Chapter 51 p2
–
Cai Ying, holding two ice cream cones, handed one to Han Wenling.
“Here,” she said, taking a lick of her own chocolate cone. “This flavor is the best.”
Han Wenling looked at her, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I thought you said I didn’t like sweets. Why did you buy two?”
“It’s boring to eat alone,” Cai Ying replied.
“Fine,” Han Wenling said, taking the cone.
They had just finished dinner. The Wanhe Plaza was only a ten-minute drive away, and they were walking towards the parking garage.
Suddenly, a teenager on a skateboard whizzed past Cai Ying, almost knocking her over. Han Wenling quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way.
The teenager mumbled an apology and sped off, leaving Cai Ying fuming.
“What an asshole! Even elementary school kids have better manners!”
“Seriously! He couldn’t even stop to apologize properly? What a jerk!”
Han Wenling, listening to her rant, which lacked both eloquence and bite, smiled faintly.
“At least you’re not hurt. But you dropped your ice cream,” she said.
“I’ll buy you another one,” Cai Ying said, turning around, but Han Wenling grabbed her wrist.
She leaned closer, her other hand reaching for Cai Ying’s ice cream cone. “Or I could just share yours,” she said, her gaze intense and suggestive.
Cai Ying’s ears flushed, and she instinctively tried to pull away.
Han Wenling looked at her for a moment, a playful smile on her lips. This little bunny is so timid, yet she dared to come out with me alone. And so easily flustered.
She slowly released Cai Ying’s wrist.
“Just kidding,” she said.
Just then, her phone rang.
Her smile faded slightly as she glanced at the caller ID, then stepped aside to answer the call.
Cai Ying watched her, wondering who it was. When Han Wenling returned, her expression was grim, a look Cai Ying had never seen before.
“Something came up. I have to go. Sorry, I can’t make it to the movie,” she said, putting her phone away.
“It’s okay. Go ahead… Wait!” Cai Ying exclaimed, running towards a nearby store.
Han Wenling checked her watch, frowning slightly. She didn’t have time to wait.
Three minutes later, Cai Ying returned, slightly out of breath, handing her a paper bag.
“What’s this?”
“Chrysanthemum tea,” Cai Ying replied, her cheeks flushed, her light-colored eyes sparkling. “Your throat sounded a little hoarse, and I noticed a small pimple on your chin. This will help.”
Han Wenling paused, looking at the bag, then smiled. “Thank you.” She took the bag and lowered her voice. “We’ll watch a movie together next time. Just the two of us.”
Cai Ying’s lips curved into a shy smile. “Okay…”
“Should I drive you to the cinema? Or…?”
“No, go ahead. I have to go back and pay for this,” Cai Ying said, running off.
Han Wenling watched her go, her youthful energy and cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to her own complicated world.
Back in her car, she placed the small, delicately wrapped bag on the passenger seat.
As she started the car, a smile played on her lips.
It was the first time anyone had given her such a thoughtful gift.
Remembering Cai Ying’s bright smile, she thought, I wonder if the little bunny will cry when she finds out I’m not the real Han Ling.
The thought was fleeting. She lit a cigarette. With Han Wenfang constantly vying for power within the family, she didn’t have time for romantic entanglements.
–
Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu received Cai Ying’s message just as they were about to enter the cinema.
Cai Ying: [Erm, she had an emergency and left. You two lovebirds can enjoy the movie. I won’t be a third wheel.]
Xu Jinnan: [?]
Cai Ying: [@Xu Jinnan What’s with the question mark? You’re secretly thrilled I’m not coming, aren’t you? Now you can be all lovey-dovey with Shu Shu. Hmph!]
Cai Ying: [@Shen Shu Love you, Shu Shu!]
Shen Shu: [Go home and be safe.]
Cai Ying: [Roger that! Be happy, you two!]
Xu Jinnan put away her phone and glanced at the people entering the cinema. It was a newly released movie, and she had heard good things about it that morning at the office.
She turned to Shen Shu. “Do you still want to watch it? We’re already here.”
They hadn’t spoken much in the past fifteen minutes, and even if they went home, Shen Shu might not be in the mood to talk, but Xu Jinnan wasn’t sure if Shen Shu wanted to see the movie, or if she wanted to see it with her.
After a moment, Shen Shu said, “Let’s just go.”
Xu Jinnan nodded and stood up.
As they walked back from the cinema, they overheard a conversation about a spy movie. Xu Jinnan hadn’t been paying attention at first, then a sentence caught her ear.
“I think it’s the sequence that matters. The numbers are jumbled. Only the agent knows the correct order.”
She paused, a thought forming in her mind.
–
They arrived home at 9:30 p.m.
As Shen Shu entered the bedroom, Xu Jinnan followed, knocking on the door. “I’ll just grab the box,” she said.
The room was filled with Shen Shu’s unique scent, the roses in the vase slightly wilted, but not yet completely withered.
“If you’re ready to hear it now, I can tell you about the other night. If you’re tired, we can talk later,” Xu Jinnan said, opening the wardrobe, her back to Shen Shu.
Shen Shu remained silent until Xu Jinnan turned around.
“I know the password,” she said.
“Huh?” Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow, surprised. “How?”
Shen Shu briefly explained how she had opened the box, then added, “I’m sorry.”
Xu Jinnan shook her head. “Is it something shameful?” she asked, guessing. Anything that could be unlocked with Xu Tao and Lu Yun’s wedding anniversary couldn’t be good.
Shen Shu hesitated, then nodded.
She watched as Xu Jinnan entered the numbers. A click, and the box opened.
Shen Shu’s fingers curled instinctively.
“Xu Jinnan,” she said suddenly, remembering the photos, unsure if she wanted to stop her or not.
But Xu Jinnan had already opened the box.
She took out the photos. The top one, taken when the original Xu Jinnan was very young, showed a bruised cheek and welts across her small body. The image was jarring.
Her hand trembled slightly as she dropped the photo onto the bed.
She forced herself to look through the rest, each photo a painful reminder of the original Xu Jinnan’s suffering.
The younger photos showed visible injuries on her face, but as she grew older, the scars shifted to her back.
The oldest photo seemed to be from when she was sixteen or seventeen.
“Are you alright?” Shen Shu asked, her voice softer than usual, her brow furrowed with concern.
After a long silence, Xu Jinnan shook her head. “I expected photos, but not… this,” she said, her voice trembling slightly, her gaze fixed on the photo of the youngest Xu Jinnan.
She was about four years old.
The most disturbing realization was that the abuse hadn’t started at four, but at three.
Xu Jinnan’s eyes reddened as she saw the words scrawled on the back of the photos.
Why does Daddy hit me? I don’t understand. I really don’t.
Daddy almost hit Xu Yincheng today when he was drunk. So, it’s not just me. I helped him, but it hurts.
I wish Daddy would never come back.
It hurts so much today. I want to kill him.
Mommy told me to endure it. I promised to always be there for her. I have to keep my promise.
Xu Yincheng is very kind to me, but he left today. He told me to take care of myself. How ironic. Haha. It hurts so much today. When will he finally kill me?
Everyone in the Xu family deserves to die. I’ll make them all pay.
…
The earliest messages were written in pinyin, with misspellings and corrections, a testament to her young age.
The childish handwriting and the heartbreaking words filled Xu Jinnan with a sense of despair.
There was also a letter inside the box. As she reached for it, Shen Shu, seeing the sweat on her forehead, gently placed her hand on Xu Jinnan’s arm.
“Let’s look at it tomorrow,” she said softly.
Xu Jinnan’s mental state was fragile, a mixture of the original Xu Jinnan’s emotions and her own.
Shen Shu took the letter, and Xu Jinnan, looking at her soft hand on her arm, nodded.
Shen Shu put the photos and the letter back in the box and placed it back in the wardrobe.
Xu Jinnan watched her, then stood up and went to the guest room.
She left the door ajar. A few minutes later, Shen Shu stood at the doorway, knocking softly. “I drew you a bath. Why don’t you soak for a while before going to bed?” Xu Jinnan was tense; she needed to relax.
Xu Jinnan sat on the bed, trying to clear her mind, but the images from the photos were imprinted in her memory.
“Go on,” Shen Shu said gently.
Xu Jinnan looked up. The guest room light was off, the only illumination coming from the living room, casting a soft glow around Shen Shu, as if she had wings.
She stood up.
As she reached the bathroom door, Shen Shu stopped her, bringing the roses from the vase and the kitchen counter.
“Wait here.”
The bathtub was already filled with hot water. Shen Shu quickly scattered the rose petals in the water.
Xu Jinnan, standing at the doorway, asked, “What are you doing?”
Shen Shu turned around, holding the roses. “Will this make you feel better?” she asked, her voice calm and even.
Xu Jinnan’s heart warmed at her gesture.
She looked at the rose petals floating in the water, their vibrant colors a stark contrast to the darkness of the photos, a symbol of renewal and hope.
“Yes, much better,” she replied, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She had forgotten her pajamas. As she returned to the guest room, her phone started vibrating insistently.
After a brief conversation in English, she went back to the bathroom. “It’s someone from the stock exchange. You go ahead and bathe, Shu Shu. I might be a while,” she said, going back to her laptop.
Shen Shu glanced at her, then entered the bathroom. The stock market was volatile; she couldn’t force Xu Jinnan to relax.
Xu Jinnan, hearing the bathroom door close, glanced up as she spoke on the phone.
After twenty minutes of focused work, the oppressive weight of the photos had lifted slightly. She closed her laptop and stretched her stiff neck.
Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness.
She looked out the window; the entire building had lost power.
“Shen Shu?”
She turned on her phone’s flashlight and walked towards the bathroom.
“Can you shine some light in here? I can’t see,” Shen Shu’s voice called out.
“Okay, I’ll point my flashlight through the door. Can you see?” The bathroom had a separate shower stall with a frosted glass door, so the light could penetrate it.
“Yes.”
Xu Jinnan heard the sound of splashing water; Shen Shu must have gotten out of the tub.
Then, a soft gasp of pain.
“Shu Shu?!” Xu Jinnan exclaimed, her hand instinctively reaching for the doorknob.
“I’m fine,” Shen Shu said, her voice strained.
Xu Jinnan relaxed slightly, but after a few seconds of silence, she asked, “Where did you fall? Is it serious?”
“My foot. I… just need a moment.”
“Can you stand up? Can you tell if it’s swollen?”
“A little.”
“Don’t move. You might have fractured it. I’ll bring you a towel. Cover yourself, and I’ll carry you out,” Xu Jinnan said, then paused. “Is that okay?”
After a moment of hesitation, Shen Shu replied, “Okay.”
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