World 1. Chapter Seventeen
“Qin Huan, what a coincidence—you’re here for lunch? Want to join us?” Her tone was warm and friendly; anyone unaware of the situation might have thought she was Zhang Rui’s official girlfriend.
“I thought we hadn’t broken up yet?” Qin Huan ignored Liu Yutong and looked directly at Zhang Rui. Surprisingly, seeing the two of them didn’t trigger the rage she’d expected. At that moment, she felt unusually calm, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
“We stopped talking a while ago, so I thought we’d already broken up. Since you want an official confirmation, I’ll tell you now: we’re done.” ” Zhang Rui looked at Qin Huan without emotion, as if the two had never dated.
“Okay, we’re broken up. I get it. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways.” Qin Huan suppressed the turmoil in her heart and walked past the two as calmly as she could.
“Qin Huan, just now, I saw Zhang Rui and Liu Yutong…” Qin Huan had just finished getting her food and sat down when she saw Wu Yue sitting across from her, sharing what she’d seen with those two.
“I know. I’ve already seen them. And just a moment ago, Zhang Rui and I broke up. Who he chooses to be with is his own business.” Qin Huan’s uncharacteristically calm tone made Wu Yue’s heart skip a beat. “Huanhuan, are you okay? If you’re feeling sad or angry, just let it out. Even if it’s just cursing them out a bit, it’s not worth bottling it up and hurting yourself.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Actually, this didn’t happen out of the blue—there were already issues between us before. Now it’s just an official ending.” Facing Wu Yue’s concern, Qin Huan smiled, indicating she was all right.
But to Wu Yue, Qin Huan’s behavior afterward didn’t look like she was fine at all. She spent less and less time in the dorm—either working part-time or at the library, saying she was preparing for the civil service and public institution exams, taking whichever one she could pass, and refusing to leave until the library closed. From someone who used to care only about eating, drinking, and having fun to someone now fully dedicated to her studies and part-time work, Qin Huan’s transformation was nothing short of dramatic. During this time, Wu Yue had also been busy texting others, updating them on Qin Huan’s situation.
“Auntie, don’t worry. If anything happens to Huanhuan, I’ll contact you right away…” Wu Yue hadn’t even finished speaking when she spotted Qin Huan returning home late. She immediately hung up the phone and walked over. It had been drizzling all day, and since Qin Huan had been coughing a bit for the past couple of days, getting soaked like this was sure to give her a cold. Wu Yue hurried over, but just then, someone holding an umbrella suddenly stepped out in front of her.
“Hey, Qin Huan, why are you soaked to the bone? “Want me to walk you back? ” Liu Yutong had just returned from outside the school, carrying steaming food in one hand and holding a large umbrella in the other—one big enough to completely shield her.
“No, thanks.” Qin Huan spotted Wu Yue walking toward them and hurried over, only to have Liu Yutong grab her arm.
“Why are you in such a hurry? I’m going to walk you there.” Liu Yutong noticed Qin Huan’s weakness and yanked her to the side, tearing a large hole in Qin Huan’s disposable raincoat. She’d already gotten a little wet, and now the raincoat was practically useless.
“Liu Yutong, what exactly are you trying to do? You’ve already stolen someone else’s boyfriend, and now you want to flaunt it in front of her? Haven’t you bullied her enough?” Seeing Qin Huan about to fall, Wu Yue shoved Liu Yutong aside, quickly helped Qin Huan up, and turned to glare angrily at Liu Yutong.
“Steal her boyfriend? You really underestimate me.” Liu Yutong, nearly knocked over herself, was furious and blurted out, “I sent Zhang Rui to seduce you in the first place. It’s your own fault for being so weak-willed and falling for it so easily. Now, he’s just returning to his rightful owner. Besides, you really are pathetic—how could you possibly fancy a guy like that? “A man who can’t even spend money on a woman is someone you can just toss aside at will. Yet you’ve managed to get yourself into this mess—that’s the best you can do.”
“Why?” Hearing this, Qin Huan had to admit it shocked her even more than breaking up with Zhang Rui.
“Why? I just can’t stand the sight of you. My ex-boyfriend actually said behind my back that he liked someone like you—what makes you think you’re even in the same league as me? I was just trying to teach you a lesson, but I didn’t expect you to be such a loser.” Thinking of her ex-boyfriend’s smug face—flirting with her while eyeing other women—Liu Yutong’s anger boiled over.
“You’re completely crazy. What does Qin Huan have to do with your couple’s fight?” Knowing Liu Yutong was nothing but bad luck for them!
“Let’s go. No need to waste any more words.” After hearing Liu Yutong’s words, Qin Huan felt like a complete joke lately.
Not long after returning to her room, Qin Huan developed a high fever. Wu Yue rushed her to the hospital for an IV drip. Seeing Qin Huan’s flushed face and tears, Wu Yue felt both anxious and heartbroken. She immediately called Lin Yanan to inform her of Qin Huan’s condition.
“Xiao Yue, please keep an eye on her for now. I’ll pack my things and head to the hospital right away.” Upon learning of Qin Huan’s condition, Lin Yanan was deeply concerned. Although she hadn’t sent Qin Huan any more money afterward, she had contacted Qin Huan’s close friend, Wu Yue, and transferred a sum to her, instructing her to lend a hand whenever needed.
“Mom, what’s going on?” Li Xue, who had come to bring Lin Yanan breakfast that morning, walked in to find her packing her bags.
“Qin Huan has a fever and is in the hospital. I’m going to check on her.” Spotting the breakfast Li Xue had brought, Lin Yanan didn’t hesitate—she grabbed it and started eating on the spot so she could leave right away.
“Then I’ll go with Mom.” Upon hearing that Qin Huan had been hospitalized, Li Xue quickly offered to go along. Even if she didn’t have a particularly good impression of Qin Huan, she’d been getting along well with her mother-in-law these past few months, so she couldn’t just ignore the news.
“No need. You’d have to take time off work to go, and that’s too much trouble. Just stay home. After work, go to the shop and check in for me—I’m worried Aunt Zhang might be overwhelmed.” Ever since the tailor shop’s business picked up, Lin Yanan had been unable to handle everything on her own. After interviewing a few candidates, she hired one to help out. With the two of them plus Li Xue pitching in after work, they could just about manage—though they’d definitely need to hire more staff eventually. She wasn’t in a rush to find someone; she’d rather have no one than settle for the wrong person.
“Alright, don’t worry about the shop. There aren’t any urgent orders, so I’ll just talk to the customers when the time comes.” Customer registration had always been Li Xue’s job; she just had to think it over briefly to get a handle on things. Still, Lin Yanan didn’t let her work for nothing—she got a monthly salary. Even blood brothers keep accounts clear, and the same goes for mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law.
While Lin Yanan was rushing to the hospital, Qin Huan had already pulled through and regained consciousness. Seeing Wu Yue by her bedside, a wave of warmth washed over her. Even if no one else cared about her, she still had Wu Yue—and that was enough.