A sudden torrential rain swept across Jincheng at the end of July.
The sky was torn open by jagged lightning, and the rain washed over the ancient yet bustling city, erasing the chaotic, earthly hustle and bustle of human life.
A gloomy, muddy gray enveloped the commercial streets, with only a sparse few figures scattered about.
Under the eaves of a convenience store at the corner of the street, two women leaned against the door, chatting idly.
“That rain just now was massive, totally pelting down! There was even thunder!”
“I know, right! Absolutely terrifying.”
“Look, just think how many people were on the street a moment ago. As soon as the rain hit, whoosh, they all ran off.”
One of the women sighed with a hint of complaint, “I originally thought that since today is the weekend, we would have quite a few customers, but then it suddenly started pouring.”
The other woman, looking a bit younger, comforted her, “Mom, it is still early. Once the rain stops, people will slowly start coming out.”
Just as they were speaking, a young woman walked out from the back, casting a distant gaze at the gray, heavy sky with a slight frown on her slender brows.
She wore a plain employee uniform, which did nothing to obscure her slender and tall figure. A small, palm-sized face was mostly hidden behind a black mask, but her exposed eyes were clear and beautiful, resembling rain leisurely falling from the clouds.
The woman leaning against the door glanced at her and suddenly said, “Zhong Yu, now that it is raining, the floor inside is covered in dirty footprints. Go clean it up. Oh right, take the time to organize the restocking inventory list for me.”
Zhong Yu acknowledged her with a soft sound and turned to go inside without hesitation, her silhouette slender and upright.
The woman watched her back, an unconscious trace of mockery welling up in her eyes.
The sharp-featured, thin young girl leaned against the doorframe, smiling gloatingly, “Mom, aren’t we exploiting her a bit too much?”
“She is the one who willingly came to be a little waitress,” the woman said meaningfully. “If it were not for the fact that she said she could do any hard labor, I would not want to take in someone with such a notoriously bad reputation either.”
The girl agreed, “Exactly. She has done so many dirty things that no other place would dare hire her. We are practically being kind.”
Neither of them bothered to lower their voices, and their words carried clearly into Zhong Yu’s ears. With a calm expression, she walked into the utility room, fished out a crumpled, wrinkled mop from the darkness, rinsed it in a bucket, and dragged it out to the store entrance to start mopping.
Inside the doorway, the tile floor was stained with rainwater mixed with muddy footprints.
Outside the door, the pattering drizzle slid down the eaves, falling like three hundred silver threads.
Zhong Yu quietly focused on her work, plunging the mop back into the murky bucket and stirring it for a moment, when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside.
Raising her head, she saw a woman wearing sunglasses swaying gracefully into the store.
Her long hair was styled in soft waves, her lips were fiery red, and she wore an impeccably tailored suit dress.
The woman took off her sunglasses, revealing a bright, alluring face.
Looking around the room, she casually placed her folded umbrella into Zhong Yu’s hands. “Hold this for me for a moment.”
Suddenly handed a wet umbrella, Zhong Yu’s hands were covered in water. Yet, as she looked at the woman’s face, she froze in sudden shock.
Ning Youxia? How could she possibly be here?
Five years have passed, so could Song You be here as well?
Recovering her senses, Zhong Yu quickly glanced toward the entrance, her breathing stopping.
Parked quietly on the street outside was a black Bentley.
Could Song You be sitting right inside that car, looking this way?
At the mere thought of that possibility, even the face hidden beneath Zhong Yu’s mask began to heat up, and the hand gripping the umbrella trembled slightly.
Ning Youxia did not notice anything unusual about the ordinary convenience store clerk beside her.
Carrying her small handbag, she strolled over to the refrigerated display case, randomly selected a few bottles of mineral water, and walked gracefully to the counter to pay.
The umbrella in Zhong Yu’s hand dripped with water, the freezing rain gradually soaking her cuffs. Standing blankly to the side, Zhong Yu felt a complex mix of emotions seep into her heart like rainwater, a tangled vortex of feelings she could not shake off for a long time.
Having finished chewing over her gossip, the convenience store owner walked back inside. Seeing the dirty floor covered in rainwater and shoe prints, and then spotting Zhong Yu daydreaming off to the side, her eyebrows immediately shot up in anger.
“Zhong Yu!” she shouted sharply. “I told you to mop properly! Is this how you mop?”
Zhong Yu felt as though she had been struck over the head by a heavy blow. Reflexively glancing at Ning Youxia, she lowered her head low. “I…”
“You what?” the owner snapped. “Still standing there dazed? Do you need me to teach you how to mop, too?”
Her sharp voice was interrupted by the female customer who had come over to check out.
Ning Youxia slammed the mineral water onto the counter with a thud and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. “Zhong Yu?”
She strode over quickly, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor, and came to a halt right in front of Zhong Yu.
Zhong Yu stiffened all over, feeling an analytical gaze land on the top of her head, sweeping over her rough, crude employee uniform, her dirty mop, and her knuckles turned white with tension.
She heard Ning Youxia say, “Raise your head.”
Zhong Yu paused, took a breath, and slowly raised her head.
Ning Youxia stared at the clerk in front of her, who was raising her head at a turtle’s pace and awkwardly squinting.
Those superior, pretty brows, no matter how much she tried to disguise them, she could not erase that innate spiritual aura.
She really did look somewhat similar to that spoiled, unbridled young heiress from her memories.
“Take off your mask,” Ning Youxia said coldly.
Inside, Zhong Yu felt a roaring crash. It is over.
Standing nearby, the store owner looked back and forth, completely bewildered. “What is wrong? Did she do something wrong again?”
Ning Youxia let out a cold laugh and drawled, “I never expected to bump into an old acquaintance here. What a pleasant surprise.”
An old acquaintance? The owner looked blank. She had not seen Zhong Yu have any acquaintances in the past few months. Given the massive scandal surrounding her, people considered themselves lucky just to avoid her.
“A friend?”
“No,” Ning Youxia said with a forced, joyless smile. “An enemy.”
Zhong Yu shuddered imperceptibly.
She paused, hooked her slender fingertips under the mask, and feigned calm as she curved the corners of her lips. Beads of sweat dotted the bridge of her nose, and her smile looked somewhat stiff. “Youxia, long time no see.”
Looking at her fair, bright face, Ning Youxia’s expression instantly grew a few degrees colder.
“The former Jincheng socialite, actually working part-time in a convenience store? Have you really fallen to this level?” She looked Zhong Yu up and down, letting out a cryptic, mocking chuckle. “Well, you reap what you sow.”
Zhong Yu bit her lower lip and whispered, “Youxia, I…”
Interrupting her, Ning Youxia walked over to the counter. “Let us skip the pleasantries. I have nothing to say to you.”
Her tone was clean, decisive, and left no room for mercy.
Watching her resolute back, Zhong Yu took a deep breath and mustered up her courage. “Is Song You, is she doing well?”
Instead, Ning Youxia turned back, her gaze as icy as a bucket of cold water poured from overhead, looking at Zhong Yu as if she were trash. “Zhong Yu, you ruined her like that, and you still have the nerve to bring her up?”
“You have no right to ask about Song You. You do not deserve to.”
Zhong Yu felt as though she had been pierced by a thorn, her complexion turning instantly pale.
She truly did not deserve to.
After being together for five years, it was she who had first proposed breaking up with Song You, claiming that she had just been playing around and was never sincere.
It was also she who had said Song You had no money or power, that a penniless poor student was unworthy of the extravagant Zhong family heiress she had been back then.
Reason and logic dictated that Zhong Yu had no business prying into Song You’s life. Yet, she simply could not reconcile herself to it.
Having finished paying, Ning Youxia picked up her water and prepared to leave. Her high heels clicked briskly against the floor as she did not throw Zhong Yu another glance.
As if looking at her one more time or saying a single extra word would make her sick.
Zhong Yu was long accustomed to such cold treatment, but being ridiculed by a former classmate caused her numb heart to experience a faint, sharp ache.
Her fingers clutching the umbrella turned white, and a bitter, metallic taste rose to her lips. “What about your umbrella?”
“Throw it away. I find it filthy,” Ning Youxia dropped those words lightly. “And stay away from Song You. Don’t go trying to ruin her life again.”
After buying her water, Ning Youxia walked out of the store holding her umbrella. A Bentley was waiting quietly by the roadside.
She pulled open the car door and climbed furiously into the back seat.
A voice rang out beside her, crisp and clear like a flowing stream: “What are you so angry about? You even left your umbrella behind.”
Turning to look at her, Ning Youxia relaxed her stiff expression. “Song You, you really did not need to come with me today.”
The woman in the back seat leaned against the car window, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at her. Soft waves of hair draped over her shoulders, and a single tear mole sat beside the upturned corner of her eye. Yet, it did not look overly glamorous; instead, due to her overly pale skin, it added a sense of unapproachable aloofness.
When she was not speaking, she quietly melted into the backdrop of the tall buildings and long streets outside. The car window seemed like a picture frame, blending her and the rainy scenery outside into an extremely delicate ink wash painting.
Song You said, “If I had not come, you would have flipped the board of directors over today.”
Ning Youxia blinked, snapping out of her daze and laughing at herself. Even after being close classmates with Song You for so many years, she was still periodically dazzled by her visual impact.
“They are going too far! You just got into a car accident, and that pack of jackals was already in such a rush to push your useless brother into power. Did you not hear what they were saying about you during the meeting?”
“Mhm, what did they say?” Song You asked.
“Since President Song has had an accident, it harms the company’s reputation and image. It might be better to take some time off and let the Second Young Master handle operations. Bah! Is that not just trying to force you to abdicate?” Ning Youxia leaned back against the seat, grinding her teeth. “You just have a bad leg, you are not dead! Besides, you were the victim of that car accident, and your useless old man does not care either. Damn those old fogies, I am going to ruin them sooner or later!”
Song You gave a light laugh. “It is a society governed by the rule of law. Do not do anything reckless.”
“I know, I am just venting,” Ning Youxia unscrewed the bottle cap and let out a cold snort. “Polaris was built by your own hands. I only recognize you. No one else is taking your throne.”
Song You hummed softly in agreement, looked ahead, and signaled the driver to start the car.
Drinking her water, Ning Youxia turned back to look at her. “You really know how to keep your cool. Have you figured out your next move?”
“There is no use rushing.”
“First, let us see what they are up to. Either way,” Song You smiled faintly, her voice calm, “Polaris is mine, and it can only ever be mine.”
Sensing some reassurance, Ning Youxia felt slightly more at ease.
Her gaze drifted to Song You’s long yet unnatural legs, a trace of distress flashing through her eyes. “How is your physical therapy going? Can you walk yet?”
Song You glanced at her sideways. “It has only been a week. There is no way it happens that fast.”
Biting her lip and losing her composure, Ning Youxia said, “I known a German orthopedic specialist who is brilliant. Should I introduce her to you? Do you want to go abroad to have a look?”
“There is no need.” Leaning against the leather seat, Song You half-closed her eyes, a hint of fatigue coloring her tone as she tapped her fingers rhythmically against the cushion. “I have taken the medicine, and I have seen plenty of doctors. Let it be.”
Whenever Song You put on this expression, it meant she did not want to talk about it anymore. Watching her pale complexion, Ning Youxia did not dare say anything more.
Clearly, her legs were in such a state, yet she still maintained that calm, detached demeanor.
Ever since Song You and Zhong Yu broke up five years ago, Song You’s lively emotional fluctuations had grown fewer and farther between. Her personality had always been cold, but now she rarely smiled, and even when she did, there was a detached indifference that failed to reach her eyes, a sight that always tugged painfully at Ning Youxia’s heart.
That once clear and pure girl had unconsciously turned into a joyless, workaholic President Song, leaving no trace of her former gentle shadow.
Zhong Yu really was a scourge who harmed others endlessly!
Thinking of Zhong Yu only made Ning Youxia even more indignant.
“Forget it, let us not talk about that. Let me share some good news to cheer us up,” she tossed her mineral water aside, her red lips curving upward. “I just ran into Zhong Yu.”
Song You’s fingers paused for a fraction of a second.
“Guess what? I went into a convenience store to buy water, and Zhong Yu was actually in there mopping the floor! When I saw her, she was even getting yelled at by the boss,” Ning Youxia said with immense satisfaction. “Heaven’s justice goes full circle! Socialite Zhong probably never imagined she would end up like this when she despised you for being poor back then! Look at that, this is the karmic retribution of being a heartless bitch! So satisfying.”
Song You opened her eyes, her voice devoid of any discernible emotion. “Is that so?”
Looking at her, Ning Youxia wore a peculiar expression. “Hearing such uplifting news, and you do not even have a reaction?”
“What kind of reaction?” Song You looked at the endless lines of rain streaking across the car window. “Go back to the convenience store and beat her up?”
Ning Youxia nodded. “That is not out of the question.”
“It is all in the past.” Song You lowered her gaze, her dense eyelashes concealing the turbulent undercurrents beneath, speaking as if to herself. “There is no need.”