Chapter 45
When the woman opened her eyes again, the sky outside the window had already begun to pale with dawn.
Even the breathing beside her bed was steady.
She turned her head and looked over. Jiang Lai was fast asleep at the bedside, her long hair spilling over and covering most of her face.
The woman’s movements were very light, afraid of waking the sleeping girl. Her outstretched fingers stopped just a hair’s breadth from Jiang Lai’s hair.
After a moment, she withdrew them.
Carefully, she climbed out of bed, picked up the blanket on the sofa, and gently draped it over the girl. Jiang Lai shifted, tilting her head to one side, but she did not wake.
The woman sat down by the bed and just watched her.
She brushed Jiang Lai’s hair softly behind her ear; the tip of her finger accidentally touched the girl’s earlobe.
“Aunt Cheng, that tickles…”
Jiang Lai murmured a few times and shrank away a little.
The woman smiled knowingly and lay back down, though she no longer felt sleepy. Her gaze remained on Jiang Lai.
Restrained, yet gentle.
“Jiang Lai, why do I have to be so much older than you? Why are you, of all people, Wanwan’s friend…”
The bedsheet was unconsciously clenched in her hand, as if she were gripping a mass of feelings she could not name—tangled, impossible to sort out.
Age was like an invisible river between them. Everything young and vivid about Jiang Lai drew her in.
She could see all that beauty; she just did not dare take a step forward.
Jiang Lai was her teacher’s daughter, and the good friend her own daughter always mentioned.
These relationships were like barriers, making even ordinary concern something she had to keep in check. She did not dare reveal even the slightest hint of anything else, afraid someone would notice.
Improper.
That word seemed like a thin needle, lightly piercing her heart and sending out dense, lingering pain. She closed her eyes and did not dare think any further.
What would others think? What would Wanwan think? She was the older one, the mother of her friend. Jiang Lai could be thoughtless, but she could not.
This identity was like a shackle, binding every possibility between her and Jiang Lai. Sometimes, even looking at her for too long felt like overstepping.
“How absurd…”
She murmured under her breath, her gaze returning to the girl. Within the helplessness in her eyes was a trace of a feeling even she had not yet noticed.
That night, Jiang Lai did not sleep well. She dreamed many strange dreams, but all of them involved the woman.
So when she showed up in front of everyone in the morning, everybody was startled.
“Morning.”
She yawned and sat down weakly on a stool.
Beside her, Xia Wanwan nudged her shoulder. “Why didn’t you come back to sleep last night? I even left the door open for you.”
“Ah… it got too late yesterday, so I slept in Xi Zhou’s room.”
She forced a smile and hid the fact that she had rested in the woman’s room. Luckily, Xia Wanwan did not press the issue; otherwise, it would have been exposed for sure.
“Eat breakfast.”
A cup of steaming soy milk was placed in front of her. She lifted her chin and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Aunt Cheng.”
“You’re welcome.”
The woman sat down beside her with a cup of coffee in hand. There were faint shadows under her eyes.
Jiang Lai took a sip of the soy milk, then glanced at the dark circles under the woman’s eyes and could not help asking, “Aunt Cheng, did you not sleep well last night?”
“No.”
Jiang Lai went, “Oh,” then leaned closer, her voice dropping a little. “Was it because the medicine yesterday didn’t work? Then next time I can switch you to a different brand. But my mom always says the one she takes works really well…”
“The medicine is fine. It’s my own problem.”
She subtly put a little distance between herself and Jiang Lai, the smile in her eyes fading slightly. “I’ve been a bit insomniac lately.”
Jiang Lai suddenly seemed to remember something. “Insomnia? I know a very famous traditional Chinese doctor. Should I have him take a look at you?”
“…I’ll be troubling you again.”
The girl’s eyes curved into crescents. “It’s no trouble. Your matters are nothing to me.”
Cheng Shuyang smiled and nodded, then said nothing more. Her spoon gently stirred the brown liquid, sending tiny ripples across the surface.
Just as Jiang Lai was about to say something else, Xia Wanwan, without a sound, took her soy milk and drank it all in one go, making a disgusted face and smacking her lips.
“Not sweet enough.”
“Xia Wanwan!”
Jiang Lai, already close to exploding, could not hold back. “That was made for me by Aunt Cheng! Fine, drink it if you want, but how can you say it tastes bad!”
The girl set the empty cup on the table and arched a brow at her. “It does taste bad. My mom’s cooking is bland as can be; only you think it’s good.”
Jiang Lai almost laughed from anger and immediately reached out to tickle her. “You don’t know anything. That’s called original flavor. Give me back my soy milk!”
The two of them fell into a tussle. The woman, who had been in a gloomy mood because of her insomnia, felt some of that irritation ease away as well.
“All right.”
She coughed lightly. “There’s still some left in the kitchen. I’ll pour you another cup.”
“No need, Aunt Cheng. I’ll go myself.”
With that, she stood up, huffed at the girl, and headed straight for the kitchen.
After Jiang Lai left, Cheng Shuyang looked at her daughter helplessly. “Why are you always teasing her?”
Xia Wanwan chewed a mouthful of bread, looking unconcerned. “Who told her to act so smug?”
“Wanwan, Alai is your friend. Don’t keep bullying her.”
“Got it, got it.”
She brushed the crumbs off her hands, then sat down beside the woman and leaned against her shoulder like a spoiled child. “Mom, Ah Zheng isn’t at home lately. Can I stay with you and Alai on set?”
The woman seemed a little hesitant.
“My dear mother～”
Xia Wanwan shook her arm coquettishly. “Being alone at home is really boring. Just let me follow you guys around, please…”
“All right.”
Cheng Shuyang was being shaken dizzy by her and could only give in. “I’ll agree, but you’re only allowed to follow along. No acting on your own.”
“Okay.”
Having gotten her way, she obediently sat back in her seat. A wicked smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Jiang Lai, Jiang Lai; now you’re going to fall into my hands too.”
After breakfast, everyone got on the bus and headed toward today’s destination.
Halfway through the ride, Jiang Lai finally remembered and turned to the girl who was playing a mobile game. “Don’t you need to go home?”
“Go home for what?”
The girl did not even look up, completely focused on the game. “My mom already said I can stay and play with you guys.”
Since the woman herself had agreed, she sulked and turned back around.
With a ding, her phone rang.
She looked down; it was a message from the woman.
“I already spoke to Wanwan this morning.”
The corners of Jiang Lai’s mouth curved. Was Aunt Cheng apologizing to her? Before she could think it through, another message came in.
“Your medicine worked very well. Do you have any more?”
“Yes, yes. Once I get back to the guesthouse, I’ll bring it to you.”
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, afraid she would reply too slowly.
“Who are you chatting with? You’re so happy.”
Gu Xizhou leaned over to try to see her screen. Jiang Lai reacted quickly, locking it at once and looking innocent. “No one. I just saw a really funny video.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Oh, come on.”
Jiang Lai pushed her away. “Why are you so nosy?”
After much cajoling, she finally put a stop to Gu Xizhou’s curiosity. Only then did she let out a quiet breath, but just then, her eyes met the woman’s across the aisle.
She lifted her phone and made an OK sign.
The woman nodded, letting her know she understood.
Satisfied, Jiang Lai put her phone away and leaned against the window, looking out at the scenery with interest. Her long, wave-like hair was blown up by the breeze, revealing her delicate profile, the corners of her mouth still carrying a trace of unspent laughter.
Click.
The sound of a camera shutter.
It was very soft, but she still caught it.
She looked toward the sound, but found nothing unusual.
Had she heard wrong? She scratched the side of her nose, wondering whether, after the recording ended, she should go see a traditional Chinese doctor as well.
At the same time, the woman sitting in the row behind, though she appeared to be flipping through a book, had a heart that was beating wildly.
Her phone, which she had not managed to hide in time, lit up. On the screen was the photo of the girl by the window from just now.
When they arrived at the meeting point, Jiang Lai counted the number of people and found it did not quite add up.
She tugged on Gu Xizhou’s sleeve. “Hey, why are there suddenly so many fewer people?”
“Shi Yuan seems to have a scheduling conflict and can’t join this recording. Lin Wanqiu and Qin Huaicheng will be here in a bit.”
She frowned. “A scheduling conflict? Why didn’t I hear her mention it…”
As she was still thinking, Director Zhang cheerfully walked to the front of the group and clapped his hands. “Looks like everyone has already noticed that there are some changes to our lineup this time, so I won’t keep you in suspense. Shi Yuan can’t take part in this recording because of her schedule this time, but—”
He changed course. “We’ve also invited a new flying guest to join us. Everyone, please welcome her with applause.”
Applause rose. Jiang Lai stretched her neck, staring expectantly at the entrance.
“Hello, everyone.”
Before the person appeared, her voice was heard first.
A bright, youthful voice reached everyone’s ears.
The next second, a girl in a white shirt and jeans appeared before them.
“Hello, I’m Yu Tian.”
Smiling, the girl stepped forward and stood before them.
“Hey, snap out of it.”
Gu Xizhou waved a hand in front of Jiang Lai’s face. Looking at her hopeless expression, she sounded a little disgusted. “Look at you, staring at her nonstop. Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Jiang Lai rolled her eyes. “I just think she looks familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“Ohhh—”
Gu Xizhou’s tone rose and fell exaggeratedly. “So you like this type. I thought you liked mature women like Teacher Cheng. You should’ve said so earlier. Want me to introduce a few to you?”
“Get lost.”
Although Jiang Lai had never made it explicit to Gu Xizhou that she liked women, the latter had still figured some of it out in their daily interactions. She had originally worried Jiang Lai might take a liking to her, but after getting a fierce lesson from the other woman, that thought had been dispelled.
“Hello, I’m Yu Tian.”
The woman walked up to her with a sweet smile and greeted her. Jiang Lai came back to her senses and politely, but distantly, took her hand. “Hello, I’m Jiang Lai.”
The girl’s smile deepened. “I know you. You’re a designer, and I really like your designs.”
“Thank you.”
After that, Yu Tian greeted everyone else one by one. When it came to the woman, her lively voice rose several degrees higher.
“Hello, Aunt Cheng.”
Unlike with the others, Yu Tian gave the woman a hug herself, and Cheng Shuyang did not seem to refuse it.
Jiang Lai’s gaze was instantly fixed on the two of them, her heart turning over uneasily like a knocked-over five-spice bottle.
Faced with this sudden embrace, the woman was clearly stunned as well. After a moment, she lightly patted the girl’s back. It was not exactly intimate, yet it carried a strange familiarity. “All right. It’s been so long since we last saw each other, and you’re still so reckless?”
“Alai…”
“Shut up.”
Grinding her teeth, Jiang Lai did not want to speak to anyone at all.
Author’s Note: