Chapter 74
Liking someone didn’t equate to agreeing to get back together.
Shen Shiwu had said it depended on Jiang Siyi’s performance.
That was enough.
After all, she was the one who had initiated the breakup.
She had to swallow her pride.
That night, Jiang Siyi slept soundly, hugging her blanket. The next day, she woke up early, her writing speed doubling.
Just as she was typing away, Lin Yusheng called.
Thinking it must be about the manuscript, Jiang Siyi quickly declined the call.
But Lin Yusheng was persistent.
Having no other choice, she answered.
“Hello? What?”
“The audio drama is being released tomorrow, you have to at least repost it on Weibo.”
Too focused on pursuing her ex-girlfriend, she had completely forgotten about it.
Jiang Siyi apologized and agreed, and just as she was about to hang up, Lin Yusheng spoke again. “There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“A producer wants to invite you to a TV show, Poems for Humanity, it’s very popular lately.”
Not interested.
Jiang Siyi continued typing. “No, I don’t want to interact with so many guests, what if I say something wrong and get attacked by their fans?”
She preferred a quiet life.
“Hear me out first. You’ll be a special guest, only three days of filming, airfare and accommodation covered, and the pay is this much.” Lin Yusheng told her the number.
“…”
30,000 yuan per day.
Jiang Siyi’s eyes lit up. “Can I film for longer?”
“Sure, if you’re a regular guest, the minimum filming period is four months.”
“Then no,” she immediately refused.
If she were gone for four months, Shen Shiwu would definitely run away with the rabbit by the time she returned.
The filming was scheduled for next Monday, in Chang’an. After getting the details, Jiang Siyi hung up.
It was already eleven o’clock.
She stretched and decided to go out.
It was mid-September, the osmanthus flowers in full bloom, their fragrance filling the air. Jiang Siyi, enjoying the sweet scent, suddenly craved something sweet.
She entered a dessert shop and bought a bag of bagels. Not wanting to go home and be alone, she went for a walk in the park, like an old lady.
Finding a bench, she sat down and started eating her lunch. The autumn weather was pleasant, and the park was filled with people having picnics and gatherings.
Jiang Siyi, munching on her bagel, felt slightly out of place.
After a while, she sent Shen Shiwu a message.
“What are you doing?”
“Working.”
Workaholic.
Jiang Siyi grumbled inwardly, then sent a crying rabbit emoji. She put her phone aside and continued eating.
Suddenly, an old lady approached her, hunched over.
She held out a chipped bowl, gesturing towards Jiang Siyi.
Having no cash on her, Jiang Siyi, after thinking for a moment, gave her two bagels. The old lady thanked her profusely in the local dialect.
“You’re welcome,” Jiang Siyi said.
After finishing her lunch, she sat there for a while, then stood up to leave.
But before she could even take a few steps, someone grabbed her ankle.
She hated being touched by strangers.
Of course, except for Shen Shiwu.
Before she could even turn around, she heard an old woman’s voice, “Ouch, your bread was poisoned! My stomach hurts!”
Jiang Siyi frowned and turned around to see the old lady rolling on the ground.
Her lips twitched, and she retorted, “I just bought these bagels from a dessert shop, and I ate some too, I’m perfectly fine.”
The old lady ignored her, continuing to wail and roll around on the grass.
The commotion attracted a crowd, and a kind-hearted girl wanted to help, but her boyfriend, thinking he was being smart, stopped her, telling her not to get involved.
Jiang Siyi backed away. “Don’t touch me, let go, or I’ll call the police.”
“Go ahead, my stomach hurts because of your bread!” the old lady insisted, crying and shouting.
Jiang Siyi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and reached for her phone.
She searched her pockets, but couldn’t find it.
She finally realized—she had been scammed.
“Where’s my phone?”
“What phone? How would I know?”
Seeing that the old lady showed no sign of stopping, Jiang Siyi sighed, trying to calm her racing heart.
She walked back to the bench and sat down.
Looking at the old lady coldly, she said, “Continue.”
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then resumed her wailing and shouting, as if she had been cheated out of a fortune.
Jiang Siyi sat there calmly, until she saw someone filming, and she pointed at them. “If you keep filming, I’ll report you too.”
The man quickly put away his phone and hurried away.
The commotion had attracted the attention of a park security guard, who came over and asked what was happening. Jiang Siyi calmly explained the situation, then asked to borrow a phone.
The security guard, a kind lady, unlocked her phone and handed it to her.
Call the police first, or call Shen Shiwu?
Jiang Siyi hesitated for a few seconds, then dialed Shen Shiwu’s number.
Shen Shiwu was probably working, or perhaps she thought it was a spam call, because she didn’t answer for a long time. “Hello?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Siyi almost lost her composure. She said, her voice trembling slightly, “Shen Shiwu, I’ve been scammed.”
“They stole my phone and are now accusing me of poisoning them with my bread…”
Despite her earlier composure, her words were now disjointed. Shen Shiwu threw her pen down and rushed out of the office. “Where are you?”
“Nanhu Park.”
“I’ll be there soon, don’t move.”
Shen Shiwu didn’t hang up and, after rushing downstairs, drove straight to the park.
The security guard, curious, asked, “Is that your older sister?”
Jiang Siyi never hid her sexual orientation. She shook her head. “My ex-girlfriend.”
“Oh, I see.”
The old lady was still rolling around on the grass, oblivious to the world. The security guard clicked her tongue and told her to stop pretending, they could settle this at the police station.
“I don’t feel well!” the old lady shouted.
The security guard, exasperated, told Jiang Siyi to hang up and call the police.
Just then, Shen Shiwu’s voice came from the phone. “I’ve already called the police, they’ll be here soon.”
Jiang Siyi instantly felt relieved.
She said, “Drive slowly, I’m safe here, no need to rush.”
“I’m here, turn around.”
Footsteps approached.
Jiang Siyi’s eyes flickered.
Before she could even turn around, Shen Shiwu had stepped in front of her, shielding her.
The scent of cedarwood mingled with the fresh scent of grass.
Jiang Siyi’s eyes reddened, her throat tightening with emotion.
She tugged on Shen Shiwu’s clothes, her voice soft. “Shen Shiwu.”
The woman turned around, hesitated, then resisted the urge to hug her.
She simply said gently, “Don’t cry.”
The police car arrived with sirens blaring, taking the old lady away. Jiang Siyi got into Shen Shiwu’s car, and they drove to the police station.
At the police station, the old lady continued her act, only quieting down when she heard the word “detention.”
She hadn’t expected the situation to be so serious, and she started trembling, finally confessing, “That girl’s phone, my husband stole it, he told me to do this!”
The police officer paused, then nodded. “Go on.”
He reminded her, “You have to be responsible for your words, make sure they’re true. Lying will only make things worse.”
“It’s true, he told me to do it!”
…
After taking the old lady’s statement, the police officer came out of the room. “We’re going to arrest her husband now, it might take a while. Why don’t you two go home? I’ll notify you as soon as we have any updates.”
Then he turned to Shen Shiwu. “Ms. Shen, don’t worry, we’ll handle this as quickly as possible.”
Shen Shiwu didn’t reply, but looked at Jiang Siyi.
“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”
Hearing this, Shen Shiwu nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
The farce had ended, and it was almost evening, the sky tinged with red.
They walked out together.
Jiang Siyi was tired, and she walked even slower than usual. Shen Shiwu, noticing this, slowed down her pace.
They walked side by side under the setting sun.
“Did I interrupt your work today?” Jiang Siyi asked softly, kicking a pebble, her eyes fixed on the ground. “I’m sorry.”
Seeing that she was about to walk into a utility pole, Shen Shiwu quickly pulled her to her left. “Watch where you’re going.”
Then she replied, “I wasn’t that busy.”
Really?
Jiang Siyi was skeptical.
“If you’re not busy, then can you… go out with me sometime? I mean, go shopping,” she said, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Shen Shiwu, seeing her hopeful expression, pushed her head playfully. “In your dreams.”
Jiang Siyi grumbled inwardly and got into the car.
“Let’s go to the business district, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“The housekeeper made dinner.”
“Really?” Jiang Siyi said politely, “Thank you, Auntie, I miss her cooking too.”
“…”
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Shiwu took her home.
The moment they arrived, Jiang Siyi, like a prisoner released from jail, rushed out of the car, faster than a rabbit. The housekeeper, who had been waiting, came out to greet them.
“Ms. Jiang is here too! I made a lot of chicken soup today,” she said, clapping her hands, “I’ll go set the table.”
The aroma of food filled the air as soon as they entered the house, and Jiang Siyi’s stomach rumbled embarrassingly. But her first question was, “Auntie, where’s the rabbit?”
“Playing in the garden.”
She wanted to sneak off to find Eleven, but before she could even take a few steps, Shen Shiwu caught her.
“Dinner first,” she said, pulling her towards the dining table.
Jiang Siyi looked like a child being scolded by her parent.
She responded with an “oh” and obediently picked up her chopsticks.
After finishing a bowl of chicken soup, the housekeeper praised her for still having such a good appetite. Jiang Siyi smiled awkwardly, then noticed Shen Shiwu’s expression.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing.”
Liar.
“My good appetite is all thanks to you,” Jiang Siyi scoffed.
Mm-hmm, I’m so proud of myself. Shen Shiwu had wanted to say this,
But she held back.
It was too intimate.
After dinner, Jiang Siyi stubbornly stayed until eight o’clock before leaving. She petted Eleven’s head, her expression full of reluctance.
Shen Shiwu, seeing her dramatic farewell, shook her head slightly.
“Auntie Wang is waiting outside,” she reminded her.
Jiang Siyi, as if waking up from a dream, stood up abruptly.
She looked back several times as she walked towards the door. “Bye.”
Shen Shiwu had thought she was saying goodbye to her, but looking up, she saw that Jiang Siyi was waving at the rabbit.
She gritted her teeth. “Are you leaving or not?”
Why so fierce?
Jiang Siyi hummed softly and finally left.
The door closed with a thud.
Shen Shiwu had wanted to go upstairs, but remembering that the plants in the garden needed trimming, she went to the backyard instead.
Half an hour later, when she returned to the living room, it was strangely quiet.
The sound of the rabbit hopping around was gone.
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