They Really Broke Up This Time

Chu Tianqing quietly edged closer, trying to hear more clearly, her heart pounding wildly with nerves.

She heard Xiao Junyi's helpless voice. "Mom, what are you saying? The first stroke of the eight-character horoscope hasn't even been written yet. I only brought her over to say hello to you. There's no need to take it so seriously."

"Why isn't there? I'm your mother. Don't I know you? You take her seriously, or you wouldn't have brought her here." Teacher Zhou's voice was calm and firm, as though she were delivering a verdict. "It's not that I have anything against her, but her status won't do. If she were the Dingsheng Group's true heiress, I'd support the two of you being together."

Chu Tianqing's heart skipped a beat and kept sinking. The words "true heiress" were like a bullet piercing her forehead, leaving her temples throbbing with pain.

She should have come to her senses long ago. Blinded by love, she had thought she could date a young master, when in fact, as a fake heiress, she had no right to enter their circle.

She had shamelessly agreed to date him, only to humiliate herself and ask for trouble. She had offered up her face for them to slap!

Xiao Junyi said nothing for a long time. At last, he defended her in a low voice. "Mom, she's a wonderful person, and she hasn't cut ties with the Shen family. They raised her as their daughter for over twenty years, after all. Who can say what'll happen in the future?"

"What's there to say? If you marry an impostor, everyone you know will laugh at you." Teacher Zhou's fighting spirit hadn't diminished. "Don't forget, she has a birth mother too. Is that woman any good? I can say for certain that if you marry her, you'll have an endless stream of troubles to deal with."

Chu Tianqing pressed a hand to her chest, her heart tightening painfully again and again. She wanted to beg Teacher Zhou to stop talking and leave her some dignity.

Her birth mother really was a stain on her life. Even now, she hadn't dared go back to see her, and every day she was grateful that her birth mother hadn't come looking for her.

Chu Tianqing had learned this much from the original story: the fake heiress's birth mother did have at least a little love for her daughter. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to send her into a wealthy family.

But that was precisely why a rotten person's genuine love could torment someone all the more, leaving them unable to love or hate.

Xiao Junyi spoke up to stop her and said something more, but Chu Tianqing no longer had the strength to listen.

She clenched her teeth and walked slowly back to the private room, warning herself the whole way not to cry, to watch where she was going, not to fall, and not to make a fool of herself.

She sat back in her original seat, but facing the table full of delicious food, she no longer had any appetite. She sat there in a daze until Xiao Junyi returned.

He pushed the door open and came in. His smile was visibly strained as he put on a cheerful tone. "That scared you, didn't it? Don't take it to heart. It's an occupational habit of my mom's. She wasn't targeting you; she's like that with everyone."

Chu Tianqing's face was pale. She stood up and looked at him, then suddenly said calmly, "Xiao Junyi, let's break up. We haven't been together long, so it's not too late to end things."

Xiao Junyi's smile froze on his face. "What did you say?"

"I said, let's break up." Chu Tianqing smiled weakly, tears glistening in her eyes. "Just now... I overheard what your mother said to you. She was right. With my status now, I'm not good enough for you. We'd better not ask for trou—"

"Stop. I don't agree," Xiao Junyi interrupted angrily. Realizing he had been too harsh, he stepped forward and took Chu Tianqing by the shoulders. Suppressing his emotions, he said gently, "Xixi, don't be impulsive. We can take our time with this. Trust me, I'll handle it."

Chu Tianqing lifted her face to look at him, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "Don't be like this. Even if you're willing, I don't want to live such an exhausting life. Xiao Junyi, I'm begging you. If you can't give me a peaceful life, then let me go."

Xiao Junyi froze. It felt as though a stone were pressing on his chest, leaving him unable to breathe. All he could do was say weakly, "Xixi, my feelings for you are real."

"I know." Chu Tianqing nodded, her voice choked and hoarse. "Mine are too, so let's end it now. The longer we drag this out, the more it'll hurt when we part."

Xiao Junyi slowly let go of her and shook his head, still unwilling to break up.

They stayed in the private room for over two hours that day. They didn't argue, but repeated the same things over and over until Chu Tianqing's tears ran dry and Xiao Junyi broke down and gave up.

By the time they walked out of Bright Sea Tower, it was already ten at night. The temperature had dropped again recently, and the cold wind made their bones ache.

Chu Tianqing covered the lower half of her face with her scarf and turned to look at Xiao Junyi. "Xiao Junyi," she said, her voice muffled, "promise me that if we meet again, we'll greet each other with a smile. We can't let outsiders laugh at us."

Xiao Junyi looked numb and haggard. He answered softly, "All right, I promise."

Chu Tianqing waved and took another look at Bright Sea Tower. She had never imagined that they would go in as a couple, only for everything to have changed in the space of a single evening.

Without lingering any longer, she turned and hailed a taxi, soon disappearing from Xiao Junyi's sight.

She sat in the car like a statue, not changing position once throughout the ride. The driver glanced at her several times but didn't dare make a sound until they reached their destination.

Chu Tianqing took out her phone to pay, walked calmly home, then calmly changed her clothes and went out to walk the dog.

She had taken the night off and didn't have to work, so she took Baogang around the little park, walking lap after lap until the small hours of the morning, tiring him half to death.

Chu Tianqing, however, noticed nothing. She took Baogang home, and only after showering and lying down in bed did she realize her whole body ached.

She rolled over, hugged her pillow, and curled into a ball. She drifted off in a daze, and somewhere between sleeping and waking, she felt that her head hurt terribly. But she couldn't be bothered to move, so she gritted her teeth and went on sleeping.

The following afternoon, Aunt Liu came over to clean, carrying some fruit and vegetables that Chu Tianqing had asked her to buy.

The two had long since grown familiar with each other. Aunt Liu knew Miss Shen had been working night shifts lately, so she expected her to be home at this hour.

But when she opened the door, the living room was utterly quiet. Not only was there no one there, even the dog hadn't come to greet her.

"Baogang?" Aunt Liu put the things down and called out tentatively, "Miss Shen, are you home?"

She was about to go farther inside when she suddenly saw Baogang lying beneath the dining table, breathing with his mouth wide open. It was obvious something was wrong.

Startled, Aunt Liu hurriedly called Miss Shen, only to hear the phone ring inside the house.

"Miss Shen?" Aunt Liu followed the sound and knocked on the bedroom door. "Miss Shen, are you home? Are you all right? I'm coming in!"

Aunt Liu suddenly remembered that the person who had interviewed her had told her the young lady of the house had once attempted suicide, and that while working here, she should pay close attention to Miss Shen's emotional state.

At the thought, Aunt Liu grew anxious. She quickly opened the door and rushed into the bedroom, where she found that nothing she did could wake Miss Shen. She felt her forehead and found she had a fever!

Aunt Liu was at a loss, then remembered she had Miss Fang's number. She hurriedly called her. "Hello, Miss Fang? Miss Shen, she... she has a fever. She's quite seriously ill. What should I do?"

Fang Ke hung up, unsure whether she should go handle it herself or tell President Shen.

While she was still lost in thought, Shen Heng came out of his office with a document in his hand. "Make three copies, and call the finance director over."

"Huh? Oh, all right." Fang Ke hurriedly stood up to answer.

Shen Heng sensed something was wrong. "What's the matter?"

Fang Ke paused, then chose to tell him. "President Shen, the cleaner at Miss Shen's home just called. She said Miss Shen has a fever and is very ill. Should I go over and handle it, or would you..."

Shen Heng was silent for a moment. "I'd better go myself. Postpone everything on today's schedule and have the driver wait for me downstairs."