Tang Yan went upstairs alone and knocked on the door from which muffled arguments could still be faintly heard. The one who opened it was Lu Wan, who had been closest to the door. She gave Tang Yan a once-over. “You’re back.”
“Yeah,” Tang Yan replied.
“Is that Tang Yan?” Xia Zihan called from inside. When she saw her—“the troublemaker”—she jumped off the bed barefoot and ran over, trying to throw her arms around Tang Yan’s neck. Tang Yan dodged without hesitation; this kind of physical closeness between straight girls wasn’t her thing.
“So you do remember to come back? Where were you off to all morning?”
“I just went to the pasture with the herding family we stayed with last night,” Tang Yan said honestly.
“Alright, whatever. At least you’re back now. We’re already a day behind schedule. We’ve got to move fast. Looks like the rain’s stopped—how about we head to the nearest location first?” Han Shuang said while checking the activity schedule.
“Okay, I’m gonna wash my face first.” Tang Yan set down her satchel and slipped into the bathroom.
Outside, the girls were chatting. “Huh? Her aunt didn’t come back with her? She’s alone?”
“No idea.”
Meanwhile, Ji Yuqing had followed He Xu to a café just a short walk from the inn. It was a quiet little cat café. He asked what she wanted to drink, but she politely declined his offer and insisted on paying for herself—a clear signal this was going Dutch.
They weren’t close. If you counted their actual interactions, this was only the second time they’d met. Not to mention, things between them were complicated.
Once they sat down, Ji Yuqing didn’t say a word. She simply enjoyed her coffee. When she was working, she drank coffee almost daily and had tried just about every brand, but handmade brews like this were still her favorite—rich and aromatic.
He Xu sat across from her, fingers tracing the handle of his cup. After about a minute of silence, he finally spoke.
“I’ve known about you for a long time.”
“Oh? Is that so.” Ji Yuqing set her cup down. Her voice was calm, measured.
“I’ve heard bits and pieces about you. And I’ve got to admit, you’re impressive. Better than me, at least,” He Xu said. He paused, then added, “It’s no wonder Qiluo liked you so much.”
“Mr. He, all of that’s in the past,” Ji Yuqing replied with a polite smile—graceful, with just the right amount of distance.
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been trying to move on too, to live in the present. I really thought that one day, Qiluo would be touched by my sincerity. That maybe someday, she’d finally see me.”
He let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. “But this time, I realized how wrong I was. Not just a little—completely wrong. I found your photo in her bedside drawer. And I realized, after all these years, no one’s ever replaced you in her heart.”
“Mr. He, I think you should have a little more confidence in yourself.” Ji Yuqing’s tone was gentle, but firm. She was ready to shut this down. Whatever existed between them, she had no interest in it—not then, not now.
“I know you’re the only one who can do it,” He Xu suddenly looked up, eyes red, desperate. “Please… make her give up. Completely. If she can let go, maybe she’ll finally be willing to build a life with me.”
“Don’t worry. Us running into each other—it was pure coincidence. I won’t interfere with your marriage. I never intended to take her away from you.”
Those words seemed to lift a weight from He Xu’s shoulders. His face relaxed, even lit up. To him, this meant there was still hope.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Ji Yuqing didn’t respond. She got up to pay, completely ignoring the eager look he gave her. Depending on someone else to save your relationship? That was just pathetic.
As she was about to leave, He Xu called out behind her, emotional and loud, “Please, I’m begging you!”
Too thrilled to sit still, He Xu pulled out his phone and called Zhou Qiluo. He’d expected she wouldn’t pick up—but she did.
“What is it?” Zhou Qiluo asked coldly. Her job was running the inn, after all. Even if it was about business, she would’ve answered.
“When are you coming back?” His voice had softened noticeably.
“Why?” she asked.
“No reason. Just wondering,” He Xu said, trying hard to figure out what to say next, terrified she’d hang up at any moment.
To his surprise, she asked first, “Has Ji Yuqing… come back with that girl?”
He froze. “Yes, yes. They just got back.”
“Oh. I’ll be back at the inn later,” Zhou Qiluo said and hung up.
He Xu smiled to himself. No matter what, he was going to fight for this marriage. He didn’t care about her sexual orientation—he believed those things could change. He didn’t care if her heart still held someone else. As long as she stayed with him, that was enough.
When Ji Yuqing returned to the inn, she ran into a few other guests, but she just headed straight upstairs to her top-floor room. She took a hot shower, changed into dry clothes, lay on the bed for a bit—and ended up falling asleep without even realizing.
Tang Yan and the girls didn’t get back until around 7 p.m. While eating dinner, Tang Yan packed up some food to bring to Aunt Ji. The other girls were curious why Aunt Ji was staying at the same inn. Tang Yan just said she didn’t know—maybe it was a coincidence.
When they returned, He Xu was cleaning the dining table. They greeted him politely and headed upstairs.
On the second floor, they bumped into Zhou Qiluo gracefully descending the stairs. She’d overheard Tang Yan mention bringing food to Aunt Ji.
“No need to bring it up. She’s already eaten,” Zhou Qiluo said with a bright smile.
“She has?” Tang Yan blinked. “Aunt Ji already had dinner?”
“Yeah. I made some dishes tonight. We all ate together,” Zhou Qiluo replied cheerfully.
Everyone turned to look at Tang Yan’s face—and saw the awkwardness she couldn’t quite hide.
“Then… I guess I won’t bother her,” Tang Yan said.
“Alright, girls, I’ll head downstairs,” Zhou Qiluo beamed and walked away, light on her feet.
Tang Yan deflated like a balloon, a wave of inexplicable disappointment crashing over her.
“Wow, she’s suddenly in a good mood,” Xia Zihan murmured, watching Zhou Qiluo walk away.
“Totally different from this morning. She was like a raincloud then,” Han Shuang agreed.
Lu Wan nudged Tang Yan out of her daze. “Hey, you spacing out? Let’s go.”
Tang Yan glanced at the dinner box in her hand, then followed the others back into the room and tossed it into the trash without a word.
Inside, the girls were busy removing makeup, changing clothes, doing laundry, or showering. Tang Yan, on the other hand, lay on the bed like a statue—so still, even her eyelashes didn’t flutter.
Zhou Qiluo’s words had hit her like a punch to the gut. Had Aunt Ji really moved on?
She hadn’t seen any signs of lingering affection during their time together last night and this morning. Or maybe… maybe Aunt Ji was just that good at hiding it. Maybe Tang Yan never stood a chance of noticing.
Her mind was a mess. She shot up suddenly, grabbed her phone, and slipped out of the room while everyone else was preoccupied. She walked through the alleyway behind the inn before finally dialing a number.
“Hey Tang Yan! I saw your post from this morning. Looked like you were having fun. You made Ji-jie look amazing in that photo!”
Tang Yan pressed her lips together, frowning. “I’m freaking out. You’ve got to help me figure this out.”
“What now?” Pei Wen asked.
“It’s just… ugh…” Tang Yan didn’t even know where to begin. “Pei Wen-jie, did you know that Aunt Ji had an ex?”
“What?!” Pei Wen practically shouted.
Yep, that reaction was exactly the same as Tang Yan’s had been. Total shock.
“Are you serious, Tang Yan? My heart just got sucker-punched.”
“Why would I joke about something like this?” Tang Yan said, then plopped down on a rock by the roadside.
“Not gonna lie, this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Pei Wen admitted. “I’ve been working under her for six years, but anything before that? I have no idea. But how did this come up anyway? Aren’t you guys in Xinjiang?”
Tang Yan sighed. “That’s the thing. Total coincidence. The inn we booked? Turns out the owner’s wife is Aunt Ji’s ex. And worse, Aunt Ji just happened to book the same place.”
The line went silent for a solid ten seconds. Tang Yan could practically picture Pei Wen’s shocked face—even with her eyes closed.
“That’s just… incredibly unlucky. What are the chances? This world is tiny,” Pei Wen finally said. “An ex showing up like that? So awkward. But honestly, Tang Yan, maybe don’t stress too much. If they’ve been apart for this long, they’re probably over it, right?”
“I thought so too, especially since the other woman is married now,” Tang Yan replied. Then she paused. “But I just can’t shake this feeling… like she’s trying to steal Aunt Ji away from me.”
“…Maybe you’re just overthinking it. Or maybe you could talk to someone who knows what really happened back then,” Pei Wen suggested.