Chapter 25

These days at home were quiet, but warm. Zhao Dan treated her very well, as if she were trying to make up in one breath for all the motherly love she had failed to give her in the first half of her life. The relationship between them was no longer as distant or awkward as before.

One afternoon, Jiang Lai was holding Jiang Xiao on her lap and reading her a picture book when her phone suddenly rang. Jiang Lai didn’t even need to look to know who it was. She gently set Jiang Xiao down.

“Xiao Xiao, read by yourself for a bit first. Sister’s going to take a call; I’ll come back to keep you company in a moment.”

She went into the bedroom and answered.

“Wanwan, what’s wrong?”

Xia Wanwan on the other end sounded angry, though she was still trying her best not to lose her temper at her. “Jiang Lai, I have something I want to ask you.”

Xia Wanwan rarely called her by her full name. When she did, it meant something was absolutely wrong; Jiang Lai’s heart suddenly tightened with a bad feeling.

She couldn’t help gripping the phone more tightly. “Just say it.”

“What exactly did my mom do to you?”

“Did your mom ask you to ask me this?”

“Jiang Lai, I just want to know why you’re avoiding her. What did she do wrong?”

“Sorry, Wanwan. I think we need to talk.”

That day, Jiang Lai stayed in her room for the entire afternoon and never came out. No matter who called, it was useless. In the end, when she finally emerged, her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.

Zhao Dan didn’t ask much. She only thoughtfully set a bowl of soup in front of her.

“Your dad simmered old hen soup for you. He’s been at it all afternoon; try it and see if it suits your stomach.”

Jiang Lai lowered her head and took a sip. Tears fell one by one into the bowl, spreading into little ripples.

“Why are you crying?”

“Nothing, Mom.” Jiang Lai wiped at her tears. “I just feel like... how did I become like this? I clearly wasn’t like this before...”

Zhao Dan looked at her daughter with distress, but all she could do in her heart was sigh. If the person Jiang Lai liked were anyone else, Zhao Dan could have fought for her. But unfortunately, the one she liked was the person she least wanted to mention; the calmest, most rational one.

The next day, Jiang Lai was packing in her room when Zhao Dan pushed the door open and came in. Seeing her gathering luggage, she was a little surprised.

“Ah Lai, are you going out to work again?”

Jiang Lai didn’t even lift her head. “Director Zhang put together a variety show and invited me to be a regular guest.”

“She... is there too, right?”

“Mm.”

“Won’t it be awkward?”

Jiang Lai smiled. “Director Zhang has treated me well and invited me several times already. I didn’t go to the last gathering, so it’s not really good to refuse him again this time. Besides, we all work in the same circle; we were bound to run into each other eventually.”

Zhao Dan helped her pack everything into the suitcase. “As long as you’ve made up your own mind, that’s enough. No matter how much we say, it won’t matter.”

“Mom, I know.”

Jiang Lai took her hand. “This is just my job. I’ll control my emotions. I know what should be done and what shouldn’t; you can rest assured.”

“Good. Go out and have fun. Don’t think too much.”

The next day, Jiang Lai carried her suitcase and got into the car alone. The variety show was being filmed on an island. It was very beautiful, and they had to take a boat to get there.

“Sister Jiang Lai!”

Just as she was still looking around for the others, a staff member promptly spotted her and called out, “Could you come over here first? I’ll help you put on your microphone.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry to trouble you.”

Jiang Lai spread her arms and let the mic be clipped on obediently.

“You can sit here for a bit. Once the others arrive, we’ll get ready to take the boat over to the island.”

Jiang Lai thanked her politely. “Got it, thank you.”

She sat quietly in the little room, waiting for the other guests while silently reminding herself: Jiang Lai, this is just work. Just work. You absolutely can’t let your emotions get involved!

Footsteps gradually sounded outside the door. Soon after, the door was pushed open. Looking up at the sound, she saw Gu Xizhou walk in, with Xu Zhiyi following behind her.

The three of them froze. In the next second, Gu Xizhou rushed over and hugged Jiang Lai, sounding a little excited. “Ah Lai! Director Zhang said you’d be here. I thought he was lying; I never expected you’d actually come!”

Jiang Lai smiled and patted her back. “Because Director Zhang told me that someone missed me too much, so I came over and took a look at you, reluctantly.”

“Cut it out.” Gu Xizhou let go of her and complained, “You didn’t even tell me when you were on leave. Am I still your best friend or not? I thought something had happened to you and worried for days.”

“Alright, it was my fault.”

Jiang Lai tugged at the hem of her clothes. “I brought local specialties; I’ll share them with you later. Please, Miss Gu, be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me, okay?”

“That’s more like it.” Gu Xizhou looked pleased. “Remember to treat me to a meal next time.”

“No problem.”

Then she turned to the smiling but silent Xu Zhiyi behind her. “Senior Xu, long time no see.”

“It has been quite a while.”

Xu Zhiyi took two steps forward, her tone teasing. “Why didn’t you say a word and suddenly take leave? If your assistant hadn’t told me your family had something going on, I would’ve thought I scared you last time we ate together.”

“If that were really the case, should I say I’m just timid, or that Senior Xu’s words are too frightening?”

Xu Zhiyi froze for a moment. After a beat, a trace of amusement appeared on her face. “If this were before, you definitely wouldn’t have joked with me like that...”

“You also said it was before.”

Cheng Shuyang patted her on the shoulder. “I quite like how you are now. Keep it up.”

The three of them sat down soon after. Gu Xizhou took the seat beside her, chattering nonstop, so it wasn’t boring at all.

Not long after, Jiang Lai suddenly caught a familiar fragrance. As if by instinct, she lifted her head and met Cheng Shuyang’s gaze just as she walked in.

Jiang Lai looked away and toward somewhere else. Cheng Shuyang merely greeted the other two before naturally sitting in the empty seat beside Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai shifted her gaze, searching for Gu Xizhou, wanting to switch seats with her.

“Do you have something urgent?”

Noticing Jiang Lai’s distraction, Cheng Shuyang asked quietly.

“Nothing.”

Jiang Lai came back to herself and unobtrusively moved a little farther away from Cheng Shuyang. Cheng Shuyang acted as if she hadn’t seen it and said nothing.

Before long, the others arrived one after another. When almost everyone was there, Director Zhang finally cleared his throat.

“This is our second collaboration, so I won’t say much nonsense. Everyone just enjoy the trip this time; have fun!”

“Alright, thank you, Director Zhang!”

“Good. Since everyone’s fine with it, let’s pack up and get ready to head to the island.”

Jiang Lai pulled her suitcase along, looking at Cheng Shuyang walking in front of her. In the end, she still couldn’t hold back; she hurried forward and took the suitcase from Cheng Shuyang’s hand.

Cheng Shuyang looked surprised. “Ah Lai, I can do it myself...”

“I’ll do it. I’m younger; how could I let you carry such a big suitcase?”

Jiang Lai pressed her lips together and took the suitcase with the free hand she had left.

Cheng Shuyang smiled and slowed her pace, walking beside her. “Then thank you. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of me on this trip.”

“It’s nothing. You’re Wanwan’s mother and also my aunt. Taking good care of you is what I should do.”

Cheng Shuyang’s eyes darkened, but in the end, she said nothing. The two of them boarded the boat, and Jiang Lai immediately felt a little unwell; afraid of ruining everyone’s mood, she quietly went off to stand in a corner by herself.

Standing on the deck, Cheng Shuyang kept watching Jiang Lai. Seeing her disappear from view, she rose to look for her, only to run straight into Gu Xizhou, who was also coming to find Jiang Lai.

“Xizhou?”

“Teacher Cheng.”

“Where are you headed?”

Gu Xizhou scratched the side of her nose. “Ah Lai’s a little seasick. I’m going to bring her some medicine.”

Cheng Shuyang held out her hand. “Give it to me. I’ll take it to her.”

“Huh... Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you...”

Gu Xizhou had firmly remembered Jiang Lai’s instructions: she absolutely could not let Cheng Shuyang bring the medicine to her.

“It’s not trouble. I’ll go. Or... does she not want me to go?”

“No, no, absolutely not!”

Unable to resist Cheng Shuyang, Gu Xizhou could only hand over the medicine.

Inside the cabin, Jiang Lai was lying pale-faced on the table. Sensing someone approach, she asked hoarsely, “Xizhou?”

“I’m not Gu Xizhou.”

Jiang Lai opened her eyes and looked at the person. “Aunt Cheng, why did you suddenly come?”

Cheng Shuyang looked at her with concern. “I ran into Xizhou on the deck just now. She said you were a little seasick. I was worried, so I came to see you.”

“That Gu Xizhou... I specifically told her to.”

She pressed at her temples, her face so pale it had no color at all. “It’s fine. Maybe it’s because I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. Nothing serious.”

“Then hurry and take the medicine.”

Jiang Lai didn’t put on airs and swallowed it directly.

“Feeling better?”

“Mm, much better.”

Seeing how uncomfortable she still looked, Cheng Shuyang remained uneasy and simply sat down beside her, taking her hand. Jiang Lai reflexively tried to pull away as if she’d been shocked.

“Don’t move...”

Hearing Cheng Shuyang’s voice turn a little serious, Jiang Lai didn’t dare move anymore. The woman gently massaged her acupoints, and Jiang Lai felt her eyelids growing heavy; her upper and lower lids kept fighting each other.

“Aunt Cheng, go do your own thing. I’ll be fine if I stay here by myself for a while.”

She looked at the girl carefully avoiding her gaze, and her voice carried a hurt she herself hadn’t noticed. “Ah Lai, why do you keep pushing me away...?”

“I just think you shouldn’t be so good to me.”

So good that it would make her develop those impossible hopes. She didn’t say the rest. Instead, she leaned against the woman’s shoulder, greedily savoring a beauty that did not belong to her.

The woman’s fingertips pinched the hem of her own clothes; in the end, she still didn’t dare to take another step forward.

Silence slowly spread through the air, carrying a faint bitterness.

The clock ticked on and on. The two of them maintained that posture for a very long time; long enough that a faint snore reached the woman’s ear. Only then did she let out a quiet sigh and slowly let her originally upright body bend down.