After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 9

After taking a few sips, the tea indeed tasted different from usual, and Jian Xiyan used the moment to briefly escape the suffocating pressure of her work.

Lin Feiruo tilted her head, trying to gauge Jian Xiyan’s true opinion of the brew. Words can be fabricated, but expressions are usually honest. Back in the lab, whenever she concocted something with a new flavor, she always loved observing her “guinea pigs”—her classmates’ reactions.

Jian Xiyan’s eyes lifted slightly, releasing her charm without warning. However, her tone remained cool. “What are you looking at?”

“Seeing if you like the tea or not.”

Jian Xiyan didn’t speak, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup idly.

Lin Feiruo tilted her head even further. “Is it not good?”

She had specifically balanced the proportions to soothe emotions; was Jian Xiyan’s constitution just not suited for it?

Jian Xiyan thought the tea was fine, but with her level of experience, it was far from reaching the level of awe-inspiring praise. Yet, Lin Feiruo was like a child, badgering her for an answer. It seemed she wouldn’t let it go until she heard something nice.

“It’s quite good,” Jian Xiyan said. After speaking, she slowly raised her eyes and allowed the corners of her mouth to curve upward slightly.

Lin Feiruo was momentarily blinded by that faint smile. Perhaps because she had never seen someone so beautiful in real life before, she finally realized that the saying “a great beauty looks good even in a rag” wasn’t an exaggeration at all. Someone like Jian Xiyan could brighten the whole world just by perfunctorily twitching her lips.

Lin Feiruo stared blankly at those delicate lips, wondering: What on earth did God deny her? She has money, looks, a perfect figure, and stable emotions. Where is the “fairness” everyone talks about?

She suddenly remembered how Jian Xiyan’s eyes had dimmed when Jian Shenyao returned yesterday. She had initially thought Jian Xiyan suspected her black-hearted uncle, but she later realized she was wrong—Jian Xiyan’s sadness came from seeing her uncle’s family reunion.

The lack of family warmth was the only thing God had taken from her.

Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful. She had everything, yet lacked the one thing a human needs most: true family affection.

Lin Feiruo’s expression shifted through several changes before settling into a faint, lingering sadness.

Jian Xiyan’s mood, which had just relaxed, began to rebound. She detested seeing Lin Feiruo in this state. Whenever she wore that long face, it was invariably related to Yan Shan, and Jian Xiyan loathed being affected by those emotions.

It was rude enough that Lin Feiruo was staring at her while spacing out, but to shamelessly let her emotions leak like that—did she really think she could ignore her just because it was the last day of their partnership?

Today was Lin Feiruo’s birthday, but she hadn’t allowed Jian Xiyan to organize a celebration, claiming she disliked such rituals. Jian Xiyan knew Lin Feiruo actually cared a lot about rituals. She had insisted on divorcing before her birthday so she could celebrate today with Yan Shan using a “new identity.” For the past two birthdays, Lin Feiruo had hidden in her room texting or calling Yan Shan; that was the celebration she truly wanted.

Earlier, when Jian Xiaomin begged to sneak out to see Jiang Wanru and showed her the news, Jian Xiyan realized that Yan Shan was likely at that same dinner gathering in downtown Shanghai.

Does Lin Feiruo want to go too?

This was the most likely explanation Jian Xiyan could find for her sudden attentiveness. According to the original plan, she should have gone to celebrate with Yan Shan, but Yan Shan was on set and Lin Feiruo had agreed to the three-day extension. If she tried to leave now, she would be breaking the agreement.

Even if only half a day remained, it was still a breach of contract. Jian Xiyan hated all forms of untrustworthiness and had no intention of making way for Lin Feiruo’s infatuation.

Lin Feiruo, preoccupied with the tragic plot of Jian Xiyan being hurt by her uncle, didn’t notice Jian Xiyan turning cold. She frowned, looking at Jian Xiyan with great internal conflict. Such a beautiful person… she really couldn’t bear to see her cry until she fell apart. That dream last night had nearly finished Lin Feiruo off.

“You…” Lin Feiruo was thinking about how to broach the subject. Mentioning the uncle out of the blue seemed inappropriate; maybe she should start with work?

Jian Xiyan put her cup back on the desk, looking impatient.

“Won’t it be too exhausting for you to go on this business trip alone?”

This topic had been discussed with the uncle several times yesterday while Lin Feiruo was present. Jian Xiyan felt she was just making small talk for the sake of it, so she simply gave a perfunctory nod.

Lin Feiruo scratched her hair. “Then while you’re away, will all company matters be decided by Second Uncle?”

Jian Xiyan’s gaze turned cold. In the past two years, Lin Feiruo had never proactively asked about the company business. The few things she knew were only because she had to attend social events. Her “ambition” was entirely centered on Yan Shan, which was another reason Jian Xiyan felt at ease with her. Lin Feiruo wasn’t interested in her, and she wasn’t interested in the company.

But in this final half-day, Lin Feiruo was different. She was serving tea and asking about the company; it was highly irregular. Jian Xiyan wasn’t an impulsive person. In negotiations, she preferred to wait for the opponent to show their hand before she struck back.

“Why are you suddenly interested in this?”

Lin Feiruo stammered.

Jian Xiyan, thinking she understood, asked pointedly: “Do you want to go too? To learn the business?”

Lin Feiruo denied it flatly. “No, I… have other plans.” After signing the divorce papers, she had decided to be self-sufficient and free. Why would she look for a job she didn’t want and make herself suffer?

Jian Xiyan’s gaze grew even colder. Lin Feiruo also realized a fact: Jian Xiyan’s guard was extremely high. Basic probing was useless against her. Lin Feiruo felt mentally drained; she was no match for a top-tier corporate fox like this.

Jian Xiyan picked up her documents again to resume work, unwilling to waste time on boring conversation. But Lin Feiruo didn’t leave as she usually would. Instead, she wanted to keep talking.

“Then you…”

Jian Xiyan’s patience reached its limit. She tapped her pen on the desk, her eyes sweeping over Lin Feiruo with nothing but frost. “We agreed on three days. Three days means three days. Not a second less.”

Lin Feiruo didn’t understand why she said this, but she felt there was a subtext in Jian Xiyan’s gaze. Seeing her still standing there with clear, somewhat bewildered eyes, Jian Xiyan took a deep breath, operated her phone for a moment, and set it down heavily.

The sound was much louder than the pen-tapping; Lin Feiruo was startled.

Jian Xiyan flashed a sneer. “I just transferred two million to you. Consider it compensation for today.”

Lin Feiruo was stunned. Is this the billionaire difference? Transferring millions the moment things get tense!

Jian Xiyan’s lips curled slightly. “You can take it and celebrate with your little lover. But today, you must still fulfill your contract.”

Little lover?

One second Lin Feiruo was shocked; the next, she realized that slight smile was actually one of disdain! So what if you’re rich? Throwing two million around like I’m only in it for the money. If I didn’t think you were so pitiful, I wouldn’t waste my breath!

Lin Feiruo felt incredibly stifled. She decided to “respect the fate of others” and stop meddling. Suppressing her irritation, she dropped a line—”You’re busy, I won’t disturb you”—and turned back to the study.

Jian Xiyan heard the sliding door slam shut—louder than the way she had put down her phone—and shook her head dismissively. She felt she had done more than enough; that two million was an extra bonus, yet Lin Feiruo still had the nerve to throw a tantrum? Her impression of Lin Feiruo plummeted again. Whenever it involved Yan Shan, Lin Feiruo became an idiot.

Lin Feiruo lay on the bed fuming. She opened her phone and saw the bank notification. So many zeros… she was too shocked to even stay angry.

Suddenly, her head began to throb just like yesterday. She tossed her phone aside and pressed her temples. The pain intensified. Something was pounding, trying to burst out of her brain.

Images flashed back. A flood of memories surged.

“Shan-shan, you are the person I care about most. I’ll do anything to help you achieve your dreams!”

“Shan-shan, your acting is improving so fast. Especially your crying scenes, so moving; I watched one episode last night and cried my eyes out.”

“Shan-shan, today is my birthday. Can you chat with me for a bit?”

“Shan-shan, the roles you want to play lately are so expensive. The money added up could almost film several movies.”

Lin Feiruo sat up abruptly, whispering in disbelief: “Can someone truly be this humble? Sinking this low without any bottom line, and still not waking up?”

The memories were mostly the original owner constantly fawning and satisfying Yan Shan’s demands, while Yan Shan’s responses were always about being busy or how hard it was to get ahead. It was a classic “talking to a wall” dynamic: You say you love me, but what I love is my dream.

Lin Feiruo didn’t just remember that the original owner was Yan Shan’s “simp”; she remembered it was her birthday, and that almost all the money since the contract marriage had been used to buy roles for Yan Shan. She also remembered the argument where the original owner slammed the table to demand a divorce just to secure a role for Yan Shan. No wonder Jian Xiyan wouldn’t let Jian Xiaomin clear out the “resource-picks.”

Lin Feiruo looked at the closed sliding door, feeling incredibly awkward. She knew now who the “little lover” Jian Xiyan mentioned was, but she was powerless to explain. She tapped her forehead; the original owner wasn’t “deeply in love,” she was just stupid.

Normally, the original owner wouldn’t go out today, but she wouldn’t celebrate with Jian Xiyan either. She would just hide in her room sending pathetic messages to Yan Shan.

Lin Feiruo would absolutely never do that again. Starting today, the “simp” persona was being erased from her life!

She tried to log into the banking app to check her account details, but she needed a password. She couldn’t recall it, so she decided to go to the bank in person tomorrow. She checked Yan Shan’s information again. This time her head didn’t hurt, but looking at the photo made her chest feel heavy and uncomfortable.

“She can’t even compare to Jian Xiyan.”

Lin Feiruo couldn’t wrap her head around it. The original owner was a total blockhead; how could she see Jian Xiyan every day and never doubt her own taste?

Thinking of Jian Xiyan, Lin Feiruo’s heart suddenly twinged. She turned to stare at the closed door. On the other side, the sound of the keyboard was still steady, and Jian Xiyan’s voice was still calm and organized.

Regarding the plot, Lin Feiruo felt she couldn’t help even if she wanted to. Recalling the Jian Xiyan who cried helplessly in her dream, Lin Feiruo closed her eyes.

“Jian Xiyan, you better protect yourself in the future.”