Chapter 22 Part 1

When Doctor Ma opened the door at the appointed time and entered the room, she saw Jiang Ruoning still lying prone. Shi Sui got up to tuck the blanket over her lower back, then sat in front of her. The two of them watched videos on their phones.

This scene reminded her of a few years ago, when two young girls had come—one with irregular periods seeking acupuncture. The girl had been too shy, always wearing a mask and hat, refusing to take them off even during sessions. Doctor Ma couldn’t remember her face, but she clearly recalled that shy demeanor.

It was exactly like Jiang Ruoning, who was now lying on the bed.

Jiang Ruoning heard the noise at the door and turned her head. Doctor Ma walked in and asked her, “How is it? Still hurting?”

She said, “It’s fine, no real feeling.”

Doctor Ma said, “I’ll remove the needles for you. Massage for ten minutes before bed when you get home.”

She told Shi Sui, “Right here.”

Shi Sui looked down at her hand. Doctor Ma indicated from the neck to the shoulders. Shi Sui’s fingers brushed over Jiang Ruoning’s nape.

From the corner of her eye, Jiang Ruoning saw the taut lines of Shi Sui’s arm.

Doctor Ma asked Shi Sui, “Got it?”

Shi Sui nodded.

Only then did Doctor Ma pack up all her tools and say to them, “Tomorrow, it’s best to come at this same time. A bit later is fine too.”

Jiang Ruoning smiled. “I know, every twenty-four hours.”

Doctor Ma said, “The young lady knows her stuff.”

Jiang Ruoning paused for a second.

Right.

How did she know that?

Before she could think further, Shi Sui grabbed the bag and said, “We’ll head out then.”

Doctor Ma instructed, “Be careful on the road.”

Jiang Ruoning walked beside Shi Sui out of the clinic. She twisted her neck and said to Shi Sui, “It seems less painful. I don’t think I need to come tomorrow.”

Shi Sui said, “Still, listen to Doctor Ma. I’ll come with you tomorrow night.”

Jiang Ruoning said, “That would be too much trouble.”

Shi Sui smiled. “No trouble. We’ll come after dinner tomorrow.”

Jiang Ruoning seemed to remember something. “Tomorrow night, that barbecue place in the city center?”

Shi Sui said, “Where do you want to go?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “I kind of want to. Haven’t been in ages.”

Shi Sui nodded. “Then barbecue it is.”

Jiang Ruoning hummed in agreement. They got in the car, where a faint perfume scent lingered. Jiang Ruoning drove again. Shi Sui rolled down the window, letting the stuffy air dissipate as a cool breeze blew in. Jiang Ruoning suddenly remembered, “Have you come for acupuncture before?”

She had heard her call Doctor Ma by name when they arrived, so it wasn’t their first meeting.

Shi Sui looked at the clinic sign ahead and said, “I’ve come with a friend before. She had bad menstrual cramps and did acupuncture for a while.”

Jiang Ruoning’s first thought wasn’t about her own cramps or asking if it had worked for Shi Sui.

Instead, she latched onto the word “friend.”

She felt overly sensitive.

But—

Jiang Ruoning tapped the steering wheel and asked casually, “Just a friend?”

Shi Sui closed the window and turned to look at Jiang Ruoning’s profile. “Girlfriend.”

As expected.

Jiang Ruoning trusted her instincts on things like this.

She gave an awkward laugh. Before she could ask more, Shi Sui added, “We broke up a long time ago.”

Jiang Ruoning gripped the steering wheel tighter.

Of course.

If they hadn’t broken up, Shi Sui wouldn’t be flirting with her.

But she had come here with her ex-girlfriend, and now she had brought Jiang Ruoning here too.

It made Jiang Ruoning feel like ants were crawling over her skin—uncomfortably itchy.

She scratched at the stray hairs by her neck and asked Shi Sui, “Why did you break up?”

Shi Sui’s voice was soft and low, especially clear in the quiet car. She said, “Nothing much. Her family didn’t approve.”

Jiang Ruoning deeply related. “Yeah, enlightened parents only exist in novels.”

Shi Sui glanced at her.

Jiang Ruoning thought for a moment. “Well, not entirely. My godmother is really open-minded.”

Shi Sui murmured, “Godmother?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “My best friend’s mom. She’s Qin Zheng, and her girlfriend is Yun An. We were in the same grade, went to high school together. They got together in high school, and her mom fully supported it.”

Her expression relaxed a lot as she mentioned Qin Zheng. She smiled and continued, “And Yun An’s family—her parents passed away early. She has an older sister and a young aunt. You wouldn’t guess, but her aunt likes women too, and she’s been with her partner for years.”

Shi Sui turned to watch Jiang Ruoning gripping the wheel and staring ahead, her mouth chattering on.

She couldn’t help recalling past weekends when they went out to eat. On the way, Jiang Ruoning had turned to her quietly and said, “In that group photo I sent you last time, there was this super pretty girl—remember her?”

Super pretty?

Shi Sui had only had eyes for Jiang Ruoning and had no idea who she meant, but she played along. “Yeah, what about her?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “She got confessed to yesterday. The guy set up flowers and candles downstairs—felt like kidnapping. The girl was mortified and didn’t even go down.”

She loved sharing trivial stories from her life or chatting, “Yesterday in class, a cat just strutted right in.” Jiang Ruoning mimicked the cat’s wobbly walk, stumbling into Shi Sui’s arms.

Shi Sui stared at her moving lips, her gaze deep and intense.

After finishing the story about Yun An’s family, Jiang Ruoning heard no response beside her. Just as she turned her head, there was a click from her seatbelt. She froze for two seconds as a figure leaned in. Soft lips brushed her cheek.

Like a dragonfly skimming water.

Or a feather grazing skin.

Even Xiao Guai’s kisses were firmer.

But this was impossible to ignore.

It was as if thorns sprouted on Jiang Ruoning’s butt. She wanted to shift in her seat, turn to ask why Shi Sui had kissed her, pull over and kiss her back.

But she did nothing.

She just sat rigidly in the driver’s seat, hands clenched on the wheel, eyes fixed ahead. Her mood was the same as on the way there—like a newbie learning to drive, heart racing like a rollercoaster.

Up and down.

The car was unnaturally quiet.

Shi Sui buckled her seatbelt again with another click.

Jiang Ruoning couldn’t tell if she was more tense or relieved. Her palms were sweaty, sticking to the wheel. She shifted them slightly, and cool air slipped through the gap, chilling her skin.

Her phone buzzed suddenly.

Jiang Ruoning glanced over. Shi Sui had already picked it up. “Call. Answer?”

“Uh…” Jiang Ruoning said, “See who it is.”

Shi Sui looked at the flashing name on the screen. “Wu Jie.”

“My manager.” Jiang Ruoning reached for the phone, but Shi Sui had already answered and held it to her ear. Jiang Ruoning curled her fingers, half-distracted while driving as she listened.

Wu Jie said, “Ruoning, how’s the stiff neck?”

Ignoring the warmth of Shi Sui’s fingertips brushing her cheek, Jiang Ruoning replied to Wu Jie, “Much better.”

Wu Jie asked, “Won’t affect the shoot?”

Jiang Ruoning remembered the shoot the day after tomorrow. She’d been so carefree these past days she’d nearly forgotten work. But with this neck, she said, “Should be fine. I’ll massage it more these days.”

Looked like acupuncture tomorrow was necessary after all.

Couldn’t show up to the shoot with a crooked neck—couldn’t even pose properly.

Wu Jie said, “Alright. One more thing—remember I mentioned Fengshang switching brand endorsements?”

Jiang Ruoning asked, “News?”

Wu Jie said, “They have a private brand show next week and want to invite you.”

Jiang Ruoning said, “Next week? Don’t I have the LESS shoot then?”

Wu Jie laughed. “Different days. Miao Miao will send you the schedule later.”

Jiang Ruoning had no objections.

After hanging up, Shi Sui said, “Aren’t you on vacation? Still so busy?”

Jiang Ruoning gave a wry smile. “This is busy? I’ve been idle for half a year.”

Shi Sui asked, “Because of the company switch?”

Jiang Ruoning figured she’d seen some gossip online. She nodded. “You check the tabloids too?”

Shi Sui said, “Occasionally scroll past them.”

Jiang Ruoning felt a lump in her chest. She asked Shi Sui, “So you’ve probably seen a ton of dirt on me.”

Shi Sui fell silent. “What dirt?”

Jiang Ruoning said, “Backstage fights, stealing resources, bad blood, cursing each other out, dating big shots from all walks…”

She laughed at her own words.

Turning to Shi Sui, she asked, “I didn’t even know I knew so many people.”

Some rumors were outrageously absurd.

But antis believed them devoutly.

As if they followed her every step, frame by frame.

Shi Sui said, “It’s all fake.”

She stated it as fact.

Without a hint of doubt.

The lump in Jiang Ruoning’s chest eased. She still smiled. “How do you know? What if I’m a bad woman? The kind who eats people without spitting out the bones!”

She teased Shi Sui.

Shi Sui looked at her. “So, are you going to eat me?”

Jiang Ruoning short-circuited.

She stammered, “Uh… no…”

She nearly forgot how to hold the wheel.

Shi Sui reached out and lightly patted her right arm. “You’re crossing the line.”

Jiang Ruoning: …

She was crossing the line.

The line in her heart!

Jiang Ruoning didn’t even know how she drove to Shi Sui’s building. In the parking garage, Shi Sui got out first. Then she walked to the driver’s window and knocked on the glass. Jiang Ruoning rolled it down, and Shi Sui asked, “Not getting out?”

“Me?” Jiang Ruoning said, “I’ll head back.”

Shi Sui said, “Come up and sit for a bit?”

Her sincerity hit home. Jiang Ruoning met her dark pupils and paused. “Then… a cup of tea.”

Shi Sui nodded and opened the car door for her.

After getting out, Jiang Ruoning followed behind Shi Sui.

A week ago, if someone had told her she’d go home with a woman she’d just met, she’d have thought it absurd.

But now, she was doing exactly that.

Like a thief.

Sneaking around.

In the elevator, she kept thinking if she’d run into Sister Xiao Man. If she did, how to explain? She came up with eighteen excuses in her head. When the doors opened and she came face-to-face with Zhou Man, Jiang Ruoning blanked and stared dumbly.

Zhou Man held a trash bag. She froze for a second and asked them, “How’d you two come up together? Meet downstairs?”

Jiang Ruoning blurted, “Ah, yeah, downstairs.”

Zhou Man nodded, looking at her. “Here for me? I’ll toss this trash and be right back.”

Before Jiang Ruoning could reply, Shi Sui took her wrist and said to Zhou Man, “She’s here for me.”

The air went still.

Shi Sui gave Zhou Man a light nod in greeting, then pulled Jiang Ruoning home. Jiang Ruoning glanced up at Shi Sui’s profile—the tense lines, the slightly lowered lashes. With that expression, Jiang Ruoning knew Shi Sui was angry.

She deserved to be. They’d spent the whole evening together. Shi Sui had even skipped the welcome event for her, accompanying her through the tough acupuncture, sitting bored without complaint.

And all she got was a lie.