Chapter 14: Taking Medicine

She… she… she had seen her!!

Jiang Ruoning’s heart stuttered, leaping to her throat before suddenly deflating. She couldn’t even squint at the message; her face burned, and every breath she exhaled carried shame.

Why had she seen her?!

Aaaah!

Jiang Ruoning wanted to cry but had no tears.

She didn’t reply to Shi Sui for a long time.

Shi Sui was very patient.

It seemed she sensed that Jiang Ruoning’s shyness had passed before sending: 【What’s wrong?】

Jiang Ruoning buried her face in the pillow, lifted her head slightly, grabbed her phone, terrified she’d see more shameful words. Fortunately, Shi Sui’s message was just a calm, ordinary greeting. She bolted upright on the sofa, her eyes watery, bit her lower lip, and tapped the screen with her fingertips.

She typed, deleted.

Finally, she took a deep breath and sent: 【You saw me, why didn’t you say hi?】

Her skin was so thick.

It was practically impenetrable.

Jiang Ruoning’s gaze flickered as she placed her phone a meter away, then hugged it to her chest, unable to relax.

After a slight vibration.

Jiang Ruoning saw Shi Sui reply: 【I felt like you probably didn’t want to come in.】

Her intuition was pretty—

Pretty spot on.

Jiang Ruoning tried to suppress her shame and replied: 【Yeah, it felt too fast.】

Shi Sui: 【What felt too fast?】

Jiang Ruoning choked.

She couldn’t exactly say her wild thoughts had come too fast.

Jiang Ruoning: 【Getting to know each other too fast. I don’t really know you. What if you sell me out?】

She was joking, but Shi Sui took it seriously: 【What do you want to know?】

Jiang Ruoning got excited: 【How old are you?】

Shi Sui: 【Twenty-six.】

Jiang Ruoning pondered.

Same age.

Jiang Ruoning: 【When’s your birthday?】

Shi Sui: 【August 13th.】

August 13th?

No wonder her room number today was 813.

Jiang Ruoning: 【What’s your zodiac sign?】

She could have looked it up, but she wanted to ask anyway.

Shi Sui: 【Leo.】

Jiang Ruoning: 【You don’t seem like one.】

Shi Sui: 【How so?】

Jiang Ruoning: 【You feel more like a Scorpio.】

Shi Sui seemed puzzled: 【Why?】

Jiang Ruoning couldn’t explain why; Shi Sui just felt mysterious to her.

She wanted to uncover all that mystery.

She wanted to peel her open and see every secret.

She pursed her lips: 【Intuition.】

Shi Sui sent her an emoji.

Jiang Ruoning chuckled, hugged her phone, lay back down, and asked Shi Sui: 【Favorite food?】

Shi Sui: 【I’m not picky.】

Jiang Ruoning remembered that when she’d offered to treat last time, Shi Sui had said the same.

She really wasn’t picky.

Her lips curved slightly: 【Favorite movie?】

Shi Sui: 【Time travel ones.】

Jiang Ruoning: 【Ah! I love those too!】

Shi Sui knew.

It was because Jiang Ruoning had watched it so many times that it formed a fixed memory. Even after they parted, every time Shi Sui opened that movie, she’d think of Jiang Ruoning—Jiang Ruoning sprawled on the sofa, leaning in her arms, asking to be held.

Shi Sui: 【What a coincidence.】

Jiang Ruoning somehow tasted ambiguity in those two short words.

She was going crazy.

She gritted her teeth and asked: 【Do you have a partner right now?】

Of course not.

If she did, would she be playing this truth game with her late at night?

But without confirmation, Jiang Ruoning’s heart hung in suspense.

Shi Sui didn’t hesitate and replied immediately: 【No.】

As expected.

Jiang Ruoning’s upturned lips wouldn’t come down. She felt like if she kept asking…

They’d pierce that layer of paper.

No, no.

Too fast.

Her heart was beating too fast!

Jiang Ruoning pressed her palm to her pounding heart, feeling an unprecedented flutter.

Get it together!

Jiang Ruoning, get it together!

She slapped her chest twice hard, nearly flattening the flesh there. Finally, she changed the subject abruptly: 【What are you doing right now?】

Shi Sui: 【Chatting with you.】

Jiang Ruoning let out a flushed “ah.”

She was being utterly flirted to death.

The two fell into silence across the screen for a few minutes.

This time, Shi Sui asked first: 【If it’s convenient, can you give me your home address?】

Jiang Ruoning: 【Huh?】

She immediately sat up on the sofa and glanced at the door, then felt silly for startling herself. She rubbed her forehead and replied to Shi Sui: 【What do you need my address for?】

Shi Sui: 【Want to buy you something.】

Jiang Ruoning’s curiosity piqued instantly.

Flowers?

A gift?

Coffee?

She didn’t know why coffee flashed in her mind last, but it was a bit funny—and intriguing.

Jiang Ruoning paused for two seconds, sent her address, and got an “okay” in reply before silence.

Waiting was the hardest.

Fortunately, this wait carried anticipation.

But even that couldn’t quell Jiang Ruoning’s curiosity. Ten minutes later, she asked Shi Sui: 【What did you buy?】

Shi Sui: 【What do you want?】

Jiang Ruoning bit her lip. This woman was an expert, a dating pro.

Turning the tables like that.

She didn’t answer. The air around her quieted. Jiang Ruoning stood, walked to the balcony, and looked down. Her floor had a clear view of people coming and going below. She watched, silently counting.

The young couple on the fourth floor.

The old couple on the eighth.

The recent college grad on the sixth.

She didn’t match the others well, just vaguely remembered.

Delivery guy!

Jiang Ruoning leaned on the window, eyes lighting up. She turned to the elevator, down to the first floor.

Then up, layer by layer.

Her heart quickened too; every floor it rose, her body tensed once.

Eighth floor, it stopped.

Below her.

Jiang Ruoning couldn’t stand herself. She spun around, went back inside, tried to find something to do, but couldn’t settle.

For some reason.

She suddenly thought of all the blind dates in recent years. She’d felt sparks with some, but none added up to this intensity.

So this was what a heartbeat felt like.

Jiang Ruoning felt like she’d wasted twenty-six years.

A knock sounded suddenly. Jiang Ruoning jolted upright from the sofa, took a deep breath, slipped on her slippers, and went to the door. She opened it, expecting a delivery person.

It was Shi Sui.

Jiang Ruoning froze.

Shi Sui’s expression was perfectly calm.

The elevator dinged and closed.

Jiang Ruoning and Shi Sui spoke at the same time: “You—”

Shi Sui pursed her lips.

Jiang Ruoning asked: “How did you get here?”

Shi Sui held up the bag in her hand. Jiang Ruoning noticed it wasn’t flowers or a gift box, but a pharmacy bag with their logo. Suspicious, she asked: “For me?”

She wasn’t sick.

Shi Sui explained: “You drank a lot.”

Jiang Ruoning felt awkward: “Was the alcohol smell too strong?”

Shi Sui said: “It’s fine, but too much will definitely upset your stomach.”

That was true. Jiang Ruoning had felt the burning in her stomach at the hotel, but her emotions burned hotter, overriding it. Now that Shi Sui mentioned it, her stomach suddenly hurt.

She really was delicate.

No one cared, and she’d tough it out.

Someone cared, and she wanted to wail.

Jiang Ruoning scorned herself.

She still pretended politeness: “You didn’t have to come in person.”

Shi Sui said: “I was nearby anyway.”

Jiang Ruoning looked up: “On business?”

Shi Sui lowered her eyes: “Something like that.”

Jiang Ruoning didn’t press, stepped aside: “Come in?”

Shi Sui paused: “Can I?”

What kind of question was that?

She’d invited her to her hotel room, and now she asked if she could come home?

Though home and hotel were different.

Jiang Ruoning brushed a stray hair by her neck: “O-Of course. Come in for some water.”

Shi Sui nodded and followed Jiang Ruoning inside. Jiang Ruoning handed her slippers—not disposables, but light pink flip-flops that fit perfectly. Shi Sui glanced at the shoe rack, mostly dark colors. She used to like fresh, cute styles.

Jiang Ruoning asked: “Tea, coffee, or water?”

Shi Sui: “You drink tea?”

Jiang Ruoning replied: “My mom does.”

Then she added: “Oh, my mom’s traveling.”

A soft laugh came from beside her.

Jiang Ruoning turned and saw Shi Sui’s features relaxed, her pretty face smiling, lips slightly curved. Whether she wore no lipstick or it matched her natural color, they looked very kissable.

Very kissable?

Thunder boomed in Jiang Ruoning’s mind. She fought to stay calm, but heat rose on her face. “Sit down, I need to use the bathroom.”

Before Shi Sui could respond, Jiang Ruoning dashed into the bathroom. She stood there, lips pursed.

Two bedrooms, one living room, kitchen, bath—spacious. Her place was on the ninth floor, right after the elevator, 120 square meters. Shoe cabinet at the entrance, through the foyer to the living room—simple, with a sailboat sofa, a 70-inch TV on the wall, coffee table with remotes and a stack of fashion magazines.

Above the sofa hung a group of six-inch photos.

Shi Sui easily spotted Jiang Ruoning among them.

High school Jiang Ruoning.

Holding flowers at the gate of Linping No. 2 Middle School, flashing a peace sign at the camera.

Shi Sui couldn’t help reaching out. She heard Jiang Ruoning behind her: “What are you looking at?”

She turned. Jiang Ruoning had just washed her face, water droplets on her lashes, makeup off, skin transparently fair. She’d always been fair-skinned, famous in modeling for her figure and complexion. Shi Sui remembered runway shows where her paleness stood out; online haters accused her of whitening hormones or milk baths. But Shi Sui knew her high school skin had been flawless—full of collagen, even softer and whiter.

Seeing no response, Jiang Ruoning handed over the cup. Shi Sui lowered her eyes, took it with both hands, and said: “Looking at the photos. You were so cute as a kid.”

“Kid?” Jiang Ruoning glanced at the top photo—originally a work shot, swapped by Jiang Qin for a baby photo sometime. She dry-laughed: “My mom changed it. I didn’t notice.”

Shi Sui praised: “Cute.”

Jiang Ruoning demurred: “Just a tiny kid, nothing cute about it.”

Shi Sui sipped the warm water and repeated: “That one’s cute too.”

The heat Jiang Ruoning had washed away crept back onto her face. She glanced at the bag on the coffee table and asked: “What medicine did you buy?”

Shi Sui said: “Some stomach meds. Take them after drinking to ease bloating and pain.”

Jiang Ruoning pulled out the box—it was the same stomach medicine she used.

Shi Sui said: “Two at a time.”

Jiang Ruoning set down her cup, shook two pills into her palm. Staring at the white tablets, she hadn’t moved when Shi Sui habitually picked one from her hand.

Her fragrant fingertip approached Jiang Ruoning’s lips. She lowered her eyelids; in her sight were Shi Sui’s slender fingers, distinct knuckles. The tip touched her lip corner, warm. She swallowed, heard Shi Sui say: “Open your mouth.”