Chapter 14: Mianmian, Be with Me

“I won’t be eating. I have something to do. Let’s meet up another time.”

Su Yumian had a good relationship with Cheng Zhou, so even when rejecting him, she did so with a warm smile, not wanting to embarrass him. Cheng Zhou noticed the custom-designed jewelry box in her hand. It seemed she truly had something to attend to and wasn’t just making an excuse.

He acknowledged her words and was about to say something else when Su Yumian walked right past Jiang Yihuai without sparing him a single glance.

She didn’t even look at him!

The atmosphere around them suddenly turned cold. Cheng Zhou sneaked a glance at Jiang Yihuai’s face and tried to smooth things over awkwardly. “Uh… Jiang-ge, maybe Sister Yumian just didn’t see you. Don’t take it to heart…”

It would’ve been better if he had stayed quiet—Jiang Yihuai’s expression turned even darker. Cheng Zhou coughed dryly and wisely shut up. But inwardly, he thought…

Damn, Sister Yumian is really standing her ground this time!

“Sir, are you still buying this?”

Jiang Yihuai lifted his gaze coldly. “Buying? Of course, I’m buying! Get me the most expensive one!”

She might not care, but someone else would!

—

The gathering was at a private villa on Yunxi Road. By the time Su Yumian arrived, quite a few people were already there.

As soon as someone recognized her, their gazes turned subtle.

Before, she had always accompanied Jiang Yihuai to such events, making her a familiar face in these circles. They never knew her name—only that she was Jiang Yihuai’s girlfriend.

A sparrow that had flown up to a high branch.

But recently, rumors had spread that the two had broken up. And now, seeing Su Yumian arrive alone confirmed it. So, their expressions grew even more intrigued.

A sparrow that was about to become a phoenix… suddenly forced back to its original form?

Six years of devotion, yet she ended up with nothing—a discarded woman.

Wasn’t that dramatic enough?

Su Yumian ignored all the stares and walked straight to Shao Yuwei, personally handing her the jewelry.

“Yumian, why don’t you stay and have fun? The food’s great tonight.”

“No, thanks. Drink less, and be careful on your way home.”

“Alright.” Shao Yuwei didn’t push further. She knew exactly what those people were thinking. If Yumian stayed, she’d only be humiliated. “Got it, you little nag! I’ll have Assistant Liu take you home.”

“Mm.” Su Yumian turned to leave.

Around her—

“Did you see that? She actually dared to show up. So shameless!”

“She was with Jiang Yihuai for six years. There’s at least some connection, right?”

“What a joke. Did you see what she’s wearing? Even my housekeeper dresses better.”

“Everyone knows she was basically his maid—washing his clothes, cooking for him. No different from a servant—”

“Miss Su…” Assistant Liu glanced at Su Yumian’s face.

Even as a man, he found those words unbearable. Yet she remained as calm as if she hadn’t heard them at all.

“Let’s go.”

She had long expected this kind of reaction. When she decided to leave Jiang Yihuai, she had already prepared for a day like today.

Assistant Liu: “Miss Su, please wait. I’ll bring the car around.”

“Okay.” Su Yumian stood outside the banquet hall, looking up at the sky. The sun was setting, and the wind was gentle.

Just then—

“Su Yumian?” A deep, slightly drunken voice called out.

She turned around, locking eyes with him. “What a coincidence.”

Lin Muzhou swirled the wine in his glass, a restrained yet unmistakable joy in his dark eyes. “Long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Let me think… The last time we met was at your university graduation, right? Pity—I got kicked out by Jiang Yihuai before I could even give you flowers.”

Su Yumian felt a little awkward.

Back then, both Lin Muzhou and Jiang Yihuai had pursued her at almost the same time. Both were wealthy and attractive—yet one was more intense than the other.

“I have something to do. I should go—”

But Lin Muzhou wasn’t willing to let her leave so easily.

“All these years, Jiang Yihuai treated you like his personal possession, keeping you locked away. It was impossible to even see you.”

Su Yumian’s gaze cooled. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Lin Muzhou smirked. “Back then, you rejected both me and Jiang Yihuai. But in the end, you chose him—simply because he was more persistent, more clingy. But did you ever consider… The only reason he held on longer was because, in this competition between men, he wanted to win?”

For a moment, Su Yumian felt like her heart had been ripped open again, a fresh wound bleeding out. What she once thought was deep affection… was nothing more than male pride and competitiveness? Lin Muzhou saw her pale face and felt a twinge of pain.

He reached out, trying to touch her cheek—but before he could, Su Yumian stepped back, widening the distance.

“Mr. Lin, please respect yourself.”

Lin Muzhou stepped closer. “Don’t pretend. I know you and Jiang Yihuai have broken up.”

“So what?” Su Yumian smiled coldly.

“Yumian, be with me. I will cherish you more than Jiang Yihuai ever did. Whatever you want, I will do my best to give you—as long as you’re willing to be with me.”

Whether it was six years ago or now, whenever he saw her, Lin Muzhou’s heart would race. He had never truly let go.

Su Yumian chuckled. “So, should I jump from one fire pit into another? Mr. Lin, it was nice seeing you today. But from now on, let’s go our separate ways.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Neither Jiang Yihuai nor Lin Muzhou—she wanted nothing to do with either of them. And they better not come looking for her.

Lin Muzhou watched her delicate figure disappear, his eyes darkening. A soft sigh slipped from his lips, followed by a quiet chuckle. “Yumian, the tree wants to be still, but the wind won’t stop blowing… Do you really think you can escape?”

Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watching from a distance the entire time. Gu Yizhou looked at the photos he had just taken and smirked in satisfaction. Shen Shiyan, who had stepped out for some air, happened to see Gu Yizhou grinning at his phone like a scheming fox.

“What the hell are you looking at, smiling like that?”

Gu Yizhou didn’t mind his sharp words and proudly waved his phone.

Shen Shiyan took a quick glance and immediately recognized the person in the photo. “Su Yumian?”

“Yep~” Gu Yizhou tilted his chin smugly. “And Lin Muzhou. Already sent it to Jiang Yihuai.”

They had witnessed the rivalry between those two men firsthand. Back then, Jiang Yihuai had been utterly insane.

Shen Shiyan’s gaze darkened. “They just broke up, and Lin Muzhou already jumped in. Judging from Su Yumian’s attitude…”

He paused for a moment, then smirked knowingly. “Looks like this time, she’s serious about leaving.”

“No, no, no.” Gu Yizhou wagged a finger. “Su Yumian thinks she can leave. Just wait—there’s no way she and Jiang Yihuai are truly over.”

“Then why did you send the photos?”

Gu Yizhou shrugged. “For fun, of course! Drama is always entertaining.”

Shen Shiyan raised an eyebrow. “Careful you don’t go too far and lose a friend.”

“It’s just a few photos.” Gu Yizhou smirked, glancing at Su Yumian’s profile in the picture. “She’s just an ex. It’s perfectly normal for other men to pursue her now, isn’t it?”