Chapter 43

After the National Day holiday ended, the temperature suddenly dropped. A rain left thick fog in its wake. Chongqing was once again shrouded in hazy chaos.

The parking garage of the Yangtze River International Building was full again on a workday. After parking the car, Jian Shichu pressed the elevator button and walked in.

With her other hand, she pressed the voice key: “Alright, I’ve arrived. I know my limits, don’t worry.”

Twenty minutes later, in the meeting room on one of the floors of the international building.

Sales rep Yun Xiaoli smiled obsequiously, talking until her mouth was dry.

“Miss Jian, if you hand your restaurant over to our company for operations, we’ll make your restaurant’s name even bigger based on its unique features. In this era of short videos, whether it’s the catering industry or others, everyone is leveraging online media.” Yun Xiaoli had her legs crossed, her gaze fixed on Jian Shichu’s face.

Jian Shichu leaned back, her sweater sleeves half-covering her palms. She tugged at her cuff and continued flipping through the documents in her hand.

Yun Xiaoli pressed on: “Do you have any concerns? Is it the quote or something else?”

Jian Shichu still didn’t look at her: “No, the quote is reasonable. I need to think about it some more.”

As she spoke, she tossed the documents onto the table, crossed her arms, and met Yun Xiaoli’s eyes. A fine strand of fuzz from the soft sweater clung to the end of her hair.

Yun Xiaoli forced another smile: “Miss Jian, you’ve been considering this for a week now. What exactly are you hesitating about?”

“There are too many operations companies in all of Chongqing.” Jian Shichu said casually, standing up to grab her bag. She glanced back at her and added, “I’ll think about it some more.”

In just fifteen minutes of conversation, Jian Shichu ended the meeting. As she pulled open the conference room door, a man was standing there, grinning at her.

She didn’t stop, only vaguely hearing the two behind her start talking.

Yun Xiaoli packed up her things and came out, closing her eyes to suppress her anger. Her red lips were already cracked and dry.

The man glanced at her excitedly: “Did she sign?”

“No, she wouldn’t say what her concerns are. She keeps stringing me along every day. I’m fed up.” Yun Xiaoli’s face had changed.

The man’s brows furrowed tightly: “She’s the client, and you’re fed up? Do you want your performance bonus? Everyone’s eyeing the Banshan Private Cuisine operations gig. What’s it for? The boss has money and doesn’t meddle—this deal is yours if you push harder. Fight for it, Yun Xiaoli! If you can’t close it, I can’t save your job either.”

Hearing this, Yun Xiaoli took a deep breath, grabbed the contract, and chased after her.

In the elevator hallway, Jian Shichu stepped out into the light and paused at the door. Hearing the rhythmic click of high heels behind her, she quickened her pace.

“Miss Jian.”

Jian Shichu turned her head at the sound, her expression unchanging.

Yun Xiaoli stopped half a step away: “Miss Jian, it’s been a week already. We’re about the same age—let’s be straightforward. What’s the real reason? Can you tell me? That way, I can go back and discuss with the manager. It’ll save us both effort.”

Yun Xiaoli’s suit skirt was still wrinkled, and she stood waiting for a reply. Jian Shichu slowly tucked her hair behind her ear.

She tilted her head toward the car: “Come over here.”

Her eyes carried a chill, making the cold garage seem even more intimidating, her expression like a sharp dagger.

Yun Xiaoli, who had been puzzled, was startled by her gaze and slowly followed.

Jian Shichu walked ahead and only turned back when she reached the rear car door.

“Where are we going?” Yun Xiaoli asked.

Jian Shichu opened the car door: “I’ve got a score to settle. Sit down, and we’ll tally it up slowly.”

Xiaoli happened to be standing right there. The words carried a deterrent force, and she sat down, though her legs stayed by the door.

Just as Jian Shichu finished speaking, her long boot stepped on the car edge, blocking the other woman. Her wrist casually rested on her knee as she looked down at her with a condescending gaze. The movement was fluid, unpracticed.

“Aren’t you asking where I’m dissatisfied?” Jian Shichu smiled faintly at her. “I’m not too satisfied with you.”

“What do you mean?” Xiaoli tried to stand, but her shoulder was immediately pressed down, her body leaning back, her momentum halted by Jian Shichu’s action.

Jian Shichu continued: “If I don’t sign the contract, you lose your job. Scared?”

Xiaoli’s pupils dilated in shock. She didn’t dare breathe, leaning back, not even daring to move her feet. She turned her head aside, her voice trembling: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jian Shichu tightened her grip: “Weren’t you pretty tough when you were cursing the mistress, huh?”

A strange look crossed Yun Xiaoli’s terrified face. Her eyes dropped for a second, pupils widening. She understood why the other woman had toyed with her for a week.

She exploded at once, sneering coldly: “Yeah, I cursed. So what? Does being a mistress give you the moral high ground?”

“What’s with the agitation? Aren’t you afraid I’ll get agitated too, and you’ll lose your job? Can that scumbag man support you?” Jian Shichu looked at her leisurely, her wrist dangling by her knee. Her casual tone was full of intimidation.

This was enough to terrify Yun Xiaoli into silence. The promise had been huge, keeping her hooked for a week, and now it was gone—she really could lose her job.

“If you wanted to make trouble over this, you could’ve come straight at me. Why go to all this trouble?” Yun Xiaoli asked, even though she was scared.

Jian Shichu shot her a glance: “Worth it. Toying with you for a week was fun. Wasn’t it? Repeat what you cursed. Miss a word, and I won’t sign.”

“Are you crazy? You’re threatening me?” Yun Xiaoli tried to stand again, her voice echoing through the garage. Jian Shichu stood firmly in her way.

“Yun Xiaoli, you couldn’t even secure the main wife position, and some half-assed scumbag has you yapping like a spiteful ghost. Did you skip your rabies shot, so you bite anyone you see?” Jian Shichu tilted her head at her. Yun Xiaoli’s chin was trembling.

She scoffed, lifting her wrist: “What are you shaking for? I’m not hitting you. Relying on your face and a bunch of men to eat—you think I don’t know every detail of your mess? Without a job, will these guys keep you? Listen up: I’m not here to reason with you today. Pull out your phone. Apologize exactly how you cursed. Got it? Hurry up, don’t waste my time.”

Jian Shichu straightened up, arms crossed, looking at her. Yun Xiaoli shuddered, tears falling as she tremulously pulled out her phone from her bag.

At that moment, the Banshan store manager had parked the car and stayed at a distance, not approaching.

Yun Xiaoli sniffled, completely suppressed by Jian Shichu, not daring to breathe. With shaking hands, she tapped the screen, scrolling for a long time before finding Wen Zhixu’s number.

When she dialed, her chest heaved as she glanced carefully at Jian Shichu.

Wen Zhixu was on set. When she saw the number, she recognized the first few digits. She slid to answer and held the phone to her ear. The voice on the other end was odd, lacking the viciousness from before.

~~~

“I’m sorry, Miss Wen. That day, I got it wrong.”

~~~

“I apologize to you and hope you can forgive me.”

~~~

Wen Zhixu listened to these two sentences. She was silent for the first few seconds, then lifted her head into the wind and sighed: “Mm.”

Wen Zhixu replied with just one word. This matter wasn’t worth mentioning to her; it wouldn’t affect her mood afterward.

As soon as the call ended, Yun Xiaoli’s eyelashes were still trembling. She looked up at Jian Shichu, who finally slowly moved her foot to let her out.

After she got out of the car, Jian Shichu tossed her bag onto the back seat. She gave the other woman a glance and slammed the door shut with a ‘bang.’ Yun Xiaoli didn’t look back, quickening her steps at the sound.

Seeing her walk far away, the store manager approached Jian Shichu and glanced in that direction.

“Switch to a different sales rep, sign the contract. The crew wraps at the end of the month—we need to renovate anyway.”

The store manager was surprised: “Huh? Not Banshan?”

“Banshan doesn’t play these fancy games.” After saying that, Jian Shichu walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door.

She drove off in the end.

After this incident, Jian Shichu didn’t tell Wen Zhixu about it—not even a word about Wu Yang’s earlier threat. She didn’t take it to heart at all.

Back when Jian Shichu liked Wen Zhixu, she had approached very cautiously.

It was only after realizing Wen Zhixu didn’t mind her that she dared to test the waters. As for “turning straight”—the term wasn’t quite right.

It was the weekend today. Song Yi had just returned and gone to the school to lecture Song Yanling, getting the details on the fight. Song Yanling had voluntarily confessed about Jian Shichu getting hurt that day.

So after handling those few days, Song Yi invited Jian Shichu over for a thank-you dinner.

Jian Shichu leaned against the table, where classical anthologies were placed on the solid wood surface. She leaned lightly, picked up a book from the edge, flipped through it slowly, and asked: “So, the school rumors were about Bai Xue and Song Yanling?”

“I’m really panicking now. I don’t know what to do.” Song Yi crossed her arms, facing the window and looking at the boats on the distant river.

At this moment, Jian Shichu seemed to know what Bai Xue had said that day to sting Song Yanling.

She looked up at Song Yi, closed the book, and said, “She’s too young. Bai Xue probably hasn’t noticed her feelings yet.”

“I need to send her abroad.” A hint of worry flickered between Song Yi’s brows as she adjusted her glasses with her index finger, trying to mask it.

She turned to Jian Shichu. “You’re right. She’s still young. Sending her away for a few years will do.”

Jian Shichu stepped away from the table. On the bookshelf, she spotted Wen Zhixu’s book, along with two early issues of ‘Jiuqu’ magazine. The ‘Jiuqu’ magazine hadn’t been published in ages.

She casually took them down. “These are the two we bought at the school gate back in high school?”

Song Yi turned her head. “You forgot?”

“I haven’t forgotten.” Jian Shichu flipped through a couple of pages. She remembered that these were the last two copies available when they bought them. This was issue twenty-eight of ‘Jiuqu’, which featured Wen Zhixu’s first short story.

The other was issue thirty-six, and on the page right next to Wen Zhixu was a short story by the author Peanut.

Jian Shichu’s gaze lingered on Peanut’s little story. She didn’t read it carefully, just skimmed through it casually.

Just then, the auntie knocked on the door. “Miss Song, the guest has arrived.”

The two exchanged a glance. Song Yi called out, “Got it.” Then she raised her eyebrows at Jian Shichu.

Jian Shichu closed the magazine and put it back where it belonged. She knew exactly what Song Yi meant—Wen Zhixu had arrived.