Chapter 44
The temperature in Chang’an was high. The two girls, having fallen asleep in the living room without drawing the curtains, were woken up by the scorching sunlight at six in the morning.
Jiang Siyi’s arm, which she had used as a pillow, was numb and sore.
Xu Yuan, feeling her stir, also sat up. She quickly checked her phone, saw that it was Saturday, and lay back down.
She poked the half-dead person beside her. “Hey, you have such a low tolerance for alcohol.”
Jiang Siyi smiled. “We’re the same, don’t judge.”
“Alright, it’s morning, take a shower, and I’ll take you out.”
“My hometown has developed a lot in recent years, especially the business district, it’s not worse than Qinan.”
Jiang Siyi did want to go out and clear her head.
She rubbed her eyes. “Okay.”
People in Chang’an loved spicy food, and their strong flavors almost knocked Jiang Siyi out during breakfast. She looked at the wontons floating in chili oil, bravely took a bite, and felt her soul leave her body.
As she gulped down water, she thought,
This should be fed to Shen Shiwu, preferably until she dies.
“What are you thinking about? I told you to order the plain broth, but you didn’t listen.” Xu Yuan shook her head. “Still as stubborn as ever.”
Jiang Siyi pretended not to hear and took another sip of the spicy broth, unwilling to give up.
After breakfast, they strolled towards the city center, chatting along the way. “How’s your anxiety? Still not better?”
Jiang Siyi looked up at the clouds drifting slowly across the sky.
Her gaze returned to the ground, her voice soft. “Same as always.”
Seeing her friend like this, Xu Yuan felt a pang of sympathy. So she started lecturing her, offering life advice and emotional analysis, until Jiang Siyi wanted to sew her mouth shut.
As the city’s largest business district, it was already crowded even in the morning.
After wandering around for a while, just as they were about to find a place to rest, someone hesitantly raised their hand, as if trying to greet them.
Jiang Siyi paused. “Yu Wen?”
The woman was wearing a light gray cardigan, looking calm and composed. She smiled. “Siyi, fancy meeting you here.”
Inside a Japanese restaurant, the three of them sat facing each other. Xu Yuan and Jiang Siyi were sitting side by side, looking at the menu.
Yu Wen took a sip of tea. “Is this your friend?”
Jiang Siyi nodded. “Yes.”
Yu Wen smiled faintly, then, as if joking, she said, “I thought she was the person you liked.”
Remembering the confession call, Jiang Siyi simply smiled politely, not replying.
Yu Wen, sensing her discomfort, didn’t press further.
Xu Yuan, however, was confused. She looked up, startled. “What?”
Jiang Siyi didn’t want to explain.
She took the menu, ordered an eel rice bowl and sweet shrimp, and skillfully changed the subject as she spoke to the waiter.
“What about you? What would you like to eat?”
“You can order for me,” Yu Wen said, her eyes gentle, “you should know my preferences.”
Xu Yuan’s expression turned suspicious.
She gasped inwardly, as if realizing something, and excused herself to go to the bathroom, not returning for a long time.
Only when the food arrived did Jiang Siyi message her.
Xu Yuan, thinking she was being clever, replied, “I’m going for a walk, I won’t disturb your date… I mean, your meal.”
And no matter how many messages Jiang Siyi sent, she didn’t reply.
Jiang Siyi’s face darkened as she put down her phone. Yu Wen asked, “Where’s your friend?”
“Fell into a ditch.”
“?”
Yu Wen couldn’t help but chuckle. “You haven’t changed, always joking.”
She started reminiscing about their time in England.
“After that confession… I didn’t dare to see you, I avoided you everywhere,” she said softly, eating slowly, “until graduation. Later, I heard from Nellie that you had returned to China.”
“I thought we would never meet again, but it seems we’re quite fated.”
She tilted her head, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Can I have a bite of your eel rice?”
Jiang Siyi was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Sorry, I have a cold, I don’t want to infect you.”
She even coughed a few times for effect.
Yu Wen paused, then said, “It’s okay.”
Her smile reminded Jiang Siyi of Shen Shiwu, who never got angry, no matter what, during the early stages of their relationship.
Thinking of Shen Shiwu, a pang of sadness hit her.
Jiang Siyi took a bite of sweet shrimp, not looking up.
“So, do you still have someone you like?” Yu Wen suddenly asked.
Jiang Siyi hadn’t dated anyone in all these years, and she was starting to suspect it was just an excuse.
Jiang Siyi finished her shrimp and, under Yu Wen’s gaze, slowly looked up.
Her voice was a little hoarse, and just as she was about to speak, she coughed.
Someone arrived, bringing with them the coolness of last night’s rain.
Looking up, she saw Shen Shiwu pull over a chair and sit down beside her.
Her eyes were unreadable as she answered Yu Wen’s question in Jiang Siyi’s stead.
“Yes,” she said casually, “sorry, it’s me.”
The atmosphere froze. Jiang Siyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. She wanted to retort, to ask how Shen Shiwu could even say that, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.
Yu Wen was stunned, speechless for a long time.
“Th-this is…?”
Caught between the two, Jiang Siyi felt a headache coming on. After a few seconds, she said calmly, “My ex-girlfriend.”
It was the truth, she was her ex-girlfriend.
Yu Wen was slightly relieved. Just an ex, it didn’t mean she had no chance.
She forced a smile. “Hello, I’m Siyi’s friend from abroad.”
Shen Shiwu glanced at her outstretched hand, nodded in acknowledgment, but didn’t shake it.
Jiang Siyi just wanted this chaotic lunch to end.
She had barely eaten anything when she stood up to leave, but Shen Shiwu grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.
“Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
Jiang Siyi’s lips trembled slightly, sensing that something big was about to happen.
Her intuition was always right. Shen Shiwu, without waiting for an answer, gestured behind her, her voice calm and unhurried, “I brought a few chefs.”
“Just tell them what you want to eat.”
As she beckoned, several women in chef uniforms approached. They were polite, saying to Jiang Siyi, “Miss, we’ve all been on TV, our skills are top-notch. Just tell us what you want, and we’ll make it for you.”
Jiang Siyi took a deep breath.
She glared at Shen Shiwu, silently telling her to stop showing off.
But Shen Shiwu, pretending to misunderstand, said considerately, “It’s okay, I’ve already booked the entire restaurant, you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone.”
“…”
Two hours later, the farce ended with Yu Wen leaving, her expression stiff.
Jiang Siyi, seeing her leave, waved, but Shen Shiwu held her hand tightly.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to pull away, she frowned deeply. “Shen Shiwu, are you crazy?”
But the woman simply chuckled, not minding the accusation.
“Yes.”
Jiang Siyi was speechless and said coldly, “Let go.”
“And after I let go, where will you run off to?”
They had chosen the most secluded corner of the restaurant, and since Shen Shiwu had booked the entire place, no one was around, not even the waiters.
In the quiet restaurant, Shen Shiwu’s gritted teeth were clearly audible.
“I’ve been good enough to you, Jiang Siyi,” she said, her hand on the back of Jiang Siyi’s neck, completely controlling her, “why do you always want to leave me?”
“You also think I’ve changed, don’t you?”
“But a large part of the reason I’ve become like this is because of you.”
She spoke quickly, not giving Jiang Siyi a chance to interrupt, or rather, not allowing her to speak—because Shen Shiwu had leaned in and captured her lips.
The taste of blood filled her mouth, and Jiang Siyi couldn’t hold back anymore, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Why don’t you go find Yang Yu?”
“Aren’t you two always together?”
Shen Shiwu paused, seemingly realizing something.
“Four years ago, at Yu An Mansion, you said you were discussing business, but you brought her along… Fine, I admit, because she’s capable, I can understand that.”
“But, but you promised me you wouldn’t talk to her too much.”
Jiang Siyi ripped open her old wounds, rubbing salt into them. Her breathing became ragged, her words disjointed, but every sentence was filled with accusation and choked with sobs.
“I’m being too sensitive, too insecure, too pathetic.” Her eyes were red as she started blaming herself, her body trembling. “But I can’t help it.”
“I lack security, and I could only cling to every word you said.”
Her tears dried, and she finally looked into Shen Shiwu’s eyes. “Stop loving me.”
“Let me go, and let yourself go too.”
“Liking someone like me won’t end well.”
“Please let me go, I promise I won’t come back…”
The rest of her words were lost in an embrace.
Shen Shiwu held her tightly, as if wanting to merge with her.
“Xiao Si.” The Shen Shiwu from four years later rarely called her that.
“I’m sorry, for making you suffer for so many years.”
“The reason I let Yang Yu into the meeting room that day was because she said her younger sister was going to confess to you again.”
Remembering this, Shen Shiwu gritted her teeth, her annoyance evident.
“So I told her to bring Yang Yi over,”
“Since she couldn’t discipline her sister, I would.”
The woman touched the girl’s earlobe and kissed it gently. “My Xiao Si is so well-behaved, how could I let her be corrupted by her?”
Jiang Siyi buried her face in Shen Shiwu’s shirt, clutching the fabric tightly.
“Then why did you come home late?”
“There was a heavy thunderstorm that night, I…” Her voice choked with emotion.
“Because I promised you.” Shen Shiwu gently patted her back, soothing her. “After the college entrance exam, we would raise a rabbit together.”
Jiang Siyi’s eyes flickered, then filled with tears again.
“Since it’s for Xiao Si, it has to be the cutest rabbit in the world,” Shen Shiwu said, her tone like that of a doting adult.
Her breath tickled Jiang Siyi’s neck, making her shiver.
“After the meeting that day, the client’s daughter also happened to have a rabbit. She asked why I had switched from cats to rabbits.”
“I said the little girl at my house liked rabbits, and I had to indulge her, or she would throw a tantrum.”
“So I went to the rabbitry she recommended and chose Eleven. But it hadn’t been vaccinated yet, so I couldn’t bring it home immediately.”
“I’m sorry,” Shen Shiwu kissed her forehead, “I came home late that night.”
The apology was four years late, but Jiang Siyi didn’t care anymore.
The sound of thunder on that stormy night still echoed in her ears, but she no longer felt the fear and helplessness.
Her sense of security was still fragile.
But at least now, she had someone to lean on again.
Jiang Siyi wrapped her arms around Shen Shiwu, her eyes wet with tears, like a red-eyed rabbit.
She murmured, “Shen Shiwu.”
“Kiss me.”
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