Chapter 19: Letting Go and Moving On

“Come on, the time can’t be changed.”

“Then when we get back to the country, you owe me compensation.”

Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings.

Liang Youjia couldn’t clearly see her eyes, nor discern her inner feelings, yet strangely, he felt a sharp pain stabbing his heart.

“Alright, once I buy a house and the renovations are done, I’ll transfer it to you.”

Xianyu’s throat felt dry, but when she spoke, her smile bloomed like a flower, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with countless tiny stars, like a galaxy.

“Is it perfect for stargazing?”

“Not just for stargazing, but also for watching fireflies.”

The starlight in Xianyu’s eyes grew even brighter. “Is it the one I liked before?”

“Of course. When it first went on sale, I had my assistant grab the best spot. When have I ever forgotten your preferences?”

“You’re the best to me, Ah You.”

“Then make the most of it.”

Liang Youjia waved his hand and pulled her to sit on the dining table.

He held her slender hand; his fingers were long and bony, veins bulging as he squeezed tightly.

Except for his body, everything else was cold, including Xianyu’s heart.

In truth, even abandonment happens gradually, leaving traces.

Liang Youjia packed Xianyu’s luggage himself. In this regard, Xianyu thought, he did better than she ever could.

Which gold-digger doesn’t use every trick in the book to please her benefactor? There weren’t many as willful as her.

That afternoon, when the driver took Xianyu to the airport, Liang Youjia was no longer at the hotel.

She boarded the plane on time and deliberately scanned around but saw no sign of Du Ruanruan or Yu Qingzhou.

The lump in her chest eased slightly but never fully released.

Only when seated did she hear a nearby conversation.

“Did you see that perfect couple? Wow, the guy’s face looks sculpted in 3D, must be at least six-foot-two. The girl is stunning too, standing next to the handsome guy like a delicate figurine.”

“Must be a family trip. Besides the couple, there was an elegant lady too. A whole family of beauties.”

Hearing this, Xianyu’s face turned pale, her nails digging deeper into her palm.

As expected, Liang Youjia had deliberately concealed his comings and goings.

She was placed separately in business class just to avoid running into those three.

Perhaps Liang Youjia thought he had kept the secret well during those seven days.

She, however, wished she hadn’t rashly followed him to the club when she learned he was meeting friends.

Sometimes, knowing the truth hurts far more than being kept in the dark.

—

Back at the villa, it was already nine in the evening.

Zhu Yue came to see Xianyu, carrying Yangzhiqiu. After a week, Yangzhiqiu’s fur had grown longer. “Is she heavier?”

“Yes, gained over a pound. Yuyu, you have a sharp eye.”

“Zhu Yue, have you lost weight? Are you dieting lately?”

Zhu Yue touched her face, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “I have lost weight, but not by dieting. My mother is ill, so I’ve been running back and forth these past few days…”

Xianyu understood immediately. “How is your mother now?”

Zhu Yue hesitated. “Yuyu, I want to take two days off. My mother is having surgery.”

“You should go. I can take care of myself. By the way, is the surgery fee enough?”

Zhu Yue had been worried about this and felt embarrassed to ask Xianyu for money. She nervously rubbed her hands, but Xianyu immediately knew.

“Is two hundred thousand enough?”

Zhu Yue was surprised and shook her head, “No need for that much.”

“There will be many expenses after the surgery. It’s better to have extra as a precaution.”

After much comforting and reassurance, Zhu Yue agreed to accept it.

Besides Zhu Yue, there were several servants at the villa to take good care of Xianyu’s daily needs.

That evening, after work, Zhu Yue left the villa dragging her small suitcase. The maids who knew her situation all wished for her mother’s speedy recovery.

When Liang Youjia returned home, Xianyu was sorting out last season’s luxury bags. She didn’t keep a single one, stuffing them all into packing bags.

Liang Youjia found her in the walk-in closet and raised an eyebrow at the array of branded bags in the bags.

“These… you don’t like any of them?”

Xianyu hesitated. Saying she didn’t like them would make Liang Youjia overthink.

“No, I kept some before, but the next season is coming, and the display is overflowing.”

“I’ll have someone convert a guest room to store them all.”

Xianyu laughed at his extravagance. “But I don’t carry many.”

“Alright then, just throw them away.”

A prodigy like Liang Youjia probably never considered that luxury bags could be sold for money.

But this was good; she could quietly dispose of these things.

“Tonight, we’re having a date at home.”

Xianyu felt reluctant. When Liang Youjia said this, it usually meant she had to “perform.”

There was a dance studio at home, around a hundred square meters, with a stage about twenty square meters. There was only one seat in the audience. When the music started, the lights would instantly dim.

Liang Youjia’s figure was hidden in the shadows.

Like Satan, his gaze precisely captured the graceful woman on stage.

Xianyu was already exhausted from yesterday until now. Hearing his request felt unbearable.

She pleaded, “Just watching the dance?”

Liang Youjia smiled enigmatically, lips curled. “What do you think?”

It was never a simple task.

Xianyu braced herself.

She wasn’t wearing a typical stage costume but something meant to please him, tailored to his tastes.

He liked black and white lace, with a subtle veil of translucency.

Simply put, she had to wear it but not fully cover herself.

It had to be like viewing flowers in mist, half revealed and half concealed.

She bent backward, twisted her hips, and spun.

Sometimes, beauty and seduction are intertwined.

After the dance, he called, “Come here.”

Her fair long legs rested on his black suit pants.

A black watch pressed against the lace ribbon wrapped around her thigh.

Black and white—a striking contrast.

Xianyu wrapped her arms around his neck, her body swaying gently.

Soon, sweat beads at his temple dripped onto her flat stomach.

Liang Youjia might have felt sorry for her. “Since you worked so hard, I’ll let you off tonight.”

He carried Xianyu back, draping his suit jacket over her.

Xianyu feigned sleep.

She caught a faint scent of smoke at her nose.

Liang Youjia went to the balcony, contentedly lighting a cigarette after.

Soon, Xianyu felt his arms tighten around her waist from behind.

He held her so tightly, as if trying to snap her slender waist.

This had never happened before.

Xianyu didn’t open her eyes, maintaining her posture until she fell into a deep sleep.

“I’ll be on a business trip for two or three days. When I return, we’ll go to grandma’s birthday celebration.”

“Okay.”

Early the next morning, Liang Youjia left their little home.

With him gone, Xianyu took the chance to dispose of her luxury goods.

Not just last season’s, but earlier ones too.

Besides bags, there were jewelry, watches, and shoes.

When she left, she even called movers.

They loaded an entire truck and recovered five million.

She kept two million and invested the rest into Tan Yang’s dance studio.

Her generosity solved a major headache for Tan Yang.

The studio could continue operating smoothly.

Tan Yang invited her out.

“I want to treat you to a meal to thank you for helping me with this big favor.”

“No need to thank me, it’s an investment.”

Today, Xianyu didn’t wear those ethereal haute couture gowns anymore, just a simple black short blouse paired with white linen trousers.