Jiang Ruoning caught the faint scent in the air—Shi Sui’s. She lied, “Yeah, still at it.”
Shi Sui tilted her head.
Jiang Ruoning’s profile stiffened.
Jiang Qin wasn’t surprised. Jiang Ruoning used to get pulled out of the country at midnight or shoot all night and crash the next day. Only this past half-year had been freer, with more time. This sudden busyness felt off. Hearing she still had work, Jiang Qin nagged, “Eat something proper, not just fruit. Drink more milk…”
Jiang Ruoning’s voice caught in her throat. She blinked. “I know, Mom. You rest early.”
Jiang Qin said, “I’m about to. So sleepy—fell asleep watching TV earlier.”
Jiang Ruoning replied, “Don’t sleep on the couch; your back hurts.”
Jiang Qin chuckled warmly. “I know, I know. Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself. If you’re too tired, tell Little Wu and nap before working more.”
Jiang Ruoning had only said she was working to dodge questions, but now Jiang Qin acted like she wasn’t coming home tonight. Jiang Ruoning swallowed her frustration and said to Jiang Qin, “Go to sleep already.”
She’d picked up some bossiness from Shi Sui.
But it worked wonders.
Jiang Qin obediently hung up. Jiang Ruoning exhaled in relief. The old tension from facing Jiang Qin shifted into something else after the call. Shi Sui set the phone down, turned it off, slipped it back in the bag, and asked Jiang Ruoning, “Not going home tonight?”
Jiang Ruoning flushed. “How could I not? I…”
Shi Sui grabbed the hand gripping the wheel. “Can you not go home?”
Jiang Ruoning glanced over. Shi Sui’s palm was hot—not feverish, just her body heat: dry and warm, spreading over the back of her hand. Jiang Ruoning tried to pull away, but Shi Sui pressed it firmly to the wheel, her fingers lacing through to grip it tight.
Jiang Ruoning had never imagined that “clinging” could be used quite like this, but Shi Sui really stuck to her hand, sucking onto the steering wheel as she said, “No, my mom is still waiting for me.”
Shi Sui replied, “Auntie is asleep.”
Jiang Ruoning said, “Even then…”
Shi Sui interrupted, “My mom might come over tonight. I’m scared to sleep alone at home.”
Jiang Ruoning was shocked by her shamelessness. She had anticipated all sorts of excuses from this woman, but not this one. Scared? What was she scared of—Xu Qingqing not seeing them tumbling in the sheets at home?
She shook her head. “No.”
Shi Sui said, “Then I’ll go to your place.”
Jiang Ruoning didn’t even think about it. “Are you crazy?”
Shi Sui pursed her lips.
Jiang Ruoning lowered her gaze, looking ahead at the road. She withdrew her hand from Shi Sui’s grasp and said, “You don’t need to test me. Between you and my mom, I’ll always choose my mom.”
Shi Sui pulled her hand back and leaned against the seatback. “No one’s forcing you to choose.”
She looked at Jiang Ruoning. “If I had to choose between you and Auntie, I’d choose Auntie too.”
“You!” Jiang Ruoning laughed in exasperation. “You’re nuts. That’s my mom!”
As if she needed to choose?
But strangely, a flicker of delight stirred in her heart. What was that about?
Jiang Ruoning bit her lower lip. Shi Sui said, “So what if she’s your mom? Can’t I pick her?”
Jiang Ruoning replied, “Of course you can’t. You’re not her daughter.”
Shi Sui nodded. “Then I’ll be your daughter.”
Jiang Ruoning suspected she was drunk, but she hadn’t drunk tonight. Had she caught a fever and fried her brain? Just as Jiang Ruoning reached out to feel Shi Sui’s forehead, she heard her ask, “Should I call you Mommy?”
“No!” Jiang Ruoning flushed with embarrassment. What was wrong with this woman? What was she on about today?
Shi Sui said, “Why not? Didn’t you used to love it when I called you Mommy?”
Jiang Ruoning stammered, “That was—” She had no defense. “I was joking.”
Shi Sui wouldn’t let it go. “I took it seriously.”
Jiang Ruoning’s tone grew unnatural. “You’re crazy!”
Shi Sui called to her, “Ruoning.” Jiang Ruoning ignored her. Shi Sui leaned closer. “Mom…”
Jiang Ruoning couldn’t take it. She exploded right there in the car, pulling over to the curb. She whipped around to face Shi Sui. “Don’t call me that! Don’t you dare!”
She roared, “If you call me that again, I’ll do you in!”
Shi Sui’s eyes lit up with interest. “How?”
Jiang Ruoning met that intrigued gaze, and her raging fury was doused like a bucket of cold water, extinguished with a pathetic puff of gray smoke. She clenched her fists, made a threatening gesture at Shi Sui, then took a deep breath, ignored her, and drove on.
On the road, Shi Sui called, “Ruoning.”
Jiang Ruoning snapped viciously, “Shut up!”
Shi Sui whined shamelessly, “Jiang Ruoning.”
Jiang Ruoning reached into her bag with one hand, rummaged around, pulled out a face mask, and slapped it over Shi Sui’s mouth. Shi Sui’s voice muffled behind it, echoing strangely in Jiang Ruoning’s heart like an itchy cat’s paw scratching at her core.
When they reached the residential complex, Jiang Ruoning didn’t pause for a second. She swung the car into the spot under the building and urged Shi Sui to get out.
But Shi Sui stayed put. Jiang Ruoning couldn’t hold back; she reached out to check her forehead. No fever. She leaned in close to sniff—there was a whiff of alcohol, but just on her clothes. She’d felt unwell earlier and hadn’t drunk; no one had dared to push her. So she was sober now, completely sober. Then what was this willful tantrum about?
Jiang Ruoning asked, “Are you getting out or not?”
Shi Sui said, “My head hurts.”
Jiang Ruoning laughed. “Headache means you can’t walk?”
Shi Sui extended her hand. “Help me.”
Jiang Ruoning took a deep breath and blurted, “I’ll call Sister Xiao Man to come down and get you.”
She’d just pulled out her phone when Shi Sui pressed down on the screen. “Senior’s already asleep.”
Jiang Ruoning retorted, “She often works late into the night.”
Shi Sui insisted confidently, “Not tonight.”
Jiang Ruoning looked at her stubborn, wheedling expression—it felt so familiar. Before, it had been her acting this way; now the roles had reversed to Shi Sui. Jiang Ruoning stared for a few seconds and chuckled. “Come on.” She got out first, circled to the passenger side, opened the door, and helped Shi Sui out. Shi Sui leaned on her, but not her full weight. Jiang Ruoning grabbed her bag, supported her with one arm, locked the car, and headed home with her.
In the elevator, Shi Sui turned to look at Jiang Ruoning and suddenly asked, “Tired?”
Jiang Ruoning blinked at the out-of-the-blue question, processing for a few seconds before replying, “Not really. I used to shoot thirty outfits in a day.”
For two different brands, no less. The only upside was no makeup—they just needed to show the clothes from the neck down, so changing was quick. Back then, she’d still been with Del.
Shi Sui noticed her zoning out and asked, “What are you thinking?”
Jiang Ruoning sighed wistfully, “Those days were good.”
Shi Sui asked, “You like being busy?”
Jiang Ruoning said, “I like the money.”
Shi Sui: “…You’re still such a money-grubber?”
Jiang Ruoning looked at her puzzled. “You don’t like money?”
Shi Sui opened her mouth to speak but suddenly remembered how Jiang Ruoning used to tell Qin Zheng in high school, “Zhengzheng, get rich quick so I can lie flat.”
Later in college, Jiang Ruoning’s first priority wasn’t graduating to work but grad school—to mooch off campus as long as possible. Back then, she’d told her, “Sure, I’ll earn the money and support us. You study and be our family’s highbrow intellectual.”
Memories flooded in like a damp tide, crashing over Shi Sui. As they reached the elevator doors, Jiang Ruoning asked, “Not coming out?”
She looked up. Jiang Ruoning stood outside, watching her. Shi Sui stepped out, fished the keys from her bag, and unlocked the door. Once inside, she pulled out a card and handed it to Jiang Ruoning. Jiang Ruoning blinked in confusion. “What?”
Was she trying to sugar mama her?
Shi Sui said, “I promised to earn money for you to spend.”
Jiang Ruoning laughed helplessly. “You’ve said a lot of things before. Do I have to hold you to every single one?”
Shi Sui gazed at her. “Just give me the chance.”
There it was again—this woman’s knack for probing at every opening.
Jiang Ruoning shoved the card back.
Shi Sui’s fingertip pinched the card’s edge, sharp enough to prick her skin, a fine sting blooming alongside the ache in her heart.
But so what?
If Jiang Ruoning rejected her a hundred times, she’d try a hundred and one. One day, she’d acknowledge what they had.
Shi Sui rallied and asked, “Want to shower?”
Jiang Ruoning stuttered, “N-no, no shower.”
She was just dropping Shi Sui off, checking if Xu Qingqing was around. She hadn’t said anything about staying over—or showering?
Shi Sui went into the bedroom, grabbed pajamas, and said casually, “Then I’ll go first.”
Jiang Ruoning scratched at her bangs, neither agreeing nor refusing, mumbling an “Mm.”
Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Jiang Ruoning sat on the sofa, staring out the window. Suddenly, memories surfaced—of all those times she’d sat here waiting for Shi Sui to finish showering. They’d go shopping at night, hands full of bags of snacks. She’d shower first, then Shi Sui would set out all the junk food and skewers on the coffee table, plus her favorite milk tea. When she emerged with a towel on her head, she’d find Shi Sui on the sofa, her favorite snacks laid out, her favorite movie on TV. Outside was pitch black, but inside was endless warmth.
Then that warmth shattered under a shadow.
That woman had stood over them, looking down with contempt. God, they’d been so young back then—one glance from her felt like a crushing burden. Riddled with guilt, she’d tried to please, enduring all that woman’s “trials.” Naively, she’d thought Xu Qingqing would see her efforts and accept her and Shi Sui. A little more hardship was fine; she could take it.
What had broken the stalemate?
Jiang Ruoning racked her brain. That part of her memory was like a gear that always jammed here. She tried to turn it, to recall the next scene, but no matter how hard she pushed, it stayed welded shut—as if forcing it would snap it clean off.
She desperately wanted to know, that missing piece the key to her memory puzzle.
Click. The bathroom door opened. Shi Sui emerged in pajamas, towel turban on her head, cheeks flushed from steam, eyes brighter than ever. The moment she stepped out, she caught Jiang Ruoning’s gaze on her—different from the shy look when she’d gone in. Now, Jiang Ruoning seemed lost in something, her stare vacant, her turn mechanical.
Shi Sui started toward her, but Jiang Ruoning stood abruptly, strode over in three steps, and dropped a bombshell: “Do you want to have sex with me?”
