Chapter 58: Together Part 2

Making her rest? Or vice versa?

Jiang Ruoning equivocated: [Mutual care.]

Zhou Man: [Good, she’s been coughing a lot. I was worried.]

Jiang Ruoning glanced at Shi Sui—lots cared for her, minus her unlikeable mom. Everyone liked, worried. [She seems much better.]

Zhou Man: [Great. Rest up, won’t disturb.]

Jiang Ruoning bit her lip, shifted away half-inch—just as Shi Sui pulled her back into embrace. Thought her awake, turned: “Shi Sui?”

No reply. Pure instinct. Jiang Ruoning’s heart melted. Back against Shi Sui, let her hold, still messaged Zhou Man: [No disturbance.]

Stubborn: [Not at all.]

Zhou Man smiled across screen. Xiao Guai toddled over, sweetly: “Mommy, why laughing?”

She petted her head: “If Ning-jie and Shi Sui-jie get together, happy?”

Xiao Guai, honest but clueless: “Aren’t they always together?”

Every time she saw them, they were.

Zhou Man looked at Xiao Guai upon hearing this and suddenly smiled. “Yeah, they’ve always been together.”

Xiao Guai bounced off to play with her toys again. Zhou Man stared at the chat screen, pondering before typing: [Ningning, has your mom mentioned Shi Sui to you lately?]

Jiang Ruoning shot up in bed instantly, startling Shi Sui awake. Shi Sui blinked open her eyes groggily and looked at her. Jiang Ruoning covered her eyes. “Keep sleeping.”

Shi Sui: “…”

Jiang Ruoning wanted to call but worried about waking Shi Sui, so she typed instead: [Has she seen Shi Sui??]

Had Shi Sui snuck off behind her back to meet Jiang Qin?

Jiang Ruoning’s heart pounded wildly. Her first reaction wasn’t anger but worry—worry about Jiang Qin’s health, worry that Shi Sui had gotten scolded by her. She clutched her phone, staring off in a daze. Zhou Man replied: [No, just that a while back, Auntie paid me back the money, and I mentioned Shi Sui.]

Jiang Ruoning knew about the repayment. Jiang Qin had told her. Back then, Zhou Man had covered her medical bills at the hospital. While supporting Jiang Ruoning’s schooling, Jiang Qin had paid it back bit by bit over two years. Zhou Man hadn’t even charged interest. Recently, Jiang Qin had mentioned that Zhou Man, working as a lawyer, had slipped her monthly bonuses too, and Jiang Qin had calculated it all precisely, including interest, saving it up in a card to return to her.

But what did that have to do with Shi Sui?

Jiang Ruoning: [Why’d you mention her?]

Zhou Man explained: [That money was from Shi Sui. She left it with me for you.]

Jiang Ruoning gripped her phone, suddenly as if she couldn’t recognize the words. She read Zhou Man’s message three times over, carefully, then slowly set the phone down.

Back in her freshman year, Shi Sui had followed her family’s lead into investing and made some small gains. Shi Sui had a card back then that she kept saying was for Jiang Ruoning, but she’d refused—it was Shi Sui’s money, after all. She hadn’t expected Shi Sui to give it to Zhou Man instead, let alone that it had actually been used on her.

Jiang Ruoning lowered her head in silence.

Shi Sui had actually woken up when Jiang Ruoning jolted earlier but saw her busy with her phone and assumed she was handling something with someone else, so she’d kept her eyes closed to rest. Then she heard a sniffle. Stunned, she turned her head. Jiang Ruoning had her back to her, shoulders shaking. Shi Sui ventured, “Ruoning?”

Jiang Ruoning ignored her, just hugging her pillow as tears streamed down her face.

So many memories flooded back. She’d thought their past hardships were bad enough, but it turned out only Shi Sui had suffered—the happiness had all been hers.

These past few years, Jiang Ruoning had Jiang Qin caring for her daily life, friends like Qin Zheng and Yun An, Ye Yu supporting her career. If she craved something, she’d call Qu Lele. If she was upset, she could visit Xiao Guai or Sister Xiao Man. But Shi Sui? Shi Sui had nothing, going abroad alone, adrift across the ocean, wanting to return but unable.

Even her last bit of security—her money—had gone to Sister Xiao Man for Jiang Ruoning’s sake.

Jiang Ruoning’s nose clogged up, her crying miserable and stifled. The taut string in her chest finally snapped from Zhou Man’s words, the pain curling her into a ball.

Shi Sui panicked. “What’s wrong? What happened? Is it Auntie…”

Jiang Ruoning whipped around, glaring fiercely at her, eyes brimming with tangled emotions—heartache, pain. Shi Sui met her gaze and froze for seconds. “Ruoning?”

“Don’t call me.” Jiang Ruoning’s nose was stuffy with annoyance. She reached for tissues on Shi Sui’s bedside table but couldn’t quite grab them. Seeing Shi Sui not moving, she snapped, “Scoot over and hand them here, or I’ll wipe all my snot on you!”

She grossed herself out saying it and calmed for a beat.

Shi Sui grabbed tissues from the bedside table and handed them over. Jiang Ruoning huffed, “See, you do find me disgusting. You grab the tissues but won’t even take off your clothes for me to wipe on.”

Shi Sui: “…”

Jiang Ruoning watched her go quiet and felt a bit better, rubbing her nose raw. Shi Sui eyed her reddened nose and teary eyes, worried. “What exactly happened?”

But the girl in front of her was too busy wiping her face to respond.

Shi Sui remembered it started with the phone. What was on it? She reached for it, but Jiang Ruoning swiftly hid it behind her back. Shi Sui said, “Give it to me.”

Jiang Ruoning shook her head.

Shi Sui looked at her helplessly.

Then Jiang Ruoning remembered: “Fine, here.”

Shi Sui didn’t know the password anyway.

Shi Sui took the phone, grabbed Jiang Ruoning’s hand, and pressed her fingerprint to it. Jiang Ruoning, still wiping her eyes, yelped, “Hey!”

The lock opened.

Jiang Ruoning pursed her lips, saying nothing. Shi Sui saw the chat with Zhou Man on the screen. “This is what it’s about?”

As if it was nothing. Jiang Ruoning snatched the phone back, mumbling, “None of your business.”

Shi Sui said, “What’s there to cry about?”

That fired Jiang Ruoning up. “I’m crying! So what?”

Her tears weren’t even dry yet—talking made her nose sting again, fresh tears spilling as her eyes reddened like she’d been bullied. Shi Sui coaxed, “Don’t cry.”

Jiang Ruoning hissed low, “If you want me to stop crying, then don’t do stuff like this.”

Sneaking kindness her way without letting her know—what, playing tragic romance? Jiang Ruoning wiped her tears, but they kept coming. She cracked, turning to hug Shi Sui, soaking her neck. Shi Sui held her. “That was all in the past.”

Jiang Ruoning sobbed, “Does that mean it wasn’t a big deal? Can’t I feel bad about it? Can’t I cry? Can’t I ache for you?”

Shi Sui chuckled at that. Hearing her laugh made Jiang Ruoning cry harder, wailing outright. Shi Sui held her, patting her back. “Okay, okay, it’s all over now.”

Jiang Ruoning slurred through tears, “Shi Sui, you’re really annoying. I don’t want to like you at all.”

Shi Sui soothed, “Yeah, yeah, you don’t like me. I like you.”

Jiang Ruoning sniffled, “What’s there to like about me? I’m not cute, I’m greedy, fickle, and…”

Shi Sui wiped her tears, gazing at her. “Stop listing your good points. I can’t keep up with liking them all.”

Jiang Ruoning burst out laughing despite herself. She’d been on the verge of tears, now she was caught between crying and laughing, starting up again with little whines. Shi Sui felt like they’d gone back to the early days of dating—Jiang Ruoning was so easy to coax then, quick to tear up at small surprises, her voice all choked when she spoke. Shi Sui listened, full of love and heartache. Jiang Ruoning was just so soft-hearted.

Such a wonderful person.

Shi Sui hugged her tighter.

Jiang Ruoning cried until her face hurt. The phone alarm rang a few rounds, then the ringtone blared. Shi Sui handed it over. “Your manager.”

Jiang Ruoning wiped her tears, took a deep breath. Her throat was dry and sore, voice a bit hoarse. She cleared it, covered her eyes with tissue, and tried lowering her voice. “Hello.”

She felt like a spy on a drop.

Wu Jie whispered too. “President Shi still asleep?”

Jiang Ruoning blinked in confusion. “She’s awake.”

Then she gritted out, “Wu Jie!”

Wu Jie laughed. “Then why whisper? Catch a cold or something?”

Teasing back.

Jiang Ruoning ignored her, about to hang up. Wu Jie relented. “Okay, okay. Ten o’clock downstairs for fittings. Don’t be late.”

“Oh.” Jiang Ruoning checked the time—7:30. Time for breakfast. She waited for Wu Jie to hang up. Shi Sui asked, “Something up?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “Ten o’clock downstairs for fittings. What about you? What’s your day?”

Shi Sui replied, “Watch you all do fittings.”

Jiang Ruoning: “…”

So clingy!

She huffed, rolled out of bed, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Glancing up, she saw her reflection: messy hair, red eyes, red nose, cheeks rubbed pink. Total mess, no elegance or beauty. Yet Shi Sui had looked at her just now with pure joy and concern.

Being with someone like that would surely be happy.

Jiang Ruoning bit her lip, smoothed her long hair in the mirror. Suddenly, she poked her head out toward the room. “Shi Sui.”

Shi Sui’s figure emerged from the bedroom, stopping at the door to look at her. “Hm?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “This time back in Shangjing, let’s go see my mom together.”