For several days after that, Jiang Youwan’s life was exceptionally calm and smooth.
Apart from Huo Linyuan’s increased presence in her life, her daily routine remained largely unchanged from before. If not for the baby in her womb, she might even have forgotten the fact that she had just gone through a breakup.
At times, Jiang Youwan even found it absurd—
Without the Eldest Young Master of the Huo Family, her so-called prestigious boyfriend, her life had actually become easier and freer.
No longer did she have to deal with the complicated friends in Huo Jinchen’s circle, nor did she have to strive to be a perfect girlfriend. Even the whispers that once surrounded her had mostly faded away.
The nanny sent by Huo Linyuan took excellent care of her, and her studies progressed as smoothly as ever.
In just over half a year, she would receive her graduation certificate and leave the campus of S University, just like any other graduating student.
By then, the baby in her womb would likely be born…
Under the soft glow of the lamp—
The young woman leaning against the window, sketching on her tablet, paused for a moment, her gaze drifting slightly.
By then, she would leave S City alone with her baby, leaving behind this familiar yet suffocating place.
She would go to another unfamiliar city, where no one knew her, and no one was aware of her past life in the city.
She had heard that the southern regions had pleasant climates and beautiful scenery.
In her youth, she had often dreamed of escaping—one dream after another. She imagined choosing a water town in Jiangnan, holding an oil-paper umbrella, and wandering through narrow alleys on every misty, drizzly afternoon.
But now, all she wanted was to hold her baby’s small hand, the one she would depend on for life, and walk under the shade of green trees on every sunny day.
She gently touched her abdomen, which remained flat, without even the slightest curve.
Yet, she still felt her eyes grow warm.
She had found a direction to move forward, but deep down, it seemed as though some force was pulling her back, urging her to reconsider, to think again.
Perhaps, in the twenty years she had spent growing up on this prosperous yet cold land, there was still something tying her here, something that kept her from leaving.
The image of that handsome, noble face flashed before her eyes. The young woman’s slender fingers paused, and the stylus tapped against the edge of the tablet, producing a faint, crisp sound.
She almost frantically tightened her grip on the pen.
But at this moment, with unprecedented clarity, she tried to calm the ripples in her heart.
Mr. Huo was a desire she should never have.
Her lingering thoughts, her moments of distraction—they should never be directed toward Huo Linyuan.
He was Huo Jinchen’s uncle, and the elder of the child in her womb.
Even without any ties of relationship, Huo Linyuan was someone she could never dare to aspire to.
He was a top-tier figure in S City’s elite circles, the youngest successor of the Huo Family, a name far ahead on the world’s richest list, and the dream lover of countless young ladies from wealthy families.
Huo Linyuan was the moon in the sky, while she was merely an inconspicuous pebble by a dark pond.
The moonlight had shone upon her, and she should feel grateful and moved, but she should never aspire to that crescent moon hanging in the sky.
She and Huo Linyuan belonged to two completely different worlds.
From every angle, she should keep her distance from him.
She should choose a suitable day to quietly leave this place with her baby.
In the long, long years to come, perhaps just by remembering, by recalling the moonlight that once scattered upon her, it would be enough to give her the strength to move forward.
The young woman with lowered lashes finally sorted out her thoughts. When she came back to her senses, the image on the drawing software was already a mess.
She immediately started undoing and fixing it, but perhaps because the iPad in her hands had been used for too long, the screen malfunctioned to the point where she couldn’t even open the layers. The next second, it unexpectedly crashed and exited the drawing app.
After tapping several times without success, the young woman with the lovely face felt somewhat dejected. Pressing her red lips together, she turned off the screen.
The dark screen reflected her snow-white face—features as delicate as a painting, lips soft and red. The spaghetti-strap nightgown hung lightly on her shoulders, accentuating the smooth, straight line of her collarbones. Even the slight tilt of her swan-like neck was strikingly beautiful.
Jiang Youwan picked up her phone and posted a new update on a social media app she usually used for taking drawing commissions:
【Had a bit of an accident, won’t be posting today’s doodle.】
Not long after the message was sent, her phone chimed with notifications.
Feeling inexplicably irritable today, Jiang Youwan simply turned off the screen and sat alone on the windowsill, hugging a pillow as she gazed at the moon.
During this time, the housekeeper brought her some late-night snacks. Jiang Youwan was in low spirits and ate half-heartedly.
By the time the housekeeper came to collect the dishes, more than half of her favorite sweet red bean and glutinous rice ball soup remained in the bowl.
The housekeeper wanted to say something, but seeing the slender figure sitting on the windowsill, she swallowed her words.
She took the dishes away and returned not long after.
“Miss, Mr. Huo is working late today and said he’ll come to see you in a little while.”
The young woman sitting on the balcony quickly turned her pretty face around. Her long, thick lashes lifted, and her clear eyes reflected the light.
“Will he be here soon, Auntie?”
The housekeeper walked over to help her put on her shoes, her round, plump face beaming with a particularly kind smile.
“He should be here in about five minutes, Miss. You could also put on an extra layer of clothing.”
The spaghetti-strap nightgown she was wearing was indeed not suitable for receiving guests, especially not for meeting Mr. Huo.
Jiang Youwan held onto the housekeeper’s hand but declined her help. Instead, she quickly slipped on her shoes herself and hurried toward the wardrobe.
The housekeeper followed behind her, flustered. “We mustn’t run so fast, Miss. You’re newly pregnant, and the first three months are the most delicate…”
The young woman obediently slowed her pace, though a faint blush rose to her ears, as if she were feeling shy.
A glance into the wardrobe revealed many clothes, most of which had been purchased by Huo Linyuan over the past few days. Some were delivered by boutique staff, while others were given to her by him during their recent meetings under various pretexts.
They were all luxury brand items—any single piece would have covered two or three years of her rent. Jiang Youwan hadn’t dared to wear any of them.
She reached for the clothes she used to wear often, but as her fingers touched each piece, she felt it wasn’t quite suitable.
Instead, the housekeeper handed her a long beige cashmere knit coat with wide cuffs adorned with long ostrich feathers. It looked warm and comfortable, elegant and beautiful.
“The night is a bit chilly. When you and the gentleman are talking in the living room, you should wear a jacket. Otherwise, when the gentleman arrives and sees you dressed so lightly, he’ll blame me again for not taking good care of you…”
The housekeeper smiled, her eyes crinkling as she adjusted Jiang Youwan’s clothes.
Her reflection appeared in the mirror. The light-colored jacket suited her well—dark hair, red lips, and striking eyes.
The elegant, fluffy feathers accentuated her noble and graceful demeanor. Even without a trace of makeup, she still looked as beautiful as a little princess from the Middle Ages.
However, the neckline of the strapless dress was a bit too low. Jiang Youwan glanced down and decided to change the inner layer.
The next moment, the housekeeper handed over a vibrating phone.
The young woman, who was fiddling with her long hair, casually pressed the speaker button. The voice of Huo Jinchen, who had been absent for several days, came through:
“Baby! I’m almost at your building.”
“I don’t ask for your forgiveness—I just hope you’ll open the door and give me a chance to see you, okay?”