CH 101

At midnight, the living room was brightly lit.

The cake on the table was mostly eaten, several small wine bottles were scattered around, and the air was filled with a mingling of sweet and alcoholic scents. Wearing a paper crown on her head and holding a gift in her arms, Wen Ruoxian leaned softly against Cheng Suran's shoulder, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Today is her 29th birthday.

The two of them have been very busy recently. Wen Ruoxian just came back from out of town in the morning, held meetings for several hours in the afternoon, socialized in the evening, and she even had a business trip scheduled for her birthday afternoon. By the time she goes back, her birthday had already passed. Cheng Suran decided to celebrate in advance at midnight and prepared a surprise.

"Ranran…"

"Mm~"

"I'm so happy." Wen Ruoxian smiled with narrowed eyes.

Cheng Suran reached out and squeezed her chin: "Don't be happy just today but every day from now on."

"As long as you're here."

She drank a lot of wine, and her head was a little red, from her neck to her cheeks, and her ears were also red. Her head was now spinning, and her dark eyes glistened with a gentle and alluring light.

She looked at Cheng Suran quietly and curled the corners of her mouth, her eyes were focused and deep.

Cheng Suran felt a little embarrassed by the gaze, and her rippling pear dimples were dyed crimson, and nodded slightly: "Of course, I will always be here."

She wondered if she was imagining things, but the way Ruoxian looked at her was odd, as if there was a hidden meaning as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. In the past, Ruoxian had never given her this feeling. Their relationship had always been pure and straightforward.

Could there be something she was keeping from her?

"Ranran..."

"Mm."

"Ranran..."

"Mm, I'm here."

"Ranran..." Wen Ruoxian just called her softly, unable to hide the obsessive smile in her eyes, probably due to the effect of alcohol, the emotions accumulated in her chest became more and more turbulent, and there was an urge to vent.

Will you always be here?

Will you always be here as a friend?

She asked silently.

"Ruoxian?" Cheng Suran felt that something was wrong with her, "What's the matter? Are you drunk?" Reaching out, he touched her forehead and muttered to himself, "Doesn't seem like it... You're not hiding something from me, are you?"

She got it right.

In an instant, Wen Ruoxian put away her eager thoughts, her eyes dimmed, and she seemed to be talking to herself: "No, maybe I drank a little too much..." She smiled, took off the paper crown, and changed the subject casually: "I'll accompany you home on Saturday, I'm worried about you being alone.

This week, Cheng Suran will go back to her hometown in Lingzhou.

A few days ago, her aunt called her and said that the land of the ancestral grave in the village had been requisitioned, and all graves, large and small, had to be moved. She is a direct descendant of her father, and according to village rules, she had to go back to preside over the ceremony.

Cheng Suran didn't believe it right away but called her classmate who was still in their hometown and asked to inquire about the matter, and after confirming it was true, she set a date to go back on Friday.

She also hired four bodyguards.

"It's okay, I have bodyguards with me." Cheng Suran patted her hand, reassuring her.

The warm touch felt like an electric current, Wen Ruoxian subconsciously held her hand back, and then let it go quickly. Hearing what Cheng Suran said, she was still a little worried: "When you get to the place, call me, you don't need to talk, I'll just listen here."

"That's so troublesome, it's unnecessary."

"..."

Seeing her looking down, Cheng Suran thought she had misunderstood and thought she disliked her. Skilfully using her coaxing techniques, she hugged her and acted coquettishly.

"Don't worry, don't worry~"

She embraced Wen Ruoxian tightly.

The fragrant shower gel scent, with warm body temperature, hit her face like a piece of soft fluff, her heartbeat seemed to have stopped, and her whole body turned stiff.

In an instant, the effects of the alcohol hit her, and she hastily pushed Cheng Suran away.

"I understand."

"Uh-huh."

Cheng Suran nodded vigorously, noticing that her complexion wasn't quite normal. Assuming it was due to drinking too much, she looked at the wall clock and said, "It's late, Ruoxian, go to bed. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."

"Okay."

Wen Ruoxian stood up holding the gift, shaking a little. Cheng Suran quickly supported her, sent her into the room, and then went back to the living room to clean up the mess on the table.

The clock on the wall is ticking

After tidying up, Cheng Suran sat down, her heart was in a mess, not sleepy, somehow she kept thinking of Wen Ruoxian's gaze just now.

That look…

It was so familiar.

Similar to how Jiang Yu used to look at her, yet not quite the same, with an indescribable feeling.

Jiang Yu...

Cheng Suran silently muttered that person's name, her already chaotic heart ached a little, she took out her mobile phone, clicked on WeChat, and entered her Moments.

On October 31, at midnight yesterday, she posted a post that was only visible to her.

[Happy birthday. ]

Yesterday was Jiang Yu's birthday. She always remembers.

38 years old.

The year they had just separated, she anonymously sent a gift to Jiang Yu's studio. It was the most painful year for her. Later, she forced herself to forget, and she never sent anything again. However, every time this day approached, her mood became particularly heavy.

She could trick herself into forgetting Jiang Yu, but she couldn't trick herself into forgetting this day.

After smashing the model in front of Jiang Yu, she didn't know from what perspective and identity she could wish her "Happy Birthday". As a friend or as a business partner? But without a prepared gift, just a dry "Happy Birthday" didn't seem quite appropriate either.

Ironically, Ruoxian's birthday was just one day apart from Jiang Yu's.

Cheng Suran sighed secretly, and scrolled her fingertips down, looking at the latest developments she posted at midnight feeling inexplicably guilty. Suddenly, she noticed that the lower left corner was bare, without the double symbol that should have been displayed.

"! ! ! "

It's over.

She forgot to set "Partially invisible".

Jiang Yu is on her list!

"..."

Cheng Suran panicked.

It has been an hour since she posted it, and she has a lot of night owls on her list. Even in the middle of the night, she quickly gained more than 80 likes. Did Jiang Yu see it too? Did she think she did it on purpose? Would she...

Countless possibilities raised through her mind.

No—

Jiang Yu always went to bed early and woke up early, going to bed at half past ten.

Without delay, Cheng Suran hastily exited the post and clicked on Jiang Yu's profile. She adjusted the privacy settings to "not visible to her," finally letting out a sigh of relief as she slumped onto the couch.

Must have gone to bed early.

She didn't see, she didn't see...

She consoled herself.

….

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

It rained for several days in a row, and the whole city was shrouded in a damp and cold atmosphere.

Before three o'clock in the afternoon, one car after another drove into the underground parking lot of the ETERNO building. Cheng Suran stepped into the parking lot. She didn't bring an assistant and drove by herself.

As a participant in the trade fair out of friendship, she intended to just go through the motions today.

The event venue is on the twelfth floor of the building. The overall style revolves around the core design elements of this spring and summer series. The first thing that caught her eyes was an arched door adorned with the brand's logo. The ceiling had a unique mirrored design, making the space appear open and bright. Two attendants stood by, registering guests and presenting small gifts.

The light is warm and gentle creamy yellow, and the long table is filled with all kinds of exquisite snacks and a wide variety of drinks. Jiang Yu is standing next to a mannequin model with a cup in her hand, talking with someone.

Cheng Suran saw her as soon as she came in.

Jiang Yu was wearing a long black sheer mesh tube top dress, with matching high-waisted shorts underneath that exposed just a hint of her waist and most of her thighs. What made it particularly special was the upper half and the lower part below the knees, adorned with silver-gray fringe tassels, resembling a mermaid's tail.

This is a very well-designed dress, especially worn on Jiang Yu's body, it is glamorous and luxurious, and it also has a bewitching aura.

Probably sensing the gaze, Jiang Yu glanced her way.

Cheng Suran subconsciously turned her face away.

A waiter handed her a small gift box, and as she reached out to accept it, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure approaching.

"Ranran."

Jiang Yu called her with a smile, "Did you just arrive?

Cheng Suran nodded, smiled back, and suddenly remembered the birthday wishes she had posted on Moments a few days ago, feeling a little guilty, she avoided her gaze, "Mm, go and do your work, I'll just sit down."

"I arranged a VIP seat for you."

"..."

"Let's go."

Jiang Yu took her hand.

Cheng Suran couldn't control her legs, and followed her forward, struggling slightly with the held hand.

In the center of the venue is a meandering show platform on flat ground. Decorative light beams are placed at every turning point. There are sofas and small round tables on both sides. The names of the guests are written on the cards erected in front of the seats.

Jiang Yu arranged for Cheng Suran to be at the front, and while guiding her to a seat, she introduced: "Later, there will be models who will come out wearing the collection, you can pay attention to see if there is a style you like, and then..." She gazed gently into her eyes.

They were very close, and the fluffy tassels on Jiang Yu's skirt swayed, sticking to her shoulders and arms, brushing lightly. Even though there were two layers of clothing in between, she could still feel a sensation, as if a tickle right at the tip of her heart.

She forgot about her guilt, and couldn't help but look at Jiang Yu.

There was no sense of overpowering proximity, no worshipping admiration. The shift in their relationship brought about a fusion in their presence, making Cheng Suran more confident and assured. This subtle sensation made her feel comfortable. Looking at Jiang Yu, she no longer associated herself with her embarrassing self in the past.

"The dress you're wearing today is very pretty." She smiled lightly and praised from the bottom of her heart.

Jiang Yu looked down at her dress and said, "It's my new creation for this year, a limited edition for spring and summer. Do you like it? If you do, I can register it for you after the event, and you'll be able to pick it up in about two weeks."

"That's not necessary, I don't have any need for it at the moment."

Cheng Suran tactfully refused, considering that in her life and work, rarely required evening gowns. She felt that the dress looked good mainly because Jiang Yu was wearing it, she looked stunning in anything.

Jiang Yu remembered the night when the model was smashed.

Together with the model, she also sent back the clothes that she customized for her, those are unique, there is no second one in the world, and they are exclusive.

In the end, she still resists everything from her hands. She thought.

Jiang Yu nodded slightly and said nothing more.

....

The event began, and guests started taking their seats. The venue quickly filled up, and Cheng Suran observed the people around her. Everyone was dressed elegantly, with exceptional manners. The person closest to her was a middle-aged, exquisitely made-up, and dignified woman. She had a faint smile on her lips as she spoke to a young girl beside her, and there were light dimples on her cheeks.

From her angle, Cheng Suran could only see the surname "Su" on the name tag.

For some reason, looking at her, Cheng Suran felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

She felt like they knew each other a long time ago.

Previously, she didn't believe in some kind of instant connection between two strangers. However, since she had met Jiang Yu, she had started to believe that there was something special about eye contact and magnetic attraction. Some people just felt very comfortable at first sight.

Live models started walking out one by one, wearing the new ETERNO spring and summer collection as they passed in front of the guests.

Cheng Suran quickly got pulled in.

After the models walked around twice, Jiang Yu, one of the designers and the head of the region, made an opening speech, introducing the design concept and core elements of the spring and summer series. The event then split into two parts: the buyers went to another area to place orders, while the media, editors, and VIPs continued to watch the resee.

In the past two years, Cheng Suran has cooperated in large and small conferences, 60% of which are related to the fashion industry. She had some understanding of this field, but she was always afraid of getting too emotionally involved, so she never delved deep into research or immersed herself in it.

Originally, she just wanted to go with the flow today, but she was gradually attracted by the clothes or the people.

"Resee" refers to carefully reviewing the new season's offerings, feeling the fabric textures, listening to the details of the design concept, and even trying the clothes on. Because the time to see the garments on the runway is very short, getting up close and personal allows for a more comprehensive understanding of each piece.

By the time the event was over, the sun was about to sink into the horizon.

The golden glow of the sky shines in through the glass like spilled diluted watercolor paint.

There was a dinner to follow, and industry professionals and some VIPs had already moved on. Cheng Suran wasn't attending, but she waited in her seat as Jiang Yu requested. A manager surnamed "Fang" came over with a tablet to register Cheng Suran as a VIP, elevating her to the highest level.

Only now did she know that for a luxury brand like ETERNO, the VIP threshold starts with an annual consumption of one million yuan.

"Miss Cheng, I will be your account manager in the future. If you have any needs or comments or suggestions on the brand, you can always let me know and give me feedback..." The woman spoke softly and smiled.

Cheng Suran smiled and nodded: "Okay, thank you."

"Ranran—"

Jiang Yu walked towards her.

Manager Fang got up: "Miss Jiang, it's already done."

"Mm, go get busy."

"Okay."

Cheng Suran looked up at Jiang Yu: "What do you want to give me?"

Jiang Yu smiled, but her eyes were a little dazed, and there was still a little unclear emotion. She handed over the box she was carrying, and said softly, "A belated birthday present for Miss Wen."