After hanging up, Gu Xi initially planned to go straight to Lan Garden. But the weather wasn’t great today—overcast, with sleet now drizzling down. She remembered the short padded jacket Fang Pingping had been wearing that morning—it was older than the one Gu Xi had on now and probably not very warm.
After some thought, she decided to return to her apartment first.
The apartment had been a gift from her father when she started college. He’d remarried not long after divorcing her mother, and his career was doing well. Thanks to Grandpa Bai’s influence, he treated her neither particularly well nor particularly badly.
It wasn’t far—about twenty minutes by cab. The place was on the 13th floor, one elevator for every two units, and the space was fairly sizable.
Gu Xi unlocked the door with practiced ease. The passcode was her and Bai Yuzhou’s birthdays combined—she didn’t even have to think; her fingers moved automatically.
The moment the door swung open, she told herself: I need to change the lock tomorrow.
The place was a mess—clothes tossed haphazardly over the sofa. The scene was all too familiar. In her past life, every time she went to see Bai Yuzhou, she treated it like a date, always trying on countless outfits before heading out.
She gathered the scattered clothes one by one. A few dresses looked familiar—she remembered wearing them on dates with that man in her past life. At first, she’d done it to get back at Bai Yuzhou, but later she’d come to enjoy the thrill of it herself.
Thinking back to those blush-inducing scenes, Gu Xi let out a deep breath. Maybe it was because she’d accidentally walked in on that scene today that her mind kept wandering to such thoughts.
She went to the bedroom, hung up the clothes, opened the cabinet, picked out a long black down coat, and placed it in a gift bag.
Before leaving, she took a shower in the bathroom. She’d been staying at school for the past two days and hadn’t properly washed up.
After getting ready, Gu Xi took her things and returned to school. She left the items in the dormitory—Fang Pingping wasn’t back yet—and gave her a call.
“I fell down today and tore your padded jacket. I didn’t have time to buy a new one, so I’m giving you an old coat of mine as replacement. Hope you don’t mind.”
Fang Pingping’s worried voice came through: “Are you hurt?”
Then she added, “Oh, it wasn’t anything fancy—you don’t need to repay me.”
A warmth spread through Gu Xi’s chest. “No, I’m fine. The coat just got a big tear.”
“I don’t like owing people. You helped me out a lot which caused you trouble too. The coat is compensation. There’s also a meal card in the bag—I topped it up at the start of the semester but never used it. Consider it a thank-you gift.”
“Really, you don’t have to—”
“If you won’t take it, I’ll just give you cash instead.”
“…”
Gu Xi could picture her expression on the other end and couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh. “I don’t have many friends. Let’s just call it a gesture of friendship. Good friends don’t stand on ceremony—or are you saying you don’t want to be my friend?”
“…Alright, alright, I won’t be polite then.” A resigned voice came through. After a pause, Fang Pingping asked, “Are you heading out again? Will you be back tonight?”
Gu Xi glanced at the darkening sky. “Not sure. If I make it in time, I will.”
Compared to staying alone in the apartment, she’d rather squeeze into the dorm with Fang Pingping.
Just as she finished speaking, she spotted an empty cab. Gu Xi quickly waved it down. After getting in, she gave the address: “Lan Garden.”
Then she said to Fang Pingping on the phone, “I’ve got to go now—I have something to take care of.”
“Okay.”
Fang Pingping, standing outside the library, pocketed her phone. Seeing the snow falling harder, she quickly pulled her hood up. She rubbed her hands together—the padded jacket probably wasn’t keeping her warm anymore after so many washes.
Stamping her cold feet, she wasn’t sure whether Gu Xi had actually torn her coat or just wanted to give her something warmer. Either way, she was deeply grateful.
All her padded jackets were hand-me-downs from relatives. She was about to graduate college, with student loans to repay, daily living expenses, and her younger siblings’ school fees to cover. She couldn’t bear to spend the money she earned from part-time jobs on new clothes.
With her mind preoccupied, Fang Pingping couldn’t focus on studying anymore. She decided to pack up and head back to the dorm. She’d fill an extra thermos with hot water—just in case Gu Xi came back tonight and needed to soak her feet.
The school was quite far from Lan Garden, and it was rush hour. By the time she reached the neighborhood entrance, it was already six o’clock, and the sky was nearly dark.
Lan Garden was located in the city center. Originally a mansion district from the Republic of China era, it featured a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, with garden villas that had been well preserved over the years. Those who lived there were either wealthy or powerful.
Still, Gu Xi could never figure out why, in the end, that man had left all his assets—including this place—to her. By that time, he already knew she’d seduced him solely to get back at Bai Yuzhou. At their later meetings, he wouldn’t even spare her an extra glance, his demeanor cold and distant.
Gu Xi’s emotions were complicated. The security guard at the gate recognized her and greeted her with a smile. “Miss Gu, long time no see.”
Noticing the snow dusting her shoulders, he handed her a black umbrella. “It’s still a bit of a walk from here.”
Gu Xi didn’t refuse and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
The Bai family’s villa was set further back. Gu Xi stood outside the iron gate and rang the doorbell. Through the bars, she could see the beautifully tended garden inside—lush and green despite the cold weather, with a swing set in the corner. It had been built by Grandpa Bai at Bai Yuzhou’s request for her when she was little; she’d stopped using it as she grew older. In her past life, that man had taken a disliking to it, dismantled the swing frame, and installed a hanging chair in the room instead—where he’d done plenty of improper things with her.
Thinking about it now, she still couldn’t read him. In front of others, he was icy and aloof, showing no trace of affection. But when they were alone, he was insatiably indulgent.
But then again, she didn’t like him either. In her past life, her heart had always belonged to Bai Yuzhou.
The housekeeper hurried out. Seeing her, her face crinkled with smiles and she said warmly, “Why are you here at this hour? Have you eaten?”
Gu Xi replied politely, “Auntie Zhao.”
Auntie Zhao was in her fifties. The previous housekeeper, Grandma Liang, had fallen ill and gone back to her hometown, and Auntie Zhao had been brought in as her replacement. Gu Xi wasn’t very familiar with her—she’d only visited a few times after growing up and had crossed paths with her just a handful of times.
Still, seeing her again stirred something inside.
The other woman smiled and said, “Come in, come in—it’s cold out there.”
Gu Xi hummed in acknowledgment, and the two walked inside. Auntie Zhao asked, “Have you had dinner? Let me whip up a couple of dishes for you. The lobster delivered today was very fresh—since the master isn’t back, I hadn’t cooked it yet.”
Hearing that he wasn’t home, Gu Xi felt a slight relief. She shook her head. “I’m not hungry. I just came to pick something up. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Alright.”
Gu Xi changed her shoes and went upstairs. Auntie Zhao watched her retreating figure, thought for a moment, and decided to head to the kitchen to prepare a couple extra dishes anyway.
Bai Yuzhou’s room was the second door on the right at the top of the stairs. She pushed it open—the room felt empty, clearly unoccupied for a long time.
Because she’d once cared for him, Gu Xi knew Bai Yuzhou fairly well. She went straight to the desk by the window and rifled through a few drawers but didn’t find what she was looking for—though she did uncover a few love letters.
Gu Xi felt nothing. She kindly put them back, then turned to check the bedside table. This time, she found it—in the bottom drawer of the nightstand, nestled in a small red velvet box. The warm, smooth jade pendant lay quietly inside. Beside the box were other odds and ends, nothing important.
Even though she no longer loved Bai Yuzhou, seeing that he’d casually tossed the pendant here still stung a little.
Beneath it lay a yellowed diary. Gu Xi vaguely remembered giving that to him too. She couldn’t help opening it…
The handwriting was childish and raw, recording dusty memories on yellowed pages—Bai Yuzhou’s frustration over a bad exam, his panic at being late for school, the joy of the two of them playing together.
One page had a photo tucked inside—the two of them at the beach in shorts and T-shirts, soaking wet but grinning from ear to ear.
She couldn’t remember when that was. On the back of the photo, there seemed to be words written—
“I’ll be good to Xixi when I grow up.”
But the grown-up Bai Yuzhou had only ever been unkind to Xixi.
Gu Xi looked at those crooked words, pressed her lips together, and calmly tore the photo in half.
Letting out a breath, she stood up and resumed searching, determined to find and get rid of everything that belonged to her.
She was almost done when voices drifted up from downstairs. The door was open, and she heard Auntie Zhao call out something like “Boss.”
Gu Xi froze. Without thinking, she turned and shut the door. Not long after, she heard hurried footsteps on the stairs.
“The boss had too much to drink—go make some hangover soup.”
That voice was very familiar. Gu Xi didn’t even have to think hard to know it was his driver, Liu Xuan. In her past life, the only people who knew about their relationship were his driver and his assistant.
Liu Xuan had even secretly called her “boss’s lady” behind his back.
Auntie Zhao nodded quickly. Seeing she couldn’t help much, she turned and went back downstairs.
Liu Xuan knew where the master’s room was and guided him toward the left side of the hallway.
Gu Xi waited in the room for a while, but Liu Xuan didn’t leave. She didn’t dare come out, afraid of running into them the moment she stepped through the door. Tomorrow, Liu Xuan would surely tell him.
She sat on the floor, leaning her head against the door. Maybe her fever hadn’t fully subsided, and she’d been running around all day—her head felt heavy. When she opened her eyes again, her phone showed it was past eight in the evening.
From the stairwell outside came Auntie Zhao’s voice: “He’s drunk—seems like his stomach’s bothering him, but his eyes are shut, and I didn’t dare force the hangover soup down.”
“Right? Young Master Bai hasn’t been back in two months. But Miss Gu came by this afternoon. I knocked on her room just now, but no one answered—not sure when she left.”
“The place is so quiet, just the master living here alone. Every time I see him, I feel a little scared…”
Gu Xi understood. He’d always worn a cold expression—not just Auntie Zhao, but she and Bai Yuzhou had been afraid of him since childhood too.
Even now, she couldn’t figure out how she’d found the nerve in her past life to sneak into his bed while he was drunk. But after sleeping, waking up to find him beside her, she’d been so scared she’d hidden under the covers and didn’t dare come out.
Once, he’d asked why she’d seduced him. She didn’t dare tell the truth and lied, saying it was because she liked him. He’d smiled—rarely—and said in that low, hoarse voice that she’d better not be lying, or he wouldn’t go easy on her.
She’d hummed softly in response, avoiding his dark eyes.
Looking back, he was just a madman—even after death, he wouldn’t let her be at peace.
In the end, despite clearly despising her, he’d left her all his fortune—just so she’d never forget him, so she’d see Bai Yuzhou’s true colors, so she’d live in pain and regret.
The voices grew fainter. Auntie Zhao lived on the third floor; Gu Xi wasn’t sure who she was on the phone with.
She’d apparently knocked on the room Gu Xi used to stay in.
It grew quiet outside. After waiting a while, Gu Xi cautiously opened the door and went out. She hadn’t eaten since noon, so she headed straight to the kitchen.
It was late, and it’d be hard to hail a cab outside, so she planned to stay the night and leave in the morning.
The kitchen was spotless. No ready-made food, but she found a few slices of bread in the fridge and ate two to tide her over.
Back upstairs, she headed for her own room—but just as she reached for the door handle, she heard a thud from the room not far away, like something had fallen to the floor.
Gu Xi’s hand froze mid-motion.