CH 71

The door slammed shut with a loud "bang," causing the entire floor to tremble.

Cheng Suran's heart quivered in response to the tremendous sound, like a startled little beast. She stared blankly at the closed door, her mind in a state of confusion and chaos.

This is the end...

Does this mean terminating the contract?

She snapped back to reality, the tightly wound string in her heart suddenly breaking, and she stumbled as she hurriedly chased after.

The lobby was empty, and the elevator had descended to the first floor.

Her trembling finger pressed the button as she watched the ascending floor numbers. Her heartbeat pounded like a drum, growing more urgent. As soon as the doors opened, she rushed in and pressed the button for the ground floor.

There were only a few guests checking in or out in the lobby.

Cheng Suran looked around in confusion, unable to find the person's figure. She dashed out of the main entrance, which led to a fountain square with a wide view. Landscape trees were planted on both sides, forming a shaded path that led to the underground parking garage. It was winter, and the leaves had withered, leaving only bare stems and branches.

At the end of the square, near the road, she caught sight of a tall woman standing upright, holding a suitcase as if waiting for someone.

"Sister—" Cheng Suran sprinted towards her.

That figure stiffened for a moment.

A black Mercedes-Benz van slowly approached and stopped in front of the woman. She eagerly opened the car door, hastily stuffed her belongings inside, and quickly got in before shutting the door.

With only two or three steps remaining, Cheng Suran watched helplessly as the car sped away. Instinctively, she tried to chase after it, calling out, "Sister... Sister..." She ran with all her might, tears streaming down and splattering on the ground. A rush of cold air filled her throat, causing a piercing pain in her chest. The car grew farther and farther away.

Cheng Suran stumbled and fell heavily, her knees hitting the concrete floor. More tears welled up, and as she lifted her head, her blurred vision could only see the red and yellow taillights of the car.

That red cluster seemed to flicker.

It was the brake light!

If it lights up when the brakes are pressed... will it stop? Is that what her sister meant?

Ignoring the pain in her knees, Cheng Suran got up and continued running. However, the car accelerated once again, distancing itself from her and disappearing around the corner of an intersection up ahead.

She came to a halt, standing in place, gasping for breath.

Her sister didn't want her anymore.

She never had a place in her sister's heart like she imagined.

From the moment those words were spoken, she should have anticipated this outcome. Reality was cruel and heartless, and even though she had prepared herself mentally, she had overestimated her own strength. She wasn't that strong, nor that free-spirited.

The sky was gloomy, even though it was the afternoon, it felt like dusk. The cold wind tousled her disheveled hair, seeping into the gaping hole in her heart, causing a sour and tingling pain.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there. Her hands and feet were growing numb from the cold, but Cheng Suran finally regained her senses. She turned around and slowly began walking back, step by step.

The car was parked by the side of the road.

Jiang Yu leaned her head against the window, her eyes tightly shut, gently rubbing her temple with her index finger.

"Boss Jiang, the girl has gone back," the driver's voice came from the front.

Jiang Yu didn't say anything, but her other hand, which had been clenched into a fist, relaxed, with the fingertips trembling slightly. After a while, she opened her eyes cautiously, carefully pulling back the curtain to look outside at the hotel entrance diagonally in front.

Only occasional vehicles were coming and going.

She let out a sigh of relief, closed the curtain, and closed her eyes again to rest.

"Take me back to the residential area."

"Alright."

Silence returned in the car.

Tian Lin sitting next to her had a complex expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

The driver dropped off Jiang Yu and Cheng Suran, but not long after the car had driven away, she received an urgent call from Jiang Yu asking her to turn around. In a hurry, Tian Lin also came back with her. When they arrived at the hotel entrance, they only saw Jiang Yu waiting there alone with her suitcase. The moment the car door opened, she couldn't wait to get in, as if someone was chasing her from behind, though not by a ghost.

Cheng Suran was chasing from behind when she stumbled and fell.

The driver reported that and Jiang Yu initially said to stop the car, but quickly changed her mind and continued driving. They turned at an intersection ahead, circled around to the left, and returned to the same road from behind until they caught sight of the girl's figure.

They just parked far away, watching from behind.

She asked the driver to look, and Tian Lin to look, but she herself didn't look.

Tian Lin didn't know exactly what had happened, but she could guess the general idea. It seemed like something she had expected. She knew that this day would come sooner or later.

She just didn't expect it to come so soon. She glanced at Jiang Yu.

The person closed her eyes, slightly furrowing her brows. Exhaustion was written all over her face. Her breaths grew deeper and longer, and her chest heaved more and more.

The scene felt familiar.

Five or six years ago, on the day Jiang Yu broke up with her ex, she had the same expression.

The difference was that her ex didn't chase after her. They each left the shared residence and had no contact since then. Back then, it was Tian Lin who packed up Jiang Yu's belongings in the house...

When they arrived at the underground parking lot of the residential area, Jiang Yu still kept her eyes closed and didn't move.

"Sister Yu..." Tian Lin thought she had fallen asleep and gently tapped her shoulder. "We've arrived home. Wake up."

Jiang Yu slowly opened her eyes, paused for a few seconds, her expression vacant. She locked eyes with Tian Lin for a moment, then got out of the car without saying a word.

Tian Lin: "..."

The bags and suitcase were still in the car. Helplessly shaking her head, Tian Lin held the bag in one hand and the suitcase in the other. She instructed the driver to wait here and followed Jiang Yu's footsteps.

The two of them entered the elevator together.

Jiang Yu had a vacant look in her eyes, like a ghost. They went up the floors, swiped their faces, and as soon as they entered the home, she kicked off her shoes and walked inside barefoot.

"Huh? Sister Yu, you're back? I've packed up all the stuff..." Xiao Zhou was pushing a carry-on suitcase, about to leave, but before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Yu brushed past her. Xiao Zhou stood there in shock, then turned to look at Tian Lin.

"Sister Lin, what's going on?"

Tian Lin frowned as she looked at Jiang Yu's bare feet and gave a perfunctory smile to Xiao Zhou. "It's nothing. She's just not feeling well." She pushed the suitcase aside and picked up the slippers Jiang Yu wore at home. "Leave the things there for now. You can move around freely. I'll go take a look."

Xiao Zhou hesitated and nodded. "Okay."

In the master bedroom area, as expected, the front door was securely locked. Two white metal doors formed a sturdy shell, guarding the space inside.

Tian Lin sighed as she held the slippers and sat down on a nearby chair.

Thick curtains block out the light, casting a dimness over the bedroom.

Jiang Yu lay on the bed, her hair disheveled, her back rising and falling with each breath. The air grew increasingly heavy.

She turned over, facing the ceiling, her gaze fixed on the non-illuminated light. After a while, she sat up again, her eyes focused on the table.

There was a clay model placed there.

A miniature version of her stood on the runway, sitting on a garden swing. A transparent box acted as a barrier, gently protecting her.

[On the left is your career, the version of you that everyone sees. On the right is your life, where you're just an ordinary person beyond the camera, the version of you that I see.]

[Did you make it yourself?]

[Mm, with clay.]

[I don't know what you like. It feels like you have everything when it comes to clothes, bags, and cosmetics. Fans have probably given you everything they could think of. So I thought making something handmade would be more meaningful.]

[I really like it.]

Jiang Yu gazed at the model, lost in thought. In her mind, she could see the girl's rosy cheeks and shy, smiling eyes, and their conversation echoed in her ears.

Since breaking up with her ex, almost six years had passed. She had gone through a series of lovers, all following the template of past acquaintances. However, Cheng Suran was the one she had chosen from the heart, and the one who had stayed by her side the longest.

She was obedient, sensible, dependent but not clingy, and fulfilled Jiang Yu's need to be wanted. Sometimes, she seemed silly, and her face blushed easily.

This girl didn't seem to have anything particularly special about her.

Jiang Yu wanted to keep her by her side a bit longer.

If Cheng Suran hadn't been tempted by the subtle and obvious gestures over the past few months, the ones that were overlooked, she would now trace back and reminisce. Nerves that were once dull suddenly became sharp and attentive.

Perhaps it was an unintentional gaze, perhaps a remark that was not taken to heart, or perhaps a subtle little action.

She should have discovered it long ago. She was causing harm to the young girl.

Jiang Yu sneered, reaching out her hand to touch the clay figurine, but her fingertips touched the transparent box instead. She paused for a moment and muttered to herself:

"Ranran..."

"Why did you have to say it? Do you think Sister is so bad? Intentionally using this method... No, you said it yourself, Sister is not bad at all."

"You're such a confused little fool."

Why did she have to say it? Why did she have to find out? Why? She was still planning, after the January and February fashion seasons, to take Ranran to Paris for a trip. She was still imagining that they could maintain a simple and pure financial relationship between them.

Everything has been shattered.

Jiang Yu inexplicably felt angry, and a strong current surged inside her. She swept her hand and knocked things off the table.

—Crash!

Glass bottles and jars shattered, the scent of money filled the air. The transparent box fell to the ground, cracking open, and the clay model scattered into pieces.

"She" fell off the runway, and the swing broke too. The small "her" was fragmented.

Frantically, Jiang Yu picked up the broken pieces and placed them back on the table. She held the scattered fragments in her palms, trying to piece them back together, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't restore them.

She looked at the incomplete model, as if a piece of her heart was missing, leaving her empty.

….

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

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

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Night fell, and the lights gradually lit up along the Binjiang River

Tian Lin was sitting in a chair, on the verge of falling asleep, when she heard some noise. She opened her eyes and saw that the closed door had finally opened. Jiang Yu came out from inside.

"Sister Yu..." Tian Lin stood up, suddenly remembering the slippers, she bent down and brought them over to place them near Jiang Yu's feet.

Jiang Yu's face was dark, and she stared at the slippers for a while, slowly putting them on. With a tired tone, she asked, "Why didn't you go back?"

Her voice is a bit hoarse.

"Because I'm worried about you." Tian Lin looked at her.

Jiang Yu sneered, "What trouble can I get into? I'm perfectly fine." After speaking, she lowered her eyes, avoiding that gaze as if feeling guilty. She turned around and said, "What should we have for dinner tonight? Sister can... Her throat choked, and her body stiffened. "Auntie must have bought groceries. Let's eat at home."

She turned her back to Tian Lin and walked towards the kitchen.

"Do you need me to deal with it? Now, or tomorrow." Tian Lin's eyes reflected her lonely figure, and she sighed silently, feeling a bitter ache.

Jiang Yu stopped in her tracks, standing still for a long time. "Deal with what?"

"Your affair with Miss Cheng."

"Oh."

Another silence fell between them.

"In a few days, wait until I come back before you go," Jiang Yu waved her hand.

Tian Lin narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she wanted to uncover something essential, she pressed on, "Why?"

"Cutting to the chase, once it's dealt with, you can focus on your work without any worries, isn't that better?"

For so many years, whether it was the end of a contract or a mid-term termination, Tian Lin had always handled the aftermath. The process was straightforward: pay the breakup fee, pack up belongings, change hotels, find the next person.

Every time was clean and efficient. If it could be done during the day, it would never be dragged into the evening. If it could be settled today, it would never be left for tomorrow.

Jiang Yu had adopted this working style, and she had learned a lot from being by her side.

"Are you afraid it will affect Miss Cheng's final exams?" Tian Lin took a couple of steps forward and stood by her side.

Jiang Yu lowered her gaze and remained silent.

"But this has nothing to do with you; you don't need to worry about it."

"Unless you like Miss Cheng," Tian Lin boldly stated, as if walking on a tightrope.

"Would I like a pet?" Jiang Yu suddenly turned around, glaring at her with anger surging through her, "Is she even worthy? How can even you say such things?! I can do whatever I want whenever I please. It's my own happiness that matters."

In those deep, cold eyes, there was only ice.

Tian Lin saw nothing but a shell harder than a metal door.

She immediately fell silent.

… 

Throughout the entire final exam week, the campus was filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Nervousness stemmed from the fear of failing or getting a low grade, while excitement came from the anticipation of finishing the exams and going on vacation, returning home.

The exam schedules varied among different majors, and the French Department was the first to finish exams and go on vacation.

The weather remained gloomy and chilly. After the final exam, Cheng Suran walked out of the teaching building with her bag and instinctively took out her phone, opening WeChat.

The message list was eerily silent.

Ah, she forgot.

She forgot that her sister no longer wanted her, forgot that their contract had ended.

Looking at that gray-black profile picture and the messages that had stopped seven days ago, Cheng Suran felt a bitter taste in her heart and a sourness in her nose. She didn't dare to send any messages, afraid of seeing the red exclamation mark.

After a while, she put away her phone and walked towards the dormitory building.

In these past few days, Cheng Suran conscientiously moved back to the school dormitory, telling herself that it was to focus on reviewing and exam preparation. But she guessed that if she didn't leave soon, another canary would move in.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Cheng Suran felt a piercing pain in her heart, unable to deceive herself into not caring...

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

For a moment, Cheng Suran thought it might be Jiang Yu calling her, but she quickly realized that was impossible, and her emotions sank again.

Could it be her aunt?

With a bitter smile, she took out her phone and looked at the caller ID—one by one.

Assistant Tian!

"Hello? Assistant Tian?" Cheng Suran eagerly answered, trying her best to restrain the excitement and anticipation in her voice.

A formulaic voice came through the phone, "Miss Cheng, have you finished your exams? I'll be at the entrance of your school in about ten minutes. Come out now."

"What... What's going on?"

"There's something."

With that, the call ended.

Cheng Suran paused, holding the phone in her hand, feeling stunned for a moment. Her heart pounded, and the excitement and anticipation she had felt earlier vanished into thin air.

She changed her direction and headed towards the school gate.

It wasn't a long distance from the vicinity of the teaching building to the school gate, but it still took about seven to eight minutes to walk. Cheng Suran quickened her pace, almost running. From a distance, she could see a familiar black business car parked by the flowerbed.

The car was partially concealed by the flowerbed and sculptures, inconspicuous. She ran over and lightly tapped on the window.

The door opened.

Tian Lin was sitting inside and nodded at her. "Miss Cheng, come in and let's talk." Cheng Suran obediently got into the car.

Without waiting for Cheng Suran to speak, she scanned the surroundings but didn't see Jiang Yu. Anxiously, she asked, "Where is sister?"

"The boss hasn't returned to the country yet." Tian Lin lied without changing her expression.

The light in Cheng Suran's eyes extinguished.

She deflated like a deflated balloon.

"Miss Cheng, the boss asked me to give this to you." Tian Lin took out a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to her, her face displaying a professional smile.

"What is it?"

Cheng Suran took it and looked at it.

It was a check with a red stamp on it.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand... She counted the string of zeros in a daze. Before she could finish counting, her gaze fell on the written amount in words.

Twenty million yuan exactly.

Author's Note:

Jiang Scum: Rich and willful.jpg.