Chapter 72
There was a popular online discussion once—”Have you ever risked your life for someone?”
Jiang Siyi looked at the fluffy creature in her arms.
And thought silently, Yes.
As the front door opened, Jiang Siyi, hiding behind the sofa, flinched. She held the rabbit tighter, pulling her suitcase closer to create a protective barrier.
Footsteps approached.
It’s over, Jiang Siyi thought.
An ex-girlfriend sneaking into her house to steal her pet, what a crime!
Thinking this, she buried her head lower, feeling guiltier than when she had been caught fighting in school and her parents had been called.
This was the scene Shen Shiwu saw when she entered the house.
She found it both amusing and exasperating. “Get up.”
Jiang Siyi, curled up in a ball, peeked up at her, then discreetly tried to move further away.
Her chin was grasped.
Shen Shiwu leaned down and turned her face towards her. “If you want to run, put the rabbit down first.”
Ugh.
Jiang Siyi still refused to let go, trying to negotiate. “I’ll be your rabbit sitter for free, no salary required, how about that?”
Shen Shiwu chuckled softly. “Not interested.”
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Siyi’s mouth was dry, but Shen Shiwu still showed no sign of relenting. She sighed and reluctantly stood up, then unwillingly “released” the rabbit.
Eleven, oblivious to the drama between its two mommies, hopped around the room, exploring.
Jiang Siyi pouted and, under Shen Shiwu’s watchful gaze, dragged her suitcase towards the door.
Her retreating figure looked quite pathetic.
She took a few steps, then suddenly turned around. “I’m a little hungry.”
Can I stay for dinner?
Shen Shiwu, seeing through her little scheme, replied flatly, “You’re in your twenties, ordering takeout shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”
Jiang Siyi: “…”
Annoyed, she quickened her pace, slamming the door behind her.
The taxi driver, having already been paid, had left. Jiang Siyi, dragging her suitcase, walked away, her rabbit-napping plan foiled, her mood gloomy.
She paused, remembering Shen Shiwu’s words: “I can take you home if you need a ride.”
Jiang Siyi sneered inwardly.
Those were your words.
She turned back and knocked on Shen Shiwu’s door. Shen Shiwu was in an online meeting, and before she could even say a few words, she was interrupted by the noise outside—
“Shen Shiwu, I don’t care about the rabbit anymore, but you can at least give me a ride home, right?”
“Shen Shiwu, what are you doing? Why aren’t you answering?”
Someone actually dared to call the boss by her full name.
The department managers were stunned, not daring to breathe, then they eagerly started listening.
Shen Shiwu’s expression remained unchanged, and she calmly said, “Let’s continue tomorrow,” then closed her laptop.
The person outside had started playing the victim card.
“It’s so windy outside,” Jiang Siyi said, despite the clear, sunny sky, “I can barely stand.”
“Shen Shiwu, I’m so tired, I didn’t even get to rest on the plane.”
“Shen Shiwu…”
Before she could finish, the door suddenly opened. Jiang Siyi immediately put on a frail and helpless expression, almost falling into Shen Shiwu’s arms if the latter hadn’t taken a step back.
“Where’s the wind?”
“It’s gone,” Jiang Siyi said, her expression unchanged, “it’s afraid of you. It ran away the moment you opened the door.”
Shen Shiwu, watching her animated expressions, felt her heart flutter. After staring at her for a moment, she finally said, “Wait, I’ll get the car keys.”
Jiang Siyi’s eyes crinkled with a smile, her voice sweet. “Okay~”
While Shen Shiwu was getting the keys, Jiang Siyi peeked inside. Eleven, as if sensing her gaze, looked around, sniffing the air, then finally spotted her at the door.
When Shen Shiwu turned around, she saw the girl and the rabbit communicating silently.
Jiang Siyi made a kissing sound, and the rabbit stood up, its ears perked.
Shen Shiwu, arms crossed, watched their little act for a few seconds, then walked over and tapped Jiang Siyi’s head. “Let’s go.”
Jiang Siyi, caught red-handed, sniffed and quickly followed.
Thinking about their impending separation, Jiang Siyi felt a sense of despair. So she grumbled all the way, “It’s almost winter, aren’t you going to be cold sleeping alone?”
Shen Shiwu, driving quietly, replied casually, “It’s okay, I can cuddle with the rabbit.”
Although she knew it was a joke, Jiang Siyi still felt a pang of jealousy.
After a while, she mumbled, “I also want to…”
Hearing those three words, Shen Shiwu thought she wanted to sleep with her. Just as she was about to remind her that they were exes, Jiang Siyi finished her sentence.
“I also want to sleep with the rabbit, it must be very warm.”
“…”
Shen Shiwu’s face darkened, and she stepped on the gas pedal.
Arriving home, Jiang Siyi lingered in the car, only getting out after Shen Shiwu had driven away.
Going upstairs, she unpacked her things, then lay down on the bed to catch up on sleep. She woke up at eight in the evening.
Jiang Siyi was used to sleeping like a log and even considered it a blessing—it was much better than insomnia.
Her stomach rumbled.
She sat up in bed for a while, then got up to wash up, and finally went out to find something to eat.
It was completely dark outside, with only a few stars visible. Jiang Siyi looked up at the sky for a while, then, finding it uninteresting, she continued walking.
Reaching the business district, the streets became more lively, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to eat, so she just wandered around.
Finally, she entered the Thai restaurant.
Compared to lunchtime, there were fewer customers now. There were many empty tables, and Jiang Siyi chose the same spot she had sat at before.
After ordering, she rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
The passage of time was a powerful thing. Thinking about how she had confessed to Shen Shiwu here four years ago, Jiang Siyi felt a shiver run down her spine.
After a while, she smiled faintly, thinking she had been quite brave back then.
“Are you… Jiang Siyi?” a female voice asked, a hint of uncertainty in her tone. Jiang Siyi turned around and, after a moment of hesitation, said,
“Ning Lan?”
A few minutes later, their food arrived, and they sat facing each other, chatting.
“I saw your Moments, you were in Beicheng a few days ago, so I wasn’t sure if it was really you just now.”
Ning Lan had been the class monitor in high school. Compared to her quiet demeanor back then, she was now much more sociable.
Jiang Siyi took a sip of Thai iced tea and smiled faintly. “I just got back today.”
During the college entrance exam period, Ning Lan had helped her a lot, lending her notes and such.
So Jiang Siyi asked, “How have you been all these years?”
“Pretty good, both my career and relationship are going smoothly. What about you, great author?” A hint of admiration colored her tone as she said the last part.
Jiang Siyi was always private about her personal life. She swallowed her words and simply replied, “About the same.”
Except for missing a girlfriend.
Her seat faced the entrance, and just as she finished speaking, she saw a familiar figure.
Jiang Siyi’s hand, holding her chopsticks, froze, and as she recognized the person, she almost dropped them.
Ning Lan, noticing her reaction, followed her gaze and was also surprised.
“Oh my god, what a coincidence, running into my boss while having dinner.”
Jiang Siyi was surprised. “Your boss?”
“Yes, the woman in the dark blue dress, she’s my boss, she’s terrifying.”
There weren’t many customers in the restaurant, and Jiang Siyi quickly scanned the room, realizing that the only person fitting that description was Shen Shiwu.
She was shocked.
Fate was a mysterious thing.
“Hey, don’t stare at her, I still have a report to submit. If she notices us, I’m dead.”
Jiang Siyi thought, Sorry, Ning Lan,
Your boss has already seen me.
Before she could even wonder why Shen Shiwu was here alone, Ning Lan continued,
“You have no idea, three people in our department were fired last month. She’s ruthless, if she’s not satisfied with something, she’ll fire you without hesitation.” Ning Lan’s voice was filled with the helplessness of a working-class person.
“So, as an intern, I have to be extra careful.”
“But the salary is quite good, so I said my career is going smoothly.” Thinking of this, Ning Lan chuckled.
Jiang Siyi had already experienced Shen Shiwu’s ruthlessness at work, and remembering her own experiences, she agreed. “Yes, she does seem like a cold and heartless person.”
Then, looking up, she saw that Shen Shiwu had actually sat down at the table opposite hers. Feeling a little guilty, she stopped talking and discreetly warned Ning Lan not to turn around.
Ning Lan, busy eating, only heard the last two words. She responded with an “ah” and turned her head, puzzled.
No.
Your boss is sitting right there.
Jiang Siyi was about to warn her, but it was too late.
Ning Lan’s eyes widened as she met the gaze of her so-called “demon boss.”
Shen Shiwu’s expression today seemed even colder than usual. Her gaze lingered on Ning Lan’s face for a moment, then shifted to Jiang Siyi.
She radiated coldness, like a walking refrigerator.
Ning Lan’s appetite vanished instantly. She wanted to run, but ignoring her boss was a grave offense.
She could only force a smile. “B-boss, what a coincidence, you’re here too?”
Shen Shiwu, still looking at Jiang Siyi, said meaningfully, “It is a coincidence.”
“Then you enjoy your meal, I’ll be going now.” Ning Lan didn’t understand why Shen Shiwu was staring at Jiang Siyi, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Remembering her unfinished report, she grabbed her bag and rushed off.
Leaving a bewildered Jiang Siyi behind.
She held her chopsticks, feeling uneasy under Shen Shiwu’s gaze. Although she hadn’t done anything wrong, she still felt the need to explain. “That, she was my classmate in high school.”
“The class monitor. You must have seen her at the parent-teacher meetings, but she probably doesn’t remember you.”
Shen Shiwu’s food hadn’t arrived yet, the table empty, and she rested her hands on it, her expression unreadable.
After a long while, she said calmly, “I don’t remember.”
Jiang Siyi responded with an “oh” and tried to find something to talk about. But before she could speak, Shen Shiwu asked, “What were you saying about me behind my back?”
Although her tone was casual, Jiang Siyi could sense a hint of danger.
Her gaze flickered. “Nothing, we didn’t even mention you.”
After a while, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, she mumbled, “Ning Lan praised you for being efficient and ruthless.”
“I agreed.”
“After all…”
Remembering the netizens’ comments about “seduction,” Jiang Siyi suddenly changed her tone. She lowered her eyes, feigning shyness, but her words were anything but.
“I’ve experienced it,” she said, gripping her chopsticks tightly, “in bed.”
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