Chapter 36
The day she left for Beicheng was a rare sunny day. The warm sunlight seemed to ripple across everything.
A certain great author had also gotten her hair permed into waves for the occasion.
The clicking of her black stilettos against the floor mixed with the reporters’ questions, creating a cacophony of sounds.
Lin Yusheng, who rarely accompanied her to events, was startled by the scene.
As expected of an award-winning writer, her popularity is comparable to a celebrity’s.
Lin Yusheng thought, feeling a surge of pride.
“Miss Jiang, we heard you rejected the film adaptation offer from an overseas company. Is it because of your first love?”
“Miss Jiang, you once wrote in your book…”
Ever since she had answered that “not one of” question, the media had been relentlessly pursuing Jiang Siyi’s love life.
She pulled her mask higher, only her indifferent eyes visible.
She refused to answer any of the questions thrown at her.
Finally, inside the car, Jiang Siyi covered herself with her coat, ready to hibernate in the middle of summer. Lin Yusheng, rubbing her temples, seeing her like this, said, “We’ll be at the venue in about ten minutes, get up and fix your makeup.”
Jiang Siyi tried to argue. “I’m wearing a mask, why do I need to fix my makeup?”
“You can at least fix your eye makeup, your eyelashes are all droopy.”
“…”
After a moment, she resignedly opened her eyes and took out her compact, patting her face with powder.
As soon as they got out of the car, staff members from the organizer came to greet them. One of the interns couldn’t take her eyes off Jiang Siyi.
After they entered the venue, she whispered to her colleague, “Ms. Jiang is so beautiful. Even with a mask, you can tell she’s incredibly elegant.”
Many of her readers and fans felt the same way.
So, when Jiang Siyi, dressed in a dark green dress, entered the venue, their screams intensified, the books in their hands unable to muffle the sound.
“Dear readers, Ms. Jiang’s book signing is about to begin. Please line up and wait patiently, thank you!”
The venue was large, and Lin Yusheng held a microphone, directing the crowd. After making sure everything was in order, she took the first book from a reader.
“Teacher, I’m taking the college entrance exam this year, and I love your work. Actually, I skipped class to come here, and I’m a little scared to go back to school…”
Jiang Siyi was always gentle with her readers, hiding her sharp edges, sometimes even acting as a kind older sister.
When the young reader finished speaking, she was suddenly reminded of her own teenage years.
Jiang Siyi, snapping back to reality, said, “However you came here, you should go back the same way. You have to be responsible for your actions.”
She had wanted to add, “For example, if you climbed over the wall to get here, climb back. As long as your skills are good, no one will notice.”
But she swallowed the words—she was no longer the playful girl from four years ago. Saying that now would only make headlines the next day.
She could even imagine the headline: #Popular Author Jiang Siyi Incites Readers to Skip Class, Suspected of Endangering the Nation’s Youth#
Her lips twitched, and she started lecturing the reader, echoing Fu Jing’s words from years ago, “Your senior year is for studying. You can skip class this time, but not next time.”
The time allotted for each reader was limited.
The reader took the signed book and nodded repeatedly. “Mm-hmm, I’ll study hard.”
The rest of the book signing went smoothly. Jiang Siyi’s hand was cramping by the end, but she enjoyed it.
The line gradually shortened, only four or five people left.
Another book was handed to her. Jiang Siyi didn’t look up, asking, “What’s your name?”
The person was silent for a few seconds, as if considering, then replied, “Ex-wife’s older sister.”
“???”
Jiang Siyi’s pen froze, and she abruptly looked up, seeing a woman in a dark blue dress standing before her.
Her first thought: Oh, blue and green, matching outfits.
Her second thought: Oh, it really is my ex-wife’s older sister.
Jiang Siyi: “…”
Seeing her frozen, Shen Shiwu leaned against the table and repeated those three words.
Although there weren’t many people left in line, many readers were still lingering around.
Jiang Siyi wanted to jump up and cover Shen Shiwu’s mouth.
Lin Yusheng, beside her, pretended to clear her throat, then picked up the small gifts and started distributing them. “Here, a small gift from Ms. Jiang, one for everyone, no need to rush.”
The crowd was instantly distracted, no longer paying attention to them.
Shen Shiwu leaned closer, lowering her eyes. “Are those three words too embarrassing to write?”
Her eyes were filled with meaning, dark as the night. Jiang Siyi, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, looked away and finally started writing.
She gripped the pen, her knuckles turning white, and calmly wrote—To Ex-wife’s older sister.
She could have added a well-wish, but Jiang Siyi just wanted to get it over with and call the next person. But Shen Shiwu seemed to have come prepared.
Just as she was about to close the book, Shen Shiwu stopped her. “A well-wish.”
She pretended to think for a moment, then said slowly, “Write, ‘Wishing for our reconciliation soon.’”
Shen Shiwu’s voice was laced with amusement, her tone cheerful.
Jiang Siyi was speechless.
She had realized, since their reunion at the bar, that Shen Shiwu still had feelings for her. But she hadn’t expected her to bring up getting back together like this.
Hearing her straightforward words, Jiang Siyi was suddenly reminded of four years ago.
Back then, after they had become official, Shen Shiwu’s love had been passionate and direct, while she had been… insecure and sensitive.
It seemed they had never been on the same page.
Jiang Siyi’s face remained expressionless. She didn’t write anything, but simply closed the book and handed it back.
As if saying: Take it or leave it.
Shen Shiwu had anticipated this.
She had come all the way to Beicheng and waited in line for hours, giving Jiang Siyi a chance—if she agreed, then there would be no need for drastic measures.
There were many disobedient children in the world.
And the one she had once raised seemed particularly stubborn.
The woman calmly took the book, glanced at the cover, then said meaningfully, “Nice, it’s quite a good likeness.”
Only after Shen Shiwu turned and left did Jiang Siyi’s face flush.
She had personally commissioned the cover design.
It was a picture of two people, their backs to the viewer, leaning against each other.
And the key element was the London Eye in the background.
I should have asked for a more subtle design…
She thought silently, wanting to stand up and walk around to cool down.
The book signing ended in the evening. The sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset, and Jiang Siyi, feeling tired, walked outside, then paused, slightly stunned.
It had been years since she had seen such a beautiful sky.
It wasn’t that London didn’t have sunsets, every country did.
It was just a matter of perspective.
“What are you looking at? The Beicheng night market is very lively, want to go check it out?” Lin Yusheng, thinking she was reminiscing about her first love, seeing her dazed expression, asked, afraid she had developed early-onset dementia.
Jiang Siyi finally looked away.
Embracing the Chinese mentality of “since we’re already here,” she nodded. “Let’s go.”
The night market was crowded, people bumping shoulders. Jiang Siyi, momentarily disoriented, wanted to remind Lin Yusheng to be careful of pickpockets, then remembered they were in China and kept quiet.
But she had become too relaxed.
So relaxed that she didn’t even notice when her phone was stolen from her pocket.
By the time she realized it, Lin Yusheng had already yelled, “Where’s my phone!?”
Twenty minutes later, they were sitting side by side at the police station. Several other people were there too, all tourists who had been robbed.
The police station was lively, perhaps because they were busy. When Jiang Siyi asked to check the surveillance footage, no one reacted.
A police officer said, “Wait a moment, don’t worry.”
“My flight is tomorrow morning.”
“Then stay here for a few more days, our night market is very lively, just be careful of pickpockets.”
“…”
Jiang Siyi wanted to scream.
Just as she was about to speak, another couple came in, saying their luggage had been stolen, including their IDs, and demanding immediate action.
The noise level increased.
Jiang Siyi’s face darkened, and she sat back down, defeated.
As she was dozing off, she heard approaching footsteps, stopping in front of her.
Jiang Siyi drowsily opened her eyes, thinking she was dreaming.
The woman looked down at her, frowning. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Siyi’s mind was foggy with sleep, and she looked at the person before her, a sudden wave of emotion washing over her.
When tired, people acted on instinct.
She subconsciously reached out and tugged on Shen Shiwu’s sleeve, then quickly let go, as if realizing she had done something inappropriate.
Shen Shiwu: “…”
She glanced at Lin Yusheng, who was fast asleep, then at another person yelling into the phone, “Yes, my bag was stolen!”
Then she asked Jiang Siyi, “Something stolen?”
Jiang Siyi mumbled in agreement.
She sniffed, feeling aggrieved that the police weren’t taking her case seriously.
Shen Shiwu, seeing her head drooping lower and lower, guessed what had happened. She resisted the urge to pat her head and turned to walk in another direction.
Jiang Siyi stared at Shen Shiwu’s back as she talked to a police officer.
Just like the countless times she had secretly looked at Shen Shiwu years ago, she was caught.
Seeing the girl’s evasive gaze, Shen Shiwu’s eyes darkened.
“Please handle this as quickly as possible. My child has a flight tomorrow morning, it’s urgent.” After saying this, she turned and walked back to Jiang Siyi.
Jiang Siyi, hearing the footsteps, touched her nose.
“Jiang Siyi,” Shen Shiwu called out, stopping in front of her.
Although she was no longer a child, hearing her full name, Jiang Siyi still felt a sense of… oppression.
She looked up. “What?”
“Want to find your phone quickly?”
Jiang Siyi blinked, a little puzzled, but still nodded. “Yes.”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, she added, “Isn’t that obvious?”
Shen Shiwu chuckled softly.
She leaned down, touched the girl’s earlobe, and gently pinched it, making her shiver, then said—
“Then say something nice.”
“Or, beg me.”
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