Jiang Nianzhi sat calmly on the armchair, holding the tablet Xiao Mei had brought her, which was currently playing scenes of every single encounter between Jiang Nianzhi and that woman.
Xiao Mei was fetching the dessert the auntie had prepared. The auntie had placed it in the refrigerator in advance. In this household, except for Jiang Nianzhi who didn’t eat it, anyone who came over would have a taste.
Sitting on the armchair, Jiang Nianzhi repeatedly dragged the progress bar.
She had already watched it many times, but what was extremely strange was that within the timeframes where that woman should have appeared according to Jiang Nianzhi’s memory, the woman was nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Nianzhi had even asked someone to track down the cameras pointed at her at the time, but not a single camera had captured anything.
The cameras only showed Jiang Nianzhi staring blankly at a specific spot.
It was only when the people approached by that woman appeared that the camera view would suddenly go dark, after which the woman’s figure would instantly show up within the footage.
Furthermore, if her onscreen self had noticed the woman from the start, the woman would also be noticed by many people.
Yet it was as if no one noticed this woman at all.
Before pulling the surveillance footage, Jiang Nianzhi had sent Xiao Mei to ask the relevant crew members and permanent staff at the shooting location about their impression of this woman.
Unexpectedly, many people said they had no impression of her.
Moreover, many claimed they had never seen this woman before.
She was just like a gust of air, an invisible person.
If Jiang Nianzhi did not pay attention to her, then no one present would pay attention to her either.
Jiang Nianzhi simply felt it was strange. It was as if she and this woman shared an exclusive connection.
Yet this strangeness could not be fully explained using words alone.
Suddenly, her phone chimed.
Jiang Nianzhi picked up her phone and looked. It was an email sent by the private investigator she had hired.
Jiang Nianzhi opened the email, which began with the private investigator’s warning.
“This person’s identity is extraordinary. I searched for a long time before I managed to piece it together. You must never leak this woman’s background information to outsiders or make accusations online. This woman’s identity is extremely important, and all traces of her life have been kept hidden.”
Jiang Nianzhi found it a bit absurd. How important could this woman possibly be?
Her finger swiped upward gently. Before checking, Jiang Nianzhi already knew this woman was either wealthy or noble. In a place like Dongcheng, who else could pull off such an absurd stunt besides those wealthy young ladies?
Besides, whose identity wasn’t important?
She clicked on the attachment sent by the private investigator.
The woman had grown up in Dongcheng since childhood, attending aristocratic schools until college, when she went to study abroad in the United States.
Just as the private investigator had said, there was no detailed personal information about the woman; there was only a brief line of text stating her name and date of birth.
So her name was Sui Ning. Looking at that name, Jiang Nianzhi read it out loud unconsciously.
The woman’s features and pair of beautiful eyes surfaced in her mind.
The private investigator had only included a single photograph in the appendix, which looked like it had been downloaded from someone’s social media.
The photo was taken at a banquet. The main subject was a champagne tower the photographer had intended to shoot. Under the reflection of the lights, the colorful liquid inside the champagne glasses shimmered. In the background were the figures of lavishly dressed people clinking glasses and socializing. In the bottom right corner of the photo, in the most inconspicuous, dark corner, sat a person.
It was the protagonist of the videos Jiang Nianzhi had just watched repeatedly.
Sui Ning.
The woman wore a light gray suit skirt, her long hair tied up neatly. She stood quietly on a small balcony, her arms resting on the beige railing. Her slender neck was slightly raised. Occasionally, a single strand of hair slipped out, resting quietly on her shoulder. The woman tilted her head up to gaze at the pitch-black sky. Her eyes were deep and dark. The sky lacked any glimmer of light, and so did the woman. Her entire being seemed enveloped by a cloud called exhaustion, lacking even the strength to lift a hand.
Only this empty shell of a body remained.
Seeing this enlarged photo of the woman’s back provided by the private investigator, Jiang Nianzhi felt a strange, indescribable feeling. She recalled the woman’s ever-present, relaxed smile during their repeated coincidental meetings.
She felt as though she had intruded upon someone else in their private moment of weeping, as if she had discovered a hidden corner of their heart.
It was a bit awkward.
Yet, given the woman’s exceedingly strange ability, why would someone so stunningly beautiful act like this?
Jiang Nianzhi noted down the woman’s name and transferred the remaining payment to the investigator.
Xiao Mei happened to walk out of the dining room carrying a cup of tea and the sandwich the auntie had made the previous night.
Jiang Nianzhi’s attention was drawn by Xiao Mei’s movement, and then drawn away by the window behind Xiao Mei. Outside, the sky was dimly lighting up. The night was pierced by light, which slowly dyed the darkness away to reveal a white glow.
It was time for her to go to the theater.
Jiang Nianzhi wrapped her large wool blanket tightly around herself. After spending half a day preparing, her pale, small face crumpled into a scowl. As if having summoned immense psychological readiness, she finally nodded to the driver.
The next second, cold wind wrapped in snow particles rushed in through the gap as the automatic door slid open.
The chill made Jiang Nianzhi shiver uncontrollably. It was seven o’clock in the morning, and there were barely any people on the streets, let alone at the drama theater.
The moment the gap widened, Jiang Nianzhi and Xiao Mei immediately dashed off the car and sprinted toward the side door of the drama theater building.
They walked toward the dressing room usually prepared for Jiang Nianzhi.
Jiang Nianzhi felt completely exhausted as she walked. Her bottom hurt, and her waist was uncomfortable. What was even more painful, however, was that the warmth was escaping from underneath her blanket.
The trip to the drama theater had taken quite a toll on Jiang Nianzhi. Although both were within Dongcheng, the distance across the entire city was by no means short, not to mention that the house Jiang Nianzhi bought was in the southern part of Dongcheng, while the drama theater was in the northeastern part.
However, there was no choice. Art was always like this.
Along the way, there were all kinds of people from different theatrical troupes, making the entire theater quite lively. Ever since Jiang Nianzhi entered the industry, she would regularly come here to perform in plays. It was arranged by her mentor, and she usually played minor supporting roles. For actors who had just entered the industry, stage plays were the best opportunity to improve their acting skills.
Every time Jiang Nianzhi came, she felt like she was going to school because she was simply too familiar with many people.
Many people in the entertainment industry said Jiang Nianzhi was overly cold and always held an arrogant attitude.
Yet no one had ever witnessed Jiang Nianzhi at the drama theater. For Jiang Nianzhi, the theater was unlike any other place. It was her school, her teacher, and her home.
Jiang Nianzhi walked all the way toward the inner dressing room, bringing laughter and joy along her path. Her palms, which had been empty at first, now had all five fingers hung with items, ranging from tea eggs to steamed buns and beef pies. Someone had even shoved a cup of porridge into her hands, and the older sisters had pushed a hand warmer into each of her two trousers pockets.
Jiang Nianzhi liked the drama theater very much. To her, this place was truly different.
As she walked deeper inside, the sounds grew quieter, and fewer people were around.
Suddenly, Jiang Nianzhi’s heart jolted violently. Darkness fell before her eyes, rendering her unable to even see the path ahead. Bursts of white flashed before her eyes intermittently, and the whole world swayed and flipped back and forth.
Beeping tinnitus rang in her ears, and the chaotic sounds of voices gradually faded away.
In the moment right before losing consciousness, Jiang Nianzhi only felt the world spinning around her.
As her eyes closed, only black memories were left behind.
Yet the discomfort in her ears continued, bringing a buzzing pressure, accompanied by occasional low greetings from a female voice.
Jiang Nianzhi struggled to open her eyes, only to see a vast expanse of white.
At the final moment before passing out, she surprisingly heard that familiar female voice once more.
“A glass of water, nothing else needed, thank you.”
It was Sui Ning.