Top-Tier Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Earrings

Huo Yichi’s question was so direct that Pei You was momentarily speechless.

She blinked, suppressing a strange feeling in her chest. "Of course," she said with a smile, "we're partners.”

Huo Yichi nodded slowly. "Yes," she said softly, "we are.”

Pei You quickly changed the subject. "Let's go, partner. My grandma will be so happy to see you.”

Huo Yichi didn't refuse.

She hadn't expected to see Pei You here.

After work, she’d been on her way to a family dinner, but after an unpleasant phone call with her family, she'd changed her mind.

She’d driven aimlessly, and when she’d come to her senses, she was parked outside Pei You's apartment complex.

And now, here she was, walking alongside Pei You.

Huo Yichi's feelings were a mix of happiness and sadness.

Like the time she’d been assigned to be a virtual girlfriend and the client had turned out to be Pei You.

She hadn’t expected this encounter either.

Pei You, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil, said, "It might be a bit lively at my place tonight, but we’re having dinner at Xiao Zhao’s place first.”

"Xiao Zhao?" Huo Yichi asked, her voice sharp. "That college junior?”

Pei You was surprised. "You have such a good memory!”

Huo Yichi looked ahead. "Did he… bring his girlfriend home?”

"No, he said they broke up."

Alarm bells went off in Huo Yichi’s head. "Why?”

"How would I know?" Pei You pressed the elevator button. "The usual reasons, I guess. Loss of passion, incompatibility, falling out of love, etcetera.”

Pei You spoke casually, but Huo Yichi pursed her lips, a flicker of unease in her eyes.

As more people entered the elevator, Pei You stopped talking.

Discussing such things in public wasn't her style.

When they reached Pei You's apartment, Pei You opened the door and called out, "Grandma! Xiao Huo is here!"

She hadn’t used Huo Yichi's name.

Using the same nickname as her grandmother.

Huo Yichi softly echoed the name. "Xiao Huo.”

A small smile touched her lips after she said it.

Pei You noticed, turning to look at her, puzzled.

"What is it?" Huo Yichi asked, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Xiao Pei.”

Pei You: "..."

Pei You rubbed her arm. "Only older people call me that.”

Just then, Grandma Pei emerged from her room. Seeing Huo Yichi, she exclaimed, "Xiao Huo!"

"Hello, Grandma. I didn't have much time to prepare, so I just brought some fruit," Huo Yichi said, presenting a fruit basket.

Coming empty-handed on a day like this would have been rude.

Especially since Huo Yichi was trying to win over Grandma Pei.

If she couldn’t win over Pei You directly, perhaps winning over the people around her would work?

And she was lucky; Grandma Pei already liked her.

Grandma Pei accepted the gift graciously. "It’s the thought that counts.”

Huo Yichi smiled sweetly. "Sorry to intrude, Grandma.”

"Nonsense! I'm so happy you’re here!" Grandma Pei took Huo Yichi's hand. "Xiao Huo, you should stay. Spend New Year's Eve with us."

Pei You couldn’t help but interrupt. "Grandma, she…”

"I’d love to, Grandma. I’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve with you," Huo Yichi readily agreed.

Pei You stared at Huo Yichi, her eyes asking, "What about feeding your cat?"

Huo Yichi, reading her mind, said, "It’s fine; I’ll ask my cousin to feed her.”

Pei You was relieved.

She did care about Xiao Xing.

But she hadn't contacted Huo Yichi these past few days, so she hadn't had a chance to visit the cat.

Grandma Pei was still smiling. "I’ll go tell the Hans. They’re always happy to have guests; they love a lively gathering.”

Huo Yichi looked around the living room, a troubled expression on her face. "Grandma, do you mind if I just sit here for a bit?”

Grandma Pei understood immediately.

Huo Yichi was here to escape her own family gathering.

On a day like this, when families were supposed to be together, Huo Yichi wasn’t with hers. That spoke volumes.

Grandma Pei didn't push her. "Of course.”

Pei You was a little concerned. "Won’t you be bored by yourself?”

"You’ll be back, won’t you?" Huo Yichi said calmly. "I’ll wait for you… here.”

"Okay," Pei You didn't insist.

Shortly before 7 pm, Han Zhao knocked on the door, inviting Grandma Pei and Pei You over for dinner.

Standing at the doorway, he saw Huo Yichi in the living room. Their eyes met, and Huo Yichi nodded at him.

Han Zhao smiled back, waiting for Pei You to emerge before asking, “Youzi-jie, do you have a guest? Why don't you invite her to join us for dinner?”

"She’s a friend of mine; she's not comfortable eating with strangers," Pei You said casually.

After they left, Huo Yichi was alone in the apartment.

She sat in silence, holding the apple Grandma Pei had washed for her.

The curtains were open, offering a view of the other apartments in the complex. Lights were on, and the sounds of laughter and conversation drifted in through the open windows.

A stark contrast to her own quiet solitude.

Huo Yichi’s phone buzzed with notifications and calls.

Call after call; she didn’t answer, but they kept coming.

After finishing the apple and tossing the core in the trash, she finally picked up her phone.

The calls had stopped, but the messages continued to pour in.

Her cousins had both messaged her.

They said their grandmother had been making snide remarks about her.

On a day like this, the whole family was supposed to have dinner together.

So, Lin Fang and Lin Si were there.

Her parents had also messaged her. Her mother had told her to get something nice to eat, while her father had sent a long, lecturing message.

How could she be absent on such an important occasion? What kind of example was she setting for her younger siblings?

Huo Yichi felt a headache coming on reading all the messages.

Her father was a filial son, so filial he even echoed their grandmother’s criticisms.

Huo Yichi sent a brief reply to her cousins, then put her phone away.

She lowered her gaze, the light from the screen reflecting on her face.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Huo Yichi looked up. "Who is it?"

Pei You's voice. "It's me. Xiao Huo, open the door," she'd taken a liking to the nickname.

Huo Yichi, already in her slippers, immediately got up and opened the door.

Pei You was holding a tray with several small bowls of food.

"Move," Pei You said. "Let me in.”

Huo Yichi stepped aside. "Didn't you eat over there?”

"Uncle Han said you rarely come back, so they wanted me to bring you some food. Even if you didn't eat with us, they still wanted to make sure you had something," Pei You said. "Do you want to eat at the coffee table, or at the dining table?”

"The dining table, please. Thank you.”

Pei You placed the tray on the table. "No need to thank me," she said, arranging the bowls. "You coming over makes me feel like we’re actually friends.”

Huo Yichi's eyelashes fluttered. "Really?"

"Yeah, having somewhere to go when you have nowhere else to be… isn’t that what friends are for?”

Huo Yichi chuckled. "Yes," she agreed, "we’re friends.”

Just as Huo Yichi sat down at the table and picked up her chopsticks, another knock came at the door.

"That's Xiao Zhao," Pei You went to open the door. "He's bringing the soup.”

Sure enough, it was Han Zhao, carrying a tray of soup and other dishes.

"Youzi-jie, how should I address this Jiejie?" he asked.

Pei You glanced at Huo Yichi.

Most people called Huo Yichi "Chi-jie.”

Huo Yichi replied, "Just call me Xiao Huo.”

Han Zhao had a boyish charm about him.

He put down the tray and extended his hand. "Then Xiao Huo-jie, you can call me Xiao Zhao, just like Youzi-jie does. We grew up together; I live across from her.”

"I know," Huo Yichi shook his hand briefly.

"Xiao Zhao, since you’re here, I’ll give you your gift now.”

Pei You went to the corner of the living room and retrieved a small plushie.

Huo Yichi: "..."

Hadn’t she said she wasn’t giving him a gift?

Han Zhao happily accepted the gift, then took a small box from his pocket. "Youzi-jie, this is for you.”

"Thank you," Pei You took it. "Earrings?”

"Yes."

Pei You’s eyes lit up. "Perfect timing! I haven’t bought any new earrings in a while.”

Huo Yichi, suppressing a pang of jealousy, focused on her food.

She hadn’t wanted to join them for dinner precisely because she was afraid of getting jealous.

And now, they were exchanging gifts right in front of her.

Huo Yichi wondered if she was being petty. They had known each other for so long; this was probably normal behavior, and yet she felt a strange discomfort.

After a few seconds, she decided she was indeed being petty.

Han Zhao was being polite and friendly towards her.

But Huo Yichi kept her thoughts to herself.

After giving Pei You the gift, Han Zhao excused himself. Pei You remained seated.

Inside the box were two delicate earrings. Huo Yichi glanced at them. "They’re shaped like grapefruits," she said, a hint of jealousy in her voice. "How thoughtful.”

Pei You’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "They’re lovely. He really knows what I like.”

"Did you not like the gift I gave you?" Huo Yichi blurted out.

Pei You looked at her, not answering, but asking instead, "What do you think?"

"I think you liked it very much," Huo Yichi said without hesitation.

"Yes," Pei You admitted, "the gloves are lovely. Very warm.”

She stood up. "Excuse me for a moment.”

She went into her bedroom, leaving Huo Yichi alone in the living room.

Huo Yichi stared at the closed bedroom door, a little bewildered.

She didn’t know what Pei You was doing.

A minute later, Pei You emerged, her hands behind her back, a mysterious expression on her face.

Huo Yichi felt a sudden surge of nervousness.

Pei You walked over to her. "I thought about it and felt bad that you gave me an extra gift.”

Pei You licked her lips before continuing, “I didn’t think I’d be able to give this to you, because we had that silent fight, but since you’re here now, I will. But, Huo Yichi, I still think… you shouldn’t have kept your crush a secret from me.”

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