CH 27

This is a warning.

There was a chill in those deep pool-like eyes, with a hint of resentment. Cheng Suran's whole body turned stiff, her hands and feet were cold, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

At that moment, she remembered her identity——

A canary.

A small pet that is not eligible to make demands on the benefactor.

Cheng Suran's mind buzzed, heared something shattered, and she was pulled down by an invisible hand.

She falls into the frozen lake.

Floating and sinking in the real world, this is where she should belong.

It turned out that she had a dream.

"I'm sorry..." Cheng Suran let out a whimper like a kitten's meowing in her throat, and a sour feeling approached her eyes. She couldn't hold it back, it was too late to avoid the person in front of her and tears just flowed down.

"I'm sorry…sister... yes, I'm sorry..."

She gasped and said sorry many times, her eyelashes wet with tears, they were black and translucent, some of them got stuck together, and her cheeks were brightly stained with tears.

Around her eyes and the tip of the nose are all red.

Jiang Yu didn't know that one sentence of hers had such a devastating effect, and she was helpless for a while. A faint regret rose from the bottom of her heart, but she didn't want to coax her immediately, so she pushed Cheng Suran aside, turned her face away, and looked at her phone.

It happened that Tian Lin sent her a general work schedule for the next month.

Magazines, advertisements, festivals...still busy, flying around.

The difference is that she did not have a holiday on National Day before, but this year she can have a whole week off.

She pondered where it would be better to take the kid to play

The best choice should be Paris. For the kid to learn French, experiencing first-hand in a French environment is a great benefit. But the idea came too late. It's even too late to apply for a passport and visa now.

....

Jiang Yu fell into deep thought, and the sobbing beside her subconsciously stopped, then a phone call came in.

"Hello? Okay, yes, you guys come up."

After hearing her hang up, Cheng Suran knew that she couldn't stay any longer. She silently wiped away her tears, stood up, and said obediently: "Sister, I'll go first."

Jiang Yu raised her head.

The kid's eyelids were closed, her nose was red, her thin lips were tightly pursed, and she looked stunned, looking pitiful after being bullied.

A sense of familiarity welled up in the depths of Jiang Yu's memory, and blurry images flashed across her mind, and then disappeared in an instant. She came back to her senses, before she had time to think about it, the softest part of her heart was pricked.

"Go wash your face." She looked away.

She can't coax now, let the kid have a longer memory.

Cheng Suran obediently went into the toilet.

After pouring cold water on her face, she woke up completely. She raised her head, looked at herself in the mirror with reddish eyes, expressionless, and pulled out a sarcastic smile.

It was her, who overstepped. Sister treated her a little well, and then she thought of some nonsense. However, it's not too late to salvage this now.

She walks out of the toilet and saw Jiang Yu reading a wedding dress catalog, and Cheng Suran casually glanced at it.

"! !"

Is sister going to get married?

Thoughts flashed through her mind, Cheng Suran hurriedly looked away, picked up her backpack and books, "Sister, I'm leaving."

"Mm."

Jiang Yu didn't raise her head, "I'll go over tonight and wash up."

"...okay." Cheng Suran murmured.

She walked to the door of the office, and was about to stretch out her hand to open it, when suddenly there were two sounds outside, then the door was pushed open, and Qi Yan's figure appeared in her sight.

Followed by another person, slightly shorter than Qi Yan, with long curly hair, cold brows, and a black tear mole at the end of her eyes.

The two looked at each other.

"Xiao Cheng?" Lu Zhiqiao looked the girl up and down.

Cheng Suran exclaimed: "Boss Lu...you..."

Qi Yan: "?"

Jiang Yu: "?"

The air condenses for a few seconds.

Lu Zhiqiao's eyes fell on the textbook in the girl's hand, and she became even more puzzled: "Are you still studying?"

"I, uh, I—" Cheng Suran choked for a moment, hesitating if she should hide the textbook in her hand, or not.

Seeing that she couldn't hold back a word for a long time, Qi Yan, who was watching from the sidelines, was dying of anxiety, and couldn't help but ask, "Qiao Qiao, do you know each other?"

Lu Zhiqiao nodded: "Xiao Cheng is an employee of our company." After she finished speaking, she paused, "But she resigned at the end of last month, and she hasn't had time to become a full-time employee yet."

Jiang Yu & Qi Yan: "???"

Cheng Suran lowered her head, said "I have to go first", and left in a hurry.

The three looked at each other.

Jiang Yu suppressed her doubts calmly, and waved at them, "Come here and talk about business."

The two walked over, Qi Yan took a step ahead, and found that it was not convenient for three people to sit in a row, so she pointed to the single sofa and said, "You sit there, and Qiao Qiao and I will sit here."

"..."

Jiang Yu glanced at them both, got up and moved her position.

Talk about business but also eat dog food*.

*To eat dog food is to witness PDA

Qi Yan and Lu Zhiqiao came here today to choose the wedding dress.  They have known each other for more than a year. At that time, Qi Yan was still a middle school teacher, and Lu Zhiqiao was still the marketing director of a technology company. Now one has changed careers to become a photographer, and the other has been promoted to vice president. The two are getting ready for a wedding next year.

The wedding dresses in the mainstream market are mainly heterosexual, and there are no styles for female and female couples. Earlier, Jiang Yu and her designer friends founded a fashion brand "ETERNO", which has wedding dresses specially customized to meet the needs of female and female couples.

The brand name means "eternity". It is based in Milan, Italy. Now it is managed by a friend, Jiang Yu is the boss, and occasionally used as a free model.

Qi Yan took the catalog from Jiang Yu's hand, tilted her head and leaned against Lu Zhiqiao to flip through it.

"These are cases customized by other customers, for your reference." Jiang Yu couldn't stand it anymore, and just wanted to finish the business quickly and ask what happened to the kid just now.

The wife and wife are sweetly flipping through the picture album head to head.

"I think this one looks great."

"Yeah, it looks good."

"This is also good, I like the design of the shoulders."

"Yes, I like it."

When Lu Zhiqiao said something, Qi Yan agrees.

"Don't you like anything?"

"If you like it, I will like it."

"Don't make trouble."

"I'm serious, my wife has the best aesthetics."

Jiang Yu got so bored that she started playing with her mobile phone.

Finally, the couple finished flipping through the picture album, and after summarizing their opinions, Qi Yan turned her head and said, "The style should mainly be sexy, with a touch of solemnity as a supplement, not the old-fashioned traditional wedding dresses.I don't find anything wrong with these samples. I believe in your aesthetics.

"Danilo will come to China next month to discuss the details." Jiang Yu mentioned the name of a designer friend.

"Is your English okay?"

"Nonsense."

One of them has studied in Canada, and the other is engaged in foreign trade work. They have dealt with overseas customers all year round, there will be no language problem.

The three of them agreed again, and the business was over.

They exchanged glances but no one moved.

Qi Yan wanted to relieve the embarrassment, coughed lightly, and said first, "Qiao Qiao, Jiang Yu wants to know about that little sister just now..."

Lu Zhiqiao's eyes flicked back and forth between Jiang Yu and Qi Yan.

Finally, it stopped on Qi Yan's face.

The meaning is clearly: How do you know your ex-girlfriend's mind so well?

"She's my younger sister, and Qi Yan helped her with a photoshoot." Jiang Yu was amused and helpless, and she made a timely rescue. A joke at this time could be fatal.

Qi Yan interjected: "What sister, why are you still keeping it low? A girlfriend is a girlfriend."

Jiang Yu: "..."

When Lu Zhiqiao heard about her girlfriend, her tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and after thinking about it for a moment, she said, "Xiao Cheng joined the company at the end of June, and our company has business dealings with several French-speaking countries in Africa, so we recruited a group of French-speaking customer service staff. About the end of July, there was a big project that I led. And I needed two translators."

"She can seamlessly switch between English and French simultaneous interpretation. It is really good for a freshman to reach this level. I wanted to transfer her to my side at the time, but she resigned after the project ended."

After speaking, there was a strange silence.

"She's only in her third year," Jiang Yu said calmly, "Doesn't HR check the authentic graduation certificate for your new employees?"

"You have to ask the HR department." Lu Zhiqiao sighed.

"I think she looked guilty just now. It is possible that she lied..." She glanced at Jiang Yu and didn't continue.

Jiang Yu lowered her eyes, wondering what she was thinking.

The atmosphere felt awkward again.

Qi Yan looked left and right, and changed the topic: "Do you have any arrangements for the holiday? How about going out together? Qiao Qiao and I will sign up first."

"Just say you want to send free dog food." Jiang Yu sneered.

Qi Yan frowned: "You are sick."

"Say one more word?"

"Sick and sick."

"I won't go."

"My dad's friend built a cultural town, and I want to organize my colleagues to go to the show. Of course, I'll pay for it, three days and two nights. You can bring your little Ranran along."

"What did you just call her?" Jiang Yu glared at her.

Just as Qi Yan was about to refute, Lu Zhiqiao quickly stopped her, "Okay, are you guys going to fight? Talk to each other properly."

Both of them shut up at the same time.

….

It was dark and the night breeze was cool.

Cheng Suran, who had been wandering around for a long time, returned to the hotel, plunged into the bathroom, and washed herself inside and out three times, just like the night she first met Jiang Yu. She used all the bath products available, she was so clean that even her pores smelled like milk.

She didn't eat dinner, her stomach and heart were empty, and today's task of reviewing questions was only half completed.

She can't do anything, suddenly.

Eating is meaningless, and reviewing is meaningless.

When it was half past seven, Cheng Suran sat on the sofa in a daze, her mind was in a mess, her soul seemed to be out of body, and the vibrating sound of her mobile phone pulled her back.

It was her Aunt's phone call.

She stared at the note in silence, then calmly picked it up: "Hello?"

She guessed the reason for the call was money.

"Your grandma is gone." The hoarse voice of a middle-aged woman came from the phone.

Cheng Suran was stunned.

Gone.

Died.

She stared blankly at the air, without any waves in her eyes. Without waiting for her to respond, the aunt continued: "The doctor said that brain death is as good as dead. You and your sister will come back tomorrow for the funeral."

"Will she be buried in her hometown?" Cheng Suran asked dumbly.

There was a moment of silence over there, and the aunt's tone suddenly became hysterical

: "Bury her? Does she have to get buried? Will you bury her yourself? We'll set her on fire and throw her away, you scoundrel! What a good idea you have…"

She didn't know whether to cry or laugh, she hung up before her aunt finished her sentence.

Cheng Suran let out a long sigh of relief.

It's good she died.

There will be no excuse to ask her for money, and life will be peaceful from now on, not only for her, but also for her aunt and cousin. The suffering of the three of them is over. Very nice.

— beep

The door opened.

Jiang Yu came in, carrying a light scent of duck tail. Her tall figure was dressed in a gray suit, and she had a sense of indifference and coldness.

She always wears a suit.

Cheng Suran immediately stood up, and obediently called her sister.

Her eyes were dull, and her smile was more like a sticker stuck to her face. Jiang Yu stared at her for a while, and for a moment she felt remorse. Maybe she was too fierce and shouldn't have treated the kid like that.

Before she could speak, the girl opened her mouth first:

"I cleaned up."

Jiang Yu was slightly startled, with a faint smile on her lips. She sat down, stretched out her hand and pulled the girl into her lap, and hugged her into her arms, "Where do you want to go on vacation? Sister will accompany you."

As soon as these words fell, Cheng Suran's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes shone brightly, but soon dimmed again.

"My family called just now. My grandma passed away and I have to go back to attend the funeral..." She obediently leaned on Jiang Yu's shoulder.

The drooping lashes concealed reluctance in her eyes.

She didn't want to go home for the funeral at all. She wants to go out with her sister.

It's just that she can't ignore her conscience...

Jiang Yu was silent for a moment and said, "Lingzhou is quite far away, I'll buy you a plane ticket."

"No need," Cheng Suran shook her head, "The air ticket is too expensive, and... I'm going back with my cousin."

If that happens, she doesn't know how to explain where the air ticket money comes from.

Jiang Yu frowned: "Lingzhou doesn't have a high-speed rail station. You have to take a seven-hour high-speed train from Jiangcheng to Nanyang, the provincial capital, and then take a three-hour express train. It takes almost a whole day to go back and forth, and it's very tiring."

"Sister, how do you know?" Cheng Suran looked at her in surprise.

"..."

Jiang Yu wouldn't tell the kid that she was getting to know her hometown recently, and even remembered the local specialties clearly.

She casually said, "Tian Lin was on a business trip there."

"Oh."

Cheng Suran didn't think much about it. In her opinion, it's not surprising that her sister knows everything, it's just that she get very sensitive when she mentions her hometown. "It's okay, I'm not afraid of being tired."

"Be careful of your butt becoming deformed after sitting for a long time, sister won't like it." Jiang Yu teased her.

The kid pursed her lips.

Puff.

So cute.

"Just kidding," Jiang Yu lowered her head and pecked her lips, "No matter what you become, sister will love you the most."

Cheng Suran's eyes lit up "Really?"

"Mm."

She leaned into Jiang Yu's arms and smiled, and the two little pear dimples sank deeply.

Her sister just likes her to be obedient, even though she understands that, when she hears these gentle words, she will believe them desperately and can't help but look forward to them.

"About how many days?" Jiang Yu comforted her with a light kiss.

Cheng Suran thought for a while and said, "I don't know if it's cremation or burial. If it's quick, it's one day, but if it's slow, it's two or three days. I'll try to come back before the 4th... By that time, do you still have time to go out and play?"

"Yes," Jiang Yu's voice was slightly hoarse, she hugged her and turned to her side, then lowered her head, "No hurry, sister will wait for you."

A kiss landed on her forehead, slowly moved along her nose, and the scorching breath flowed down, she gasp, and couldn't help but raise her head. She didn't notice when she laid on the couch.

In this quiet space, they breathe each other's breath.

….

What Cheng Suran didn't expect was that her cousin had originally planned to go home for the National Day, so she bought the ticket early. She didn't know of this until late so she couldn't buy a ticket at all and couldn't take the railway.

The price of a plane ticket tripled that day, leaving one ticket for each of the two flights, and it was several hundred more expensive in the afternoon than in the evening.

Jiang Yu bought an afternoon ticket for Cheng Suran without hesitation.

The kid wanted to save money, but she was worried to be late.

"First swipe your ID card to get the boarding pass, then check the luggage, and then go to the security check. If you are not sure, you can ask the staff. When you arrive, follow the others. Look at the road sign arrow to get the luggage, and then send me your location, understand?" On the way to the airport, Jiang Yu personally sent Cheng Suran off.

The child is nervous about flying for the first time, so she explained the general process and reminded her of the precautions.

Cheng Suran listened silently and kept it in her heart.

When she left home and came to Jiangcheng at the age of eighteen, no one said even a word of advice to her. She was lucky and did not encounter any danger.

The truth is, she can find out these things on the Internet, but listening to people say it, feels different from checking it out by herself.

Especially…

That person has an indescribable place in her heart.

After flying for three hours, Cheng Suran returned to her hometown Lingzhou. The airport is very small, so she just walked out. After two years, she heard the dialect of her hometown again, and felt an indescribable intimacy.

This city is not big, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the environment is particularly good. Unfortunately, the economic development cannot keep up, and talents are flowing out.

Cheng Suran took a taxi to go to her aunt's house.

There are no elevators in small buildings in the urban area. She climbed up to the fifth floor step by step. She knocked on the door several times but no one opened it. She dialed on the phone and was answered quickly: "Auntie, I'm here. Why is there no one at home?"

"Why are you so fast?"

"I...couldn't buy a train ticket, so I borrowed money to buy a plane ticket." She lied.

There was an 'oh' on the other line, without further questioning, and continued to say: "At the end of your grandma's old house, there is someone in the village to help, so hurry up and come over!"

"Ah? Isn't she going to be cremated?"

"I made up my mind, just bury her peacefully, so as to save me from her visiting my dreams at night."

"Oh…"

Cheng Suran hung up the phone sullenly, turned around and went downstairs.

The old house is in Chengjia Village in the eastern suburbs. There used to be no access. After going there, you can rub two catties of dirt on your body. In recent years, a large road has been built, and it is very convenient for cars to get in and out. Today's rural areas are generally not the same as before. Every household has built two or three storey small buildings.

It was a busy time of farming, and harvesters could be seen everywhere in the field. Two or three people wearing straw hats and carrying hoes, chatting and working.

The old house is at the southernmost end of the village.

Yellow brick exterior wall, sloping roof with black tiles, a wooden fence full of hedges around the door, two small white lanterns hanging from the eaves, and chicken droppings all over the yard.

A middle-aged woman in white was carrying a bowl of rice and sprinkled it into the chicken coop.

"Aunt……"

Cheng Suran stood behind her, her heart beating fast with nervousness.

The woman turns around.

That face was dry and yellow, with a few obvious wrinkles, her eyes were a little numb, and her whole body revealed the vicissitudes of life.

There were great changes after not seeing each other for two years.

Her aunt is getting old.

"You're here." Cheng Xiufang glanced at her up and down, said nothing, and pointed to the back room, "Go and kowtow to your grandma."

"…okay."

Cheng Suran thought she would be scolded, but her aunt's attitude was beyond her expectation. She silently entered the back room, and a dark coffin appeared in front of her eyes, with the lid slanted on it, and it was not sealed yet.

White candles were lit on both sides of the small table, and the portrait of the old woman was in the middle.

It looked like a mean face.

The past came to her mind, either hatred or anger, she couldn't tell what it was.. Cheng Suran knelt down expressionlessly, with her knees touching the straw mat, and reluctantly kowtowed.

Then the phone vibrated.

As if she had finished her task, she couldn't wait to back out and took out her phone.

Sister: [Are you home yet?]

Cheng Suran was startled.

Forgot to send the location to sister!

She typed quickly: [Hmm.] Then send a positioning message.

She did not receive a reply from her sister, but received a text message from the bank.

——Two hundred thousand yuan arrived in the account.

Cheng Suran stared at the string of zeros, but couldn't react for a while, and sent Jiang Yu three question marks.

Sister: [Your pay in one lump sum.]