Chapter 43: Bed Companion Part 1

Shi Sui sat in her seat without moving or making a sound, just sitting there quietly.

Jiang Ruoning snatched her phone and answered: “Who is it? It’s so early in the morning—can’t people sleep?”

Her nonchalant tone cut off Xu Qingqing’s words before they could come out.

Six years had passed.

Yet Xu Qingqing recognized her voice immediately: “Jiang Ruoning?”

Jiang Ruoning wondered what she had done to deserve someone remembering her so well when she herself had forgotten the other woman. She deliberately asked, “Who is this?”

Xu Qingqing didn’t answer that question. Instead, she asked, “Where’s Shi Sui?”

“She’s sleeping. She was too tired last night,” Jiang Ruoning said. “Is there something you need?”

Xu Qingqing gritted her teeth: “Put her on the phone!”

“She’s sleeping,” Jiang Ruoning repeated. “Whatever it is, you can tell her when she wakes up.”

Something crashed on the other end of the line with a loud bang. Jiang Ruoning waited for her to speak again, but then there was a click—the call ended.

Shi Sui watched as Jiang Ruoning tapped on the screen, not sure what she was doing.

Then the phone vibrated again, and Jiang Ruoning hung up.

She did the same for the next three calls.

Five minutes later, the calls stopped.

Jiang Ruoning said, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

The noodles had already been served.

Shi Sui looked down and picked up two pairs of chopsticks, handing one to Jiang Ruoning.

“You’d better eat your fill,” Jiang Ruoning said. “Your mom will probably show up soon.”

She added mysteriously, “Who knows, you two might even get into a fight.”

Shi Sui looked at her, then stirred her noodles with her head lowered. But the corners of her lips curved up in a slight smile.

It was very bitter.

Yet also a smile of relief.

Back then, when their relationship was discovered in such an unexpected way, they hadn’t even had time to react—they were completely led along by the nose. In front of her mother, Jiang Ruoning had always felt ashamed, so she was very obedient.

Obedient to the point that whatever Xu Qingqing said, Jiang Ruoning did it.

Even the insulting words—Jiang Ruoning took them all without complaint. Shi Sui would get angry every time and argue with Xu Qingqing, but Jiang Ruoning would pull her back: “It’s fine, Shi Sui. I’m fine.”

Jiang Ruoning had been too accommodating.

Like a puppet.

No longer vibrant.

Even in front of Jiang Qin.

She watched as Jiang Qin held back her tears, letting Jiang Ruoning be ordered around in her own home by Xu Qingqing—and she endured it.

Back then, she had been naive, thinking that if they just endured it long enough, Xu Qingqing would eventually agree.

Who could have imagined that it was all just Xu Qingqing humiliating them, trying to make them feel ashamed enough to break up on their own? But Xu Qingqing had underestimated Jiang Ruoning’s feelings for her. Only after seeing Jiang Ruoning willing to endure humiliation rather than break up did she turn her sights on Jiang Qin.

On Jiang Ruoning’s relatives.

She watched as one decision after another piled up like mountains, suffocating her.

She watched as Jiang Ruoning smiled numbly at her and said, “So your mom never approved from the start? Why didn’t she just say so earlier? If she’d said so sooner…”

Sooner what?

Break up?

She couldn’t do it.

Jiang Ruoning couldn’t either.

So they struggled like fish caught in a net, fighting desperately.

Shi Sui stirred her noodles as her phone vibrated again. She glanced sideways—the screen flashed not with her saved contact [Director Xu], but with the unfamiliar label [Old Witch].

The noodles were eaten properly, and Shi Sui laughed out loud.

Jiang Ruoning looked at her: “If your mom and I start fighting later, whose side are you on?”

Shi Sui didn’t hesitate: “Yours.”

Jiang Ruoning nodded: “You’re still salvageable.”

Her mom was beyond saving.

Jiang Ruoning felt that even if her mom knelt before her begging forgiveness right now, she wouldn’t pay any attention.

Though she was overthinking it—her mom would never kneel and beg forgiveness anyway.

Jiang Ruoning snorted with laughter: “Sigh.” She asked Shi Sui, “Has your mom always been so—” She searched for the right word.

Shi Sui chimed in: “Irrational?”

Jiang Ruoning shrugged.

Shi Sui picked up some noodles.

From the moment she was born, her parents had placed great expectations on her. From kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school, Xu Qingqing cared about her grades and honors. Once, during a Children’s Day event in kindergarten, Shi Sui was the lead dancer but had a fever that day. Xu Qingqing made her finish the performance before going to the hospital.

Was Xu Qingqing completely bad?

Not entirely.

At least back then, she wasn’t. Her words were heeded by Xu Qingqing, her requests were fulfilled, and the things she wanted to do were made possible—just as Xu Qingqing had said, before high school, she had never been shortchanged. Her food, clothing, and daily needs were all better than her peers’.

But back then, she was young and hadn’t realized that everything came with a price tag.

During school, the price was grades and certificates.

Later, it was her career and major life decisions.

Xu Qingqing’s care and attention always had a prerequisite.

The prerequisite was obedience.

She wanted Shi Sui to be an obedient child.

But Shi Sui had long outgrown the age of blind obedience.

They finished breakfast half an hour later. Afterward, Shi Sui asked if Jiang Ruoning wanted to keep walking around. But Jiang Ruoning had the “old witch” on her mind and wasn’t in the mood to continue strolling. So they headed back together.

She was prepared to run into Xu Qingqing at the neighborhood entrance or the door to the apartment, but there was no one.

Was she inside?

When Shi Sui opened the door, Jiang Ruoning stared at the tightly sealed doorframe. For some reason, she could see inside.

Inside, Xu Qingqing sat there. She and Shi Sui were draped in thin blankets, kneeling as they handed over their clothes. Xu Qingqing kicked the clothes toward them in disgust with her toe, as if alms to beggars. She and Shi Sui hurriedly put them on.

Shi Sui had silently positioned herself to shield her.

The door opened.

No one was inside.

As Shi Sui turned to tell Jiang Ruoning to come in, she noticed her face had gone pale, as if she was very resistant to entering. Shi Sui said softly, “Ruoning?”

Jiang Ruoning jerked her gaze toward her—clear and bright, piercing through the gloom like light. Shi Sui asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jiang Ruoning lowered her eyes and said, “Your mom didn’t come after all.”

Shi Sui felt a pang.

This battle-ready posture of hers was so familiar.

Shi Sui said, “She’s in a meeting right now.”

Jiang Ruoning remarked, “Didn’t expect your mom to be such a workaholic.” She sneered, “You’re not that important after all—couldn’t even make her drop work for you.”

It seemed like a spillover effect.

Cursing Shi Sui a bit was like cursing Xu Qingqing.

It eased the guilt Jiang Ruoning felt toward Jiang Qin.

Shi Sui didn’t retort. She said, “Come in and rest for a bit.”

Jiang Ruoning: “I’m not watching a movie.”

Shi Sui: …

No one had even mentioned watching a movie.

But she still asked Jiang Ruoning, “So what do you want to do?”

A fire burned in Jiang Ruoning’s chest. After hearing how Jiang Qin and her relatives had been bullied by Xu Qingqing, she had come back ready to have it out with her explosively. Who knew the woman wouldn’t even show?

It made the fire in her heart burn even hotter instead of dying down.

She could go to the company to find Xu Qingqing and have a massive fight, but she was afraid of being seen. What if one of Jiang Qin’s acquaintances spotted her, or word got out? Then Jiang Qin…

Jiang Ruoning didn’t dare think about it.

The fire dimmed a little. She wilted and said, “I don’t want to do anything. Is your mom still coming or not?”

Shi Sui saw that she looked ready to make her call Xu Qingqing to confirm and felt a bit speechless.

Jiang Ruoning was speechless too. Without a reply, she sat on the sofa and said to Shi Sui, “If she’s not coming, I’m going home.”

“Wait.” Shi Sui finally spoke: “Jiang Nuan’s ticket is booked for 3 p.m.”

“3 p.m.?” Jiang Ruoning was surprised. “No morning flights?”

Shi Sui said, “She couldn’t get one this morning.”

Jiang Ruoning muttered, “Might as well have bought it myself.”

Shi Sui said, “It’s already booked.”

Jiang Ruoning had no counter. She slumped on the sofa, and Shi Sui sat beside her. They really didn’t turn on the TV.

It was boring.

Jiang Ruoning scrolled on her phone for a while until the battery was almost dead. She rummaged in her bag and handed over a charger. Jiang Ruoning glanced sideways at her. Shi Sui coughed twice, her face still a bit flushed. Jiang Ruoning remembered she hadn’t taken her medicine that morning and said, “Do you still have hot water?”

Shi Sui said, “Yes, do you want some?”

Jiang Ruoning snapped, “Hell no. Aren’t you taking your medicine?”

Shi Sui hadn’t been sick in a long time and had forgotten. As she opened her mouth, she coughed again, her eyes watering. Jiang Ruoning ignored the temptation and got up to pour water in the kitchen. Shi Sui followed right behind. Jiang Ruoning felt watched, her hands fumbling awkwardly. She glanced at Shi Sui: “Supervising me?”

“Your cup is here.” Shi Sui said it out of nowhere. Jiang Ruoning saw a row of slightly cute cups in the cabinet where she kept them—not too out of place, just thoughtfully designed at the handles. Jiang Ruoning grabbed one at random.

It felt pretty good in her hand.

But she grumbled, “Who’s into this stuff? So childish.”

Shi Sui watched as she set the cup down and grabbed another from the opening, filled it with water, and brought both cups to the coffee table. She handed Shi Sui her medicine. Shi Sui took the cold medicine, tossed it back, and swallowed without drinking water. Jiang Ruoning was astonished: “You ate it dry?”

Shi Sui swallowed it down, then slowly sipped some warm water.

Jiang Ruoning frowned at her unique way of taking medicine.

After finishing, Shi Sui pulled off the scarf around her neck and leaned close to Jiang Ruoning. Jiang Ruoning’s body tensed up immediately, as if ready to bolt. Seeing her like a startled bird, Shi Sui explained, “Ointment.”

Jiang Ruoning finally got it: “Oh.”

She remembered: “The ointment’s in the bedroom.”

Last night, after Shi Sui’s fever broke, she had applied it again, and it looked much better this morning. Shi Sui went into the bedroom and didn’t come out for a while. Jiang Ruoning’s phone was charging and unusable; she didn’t want to watch TV either. Bored sitting there, she got up and went to the bedroom door. She saw Shi Sui awkwardly applying ointment to the back of her own neck. Unable to watch, Jiang Ruoning went in, took the ointment from her hand, pressed her head down, and said, “Lower your head.”

Shi Sui lowered her head.

Jiang Ruoning was close, her nose filled with a faint fragrance. Shi Sui couldn’t help it and reached out to hug her.

Jiang Ruoning froze at the embrace.

Just like that sudden hug in the morning.

She wanted to push her away, but her hands still had ointment on them. Glancing down, she saw the marks all over Shi Sui’s neck and felt reluctant to hurt her. But she had to give her a reason: “What? Does it hurt?”

Shi Sui’s voice was muffled against her chest, like a child complaining: “Yeah, it hurts.”

She sounded like she was crying: “Jiang Ruoning, it hurts so much.”

Jiang Ruoning’s tone was unnatural: “Then I’ll be gentle.”

Her fingers lightly brushed over the scraped areas of Shi Sui’s neck, applying the ointment until they glistened. Jiang Ruoning gently blew on them. Shi Sui’s arms tightened around her, almost squeezing the breath out of her.

Did it hurt that much?

Jiang Ruoning grumbled inwardly. When she pushed Shi Sui away, she saw her eyes reddened.

As if she’d been bullied.

Jiang Ruoning swallowed the harsh words on the tip of her tongue. She said, “All done.”

Shi Sui took her hand and wiped the excess ointment from her fingertips with a wet wipe. Jiang Ruoning felt uncomfortable all over, especially under Shi Sui’s gaze at her fingers.

So awkward.

She wanted to pull her hand back, but Shi Sui held it tight. Unable to stand the rippling ambiguity, Jiang Ruoning blurted out, “Okay, okay! It’s clean now, stop wiping!”

Shi Sui finally let go, then methodically wiped her own hands and fingers.

Were they…

That slender?

Jiang Ruoning didn’t know what crossed her mind.