Su Chuiyun thought: I wouldn’t dare.
A Meeting and a Trap
2:00 PM.
Qiao Shihua, the youngest daughter of the Qiao family from last night’s banquet, came to visit. She brought gifts and apologies. “It’s our fault for the lack of oversight, giving Song Xi the chance to take advantage of the situation.”
Qiao Shihua looked like she had just reached adulthood. She wore her hair in twin ponytails and was dressed in a peach-blossom colored qipao, looking very vibrant.
Su Chuiyun smiled and said it was fine, then led her to the workshop. “Miss Qiao, the side table you ordered six months ago is finished.”
Su Chuiyun had checked the company records, the Qiao family had paid in full long ago. Qiao Shihua’s sweet smile and the youthful radiance of an eighteen-year-old were things Su Chuiyun, a veteran of the workforce, couldn’t hope to match.
Qiao Shihua intimately took Su Chuiyun’s arm. “Oh, by the way, I have a recording. Do you want to see it, Sister Chuiyun?”
Su Chuiyun felt the warm touch on her arm and was startled; compared to Ming Shu’s slender frame, Qiao Shihua was much more “well-rounded.”
Su Chuiyun silently retracted her arm. “Is it possible that I’m blind and can’t see it?”
Qiao Shihua realized her blunder. She knew Su Chuiyun’s eyes weren’t good, but in person, Su Chuiyun acted so naturally that she forgot the other woman truly couldn’t see. Even with her injured right leg, Su Chuiyun stood perfectly straight if not for the brace, she might look more agile than Qiao herself.
Qiao Shihua hurriedly apologized. “I didn’t mean it that way, I…”
Su Chuiyun waved it off. “What recording?”
Mentioning the video got Qiao Shihua excited again. She opened it and narrated what was happening. On the screen, in a noisy bar, several hostesses surrounded Song Xi, pouring bottle after bottle of liquor down her throat red wine, white spirits, beer, and mixed soju. Several empty bottles lay on the floor, but the hostesses didn’t stop.
“Ugh… I don’t want to drink! Let me go! This is illegal! I want to see Su Chuiyun! She would never agree to this!”
The people around her laughed, and the music was turned to max volume, drowning out Song Xi’s screams. Her white dress, soaked in alcohol, clung to her body, and her hair was plastered to her face. She collapsed weakly on the booth, trying to stick her fingers down her throat to vomit, only to be met with more forced drinking.
Su Chuiyun’s pupils contracted. She quietly looked away. “Who did this?”
Qiao Shihua shrugged with a smile. Most people would have just left; the person filming must have been instructed by a backer.
Su Chuiyun didn’t want to believe it. “Is it Ming Shu?”
Qiao Shihua: “It’s President Ming. If she hadn’t arrived last night, you might have ended up in an… A.V.I. (Adult Video) situation in that restroom.”
Su Chuiyun thought: Little sister, how do you know so much?
The girl in the peach qipao clung to Su Chuiyun again, badmouthing the “gray-skinned rat” (Song Xi) for a while before touching the side table. “My mom told me to pick this up. It’s so narrow, what do you put on it?”
Everything from the Su family was a restored antique. This piece was made of fragrant Nanmu wood with elegant ruyi cloud carvings, but the surface was indeed too narrow for writing.
Su Chuiyun: “To put your father’s memorial tablet on.”
Qiao Shihua: “…”
They say “Get a promotion, get rich, and lose a husband.” The Qiao father had been a son-in-law who married into the family, but he fooled around everywhere and almost caused a scandal with illegitimate children. Eventually, he died in a car accident.
Qiao Shihua pouted. “My mom is so particular. If it were me, I’d carry my dad’s ashes in my pocket and sprinkle them on anyone I don’t like, letting him ‘protect’ his descendants.”
Su Chuiyun: “…You’re a real ‘filial’ daughter.”
After checking the table, Qiao Shihua added: “President Ming recently bought an office building downtown. The renovation just finished. My mom sent a Song Dynasty painting yesterday as a housewarming gift.”
Su Chuiyun took note and stepped back subtly. “I see. Thanks for the tip.”
As the workers moved the table, Qiao Shihua looked back and giggled. “You don’t have to avoid me like a snake. I’m not a furry, and I don’t have a thing for cat ears.”
Su Chuiyun thought: Girl, listen to yourself. “Miss Qiao misunderstood, I just…”
The well-endowed girl raised an eyebrow. “Just what?”
Su Chuiyun turned her head, thinking: I can’t say your chest is too big and it’s uncomfortable against my arm. “My sister will get jealous. See? I still have her hickey on my knee.”
Qiao Shihua looked at the conspicuous lip mark on Su Chuiyun’s bruised knee. To kiss someone’s knee, one either had to lift the leg or kneel. She gave a thumbs-up.
“You guys really know how to play,” she said, looking at Su Chuiyun like she was a heartbreaker. “Sister Chuiyun, you’re a real arsonist of hearts. You made the gold-digger Song Xi fall in love for real, and you’ve rekindled things with your ex.”
Qiao Shihua thought: Ming Shu is such a love-brain to get back with this kind of ex.
The New Building and the Elevator
Su Chuiyun took a vase to the bottom of Ming Shu’s new office tower. The building towered into the clouds in the city’s most prosperous district. Many companies took pride in being able to enter the North Bridge Tower.
Chen Yue followed behind her. “What are you looking at?”
It was no wonder Chen Yue was confused; Su Chuiyun, a “blind” person, was staring up intently.
Su Chuiyun: “I’m seeing how many ‘996’ workers (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week) there are.”
Chen Yue: “Stop looking. It’s an eight hour workday here with flexible check-ins and a two hour lunch break. President Ming’s company has great benefits; the management came from abroad and hasn’t picked up domestic bad habits.”
Su Chuiyun shed tears of envy. “Are they really not considering 996? Maybe ‘007’ would be more efficient.”
I’ve suffered, so I want others to taste it too, Su Chuiyun thought, admitting she had a bit of a mean streak.
Chen Yue: “That’s illegal, Miss.”
At the front desk, the receptionist was a cute, fresh graduate but acted very efficiently. “Do you have an appointment?”
Su Chuiyun: “No. Which floor is President Ming on?”
“I’m sorry, you can’t enter without an appointment.” Seeing they didn’t look like typical clients or workers, she hesitated. “May I have your name? I’ll ask for you.”
Just then, a hand rested on Su Chuiyun’s shoulder. Ming Shu, wearing leather gloves and holding a paper coffee cup, pressed down heavily.
“Hello, President Ming!” the receptionist bowed.
Ming Shu: “What are you doing here?” She took the wheelchair from Chen Yue and pushed Su Chuiyun toward the private elevator.
In the small, enclosed space, they had to stand close. The scent of freesia and gardenia shampoo teased Su Chuiyun’s senses. She handed over the vase. “For your housewarming.”
Ming Shu glanced at it, the corners of her lips curling up. “Thank you for thinking of me, A-Yun.”
If Su Chuiyun were truly blind, she might not have noticed the paleness of Ming Shu’s face or her trembling fingers. As the high-speed elevator shot up, their ears popped. The light inside was dim. Ming Shu swayed slightly, leaning her hand weakly on Su Chuiyun’s shoulder.
“Sister, are you…” Su Chuiyun gasped.
Claustrophobia.
It’s a serious psychological issue often accompanied by other symptoms like germaphobia or dissociation. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ming Shu’s face and dripped onto the vase.
Click.
The elevator lights went out completely, leaving only a tiny emergency light. Ming Shu’s voice was hoarse. “Sorry, there’s a wiring issue. It’ll be fixed tonight.”
The rising, narrow space made it hard for Ming Shu to breathe. Her mind flashed back to the night her adoptive mother locked her in a dark storage room. Outside, there was thunder inside, she faced a broken mirror reflecting her terrified face. She didn’t want Su Chuiyun to see her weakness and tried to suppress her panic.
Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around her waist. Her “little sister” whispered in her ear, “I’m here, don’t be afraid.”
Su Chuiyun had read about Ming Shu’s trauma in the original book. She knew pity would be an insult to the proud Ming Shu, so she pretended not to know and simply kissed her. The boss, who was flattered and feared by everyone else, was now shrinking into her arms like a small bird.
“Sister Ming Shu, you’ve worked hard all these years.”
A drop of sweat hung on Ming Shu’s lashes. Her dark eyes looked so fragile they might shatter. As the elevator stopped, a sliver of light entered. The top floor. Ming Shu stepped out of the embrace, pretending to be calm as she sipped her coffee.
Ming Shu: “If I hadn’t happened to meet you, how did you plan to get up?”
Su Chuiyun: “I would have told the truth.”
Ming Shu: “?”
Su Chuiyun: “That I’m the little girlfriend you’re keeping.”
Ming Shu choked on her coffee as executives passed by the elevator. Was she looking for excitement?
The Office and the Payback
Belinda, a designer Ming Shu brought from abroad, looked at her watch. “President Ming, there’s a meeting in ten minutes. Are you and your… little girlfriend attending?”
Ming Shu moved to block Belinda’s gaze. “I’m going now.”
She pushed Su Chuiyun into her office, where the Qiao family’s painting was already hung. She set the vase on a shelf. “Will you wait for me here, A-Yun?”
Ming Shu brought out mango cake and snacks on a silver tray, pouring juice and sweet milk. She covered Su Chuiyun’s knees with a soft blanket and placed the remote in front of her. “Wait for me?”
It was a question, but Ming Shu clearly didn’t want her to leave. She was nesting her like a pet cat.
Su Chuiyun: “Okay.”
Ming Shu looked back three times before leaving. “There are more snacks in the fridge. If you want anything else, call the internal line. Don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll be back within an hour.”
Free food! Delicious!
Belinda was stunned at the door. “Are you… raising a child?”
Ming Shu closed the door. “Yes, she’s young and needs extra care.”
Belinda: “…?”
The office grew quiet. Su Chuiyun stood up from her “nominal” wheelchair and looked out at the city view. Standing high up gave her a sense of control. People below looked like ants. She felt the charm of wealth and bit into the mango cake.
Half an hour later, a knocking sound broke the silence. Su Chuiyun scrambled back into her wheelchair.
The secretary, unaware Ming Shu was in a meeting, said, “President Ming, two people claiming to be your parents are here. They don’t have an appointment.”
Su Chuiyun frowned. They’re back to bully my Sugar Mommy again.
Behind the secretary, the impatient voices of the adoptive parents could be heard. “It’s so hard to see Ming Shu once.” Their complaints were small, laced with a hint of fear of the grand building.
The door opened a crack. Su Chuiyun sat in the chair. “Do you have business with Ming Shu?”
The parents were shocked. “Why is Miss Su here?!”
Su Chuiyun thought: I’m here for the food. She didn’t let them in. “Speak up, Ming Shu is busy.”
The mother took out a loan contract, looking weary. “The company’s cash flow is stuck… can we have a few more days to pay back the money?” Both parents looked years older, their once proud backs hunched.
The secretary understood. The company had been caught using substandard materials everyone on that line was in trouble. The mother tried to fool Su Chuiyun: “We’re all family. We’ll pay it back once the mall is built.”
Su Chuiyun yawned. “If promises worked, why would we need the police?”
The parents had been blacklisted as dishonest debtors. They wanted a bank loan to push the project through, but no one would lend to them. Seeing them forced to bow their heads to her gave Su Chuiyun a sense of satisfaction. For the filial Ming Shu, this might be enough, but for Su Chuiyun, it was far from it.
She remembered Ming Shu trembling in her arms. Su Chuiyun wasn’t a “good person”; the cynicism she’d developed in the corporate world was enough to fuel ten villains.
“But this is Ming Shu’s family business, I shouldn’t interfere.” Su Chuiyun smiled. “However, Ming Shu is in a meeting on the 34th floor. Why don’t you wait there?”
She kindly opened the elevator door for them. The parents smiled back, thinking she was easy to talk to. Just as the doors closed, Su Chuiyun stood up and grabbed the power switch.
“It’s cold in the basement, the thunder is loud, and hunger makes your stomach burn. Do you two remember that?”
Oh, right, and the old mirror.
In ancient Europe, there was a punishment where prisoners were placed in front of a mirror until their minds broke. What did my sister do wrong to be treated like that?
The elevator happened to have a mirror. Go to hell.
The parents didn’t have time to react. The elevator dropped for a few seconds and then stopped mid-air. Su Chuiyun had pulled the switch.
The secretary looked on in horror.
Su Chuiyun: “It’s fine, I just pulled the switch. The elevator won’t fall.”
Secretary thought: Why are you so practiced at this?!
As a designer, Su Chuiyun knew how elevators worked. “Don’t look at me like that. Evil people deserve evil treatment.” I am that evil person.
Suddenly, Su Chuiyun felt something and turned around. Ming Shu was standing at the entrance.
“Your leg…” Ming Shu had run back from the meeting, fearing the parents would bully Su Chuiyun.
Su Chuiyun yelped and fell back into the wheelchair. “My leg hurts so much, so much, so much…”
Ming Shu: “…”
Su Chuiyun saw that Ming Shu didn’t ask about the leg. “Will you report me?”
Ming Shu pulled her into the office. “Report what?”
Su Chuiyun: “Pulling the power switch.”
Ming Shu’s lips curled; she was in a good mood. “It’s fine. The elevator is under maintenance pulling the power is normal.”
Su Chuiyun: “Then I’m relieved.”
However, neither realized that it wasn’t just the elevator being repaired, it was the whole building’s power system. Suddenly, the office lights went out. Darkness swallowed them. The blackout curtains blocked the sun, leaving only a sliver of light.
Ming Shu’s breathing became rapid. The basement, the thunder, the mirror, the burning hunger… all the bad memories flooded back. Ming Shu wasn’t just claustrophobic; she was terrified of the dark.
The faint sound of a drill from a few floors down sounded like thunder in her mind. Ming Shu hugged Su Chuiyun tightly, her composure shattered.
“You’re afraid.”
“Kiss me.” Ming Shu’s voice was pitiful, desperate for warmth. “Or do something else… just keep touching me…”
Without logic, Ming Shu began biting at Su Chuiyun’s buttons. She closed her eyes, hoping Su Chuiyun wouldn’t think she was being melodramatic. She just wanted a lover to be there when she was suffering. Just once.