Chapter 77
Insensitive.
Jerk!
Jiang Siyi, banished upstairs, stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. She admired her figure, then mentally cursed Shen Shiwu for having no taste.
A few minutes later, Shen Shiwu’s voice came from downstairs, “Not eating anymore?”
Jiang Siyi opened the door slightly and replied, “You go ahead.”
She deliberately closed the door a little harder than usual.
She remembered how, in the past, when she was too busy with her homework to eat, Shen Shiwu would bring her food upstairs. Or, after they had become a couple, Shen Shiwu would carry her downstairs, homework and all.
And now?
A flicker of doubt appeared in Jiang Siyi’s heart.
Twenty minutes later, she lay peacefully in bed,
A smile on her face, thinking she was about to die of starvation.
Forget it.
No more testing, she would starve to death if she continued.
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock on the door, short and sharp.
Jiang Siyi sat up abruptly.
She composed herself, then opened the door, her voice slightly drawn out, “You go ahead and eat, I’m not hun—”
“I know you’re not hungry,” Shen Shiwu said calmly, looking at her, “I’ve already eaten, I’m here to tell you,”
“Don’t wear my underwear again.”
We’ve slept together, what’s wrong with wearing your underwear?
It’s a little weird, but you’re not exactly innocent either.
Jiang Siyi gritted her teeth, closed the door, and yelled, “I know!”
Having no way to go downstairs for dinner without losing face, she could only suffer the consequences and go to bed hungry.
She curled up in a chair, chanting silently,
I’m not hungry, I’m not hungry.
Just consider it a diet.
Just as she was about to get into bed, Jiang Siyi, whose sense of smell was incredibly sharp, faintly smelled… food.
She groaned inwardly—Oh god, she was hallucinating.
Was this a sign of impending starvation?
She was only in her early twenties, she didn’t want to die yet.
Feeling a wave of despair, she burrowed under the covers, lamenting the unfairness of life.
Until,
Another knock on the door.
Jiang Siyi threw off the covers and got out of bed, grumbling as she walked, “What? I’m already in bed.”
She was still annoyed.
But when she opened the door, there was no one there, only the intensifying aroma of food. Looking down, she saw two bowls on the floor.
One bowl was filled with rice.
The other had boneless fish fillets, corn and spare ribs, and cola chicken wings.
After a moment of stunned silence, afraid that Shen Shiwu would change her mind, Jiang Siyi quickly scooped up the bowls and rushed back to her room.
She devoured the food, starving.
After the satisfying meal,
Little Jiang, feeling incredibly smug, thought,
Just a little trick, and the fish took the bait.
Their reunion was just around the corner, wasn’t it?
Jiang Siyi slept soundly that night. But in the early hours of the morning, a strong wind picked up, accompanied by a few rumbles of thunder.
She woke up in a daze, hearing the noise outside, her palms slightly sweaty.
Bad weather was common when she was abroad. From initially being terrified to gradually accepting it, Jiang Siyi had thought she was used to thunderstorms.
But thinking that Shen Shiwu was sleeping in the next room,
Her heart, which had been pretending to be calm, started racing again, her body tingling with unease.
Hugging her pillow, Jiang Siyi quietly got out of bed, looking for her slippers in the dark.
Another clap of thunder echoed through the sky.
She swallowed nervously and quickly opened the door, turning left.
Shen Shiwu, having just finished working, was about to go to bed when she heard the noise outside. The thunder was loud tonight, and she had been worried about Jiang Siyi, so she quickened her pace.
But when she opened the door, she slowed down, her expression casual.
Jiang Siyi was standing there, hugging her pillow, her head down. Hearing the door open, she slowly looked up. Her face was pale, her lips almost colorless, only her eyes slightly red.
Her hair was a mess, and she was barefoot, shivering slightly in the cold.
“Shen Shiwu…” Jiang Siyi’s voice was soft, almost a whisper, “I’m scared.”
“There’s thunder outside,” she repeated, tears welling up in her eyes, “I’m scared.”
Shen Shiwu, seeing her bare feet, frowned deeply. Seeing her tremble, she sighed and reached for the nearest coat.
The coat was large, and it carried Shen Shiwu’s scent.
Jiang Siyi burrowed into it, like a small animal finding its nest.
Shen Shiwu, after a moment of hesitation, lowered her hand and stepped aside. “Come in.”
Jiang Siyi took a few steps, stopping right in front of her. Her eyes were still wet, glistening in the dim light. “I’m cold,” she whispered.
“I can’t walk.”
Outside, the wind and rain were strong, the thunder having stopped, but it could return at any moment. Jiang Siyi’s soft words, carried by the slightly damp air, reached Shen Shiwu’s ears.
The woman was silent for a moment.
Then, without a word, she bent down and lifted Jiang Siyi into her arms.
Jiang Siyi instinctively wrapped her arms around Shen Shiwu’s neck, their faces close, their warm breaths mingling.
Her bare feet dangled in the air, still cold. But since Shen Shiwu was already holding her, she didn’t complain.
Suddenly, a warmth spread through her feet.
Jiang Siyi, surprised, saw that Shen Shiwu was holding her feet in her hands. The warmth quickly spread through her body.
She was placed on the bed, and perhaps it was the sleepiness, but Jiang Siyi was still in a daze, her head spinning, as if she had drunk too much.
Soon, soft, even breathing filled the quiet room.
By the time Shen Shiwu approached the bed, Jiang Siyi was already fast asleep, curled up under the covers. She looked at the girl’s still pale face and sighed softly.
She tucked her in, then, after watching her for a while, she quietly left the room and went next door.
Jiang Siyi’s sleep was light.
She stirred, slowly opening her eyes. Reaching out, she only felt cold air.
Shen Shiwu’s scent was gone.
Shen Shiwu… had left.
She stared at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused. In the darkness, the sound of rain filling the room, she curled up, her body trembling, cold sweat mixing with tears soaking her pajamas.
She hated Shen Shiwu.
She hated her so much.
Her muffled sobs were almost swallowed by the sound of rain.
Only after her tears had dried did Jiang Siyi finally feel tired, her throat sore, and she reluctantly drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, the sun rose amidst the chirping of birds.
Jiang Siyi woke up early and almost screamed when she looked in the mirror.
Her eyes were swollen.
She felt a sense of déjà vu, but she didn’t have time to think about it and left the guesthouse. Several cars were parked outside, the crew and guests already there, getting their makeup done. The producer, seeing her, hurried over. “Good morning, Ms. Jiang.”
The morning breeze had cleared Jiang Siyi’s head. She replied, “Morning.”
In the makeup room, she ate her breakfast as she had her makeup done. The producer explained today’s schedule. “Ms. Jiang, for the next few days, it’s our travel days. We’ll be leaving for Yunxi Water Town at eight.”
Jiang Siyi didn’t really listen, only catching the key information. After the producer left, she didn’t talk to the makeup artist, remaining silent.
Her emotional turmoil from last night hadn’t subsided. Thinking of Shen Shiwu, she felt a tightness in her chest, her breath slightly constricted.
Jiang Siyi stared blankly into space, suddenly remembering four years ago.
Shen Shiwu hadn’t been like this back then. Gentle, patient, always coaxing her, never getting angry, no matter what she did.
Her throat felt tight.
She grabbed the bottle of water on the table and took a few large gulps, her breathing finally easing.
***
Shen Shiwu seemed to have left the guesthouse early.
She was busy. Meetings, business trips, disappearing without a word, it seemed normal.
After all, they weren’t in a relationship anymore.
On the way to Yunxi Water Town, the guests chatted in the car. Jiang Siyi sat in the back corner, wearing a mask, mostly silent, adhering to the principle of “the less you say, the better.”
She only nodded and replied briefly when Tang Wen addressed her directly.
The drive wasn’t long, and forty minutes later, they arrived at their destination. It was windy today, and despite the sunshine, the air was still cold. Before getting out of the car, Jiang Siyi tested the temperature with her foot, then quickly retracted it.
She obediently put on her coat.
This part of the filming was like a travel show, walking and talking, and to make it more interesting, the guests would occasionally recite relevant poems.
Jiang Siyi trailed behind the group, occasionally responding with a few lines. The mask hid her dejected mood, so she didn’t seem too unenthusiastic.
There was a hiking trail at the scenic spot, usually crowded with tourists, but perhaps because of the weather, there weren’t many people today. The staff had bought tickets for them, and Jiang Siyi, looking at the long flight of stairs leading up the mountain, felt a wave of despair.
Whatever, 30,000 yuan a day.
She gritted her teeth and started climbing.
They had just finished lunch after their walk, and the producer had called this “post-meal exercise.”
Besides Jiang Siyi, Tang Wen also wasn’t a fan of physical activity. She groaned with every step, her complaints echoing in the air.
Hiking consumed a lot of energy, and by the time they reached the halfway point, the guests and the cameramen were exhausted. After a few attempts to continue, they decided to give up.
As for Jiang Siyi, she was completely numb.
She wasn’t used to exercising, and now that she had broken up with Shen Shiwu, she had even less motivation. She usually worked from home, her sleep schedule irregular, so her physical fitness wasn’t great.
Seeing that everyone was heading back down, Jiang Siyi struggled to get up from the stone bench and followed. After a while, one of the guests said she needed to use the restroom.
Most of them went with her.
Jiang Siyi, too lazy to walk, saw a row of benches behind a bamboo grove and went over to rest. The voices gradually faded away, and the surroundings became quiet, only the rustling of leaves disturbing the silence.
She took out her phone to kill time.
The signal was weak in the mountains, fluctuating between good and non-existent.
After several attempts to load a webpage, Jiang Siyi sighed and put her phone away.
It had been over twenty minutes.
But the surroundings were still quiet, not even a single tourist passing by.
Jiang Siyi finally realized something was wrong.
She walked out of the bamboo grove, the leaves rustling as she brushed past them, the sound strangely unsettling.
Huh?
Where were the stairs?
She looked around, but all she could see were bamboo trees, the path she had taken nowhere in sight.
Damn it.
Jiang Siyi froze, her heart pounding.
She was lost.
Strong winds were common in autumn.
The wind, carrying fallen leaves and dust, blurred her vision.
She rubbed her eyes, then held her phone up, trying to find a signal.
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