After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 8

Jian Xiaomin hadn’t expected to see a real person standing there looking so distressed. In the past two years, she had never seen Lin Feiruo like this.

Stunned, she asked, “Sister Feiruo, why are you in here?”

Lin Feiruo straightened up and shook her head slightly, trying her best to steady her breathing. “I just came in to rest for a bit.”

Only then did Jian Xiaomin realize that, in her haste, she had pushed her sister into the bedroom—this was technically her sister and Lin Feiruo’s private territory.

She stuck out her tongue and said apologetically, “I was in a rush and forgot about you. Sorry,” she stepped closer to Lin Feiruo. “What’s wrong with you?”

Lin Feiruo braced one hand on the cabinet, right next to the fallen decoration she had bumped. “I got a sudden dizzy spell; I don’t know why.”

Just then, Jian Xiyan walked in. Her view was half-blocked by Jian Xiaomin, preventing her from seeing clearly, but Lin Feiruo’s voice did sound quite weak.

Jian Xiaomin turned around. “Sis, come check on Sister Feiruo. Should we have Dr. Xu come over?” She stepped aside to let her sister pass.

As Jian Xiyan approached, her scent became increasingly distinct. Lin Feiruo felt like someone who had been suffocating and was suddenly hooked up to a fresh oxygen tank. The throbbing pain eased slightly, and the stinging in her eyes faded.

She forced a smile at Jian Xiyan. “I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation.” She actually wanted to explain that she wasn’t eavesdropping, but she worried that saying so would only make it look more suspicious.

Jian Xiyan looked Lin Feiruo over thoroughly, missing nothing from her complexion to her body language. She would deal with the eavesdropping matter later; right now, her primary focus was Lin Feiruo’s emotional state and her next moves.

Lin Feiruo was not someone who lacked a sense of propriety or boundaries. In the past two years, she had occasionally needed to spend time alone in a corner, but she had never caused a scene or made such exaggerated expressions as she just had. She had been in high spirits all morning and had acted perfectly normal while chatting with Second Uncle in the side hall. Why did she suddenly have a headache so bad she couldn’t stand after just a few minutes in the study?

Jian Xiyan glanced at the scattered decorations—many were high-value handcrafted art pieces she had brought back from business trips. While she wasn’t obsessively attached to them, she did take care of them. Was Lin Feiruo throwing a tantrum?

Lin Feiruo had apologized just now, but her emphasis was on the word “conversation.” Jian Xiyan was certain of this because she noticed Lin Feiruo had clearly paused when saying that word.

Jian Xiyan could control most things, but she had no absolute certainty when it came to Yan Shan. Moreover, Jian Xiaomin had just mentioned kicking Yan Shan out of the crew—which was practically touching Lin Feiruo’s “reverse scale.” Jian Xiyan had no idea how she would react.

“Xiaomin, you go out first. I’ll take care of Feiruo.”

“But…”

“We’ll talk about this later.” Jian Xiyan had no desire to continue discussing Yan Shan in front of Lin Feiruo, and she was even more afraid that Lin Feiruo might lose control and blurt everything out.

This final day and a half of acting had to go perfectly, no matter what!

Jian Xiyan’s tone left no room for negotiation. “Without my permission, you are not to act rashly or interfere with the production’s arrangements.”

Her sister was usually strict, but she was rarely this cold-hearted about such matters. Jian Xiaomin was stunned and a little hurt. She had thought her sister would support her; after all, her sister had said herself they were just insignificant minor roles.

Jian Xiaomin pouted, reluctant to leave, but she didn’t dare say another word.

Lin Feiruo was also terrified that the girl would keep talking about Yan Shan; it seemed as if simply hearing that name made her feel physically ill. Hearing Jian Xiyan’s words, Lin Feiruo prayed silently: Please leave, please leave, and stop talking about Yan Shan.

Jian Xiyan instinctively blocked Lin Feiruo from view, as if she were unwilling to let anyone see her in this state—not even Jian Xiaomin.

Jian Xiaomin grumbled internally: Talk about over-the-top possessiveness! She shrugged. “Fine, I’m going down. You two get some rest.”

After a few steps, she turned back and craned her neck to find Lin Feiruo. “Sister Feiruo, if you feel unwell, remember to tell my sister. Don’t just endure it.”

Lin Feiruo remembered why she said that. Once, the original owner had attended a social event with Jian Xiyan, drank too much, and felt terrible, but endured it until she got home, only to come down with a fever in the middle of the night.

“I won’t. Don’t worry.” Lin Feiruo raised her hand and gave a small wave.

Once Jian Xiaomin was gone, Lin Feiruo noticed Jian Xiyan studying her with a strange expression. She instinctively took a few steps back, her ears turning slightly red. Despite the other woman being a top-tier beauty, Lin Feiruo wasn’t used to such proximity. Plus, Jian Xiyan smelled wonderful—a sophisticated, indefinable scent that tested a mortal’s self-control.

“Does your head still hurt?”

Lin Feiruo checked her internal status. It wasn’t as noticeable anymore. She shook her head. “Much better.”

Jian Xiyan’s gaze swept almost imperceptibly over the messy decorations before returning to Lin Feiruo’s face. Lin Feiruo felt guilty; it really wasn’t right to mess up someone else’s things. She began putting the items back one by one, apologizing again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Jian Xiyan’s voice was as cold as it had been on the day they signed the divorce papers. “I thought this was your way of sounding an alarm for me.”

Lin Feiruo frowned, puzzled. “Is there a need for that?” Sure, being left in the hallway by you two was awkward and a bit annoying, but sounding an alarm over such a small thing? That’s way too petty.

Lin Feiruo denied it firmly. “I never thought of doing that, and I certainly didn’t do it.” As she spoke, she finished straightening the decorations and even wiped the dust off the cabinet.

Jian Xiyan looked down, seemingly analyzing the credibility of Lin Feiruo’s words. Her tone and emotions didn’t seem like she was being sarcastic or passive-aggressive. But Jian Xiyan couldn’t figure out how Lin Feiruo’s attitude toward Yan Shan could have changed so drastically.

Regardless, keeping her stable was the priority. Jian Xiyan looked into Lin Feiruo’s eyes and promised again, “You don’t need to worry. I will fulfill what I promised.”

Lin Feiruo blinked, several question marks popping up in her head. Seeing her “unconvinced,” Jian Xiyan felt frustrated. They had played wives for two years; was it necessary to lose all basic trust over one Yan Shan? When had she ever broken a promise in these two years?

Jian Xiyan glared at her, her voice turning colder. “You can choose not to believe me, but I will still keep my word.”

Lin Feiruo could tell she was angry. Although she didn’t know the exact reason, the best choice was to stop provoking her. She nodded and put on a trusting expression. “I believe you.”

Jian Xiyan wasn’t so easily fooled; she knew it was perfunctory. But she didn’t want to waste energy on Lin Feiruo. As long as things looked okay on the surface, it was fine—there was only a day and a half left.

“For the remaining time, just focus on Second Uncle,” Jian Xiyan said after a pause. “As for Xiaomin, try to avoid being alone with her.”

Lin Feiruo couldn’t agree more. She didn’t want to be dragged away by Jian Xiaomin again anyway! “Okay.”

After going back downstairs, Lin Feiruo was indeed less proactive in engaging with Jian Xiaomin. But in Jian Xiyan’s eyes, she was becoming increasingly distracted. She seemed to be constantly pondering something, sometimes frowning, sometimes hesitating, and occasionally stealing glances over at her. Jian Xiyan observed her doing these things repeatedly, but she couldn’t guess what was on her mind.

This state continued until the end of dinner.

Back in the room, Jian Xiyan had to continue working on the President Bu project. During this time, Xu Liqing called several times to confirm the itinerary. Lin Feiruo remained silent, but her mind was far from calm. After acting for one more day tomorrow, she could say goodbye to Jian Xiyan. The three-month no-dating restriction in the agreement wasn’t a problem for her at all, so they would basically have no more intersection.

Lin Feiruo should have been full of anticipation and excitement, but she lay on the bed in the study feeling deeply conflicted. Should I tell Jian Xiyan about her uncle?

Stealing a family fortune was no joke, and he was being incredibly ruthless, showing zero regard for family ties. But she had observed carefully today: Jian Xiyan trusted Jian Shenyao implicitly, treating him with a closeness almost like a father. This made things difficult; Lin Feiruo felt that a few simple words would never convince her.

Besides, how could she say it? She had no evidence. Could she rely on just her word? If she wasn’t careful, she might expose herself as an impostor first. Then Jian Shenyao would be fine, and she’d be the one who’s finished.

Lin Feiruo rolled over, telling herself to stop meddling. She couldn’t change anything; she was just an interloper who happened to know certain facts ahead of time.

The sound of keyboard tapping continued from the next room. Lin Feiruo slept fitfully and had a complex dream. In the dream, Jian Xiyan leaned her head on Lin Feiruo’s shoulder with her long hair down, crying. Her helpless, fragile appearance made Lin Feiruo’s heart ache. It’s truly hard to just stand by!

The next morning, Lin Feiruo woke up with slight dark circles under her eyes. Jian Xiyan also looked a bit tired. When they appeared together, Jian Xiaomin giggled and covered her mouth. “You two don’t have to be so clingy; it’s going to make everyone else sick with sweetness.”

Yu Shuyi chided her helplessly, “Xiaomin, don’t be so rude. You can’t just say things like that.” Even so, she had a gratified look on her face, watching the couple like a seasoned elder seeing true love.

Jian Xiyan didn’t react; she had expected this when she chose a contract marriage and had grown used to it over two years. Lin Feiruo also didn’t react, but clearly for a different reason.

Distracted! Distracted again! Jian Xiyan had noticed it since she saw her this morning and was barely restraining herself. It was the last day; she didn’t want to have a major fallout with Lin Feiruo. Moreover, today was Lin Feiruo’s birthday. Although she had never asked for a grand celebration in the past two years, Jian Xiyan didn’t want her to be unhappy on her special day.

Jian Xiaomin’s mind was entirely on Jiang Wanru’s new film. She was constantly on her phone, tracking the latest news. She saw reports that the crew was having a dinner gathering in downtown Shanghai. Several big names were there, and Jiang Wanru was rumored to attend! This made her restless; she wanted to sneak out today.

Now, both were distracted.

Jian Xiyan spent most of the day at her computer handling documents. She was leaving for Tara Island to meet President Bu tomorrow, but she hadn’t found a breakthrough in the contract. She felt irritable, but she had to push through.

Suddenly, a cup of tea appeared on her desk. She looked up and saw Lin Feiruo replacing her old cup.

“Freshly brewed rose tea. It helps relieve irritability.” Lin Feiruo pushed the cup over gently, a hint of pity in her eyes.

Jian Xiyan froze, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden care, and also felt she was making a mountain out of a molehill. She dealt with urgent business trips all the time; was there a need to look at her with such sympathy?

“Drink some, take a break before you continue.” Lin Feiruo saw that she had pulled two consecutive all-nighters and was visibly agitated today. Combined with the matter of Jian Shenyao weighing on her mind, her sympathy for Jian Xiyan had reached an all-time high.

Jian Xiyan thought she was just being polite, but the woman actually stood there waiting expectantly, as if she wouldn’t leave until she drank it. Does she want something? Jian Xiyan couldn’t think of any other reason for Lin Feiruo’s current behavior.

Amidst her thoughts, the cup was placed right by her hand. The warm feel and the light floral scent were strangely inviting. Finally, Jian Xiyan picked it up and took a sip. The taste was better than expected, and it was different from the rose teas she’d had before.

She looked at Lin Feiruo in confusion. “This tea…”

Lin Feiruo acted mysterious. “I adjusted the proportions and added a tiny bit of my own secret remedy.” She pinched a tiny gap between her thumb and forefinger with a hint of pride.

Jian Xiyan felt the tea was very smooth, with a lingering fragrance that enticed her to take a second sip. She maintained her composure for a few seconds, then took another sip.