Chapter 33

Because Shen Jiajia kept chattering non-stop nearby, it severely affected Yun Huizhi’s mood while cooking.

Listening to those ridiculous words, her upbringing wrestled with her impatience, resulting in her over-salting the shrimp and broccoli—Chu Ruoyou’s favorite dish.

After tasting it, Yun Huizhi felt even more annoyed. Her face clouded with frustration as she directly tuned out Shen Jiajia’s voice.

She’d known for ages that Shen Jiajia was selfish and always took a mile when given an inch. But out of consideration for their friendship since middle school, Yun Huizhi hadn’t particularly rejected her before.

This time was different. This time, she had truly realized Shen Jiajia was like a vampire.

In the past, she had lent her a few thousand, sometimes ten thousand at a time. Yun Huizhi would only chase payment once. If Shen Jiajia didn’t repay, Yun Huizhi let it go.

Too lazy to listen to her fabricate excuses.

Besides, it wasn’t like she urgently needed that money.

Perhaps this had given Shen Jiajia the illusion that she was a pushover, willing to throw any amount of money at her.

It was utterly baffling.

She gave Chu Ruoyou a voice call. The other end picked up and immediately asked, “Food’s ready?”

Her voice was cold.

But the icy coolness felt comfortable.

Compared to Shen Jiajia’s high-pitched, high-frequency output, listening to Chu Ruoyou speak was far more pleasant.

“Mm-hmm, I’ve finished cooking. Are you feeling any better? Do you want me to bring it up for you?”

Shen Jiajia, hearing this, glanced at her meaningfully.

“No need. I’m coming downstairs.”

Chu Ruoyou’s complexion still looked poor, and her mood seemed equally mediocre.

Yun Huizhi understood perfectly. That time of the month, right? The first two days are the worst.

She felt a tiny bit of secret delight. Since Chu Ruoyou was unwell, at least she would rest for the next couple of days and not leave.

She wouldn’t have to be on tenterhooks anymore.

Chu Ruoyou smiled politely. “Hello, Jiajia.”

“Sis Chu!” Shen Jiajia greeted her brightly.

“Are you and Huizhi university classmates?”

“No, we’re high school classmates! But we were also in the same city for university and met up often, so we’re pretty close.”

“Oh, no wonder. I heard you came all the way from Yancheng. Traveling a thousand miles… only an old high school friend would have that kind of dedication. If it were someone else suddenly showing up, Huizhi would definitely be worried it was a debt collector, or someone coming to borrow money.”

Chu Ruoyou spoke jokingly and glanced at Yun Huizhi.

Yun Huizhi was drinking iced soda and suddenly felt a chill, coughing instinctively.

The smile on Shen Jiajia’s face froze.

Seeing Chu Ruoyou about to speak again, Yun Huizhi put a piece of broccoli into her bowl. “Try it. I think it might be too salty.”

Chu Ruoyou tasted it without looking up. “Mm, it is a bit. Your mind wandered while cooking, didn’t it? What were you thinking about?”

That homeroom-teacher vibe was coming out again. Yun Huizhi felt the urge to call her “Teacher Chu,” but each time the thought arose, she suppressed it.

Chu Ruoyou’s psychological baggage wasn’t light. Her role as a teacher made her unable to calmly accept this kind of transactional relationship.

So, she didn’t bring it up.

She smiled and said, “I made a mistake today. I guarantee high quality tomorrow.”

“Mm. I hope you cook something good tomorrow.”

Chu Ruoyou added coolly, “Otherwise, with Jiajia coming all this way, she won’t even see your sincerity.”

She asked Shen Jiajia, “Are you working now, or still studying?”

Shen Jiajia said, “Not working yet. For the last couple of years, I’ve wanted to start my own business. But every industry is tough, and I haven’t achieved any results.”

“Yes, finding jobs and starting businesses are both hard. That’s why I’m very supportive of Huizhi wanting to pursue grad school. It’s always a good long-term choice.”

Shen Jiajia, hearing this, looked across at Yun Huizhi, eyes wide.

“Yeah, yeah, Huizhi always loved studying. She was always near the top of our class back then.”

“Is that so.”

Chu Ruoyou looked at Yun Huizhi, then back at her. “You two must have been very close. Was it because you sat together or lived nearby?”

“We…”

Yun Huizhi cut Shen Jiajia off and said to Chu Ruoyou, “This meatball soup turned out quite light. Have half a bowl before you eat your rice. We can chat while we eat.”

“It’s my first time sharing a table with Jiajia, so I wanted to chat a bit more. What are you so nervous about?”

Chu Ruoyou frowned, looking slightly puzzled.

“I’m not nervous. Fine, you two talk. I’ll stop talking.”

Yun Huizhi blinked and looked at Shen Jiajia.

Shen Jiajia changed the subject. “What about you, Sis Chu? You’re working, right?”

“Mm, been working for a few years now.”

“Doing what?”

“Just an office worker. Not as ambitious as you, Jiajia. I’m not cut out for business, not the type. And I don’t have spare money to sink into it. Without family support, you can’t just rely entirely on loans to get started, can you?”

Only after saying this did she smile. “I’m in sales.”

Yun Huizhi: “…”

Ms. Chu is quite the liar herself.

Though by sheer coincidence, she’d hit on Shen Jiajia’s sore spot. Yun Huizhi was rather pleased.

Shen Jiajia hadn’t gotten into university back then. After graduating, she never seriously looked for a stable job. Claiming to be an entrepreneur, she really just wanted to run a business that let her eat, drink, play, and rake in big money without much effort.

It went without saying how slack that approach was, and she had lost quite a bit of money over the past two years.

During the second half of the meal, Chu Ruoyou fell silent. Shen Jiajia seemed a little wary of her too. Coupled with Yun Huizhi’s instruction not to blab, she remained quiet.

Only Yun Huizhi occasionally spoke to ease the atmosphere, her topics restricted solely to food and drink.

After the meal, Yun Huizhi stood up to clear the dishes. Shen Jiajia sat with her legs crossed, playing on her phone.

Chu Ruoyou stopped Yun Huizhi, saying, “You worked hard cooking. How can I let you wash dishes too? Let me.”

“But you’re on your period. Look how pale you are. How can you wash dishes? I’ll do it.”

Chu Ruoyou looked towards Shen Jiajia. As it happened, Shen Jiajia looked up just then, catching their exchange.

Their eyes met. The look Chu Ruoyou gave her forced her to proactively say, “I’ll do it, then. Let me wash.”

She was just being polite. Yun Huizhi surely wouldn’t let a guest do the work.

To her surprise, Yun Huizhi beamed at her. “Then we’ll have to trouble you.”

Then she said to Chu Ruoyou, “You should go upstairs and rest quickly. I’ll go up with you.”

Shen Jiajia was dumbfounded. She couldn’t exactly refuse now and had to reluctantly do the chore.

What the hell is this.

That Chu Ruoyou woman is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Yun Huizhi did all the talking on the way. Chu Ruoyou didn’t speak until they were back in the room and seated. “Huizhi, I’ve decided. If you want to continue your studies, I’ll fund your tuition.”

Stared at so seriously, Yun Huizhi froze for a second. Her first reaction was, “You mean we can stay in touch, continuously?”

“Yes. Would you like that?”

“Of course.”

Chu Ruoyou paused. “But if you don’t want to study, you have to tell me the truth.”

Yun Huizhi confirmed again. “If I don’t study, does that mean we won’t be in contact anymore?”

Chu Ruoyou frowned. “That’s strange. Right now, we’re talking about whether you’re going to study or not. Where is your focus?”

Yun Huizhi tried to hug her but was pushed away. She felt somewhat deflated.

“My focus is… in the future, under what identity do you want to stay in touch with me? A kind patron sponsoring me, or… my friend?”

If she confessed she didn’t need to study and didn’t need money, would Chu Ruoyou still be willing to bother with her?

That was what mattered most.

“Don’t think nonsense. Right now, your top priority is still your education.”

Chu Ruoyou sidestepped her question. She offered her a slight smile and asked gently, “I’ll be leaving in a couple of days. Is there anything in your heart you want to tell me?”

“I’ve told you so many heartfelt things already.”

Yun Huizhi tried to tempt her with starry eyes.

Chu Ruoyou was unmoved. “I want to hear something new. Isn’t there something you’ve always wanted to say but couldn’t bring yourself to?”

There was. She wanted Chu Ruoyou to be her girlfriend.

Yun Huizhi naturally knew that was impossible, so she stalled. “I’ll tell you those things before you leave. I’m too embarrassed right now.”

“I want to hear them now.”

Yun Huizhi thought it over while obediently taking her water cup. She gulped down part of today’s hydration goal.

“Mm… I can’t bear for you to leave. I’ll miss you a lot. If you don’t mind seeing me, after I get your approval in the future, I’ll go visit you and hang out. Okay?”

“Is that all?”

“Let’s talk about that first. There’s no rush.”

Chu Ruoyou nodded. Abruptly, she smiled and asked, “Have you lied to me about anything?”

“Why do you ask?”

Yun Huizhi felt a hollow in her heart. Chu Ruoyou’s smile held a strange, unidentifiable quality, as if she was concealing some emotion.

She turned the question around. “Do you have something you’re hiding?”

Chu Ruoyou nodded. “I do, but I won’t tell you. You’ll have to trade your secrets for mine.”

She decided to give Yun Huizhi one more chance.

Even if they didn’t stay in touch later, they could clear the air before ending things.

“I… I don’t lie.”

After drinking her water, Yun Huizhi felt her lips were moist. She grinned cheekily and leaned in, kissing Chu Ruoyou’s cheek.

She couldn’t confess it. At least not now.

What if Chu Ruoyou got angry and wanted to leave today? She’d already deceived her for so many days; two more days wouldn’t make a difference.

She’d keep hiding it and confess when Chu Ruoyou was about to leave.

“Then you’re a good child.” Chu Ruoyou sneered lightly.

Yun Huizhi was only focused on her curiosity. “What did you lie to me about?”

“I’ll tell you in a couple of days.”

“Fine.”

Yun Huizhi wasn’t impatient. “Don’t let me find out first, though. Maybe I’ll figure it out before then.”

Chu Ruoyou didn’t confirm or deny.

They napped together. Yun Huizhi lay on her side, holding her.

She wanted to snuggle with Chu Ruoyou a bit longer, but Chu Ruoyou wasn’t feeling well and was in no mood, so she fell asleep first.

Waking up, Yun Huizhi saw a message from Shen Jiajia.

She thought it over and said to Chu Ruoyou, “Jiajia wants me to go with her to Twin Pagodas Plaza. Says it has good feng shui and she wants to check it out. I’ll go, and on the way, I’ll try to convince her to head home early. I’ll go quickly and be back soon. I should be back before dinner. You sleep a bit more, okay?”

Chu Ruoyou hadn’t slept at all during that hour and a half. She’d lain there with her eyes open, thinking. Disappointed and sad, but strangely, not angry.

She said, “What if I say no? What if I insist you stay with me?”

“Then I’ll just tell her I don’t want to go.”

Yun Huizhi was already typing a reply, continuing offhandedly, “Of course, staying with you is my top choice.”

Chu Ruoyou stopped her. “I was teasing. Go ahead and talk to her. I do want to sleep a bit more.”

Yun Huizhi smiled and kissed her cheek again. “My big sister is so generous. Don’t worry, once she’s gone, I’ll spend every single moment with you.”

She tidied up and left.

Her mind was made up. She was going to refuse Shen Jiajia, very clearly and definitively.

She hoped Shen Jiajia would take the hint and leave tomorrow, so she’d stop disturbing her and Chu Ruoyou.

As for other matters, Yun Huizhi decided to sort out her thoughts slowly. There was no rush.

She could feel Chu Ruoyou cared about her more than before. Perhaps the future would be even brighter than she imagined.

The plaza in front of the Twin Pagodas was bustling with people. Yun Huizhi’s mind was full of the conversation she’d had here with Chu Ruoyou.

Right after she finished taking photos for Shen Jiajia, she voiced her decision.

“I’m not lending you money this time. Jiajia, you should know, your previous debts haven’t been repaid. You shouldn’t be borrowing more. From high school until now, how many times have you actually paid back the money I lent you?

My funds are tight at the moment. I’m also planning to buy a place to live—my grandmother’s apartment went to my aunt. I don’t have three hundred thousand, and I’m also not going to fob you off with tens of thousands. As for the money you borrowed before, I won’t mention it again. Consider it a gift from me.”

She and Shen Jiajia had a falling out.

No matter how Shen Jiajia threw a tantrum or tried alternating threats with pleas, Yun Huizhi didn’t care.

The sun was setting in the west.

All she could think about was that she needed to take Chu Ruoyou out for dinner. Worried she’d be hungry, she took a taxi back.

Little Zhang was off in the afternoon. Yun Huizhi didn’t know the person covering the front desk well, so she passed without greeting them.

Entering the room, Chu Ruoyou wasn’t there. The blanket was folded neatly.

Yun Huizhi smiled to herself. Obsessive-compulsive sister.

She picked up an orange from the coffee table and started peeling it, guessing Chu Ruoyou had gone to the terrace to watch the sunset. She planned to join her and share half.

Chu Ruoyou wasn’t on the terrace.

Leaning over the railing to look down, she wasn’t in the courtyard either.

Yun Huizhi felt puzzled. Where did she run off to?

She unhurriedly returned to the room, intending to message her. But when she entered the room again, a sudden sense of unfamiliarity hit her.

She scanned the room and realized it felt so empty.

So desolate.

Her breath hitched. She frantically looked around and finally understood why.

Everything belonging to Chu Ruoyou was gone.

The reason she hadn’t noticed when she first came back was that Chu Ruoyou’s water cup was still on the coffee table.

Filled to the brim—Chu Ruoyou had poured it for her, her entire hydration goal for the afternoon sitting right there.

Before Yun Huizhi could process what had happened, before she could even feel the sorrow, tears were already falling like a string of beads.

She wiped them away carelessly. Without even cleaning her face properly, she stumbled, teary-eyed, to the bedside and saw an envelope placed beside the pillow.

Inside the envelope was a wad of cash.

And a note: “Tuition is here. No further contact. Take care.”