Chapter 2: What Sets It Apart

Xianyu noticed it, and her heart ached faintly.

He was probably mocking her for her scheming ways, unwilling to say things plainly, choosing instead to make the old woman take the blame.

Forcing herself to hide her sorrow, she wrapped her arms around Liang Youjia’s neck, her eyes sultry and inviting. “We’ve been together for five years. If we don’t get married soon, I’ll be old and withered.”

Liang Youjia pressed a heavy kiss to her vibrant lips, but his smile never reached his eyes.

“All right. When I’m done with this busy period, we’ll go home and visit Grandma.”

He said nothing about marriage.

She didn’t pester him, either.

She knew that the gilded cage of riches she had enjoyed these five years was nearing its end.

His kisses were passionate, searing, just as he had always adored her to the utmost, leaving faint marks on her pale skin.

He always wished she were a bit plumper, soft as suet, which was why he named the orange cat “Suet Ball.”

But after five years, her weight remained steady at around a hundred pounds.

So he often said that once he had time, he would personally prepare nutritious meals for her.

In the past, she would say there was plenty of time ahead.

But now, there was no more “plenty of time.”

She gazed at the satiated man, holding him around the waist, face to face. “Will you have time next month?”

His eyes darkened, and he leaned down, laughing hoarsely in her ear. “So impatient?”

His breath was so intense, drawing her deeper into him, her eyes growing hazy, though her mind remained startlingly clear.

“Grandma turns eighty on the fifteenth next month. Let’s go home then—she’ll be so happy to see you.”

September third was the date of Liang Youjia’s engagement.

Let her be willful one last time, to give this love a perfect ending.

Afterward, their paths would diverge forever.

They would never meet again.

Liang Youjia agreed. “All right. Remind me when the time comes. I’ll have someone prepare a gift for Grandma in advance.”

When he instructed his assistant, every detail was considered, as if he truly regarded Grandma as his own kin.

Xianyu’s eyes stung with tears.

Though he had never accompanied her back to her hometown all these years, every year he personally arranged the New Year’s gifts.

All sorts of rare supplements, luxurious clothes and jewelry—he even bought Grandma a three-bedroom seaside villa in the county.

Everything Grandma had missed in her youth, she enjoyed now.

She always praised Xianyu for her success. Yet whenever Xianyu was about to respond, the words would die in her throat.

It was the man she had found who was truly successful.

But Grandma was old-fashioned. If she knew they weren’t married and Xianyu had accepted such lavish gifts from Liang Youjia, she would surely be angry.

At this moment, all Xianyu felt was gratitude—and an unbearable reluctance.

Liang Youjia was simply too good.

So good she could not let go. So good she forgot that men of his status were born to be matched with others of equal standing.

At dawn the next day, Liang Youjia received a phone call.

He glanced at the screen, got out of bed, and walked to the balcony.

Xianyu’s eyelashes trembled.

He had never taken calls away from her before.

When did that change?

Probably last month.

He visited his family’s old house for a gathering, and after returning, everything was different. He began taking calls in private, and his outings became more frequent.

Before, except for business trips, he would come home every night to be with her. Now, he spent about twenty days a month away.

Tan Yang had once warned her that someone like Liang Youjia only kept her as a plaything, and when he tired of her, he would replace her.

She had started following Liang Youjia at eighteen, a pure, naive age—beautiful, yes, but also recklessly innocent.

She always believed she was different, that Liang Youjia was unlike those other pampered heirs.

For five years, he had never let her lose.

But even the most overwhelming love must eventually end.

Now it was her turn to be cast aside.

If she was right, the person who just called him was probably his fiancée.

When Liang Youjia returned, he found her already awake.

He frowned in frustration, saying he had to go on a business trip today and would not be able to take her shopping.

Xianyu’s butterfly-wing lashes fluttered, and after a moment, she smiled.

“All right, it’s fine. You go ahead. I’ll ask Yangyang to go with me.”

“So sweet,” Liang Youjia murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Even so early in the morning, he lingered, holding her close and kissing her deeply for a long while.

Her heart ached, wishing he would stay, but he did not change his mind for her.

She watched his retreating figure as he went to wash up.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

At that moment, his phone, left on the nightstand, lit up.

“Brother You, can you come with me to the hospital for a checkup today?”

Xianyu knew his phone’s password, but she did not unlock it.

Since she was planning to leave and could not stop what was coming, why stoop to jealousy and suspicion?

It would accomplish nothing and only make him resent her.

Still, her mind could not help racing. A hospital checkup—for what?

Could it be that Liang Youjia and this woman had also…

A wave of discomfort rolled through her chest, her stomach churning.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, drinking several gulps of water to steady herself.

When Liang Youjia emerged, he handed her a black credit card.

She didn’t take it, smiling playfully. “You’ve already given me one of these, Ah You.”

Xianyu had always been sensible, never asking for anything on her own while by Liang Youjia’s side. But he was always generous—perhaps that was simply how things worked in his world.

She received a million yuan in pocket money every month; the latest designer bags, shoes, and jewelry arrived at her home at the start of each month.

The house she lived in was a luxurious villa worth tens of millions; as for cars, she could drive a different one every day of the week.

Objectively, Liang Youjia had given her everything he should.

Now that she was about to leave, she could not afford to be greedy.

He ruffled her soft, tousled hair, eyes full of affection. “This one is different.”

She pouted cutely. “How is it different?”

He smiled again, his thumb brushing her swollen lips, a spark of desire flickering in his eyes. She knew what he wanted, but he only leaned in for a fleeting kiss before pulling away.

“The old one had a limit—this one doesn’t.”

Her smile grew sweeter. “If you can’t take me shopping, then this is your way of making it up to me, right?”

He nodded. “Right.”

But that wasn’t all.

Both of them knew, but neither spoke it aloud.

“Then I’ll have to get myself something nice.”

Her little miser act was something he adored about her.

He never minded spending money on women—especially on a charming, spoiled beauty like Xianyu.

“Buy whatever you like, as long as you’re happy.”

After he left, Xianyu let the card fall onto the dark bedding in defeat.

What Liang Youjia didn’t know was that she had never planned to go shopping with him today—she was going to the hospital for a checkup.

Her period was a week late. She suspected she might be pregnant.

Tan Yang had never liked her giving up her own ambitions to become so dependent on Liang Youjia, a mere clinging vine at his side.

After graduation, Tan Yang went into business with others to open a dance studio. The business was thriving, and she was always busy.

Though they had been close friends in college, in real life they rarely saw each other.

More accurately, Yangyang disapproved of Xianyu’s lovesick ways.

Now, with her relationship in shambles, Xianyu had no desire to let her friend see her fail.

Fortunately, the housekeeper, Zhu Yue, was on her side, and Xianyu felt safe letting her accompany her.

“Yuyu, I’m all packed. Shall we go?”

“Let’s go.”

Xianyu dressed simply, but her striking beauty made any outfit look good.

Zhu Yue drove her to the city’s most prestigious private hospital.

She had booked an appointment with a specialist, and upon reaching the gynecology department, she went to the reception desk to get her number.

Her delicate features, sweet voice, and stunning presence left a deep impression on the nurses.

After taking her number and thanking them, she turned—and in that instant, she saw a man and a woman sitting closely together not far away.

The woman, her shoulder-length hair falling loose, rested her head on the man’s shoulder, her face obscured.

The man was none other than Liang Youjia, who had told her that morning he was going on a business trip.