Starting with a Breakup: Why Is the True Heiress My Possessive Ex? - Chapter 8

Su Qingya suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

Instinctively, she placed her hand over Xu Nian’s.

“N-Niannian…”

“Calm down.”

“Okay?”

The moment she spoke, Xu Nian’s raised tail immediately drooped again and began swaying lazily.

Internally, Xu Nian was quite satisfied.

Her acting seemed surprisingly convincing.

Of course, everything she had just done was intentional.

The possessiveness.

The pressure.

The jealousy.

It was all part of her performance.

What surprised her, however, was something else entirely.

The “banquet” mentioned in the daily task wasn’t the homecoming banquet at all.

It was a thank-you meal.

A reward for saving someone’s life.

An unexpected variable.

And now Xu Nian was dying to know what had happened.

Curiosity scratched at her heart like a restless cat.

Still, despite all the questions, Xu Nian wasn’t truly angry.

She trusted Su Qingya.

More importantly, if the simulator was correct and Su Qingya really had become a yandere, then one thing remained certain.

A yandere’s devotion was genuine.

Their love might be unhealthy.

It might be terrifying.

But it was rarely fake.

The lunch invitation probably was exactly what Su Qingya claimed.

A meal.

Nothing more.

After calming herself, Xu Nian’s playful tone returned.

“Qingya.”

She poked the other girl’s cheek.

“What exactly happened?”

“You need to explain it properly.”

“What do you mean someone saved your life?”

She crossed her arms.

“And you were planning to hide something that important from me?”

“No matter what, I’m your girlfriend.”

“If it involves your safety, I have the right to know.”

Su Qingya’s expression immediately became complicated.

“No.”

She shook her head.

“You shouldn’t know.”

“Why?”

“Because once you know…”

A trace of fear flashed through her eyes.

“It will know you too.”

Xu Nian froze.

“And then?”

Su Qingya lowered her head.

“Then it will appear in your life.”

“It will drag you into danger.”

“It will keep pulling you deeper.”

“I can’t let that happen.”

She clenched her fists.

“It’s enough if I’m the one caught up in these things.”

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Xu Nian’s expression gradually changed.

A phrase surfaced in her mind.

A phrase she had seen before.

From the third simulation.

“Affliction Beasts.”

The words slipped out almost instinctively.

Su Qingya’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“How do you know that name?!”

Xu Nian’s heart sank.

She guessed correctly.

That reaction alone proved it.

The strange rule.

Knowing about them allowed them to know about you.

And once noticed, they would eventually appear.

Then…

Why had the news openly reported them in the third simulation?

The thought sent a chill through Xu Nian.

Something wasn’t right.

Something was very wrong.

“I heard people discussing it on the way here.”

She casually fabricated an excuse.

Su Qingya looked unconvinced.

But she didn’t pursue the topic.

Instead, Xu Nian’s expression suddenly became serious.

Completely serious.

“Qingya.”

“Even if I don’t know about them, danger will still exist.”

“Right?”

Su Qingya remained silent.

“If they’re real, then sooner or later they’ll affect everyone.”

Xu Nian continued calmly.

“So wouldn’t it be better for me to prepare in advance?”

“If danger comes, I at least want a chance to survive.”

She looked directly into Su Qingya’s eyes.

“And besides…”

A small smile appeared.

“I already know now.”

Su Qingya froze.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Finally, she sighed.

“…You’re right.”

After a long moment of hesitation, she finally began explaining.

“It happened yesterday.”

“I was returning from the supermarket.”

“The road was familiar.”

“The same road I walk every day.”

“But suddenly…”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“The streetlights started flickering.”

“The surroundings became quieter.”

“There were fewer and fewer people.”

“Until eventually…”

“I was the only person left.”

Xu Nian quietly sat beside her and listened.

At the same time, she casually filled Su Qingya’s bowl with food.

Su Qingya didn’t seem to notice.

“I kept walking.”

“Then I started running.”

“Forward.”

“Backward.”

“It didn’t matter.”

“The scenery never changed.”

Her hands trembled slightly.

“I could hear laughter.”

“A strange scratching sound.”

“Like something was laughing beside my ear.”

“I felt something grabbing my neck.”

“But whenever I looked back…”

“There was nothing there.”

The room became silent.

Even Xu Nian felt a chill.

“My footsteps became heavier.”

“My vision blurred.”

“My shadow…”

Su Qingya paused.

“…started moving on its own.”

Xu Nian’s hand froze.

“My heartbeat became faster.”

“The sky grew darker.”

“And darker.”

“It felt like the darkness itself was swallowing me.”

Her breathing became uneven.

The memories were clearly difficult to relive.

Then—

Her expression softened.

“Until I saw you.”

Xu Nian blinked.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Su Qingya smiled bitterly.

“At first I was happy.”

“I thought you came to save me.”

Her fingers tightened.

“But when I got closer…”

“You stabbed me.”

Xu Nian: “…?”

“The fake you.”

Su Qingya corrected herself.

“It was pretending to be you.”

“It even smiled.”

“A very frightening smile.”

Xu Nian felt strangely offended.

“What kind of smile?”

“A villain’s smile.”

“…”

She decided not to ask further.

“Fortunately…”

Su Qingya continued.

“Before it could finish me off, someone appeared.”

“He pulled me out of that place.”

“He saved my life.”

“Afterward, he explained everything.”

Xu Nian listened carefully.

“The creature feeds on fear.”

“It creates terrifying illusions.”

“It keeps increasing its victim’s fear.”

“The more afraid you become…”

“The stronger it gets.”

“When fear reaches its limit…”

“It devours you.”

Xu Nian slowly nodded.

“A Fear Beast?”

“Exactly.”

“It’s one type of Affliction Beast.”

After saying that, Su Qingya fell silent.

Her emotions were visibly unstable.

She lowered her head.

“Afterward, I was terrified.”

“I barely knew how I got home.”

“I went to sleep early.”

“When I woke up…”

A trace of grievance appeared on her face.

“I wanted to call you.”

“I wanted you to comfort me.”

She looked directly at Xu Nian.

“And then…”

“You broke up with me.”

The bitterness in her voice was impossible to miss.

“Niannian…”

Su Qingya lowered her gaze slightly.

“So the breakup was really just a joke?”

“Of course.”

Xu Nian immediately nodded.

“No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same.”

She reached out and gently poked Su Qingya’s forehead.

“How could I possibly bear to break up with you?”

Only then did the tension in Su Qingya’s expression ease slightly.

Seeing that reaction, however, Xu Nian’s heart sank.

She finally understood.

The problem wasn’t the breakup itself.

The Fear Beast.

Everything started with the Fear Beast.

The creature had probably done more than simply frighten Su Qingya.

It had planted something inside her heart.

Fear.

Anxiety.

The terror of losing what she treasured most.

And then…

The breakup happened immediately afterward.

It was like pouring oil onto an already burning fire.

No wonder Su Qingya’s mental state had changed so drastically.

Xu Nian couldn’t help but think deeper.

If she had never transmigrated into this world…

If she had never dated Su Qingya…

Then according to the original storyline, tonight should have been the beginning of the heroine’s journey.

Su Qingya would encounter danger.

She would be rescued by the male protagonist.

The classic “hero saves the beauty” scenario.

Then tomorrow she would return to the Xu family.

Be mocked by the fake heiress.

Gradually grow closer to the protagonist.

And eventually use his support to overcome every obstacle.

A standard story progression.

A healthy one.

In that version of events, the male protagonist would probably help heal the fear left behind by the Fear Beast.

Her personality would remain stable.

Everything would proceed normally.

Crack.

The chopsticks in Xu Nian’s hand snapped in half.

She stared blankly at the broken pieces.

Then slowly relaxed her grip.

The problem was…

That storyline no longer existed.

The place that should have belonged to the protagonist had already been occupied by her.

Su Qingya’s heart was already filled.

When fear overwhelmed her, the person she wanted to rely on wasn’t the protagonist.

It was Xu Nian.

And when she finally gathered the courage to seek comfort…

What she received was a breakup message.

The realization made Xu Nian feel unexpectedly guilty.

“I’m sorry.”

Her voice softened.

“I really didn’t know something like that happened.”

She lowered her head slightly.

“And I definitely shouldn’t have joked about breaking up.”

This time, the apology was sincere.

No excuses.

No playful teasing.

Just genuine regret.

After speaking, Xu Nian moved closer.

She placed the bowl she had been holding onto the table.

Then she wrapped her arms around Su Qingya.

Gently.

Carefully.

She pulled the other girl into her embrace.

“It’s okay now.”

Xu Nian softly stroked her hair.

“I’m here.”

The familiar scent of shampoo drifted into the air.

For a brief moment, everything seemed peaceful.

Comforting.

Warm.

Then—

Su Qingya suddenly moved.

Before Xu Nian could react, their positions reversed.

The world spun.

The next thing she knew, her back was pressed against the sofa.

Su Qingya leaned over her.

Their faces were only inches apart.

Xu Nian froze.

“…Qingya?”

A smile slowly appeared on Su Qingya’s face.

Beautiful.

Gentle.

And somehow dangerous.

“Since you know you were too much…”

Her voice became soft and sweet.

Almost affectionate.

“Then shouldn’t you apologize properly?”

Xu Nian suddenly had a very bad feeling.

A very, very bad feeling.

“And an apology…”

Su Qingya’s eyes curved slightly.

“…needs to be sincere, doesn’t it?”