Chapter 111: Boiling Wine

A mature and intellectual woman poked her head out from the driver’s seat.

Beside her was a delicately carved little girl who also cast a curious glance over, then let out a clear, bright call:

“Susu-jie!”

Unbeknownst to them, the sun had already been quietly shrouded behind the clouds.

Rebecca was dressed very casually, clearly out for a drive with her daughter.

Even though the sky had darkened, Feng Zhilan was still wrapped up tightly, not leaving even the slightest bit of skin exposed. Only her pair of bright black eyes were bare, revealing skin that was white almost to the point of transparency.

“What are you doing here?” Rebecca asked, then noticing that Chu Susu didn’t seem quite right, she offered proactively, “Want a ride?”

“I…”

Rebecca smiled faintly and, without waiting for her answer, unlocked the back seat: “Hop in.”

Chu Susu nodded and slipped into the back seat.

Rebecca had to take care of her little girl’s condition, so the car’s setup was a bit different—all the windows were covered with a layer of black film, probably to block UV rays.

Fortunately, it was winter, so Feng Zhilan didn’t feel hot even bundled up thickly. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Chu Susu, saying obediently, “Susu-jie, I missed you so much. When are you coming to our house to play again?”

“Zhilan.” Rebecca gave her a gently reproving look. “Susu-jie has her own things to do. You can’t be so selfish.”

“Oh…” The little girl pouted aggrievedly.

“By the way, Susu.” Rebecca turned to her. “I heard you were hospitalized a few days ago. End of the year is busy, so I didn’t have time to visit. How are you? Serious?”

Before Chu Susu could speak, Feng Zhilan showed an anxious expression: “What happened to Sis? Are you sick?”

The little one climbed from the passenger seat to the back, sitting beside her. That tiger-headed, lively look was utterly adorable: “Did you catch a cold?”

Chu Susu generally didn’t like kids, but seeing her like this, her heart softened involuntarily. She smiled and said, “It’s nothing, just a recurrence of my old concussion.”

“Concussion? What’s a concussion?”

“It’s nothing, just a minor illness. Don’t worry, Zhilan.”

Even though she said it lightly, Rebecca naturally knew she was referring to the aftereffects from the time Jack had hired thugs to attack her, and she couldn’t help showing a worried look: “Why didn’t you stay in the hospital a few more days to recover?”

She wouldn’t have asked if she hadn’t, but now that she did, Chu Susu revealed a somewhat wistful expression.

“My friend passed away,” she said, as if it were no big deal, even forcing a smile to cover it up. “So I came to the funeral hall to see her.”

Hearing this, Rebecca was momentarily stunned, then her gaze shifted to a nearby sign for a funeral parlor.

“I’m sorry,” she paused. “My condolences.”

Though Feng Zhilan didn’t understand what that meant, the child was very sensitive due to her congenital albinism and immediately sensed the atmosphere growing heavy, so she didn’t butt in.

She just handed one of the dolls from her arms to Chu Susu: “Here, Susu-jie.”

Though it was just an unremarkable stuffed doll, it represented the child’s most sincere and simple comfort.

—As long as you hug it, everything will be okay.

The gloom in Chu Susu’s heart seemed to be swept away by it. She took it solemnly, then patted little Zhilan’s head: “Thank you.”

Rebecca changed the subject: “Where are you headed? I’ll drop you off.”

Seeing Feng Zhilan’s eager eyes beside her, Chu Susu thought for a moment, then leaned down to ask her, “If I go to your house to play with you, would you be really happy?”

She saw a flame ignite in the little girl’s eyes as she nodded vigorously like pounding garlic: “Yes!”

“Then I’ll go play with you.”

Chu Susu smiled faintly. She leaned forward against the seat: “You don’t mind, right? Lidong-jie.”

This was probably the first time she’d tentatively called Rebecca by her Chinese name, pulling them much closer in an instant.

The other woman paused, then nodded: “Of course not.”

“Yay!”

The car erupted with Feng Zhilan’s excited cheer.

When she’d come before, Rebecca’s parents had been home too, but this time they weren’t—they’d gone back to Magic City.

Chu Susu played with little Zhilan as usual in the dim light of the room, building blocks. They chatted idly here and there.

It’s often said that children see the world differently from adults, so listening to her chatter was especially amusing.

“I’ll tell you a secret, Susu-jie.” Feng Zhilan set down the last block, then mysteriously leaned in close and whispered, “You have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

“Of course not. Who would I even tell?”

Feng Zhilan couldn’t hide her excitement, clenching her little fists joyfully: “My illness… it seems like it can be cured.”

Her voice was very soft when she said it, as if afraid Rebecca, who was cooking outside, would hear.

“Oh?” Chu Susu raised a brow, utterly astonished inside. “Really? Did you find a doctor and hospital that can treat it?”

She’d looked it up before—online sources all said albinism was hard to cure, especially a severe case like Zhilan’s. The chances were minuscule.

“…No.”

Feng Zhilan hemmed and hawed. Chu Susu could tell it wasn’t that she didn’t want to say, but that she didn’t know the answer herself.

“Mm, that’s great news.” She patted the kid’s head. “I’m really happy for you.”

Feng Zhilan licked her dry lips: “Then Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma can take me out to play. Susu-jie, will you come too?”

“Of course.”

“Then…”

She tentatively reached out her pinky finger, wanting to pinky swear.

Chu Susu stared at that fair, clean little hand, about to say something, when Rebecca’s voice came from outside: “Dinner’s ready. Come eat.”

Kids’ attention shifted fast. Hearing food was ready, Feng Zhilan immediately forgot about the pinky swear and toddled out.

Behind her, no one saw the faintly regretful look on Chu Susu’s face.

—

This meal was all personally cooked by Rebecca, including quite a few Magic City specialties that were rare in the Imperial Capital.

It had been near dusk when she arrived at Rebecca’s home, and by the time they’d eaten their fill, it was nearly nine o’clock—time for Feng Zhilan to go to bed.

After they both coaxed the child to sleep, Chu Susu was about to say goodbye when she saw Rebecca take a bottle of red wine from a wooden cabinet in the living room.

“Want some?” She gestured with her eyes while tilting the bottle slightly.

Chu Susu hesitated, but then Rebecca continued, “I saw you looking troubled earlier today. If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me about it.”

The cork popped out with a muffled sound.

Two sparkling crystal glasses had appeared on the table at some point, now slowly being filled with red wine.

Rebecca wasn’t wearing makeup at home, her hair pinned behind her ear, giving her a more gentle air than usual.

As she poured, she showed an understanding expression: “Still sad about your friend’s passing?”

Chu Susu was silent for a moment, then took the glass she offered: “No.”

“Oh?” Rebecca blinked, pursing her lips slightly. “Then what?”

Seeing no immediate answer, she said softly, “We’re not superior and subordinate today. Since you called me Lidong-jie, you can treat me like a big sister confidante.”

“…Mm.”

Chu Susu paused for a long while, took a sip of the red wine, and finally mustered the courage to pour out her troubles:

“I had a conflict with someone.”

She took another big gulp. The sweet-yet-bitter liquid slid down her throat, surprisingly sharp like a knife’s edge: “She hid some things from me. My gut says it’s better not to ask, but I still care a lot deep down.”

“I’m wondering, sometimes knowing too much really does make you unhappier, so did I do the wrong thing?”

“Ah…” Rebecca understood. “Your other half?”

But she quickly realized that was too personal, so she smiled and rephrased comfortingly: “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Hm?”

“Hiding it from you is their mistake. You don’t need to punish yourself for someone else’s error—it’ll just add mental burden.”

“But…”

The glass was soon empty. Red flushed Chu Susu’s cheeks; she was clearly tipsy.

They say it’s easy to get drunk when you’re carrying something heavy on your mind. Her tolerance was usually much better, but tonight she was off—her gaze already starting to wander.

“But what if she’s hiding it from me for my own good?”

Rebecca stated firmly: “Impossible.”

“Wh… why?”

“If it was truly for your own good, she’d know how upset you’d be being kept in the dark. Even if the truth isn’t pleasant, you have the right to know it.”

“Is… is that so?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks for talking me through it, Lidong-jie.” Chu Susu swallowed, shakily setting her glass on the table. “C-could you pour me another?”

She downed several glasses in a row, thoroughly drunk now, yet she didn’t notice that Rebecca’s glass hadn’t been touched once.

She merely held the cup, occasionally taking a token sip, but never actually swallowing.

Rebecca shook her head. “No, you’re drunk, Susu.”

“…Then I’ll pour it myself.”

Chu Susu propped herself up and stood, reaching for the wine bottle on the table.

It was right there within easy reach, yet she couldn’t grasp it no matter what.

Her eyelids kept drooping sleepily as her head nodded unevenly. Suddenly, she lost her balance and toppled backward, landing squarely on the sofa.

“Susu?”

Rebecca stood to support her, only to see Chu Susu breathing evenly—she had already fallen asleep just like that.

She stared at that sleeping face, her expression suddenly changing. She stood frozen in place, unmoving, as if confirming whether she was truly unconscious.

After a long moment, Rebecca’s gaze drifted to the bag Chu Susu had placed nearby.

She tiptoed over, picked up the bag, and rummaged through it for something.

“Found it.”

Rebecca dangled a keychain from her hand. At the same time, she glanced out the window.

A waxing crescent moon hung quietly in the sky like a hook, radiating a clear, bright glow.

It also foreshadowed that something was about to happen.