Moreover, whenever she thought about that black-hearted Second Uncle, her heart would twinge. She couldn’t tell if it was pity for Jian Xiyan or a sense of self-reproach.

In this state, it was better not to meet. Lin Feiruo decisively lay back down, not caring if she actually fell asleep.

The sound of the keyboard outside and Jian Xiyan’s cool voice on the phone accompanied Lin Feiruo as she gradually drifted off.

Jian Xiyan had just finished a call with Xu Liqing; she had spoken for nearly half an hour and her throat was parched. She reached for a cup, only then noticing there were two tea cups on the desk. One near, one far.

The closer cup had only a third of the floral tea left, while the further one was the one Lin Feiruo had moved aside. Her hand paused in mid-air for a moment, and she chose to reach further for the original cup.

Perhaps because it had sat for too long, the tea was not only ice-cold but also tasted quite weak. Holding it in her hand, it couldn’t even compete with the lingering fragrance of the discarded floral tea. A look of distaste flashed across Jian Xiyan’s face, and she abandoned the idea of drinking it.

Just as she was about to ask a servant to change the tea, she saw Yu Shuyi walking toward her with a smile.

Jian Xiyan instinctively looked back into the room; the sliding door remained tightly closed, and the study was as quiet as usual.

Yu Shuyi reached her. “I wanted to come find you earlier, but I was afraid of disturbing your work. Since you have a moment, I’ll ask quickly—what would you like for dinner?”

Every time they returned to the Main Residence, Yu Shuyi would personally ask this, and Jian Xiyan usually answered honestly. But today she hesitated. Considering Lin Feiruo’s abnormal behavior earlier, she decided it was safer to keep her in the room.

“I have too much work; I’m afraid I won’t have time to go down for dinner. Anything is fine, just have it sent up when it’s ready.”

Yu Shuyi was taken aback. “Is that really a good idea?” she asked, leaning in.

She took a symbolic glance into the room but didn’t see Lin Feiruo. Still, she cautiously lowered her voice: “Regardless of everything else, today is Feiruo’s birthday. Even if she doesn’t like a big celebration, we can’t act like we’ve forgotten it entirely.”

This concern had existed for the past two years, but they hadn’t been at the Main Residence on those occasions. Yu Shuyi primarily felt bad about it. This year was different; they were actually here. She couldn’t very well pretend to remember nothing, could she?

Jian Xiyan comforted her. “I know Feiruo. She truly doesn’t want to trouble everyone for her birthday. The more attention you pay to it, the more uncomfortable she feels.”

Yu Shuyi sighed. “I’m understanding the way you young people think less and less.”

Then, her expression shifted, looking a bit more relaxed. “If Feiruo really doesn’t like to celebrate, that’s fine. Otherwise, Xiaomin sneaked out and definitely won’t be back in time—it would have been quite rude of her.”

Jian Xiyan raised an eyebrow. “Xiaomin went to find Jiang Wanru?”

Yu Shuyi said irritably, “She spent the whole morning on her phone pestering me.”

Despite the complaining, Jian Xiyan could still hear a mother’s indulgence. To say she wasn’t envious at all would be a lie, but she was past the age where this kind of sadness could dictate her mood.

Just then, a servant brought fresh tea. Jian Xiyan took it and prepared to head back to work.

Yu Shuyi left tactfully, but turned back at the last second to remind her: “If you change your mind, let me know anytime. It’s better to come down and eat together. You should persuade Feiruo, too.”

Jian Xiyan gave a slight curve of her lips but offered no definitive answer.

She sat back at her computer and took a few sips of the new tea, finding the taste still didn’t match what she was craving. That cup of floral tea was still on the desk, though she had pushed it even further away.

Jian Xiyan glanced at the closed sliding door again, thinking that Lin Feiruo must be messaging Yan Shan. Or perhaps she was desperate to go out, even more frantic than Jian Xiaomin had been.

After today, you’ll be completely free. You’ll have plenty of chances to eat with her. Jian Xiyan looked down, not feeling that she was being heartless—after all, she had paid an extra two million.

Lin Feiruo woke up and washed her face, noticing she looked much more refreshed than in the morning. Her mood brightened accordingly.

She thought about it and decided to go out. Her time with Jian Xiyan was running out; there was no need to keep things so tense. Even if the other woman misunderstood her, that was the original owner’s fault. Jian Xiyan herself didn’t have any major flaws and was generous to a fault. If it weren’t for the transmigration, people like them would never have met.

With the mindset of an amicable breakup, Lin Feiruo pushed open the sliding door, only to find no one there.

Did she go downstairs to chat with the uncle and aunt?

But the computer was on, folders were spread out, and the tea cup was still there…

Lin Feiruo noticed her floral tea had been moved to a very remote corner of the desk and pouted. Such delicious tea, yet she doesn’t know how to appreciate it!

The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Jian Xiyan stepped out. She seemed to have just washed her face; a few stray damp hairs clung to her cheeks. Her skin was so supple and smooth that calling it “radiant” wasn’t an exaggeration.

She didn’t look like she had the skin of a 28-year-old, let alone the complexion of a “Steel Woman” who frequently lived on three hours of sleep. Even from a distance, Lin Feiruo was certain that Jian Xiyan’s skin glowed brighter than any reflection on metal.

Jian Xiyan had been feeling irritable looking at documents and had decided to wash her face to wake up. She didn’t expect to come out and find Lin Feiruo staring at her desk thoughtfully.

Now Lin Feiruo was acting like a hamster again, staring at her with wide, bright eyes. Jian Xiyan suddenly recalled the image of her devouring the Dan Dan noodles; besides her cheeks being slightly less puffed out, there was no difference.

Despite a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, her face remained calm.

“What are you looking at?” Jian Xiyan walked back to her desk, smoothed her clothes, and sat down.

Lin Feiruo remembered their last exchange hadn’t been pleasant and that she had slammed the door. It was a bit awkward. She stepped closer but didn’t get too near, finding a random topic: “About dinner later, should I…?”

Since she had given up on hinting about the black-hearted uncle, Lin Feiruo just wanted to play her final part well and not leave a mess for Jian Xiyan.

Jian Xiyan had already decided to keep her upstairs, but when it came time to say it, she hesitated for a moment. She was afraid Lin Feiruo would come up with a new scheme—or if she didn’t, Yan Shan might. After being in the study so long, maybe Yan Shan had given her a new strategy.

Jian Xiyan tapped her finger on the edge of the desk, her eyes lowered. “Work isn’t finished. I don’t plan to go down for dinner.”

“Huh? Is it that urgent?” Lin Feiruo glanced at the files on the desk, thinking, Don’t tell me you’re pulling an all-nighter?

“So…” Jian Xiyan looked up at her. “We’re eating dinner in the room today.”

It took Lin Feiruo a few seconds to realize what “eating in the room” implied, and she was secretly delighted. Perfect! No need to act for the final meal. The job suddenly got much easier.

Seeing her silence, Jian Xiyan assumed she was calculating a counter-move.

“Do you have an objection?” A hint of cold mockery touched Jian Xiyan’s voice; she was already preparing her next line to shut her down.

“Not at all! I have no objection.”

Jian Xiyan’s gaze sharpened, freezing on Lin Feiruo’s face.

Lin Feiruo nodded sincerely. “I’m totally okay with it. Food is food, no matter where we eat it.”

Actually, she was quite happy to have one last dinner alone with Jian Xiyan. Even though they were just passing ships in the night and their encounter lasted only a few days, it was nice to have a private memory to prove this wasn’t all a dream.

Jian Xiyan studied her for a long time. Seeing her expression was normal and that she didn’t try to change her mind, she tentatively believed the woman was truly agreeing. She was too busy with work to worry about other details; having Lin Feiruo stay quietly by her side would save her a lot of trouble.

It seemed as long as she didn’t mention Yan Shan, Lin Feiruo became much more normal.

Yu Shuyi had a lavish dinner sent up and came by once herself. Lin Feiruo clearly stated she didn’t care about the ritual stuff, and only then did Yu Shuyi leave in peace.

Lin Feiruo looked at the person across from her eating silently, then at the juice in her hand.

“Let’s have a toast.”

Jian Xiyan looked puzzled. She slowly put down her chopsticks but didn’t reach for her glass immediately. “A reason?”

“Why do you need a reason for a toast?” Lin Feiruo smiled broadly and purely. “If the food is good and you feel like it, just do it.”

Jian Xiyan’s finger traced a circle on the glass before she picked it up and lightly clinked it against hers. “Then, happy birthday to you.” She paused, then added, “And happy liberation to you.”

Lin Feiruo hadn’t expected Jian Xiyan to bring it up first, so she stopped avoiding the subject. “And I wish for you that everything goes as you hope, and that you find freedom and happiness.”

Jian Xiyan recalled the experience of their two-year partnership. Although there had been many frictions and conflicts, overall, Lin Feiruo had been a very good partner.

“Make a wish.”

Lin Feiruo laughed. “Isn’t that a bit cliché?”

Jian Xiyan’s eyes crinkled slightly as a faint smile escaped—a heart-stirringly beautiful sight.

Lin Feiruo’s heart skipped a beat. “Let’s just call it a bit of good luck. If you believe it, it works.”

With that, she clasped her hands together and made a proper wish. Jian Xiyan had no intention of asking what it was; since Lin Feiruo was about to be free, all ten of her wishes were likely related to Yan Shan.

“I hope that you can always be safe and happy.”

Jian Xiyan’s lips pursed slightly. She never expected Lin Feiruo to make a birthday wish for her.

After a moment, she shook her head with a faint smile. “Wishes that are spoken aloud generally don’t come true.”

“It’s for luck. If you believe it, it works,” Lin Feiruo looked at her sincerely, hesitating before adding, “Just consider it my most heartfelt blessing.”