Shi Sui returned to the private room with a gloomy expression. The earlier incident in the afternoon had left everyone in the secretary’s department on edge, and now no one dared to breathe too loudly. Jiang Nuan couldn’t stand it anymore and poked Shi Sui in the waist—right on the spot where she’d been bumped, causing a double wave of pain. Shi Sui nearly dropped her chopsticks and turned her head.
Jiang Nuan said, “What are you doing?”
Gritting her teeth, Shi Sui replied, “Do you really want to make someone cry?”
Shi Sui scanned the group, picked up her glass, and took the initiative to apologize. “I was just thinking about work earlier. Everyone, don’t mind me—eat and drink as you like.”
The others exchanged glances before raising their glasses one by one to clink with hers.
Wine emboldened the timid.
Buoyed by the alcohol, the little secretary sitting across from her flushed red and asked softly, “President Shi, are you in a bad mood?”
Shi Sui looked up at her. The girl shrank back, clutching her glass with both hands, her eyes darting around as if trying to play invisible. Shi Sui said, “A bit, sorry. I didn’t mean to affect everyone’s mood.”
“It’s fine,” Jiang Nuan smoothed things over. “Everyone has off days. A few more drinks will fix it. Come on, I’ll toast President Shi on behalf of the group.”
She set the tone.
The remaining eight or nine people followed suit, raising their glasses one after another.
Shi Sui hadn’t even eaten yet, and she’d already downed two glasses.
The atmosphere was growing lively when a knock sounded at the private room door. A server came in with dishes, placing one specially in front of Shi Sui. Jiang Nuan asked curiously, “What’s this dish?”
The server smiled and explained, “Stuffed tofu. Our boss said there’s an old acquaintance here, and this is a gift for everyone.”
“Old acquaintance?” Jiang Nuan looked around. “Does anyone here know the boss?”
Shi Sui glanced at the server. “Thank her for me.”
The server smiled. “Of course. Please enjoy.”
Once the server left, Jiang Nuan remembered that Shi Sui had recommended this private cuisine restaurant. She leaned close to Shi Sui’s ear. “You knew the boss before?”
Shi Sui picked up some food and nodded to her.
Jiang Nuan whispered even softer, “Wait, your old flame isn’t the boss here, is she?”
Shi Sui: …
She shot Jiang Nuan a sideways glance and murmured, “Keep talking nonsense, and you’ll be back at the office doing overtime right now.”
Jiang Nuan fell silent.
Not a peep out of her for ages.
The private room buzzed with warmth and chatter.
Qu Lele stood at the door.
She still hadn’t recovered from her earlier shock. Actually, she had a lot she wanted to ask Shi Sui.
When did she return to the country? When did she come back to Shangjing? How had the past few years abroad been?
Why had she vanished so completely?
Had she ever thought of them, her friends?
They had actually missed Shi Sui quite a bit.
One year during Chinese New Year gatherings, in the private room, she opened the wine cabinet and took out the bottle they’d stored there. Jiang Ruoning had pointed to the top one and asked, “Who put this here?”
She had met Jiang Ruoning’s clear, bright eyes and didn’t know how to respond. “This… um…”
Jiang Ruoning laughed. “Why so shy? Did your girlfriend store it?”
Jiang Ruoning was joking.
But she couldn’t laugh.
It was stored by a girlfriend.
Not her girlfriend.
Jiang Ruoning’s girlfriend.
The person she liked most.
But now, she had forgotten.
Qu Lele stood at the door for a while before stepping to the window to call Jiang Ruoning.
Jiang Ruoning was happily applying a face mask. Seeing the caller ID, she answered without hesitation and switched to speaker. Her voice sounded muffled as Qu Lele asked, “What are you up to?”
Jiang Ruoning dabbed some essential oil on her neck. “Face mask. What’s up?”
No wonder her voice was like that.
Qu Lele said, “Nothing.”
She gazed out the window. The sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, streaked with vibrant red sunset. Qu Lele remembered the first time she saw Shi Sui and Jiang Ruoning—it was in a season like this. And it was also in a season like this that they had parted ways.
Collecting herself, Qu Lele asked Jiang Ruoning, “It’s been a while since we came for dinner. When are you coming over?”
Jiang Ruoning replied, “Yeah, it’s been a bit. After Ye Yu’s concert, let’s all come together.”
Qu Lele smiled. “Sure.”
Hearing the noise on Qu Lele’s end, Jiang Ruoning asked, “Are you at the shop?”
Qu Lele said, “Yeah, been at the shop these past few days.”
Jiang Ruoning sounded puzzled. “Isn’t Yun An on a business trip? You didn’t go?”
Qu Lele explained, “Family matters, so I skipped this trip.”
Jiang Ruoning sat up straight. “What happened?”
Qu Lele caught the concern and tension in her voice and laughed. “My parents went on a trip. I’m minding the shop.”
Jiang Ruoning: …
She muttered, “You scared me. My mom went traveling too, though. This season’s perfect for it. When should we plan a group trip?”
Qu Lele gave a wry smile. “Group trip? Getting together for a meal is already a luxury.”
Jiang Ruoning pressed her lips together. “True.”
Qu Lele glanced at the private room, gripped her phone, and said softly, “Ruoning.”
Jiang Ruoning’s tone was as usual. “Yeah?”
Qu Lele asked, “How’s work lately?”
Jiang Ruoning said, “Pretty good! I just signed shoots with two big brands!”
Qu Lele heard the delight in her voice. “That’s great.”
Jiang Ruoning peeled off her mask, beaming. “Right? Gotta go—my mom’s calling.”
Qu Lele put down her phone and glanced at the private room again. She figured once Shi Sui finished eating, she’d come out—at least to say hello. But when she personally brought in fruit, Shi Sui was gone. Qu Lele blurted out, “Where’s Shi Sui?”
It stunned everyone present. Jiang Nuan recovered first. “You’re looking for President Shi? She left.”
Qu Lele froze for a few seconds. “Left?”
Just like that.
Slipping away without a word.
Jiang Nuan noticed Qu Lele’s sour expression and didn’t dare pry. Earlier, Shi Sui had gone to the restroom, then called Jiang Nuan a few minutes later to say she was leaving first and to take good care of the secretary’s department colleagues. The group had sighed in relief, but before they could celebrate, Qu Lele asked.
She seemed to have something going on.
Jiang Nuan offered, “Want me to call President Shi?”
“No need.” Qu Lele forced a smile. “I won’t disturb you all then.”
She nodded to the group and left the room. Outside, she looked out the window—empty, no one there.
In the end, Qu Lele didn’t tell Qin Zheng or Jiang Ruoning that she’d seen Shi Sui.
Jiang Ruoning wouldn’t remember anyway—better not to stir things up.
As for Qin Zheng…
Once, when Qin Zheng and Yun An came for dinner, Yun An casually mentioned Shi Sui, and they fought. Qin Zheng ignored Yun An for half a month. Thinking of her temper, Qu Lele silently withdrew her hand from dialing.
Downstairs, Shi Sui sat in a taxi, heading to Jingxin Neighborhood.
She’d gone to the restroom earlier and spotted a figure that looked like Jiang Ruoning from behind. She followed the woman out of the restaurant before snapping out of it, but by then she didn’t want to go back. She simply hailed a cab straight to Jiang Ruoning’s neighborhood.
Jiang Ruoning was trying to draw her eyebrows.
Too thick, too dark, too light—she poured all her skills into it but still wasn’t satisfied. In the end, she threw in the towel. Shi Sui had already seen her with minimal makeup, almost bare-faced, so whatever.
She rushed back to the bathroom to wash her face, applied some toner and lotion, skipped primer altogether, roughly outlined her brows to make a shape, then stood in front of the mirror, checking left and right. Satisfied, she heard her phone vibrate. Joy lit her brow tips as she grabbed it and saw Shi Sui’s name flashing on the screen.
Jiang Ruoning cleared her throat and answered, “Hello.”
Shi Sui sat under her building block, where several uncles and aunties gathered playing cards. The warm yellow streetlamp stretched her shadow long. With the phone to her ear, she heard Jiang Ruoning’s greeting and looked up.
The hallway light on Jiang Ruoning’s floor flicked on.
Unsure if she’d come out.
No reply came, so Jiang Ruoning thought it was a bad signal and called out again, “Shi Sui?”
Shi Sui’s voice lost its earlier lightness, sounding a bit heavy. “Yeah.” She told Jiang Ruoning, “I’m downstairs.”
Suddenly, Jiang Ruoning felt a déjà vu, like they’d done this a countless times on dates. But she didn’t dwell on it, rushing to the hallway window to look down. Sure enough, someone sat on the stone steps by the flower bed. Seeing her poke her head out, the figure waved and smiled in greeting.
Jiang Ruoning called back hurriedly, “I’m coming down right now!”
Shi Sui said, “No rush.”
After Jiang Ruoning entered the elevator, Shi Sui added, “Take it slow.”
But the elevator was quick. Moments later, Jiang Ruoning stood before her. Shi Sui still sat on the stone steps, dressed like a typical office worker: white shirt with suit pants, top two buttons undone to reveal a smooth, slender neck and faint collarbones.
Jiang Ruoning glanced.
Shi Sui had rolled up her sleeves, exposing a section of lean forearm, now with a new leather watch—wide band making her wrist look even more delicate. Sitting on the high steps that didn’t reach halfway up her body, one leg bent slightly, the other stretched straight, the watch hand casually draped over the extended knee.
A lazy pose.
But so sexy.
Jiang Ruoning was immensely grateful it was nighttime, pitch black.
Otherwise, anyone would see her fangirling.
Damn!
How could someone be this sexy?
Afraid she’d pounce, she stepped back half a pace, but a hand reached out.
Jiang Ruoning stared blankly as the watch-clad hand lifted toward her, fingers slightly drooped, knuckles clear and beautiful. Hundreds of little rabbits thumped in her chest, her heartbeat so erratic she stammered, “Wh-what?”
Shi Sui said, “Can you give me a hand?”
Jiang Ruoning said “oh” and grasped Shi Sui’s hand.
It was cool.
Such a hot day, yet her hand was icy cool—not sweaty, but dry. So dry that Jiang Ruoning felt her own palm heat up, fine sweat beading. Afraid Shi Sui would feel uncomfortable, she started to pull away, but Shi Sui gripped tighter.
Jiang Ruoning froze.
Shi Sui looked up.
Jiang Ruoning stood with the building lobby light behind her, illuminating her back. Her hair cascaded, partially shadowing her face. Shi Sui still held her hand. Jiang Ruoning’s expression grew unnatural under the grip. About to speak, she sniffed and asked Shi Sui, “Have you been drinking?”
Shi Sui said, “Work dinner, two glasses.” She asked Jiang Ruoning, “Do you dislike it when others drink?”
From that sentence, Jiang Ruoning heard tension and apology.
She pursed her lips. “A little now and then is fine. It’s a dinner, after all.”
Shi Sui’s body relaxed slightly. Jiang Ruoning asked, “Getting up?”
“Yeah,” Shi Sui said. “Let’s get up.”
Jiang Ruoning pulled hard. Shi Sui just stood when the leg tucked inside went numb from sitting too long. Her feet gave way, and she plopped back onto the steps!
Jiang Ruoning tumbled with her.
Gripped tightly, Jiang Ruoning’s momentum pitched her forward. She shot out a hand to steady Shi Sui’s shoulder, barely stabilizing.
Neither moved.
The wind stirred.
It lifted Jiang Ruoning’s hair, brushing Shi Sui’s ear and cheek.
Carrying the fresh scent of shampoo around her nose, Shi Sui turned her head. “Washed your hair?”
Jiang Ruoning turned too, lips parting lightly. “Yeah.”
Only after answering did she realize how close they were. Jiang Ruoning tried to stand, but Shi Sui not only didn’t let go—she wrapped her other arm around Jiang Ruoning’s shoulders, pulling her fully into her embrace.
Jiang Ruoning’s face burned red. “You…”
Shi Sui lowered her head, voice deep as it sank into Jiang Ruoning’s ear. “Auntie Lin upstairs in your building.”
As her words fell, Jiang Ruoning heard the familiar loud voice: “Let me tell you, that young guy on the third floor is so picky. Thinks he’s some big listed company boss. Wants pretty, young, and high-earning. As if anyone’s blind enough to fall for him…”
