After We Broke Up, She Started Pursuing Me [Entertainment Industry] 24

Chapter 24

After two years, Jiang Mo thought her heart had become cold enough.

But upon meeting the person before her again, it was like a small pebble being thrown into a river that had been dead and still for years, stirring up faint ripples.

A long-lost feeling of her heart stirring caught her completely off guard.

And so, the person who had always been so mindful of propriety and boundaries momentarily lost her composure, her hand supporting Shi Qin lingering for a long time.

It wasn’t until she felt her slight struggle that Jiang Mo’s consciousness returned to reality.

But when she looked up, she saw someone she hadn’t expected.

Standing there, as stunned as a wooden chicken, was Zhou Jinsi.

After two years, she had changed quite a bit.

Jiang Mo saw the astonishment, the surprise, and finally, the figure hastily hiding itself in her eyes.

“Thanks…”

Shi Qin looked at Jiang Mo. She hadn’t expected to have so many chances to reunite with old acquaintances lately.

Just now, Zhou Jinsi had left without a word, saying she was going to buy something, and hadn’t been seen since. After her ankle was bandaged, Shi Qin had wanted to go look for her, but because of the pain, she had stumbled. Just as she was about to fall, a female doctor came over and caught her.

Shi Qin felt as if she had grasped a lifeline. When she looked up again, she found that the person was actually Jiang Mo.

Speaking of Jiang Mo, Shi Qin’s memories of her were already a bit fuzzy, so seeing her again now, there was a certain sense of distance and awkwardness.

Jiang Mo didn’t respond to her thanks, just stared at her with a burning gaze.

The gaze was too intense, making Shi Qin frown. She avoided her stare and said faintly, “I have something to do. I’ll be going now.”

“Wait.”

Seeing that she was about to leave, Jiang Mo grabbed her by the wrist. Shi Qin froze, her gaze falling to her hand.

Sensing her stare, Jiang Mo let go. “Sorry…”

A faint smile appeared on Shi Qin’s lips, but her eyes were devoid of any emotion. “It’s fine. Is there anything else you need?”

Jiang Mo was silent for a moment before she looked up. “It’s been a long time. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Shi Qin raised an eyebrow and replied nonchalantly, “Mhm, indeed. Quite a coincidence.”

This awkward conversation made a hint of embarrassment appear on Jiang Mo’s face.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Can we talk again when you have time? There are still some things I want to talk to you about.”

Shi Qin refused without hesitation. “If there’s something, you can say it now. I’m very busy with work, and besides… there’s no need for us to meet up again, is there?”

Even though there were never any feelings, we’re still exes. What’s the point of seeing each other again?

Of course, Zhou Jinsi was an exception.

Jiang Mo was helpless. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She understood that it had always been a one-woman show on her part, and even now, she was still holding onto a sliver of hope.

After learning that she and Zhou Jinsi had broken up, Jiang Mo had been thinking of contacting her again, but Shi Qin’s attitude toward her had grown even colder, and her messages were ignored.

Later, when she entered the company and became busy as an artist, the two of them never contacted each other again.

Jiang Mo lowered her eyes, steadying her emotions. Her gaze happened to fall on her ankle.

“Your foot is injured. Be sure to ice it when you get back.”

“Thanks, the doctor already told me.”

Jiang Mo was at a loss for words again. For some reason, the image of seeing Zhou Jinsi just now flashed in her mind. She asked, unwilling to give up, “Did Zhou Jinsi come with you?”

Shi Qin was stunned, wondering when she had seen Zhou Jinsi.

Speaking of that person, she still hadn’t come back yet. A hint of resentment grew in Shi Qin’s heart.

But of course, Shi Qin wouldn’t show these emotions on her face. She looked up at Jiang Mo, her voice cold. “That doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you, does it?”

“Jiang Mo, I made things very clear with you before. It’s in the past. Even if there were no one else, it would be impossible between us.”

“So, I don’t think there’s anything left to say. I’ll be going now.”

With that, Shi Qin supported herself against the wall and slowly shuffled away.

Jiang Mo stood where she was, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with an unreadable mix of complicated thoughts.

She just watched as Shi Qin slowly walked away, until she completely disappeared from her sight.

…

“Zhou Jinsi, what are you doing sitting here? You didn’t reply to my messages, and you didn’t answer my calls.”

Because she couldn’t get in touch with her, Shi Qin had to use a great deal of energy to search for her on the first floor, her foot throbbing with pain. Only then did she see her sitting in a corner, spacing out.

And her hands were empty, with nothing in them. All that time, she had just been sitting here, spacing out.

And she didn’t even know that someone was worried about her.

She had thought Zhou Jinsi would explain something to her, but instead, the person stood up, looked down at her, her gaze colder than Shi Qin had ever seen.

She frowned, as if restraining something, but still said with a blank expression, “My relationship with you doesn’t seem to be close enough to warrant that.”

That one sentence was like a bucket of cold water being poured over Shi Qin, sending a chill through her entire body.

She was stunned for a long moment, still not quite processing it, her voice trembling. “What… did you say?”

Zhou Jinsi looked at her quietly. She saw the surprise and confusion in Shi Qin’s eyes, and a hint of helplessness.

But now, no matter how many emotions the person before her displayed, Zhou Jinsi was unwilling to believe her again.

She could be a fool once, twice, but there would absolutely be no third time.

Zhou Jinsi took a breath, her jaw tightening, and continued to meet Shi Qin’s gaze, but her eyes were like she was looking at a stranger.

This was probably the most open and calm they had ever been in their eye contact.

She said faintly, her voice devoid of any emotion, “I said, my relationship with you is not close enough to require me to reply to your messages or answer your calls.”

Shi Qin’s mind went blank. The tip of her heart felt as if it were being pricked by countless tiny needles. A sour, aching pain gradually spread, filling her entire chest.

The moment she parted her lips to say something, the sourness rushed to her nose, and her eyes grew moist.

“What on earth are you talking about? You… didn’t you just say you were going to buy something and would be right back?”

She couldn’t understand how, in just twenty-something minutes, Zhou Jinsi had seemed to become a completely different person.

Hearing her choked question, Zhou Jinsi’s heart also ached. The hand at her side slowly curled into a fist. She turned her head away, unwilling to look at her anymore.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?” Shi Qin asked, confused.

Zhou Jinsi looked into the distance, her tone faint. “Back to your home.”

With that, she was about to walk away when Shi Qin’s soft call came from behind.

“Zhou Jinsi…”

Zhou Jinsi’s steps halted. She didn’t look back at her.

“My foot hurts…”

The soft voice was laced with a hint of grievance. Zhou Jinsi lowered her eyes and sighed. She still couldn’t help but soften, walking to her side and raising her arm.

Shi Qin held onto her. The two of them remained silent all the way to the car. Zhou Jinsi didn’t look at her once during the journey.

All the way there, Shi Qin had been thinking about what could have possibly happened in between.

She vaguely remembered Jiang Mo mentioning Zhou Jinsi. Could it be…

Shi Qin looked at the wooden-faced person beside her and asked softly, “Did you… did you see me with Jiang Mo just now?”

Zhou Jinsi froze for a second, not answering.

“I just happened to run into her. My foot was hurting, and I wasn’t steady, so she just helped me for a moment.”

It was a coincidence today. Was the time two years ago also a coincidence?

This time, Zhou Jinsi hardened her heart, unwilling to listen to any more of her explanations. This kind of relationship was too tiring. She didn’t have the courage to believe again.

She was silent for a long moment before she said, “You don’t need to explain to me. What happens between you and her has nothing to do with me.”

Shi Qin thought she didn’t believe her and emphasized again, “But it’s the truth.”

The car reached an intersection and stopped at a red light.

Zhou Jinsi’s grip on the steering wheel loosened. She sighed softly and looked at her with a frown.

“But I don’t want to hear it. It has nothing to do with me. Have you forgotten that we don’t have any substantial relationship right now? We’re not even friends.”

“So,” Zhou Jinsi turned her gaze back to the front, “let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s meaningless.”

Shi Qin looked at her with complete confusion in her eyes. After a long while, she finally retracted her gaze and silently turned to look out the window.

Time passed quickly in this strange atmosphere. Zhou Jinsi drove the car to the vicinity of Shi Qin’s apartment and stopped steadily.

She said nonchalantly, “We’re here.”

Shi Qin had been holding it in all the way. Now, she really couldn’t bear it any longer. She looked at Zhou Jinsi and asked in a soft voice, “Tell me, what on earth happened, okay?”

“You said we were going to have a proper talk.”

Zhou Jinsi was a little tired. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. “I don’t want to talk anymore. I’m sorry.”

Her tone was heavy with exhaustion, which only made Shi Qin more confused.

“Why?”
“There aren’t that many ‘whys’.”

Zhou Jinsi looked up at the exceptionally gloomy sky, then turned her head toward Shi Qin, but her eyes didn’t look at her.

“It’s about to rain. You should go back.”

Shi Qin stared at her blankly for several seconds, a complicated look flashing in her eyes. She suppressed the surging sourness in her heart, sighed, and replied, “Okay.”

After she closed the car door, the car didn’t drive away immediately.

Through the car window, Zhou Jinsi watched Shi Qin’s slowly retreating back, a faint bitterness rising in her heart.

She still couldn’t help but feel heartache and care, but Zhou Jinsi really didn’t want to hold onto any more hope.

No expectations, no disappointment.

Perhaps she was indeed foolish, forever unable to read Shi Qin’s mind, unable to distinguish the truth from the lies in her feelings.