After returning home, Jiang Zhen took a shower and had dinner with Jiang Ling and the others before finally retreating to her room. She lay on her bed and opened her phone.
The sky outside was already dark; it was just past eight o’clock. She wondered what Jiang Yin was doing.
She wanted to call and ask how things were, but she didn’t know what kind of identity or standing she had to offer comfort. After all, she was the reason for the argument between Jiang Yin and Li Xiuning today.
At this thought, Jiang Zhen couldn’t help but feel a wave of regret. If only she hadn’t gone to Jingda to find Jiang Yin today; perhaps they wouldn’t have run into Li Xiuning, and this whole farce wouldn’t have happened.
She let out a long sigh, closed her phone, and buried herself under the covers.
How was she supposed to face Li Xiuning? Should she accept the fact that the woman was her biological mother, or pretend they were total strangers? The moment she saw Li Xiuning, a surge of fear had welled up in her heart. The woman’s appearance was a fresh reminder, she was just an impostor.
If only Li Xiuning hadn’t done such a thing, Jiang Zhen sat up from the bed, irritably mussing her hair. But if she really had grown up living with Li Xiuning, would she be like the old Jiang Yin—working part-time while going to school, unable to even afford a decent phone with the money she earned?
She had overheard Jiang Ling and Qin Zhu discussing Jiang Yin’s hardships. Recalling the pained expressions on their faces at the time, Jiang Zhen felt a pang of sadness as well.
If not for her… Jiang Yin wouldn’t have lived such a difficult life.
After meeting Li Xiuning today, Jiang Zhen clearly felt that the woman favored her, even going so far as to publicly call Jiang Yin an ungrateful wolf. Because of that, did Jiang Yin hate her even more now?
Jiang Zhen looked up at the ceiling and let out a distressed groan.
After leaving the hotel, Jiang Yin went to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite. Once her stomach was full, she didn’t return to the dorm but instead began walking slowly in circles along the campus paths.
Jingda covered a vast area with a sprawling campus, making it a perfect place for a walk.
Clutching her phone, Jiang Yin watched the sunset fade, a sense of infinite loneliness rising within her.
She shouldn’t have held any expectations for Li Xiuning. Although the old Li Xiuning had no money, she had at least been gentle. How had she turned into the person she saw today?
She looked at the sky where the ink-black night intertwined with the clouds and sighed silently.
It was clearly Li Xiuning who had led her into the abyss, yet now she was the one being accused of ingratitude. Jiang Yin would certainly repay the debt of upbringing; after all, she wasn’t cold-hearted enough to resolutely sever her emotional ties with Li Xiuning.
However, she could no longer accept Li Xiuning as she once had. From now on, she would treat her as nothing more than an ordinary relative.
The night surged forward until only a sliver of daylight remained on the horizon, and the moon hung high. The streetlights flickered on one by one, illuminating the various lives of the pedestrians beneath them.
After returning to the dorm and resting for a while, Jiang Yin saw that it was still early and sent a message to Jiang Zhen.
You Ran: Don’t worry about the thing with my mom. I’ll handle it.
It took about ten minutes before she received a reply.
Cheese Cat: Thank you. If there is anything you need help with, let me know anytime.
After these two brief sentences, Jiang Yin didn’t intend to continue the conversation. She set her phone on the desk and opened her books to resume studying.
It wasn’t until just before bed that she checked her phone again, only to discover that Jiang Zhen had sent one more message.
Cheese Cat: A-Yin, I’m sorry.
Staring at those three words, Jiang Yin was lost in thought for a long time.
For three consecutive days, Li Xiuning bombarded Jiang Yin with phone calls, demanding she leave the school to meet with her. But Jiang Yin either hung up immediately or didn’t answer at all, nor did she reply to any messages.
Only the new string of digits on her bank card balance told Li Xiuning that Jiang Yin remembered what she had said that day.
Taking the money, Li Xiuning first transferred one hundred thousand to her deadbeat brother. She stayed at the hotel for five more days—Jiang Yin had paid for ten days upfront—before finally dragging her many bags away.
When Jiang Yin received the notification of the hotel refund for the remaining days, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled.
She hoped the matter wouldn’t escalate further. If Li Xiuning could stay quietly in that small county town, life would be easier for all three of them: Jiang Yin, Jiang Zhen, and herself.
Today was Saturday. According to the agreement between Jiang Yin and Jiang Ling, she was to return to the Jiang house.
This time, Jiang Ling didn’t let her take the bus back; she drove to the school gate to personally pick Jiang Yin up.
“I happened to have nothing to do today, so it’s no trouble to make the trip,” Jiang Ling said with a smile as she watched Jiang Yin buckle her seatbelt. “Besides, you’re my sister. There’s no need to be so polite.”
Jiang Yin nodded, a warm current flowing through her heart.
“How is school going? Is studying exhausting? When I was at Jingda, I had so many classes it made my head spin.” Jiang Ling chatted while observing Jiang Yin’s expression through the rearview mirror, worried she might feel constrained.
Jiang Yin thought for a moment and replied, “The workload isn’t huge, but it’s difficult. There’s quite a bit of pressure. Oh? Sister, you graduated from Jingda too?”
“Yes,” Jiang Ling replied. “And I was in the same major as you. After graduation, I joined the family company. If you’re willing, you can come work there too.”
“But working at the family company isn’t easy. Dad won’t let others know our identity, so we still have to work like everyone else,” Jiang Ling added.
Jiang Yin hadn’t actually thought about where to go after graduation. she was leaning toward continuing her education, perhaps pursuing a master’s degree.
After chatting a bit more, Jiang Ling focused on driving. She could see her sister was somewhat introverted; she mostly gave short answers to questions, and Jiang Ling worried that too much talking might annoy her.
As they neared the house, she spoke up again. “A-Yin, are you free on the evening of the eighth next month? Dad wants to hold a banquet to invite some friends and introduce you to them.”
Socially anxious by nature, Jiang Yin’s instinct was to refuse, but she forced herself to swallow the words “not free.” If she didn’t go this time, she’d have to go eventually. It was better to get it over with. She checked her calendar and class schedule on her phone and replied, “I’m free.”
“That’s perfect. I’m free next Wednesday as well. Give me a call after your classes, and I’ll pick you up to get you ready,” Jiang Ling stopped the car. “Do you prefer dresses or pants? Do you want me to help you prepare an outfit?”
“Pants,” Jiang Yin answered without hesitation. “Thank you, sister.”
When they arrived home, Auntie Xu was preparing dinner. Qin Zhu and Xue Hua were sitting in the first-floor living room, chatting while watching a soap opera.
Hearing the sound of Jiang Ling and Jiang Yin laughing, the two rose quickly and greeted them with smiles. “A-Yin is back! Sit down, dinner will be ready in a moment.”
After greeting them, Jiang Yin went upstairs to her room to change. Unexpectedly, she came face-to-face with Jiang Zhen, who had just opened her door.
Having rested at home for three days, Jiang Zhen had almost forgotten what day it was. The moment she saw Jiang Yin, she remembered it was already Saturday.
“G-good evening,” she gave a stiff smile and greeted Jiang Yin.
Just like their previous meetings, the person across from her showed little emotion. She simply gave a polite nod and asked, “Are you heading downstairs?”
Receiving a nod in return, the two went downstairs one after the other and sat on either side of Qin Zhu and Xue Hua.
For some reason, the atmosphere was always a bit awkward when they were all together. Even with Jiang Ling’s best efforts to find topics for Jiang Yin and Jiang Zhen, the mood didn’t brighten much. This continued until after dinner.
Of course, the situation didn’t truly change; rather, everyone retreated to their own rooms after dinner, so a lively atmosphere was no longer required.
After resting by her bed for a while, Jiang Yin sat at her desk and took out the materials she had brought back, preparing to review the previous week’s lessons. She had always been a diligent student; she didn’t consider herself particularly brilliant, so she believed that only by putting in more effort than others could she achieve satisfactory results.
She hadn’t been studying long when there was a knock on the door. Jiang Ling stood there with a tablet, looking expectant. “A-Yin, I want to talk to you about the formal wear for the banquet.”
Jiang Ling had excellent taste. The styles she selected perfectly matched Jiang Yin’s elegant, cool temperament. They quickly settled on one of the outfits and agreed that Jiang Ling would take her for measurements on Tuesday evening.
After closing the tablet, Jiang Ling asked tentatively, “A-Yin, do you feel uncomfortable staying at home?”
Since she was her own sister, Jiang Yin didn’t intend to hide it. “A little.”
“Is it because of Zhenzhen?” An apologetic look appeared on Jiang Ling’s face. “Or because of us?”
“Neither. It’s just that my own mindset hasn’t adjusted yet,” Jiang Yin waved her hand. “It has nothing to do with you. I just need more time to adapt; I’ll be fine after a while.”
“That’s good,” Jiang Ling gave a relieved smile. “Just follow your own heart. You don’t need to change for us. After all…” Her tone turned somber. “It really was our negligence that led you to…”
“It’s all in the past,” Jiang Yin said, appearing indifferent.
“Then I won’t disturb your rest,” Jiang Ling stood up with her tablet. “It’s a date then. I’ll wait for you at the school gate Tuesday evening. Remember to message me.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yin saw her to the door and quietly closed it.
Affected by Li Xiuning, her mood hadn’t been very pleasant over the last few days; she had even been a bit gloomy while interacting with her roommates. She was, after all, a student who hadn’t seen much of the world, so her ability to process these events was naturally weaker, and she required more time to adjust.
Jiang Yin returned to her desk and opened her textbook and materials, ready to continue organizing her notes.
But as she set pen to paper, her mind uncontrollably drifted back to Jiang Zhen. Perhaps they should clear the air about Li Xiuning in person.
Jiang Zhen had just finished washing up and was about to put on a face mask when she heard a knock at her door.
She pulled the door open, and a face she didn’t expect to see appeared.
Jiang Yin was leaning against the doorframe, giving a seemingly gentle smile. “Do you have a moment to talk?”