Two tall beauties standing at the door—their height alone drew double takes. Not to mention how pretty Qin Zheng and Jiang Ruoning were. Back in school, Qin Zheng got the most love letters. Jiang Ruoning pointed at herself and leaned close. “Am I not pretty?”
Her heart pounded. “Pretty, very pretty.”
Jiang Ruoning said, “Then why didn’t anyone write me love letters?”
She didn’t know how to respond to Jiang Ruoning.
Actually, Jiang Ruoning had received love letters.
A boy from the next class had delivered one once, and she saw it. That day in PE, she was on her period and didn’t want to move, so she rested at her desk. She heard rustling in the class, and before she could look up, a boy said, “Is it done yet?”
Another person replied to him, “Which desk is Jiang Ruoning’s?”
“No way, bro, you don’t even know where the girl you like sits?”
“Their class changes seats often. How would I know?”
“It’s this one, this one.”
“Coming.”
“Put it down yet?”
“Put it down.”
“You’re sure she’ll contact you after reading it?”
“Definitely. You don’t know—girls from single-parent families like her are starved for love. Just give them a little attention, and they’ll be devoted. By the weekend, I’ll take her out for a couple meals, and then I can do whatever I want with her.”
“I heard she’s pretty fierce, though. Several guys who tried to take advantage of her got nowhere.”
“That’s because they don’t get it. Watch the master.”
The sleazy laughter faded at the doorway.
Shi Sui looked up from the desk and stared at Jiang Ruoning’s table.
Before the end of PE class, she tore up that disgusting love letter and threw it in the trash.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but she never told Jiang Ruoning. Seeing how Jiang Ruoning wanted to receive love letters too, she went home that night and seriously wrote one. The next day, Jiang Ruoning excitedly waved it in front of her: “Shi Sui, look, I got a love letter!”
She felt nervous. “Did you read it?”
“Not yet.” Jiang Ruoning whispered, “I’ll read it during self-study tonight.”
She didn’t understand. “Why?”
“So I have more time to savor it slowly.” Jiang Ruoning said it so earnestly that Shi Sui spent the entire evening study hall fidgeting, glancing at her over and over.
Unfortunately.
Jiang Ruoning never looked at it.
When she finally remembered that love letter, she smacked her forehead. “Oh no, I don’t remember which book I tucked it into!”
Shi Sui: …
She helped Jiang Ruoning flip through every book from cover to cover. For those few days, she lived in fear, terrified that during some class break, a classmate or teacher would come up and say, “Well, well, well, you’re the one who wrote Jiang Ruoning a love letter?”
She spent a week on tenterhooks.
That love letter seemed to vanish into thin air.
Just like that, gone.
Then Jiang Ruoning invited her to go out.
Qin Zheng had gone to Yun An’s hometown to find her and was afraid Qin Guilan wouldn’t agree, so she used the excuse of a classmate’s birthday. Jiang Ruoning needed to stay out for the weekend, and she asked if Shi Sui had time. Shi Sui gladly went along.
That night, they sat around the fire pit.
The flames danced.
The scenery was beautiful.
Jiang Ruoning was even more beautiful.
Shi Sui opened the car door. Jiang Nuan tried to pull her back but couldn’t, hurriedly locking the car and chasing after her. She’d thought there might be some dramatic love triangle, but Shi Sui walked up calmly and greeted, “Zhengzheng.”
Only then did she look at Jiang Ruoning.
Qin Zheng and Jiang Ruoning both jumped, especially Jiang Ruoning, who frowned. “Are you stalking me?”
Then Jiang Nuan rushed up. “Misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding. President Shi and I are heading back to Linping.”
At the mention of Linping, Qin Zheng’s expression shifted slightly as she looked at Jiang Ruoning.
Jiang Ruoning showed no reaction, just rolling her eyes at Shi Sui.
Jiang Nuan was stuck in the middle, torn. She simply asked outright, “And you are…?”
Qin Zheng extended her hand. “I’m Ruoning’s friend, Qin Zheng.”
Friend, huh.
As long as she wasn’t the girlfriend.
Jiang Nuan shook her hands enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you! I’m President Shi’s assistant, Jiang Nuan.”
Qin Zheng glanced sideways. “President Shi?”
Jiang Nuan was desperate not to embarrass her boss in public and gushed, “Yes, our President Shi is one of the most outstanding female entrepreneurs of our time. She’s…”
Shi Sui shot her a look, gritting her teeth.
Jiang Nuan choked. “She’s amazing.”
Jiang Ruoning rolled her eyes at Shi Sui again.
But Shi Sui kept staring at her.
Jiang Ruoning’s head throbbed. Then a voice called from behind, “Zhengzheng.”
She’d never found Yun An’s voice so pleasant. She and Qin Zheng turned together, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed. Before Jiang Ruoning could react, Shi Sui yanked her behind a pillar.
Jiang Ruoning shook off her hand. “What the hell!”
She was furious.
Shi Sui ignored her attitude and reached out to brush Jiang Ruoning’s hair. Jiang Ruoning smacked her hand away repeatedly, but Shi Sui didn’t flinch, lifting her long hair to reveal the patches covering Jiang Ruoning’s neck.
Jiang Ruoning immediately covered her neck. Shi Sui said, “What made you think of putting these on?”
“None of your business?” Jiang Ruoning snapped unhappily. “Do I need your permission to put on whatever I want?”
Shi Sui met her glare without much emotion, then tugged at the edge of one patch and peeled it back slightly. Jiang Ruoning’s eyes welled up in pain. “Ah!”
It had been stuck on since morning—four or five hours—and adhered tightly. Her neck skin was already ravaged from the night before, then trapped under the patch and glue. Jiang Ruoning knew it would hurt to peel off, but she hadn’t expected it to sting so much from just the corner.
She scolded, “Who said you could rip it off!”
Shi Sui said, “You want that skin to rot? What about your shoot next week?”
Jiang Ruoning tugged at her lips. “Don’t worry, President Shi. Even if it rots, it won’t affect the shoot.”
She turned to leave, but Shi Sui grabbed her wrist. Jiang Ruoning’s back pressed against the pillar as she looked at Shi Sui. “Do you know what this is called?”
Shi Sui slipped off the leather cord from her own wrist and tied up Jiang Ruoning’s hair. Jiang Ruoning huffed, puffed out her chest, and declared righteously, “This is sexual harass—”
She didn’t get the last word out. Shi Sui stared at her seriously. Jiang Ruoning stared back defiantly, like a little bull. Shi Sui didn’t relent, following the gap she’d already torn and peeling the rest along the skin’s texture. Jiang Ruoning had been ready to charge like a bull but instantly turned teary-eyed like a rabbit.
She grimaced. “Ow, ow, ow! It hurts!”
Shi Sui peeled off two patches. “Head down.”
Jiang Ruoning was furious inside but lowered her head anyway. Her hair draped over one side as Shi Sui leaned in close, the strands swaying in the air, brushing Shi Sui’s chest.
Jiang Ruoning reached out and poked Shi Sui’s chest like it was a balloon.
Shi Sui paused.
Jiang Ruoning withdrew her finger and bit her lip.
From behind the square pillar, Jiang Nuan couldn’t see what Shi Sui and Jiang Ruoning were doing, but she’d just watched Shi Sui drag her in.
They must have business to discuss.
They wouldn’t make out in public, right?
Shi Sui did have something to say. “When are you going to unblock me?”
Jiang Ruoning blanked for a second. “Unblock what?”
Shi Sui said, “From your blacklist.”
Jiang Ruoning: …
Was this woman’s skin made of copper and iron? That thick?
How could she ask about the blacklist right in front of others?
Jiang Ruoning said, “I thought about your proposal from last night. I disagree.”
Shi Sui had peeled half the patch, revealing faint kiss marks underneath. Her fingers grazed the skin at the back of Jiang Ruoning’s neck, feeling her tense jawline. Shi Sui said, “Is that so.”
Her tone was calm and even. “That’s too bad, then.”
Jiang Ruoning’s taut nerves eased a bit. She’d half-expected some overbearing CEO line like “I don’t agree” or “I won’t allow it,” maybe even forced love. She pursed her lips.
Shi Sui worked methodically. Jiang Ruoning had four patches on her neck—one in front, one in back, one on each side. Shi Sui finished the back and said, “Tilt your head.” Jiang Ruoning tilted her neck, head leaning right. Glancing up, she caught their reflection in the glass door.
Shi Sui stood to her left, heels making her slightly taller, head bowed in concentration as she carefully peeled the patch.
It still hurt.
But not as bad as at first.
Especially since Shi Sui held the edge down with one hand while peeling with the other.
It felt tingly.
Itchy.
Jiang Ruoning wanted to scratch, her hand brushing Shi Sui’s. She pulled back.
Shi Sui removed all the patches and looked at her. Jiang Ruoning felt exposed, like Shi Sui hadn’t peeled off patches but stripped her clothes. That naked, devouring gaze—she’d experienced it last night.
She couldn’t take it.
Really couldn’t.
Jiang Ruoning said, “They’re waiting for me.”
As she turned to go, Shi Sui said, “Wait.”
Jiang Ruoning watched her untie the silk scarf from her own neck and wrap it around Jiang Ruoning’s. It still held Shi Sui’s body heat—warm.
Shi Sui tied it lightly, removed the leather cord, and Jiang Ruoning saw her slip it back onto her own wrist.
The red cord made Shi Sui’s wrist skin look even fairer.
A memory flashed in Jiang Ruoning’s mind—high school Shi Sui, sitting beside her after class, handing over homework with that leather cord on her wrist.
Unconsciously, Jiang Ruoning grabbed Shi Sui’s wrist and stared at the cord.
Shi Sui’s phone vibrated, shattering the silence.
Jiang Ruoning snapped back, let go, and stepped back. She touched the scarf. “Thanks.”
It was the marks she’d left from biting.
Now covered by her scarf.
Made perfect sense.
Jiang Ruoning felt at ease.
Shi Sui glanced at the caller ID—Director Xu—and hung up without answering.
Jiang Ruoning saw “Director Xu” flashing.
Director Xu—Xu Qingqing? Shi Sui’s mom?
Jiang Ruoning side-eyed her.
Shi Sui followed her back to the entrance. Yun An and Qin Zheng were still standing there, Jiang Nuan off to the side chatting with them. The three were laughing about something. As Jiang Ruoning emerged, all three gazes snapped to her. She swallowed.
Qin Zheng asked, “Done talking?”
Jiang Ruoning said primly, “We discussed some work stuff.”
Qin Zheng’s eyes fell on the scarf around her neck and nodded.
Shi Sui, behind her, looked at Qin Zheng and Yun An. “Long time no see.”
Yun An glanced at Qin Zheng before replying to Shi Sui, “Long time no see.”
The youthful innocence was gone; they were no longer girls. Shi Sui remembered Yun An as the most mature back in school, ahead of them all. Now she was even more refined and poised.
She hadn’t expected to run into them here. Six years apart had added awkwardness to their reunion.
Jiang Ruoning urged Qin Zheng, “Let’s go.”
Qin Zheng glanced at Shi Sui.
Shi Sui was poised, brushing back her shirt collar to reveal marks on her collarbone. Qin Zheng nearly choked on her own saliva. Yun An turned away. Qin Zheng couldn’t stand Shi Sui’s subtle seductiveness and looked away. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Yun An nodded to Shi Sui. “Let’s keep in touch.”
Shi Sui hummed. As Jiang Ruoning impatiently tugged Qin Zheng away, she called, “Ruoning.”
Jiang Ruoning turned, all three figures freezing. Shi Sui walked up and handed her the house key. Jiang Ruoning’s face flushed then paled—no time to snap before Shi Sui pressed it into her palm. “You left something at my place yesterday. I won’t be home the next couple days. Go get it yourself.”
Something left there?
Jiang Ruoning was baffled. “What thing?”
Shi Sui paused, looked at her, then at Qin Zheng and Yun An. She ducked her head shyly and smiled before turning away.
Jiang Ruoning was dumbfounded. Wait, what? What did that mean? Why was she acting shy?!
