CH 96

It happened to be the day when she met Cheng Suran at the airport.

Weibo caption: [Saw Jiang Yu at the airport! Ah ah! Real person, so tall, so beautiful, I didn't bother her!]

Jiang Yu looked at the photo, frowned, and remembered the day when a passerby held up a phone to take a picture of her. The clues matched, but how did Bai Lu find the ordinary person's Weibo?

Soon she understood.

Searching for her name in real-time on Weibo will display all publicly released relevant information.

"..."

The words' little sister ' hurt Jiang Yu's eyes.

This is synonymous with a canary.

Before, Ranran used to be jealous of Bai Lu, but back then, Bai Lu didn't show anything. However, over time, her possessiveness grew, until it became pathological now.

For some reason, it made her feel a bit uneasy.

Jiang Yu couldn't figure it out and only thought it was a joke, so she spoke in a serious tone and said, "Now she's a business partner with the company, not some little sister. You should call her Miss Cheng."

Bailu: [?]

Jiang Yu: [I will explain later. Concentrate on your work first.]

After waiting for a while, Bai Lu did not reply again.

Jiang Yu stared at the profile picture, lost in thought.

Flying back for twelve hours just to have a meal she cooked. This should have been a heartwarming and touching gesture, but for her, thinking about Bai Lu's changes over these years only brought a sense of oppression…

….

Several days of continuous drizzle.

Friday afternoon brought a sense of excitement. Just after four o'clock, people were already packing up, looking forward to the weekend.

The sky was gray and misty, with dark clusters of clouds, thick and low like a gaping maw swallowing the steel and concrete of the towering buildings.

Cheng Suran sat in the office, lost in thought.

—tok tok

She didn't even hear a knock on the door.

The office door was slowly pushed open, and Wen Ruoxian walked in. As soon as she lifted her eyes, she saw Cheng Suran in this state.

"Ranran?"

She walked around the desk and waved her hand in front of Cheng Suran's eyes.

Cheng Suran snapped back to reality, turning her face and still looking a bit dazed. "Ruoxian... When did you arrive?"

As soon as she saw the newcomer, her clarity returned, and she smiled.

"Just now." Wen Ruoxian looked at her with concern. "Didn't you hear me knocking?"

"Oh... I was lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Work."

Cheng Suran stood up, stacked the documents on the desk and moved them aside, then grabbed her bag. "Let's go to the supermarket."

Today, Wen Ruoxian returned from a business trip, and the two of them had plans to cook hot pot at home in the evening. Cheng Suran was waiting for her to go grocery shopping together.

Wen Ruoxian gazed at her face.

Since that night she returned from Jiang Yu's place, Ranran's emotions seemed a bit off. She would often be lost in thought when at home as if burdened by something. Wen Ruoxian had wanted to ask her several times but held back. These days, she had been wondering if it had something to do with Jiang Yu.

That night, she observed Ranran's every reaction and left an imprint in her heart.

The seeds of suspicion took root and sprouted.

"Ruoxian?"

"Mm."

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Suran noticed her distraction.

Wen Ruoxian shook her head, putting on a smile. "Nothing, let's go."

Being a workday, the supermarket was less crowded.

Wen Ruoxian walked arm in arm with Cheng Suran through the chilled and frozen section, picking up a few boxes of fatty lamb, beef rolls, and some small seafood. They both disliked ingredients like hot pot balls and had tacitly bypassed that section of the freezer.

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

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

please read it there. and check out other stories too

"Get some more spinach."

"Hey, they have fresh rose grapes."

"Don't we still have some leftovers at home?"

"With you, the fruit killer, there is no need to worry about not being able to finish eating, but you should think about it, what should you do if you don’t have enough?"

"You're so mean!"

Cheng Suran reached out and pretended to hit Wen Ruoxian, who swiftly dodged. They started playfully teasing each other in front of the fruit section, pinching and pulling.

"Alright, let's stop, it's childish."

"Quite self-aware, huh?"

"You...hmph."

Watching Cheng Suran defeated, Wen Ruoxian found her adorable and got a bit lost in thought. Softness unconsciously appeared in her deep black eyes. She couldn't help but take Cheng Suran's hand. "Alright, alright, it's me who's childish."

Cheng Suran concealed her expression and stared at her in a daze.

"What's wrong?" Wen Ruoxian's heart skipped a beat, and she casually let go of Cheng Suran's hand. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She pretended to naturally pick up a box of rose grapes and put it into the shopping cart.

"Hahaha!"

Cheng Suran burst out laughing.

"Everyone at the company says that Miss Wen is an old cadre, very aloof and serious, meticulous even. But who would've known that Miss Wen is so unorthodox in private." She said while she tsk.

Wen Ruoxian let out a sigh of relief, feeling her tense nerves relax.

She picked up two more boxes of rose grapes. "So, do you think I should be a bit more serious, or a bit less serious?"

"Both are fine."

"Mm?"

Cheng Suran's eyes sparkled. "No matter how you are, you're the best in my heart."

Wen Ruoxian's steady heartbeat skipped a few beats.

"Ranran..."

"We're almost done, let's go check out the snacks."

Cheng Suran took her with one hand and pushed the shopping cart forward with the other. Wen Ruoxian regained consciousness and grabbed the handle of the cart, saying, "I'll push it.'

The overhead speaker played soft and lyrical music, and the two of them leisurely walked between the shelves, arm in arm, like a loving and sweet couple. After a busy day at work, buying groceries after work, and going home to cook, filled with warmth and fireworks.

….

Back at home, Cheng Suran quickly organized the ingredients, while Wen Ruoxian got the pot ready. The two of them sat around the table, dipping meat into the boiling broth, and watching a show together.

On the projection screen, the hero and heroine and the supporting actress are reasoning together.

This is a suspense drama that Cheng Suran likes very much recently. She will watch two episodes when she has free time. She shared it with Wen Ruoxian, and now it had gone from one person to a two-person activity.

"Hey the male lead is really dragging his legs, isn't he? Speechless!"

Seeing the exciting part, Cheng Suran exclaimed in excitement.

Just as the female lead and the supporting actress were about to reconstruct the crime scene, the male lead unexpectedly made things worse, disrupting the clues, and everything had to start over.

She was so caught up that she nearly forgot to breathe.

"I agree." Wen Ruoxian chimed in, giving her a meaningful glance.

"How about the female lead teams up with her best friend instead?"

Cheng Suran leaned to the side, gritting her teeth. "Exactly!"

"Lily alliance is good."

"Absolutely."

Wen Ruoxian pursed her lips.

The seed that had taken root and sprouted in her heart suddenly bloomed. Encouraged, she cautiously continued, "A few days ago, I think I saw some fan-made edits of their CP scenes online..."

"Who?"

Cheng Suran was engrossed, taking a while before turning her head to ask.

Wen Ruoxian's hand trembled, causing the piece of fatty lamb she had just picked up to fall back into the pot. She remained composed, skillfully retrieving the slice of meat and nonchalantly saying, "The female lead and her best friend."

Before the sentence was even finished, Cheng Suran turned back to the screen—more exciting plot twists were unfolding. She hurriedly responded with a couple of "Mm-mm".

Steam rose from the pot, blurring their vision. Soft light illuminated her skin, making it even more delicate and moisturized, like warm porcelain coated with a layer of glaze.

After finishing the show and nearly finishing the hot pot, Wen Ruoxian tidied up the table while Cheng Suran tossed all the dishes and utensils into the dishwasher. Then poured a cup of flower petal tea for each of them and comfortably slouched onto the sofa.

Wen Ruoxian finished tidying up the table and glanced towards the sofa.

If you miss today, there won't be another chance to explore.

She thought.

She walked over, took a seat, lifted the cup of flower petal tea, and took a sip. She then pulled out her phone and searched for fan-made edits of Lily CP scenes. There were plenty of these videos, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she handed the phone to Cheng Suran to watch.

"Ranran, I found the CP edit."

"What?"

"The female lead and her best friend."

Cheng Suran was momentarily taken aback, recalling their earlier conversation. Her mood became subtly complicated, but before her mind could process it fully, her hand instinctively reached out, and her gaze focused on the screen. The editing skills were impressive, frame by frame, scene by scene, and the affection between the two women was captured tenderly, almost at the level of the original show.

She looked at it with an aunt smile.

"Ah, it's so sweet."

"It's seamless..."

Sitting beside her, Wen Ruoxian held her breath, feeling the rhythm of her heart beating faster in her chest. She seemed to glimpse a glimmer of hope, a trace of excitement. She continued with Cheng Suran's words, "Yeah, what do we need men for? Two girls being together is so wonderful."

"Exactly, the male lead is just slowing things down!"

Cheng Suran nodded repeatedly.

"For example..." Wen Ruoxian was about to say something else when she looked up and caught sight of the company's awards displayed on the nearby shelf. The words "for example, us" that were about to come out of her mouth were suddenly swallowed back.

A thunderbolt woke her up, and when she opened her eyes, there was a reality gap.

Even if Ranran didn't reject same-sex love, it didn't necessarily mean she could accept it as a mere spectator, without experiencing it herself. There are many people like that in real life. If Wen Ruoxian were to recklessly pierce the window paper* but the other party doesn't reciprocate the intention, it could lead to awkwardness between them at work in the future.

*express what one never dare to express

From its inception until now, this career hasn't been around for long, and it's still so young and fragile. This is precisely the time when it requires the careful nurturing and protection of two people.

She can't be selfish.

She must have lost her mind today…

"Ah? What did you say?" Cheng Suran looked up after watching the video, a lingering smile in her eyes.

Wen Ruoxian calmly shook her head. "Nothing. Are you done watching?"

"Mm, mm."

She handed the phone back and met that face, her expression froze, and subtle emotions burst open like fireworks.

Inexplicable, elusive.

Very strange.

….

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival fell within the National Day holiday.

Before the break, Cheng Suran organized a company dinner, distributed benefits to all employees, and on the last afternoon, she accompanied Wen Ruoxian to the airport. With Wen Ruoxian gone, her home was now empty.

She indulged in sleeping in on the first day, cleaning the house on the second, reading books, and watching TV shows. On the third day, it was Mid-Autumn Festival.

Cheng Suran received a call from her aunt.

Just like in the past few years, her aunt warmly called her by her nickname, urging her to come home for a family reunion. Without hesitation, she declined. However, this time was different. Her aunt mentioned that her cousin was getting married, and the wedding was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

"Ranran, in the past, your sister had a bad temper and did some things she shouldn't have. You shouldn't hold grudges against her. Anyway, she's getting married now, and you're her sister after all. The wedding is..."

The woman on the phone prattled on, beating around the bush and saying a lot of things.

Cheng Suran stood on the balcony, gazing into the distance, feeling somewhat impatient with the conversation. She interrupted in a calm tone, "I won't attend the wedding. I'll just send her a red envelope."

"Uh, about the red envelope..."

"Three eights, it's lucky."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"Ranran, after all, she's your sister, and all these years..."

"Doesn't 'three eights' sound good? Well then, make it three sixes."

"Well, uh... marriage should be for a long time, right? The longer, the better, isn't that the case?"

Cheng Suran understood the implication, a cold smile playing on her lips. She pretended not to grasp the hint, saying, "Three nines are fine, I'm busy to talk here."

She hung up the phone.

In the distance, a lively and bustling street.

When she had initially gone to France for an exchange, her aunt had been entirely unwilling. She hadn't expected her aunt to be willing anyway, and fortunately, she had enough money at the time. It meant she didn't need to ask anyone for help; if she wanted to go, she could just go.

Later on, after graduation, her aunt asked her what job she was looking for. She intentionally or unintentionally asked her to go home and take the rural entrance examination as a teacher. She said that she could find a good man in the future, but she didn't respond. Apart from using the household registration to handle affairs, she never contacted her family.

She could vaguely feel that her aunt had discovered that her household registration could restrain her.

Fortunately, she ran fast and settled directly in the capital after being admitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her aunt no longer had any chips in her hands, so she could only speak up and shout out to her conscience. Later on, she laid her cards, revealing the case of the compensation money from her father. Her aunt was left speechless, and subsequently, her attitude towards her became increasingly gentle.

She has never gone back in these years.

Living alone for a long time outside makes you capable of handling anything on your own; it's as if you no longer need others around.

She often thought that being single for the rest of her life would be just fine...

The streets were bustling with people, but Cheng Suran had no intention of going out. As noon approached, she prepared a sumptuous lunch for herself and took a photo to send to Wen Ruoxian.

In the afternoon, she watched a movie on the home projector.

The advantage of learning a foreign language is that watching the original film does not require subtitles, and she can focus on the visuals and plot like watching a native language movie.

The leisurely day passed like this, and at night, Cheng Suran was too lazy to cook. She boiled a piece of corn and finished it. She then went for a walk downstairs in the community, wandering around, suddenly feeling a bit bored.

Colleagues and friends on WeChat were all buzzing.

She felt increasingly lonely.

Various advertisements popped up, causing a dizzying array of visuals. A local lifestyle account posted a message: "Mystery guessing and lantern lighting event tonight at 8:00 PM in Yuhu Park."

The photos from the event had a vibrant atmosphere, and they seemed quite interesting. Cheng Suran, currently engulfed in solitude, felt a stirring in her heart.

Without much contemplation, she hurriedly went upstairs to change clothes.

The night was bustling with people out and about. The roads were slightly congested, and Cheng Suran arrived at the park right at 8:00 PM. The outer parking lot was almost full, and it took her a couple of laps to find a parking spot.

Outside the park's entrance, two rabbit* lanterns hung high, and at the central plaza, there was a gigantic mooncake display. The air was filled with the melodious tunes of classical music, and people were bustling to and fro. Families strolled together, children around, and an air of joy and harmony enveloped the atmosphere.

*Jade Rabbit, also called the Moon Rabbit is the mascot of Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon/Mooncake Festival. It is a character from Chinese folklore, who lives on the moon with Chang'e, the Moon Goddess.

Walking through the main path, there lay the lantern riddles corridor.

The sides of the corridor were adorned with jade rabbit lanterns, emitting a soft and hazy light that shimmered in the distance. Cheng Suran slowed her pace, taking a leisurely stroll, admiring each one as she passed by.

She remembered the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival many years ago

[Do you have confidence in yourself?]

[Not very much.]

[Sister believes in you.]

The gentle smiling face of the woman burst into her mind, and on the ground were shadows of the two holding hands.

Scene after scene flashed before her eyes.

She couldn't distinguish between the past and the present.

Unconsciously, she finished walking through the lantern riddles corridor, and ahead was Yuhu Lake. Crowds had gathered along the shore, and the lake's surface was adorned with flickering soft lights, reflecting in the pitch-black water.

Cheng Suran collected her thoughts, taking slow steps to the lakeside and crouching down.

Lanterns of various sizes floated on the water, adorned with written characters, drawings, and wishes. They floated here and there, sparsely scattered, uncertain of where they were headed.

The warm light illuminated Cheng Suran's eyes.

She took out her phone and took a photo, which she sent to Wen Ruoxiàn: "Does it look good?

Wen Ruoxin replied in seconds, 'Where is this?'

Cheng Suran: [Yuhu Park, lantern display.]

Wen Ruoxian: [It looks good, make a wish.]

[I returned to Jiangcheng early and am currently at the airport. I will go to the park to see you later.] 

Ah?

Well, she wouldn't be alone.

Cheng Suran pursed her lips and smiled, as the small pear dimples rippled in a shallow arc. As she was about to get up and buy a lantern, a large rabbit lantern drifted towards her and gently bumped against the shore.

Huh?

She looked around and didn't know who had set up the lamp. The rabbit looked unique and exquisite among the many lotus flowers. Curiously, she reached out her hand and picked it up.

The candlelight burned softly, its glow faint yet distinct, reflecting the simple sketches on the lantern.

Two rabbits.

A large rabbit holding the hand of a smaller one, sitting back-to-back in a thicket of grass. Their long ears drooped, and their small fluffy tails were endearing and lively.

Beneath the illustration were two capital letters: Y and R.