During dinner, Jiang Ruoning fiddled with her phone and said, “That’s strange.”
Qin Zheng looked up. “What’s strange?”
Jiang Ruoning sent another inquiry message, and this time Shi Sui didn’t stay silent. She quickly replied with a number. Qin Zheng was still watching her, so Jiang Ruoning smiled. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about that repayment thing.”
Qin Zheng asked, “Did you get in touch?”
Jiang Ruoning nodded. “Yeah, she messaged back.”
The number was pretty interesting.
520.
The other side explained: sanitary pads for thirty, pants for four hundred ninety. If she needed an invoice, she could send it over later. Jiang Ruoning immediately replied: [No need for the invoice. I’ll send it to you right away.]
She had actually checked online for the same items. If Shi Sui hadn’t replied, she planned to add some extra as a red envelope bonus. The prices she found varied slightly but were around five hundred.
The other side was very honest.
But Jiang Ruoning couldn’t be that honest. She added a little extra from a red envelope—originally planning for six hundred, but thinking of that watch, she gritted her teeth and sent seven hundred.
Shi Sui didn’t accept it and just sent a question mark.
Jiang Ruoning typed with both hands: [Thank you so much for today. This is also for a cup of milk tea.]
Shi Sui didn’t accept and replied: [This milk tea is way too expensive. Next time.]
Jiang Ruoning hadn’t even considered what “next time” meant.
Shi Sui sent: [Just send the exact amount. 520.]
Jiang Ruoning: …
Repaying money felt like a confession. Her teeth ached faintly. In the end, she couldn’t win against the other side and sent exactly 520. This time, the transfer went through. Jiang Ruoning let out a breath of relief, put down her phone, and Qin Zheng asked, “All done?”
Jiang Ruoning nodded and asked Qin Zheng, “Where did Yun An go on her business trip?”
Qin Zheng said, “The neighboring province.”
Jiang Ruoning said “oh.” “How many days?”
Qin Zheng replied, “Not sure yet.”
Jiang Ruoning offered, “Do you want me to stay here with you?”
Qin Zheng looked at her. “Aren’t you going home?”
Jiang Ruoning picked at her greens. “I signed my mom up for a tour group. She left yesterday.”
Qin Zheng nodded. “I have a shoot tomorrow.”
Jiang Ruoning reluctantly said “oh.” She hadn’t even finished chewing her greens when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, picked up the call, and after a moment said, “Okay, got it. I’ll drop it off soon.”
Qin Zheng asked, “Ye Yu?”
Jiang Ruoning confirmed, “Yeah, she wants me to deliver some materials to Sister Xiao Man.”
Qin Zheng took a sip of chicken soup. “Want me to go with you?”
“You rest.” Jiang Ruoning grinned mischievously. “Yun An’s not home for once. Get some good rest.”
Qin Zheng said irritably, “You make it sound like I can’t rest when she’s home.”
Jiang Ruoning raised an eyebrow, leaned close to her ear, and poked at the red mark behind her ear. “Tsk, when she’s home, you can’t even get out of bed. Still calling it rest?”
Qin Zheng choked on her blunt words, her face flushing red. “Jiang Ruoning!”
She gritted her teeth.
Jiang Ruoning grinned cheekily. “What’s there to be shy about? We’re all adults. Miss Qin, please face your inner de·sires~”
Qin Zheng didn’t want to face them.
She just wanted to strangle Jiang Ruoning.
Jiang Ruoning dropped her chopsticks, jumped up, and ran off before Qin Zheng could reach out with her demonic claws. She grabbed her bag and said, “I’m off! Bye!”
Qin Zheng watched her leave a blur in her wake, feeling both annoyed and amused.
Before getting in the car, Jiang Ruoning received a message from Qin Zheng: [Be careful on the road.]
She replied with a cat emoji.
Qin Zheng exited their chat and glanced at the pinned group chat. She tapped it open. The messages had stopped six years ago.
The last one was from Jiang Ruoning.
[Zhengzheng, Shi Sui and I will come over tonight. Save us some dinner.]
That night, she and Yun An had waited a long time but Jiang Ruoning and Shi Sui never showed.
Qin Zheng listened to the sound of the car starting outside the window, snapped back to reality, and looked out.
In the office.
Shi Sui looked up from her computer as Jiang Nuan said, “I found out. During Ying Jinan’s event, she’s staying at Liming Grand Hotel. She books a private swim coach every day and soaks in the pool at six every evening.”
Shi Sui said, “Book me a room there too.”
Jiang Nuan noted it down and said, “One more thing.”
Shi Sui asked, “What?”
Jiang Nuan said, “Jiang Ruoning’s agent replied. They have interest in collaborating.”
It wasn’t surprising.
Four years ago, Jiang Ruoning had made her debut at a fashion show. Slim waist, perky hips, long legs, perfect shoulder width, golden proportions. She wore a light yellow short skirt, her legs straight and slender, black straight hair cascading down, white high heels. As she stepped off the T-stage, several agencies approached her. She signed with the top domestic agency, Del Model Company. That same year, she won the national model competition championship.
Her career sailed smoothly. Beyond the T-stage, she endorsed two high-end luxury brands domestically, graced the cover of the modeling world’s most prestigious Global magazine, and served as a backup dancer for the currently hottest singer, Ye Yu. She was the fastest-rising, most popular model in the industry in recent years.
Until earlier this year, when she switched agencies.
Switching wasn’t bad—people have their ambitions. But her old company was ruthless, and Jiang Ruoning was their cash cow. Quitting wasn’t easy, so after the contract ended, negative press poured in: from minor backstage feuds to major scandalous rumors about her private life and relationships.
Black PR hadn’t stopped for half a year.
With her old company’s influence in the circle, Jiang Ruoning had a tough half-year. Endorsements were snatched, T-stage spots vanished, shoots were squeezed out. In that situation, her agent’s eagerness for collaboration was no surprise.
So when they proposed it, they had anticipated agreement.
But—
Jiang Nuan said, “Aren’t you worried about some scandal breaking during the collaboration?”
Shi Sui looked at Jiang Nuan. “Scandal? What kind of scandal?”
Jiang Nuan thought for a moment. “I heard she’s close with Ye Yu. Her new agency is run by Ye Yu’s friend.”
Romance rumors were always a collaboration taboo. Normal dating was one thing, but affairs, polyamory, and worst of all—
Same-sex relationships.
These stayed unspoken; no one interfered, even insiders just smiled and pretended ignorance.
Once out in the open, it was a landmine ready to explode.
Either total destruction or half-crippled survival.
That was why Jiang Ruoning’s commercial deals had plummeted so fast. Her old company kept pushing the same-sex angle with Ye Yu. Despite countless clarifications and lawsuits from her new agency and agent, no one dared risk it.
What if it was true?
What if her old company really had dirt?
No one wanted risk instead of profit from a collaboration.
Jiang Nuan’s concerns were valid, but Shi Sui was certain. “They’re just friends. Send her the detailed collaboration terms over the next couple days and adjust as needed.”
Jiang Nuan nodded, jotted it down, then looked regretful. “I actually ship them a lot. Did you watch Ye Yu’s concert earlier this year?”
Shi Sui glanced up at her.
Jiang Nuan exaggerated her expression. “No way, you didn’t watch?”
Shi Sui asked, “What about it?”
“That stage accident,” Jiang Nuan said. “At Ye Yu’s concert, Jiang Ruoning fell, and Ye Yu just picked her up and carried her off stage. Girlfriend power maxed out!”
She gestured animatedly.
Shi Sui’s face darkened.
Jiang Nuan, mid-excitement, caught her expression and faltered, her voice cutting off. She realized, “You don’t seem happy?”
Shi Sui looked back at her computer, expressionless as she reminded her, “Jiang Ruoning is our collaboration partner.”
Openly shipping a risky CP with a partner? Jiang Nuan laughed nervously and changed the subject. “Want me to order dinner for you later?”
Shi Sui said, “No need. I’ll head back after sending this email.”
Jiang Nuan was surprised. “That soon?”
Shi Sui explained, “The house has been empty a long time. Needs cleaning.”
Jiang Nuan said, “You didn’t mention it. I could’ve arranged it ahead.”
Shi Sui replied, “It’s fine. I found a housekeeping service. Should be almost done by now.”
She stood up and told Jiang Nuan, “Confirm the shoot time with Jiang Ruoning’s agent ASAP.”
Jiang Nuan replied, “OK.”
As she left the office, there was a knock. Jiang Nuan looked up. It was Xiao Zhao from the secretary department. Xiao Zhao’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she whispered, “Assistant Jiang, is President Shi still in the office?”
Jiang Nuan’s office was just outside Shi Sui’s, nested like matryoshka dolls, with the secretary department outermost.
Jiang Nuan said, “She just left. What’s up?”
Xiao Zhao looked disappointed. “We were just discussing giving President Shi a welcome dinner.”
Jiang Nuan smiled. “I’ll mention it to her.”
Before Shi Sui transferred over, Jiang Nuan had arrived early. She and Shi Sui met abroad while working part-time through school. It had been hard to imagine why a rich girl would do menial jobs, but later she learned Shi Sui’s parents had cut her off financially after she went abroad. She didn’t know the details, and Shi Sui was too resilient—too much so, not taking care of her health. One morning at the shop, Shi Sui collapsed.
Malnutrition plus low blood sugar. Jiang Nuan caught it in time; no major issues.
From there, they grew close. After graduation, Shi Sui returned home, and Jiang Nuan, done with abroad, followed. They climbed the ranks together at the company, and she became Shi Sui’s assistant.
This time in the East District, she’d come a month early and bonded with the secretary team.
Xiao Zhao grinned. “Thanks, Assistant Jiang.”
Jiang Nuan nodded slightly. “No problem.”
The office door closed, and Jiang Nuan messaged Shi Sui.
On the road, Shi Sui couldn’t check her phone. After getting out, she saw Jiang Nuan’s message: the secretaries wanted to welcome her with dinner. Shi Sui held her phone and replied to Jiang Nuan: [Handle it as you see fit.]
Jiang Nuan: [Night after next?]
Shi Sui: [Fine.]
Jiang Nuan: [Company nearby restaurant?]
Shi Sui was about to say whatever, but oddly thought of that private cuisine place she used to go to with Jiang Ruoning. She sent Jiang Nuan: [I’ll send you an address. Book that one.]
Jiang Nuan was surprised—Shi Sui, who usually didn’t care about food, suddenly picky? But she replied promptly: Got it.
Shi Sui put her phone in her bag. As the elevator doors opened, she heard a familiar voice: “Say bye-bye to Mommy.”
It was Jiang Ruoning.
Shi Sui didn’t know how she stepped out of the elevator. She saw Jiang Ruoning at the door of Zhou Man’s home, holding a child’s hand. Zhou Man stood at the door smiling at them. She looked up, saw Shi Sui, and her smile froze.
Jiang Ruoning turned at the sound.
Their eyes met unexpectedly. Shi Sui slowly lowered the hand holding her bag, her fingertips digging harshly into her palm. Unlike her rigidly tense body, her heart pounded uncontrollably, like a dying fish on the shore spotting the water it craved most.
Shi Sui unconsciously took a step forward.
Jiang Ruoning asked Zhou Man, “Sister Xiao Man, who’s this?”
Zhou Man snapped back and introduced her. “My neighbor.”
Jiang Ruoning remembered. “The junior next door whose place has been empty?”
Zhou Man nodded.
Jiang Ruoning smiled and extended her hand to Shi Sui. “Hello, I’m her junior too. Wild junior.”
Shi Sui released her tightly clenched hand, nail marks faintly painful in her palm. Jiang Ruoning’s extended fingers were slender and long, joints distinct. Shi Sui gently grasped it, her voice slightly hoarse. “Hello.”
