Chapter 7: Did He Think She Was Just Playing?

As he got closer, Jiang Yihuai noticed that the her beautiful wavy hair had been straightened, and the color he liked most had been dyed back to black.

No makeup. No high heels. Just a plain white T-shirt—completely simple. Except… her eyes seemed even brighter than before. There wasn’t a trace of heartbreak or sorrow.

If she was pretending, Jiang Yihuai had to admit—she was doing a damn good job. Good enough to piss him off. Su Yumian frowned. She knew him too well. That expression—it was the prelude to his anger.

“Heh,” he sneered. “Your taste has become terrible. After being with me for so many years, you should at least have some standards, right? Don’t just go for any random stray dog or cat. Otherwise, where does that leave my dignity as your ex?”

“Dignity?” Su Yumian suddenly found it amusing. But in her laughter, there was a hint of sorrow. Too bad Jiang Yihuai didn’t notice. Right now, all he could think about was the image of Su Yumian smiling gently at another man. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

He chalked it up to male “territorial instincts.”

Su Yumian—since she had been his, even if he didn’t want her anymore, he wouldn’t allow some lowly mutt to mark his territory.

“I have things to do. I’m leaving.” Su Yumian didn’t want to hear any more.

“Leave? Where can you go? Shao Yuwei’s apartment? That’s your only option, isn’t it? At least this time you had the guts to take the check and your documents with you. Fine. You wanna play games, huh?”

A sharp sting hit Su Yumian’s heart. She had long grown used to his bad temper—bordering on erratic and violent—but hearing these words still hurt. Did he really think she was just playing?

She took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, and curled her lips into a faint smile. “First of all, Mr. Shao and I are just friends. Not as dirty as you’re imagining.”

“And second, we’re already broken up. Whatever you think is your own problem.”

Just then, her cab arrived. Su Yumian pulled open the door and got in. “Driver, please go.”

Jiang Yihuai sneered. Su Yumian really was getting bold.

Three months ago, during their last argument, she had tried to use this same tactic to threaten him. But this time? She went all out—bringing another man right in front of him.

How dare she?

Suddenly, a pair of soft hands clung to his arm. Fang Qing leaned in closer, her voice coy, “Yihuai, why are you leaving so soon? Won’t you wait for me…”

A strong perfume scent filled the air. Jiang Yihuai frowned but didn’t push her away. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Oh? You think you’re the only one who knows how to find a replacement?”

Inside the cab—

Su Yumian caught a glimpse of the pair in the rearview mirror and smirked bitterly. So, it wasn’t just Shi Muxi… six years. Turns out, it was all for nothing.

From the corner of his eye, Jiang Yihuai watched as the taxi drove away, his face darkening. Coldly, he pulled Fang Qing’s hands off him.

Fang Qing, confused, tried to cling to him again. But in the next second, he shoved her away without hesitation and walked off without looking back.

“Wait—Yihuai! Jiang Yihuai, stop right there!” Fang Qing bit her lip in frustration.

Jiang Yihuai got into his car, started the engine, and dialed Jiang Qiting. “…Bro? Aren’t you supposed to be on a blind date?”

Jiang Yihuai gritted his teeth. “Did you tell Su Yumian I was at the West Shore Restaurant today?”

“Can you use your brain for once and stop blabbing to outsiders?”

“If Mom forced me into this date, you should’ve at least covered for me. Instead, you leaked the info to her so she could deliberately bring another man here to piss me off? Do you even think before you act?!”

Jiang Qiting was startled by his sudden outburst.

“What? Bro, what are you even talking about? When did I—” Before she could finish, the call cut off.

“…What the hell did I even do?” 

Before she could get mad, the housekeeper came over with a gift list. “Miss, please check if these are enough.”

Jiang Qiting glanced over the list—it was all high-end items. After double-checking, she nodded in satisfaction. “These are for Professor Ouyang. Make sure everything is prepared properly. No mistakes, understand?”

“Yes, Miss.”

—

“Miss Su, this is the best rental property near B University. Just look at the lighting, the environment—tons of people are lining up to rent this place. If you don’t decide soon, it might be gone.” The agent enthusiastically introduced the apartment as Su Yumian examined every detail.

It wasn’t big—just a two-bedroom unit. The decor was from over a decade ago. An old, worn-down place with no elevator. But the advantages were clear.

Close to B University, right next to the library, with convenient transportation. Most importantly, the lighting and environment were excellent.

If she wanted a fresh start, this was the perfect place.

“Okay. I’ll take it.” She signed a one-year lease in one go.

When Shao Yuwei returned, she found an open suitcase on the floor. “You’re moving out?”

Su Yumian was folding her clothes. “Yeah, I found a place.”

Shao Yuwei raised an eyebrow, then smirked. “Jiang Yihuai came looking for you, huh? Not bad, at least you made him wait a whole week this time. That’s exactly what you should do—ignore those dog men so they don’t start thinking they’re some kind of chosen protagonist—”

Su Yumian paused. Their eyes met. “Yuwei, this time, Jiang Yihuai and I are really over. I’m not going back.”

Shao Yuwei was stunned for a moment. For the first time, she kind of believed her.