CH 62

After returning to Jiangcheng, Jiang Yu's personal work didn't suffer much, but the company's affairs piled up like a mountain. These days, it has been Tian Lin and a few other executives who have been busy. Jiang Yu worked for three extra days to handle everything that needed to be taken care of.

The deep autumn evening arrived early, with the sky getting dark by five o'clock, and the street lights gradually lighting up.

"Gently, gently—"

"Is this okay?"

"Mm."

Jiang Yu sat exhausted on the sofa, eyes closed. Tian Lin stood behind her, gently kneading her shoulders, providing more comfort with each touch. "I extended my contract with Ranran. Do you think two more months will be enough to get bored of each other?"

"It's hard to say." Tian Lin shook her head.

"Why?"

"Sister Yu, you should ask yourself what you'll do if, after two months, you still want to extend the contract."

Jiang Yu paused for a moment and said, "I'll extend it again."

"What if it's for one year, or two years?"

"Long-term contracts are also fine."

Tian Lin paused in her actions, her gaze complicated. "So, are you planning to maintain the relationship solely through contracts?"

"Otherwise?" Jiang Yu opened her eyes.

Tian Lin sighed, the words she wanted to say lingered on her lips, hesitant and reluctant, but she couldn't help but speak, "Sister Yu, actually, I can sense that you care more about Miss Cheng than the previous girls. You... might have some feelings for her, right? After all these years, with people coming and going, it's rare to meet someone you like and can last. Why not have a serious relationship? With your status, you won't lose out..."

"Who told you I like her?" Jiang Yu frowned, interrupting.

If it were anyone else, they would have been silenced by those words. But Tian Lin had been with her for nearly nine years, and she dared to say everything she wanted, whether it was appropriate or not. "Your own actions tell me."

"..."

"In these past few days, you turned down two cover shoots just to accompany Miss Cheng. Although you've already earned enough, and those two shoots weren't necessary, you wouldn't have done this before."

In the past, when a lover fell ill, Jiang Yu would spend money to hire someone to take care of them, without personally getting involved. When visiting, she would only stay for a short while and leave without hesitation, not even for a second.

Of course, with financial benefactors or lovers, they each took what they needed, without needing to show mercy to each other.

But what about a girlfriend?

She argued with her ex-girlfriend over a dress and almost got into a fight. Even she, who hadn't been in a relationship at the time, thought it was going too far.

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

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

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That's just how Jiang Yu was. She liked to firmly control everything in her hands. If someone got in her way, she would kick them out. If they didn't listen, she would go to extremes, and afterwards, she would be left alone, feeling hurt.

She understood herself better than anyone else.

She knew that even if she were to enter a proper romantic relationship, it would quickly end. As long as her temper didn't change, no one could tolerate it. Unfortunately, she couldn't change herself, so she could only control herself and never truly open her heart to anyone.

It was a bit heartbreaking to think about.

Tian Lin sighed inwardly.

"But this time is different. Ranran got hurt because of me. I..." Jiang Yu paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and spoke rapidly.

"I don't want to owe anyone any favors, to avoid future troubles."

That makes sense.

Tian Lin chuckled, "You even call her by her nickname."

"She asked me to."

"So obedient."

"…"

Jiang Yu closed her eyes, feeling somewhat irritated. She removed Tian Lin's hand, got up, and took out a cigarette and a lighter from her bag. She lit one.

"Why are you smoking again?" Tian Lin was stunned.

Jiang Yu didn't say anything and silently walked towards the balcony.

The sky grew darker, and there was a long queue at the intersection. The distant honking of cars echoed, with the taillights shining brightly.

A slight chill breeze blew in.

The slender cigarette rested between her fingers, the lit end slowly burning like dim stars. She took a gentle puff, squinted her eyes, and exhaled a faint white smoke.

She silently finished smoking the cigarette.

Tian Lin stood behind her for a while, waiting for her to calm down before approaching. "What did Miss Cheng's family say about her injury? Your relationship is not easy to explain..."

"I haven't seen her family," Jiang Yu's voice was slightly hoarse.

"What about her aunt?"

"How do you know she has an aunt?" Jiang Yu furrowed her brow and turned to look at her.

Tian Lin was stunned for a moment and said, "She told me before that she doesn't have parents and lives with her aunt."

Jiang Yu frowned, turned her head back, and looked at her. "You knew about her family situation all along? Why didn't you tell me?"

"...I thought you knew," Tian Lin smiled awkwardly.

Jiang Yu was momentarily speechless, lowered her gaze, and then slowly turned back. "When did she tell you?"

Tian Lin answered truthfully, "During the time when she was being rumored about, before I went to her school to perform. I asked about the situation, initially just wanting to understand more to portray the role better, but she candidly told me."

Jiang Yu's face was dark and inscrutable.

During those days in Lingzhou, she mentioned her family twice, but the kid was not forthcoming both times. It was only the second time that she hesitantly told her the truth. Why?

"Why is it easier for her assistant to be open, but not for her?" Jiang Yu felt a tightness in her chest.

"Sister Yu, maybe it's because Miss Cheng doesn't feel burdened when facing me, and it just happened to come out casually. At that time, I didn't pay much attention to it. It's more important to accompany her in acting and handle things well." Tian Lin saw through her thoughts, chuckled helplessly, and explained while observing her expression.

Jiang Yu instinctively asked, "Are you saying that she feels burdened when facing me?"

Oops.

She fell into the trap.

Tian Lin secretly laughed in her heart and shrugged, "That's something you'll have to ask Miss Cheng about. But you don't have to worry about what a lover thinks."

Jiang Yu gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

The silence was broken by the ringing of a cellphone.

It was Tian Lin's phone. She picked it up, but her smile froze and her expression turned serious. After a few brief sentences, she hung up in a hurry.

"Sister Yu—"

"What's wrong?" Jiang Yu turned her face quietly.

"Just now, Xiao Xiang from the studio told me that DM has a political issue and it's trending on Weibo. It's quite serious..." Tian Lin opened Weibo while speaking, clicked on the trending topic, and looked at a prominently displayed red-hot hashtag.

Jiang Yu paused for a moment, furrowing her brow with a serious expression. "What kind of political issue?"

Tian Lin handed her the phone.

She clicked on the relevant hashtag, and in the description, a jewelry brand called "DM" had recently released a new collection inspired by a Chinese mythological legend. However, in the official website introduction, they used a highly discriminatory term against the Chinese. Despite being alerted by people, the brand had not provided any explanation or made any changes to their wording.

And then it exploded.

"What kind of a mess is this? We haven't even completed a year of the contract..." Tian Lin gasped for breath.

In the spring of this year, Jiang Yu signed a three-year endorsement contract with this brand. Just two months ago, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the brand had sent her a "Eye of Horus" necklace. But now, this incident happened out of nowhere. When faced with a political issue like this, there was no other option but to terminate the contract.

For a celebrity, endorsements were not their sole source of income, so terminating a contract won't cause significant damage. However, it was different for a model. Walking the runway and doing photoshoots brought in little money compared to endorsements, which were their main long-term source of income. Terminating a contract was equivalent to a heavy blow.

"It has nothing to do with us," Jiang Yu carefully read the news and handed the phone back to Tian Lin.

Tian Lin: "?"

"I signed with 'D&M,' while this brand is 'DM.' There's a difference in one symbol, and even their official social media accounts are different. Take another look," Jiang Yu explained.

"..."

Tian Lin held the phone and looked at it again, specifically comparing the official social media accounts of the two brands.

They were indeed different.

"The similarity in names is quite high, and they are both jewelry brands from the same country. Perhaps there is some connection between them? It's better to find out and clarify the situation, so you won't be mistakenly targeted," Tian Lin didn't relax, as her intuition told her that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Jiang Yu's expression remained indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about the matter. She casually said, "You handle it, I'm going back."

Night fell, bringing a chill in the air.

The city was congested, and it took Jiang Yu half an hour to travel from the company to the hotel. She couldn't remember the last time she had been back to that spacious flat. Looking at the lights at the hotel entrance, she felt a deep sense of familiarity, as if she had returned to her own home.

These past few days, she had been coming and going early in the morning and late at night. When she wake up, the kid is sound asleep, and by the time she returned, the kid was already in her dreams. The number of words they exchanged could be counted on one hand.

Pushing open the door, the living room was brightly lit.

The girl sat at the dining table, staring at the computer. Her hands moved swiftly across the keyboard, completely unaware of someone entering.

A familiar scent of iris wafted into Jiang Yu's nostrils.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yu placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, glancing at the computer screen.

Cheng Suran was startled and shook her hand, making a typo by accident. Annoyed, she looked up, but upon seeing that it was Jiang Yu, her emotions quickly subsided.

"Sister... Why did you come in so quietly? You scared me."

Jiang Yu was taken aback by her momentary display of anger, but after a while, she recovered and gently rubbed the girl's head, smiling as she said, "You were too engrossed."

"Ah, I'm catching up on homework."

Having just taken a shower, her fair face had a rosy glow, and her soft hair scattered at the collar, accentuating her two delicate collarbones, which appeared even more radiant. In the depths, there were faint glimpses of a captivating scene.

Jiang Yu couldn't help but bend down, her lips slowly approaching the girl's delicate ear, pecking it lightly. "But sister missed you. Don't you miss sister?"

"Ah, I can't. Tomorrow is the deadline. I'll talk to you after I finish writing," Cheng Suran felt anxious and a bit impatient. She pushed Jiang Yu away with her hand and continued to hold the mouse, deleting the incorrect words and typing the correct ones.

During her hospitalization for the past half month, she had fallen behind on some classes and missed a few assignments. After returning from Lingzhou, she spent three days intensely catching up, spending most of her time at the library with her laptop.

Jiang Yu's body stiffened slightly, and her smile froze for a moment at the corner of her lips. She bypassed the chair and sat next to the girl. "Alright, sister will accompany you."

"..."

Cheng Suran had just typed a few words and stopped again. She placed a hand on her shoulder and half pleaded, half coquettishly said, "Oh, sister, sitting here will distract me. How can I concentrate on writing? Why don't you go sit on the sofa or take a bath? You can even lie on the bed. Please, please..."

She couldn't push Jiang Yu away. With her hands clasped together, she made a begging gesture towards her.

Jiang Yu gazed at the girl for a long time, a hint of gray in her eyes. She put away her smile and silently got up, heading back to the bedroom.

She took her pajamas and entered the bathroom. Normally, she would spend twenty minutes showering, but today she only took ten minutes. As she showered, she unconsciously increased her speed. However, when she finished and came out, Cheng Suran was still sitting in front of the computer, typing rapidly.

Jiang Yu picked up a book, walked to the sofa without saying a word, and sat down, reading while waiting.

The idle and boring time slipped through her fingers.

Seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock...

Almost ten o'clock.

The sound of typing intermittently echoed in her ears. Jiang Yu put down the book and glanced over. Cheng Suran was huddled in her chair, showing signs of fatigue.

However, there was no sign of her stopping.

She couldn't rush her or ask the little girl to put her homework aside to please her. It just made her feel slightly uncomfortable. After being busy for a few days, she thought she had neglected the kid, so she specially came back early tonight. Little did she know that the girl found her presence bothersome instead.

Clearly, she is the benefactor.

Jiang Yu chuckled and decided to wait a little longer before going to bed. She picked up her phone and casually opened Weibo.

Her name was trending at number three.

"?"

[Jiang Yu DM]

She had a faint premonition and clicked on it. Sure enough, a marketing account mentioned her name, sarcastically implying that she wouldn't terminate the contract with the brand.

The top three comments were all insults directed at her.

"Money-hungry opportunist," "traitor," "cheap slut"... The insults couldn't be any more offensive.

Jiang Yu scrolled down and finally saw some rational discussions among netizens, with some people clarifying that it was not the same brand. However, it seemed to have little effect as the frenzy of hate comments continued.

Perhaps she had offended someone.

She found it amusing.

She closed Weibo, put down her phone, and yawned.

"Ranran, are you done?" She stood up.

Cheng Suran didn't even lift her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. Jiang Yu's face darkened slightly. Without saying a word, she turned around, went back to her room, and forcefully closed the door.

—Bang!

Cheng Suran's heart trembled with shock.

The whole world fell silent.

Stunned for a while, Cheng Suran stared at the document on the screen, with only one more sentence to go, suddenly feeling agitated.

She hastily came up with a nonsensical ending sentence, quickly saved her work, shut down the computer, and didn't bother tidying up the mess on the desk before returning to her room.

The light was still on, and Jiang Yu was lying on the bed, only her head visible.

"Sister..."

"Are you asleep?"

Cheng Suran slipped into the covers, turned off the light, and obediently hugged Jiang Yu, speaking softly, "I'm done writing, sister."

Jiang Yu pushed her hand away.