“What’s to cry about?” Jiang Ruoning was stubborn. “Am I three?”
Ye Yu lowered her gaze: “You… not letting her in?”
Jiang Ruoning pouted, clearly not wanting to talk about it.
After hanging up on Ye Yu, she’d straight-up blocked Shi Sui on WeChat. Who knew the woman would dare call anyway? She hung up and blocked the calls too. Guessing she’d been found out, Shi Sui showed up at her door instead.
Like a debt collector.
Tch.
Her mindset had shifted.
Before, she’d have seen it as strong initiative.
Now, it was just a nuisance.
How could someone be so shameless?
Tricking her, and now daring to come to her home?
Not afraid of getting beaten up!
Jiang Ruoning wanted to beat her, but she lacked the will. She didn’t even want to look at Shi Sui right now. She wouldn’t have opened the door if she hadn’t heard Ye Yu talking to her.
Ye Yu called, “Ruoning…”
“Stop, stop.” Jiang Ruoning looked at her. “Are you my friend or hers? Did you come to convince me to give her another chance, hear her out?”
Her expression was too serious.
The serious Ye Yu went speechless.
After a long silence, Ye Yu shook her head: “Not talking about it.”
Jiang Ruoning said, “That’s more like it.”
Ye Yu watched her mouth stay shut, but her eyes drifted to the door. She looked too.
Wondered if Shi Sui had left.
Shi Sui had guessed Jiang Ruoning knew something when she got blocked.
Actually, the happiness of these past few days had all been stolen by her.
At the airport, she had seen Jiang Ruoning get into Qin Zheng’s car and thought that Jiang Ruoning would find out that day.
Later, at the door of her senior sister’s place, they had bumped into each other again, and she thought her senior sister would tell Jiang Ruoning.
But heaven seemed unwilling to expose her farce so quickly, wanting her to prolong this joy a little longer. She had followed her heart, drawing closer, ever closer.
She had hugged Jiang Ruoning.
She had kissed Jiang Ruoning.
She had listened to Jiang Ruoning talk about the past.
These were things she hadn’t even dared to dream of in recent years, but she had actually done them.
These past few days had felt like walking a tightrope, with Jiang Ruoning on the other side and a bottomless abyss below. She had known full well that one misstep would send her plummeting into the depths, yet she couldn’t control her own body.
The moment she saw that person…
She just wanted to get closer.
Now, she had fallen to the bottom of the cliff.
And it was what she deserved.
Shi Sui leaned back in the car seat, staring blankly ahead with empty eyes. It was as if she were recalling all the happy times they had shared before, or perhaps thinking of nothing at all. There was a noise at the elevator door, and she looked up to see two people emerging.
Familiar figures.
Familiar voices.
Jiang Ruoning pushed Ye Yu. “Don’t get me trending again. Wu Jie tore into me last time.”
Ye Yu turned her head. “She scolded you?”
Jiang Ruoning found it odd. “Isn’t it normal for her to scold me? Doesn’t Sister Man scold you?”
Ye Yu fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Ruoning chuckled foolishly. “Yeah, you’re the apple of Sister Man’s eye. She wouldn’t bear to scold you.”
Ye Yu’s face darkened.
Two years ago, Jin Man had brought in a newbie—so new she knew nothing—but her tone and pitch were excellent. Jin Man had intended to cultivate her, putting in effort for over half a year. Yet the newbie complained to a friend that Jin Man wasn’t giving her any resources, that she was just being used to set off Ye Yu, and that she was being made to provide backing vocals for Ye Yu’s songs without any respect. Coincidentally, that friend was a gossip reporter who immediately broke the “big scoop.” The newbie thought everyone would side with her and condemn Jin Man. She had even prepared for interviews and messaged Jin Man, saying she’d retract the exposé if given resources.
Jin Man, furious, held a press conference that very day. Smiling brightly at the reporters and microphones, she said, “Since you say I’m biased toward Ye Yu, I’ll make it official. From today on, I’ll only manage Ye Yu.”
The newbie was drowned in a torrent of online backlash.
Comments like: [Come on, you’re a newbie still in training. What resources do you expect?]
Or: [Ye Yu grinded for three years before making it. How long have you been at it? Can you not be so impatient?]
And: [Getting to back Ye Yu up? You should be thrilled. Do you know how many singers in the industry now want to do vocals for her?]
Amid the barrage of criticism,
Only Jiang Ruoning tasted something different.
From that day on, whenever she saw Ye Yu, she would raise an eyebrow and wink, saying, “Your Sister Man didn’t come with you?”
Ye Yu had no comeback for that and instead asked Jiang Ruoning, “Feeling better now?”
She was teasing others, after all.
Jiang Ruoning shrugged. “What else? Throw a tantrum and make a scene? That’s not my style.”
Ye Yu looked at her silently.
Not her style?
Back when Shi Sui’s mother had discovered their relationship, Jiang Ruoning had messaged her one night saying she wanted to die.
Ye Yu had called her and heard Jiang Ruoning’s drunken voice. She asked, “You drank?”
Jiang Ruoning had cried to her that she couldn’t bear to part with Shi Sui, didn’t want to break up, wanted to elope with Shi Sui. She didn’t want anything else—just Shi Sui. Every word had been laced with sobs, trembling with tears.
Ye Yu had looked at her with heartache and said softly, “Don’t go home and cry alone in secret.”
“Me, cry?” Jiang Ruoning scoffed. “I’m past the age of shedding tears for love.”
Ye Yu watched her stubborn mouth as she was pushed into the car. Before leaving, Ye Yu said, “If you need anything…”
“I’ll call you.” Jiang Ruoning finished the sentence, mimicking a phone gesture with her hand. “Text me when you get home. Drive safe.”
Ye Yu nodded.
Jiang Ruoning stepped back two paces and waved with a smile from inside the car.
Ye Yu started the car and drove out of the garage.
The instant the taillights vanished, Jiang Ruoning pursed her lips, her eyes reddening.
The emotions she had held back nearly broke free!
Twenty-six years old, and she’d finally found someone who made her heart race.
And it turned out to be an ex.
An ex was bad enough.
But a trash ex!
No crying?
She tilted her head and nearly burst into tears!
Jiang Ruoning turned and stumbled into the elevator, pressing the floor button. She took deep breaths, suppressing the heat in her eyes. Once home, she collapsed onto the sofa. Fortunately, the shoot was almost over, or she’d be even more irritated.
Her phone buzzed incessantly, but she was too lazy to check it.
She spaced out until late into the night. When Ye Yu messaged that she’d arrived home, she finally dragged herself up from the sofa, replied, and lay back down.
The house was too quiet.
Unnaturally quiet.
She didn’t like it.
Jiang Ruoning turned on the TV, and for no reason, she thought of the TV at Shi Sui’s house, the movie she hadn’t finished watching, the person who had slept on her lap, her scent, her lips.
Jiang Ruoning’s fingers brushed her own lips.
She squeezed her eyes shut and flung the remote onto the coffee table. The sharp clatter echoed loudly in the silent room.
That night,
Was destined to be sleepless.
But not only was it sleepless for Jiang Ruoning—tossing and turning without a comfortable position—she woke up the next day with a stiff neck that hurt even more. The night before, she had been able to turn her head, but after one night’s sleep, it brought tears to her eyes again.
Uncomfortable, uncomfortable, so uncomfortable.
Not a single part of her body felt right. Jiang Ruoning woke up in a foul mood like she’d swallowed fireworks, snapping at everything in sight. She kicked the trash can, which slammed into the door panel—her mom had bought that stainless steel one.
It hurt!
She called Zhao Miaomiao to ask about the Fengshang outfits they were shooting—why hadn’t the pictures been sent yet?
Zhao Miaomiao scratched the back of her neck. Usually, Wu Jie handled confirmations, and Jiang Ruoning rarely checked personally. Why this time? She said, “I’ll get one from Wu Jie.”
Jiang Ruoning hummed. “Is Wu Jie still negotiating the winter show lead model with Less?”
Zhao Miaomiao replied, “Yeah, I heard her talking price with the Less rep this morning.”
Talking price meant it was probably settling.
Finally, some good news.
Jiang Ruoning calmed down a bit and said to Zhao Miaomiao while sprawled on the sofa, “Send the outfits over in a bit.”
Zhao Miaomiao agreed. “Right away.”
Jiang Ruoning clutched her phone waiting for Zhao Miaomiao’s message but got Qin Zheng’s first: two words—[Open up.]
She sprang off the sofa, barefoot, and rushed to the door. Opening it, she saw Qin Zheng standing there with a suitcase, lips pursed, gazing at her sharply. Jiang Ruoning’s mouth twitched, her expression turning aggrieved.
Before Qin Zheng could speak, Jiang Ruoning threw her arms around her, clinging like a koala.
Qin Zheng patted her back. Such a grown woman, yet she acted like a child when upset, whining and sniffling.
But this was also why she didn’t hate Shi Sui more.
At least she had left behind the original Jiang Ruoning.
She didn’t have to watch, like in her previous life, as Jiang Ruoning suffered heartbreak, struggled in pain, or lived in paranoia like a startled bird. The current Jiang Ruoning was vibrantly alive, not a walking corpse.
Jiang Ruoning buried her face in her shoulder, mumbling incoherently. Qin Zheng said, “Alright, alright, let’s go inside.”
Jiang Ruoning reluctantly let go but grabbed her arm and dragged her into the living room. Qin Zheng looked down. “No shoes?”
Jiang Ruoning looked embarrassed. “I was just too excited to see you.”
Qin Zheng looked at her helplessly. “Talk properly.”
Jiang Ruoning pouted. “Oh.”
Qin Zheng asked, “Where is she?”
Jiang Ruoning shrugged. “No idea.”
Qin Zheng said, “Didn’t you say she came looking for you last night?”
“That was last night,” Jiang Ruoning replied. “Who knows where she is now? She probably went back ages ago.”
Qin Zheng reached out her hand.
Jiang Ruoning asked, “What?”
Qin Zheng said, “Your phone.”
Jiang Ruoning glanced at the coffee table. “What do you want my phone for?”
“To call her!” Qin Zheng said. “Ask where she is.”
Her face blazed with fury, even angrier than the person involved. Just as her hand reached for the phone, Jiang Ruoning snatched it away a second earlier. “I deleted it.”
Qin Zheng stared at her.
Jiang Ruoning said, “I deleted her number yesterday.”
Qin Zheng asked, “What about WeChat?”
Jiang Ruoning said, “Blocked.”
Qin Zheng scrutinized her, frowning.
Jiang Ruoning felt uneasy under her gaze, lowering her head like a child who’d done wrong.
Qin Zheng asked suspiciously, “Are you afraid I’ll yell at her, so you won’t give it to me?”
Jiang Ruoning bristled. “Of course not!”
She pouted. “I don’t want any more ties with her.”
