Chapter 15: Don’t Want To

Jiang Ruoning blankly opened her mouth. Shi Sui stuffed the pill inside, then handed her a glass of warm water. Jiang Ruoning took a sip and heard Shi Sui ask, “Did you swallow it?”

The pill dissolved in the warm water, releasing a bitter taste. She swallowed it and nodded at Shi Sui.

Shi Sui picked up another pill, but before she could bring it to Jiang Ruoning’s mouth, Jiang Ruoning snatched the white tablet from her fingertips. “I’ll do it myself.”

She gulped it down in one go.

Without even drinking any water.

One time too slow, the next too fast.

Just like her heartbeat now—after a sudden pause, it thrashed wildly, slamming against her chest with violent force.

Jiang Ruoning took a deep breath.

Shi Sui looked at her and asked, “Is it bitter?”

Jiang Ruoning replied, “A little.”

A little? It was downright bitter as hell! But the first time, when she took the medicine, her focus hadn’t been on the pill itself.

Shi Sui gazed at her. Jiang Ruoning had always hated taking medicine—even when she had a cold, she avoided it. Shi Sui used to coax her into it, and sometimes, out of helplessness, she fed it to her herself.

Just now, she had done it out of habit.

By the time she realized, Jiang Ruoning had already swallowed the pill.

Shi Sui froze for a few seconds. One hand held the cup while the other rummaged in her pocket. Jiang Ruoning watched her, and finally, Shi Sui pulled out two pieces of candy.

Apple-flavored.

Jiang Ruoning grinned. “For me?”

Shi Sui nodded.

Jiang Ruoning said, “I thought you were bringing them back for Xiao Guai.”

Shi Sui replied, “Senior doesn’t let her eat candy.”

Jiang Ruoning plucked one from her palm. “Then I guess I’ll have to make the sacrifice.”

She peeled it open. It was red, bursting with apple scent that filled the air with sweetness. Jiang Ruoning tucked the candy into one cheek, puffing it out. Shi Sui couldn’t resist and poked her cheek with a finger. Jiang Ruoning looked up.

When had they gotten so close?

During the medicine feeding?

Or when she drank the water?

Too close.

Close enough for Jiang Ruoning to see Shi Sui’s eyelashes clearly, the color of her pupils, and even her own reflection in those eyes.

Their gazes tangled.

Jiang Ruoning felt the air turn sticky and sweet.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” The knocking at the door echoed like her heartbeat. Jiang Ruoning startled and immediately stepped back half a pace. Shi Sui turned her head too. Jiang Ruoning shouted toward the door, “Coming!”

Shi Sui watched her dash to the door.

But her mind lingered on the flirtatious glance Jiang Ruoning had given her earlier, eyes shimmering.

That was close.

“So you are home.” Standing outside was a middle-aged woman in her fifties, hair casually clipped up, wearing pajamas. She smiled warmly. “I just talked to your mom on the phone. She said you were home.”

“Auntie Lin, what do you need?” The Auntie Lin on Jiang Ruoning’s lips lived upstairs and was named Lin Mei—nicknamed “Lin the Matchmaker” because she loved playing matchmaker. In Jiang Ruoning’s first couple of years at work, she was too busy even to sleep, so Lin Mei couldn’t get anywhere. But this past half-year, with more free time, Lin Mei had set her sights on her.

Pretty, capable—aside from being a workaholic, everything else was perfect. Conditions like that were in high demand.

So whenever Jiang Ruoning had time off, Lin Mei was sure to show up.

Lin Mei said, “Your mom said you’re off for a week or two this time?”

Jiang Ruoning: …

Why did her mom tell everyone everything!

She sneaked a glance at Shi Sui, only to find that Shi Sui had somehow moved to the entryway, standing not far behind her.

Lin Mei spotted the extra person in the house and jumped in surprise. Usually, it was just Jiang Ruoning and Jiang Qin here. Lin Mei spent more time in this house than Jiang Ruoning did. It was rare to see a third person. Sometimes Lin Mei wondered aloud, “How come you never have relatives over?”

Every time Jiang Qin heard that, her expression darkened, brows furrowing in displeasure, as if it were the question she hated most.

Lin Mei found it odd.

But thinking about it, a single woman raising a daughter—rejected by her husband’s family, avoided by her own to prevent being dragged down—it made sense.

There was that one family with the surname Qin who visited every year after the third day of Lunar New Year. Their daughter, Qin Zheng, was Jiang Ruoning’s childhood friend with a deep bond. Lin Mei had seen Qin Zheng, but she wasn’t the one here now.

Seeing Lin Mei staring fixedly at Shi Sui, Jiang Ruoning introduced her. “Auntie Lin, this is a colleague from work. She came to drop something off.”

As she spoke, she felt a gaze piercing her back.

Jiang Ruoning straightened her spine, trying to block Lin Mei’s line of sight.

Lin Mei let out an “oh.” “A colleague, huh.”

No wonder she was so pretty and poised.

Shi Sui could tell Jiang Ruoning didn’t want her to interact with Lin Mei, so she stayed put, took a sip of warm water, and gave Lin Mei a slight nod—greeting enough.

Lin Mei might not know designer brands for clothes, bags, or jewelry, but her eyes were sharp. She could tell at a glance that Shi Sui’s outfit was high-end—the fabric, stitching, weight—it wasn’t some cheap few-hundred-yuan getup. The earrings, the watch on the hand holding the cup.

Rich person.

Of course, she knew Jiang Ruoning’s job put her around plenty of wealthy folks, but this one seemed especially loaded.

Lin Mei momentarily forgot why she’d come, asking curiously, “Is she your boss?”

Jiang Ruoning thought her eyesight was pretty sharp. So how come she never noticed when Jiang Ruoning rejected blind dates? Probably faking it.

Jiang Ruoning said, “No, not my boss.”

“Alright then.” Lin Mei finally got back on track. “I sent you a few profiles on WeChat. Good conditions all around. Take a look, and if any seem suitable, tell me. I’ll set up meetings.”

Jiang Ruoning’s face darkened. “Auntie Lin, I’m not planning on that right now.”

“I know you don’t want to.” Lin Mei said, “But your mom’s been pushing hard. Knowing you’re off, she told me to pick a few for you to check out. Just look. If any work, say the word—I’ll arrange it. You’ve got a few days off; meet a few, pick the best.”

She spoke earnestly.

Jiang Ruoning endured it.

Finally, she nodded helplessly. Lin Mei grabbed her hand. “Ningning, though Auntie didn’t watch you grow up, Auntie and your mom go way back—real friends. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Among these, two are big bosses. Check their profiles, give it a try. Feelings aren’t born; they’re built.”

Feelings were built.

If it were three days ago, Jiang Ruoning might have believed that. But now? No. She didn’t know about others, but hers weren’t.

She could clearly feel her pounding heart, the racing pulse. Because of one person, her emotions surged.

Even though she’d only known her for two days.

She felt her feelings weren’t something to cultivate—they’d been building all along, waiting to erupt upon meeting that person.

For the first time in twenty-six years, she experienced this thrill, this torrent.

Jiang Ruoning opened her mouth. “Auntie Lin…”

Lin Mei’s phone rang abruptly, loud and clear. She glanced at the screen. “My daughter’s calling. I’ll head back. Text me if you have questions.”

Jiang Ruoning sighed, watching her leave.

Just one floor up, Lin Mei took the stairs. Jiang Ruoning waited for the door upstairs to click shut before closing her own. She turned and found Shi Sui staring at her.

Jiang Ruoning felt awkward. She gave a dry laugh, glancing at Shi Sui from the corner of her eye.

Shi Sui’s expression remained neutral.

Jiang Ruoning broke the silence. “Sorry you had to see that spectacle.”

Shi Sui shook her head. “My family nags me about marriage too, pushes blind dates.”

It was her first year back in the country. Every evening, Xu Qingqing made her go out to dinner. Once or twice was fine, but every time, there was some stranger at the table—Auntie Zhang’s son, Grandma Li’s grandson. Shi Sui never knew her mom had so many connections. Xu Qingqing never minded her leaving right after eating, but Shi Sui couldn’t take it. One dinner, she said to the man across from her, “Did my mom tell you about me?”

That was the first time she’d spoken up at one of these meals.

Proactively, to a blind-date guy no less.

Xu Qingqing thought she was interested and nearly smiled. Shi Sui watched her mom’s expression shift and smiled too. “I have some mental issues. Can you accept that?”

The man across didn’t react much at first.

But Xu Qingqing’s face changed drastically.

She continued, “I like women, not men. My mom says that’s a major mental illness. She’s been treating me for years, but no effect. Can you accept that?”

The man fled.

Xu Qingqing slapped her.

Hard.

Shi Sui still remembered the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

Jiang Ruoning breathed a sigh of relief. “So even you get nagged about marriage.”

Shi Sui shrugged. “Inevitable.”

Jiang Ruoning asked curiously, “Then you—” She licked her lips. “Any successes?”

Shi Sui replied, “None. I’m not interested in men.”

Jiang Ruoning pretended nonchalance, but couldn’t stop her lips from curving up.

She said, “Me neither.”

Shi Sui didn’t catch it. “What?”

Jiang Ruoning waved it off. “Nothing. I mean, my mom just loves meddling.”

She’d thought letting Yun An come over with Qin Zheng for dinner meant she was slowly accepting. But no—next thing, she had Lin Mei lining up matches.

Was it a test?

Test or not, Jiang Ruoning hoped it was the last time.

Shi Sui asked, “Have you dated anyone?”

She meant later on.

But Jiang Ruoning heard it as in the past. She glanced at Shi Sui—wanting to deepen things with her, no need to hide. Might as well be upfront. “Yes.”

Shi Sui looked at her.

Jiang Ruoning stepped back two paces and sat on the sofa. “In college, I dated a girlfriend. Mom found out, and there was some drama.”

Water welled in Shi Sui’s eyes. She turned her head, staring at the sofa’s edge, and asked softly, “And then you broke up?”

“No choice.” Jiang Ruoning said, “We were young back then, couldn’t handle it.”

Shi Sui blinked. “Do you ever think of her?”

Jiang Ruoning shook her head. “Of course not.”

Too straightforward. Shi Sui gave her a sidelong glance. Jiang Ruoning’s expression was calm. “Truth is, I don’t even remember what she looked like. Forgot her name too. How could I think of her?”

Shi Sui fell silent for a moment. “If you ran into her on the street someday…”

“Then I hope she doesn’t recognize me.” Jiang Ruoning shot back without thinking. “And absolutely doesn’t say hi.”