Goodbye, Mr. Ye (2)

"Actually," Liu Weiwei said in a small voice. "Two years ago, there were already rumors that Su Yue and Ye Chengwei…had something going on."

An Ran didn't pay attention to the tabloids like her, so she didn't know this. She took a big bite out of her steamed bun and made a noise in reply.

She tried to stay natural, but Liu Weiwei still sensed that she was pretending. Instead of continuing, she changed the topic, "The congee is good today. It's kind of sweet."

Sweet? It was tasteless to An Ran. It was obviously just yesterday's leftover rice with water added.

Before class, she took out the phone Ye Chengwei gave her. She had no text or missed class. Only Ye Chengwei's name lay quietly in the contacts—only the name.

Ye Chengwei had disappeared for days. He hadn't called or messaged. It was like he was missing.

But headlines of him and Su Yue kept appearing together everywhere. It seemed that the rumors had become a true relationship.

And An Ran was like a doll thrown to the side after the owner got bored.

Friday, An Ran was supposed to go home, but she still didn't get a bit of news from Ye Chengwei. When she walked out of school, she didn't see the BMW to pick her up.

Suddenly, she felt disappointed.

Sunday was her 18th birthday—the day she would repay her debt, but he still hasn't appeared.

An Ran held the phone, unsure if she should turn it off or not. She didn't know how Ye Chengwei would punish her if his call couldn't get through again, but she couldn't take the phone home. Finally, she sent a text to his number.

I'll be at home over the weekend, so I'll turn the phone off. Text me if you need me.

It was too formal, but she couldn't care about all that. After she paid her debt on the night of her 18th birthday, she would be free.

But thinking of this, she didn't feel relieved at all.

What was wrong? Did she start caring without realizing?

No! An Ran, you can't!

She took the bus home and leaned lazily against the window, staring listlessly at the scenery flashing past. Two little girls in the row before her were reading a magazine.

Suddenly, one girl gasped. "Hey, look! Su Yue's mysterious boyfriend is actually Ye Chengwei, the heir to Ye Group."

An Ran's heart jumped. Those three syllables made her reflexively straighten up and look toward the front row.

The magazine displayed a picture of Ye Chengwei shopping while hugging Su Yue's waist. Even though they both wore sunglasses, Ye Chengwei's side profile was so handsome and recognizable.

Su Yue was smiling sweetly and resting against Ye Chengwei's chest. They seemed to be such a suitable pair.

The bus stopped and An Ran got off. Then she realized that this wasn't the stop close to her home. She'd gotten off early. Was this what they called 'dispirited'?

Sunday, An Ran celebrated her 18th birthday at home. Gao Enying cooked many of her favorite dishes and bought a huge cake to celebrate this special birthday.

When she went back to school in the evening, she walked toward the bus station. There was no BMW, just the passersby and buses. At school, Liu Weiwei handed the phone back to her.

She grasped it, suddenly not having the courage to open it. In the end, she turned it on, but there were still no texts or missed calls. Ye Chengwei had vanished.

Had he even forgotten the night when she turned 18?

Did she have any weight in this man's heart?

She couldn't help but open the tabloids that she hated and saw an article about Su Yue.