CHAPTER 168: CHAPTER 168: BREAKUP 1_1

The two jumped apart in shock.

Huang Xiaojue went to answer the door. A security guard stood there, holding a notice. "Sir," he said, "it’s time to pay the property management fee. Your unit has been in arrears for half a year already."

Yan Xixi took the notice, looked at it, and said, "You’ve got the wrong door. This notice is for Unit 1 on the 9th floor; I’m in Unit 1 on the 5th floor. Besides, I pay my property management fee in full every month. I have no overdue payments."

The security guard was astonished. "Really?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Huang Xiaojue.

Huang Xiaojue glared at him fiercely. What was this guy up to? Why was he creating trouble at this time?

He felt that something was off. Eyeing the security guard suspiciously, he abruptly stepped forward. "You’re a security guard. Why are you collecting the property management fee?"

"Calm down, calm down... Sir, to tell you the truth, I’m collecting it on behalf of the office... Here, look at my work ID..."

Yan Xixi added softly, "He is indeed the security guard here. I’ve seen him many times."

"Thank you, thank you, Miss, for understanding our work."

The security guard retreated. Glancing at the door number, he muttered as he walked away, "It seems I really did get the wrong door. My apologies. Sigh, to be honest, many residents aren’t home during the day, so I have to try and catch them late at night. That family on the 9th floor—I’ve been there seven or eight times and can never find them. I’m just temporarily helping the property management office collect these fees. I didn’t expect it to be so troublesome..."

"My apologies for the disturbance."

The security guard departed, but Yan Xixi was now wide awake. She avoided Huang Xiaojue’s fiery gaze and said softly, "It’s getting late, and I have to work tomorrow. Xiaojue, you should go home now."

He gently reached out to embrace her again.

She nestled in his arms, her heart pounding.

The heat radiating from his body continued to rise—a perfectly normal reaction for a man who had a girlfriend... She understood all this, really... But she still couldn’t overcome her own reservations. Before deciding whether to continue her relationship with Xiaojue, she couldn’t let herself succumb—it definitely wasn’t because of Wan Donglin, but because of that terrible pain.

The terrible pain of being fully conscious during that surgery, and the poor, mangled baby in "Silent Scream"—these things had always cast a shadow over her. It wasn’t just about Huang Xiaojue; she was even terrified, unable to bring herself to get close to any man for some time.

Huang Xiaojue sensed her resistance. He felt a subtle disappointment but didn’t press her. Letting her go, he said softly, "Xixi, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

After a while, she walked to the balcony and saw Huang Xiaojue still standing downstairs, looking up at her window. A warmth spread through her heart. "Xiaojue, be careful on your way."

Only then did he smile, blow a whistle, and stride away.

She went back to her bedroom and lay down, but sleep eluded her. She had already taken off the exquisite watch from her wrist. She fiddled with it for a moment before placing it on the table. An unsettling feeling crept into her heart. The tomboy, Fu Mei, once said she most despised those ’green tea bitches’ who used their own assets to take shortcuts—but Fu Mei probably didn’t know that the first shortcut I, Yan Xixi, took was exactly like that.

If it weren’t for Wan Donglin, I would never have been able to finish university and change my destiny.

Fu Mei didn’t know about my past, which is why she looked at me with such high regard.

But what about Huang Xiaojue?

Reason reminded me a thousand times: never get involved with a man who knows your past—only a foolish woman would make such a mistake.

But my emotions argued back: if I missed out on Huang Xiaojue, I might never find another man as good as him in my entire life.

Just at that moment, her phone rang.

She picked up her phone. There was a new message, titled: "Lovely Miss, Happy 27th Birthday."