Chapter 30

Jiang Zhaolie's fingers jerked back as if burned. She let go of Xu Chun and retreated two steps, her gaze darting about, before she whirled on He Qingli with the aggrieved fury of someone whose embarrassment had curdled into anger. “What nonsense are you spouting!”

She moved so fast that no one had time to react.

Jiang Zhaolie had only meant to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Xu Chun spent every day making a play for her mother right in front of her, so when He Qingli finished that sentence, she instinctively wanted to put distance between herself and Xu Chun. Her mind hadn't caught up yet, but some instinct told her this was bad. She couldn't do this.

She'd thought her wish to distance herself from Xu Chun was obvious enough. But she felt Xu Chun's eyes fixed on her, and sudden understanding spread across Xu Chun's face. “Oh—”

“So that's what you've been thinking about me all along.” Xu Chun straightened and wore a look of hypocritical guilt. “Sorry. I've been neglecting you all this time.”

“I never realized such corrupt, immoral thoughts about me had quietly taken root in your heart. You've had it rough.”

Jiang Zhaolie's face went red with rage. She wanted to defend herself with righteous indignation, but the other woman simply waved a hand at her. “You don't need to say anything. I understand.” Xu Chun repeated it for emphasis, the picture of considerate sympathy. “I understand it all, good child.”

Jiang Zhaolie was about to die of fury on the spot. Her brows knitted so tightly a fly could have been crushed between them. “Stop spouting nonsense and twisting the truth. I have no such feelings for you!”

“Then swear it.” Xu Chun pointed at her, quick as lightning.

Jiang Zhaolie didn't even think. She raised her right hand at once and looked Xu Chun straight in the eye. “I swear.”

“Then I'm relieved.” Xu Chun let out a long breath and looked at her. “Otherwise, if you really did have those feelings for me, I'd be in quite a bind.”

Jiang Zhaolie: “...”

At that moment, her feelings became complicated in a way she couldn't describe. When Xu Chun challenged her, she had sworn without hesitation to prove her innocence. That should have been a relief. But seeing Xu Chun let out that same breath of relief, her expression so relaxed, Jiang Zhaolie suddenly felt out of sorts.

Did Xu Chun really want to cut ties with her that badly? To sever everything between them and race off into another woman's arms?

Hadn't she once sworn up and down that she liked her, that she would be loyal and true to her and no one else? And now, after so short a time, she had transferred her affections to her own mother?

Jiang Zhaolie's expression turned ugly. She couldn't tell whether it was Xu Chun's betrayal or Xu Chun's designs on her mother, or both. Right now Xu Chun was leading her around by the nose so thoroughly that she forgot the person standing nearby: Yu Sui'an, the one who had once mattered so much to her, the one for whom she had broken her own rules again and again.

Yu Sui'an's wary eyes had been fixed on Jiang Zhaolie. But under Xu Chun's pressure, Jiang Zhaolie had distanced herself without hesitation, so decisive and righteous about it that Yu Sui'an faltered slightly. Could it be that Jiang Zhaolie didn't harbor those feelings for Xu Chun after all—not the way she did?

Just as her guess wavered, she noticed Jiang Zhaolie stealing a few complicated glances at Xu Chun. Yu Sui'an was on guard again, her eyes locked on Jiang Zhaolie without blinking, terrified the other woman might steal her sister away from her.

After all, the two of them had once been engaged, and the matter of that childhood betrothal still hadn't been fully settled. An old flame flaring back to life was only natural.

Add Jiang Zhaolie's especially strange, cold attitude toward her today, and Yu Sui'an found it hard not to read too much into things.

While she was lost in her own thoughts, Xu Chun frowned and swept her gaze over Yu Sui'an's palm-sized face. “Can you let go of me now?”

Yu Sui'an didn't hear her at first. Xu Chun tugged at her hand and still couldn't break free, so she had no choice but to wave a hand in front of the other woman's eyes. “Yu Sui'an, are you listening to me?”

The hand waving in front of her pulled Yu Sui'an from her thoughts, and she heard her own full name spoken in that flat, utterly emotionless tone. She couldn't help looking up at Xu Chun. “What?”

“Can you let me go?” Xu Chun pointed at her own arm, staring at Yu Sui'an's face without moving.

Yu Sui'an instinctively loosened her grip. Her mood dimmed. Xu Chun finally got her body and freedom back, and a faint, irrepressible smile appeared on her face. “Thanks.”

She edged unobtrusively toward He Qingli, as if that could put distance between herself and the threat of the two female leads. Having found a measure of safety, she prepared to make a full retreat. “I—you two look like you still have things to say.” When Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui'an both turned to look at her at once, Xu Chun flinched and tightened her hold on He Qingli's arm. “So we'll be going first. We won't disturb your reunion.”

Without giving either of them a chance to explain or stop her, she dragged He Qingli away at a brisk pace, as if a flood or a wild beast were chasing her.

Only when they were far enough that Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui'an were out of sight did Xu Chun slow down and let out a long breath. “That was close. I nearly lost my life back there today.”

He Qingli looked at her, baffled. “You're afraid of them?”

Xu Chun nearly blurted out that they were the female leads of this world. They could do whatever they wanted and never suffer any consequences. Of course she was afraid! But then she caught He Qingli's probing eyes and hit the brakes in time. She straightened her back and said with disdain, “Me, afraid of them?”

“Don't make me laugh.”

Once she rose to power, one Jiang Zhaolie and one Yu Sui'an would be nothing—even ten Jiang Zhaolies each marrying ten Yu Sui'ans wouldn't scare her! Her seniority was plain for all to see; she refused to believe today's youngsters would dare bully their elder.

Xu Chun's chin-raised, deliberately composed manner left He Qingli speechless. But then she recalled Xu Chun's outrageous antics on the dating reality show and decided her current behavior was perfectly normal.

After the two left, Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui'an remained where they were, staring at each other. By now there seemed to be nothing left for them to say. It was no longer like before, when they could chatter happily about the most ordinary, trivial things for hours. That meeting of minds, that feeling of having found a soulmate in life—gone, never to return, like a fleeting dream.

After standing in silence for a long while, Jiang Zhaolie spoke first. “Let's go. We're almost there.”

Yu Sui'an didn't move. She lifted her fair face, her clear apricot eyes giving nothing away. “Zhaolie, what do you think of my sister now...” Her tone trailed off slightly. “What are your feelings for her?”

Jiang Zhaolie didn't understand. “?”

A moment later she grasped Yu Sui'an's meaning, and her face darkened into something ugly. “You suspect there's something between her and me?” Before Yu Sui'an could answer, Jiang Zhaolie pressed on. “All this time you've been so strange, so cold toward me—was it only because you suspect Xu Chun and I are still tangled up together?”

Yu Sui'an said nothing, but the expression on her face made it perfectly clear to Jiang Zhaolie that what she had just said was precisely what had driven them apart and chilled their relationship.

Jiang Zhaolie had never felt so wronged in her life. Growing up, almost no one had ever accused her unjustly. Her face darkened like a thundercloud, and a frosty look gathered in her brows and eyes without her noticing. “Is that the kind of person you think I am?”

“All this time—my feelings for you, my devotion to you, everything I've done for you—can you not see any of it?” Her emotions ran high, her words sharp. “When people slandered you and framed you, if I hadn't been helping you behind the scenes, do you think you'd have come through so easily?”

“If I hadn't quietly arranged for people to protect you from being bullied, do you think negotiating for resources yourself would have been so easy? A soft, delicate young woman like you—without me, who knows what those big bosses would have done to you by now. I did so much for you, and you latch onto shadows and rumors, doubt me over some little detail you imagined, and shut me out like this. You!”

Jiang Zhaolie was furious, but after that jumbled outburst she faltered, the words catching in her throat.

She had so many grievances she wanted to voice, but the moment she saw Yu Sui'an's face—always calm, so unfamiliar to her now—she couldn't get any of them out. The way Yu Sui'an looked at her made her feel like a hysterical woman raging because she couldn't get the love she demanded.

Years of good breeding made it impossible for Jiang Zhaolie to pester someone relentlessly and throw her dignity away.

She was the heir of the Jiang and Qin families. She could set aside her own pride, but she could not disregard the honor of her family, and still less could she damage the family's image through her own words and behavior.

Jiang Zhaolie drew a deep breath and barely recovered her composure. “I want to ask you one last thing. All this time, have you never once liked me?”

Yu Sui'an's lashes trembled faintly. They had argued to this point; there would be no possibility of reconciliation after today. Blinking lightly, Yu Sui'an met Jiang Zhaolie's gaze and said stubbornly, “Answer me first. What are your feelings for my sister, exactly?”

Jiang Zhaolie was so angry she laughed. She said “good” twice before replying, her face like ice, “From beginning to end, I have never had a single thought for her. Not before, not now, and never in the future.”

“Then that's good.” Yu Sui'an smiled faintly, as if relieved, and the curve of her lips was glaring in Jiang Zhaolie's eyes.

“Your turn to answer me.”

“I did like you.” Yu Sui'an lifted her eyes and watched her quietly, speaking softly. “You're good. You're a good person, and you were good to me. You're good in every way—it's just that right now I still can't forget my sister.”

“I've been trying very hard to forget her, but as you can see, I haven't succeeded.”

She was so candid, so open and unguarded about it that Jiang Zhaolie's heart shattered to pieces. “Suisui, do you think... I will never feel pain?”

“I don't.” Yu Sui'an's lips pressed into a line. “I know I've hurt you deeply by doing this, but I don't want to hide it from you. One day you'll learn the truth anyway. So rather than conceal it, rather than weave a kind but false lie to deceive you, I'd rather you live with your eyes open.”

“At least this way we can still be friends.”

She lowered her eyes slowly. “You know I'm not good at deceiving people.”

Jiang Zhaolie knew that, of course. But everything that had happened today was unbearable. She didn't know how she left. When she came back to herself, she was sitting in a daze in her car, one hand on the steering wheel, staring blankly ahead.

After a long while, Jiang Zhaolie slammed her fist against the wheel, all her anger and grief with nowhere to go.

Why had things turned out like this? How had it come to this, step by step? Jiang Zhaolie couldn't understand it. Everything had been fine before. They had been moving forward steadily, their feelings stable, and they had been on the verge of something real. But...

Jiang Zhaolie clenched her fists. Was it because after the breakup, Yu Sui'an had been working with Xu Chun all this time?

Seeing each other every day would make it easy to remember the sweet, loving memories of the past. That must be what had caused Yu Sui'an's feelings for Xu Chun to flare back to life—not only failing to forget her, but growing more infatuated by the day.

The more Jiang Zhaolie thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She couldn't help but regret it bitterly. If only she had stopped Yu Sui'an from taking this role, no matter what. If they hadn't been in close contact, if they hadn't been together on set day in and day out, things would never have turned out like this.

Yu Sui'an stood there for a long time.

She, too, had wanted to maintain a good relationship with Jiang Zhaolie. She hadn't intended to tear things apart completely. She had meant to keep her distance as before—neither too close nor too distant—which would have benefited her in every way. But in one instant, between Xu Chun and Jiang Zhaolie, she had chosen Xu Chun firmly and without hesitation.

She had already missed Xu Chun once. She didn't want to miss her a second time, because she had a premonition: if she didn't seize this chance, she would lose her forever, never to have her again.

Under that sense of crisis, Yu Sui'an had no choice but to painfully let Jiang Zhaolie go. She felt regret, but there was nothing to be done—even though Jiang Zhaolie had truly been good to her beyond words.

With a complicated sigh, Yu Sui'an turned and walked off in the opposite direction from Jiang Zhaolie.

She had lost Jiang Zhaolie, but fortunately her plastic sister had recently introduced her to a wealthy woman with powerful connections, considerable means, and high status. As long as she listened to her carefully, she would never have to worry about work again. That way she could secure her future prospects and still have plenty of time and energy to win Xu Chun back.

Imagining a successful reconciliation with Xu Chun, Yu Sui'an's tense face relaxed, and a hint of a smile finally appeared in her eyes.

...

The secretary quickly tracked down the target's whereabouts and sent the address to Qin Yao, who immediately forwarded the message to Xu Chun: 【Your friend is here. She hasn't left the house today.】

After thanking her profusely, Xu Chun handed the phone to He Qingli. “Here, there it is.” She opened a map and checked. “She's still in the country; she didn't leave with her family. Judging by the location, it's not far from here. Sister Qin says she hasn't gone out today. If you set off now, you can still make it...”

She kept chattering and took the initiative to send the address to He Qingli. By the time she finished and looked up, He Qingli was already gone.

Xu Chun: “?” So ready to forget her friends at the sight of a beauty, huh.

After He Qingli left, Xu Chun lost her playmate and felt life had no meaning. She could only keep cornering the screenwriter and the original author for idle chatter to pass the time, lest her days on set become too unbearable.

Just as she was bored out of her mind, about to grow fur from sheer tedium, Jiang Zhaolie's grandfather Jiang Peiyuan suddenly called. Xu Chun hesitated a moment, then answered. “Grandpa Jiang.”

Jiang Peiyuan actually felt rather embarrassed. He had weathered many storms, but Jiang Zhaolie's behavior had disgraced him and the entire Jiang family. Still, the marriage alliance between the two younger generations was a matter of great importance, and he had no choice but to handle it personally. “Xiao Chun, Grandpa is calling today to ask about your relationship with Zhaolie now...”

“We have no relationship anymore.” Xu Chun answered without hesitation. “She's deeply attached to my ex-girlfriend. There's no room for me in her eyes now.”

Jiang Peiyuan was momentarily at a loss for words, not expecting Xu Chun to lay out Jiang Zhaolie's misdeeds so directly. He was dumbstruck for a moment before finding his voice again. “This... I can find a way to resolve it...”

Xu Chun's eyebrows lifted. “So how does Grandpa Jiang plan to resolve this—by dealing with Zhaolie, with me, or perhaps with my ex-girlfriend?”

Jiang Peiyuan was at a loss for words again. Finally he could only say, “I understand. Then once you're done with your work, Grandpa will definitely come to your door in person to apologize.”

Xu Chun had been easy enough to talk to, but Jiang Peiyuan's head began to ache at the mere thought of Old Master Xu's unreasonable, difficult temperament. Once you invite a god in, it's hard to send him away. With Old Master Xu's protective, doting nature, who knew how much flesh the Jiang family would have to cough up this time—all hard-earned fortune from the Jiang ancestors' blood and sweat!

Jiang Peiyuan felt his flesh ache at the mere thought.

At that moment he regretted it bitterly. If only he had pushed for more children back then. Otherwise, in such a vast family, apart from Jiang Zhaolie and the still-underage Qiao Wan, there was no other eligible marriage candidate to be found.

Jiang Peiyuan's attitude couldn't have been better. Xu Chun held the phone, marveling, unable to believe it. She had expected him to be stern and harsh like the elders in those eight o'clock soap operas. Xu Chun couldn't help sighing faintly. Why hadn't she encountered some relative of Jiang Zhaolie's who would slap a few million in hush money on her?

The screenwriter saw her expression shift and grew curious. “What happened?”

“My ex-fiancée's elder called to feel out my attitude about breaking off the engagement,” Xu Chun said offhandedly. The screenwriter's eyes lit up. “That Jiang Zhaolie?”

“Hasn't she already gotten together with Yu Sui'an?” She paused, then said in surprise, “I thought you two had broken off the engagement long ago. I didn't expect it was still pending.”

Things had blown up so publicly before. If the two families really had no intention of proceeding, and it had already become so ugly in the open, they would surely have wanted to settle things and put the matter to rest as soon as possible. Who would have guessed they'd drag it out this long?

The screenwriter tapped her chin with her fountain pen and suddenly thought of a possibility. “You don't think... Jiang Zhaolie wants to have her cake and eat it too, so she's deliberately leaving it unresolved?” The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. “A fiancée at home and colorful banners fluttering outside. She keeps the engagement to secure her position and has a little lover to warm her bed. A real winner in life.”

Xu Chun: “?!” People actually pulled that kind of move?

She shivered and hurriedly opened her chat with Qin Yao. But after typing a few words, she stopped. This was too presumptuous. So she deleted the line she'd typed, word by word, and began planning carefully.

Before she could act, Qin Yao suddenly contacted Jiang Zhaolie and asked: 【Where are you now?】

Jiang Zhaolie saw the message a very, very long time later. She pulled off her helmet and dismounted from the motorcycle, sweat soaking small strands of black hair against her fair cheeks. She had just raced in the motorcycle club's competition as if she had a death wish and taken first place, yet she felt not the slightest bit happy.

After that cathartic burst of speed, instead of feeling lighter, she felt more agitated than before.

Her failed relationship with Yu Sui'an left her agitated. Her failed relationship with Xu Chun left her agitated too. All of it pressed down on her until she couldn't breathe, and she wanted to escape.

After she returned to the lounge and changed, she checked the time on her phone and was startled to realize Qin Yao had contacted her two hours ago.

Panic flickered through her. Jiang Zhaolie gripped her phone tightly and replied with forced composure: 【Out. Something came up just now and I didn't check my phone.】

Qin Yao didn't press her about what she'd been busy with; she only told her to inform Xu Chun that the meal was set for this day three months from now. Jiang Zhaolie stared at the message on her phone for a long time without speaking. In that moment, a sense of unreality came over her.

She had always wanted to break off the engagement, but now that it was truly settled, an indescribably complicated feeling rose in her heart despite herself.

She didn't know what to say, or whether she felt more relief or more regret at this moment. 【Okay.】

Without much emotion, Jiang Zhaolie relayed Qin Yao's words to Xu Chun. Xu Chun, who had just come up with a plan and was about to set it in motion, glanced at her phone. Oh. The plan died before it began. But this outcome suited her perfectly, so she simply replied with a single word: Okay.

It was as if the other party had anticipated this outcome; there wasn't a trace of sadness in the reply. Perhaps this situation was exactly what Xu Chun wanted. She was only too glad to have it.

In that moment, Jiang Zhaolie suddenly realized that in this whole affair, she alone seemed to have been left isolated and empty-handed.

She couldn't help feeling lost. 【Mom, tell me... was I wrong from the very beginning? Should I not have been so willful, not acted on childish impulse, not decided on a whim?】

She typed slowly: 【From the start, should I never have thought of breaking off the engagement with Xu Chun? Should I have just obeyed the family's arrangements?】

【No.】Before Jiang Zhaolie's sorrow could spread, Qin Yao replied within seconds. As if worried Jiang Zhaolie might misread those two words, Qin Yao deigned to move her fingers and type a further explanation: 【You weren't wrong. You and Xu Chun have nothing to do with each other now. You can go pursue the woman you truly like.】

Jiang Zhaolie's face twisted the moment she finished reading. What woman she truly liked could she still pursue? The only woman she liked had already been quietly swept away by Xu Chun!

TL Note:

a fiancée at home and colorful banners fluttering outside (家里红旗飘飘外面彩旗不倒) = a saying about keeping a spouse at home while carrying on affairs outside.

Once you invite a god in, it's hard to send him away (请神容易送神难) = it's easy to bring in someone powerful but hard to get rid of them.

like a fleeting dream (黄粱一梦) = a literary allusion to a dream of glory that vanishes on waking; here, a beautiful past now gone.

plastic sister (塑料姐妹) = internet slang for a fake or fair-weather female friend.