Chapter 32

“Not just a hundred thousand—tell me how much you need, and I’ll lend it to you.”

Jiang Chan blinked, and something hot suddenly spilled from her eyes.

She cursed softly. “Idiot.”

Bai Shuangshuang, you really are an idiot.

~~~

“Give me some time, and I’ll pay you back.”

“Of course I know you’ll pay me back. I’m not in a hurry. Take your time.”

Before entering the station, Jiang Chan suddenly turned back. “Bai Shuangshuang, aren’t you afraid I’ll just take the money and run? Or that later, when you come asking for it, I’ll play dumb and say you never lent me anything—what would you do then?”

She smiled gently. “I know you wouldn’t.”

A tangle of complex emotions flickered through Jiang Chan’s eyes before settling into the calm clarity of a serene lake. “Bai Shuangshuang, thank you.”

Bai Shuangshuang nudged her forward. “Come on, you’ll miss your train. When you get back, dinner’s on me.”

Jiang Chan murmured her assent, turned, and joined the end of the line, shuffling in with the crowd.

Bai Shuangshuang stayed rooted in place until Jiang Chan’s figure vanished completely. Only then did she turn and walk away.

What did a hundred thousand yuan mean?

To some people, it might just be the price of a meal.

To others, it could save a life.

~~~

When Bai Shuangshuang saw Jiang Chan again, the faint anxiety that had plagued her for days finally eased.

She was grinning ear to ear—clearly good news—and sure enough, Jiang Chan confirmed it. “The checkup results were way better than I expected. The doctor said that with proper rest for a while, regular medication, no heavy labor, and keeping her emotions stable, she can go back to living a normal life just like before.”

“So from now on, you won’t deliberately rile her up anymore?”

Jiang Chan nodded. “Yeah. I was too naive before. Starting now, for her sake, I’ll work to become a better person.”

Back in her third year of junior high, Jiang Chan’s parents had died unexpectedly. Her only remaining blood relative, Little Auntie, had stepped up to take care of her.

Little Auntie had graduated from university just a few years earlier and was barely scraping by on her own. Suddenly burdened with a child, she accepted it without a single complaint—everyone thought she was a fool for it.

She never grumbled, always giving the very best to Jiang Chan with unwavering gentleness.

Jiang Chan had been mature enough back then. After coming to terms with her parents’ death, she quickly realized another harsh truth: dragging Little Auntie down would be exhausting for her.

So from that point on, she started acting out in every way possible, ignoring all of Little Auntie’s discipline and turning into a thoroughly unlikeable little terror.

No matter how much chaos Jiang Chan caused, Little Auntie never once thought of giving up on her. Even when life grew truly difficult, she gritted her teeth and pushed through.

Jiang Chan might have had a rotten temper, but she never let her studies slip—scholarships were tied to her grades, and she wasn’t about to turn her nose up at money.

Later, kindhearted neighbors arranged a blind date for Little Auntie. Jiang Chan overheard that the man actually took a liking to her but was hesitating because of the “baggage.”

That was right around when Jiang Chan transferred to No. 1 High School. Sensing a potential turning point for her stalled scheme, she went all out on the very first day, brazenly defying the Discipline Director.

The Discipline Director summoned Little Auntie. She apologized profusely to everyone. Seeing how tough it was for her on her own, the man settled for a lighter punishment: Jiang Chan would stay home for a week.

Little Auntie thanked him repeatedly and was about to head out with Jiang Chan, who was waiting just outside, when the director pointed at the shock of yellow hair peeking through the window. “That hair has to be dyed black.”

Little Auntie, who had been so meek since they arrived, straightened up. She looked at the man with mild but unyielding resolve. “Little Chan’s mother dyed it for her right before she passed away. Now that my sister is gone, it holds a different kind of meaning for her. I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t change it.”

The Discipline Director wouldn’t budge. The whole school had black hair—no exceptions, or how could he maintain order?

“If anyone asks, you can say it’s natural. I trust you can make that work, sir. If not, we’ll have to transfer schools. I understand your position perfectly, and I know how crucial a student’s image is. But for our Little Chan, holding on to something her mother gave her with her own hands matters more. I promise you this: aside from that one thing, Little Chan will follow every other rule you set.”

The man wavered for a moment, then finally agreed.

It wasn’t just because of Liu Ming’s words. Jiang Chan’s grades were excellent—good enough to count toward boosting the school’s elite university admission rate.

Jiang Chan had no idea what Liu Ming had said to the Discipline Director, but she knew one thing: she wouldn’t have to dye her hair back, she could keep going to school, and most frustrating of all, Liu Ming hadn’t abandoned her the way she’d hoped.

After that, Jiang Chan never saw that man again. She finally couldn’t hold back and asked about it. Liu Ming smiled and said, “We’re not right for each other, so we didn’t get together.”

Jiang Chan thought, You’re lying. You clearly like him a lot.

Liu Ming looked at her tenderly, her voice soft like a spring breeze rustling the willows. “To me, Little Chan is the most important. Besides, if someone can’t accept the person I care about, then they don’t really like me that much. I don’t need someone like that.”

Jiang Chan wasn’t moved. Instead, the mountain of guilt weighing on her only grew heavier, making it harder for her to breathe.

She still wanted to drive away this person who could have had a better life—using her worst behavior—yet that person continued to embrace her ugliest side with unwavering gentleness.

That all changed not long ago, when Liu Ming’s routine company physical turned up something unusual in her breast. Suspected breast cancer.

People always cling to a sliver of hope, thinking that as long as they don’t see the results, nothing has happened.

Jiang Chan was still at school, so when she got home, Liu Ming simply left the medical report on the living room table, planning to deal with it later.

But that week, Jiang Chan happened to come back for some things. She saw it the moment she walked in.

The argument was inevitable.

This time, though, it was different from the usual fights. Jiang Chan had never backed down in front of her before, but now her eyes reddened and she broke down crying.

Liu Ming was heartbroken too, but she knew better. If it turned out to be real, the money she’d scrimped and saved all these years wouldn’t even cover the treatment.

Borrow it? Who would lend her that much?

If that was the case, better not to touch it at all. Then, if the worst happened, there would still be something left for her Little Chan.

Little Chan was in university now. Those savings could carry her through the next few years of school.

So Liu Ming comforted her. It might not be cancer—maybe a mistake on the exam. The company would do another checkup next month. They could go to the hospital if a lump was really found then.

Both of them knew how fast cancer cells could spread.

Jiang Chan knew even better why Liu Ming was doing this. It all came down to her.

She stopped arguing, slammed the door on her way out—and made up her mind.

Liu Ming let out a breath of relief. If she really left, Little Chan probably wouldn’t be too upset, right?

After all, she didn’t like her that much.

When Jiang Chan came back, she had the money Bai Shuangshuang had lent her.

She didn’t know exactly how much treatment would cost, but with Liu Ming’s savings plus what she’d secretly stashed away, it should be enough.

For the first time in her life, Liu Ming went cold on her. “Where did you get this money?”

The thought that Jiang Chan might have done something stupid had her on the verge of breaking down.

Jiang Chan stayed calm, as she should. “I borrowed it.”

Liu Ming naturally didn’t believe her. What university student could borrow that much from anyone?

A thought flashed through her mind, and her heart ached so much she could barely speak. “Did you take out a nude loan?!”

Jiang Chan thought these women had some seriously messed-up thought processes—first Bai Shuangshuang, now Liu Ming.

At least Liu Ming didn’t slap her.

She explained everything from start to finish. In the end, she said earnestly, “I met the most precious friend I’ll ever have in this lifetime.”

Liu Ming relaxed once she knew no foolish mistakes had been made, but then another worry hit her. “Where did she get that kind of money? Does her family know she lent you so much…”

She went on and on, nagging endlessly. Jiang Chan found it unbearable. When Liu Ming wasn’t looking, she chopped the back of her neck. Liu Ming was small and slight, so Jiang Chan simply picked her up and took her straight to the hospital.

She had this inexplicable confidence that she could accept Bai Shuangshuang’s loan with a clear conscience—for now.

The results were better than expected. Liu Ming had surgery, and the money didn’t all get used up. With their combined savings, she could take a temporary leave from work and still get by for a while.

Jiang Chan took time off from school to care for her around the clock, until Liu Ming finally shooed her away.

Before leaving, she gave her a deep, serious bow.

“Little Auntie, I’m sorry. I was so immature before. Thank you for never giving up on me. Please believe me—from now on, I’ll take good care of you. If you never meet the right person in this lifetime, I’ll still be there for you even when you’re old.”

Once she had left, Liu Ming finally covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably.

Her first half of life had been redeemed by one person.

Her latter half, by that person’s daughter.

How fortunate she was.

~~~

Bai Tongsheng was taking her Gaokao exams while Bai Shuangshuang was still attending classes at university.

Though she wasn’t by her side, her entire heart was tethered to Bai Tongsheng.

During those few days of exams, she called every single day to check in, and only after hearing that everything had gone smoothly did she finally relax.

“I’m coming to see you tomorrow.”

“Ah? Tomorrow? Didn’t you just finish your exams? You must be exhausted, A-Sheng. It’s fine to come a few days later.”

After Bai Shuangshuang started university, Bai Tongsheng visited her every month. Knowing full well that she was in the middle of a crucial period, Bai Shuangshuang couldn’t talk her out of wanting to see her, so she planned to head back home herself.

But Bai Tongsheng refused outright. As she put it, a trip to another city would help her unwind.

Bai Shuangshuang couldn’t win the argument, so she reluctantly agreed to let her come.

The moment Bai Tongsheng entered the latter half of her senior year, however, she banned her from making the trip.

When Bai Tongsheng pushed back, she threatened never to speak to her again. The tactic worked—Bai Tongsheng really stopped coming.

Monthly video calls remained non-negotiable, though.

Now that she thought about it, it had been ages since she’d seen Bai Shuangshuang in person.

Hearing at this moment that Bai Tongsheng was coming tomorrow, she suddenly realized just how much she missed her too.

But with the Gaokao freshly behind her, there was no real hurry to meet right away.

After a brief internal tug-of-war, reason won out over longing.

When Bai Tongsheng fell silent on the other end of the line, Bai Shuangshuang sensed her displeasure and coaxed gently, “Besides, A-Sheng, you can stay here for several days this time around, so there’s no need to rush into coming tomorrow, right?”

Bai Tongsheng’s voice came low and husky, every word ringing crystal clear in Bai Shuangshuang’s ears.

“Not in a rush? How could it not be?”

“Bai Shuangshuang, I’ve been dying to see you. I’m going crazy missing you.”