Running Over The Head Of My Ex [Rebirth]

Chapter 82

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, rustling the lush trees by the roadside. The sound of the wind whistled past her ears. He Qingqi’s gaze was calm, her eyes cold and distant.

Under the moonlight, the lines of her cheeks appeared even smoother, her clear skin reflecting a cool, gentle light, like a star in the dark night.

She glanced indifferently at Fang Xuanyao and, without hesitation, slipped her hands into her pockets and strode away.

Fang Xuanyao sat alone in the pavilion, blinking as she shivered for no reason, feeling as though her presence had vanished from the world.

She blinked, looking up anxiously at the sky. Somewhere, dark clouds drifted in, obscuring the lone star that had brought silence to the night, unsettling her heart and making the air feel thin.

Fang Xuanyao clutched her chest, bending slightly as she struggled to breathe. The heaviness intensified with the cooling wind, her heartbeat quickening as if she were sprinting the last hundred meters in a race.

Was this really what she wanted?

After uttering some foolish words, she only earned an even colder look from that person. A single “I do not accept” had marked the end of her journey?

No, it couldn’t be!

She suddenly looked up, her eyes fixed on He Qingqi’s retreating figure, clenching her fists.

“He Qingqi!”

He Qingqi stopped but didn’t turn around.

Fang Xuanyao rushed towards her, her loose hair flowing in the wind.

She didn’t want to upset He Qingqi; she only wanted He Qingqi to be happy, even if that happiness came from someone else.

Clenching her fingers tightly, the pain spread from her limbs back to her heart. Fang Xuanyao’s breathing grew heavy and rapid for a few moments, then calmed.

She forced herself not to cry out loud. She wanted He Qingqi to remember her at her most beautiful moment, not a tearful farewell.

So she forced a smile, though her voice trembled with the wind. “You should treat her well.”

“And take good care of yourself, too.” Fang Xuanyao’s throat felt dry and metallic as she swallowed, her eyes brimming with tears. She continued, “Don’t be like when you were with me, giving and giving without even knowing if the person beside you is a human or a ghost… You’ve been protected too well. When things happen, ask your brother and the others. They’re your family; they won’t hurt you.”

Fang Xuanyao paused, then lowered her eyes with a bitter smile. “Of course, maybe Zhuo Zhiwei will never make you feel that way.”

“After all… she loves you so much.” Her heart was filled with bitterness.

Hearing this, He Qingqi suddenly turned, her eyes wide open, truly looking at her for the first time today.

She sensitively caught something in Fang Xuanyao’s words that made her heartbeat quicken, an urgent feeling welling up inside her as she swallowed.

“What did you say?”

“How do you know?”

“What makes you think that?”

Three rapid questions spilled out, and Fang Xuanyao’s brows furrowed deeper in bitterness. He Qingqi’s urgency revealed how much she cared about Zhuo Zhiwei, and nothing was more painful than watching your lover’s heart turn away, especially when you were the one who made it happen.

Sometimes, Fang Xuanyao couldn’t help but wonder: if that person hadn’t been Zhuo Zhiwei, would everything have turned out differently?

In the end, it was her own doing.

Fang Xuanyao bit her lip, lowering her eyes, her gaze sad as she retorted, “How could I not know?”

“She’s in love with my wife.”

She let out a light, mocking laugh, unclear whether it was directed at Zhuo Zhiwei or herself.

“She thinks she’s hidden it well, but those who know will understand. That look has appeared in my eyes before, so I’m extremely sensitive to it.”

“She loves watching you from afar, like gazing at an unattainable star. But when she looks at me, she’s shocked, pained, and… ashamed.”

He Qingqi’s eyes sharpened, instinctively tightening her grip on Fang Xuanyao’s wrist as she breathed heavily.

“So, you’re saying…” She stammered, her eyes revealing uncontainable joy. “Zhiwei liked me even in her past life?”

But after the initial joy, He Qingqi’s eyes dimmed, replaced by a complex mix of emotions. Her heart was overwhelmed with a sourness, as if countless ants were gnawing at her heart.

She murmured, “So, she loved me even back then.”

He Qingqi’s eyes flickered with disbelief, her breath quickened as memories flooded back, including the night she questioned her own identity. Her throat tightened.

What had she done?

He Qingqi’s eyes darkened and brightened alternately, as scenes from the past flashed like a film reel—the initial rejection, hurtful words, gradual distancing, and her own fall from grace.

Why?

He Qingqi clenched her fists, her lips pressed tightly.

If she loved her, why hadn’t she said so? Why did she keep everything bottled up inside while He Qingqi lay in someone else’s arms? Why hadn’t she fought for herself?

Suddenly, she recalled something that stunned her, as if struck by lightning.

Fang Xuanyao had said, ashamed.

She… was married.

In her past life, He Qingqi only had eyes for Fang Xuanyao, dismissing all other confessions. If Zhuo Zhiwei had crossed that line, it would have only brought humiliation… And besides, she was Zhuo Zhiwei.

How could Zhuo Zhiwei ever break up someone’s family?

He Qingqi stared blankly at the ground, her thoughts tangled like a web tightening around her heart, a painful suffocation.

She finally understood what she had squandered.

It was Zhuo Zhiwei’s patience and silence.

Zhuo Zhiwei had once shed a tear in her heart, and her gaze, usually clear, carried an indescribable emotion.

He Qingqi finally grasped what that feeling was, and she couldn’t help but wonder: how had Zhuo Zhiwei endured all those countless nights like that one?

Her breath quivered, tears welled, and her eyes blinked rapidly, glancing around as an overwhelming surge of emotions nearly drowned her.

She wanted to see Zhuo Zhiwei.

He Qingqi realized this with startling clarity, and her heart pounded like a wild horse, racing across an endless plain.

Fang Xuanyao winced at her reaction, turning away.

“Yes, she’s always loved you.”

“But she has always respected the boundaries of friendship. Even though I don’t like her, I must say one thing.” Fang Xuanyao swallowed, her voice raspy. “I admire her.”

“Especially after learning about her family background. Growing up in such a dysfunctional environment, she remained unscathed, holding onto dreams and principles that I dismissed.”

“To be honest, I’m envious.” Fang Xuanyao laughed at herself. “If I were like her, we wouldn’t be here today.”

He Qingqi sighed, her eyes filled with helplessness as she smiled faintly, a mental image forming of someone standing tall in a white shirt, dignified and graceful.

Elegant and gentle, like moonlight.

She looked up, a trace of impatience in her voice. “What about after? After I died, how was she? Did my brother help her clear her name? Did Chai Xu and the others take care of her?”

Fang Xuanyao stared at her, realizing this person didn’t know how to hide anything. She’d loved Fang Xuanyao openly and now loved Zhuo Zhiwei just as openly.

Her love was like fire, like the sun—warm and intense, yet never uncomfortable.

She faced the world with a childlike heart.

So… lovable.

But sadly, she woke up too late.

They could only be ships passing in the night.

The pain in her heart mixed with jealousy and regret. The first two emotions she was used to, leaving regret to dominate.

She managed a rare joke: “You know, asking about your ex’s current girlfriend might get you slapped.”

He Qingqi, utterly sincere, said, “I don’t care if you tell me. What’s a slap in the face?”

Fang Xuanyao’s breath hitched, but she couldn’t help laughing. “You really are something…”

She shook her head but still told her everything she’d seen and heard that day, as well as news about He Qingzhou, Chai Xu, and Gu Mingrui.

He Qingqi’s eyes softened, filled with obvious heartache, her tearful smile as fragile as ripples in a mountain spring.

“Why is she so stubborn?”

Then she answered herself, “Well, if she weren’t, she wouldn’t have loved someone like me for so many years.”

“I really am a jerk,” she concluded.

Knowing everything now, her urge to act was overwhelming, and He Qingqi found her steps faltering.

After a moment of silence, she said, “Thank you for today.”

“Thank you for telling me all this. Without you, I might never have known these things.”

“And… I apologize for what happened earlier today.”

Fang Xuanyao looked puzzled. “W-what?”

He Qingqi’s eyes flashed mischievously. “I shouldn’t have wished you bon voyage.”

Fang Xuanyao suddenly understood and laughed, opening her arms. “Then, as compensation, can I get a hug goodbye?”

He Qingqi backed away, smiling. Just when Fang Xuanyao thought she might agree, she said:

“No.”

The young chaser of the wind was carefree and unrestrained. “My Weiwei would be mad.”

Just like her love, it brought joy to the heart.

She turned and ran toward home, her clear voice lingering in the air.

“Though I still can’t forgive you, Fang Xuanyao, you were someone I once loved. I wish you all the best.”

Fang Xuanyao stood there, stunned, watching her back.

Then she turned away resolutely, heading in the opposite direction.

Just like them—two people who would never intersect again.

The wind continued to blow. Fang Xuanyao’s brow furrowed, and tears she’d held back all day fell like beads.

She knew this time, it was truly over.

The love that had troubled her for half her life ended with their turning away.

They would both have new lives.

Fang Xuanyao had once felt ashamed of this love countless times, but now she felt only gratitude.

Just as He Qingzhou had said, at least there was one person in the world who had truly loved her.

Fang Xuanyao sighed softly and whispered, “Thank you.”

…

He Qingqi returned home, hurriedly pulling her car out of the garage and shouting upstairs:

“Grandpa, Grandma, I’m going back.”

Grandma He opened the window. “It’s so late, where are you going?”

He Qingqi felt a rush of unprecedented confidence and joy, her brows arched with delight. “To pick up your granddaughter-in-law.”

Grandma He froze, then beamed with joy. “Go quickly, go!”