Chapter 35
That night, Jiang Siyi called her therapist for the first time in a while.
It was afternoon in London, and the therapist, basking in the sun, said in a slow, calming voice, “She is the root cause of your worsening condition. It’s best to stay away from her, unless there are exceptional circumstances.”
Jiang Siyi responded with a faint “Mm-hmm.”
Her focus was entirely on the “exceptional circumstances” part.
She had been staying home for a week, and things had been relatively peaceful. Apart from almost getting sick of takeout, life was quite comfortable.
On Sunday, after finishing her writing for the day, Jiang Siyi opened the curtains, saw that the weather was surprisingly nice, and decided to go for a walk.
It was early July, and the sun was getting increasingly intense, almost unbearable by noon.
But not long after she stepped outside, dark clouds gathered, and a sudden downpour began.
Jiang Siyi felt betrayed and was about to turn back when a shout pierced her ears, “Jiang Siyi!”
Inside the cafe, they sat in a quiet corner, the transparent glass wall offering a view of the passing pedestrians. Lin Yusheng, watching Jiang Siyi leisurely sipping her coffee, asked, “Great author, when are you handing in your manuscript?”
Jiang Siyi stirred her coffee slowly. “What’s the rush?”
“Fine, take your time. As long as you hand it in before the end of the year, I’ll be grateful.” Lin Yusheng took out a contract from her bag. “Here’s the offer from the film company.”
A stack of papers was placed on the table. Jiang Siyi glanced at the number Lin Yusheng gestured—seven figures.
She remained unfazed, continuing to stir her coffee.
Lin Yusheng: “…”
“I’ve come all this way to deliver the contract, can you at least say something?”
“I’m afraid you won’t like what I have to say.”
…That’s a rejection.
Lin Yusheng stared at the contract, then almost exploded. “They’re practically begging for the rights, and you, you don’t even appreciate it!”
If this had been the Jiang Siyi from before she turned seventeen, faced with such an opportunity to get rich, she would have grabbed it without hesitation. But now, plagued by her anxiety, which sometimes felt life-threatening, what good was a little money?
Besides… this book was a tribute to her first love.
In other words, it was written for Shen Shiwu.
The editor was still trying to persuade her—”It’ll be released overseas, no need to cut the romance, finding two actors to portray the characters isn’t a bad thing, it can even boost your popularity.”
Jiang Siyi finished her coffee in one gulp.
She didn’t usually like coffee; it was too bitter. She only drank it when she needed a boost. She pursed her lips. “I won’t authorize any film adaptations of my work.”
“If you want to make money from this, you should find someone else.”
After so many years, Lin Yusheng knew her temperament well and had anticipated this outcome.
But she had still held onto a sliver of hope, as Jiang Siyi was unpredictable, just like her writing, often defying expectations.
Finally giving up, Lin Yusheng stuffed the contract back into her bag. Perhaps her throat was dry from talking, she drank most of her coffee, then changed the subject. “Fine, but you’ll at least attend the book signing in Beicheng, right?”
This wasn’t a problem.
Jiang Siyi nodded in agreement.
Lin Yusheng sighed repeatedly, and only when Jiang Siyi was about to leave did she regain her composure. “I came back to China specifically to accompany you to the book signing.”
Then she added, “I don’t have a place to stay in Qinan, can I stay at your place?”
Jiang Siyi smiled. “No.”
Lin Yusheng started her usual dramatic act. She was only in her early forties, not particularly old, but she loved to reminisce about the past.
From the first manuscript Jiang Siyi had submitted to Yunyu Publishing to all the things that had happened since, she recounted everything.
Regardless, Lin Yusheng was indeed her mentor.
So, after about ten minutes, Jiang Siyi relented. “Fine.”
She sighed. “But you have to move out after the book signing.”
The walk from the cafe to her apartment took only ten minutes.
Lin Yusheng entered, casually tossed her bag onto the sofa, and started exclaiming, “Wow, what a mansion!”
“Not really.” Jiang Siyi watched her walk around in her high heels, thinking, You haven’t seen my ex-wife’s older sister’s villa.
“Okay, calm down. The book signing is the day after tomorrow, right?”
Lin Yusheng felt that Jiang Siyi’s temper had worsened since returning to China. She used to politely call her “Auntie,” but now she was being treated like a stranger.
She nodded, then asked softly, “Is your… condition getting worse again?”
Jiang Siyi didn’t reply immediately. She poured herself a glass of water, and only after the warmth spread through her stomach did she speak, staring at the rising steam. “Maybe.”
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, she changed the subject. “I’ve almost finished the manuscript. I’ll go upstairs and get my laptop.”
With that, she went upstairs.
Being in someone else’s home, Lin Yusheng didn’t wander around but sat down and started scrolling through her phone.
In the quiet apartment, the doorbell suddenly rang.
She called out, “Jiang Siyi, someone’s here.”
Remembering that she had ordered her childhood favorite—daily milk delivery—a few days ago, Jiang Siyi replied, “Open the door, do you expect me to jump down?”
The sound of high heels clicking against the floor approached the door.
Lin Yusheng opened the door, and the person outside seemed to suddenly turn cold.
She didn’t recognize Shen Shiwu and asked, “Hello, can I help you?”
Then she carefully examined the woman before her.
Her long, slightly curled hair was as dark as ink, her features striking, the simple shirt she wore exuding elegance.
A beautiful woman.
Lin Yusheng raised an eyebrow, wanting to rush upstairs and tell Jiang Siyi, “Forget about your first love, look at this one!”
Just then, Jiang Siyi came downstairs, laptop in hand.
Seeing someone at the door, she asked, puzzled, “Who is it?”
Lin Yusheng stepped aside.
The moment Jiang Siyi met the woman’s gaze, she instinctively wanted to close the door—her anxiety was acting up again.
But Shen Shiwu’s expression softened slightly, and she said softly, “I’m here to deliver milk.”
“…”
A billionaire CEO delivering milk door-to-door? Who would believe that?
Jiang Siyi tried to compose herself and lied, “I didn’t order any milk.”
“Really?” Shen Shiwu looked down at the order information, then looked up at the house number again. “Third row, number eighteen, isn’t this your address?”
After a few seconds, Jiang Siyi’s face stiffened, and she snatched the bottle of milk from Shen Shiwu’s hand, about to slam the door shut.
But a hand stopped her.
It was only a few centimeters away from being crushed. Jiang Siyi gasped inwardly and froze. Shen Shiwu, seeing her abrupt stop, her eyes filled with an unreadable expression.
She took out a box of chocolates from behind her back, the packaging covered in English, tied with a golden ribbon.
“Hello, new neighbor, this is a small gift, nothing too expensive, please accept it.”
Jiang Siyi was completely stunned.
Her mouth opened and closed several times, then she asked, her voice flat, “What did you say?”
“New… neighbor.” The woman said calmly. “Are those three words so difficult to understand, great author?”
The next moment, Jiang Siyi slammed the door shut, both the woman and the chocolates now outside.
She declared, “You better move out.”
Shen Shiwu raised an eyebrow, thinking the girl was getting increasingly fierce.
Fierce like… a hissing rabbit.
Thinking this, her eyes darkened, and she continued, “I’ll wait until you accept the chocolates before I leave.”
Although she said that, Shen Shiwu’s true intention was—if Jiang Siyi didn’t open the door, she wouldn’t hesitate to break the lock.
And throw the other person inside out as well.
The light rain, which hadn’t stopped, suddenly intensified. Although Shen Shiwu was standing under the eaves, a few raindrops still landed on her.
She coughed a few times, pretending to be sick. Seeing that there was still no movement from inside, she was about to turn around to find a tool when the door finally opened a crack.
Jiang Siyi didn’t look at her but took the chocolates, her eyelashes lowered.
She mumbled, “You can go now.”
Inside, Lin Yusheng, having witnessed the whole scene, felt that there was definitely some history between them. Eager for gossip, she asked tentatively, “Do you… know that beautiful woman?”
Jiang Siyi thought she was stating the obvious.
“What do you think?”
Lin Yusheng slapped her thigh. “You definitely know each other!”
“Could it be… you two…” She suddenly paused, then her eyes widened in realization. “Don’t tell me she’s your first love?”
Jiang Siyi threw a pillow at her. “So what if she is? Got a problem with that?”
Lin Yusheng repeated “No wonder” several times, then clicked her tongue. “You should have told me your ex-wife’s older sister looked like that.”
“I used to think you were hopelessly in love, but now, if it were me, I might be even crazier than you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Siyi felt inexplicably annoyed. She frowned. “Do you believe I’ll throw you out?”
The other woman immediately fell silent, made a “shh” gesture, and started working on her laptop.
The sound of rain filled the quiet apartment. Jiang Siyi hugged her laptop, finding it too heavy, and put it aside.
She curled up on the sofa, her view through the window offering a clear sight of the “twin” courtyard house opposite hers.
She had just seen Shen Shiwu enter that house.
Jiang Siyi sighed inwardly, her temples throbbing. Then, the buried memories resurfaced.
The stormy night, huddled alone in bed, afraid to move.
And that glimpse of Shen Shiwu and Yang Yu at Yu An Mansion…
Feeling her teeth chattering slightly, Jiang Siyi closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.
After a long while, she finally opened her eyes.
The weather in Qinan was not only rainy but also unpredictable. Now, sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on the floor.
Lin Yusheng looked up, surprised, and also glanced outside. “It’s sunshower, haven’t seen one of those in a while.”
Jiang Siyi didn’t reply, simply looking outside.
As if by some unspoken agreement, at the same moment, the door of the house opposite hers opened, and a tall figure stepped out.
Jiang Siyi froze.
The dark clouds had mostly dispersed, leaving only a light drizzle. The sunlight intensified, as if magnified.
Shen Shiwu stood at her doorstep, her arm shielding half her face.
As if she had sensed her gaze, she suddenly turned and looked at Jiang Siyi.
Jiang Siyi’s heart skipped a beat.
Because she saw, under the warm sunlight, not far away, the person she had longed for and yet avoided for four years, tilting her head and smiling faintly at her.
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