CH 52

At midnight, the whole city fell into a deep sleep, but the nightclubs were brightly lit.

In the box on the second floor of "NOTTE", seven or eight people chatted and frolicked with wine glasses, all of them were women, with fair skin and beautiful clothes, and the air was filled with light fragrances of different flavors.

Today is Jiang Yu's 32nd birthday. Pei Chutong specially organized a small private party for her. Knowing that she doesn't like too much noise, she just called a few friends who are familiar with each other to drink, chat and play a little game.

There was work in the morning, Jiang Yu almost forgot this day, and only remembered it after Tian Lin reminded her.

She was so busy until noon, then returned to her studio, had dinner with her team "family" for her birthday. Then she rested at Pei Chutong's house in the afternoon, and went to the nightclub in the evening.

In addition to friends present, there is also a young little sister Pei Chutong specially found for Jiang Yu - she knows that Jiang Yu has had conflicts with her little lover in the past two days, and she is not in a good mood. She wanted to change her mood for this special day.

The younger sister is only nineteen years old, a sophomore majoring in acting, young and moist, fresh and delicious, lively and easy-going, a few words can make Jiang Yu laugh out loud.

Jiang Yu put one arm around her waist, and held a goblet in the other. The colorful and dim lights from the ceiling fell on their faces.

"Drink less, your face is turning red."

"I'm fine."

Her fair and tender face was flushed like rouge, and she looked like a beautiful and bright flower. Jiang Yu looked at her with blurred eyes, as if looking at another girl through this face.

"What should I do if I get drunk?" Jiang Yu narrowed her eyes and smiled.

The younger sister said softly, "You won't leave me alone."

The two looked at each other quietly.

The girl's eyes were like water, shining brightly, reflecting Jiang Yu's face. She couldn't help but get closer, her lips slowly pressed against Jiang Yu's face, touching the real warmth, she paused for two seconds, and then retreated.

Jiang Yu's heart trembled slightly, and her body froze for a moment.

"Sister, I want to kiss you here..." She pressed her fingertips against her bright red lips and rubbed them lightly.

Seeing that Jiang Yu didn't respond, the girl raised her head and leaned closer, her warm breath approaching little by little, like a heart-pounding heat.

The face of the kid flashed in Jiang Yu's mind, and it couldn't overlap with the girl in front of her.

Jiang Yu pushed the girl away and closed her eyes.

"Elder sister?"

"I'm going to get some air."

She put down her wine glass, got up and left the box.

....

The corridor on the second floor is equipped with mirror-reflecting glass. The first floor cannot see upstairs, but the upstairs can clearly see the whole picture downstairs. At this moment, people were coming and going in the lobby on the first floor, the lights were bright, and men and women were drinking and shaking around the central stage.

A flower and vine swing was hung on the stage, and a young female singer was sitting on it in a sea blue dress, with white smoke rising like a fairyland.

Jiang Yu leaned against the railing, quietly watching the stage.

She remembered the first time she saw Cheng Suran.

Three months ago, shortly after she came back from the Island after finishing the big show, she completely let go of her ex, and her relationship fell into a blank emptiness. She doesn't know what she likes or wants, but she is tired of being alone, so she has only two choices: fall in love or continue to find a lover.

Falling in love is out of the question.

A serious relationship needs time and energy to maintain. She just doesn't have it, and she doesn't want to have it. Anyway, no matter how much she puts in, they will eventually separate. It's a waste of time and energy. It's better to focus on her career.

All that remains is to continue looking for a lover.

But what is she looking for? Without the shadow of her ex in her mind, she lost the template for finding a lover. She couldn't even find out her own preferences.

Until the evening of August 4th, she saw Cheng Suran.

The fairy mist curled up on the stage, and the girl sat on a swing, with soft and long black hair hanging loose, and a light and elegant white gauze dress, with thin pink lips and a small sharp chin exposed under the silver mask, mysterious and provoking prying eyes.

At that time, like now, Jiang Yu stood by the corridor and looked down intently.

Although she couldn't see her face clearly, she had a strong intuition at that moment—it was her.

She was what she was looking for.

Later, she ordered the person to sing on the second floor, and then asked Tian Lin to test and talk in detail. After waiting for half a month, the more she waited, the more itchy she became, and finally on the night of August 27th…

On the evening of August 27th, at 9:30, 827930.

Before she knew it, three months had passed.

Why isn't she tired...

At the end of the song, the stage swing slowly descended, and the female singer left the stage.

Jiang Yu withdrew her thoughts and looked down at her watch. Just after 12 o'clock, her 32nd birthday also passed, so she took out her mobile phone to reply to the remaining WeChat messages, and accidentally switched on to her alternate account.

She was startled, then suddenly realized, and hurriedly cut back.

But it was too late.

Her  phone vibrated, and more than a dozen unread messages appeared on the screen. The red dot was eye-catching as if it was tempting. Jiang Yu stared at it and hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back, and clicked in.

Good morning and good night for several days in a row, and today's…

Gift.

At this time, another message was sent, sixteen hours after the previous one.

[Sister, I’ll go to bed first, if you drink, don’t drink too much, have fun, good night.]

Jiang Yu frowned, her expression slightly condensed.

She slowly slid her fingertips back.

Looking at the gift in the photo, she felt a feeling of suffocation and breathlessness, as if the balance she had worked so hard to maintain in the past few days was broken, she lost control, and was a little annoyed.

After a long while, she put away her mobile phone, and beckoned to the waiter not far away.

"Boss Jiang, do you need anything?"

"Cigarette."

"Okay."

After a while, the waiter brought cigarettes and lighter.

Jiang Yu took out the money, hesitated the moment she pressed the lighter, but she did it anyway, a yellowish blue flame shot up and lit the long and thin cigarette.

The spark is like dim lights in the room.

With the filter in her mouth, she took a puff, and the faint coolness mixed with a little bitterness melted away, stimulating her nerves, and instantly relieved a lot of boredom.

"Coco--"

When Pei Chutong came out of the box, she saw Jiang Yu leaning against the railing. Her slender figure was shrouded in clouds and mist, and she felt a little lonely. She was startled, and leaned over lightly, "What's the matter? Are you still in a bad mood?"

"No." Jiang Yu glanced at her, smiled and shook her head.

"After quitting for only half a year, you started smoking again, and you still say you're not."

"..."

"Do you like that sister just now?" Pei Chutong changed the subject.

Jiang Yu said absently, "Pretty good."

"Leave with her if you're satisfied. I'll give her to you, and I'll give you the money and resources. It's a big birthday gift for Coco." Pei Chutong said while brushing up the broken hair on her sideburns and tucking it behind her ear.

"No need," Jiang Yu exhaled a thin puff of smoke, "Good resources should be given to those with potential, there is no need to waste them on such things."

Watching the changes on her face, Pei Chutong sighed silently and didn't speak any more.

They stood side by side under the lamp.

Ruan Mu watched them silently from behind.

The female singer who left the stage returned to the stage and sat on the swing. This time she sang "Sentimental" by Populus Euphratica, with a soft, gentle and affectionate voice.

Jiang Yu looked down at her.

"Cocoa…"

"Mm?"

"It's just a little lover. If you are so worried, don't you think..." Pei Chutong put her arms around her shoulders, and whispered to her ear, "Did she move your heart?"

"Impossible." Jiang Yu's expression was indifferent, without the slightest wave in her eyes, but she took a puff of the filter, burning most of the long and thin cigarette instantly, and the remaining ash fell down.

Pei Chutong clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes slightly, "Then you..."

"It's late, I'm a little tired, I'll go back first." Jiang Yu interrupted her lightly, and turned around.

Inadvertently saw Ruan Mu behind her.

All three were taken aback.

Jiang Yu calmly removed the hand on her shoulder, nodded at Ruan Mu, and passed her into the box.

"What are you doing out here?" Pei Chutong lowered her face, her eyes a little unnatural.

Half of Ruan Mu's body was hidden in the shadows, looking at her indifferently, her cold profile softened a bit, "My duty."

"..."

….

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

lease read it there. and check out other stories too

It was already half past twelve when she got back to the hotel.

The huge living room was empty, all the lights were on, casting the shadow of the huge ceiling on the ground, it was too bright and glaring, and there was an inexplicable sense of loneliness like people had left the building and the tea turned cold.

Jiang Yu searched around from room to room, but couldn't find any presents. Finally, she turned her eyes to the second bedroom with the closed door. After thinking for a moment, she gave up the idea.

She sat on the sofa and opened WeChat.

One message after another flashed before her eyes. From the end of August to today, the more she read them, the more depressed she felt, a gloom choked in her heart and she couldn't get it out.

Finally back to today, that gift photo.

She was looking forward to it.

But she also regrets it.

What about present?

If she had seen it sooner, she would have come back sooner…

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, threw her phone aside, took out a cigarette case from her bag, took a cigarette, lit it urgently, and brought it to her mouth to take a puff.

Thin smoke surrounded her, blurring her cold facial features.

——Because you are you.

These words echoed repeatedly in her ears.

For so many years, she desperately wanted to get rid of her pre-eighteen self and be reborn in a new environment, but today she finally understood that what she shed again and again was just the old skin, and she remained the same, it is her—

A humble and fragile person shivering in a small dark room on a rainy night.

Rather than the title and aura that others bring when they introduce her.

She is she?

No matter what she looks like, someone will defend her without hesitation, right?

Jiang Yu closed her eyes and leaned back.

——Because you are you.

That look, tone, emotion… Is the kid tempted? Violated the terms of the agreement? Should she terminate the contract immediately to prevent all this from falling out of control?

There was a sudden sound of the door opening behind her.

Jiang Yu opened her eyes, turned her head, and slowly stood up.

"Sister, you're back..." Cheng Suran stood at the door of the bedroom, not looking sleepy at all, with a joyful look on her face.

Jiang Yu restrained her emotions, and asked lightly, "Where's the gift?"

As she said that, she bent down, put out the unfinished cigarette in the tray, picked up her phone, clicked on the photo, and shook it at her.

Cheng Suran was startled, her eyes flustered suddenly, she hesitated for a while, then pointed to the door and said, "It's outside...in the trash can."

Jiang Yu frowned, didn't bother to ask why it was in the trash can, and turned around like a gust of wind to go out.

There is a small entrance hall outside the door, and there is a cylindrical trash can beside the elevator. She forgot her cleanliness for a moment, and reached into it with her bare hands. One hand was not enough, so she reached out her other hand, fortunately, there was a gift box on the top, and she picked it up and went back to the house like a gust of wind.

Cheng Suran is still standing there.

Seeing the familiar gift box being brought in by Jiang Yu, her heart tightened suddenly, filled with regret, and she walked over belatedly.

Jiang Yu put the gift box on the tea table, and directly tore off the ribbon and wrapping paper with her hands, revealing the light brown paper box with a lid inside. She couldn't wait to open it and took out the gift.

The transparent acrylic box contains two miniatures respectively.

One is the show catwalk, and the other is the garden swing.  Standing on the runway is her little self, and sitting on the swing is her little self.

"This is..." Jiang Yu raised her head.

Cheng Suran pursed her lips, and said in a low voice: "The left side is your career, which is what everyone sees, and the right side is your life, away from the camera, you are also an ordinary person, it is… the you I see."

The proportions of the model are exquisite, the scene is very realistic, and some details are restored very well. It can be seen that the person who made it put a lot of thought into it.

It felt slippery and cool to the touch, she doesn't know what material was used.

"Did you do it yourself?"

Cheng Suran nodded obediently: "Yes, I used clay."

Surprise flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes.

"I don't know what you like. I feel that you definitely don't lack clothes, bags and cosmetics. Fans have given you everything you can think of, so... I think handmade is more commemorative. I bought all the materials from the money I earned from my part-time job. Um...sister, do you still like it?"

The girl looked at her with a cautious tone, but her eyes were full of expectation.

Jiang Yu's eyes softened, and she slowly raised the corners of her lips: "I like it very much."