CHAPTER 20

[I'm out of money. Send me some.]

Tang Ruoyao quietly read the message for a while, set her thesis aside, and got off the bed. She raised her phone and said, "I'm going out to make a call."

Wen Shuxian and Cui Jiaran were too busy arguing to hear her, while Fu Yujun sat at her own desk with a laptop, nodding at her. "Go ahead."

Tang Ruoyao walked to a deserted corner of the staircase and made the call.

The call was answered quickly, as if they had been waiting for her.

"Didn't I just call you recently?" Tang Ruoyao leaned against the wall, her eyes scanning the surroundings, and lowered her voice.

Her stepmother, Jiang Xuezhen, replied loudly, "How long ago was that? You know very well. Your younger brother is at the age where he needs money. The school teachers said he should attend a summer camp. All the other children are going, and we can't let him fall behind."

Tang Ruoyao fell silent for a moment and pursed her lips. "How much do you need?"

Jiang Xuezhen boldly asked, "One million."

Tang Ruoyao's toes pressed against the base of the wall, and chuckled to herself while looking down "Is he going abroad or something? Isn't one million a bit insufficient?"

Jiang Xuezhen evasively replied, "It's about right." Impatiently, she continued, "Just send the money quickly. It needs to be paid tomorrow."

Tang Ruoyao nodded and said, "Send me a photo of the fee invoice for the summer camp."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuezhen immediately changed her tone to reprimand, "You earn so much money, what's wrong with giving a little more to your brother? You're so stingy..."

"If you say one more word, don't expect to get a single penny." Tang Ruoyao calmly interrupted her.

Muttering to herself, Jiang Xuezhen hung up the phone.

Tang Ruoyao pocketed her phone and returned to the dormitory. As she climbed onto her bed, her phone vibrated again. She opened it and saw that Jiang Xuezhen had sent a photo of the summer camp fee invoice.

Raising a child has become increasingly difficult nowadays, with soaring costs. If they wanted their child to receive an elite education, they had to start from a young age. This summer camp was a study abroad program with exorbitant fees, ranging from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand.

After scanning through it, Tang Ruoyao decided to transfer the highest fee amount to Jiang Xuezhen. Just as she was about to open the transfer page, a call interface popped up on her phone.

Jiang Xuezhen.

Tang Ruoyao felt a surge of frustration in her heart as she went out again to answer the call.

Fu Yujun glanced at her hurried departure, lost in thought.

"What do you want now?" Tang Ruoyao answered, suppressing her anger and speaking in a low voice.

"Sister." Unexpectedly, it was the voice of a young boy, clear and tender.

Tang Ruoyao furrowed her brow. "Tang Fei?"

The little boy replied, "Yes." He lowered his voice further. "Mom went to take a shower, and I secretly took her phone to call you."

Tang Ruoyao's expression relaxed slightly, and she softened her tone. "Is there something you need from me?"

Tang Fei, looking wary towards the direction of the bathroom, whispered, "Mom saved all the money you sent back last time. There's still a lot left. She was lying to you. Don't give her any more money. I've already enrolled in the summer camp, the most expensive one."

"I understand." Tang Ruoyao decided not to dwell on that topic and asked, "How have you been recently?"

"I'm doing great!" Tang Fei replied with a smile. "I just miss you a little. When are you coming back?"

"I still have some school matters to handle." Tang Ruoyao explained.

"Then you have to come back before I go to the summer camp." Tang Fei insisted.

"I'll try my best." Tang Ruoyao replied calmly, tilting her head back and exhaling softly. She asked in a low voice, "How is Dad doing?"

Tang Fei sighed, "The same as before."

Tang Ruoyao acknowledged with another "Mm" and felt her heart sink again. Feeling the heaviness in her chest, she briefly muted the microphone, tilted her head back to take a deep breath, and exchanged it for a breath of fresh air.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Tang Fei hurriedly said, "I have to hang up now, sister. Goodbye."

Before Tang Ruoyao could respond, he hung up the phone swiftly, deleted the call record in one go.

Jiang Xuezhen came out of the bathroom, drying her hair. She saw her son sitting obediently in the living room, reading a book, and felt proud. She walked over and planted a firm kiss on Tang Fei's cheek.

The phone on the coffee table lit up, catching Jiang Xuezhen's attention. She picked it up and saw a notification for a money transfer. She was initially delighted, but when she saw the transferred amount, her face turned dark as the bottom of a pot.

Tang Fei casually glanced over and saw that it was a transfer of fifty thousand.

Jiang Xuezhen checked her balance on the banking app while complaining, "Your sister is becoming more and more stingy. She only has you as her brother, and she doesn't want to spend her money on you, who else does she want to spend it on?"

Tang Fei could only make a sound of agreement.

Absurdly, he thought to himself, Why should my sister spend her hard-earned money on me?

***

Not satisfied with the amount she received, Jiang Xuezhen repeatedly called, but Tang Ruoyao kept declining the calls. After a few attempts, the calls finally stopped.

Fu Yujun downstairs raised her hand and lightly tapped on Tang Ruoyao's bed.

Tang Ruoyao looked up, unable to conceal her expression, her eyes dark and gloomy.

Fu Yujun tilted her head. "Lost in thought? Is something bothering you?"

Tang Ruoyao shook her head.

Fu Yujun smiled understandingly and asked, "Do you want to freshen up? I just finished washing." She nodded towards Wen and Cui, who were still fooling around. "They're still causing a ruckus."

Tang Ruoyao only just noticed that Fu Yujun had changed into a cool tank top, her long hair damply draped over her shoulders.

Tang Ruoyao didn't pay much attention to the bodies of others and averted her gaze. She scolded herself inwardly for lacking self-control and allowing herself to be so disturbed by trivial matters for so long, unaware of what had been happening around her. She adjusted her emotions and pushed herself up with the bed frame. "I'll go now."

Fu Yujun suddenly called her back.

Tang Ruoyao paused and turned her head.

Fu Yujun said, "You can use my shower gel. Yours has been sitting for too long."

Tang Ruoyao smiled and replied, "I know."

Wen Shuxian perked up her ears and poked her head out from the bed, shouting, "Tang Tang, use mine! Mine smells like roses!"

Fu Yujun jumped up and swiftly pinched Wen Shuxian's face, laughing and scolding, "Shut up, you're everywhere."

Wen Shuxian laughed and said, "I don't care. Tang Tang and I are the most compatible pair in Room 405."

Cui Jiaran joined in and whispered, "What about me?"

Wen Shuxian taunted, "You have a boyfriend, so don't meddle." She heartlessly kicked her out.

Tang Ruoyao turned her back to them, a beautiful smile unconsciously playing at the corner of her lips. She took a step into the bathroom, leaving the laughter behind. Just as the bathroom door closed, she heard Wen Shuxian shout, "You don't need shower gel, but you must use my shampoo! It's the most expensive one!"

In the second half of her senior year, Tang Ruoyao was hardly at school. The bathroom products she bought were only used twice when the semester started and had been gathering dust ever since. At this moment, she looked at them and had no idea who had wiped them clean. Without thinking, she used Wen Shuxian's shampoo and Fu Yujun's shower gel.

The weather was hot, and even in the hot water with the air conditioner on, it got hotter and hotter. Knowing she wouldn't go to sleep immediately, Tang Ruoyao didn't bother to thoroughly dry her hair with a towel after washing it. She simply wrung it out with her hands, and her damp long hair stuck to her slender white neck. The fabric in front of her became wet, outlining two full curves of her front. Water droplets adorned her collarbone, sliding along the delicate curve and disappearing inside.

She had a tall figure and only wore a tank top. Her back was straight like bamboo, and the white shorts made her long legs even more eye-catching.

Just as Tang Ruoyao stepped outside, she was tackled by a figure, and a warm hand grabbed her cold arm.

Tang Ruoyao quickly pulled her hand back, sidestepped, and swiftly prepared to elbow her assailant. But before her strike landed on Wen Shuxian's face, a terrified scream stopped her in her tracks.

"Please spare me, brave hero!"

Tang Ruoyao retracted her hand.

Fu Yujun stood by, amused, and laughed, "See, your audacity almost ruined your face, didn't it?"

Wen Shuxian patted her chest, still shaken, and said, "You scared me to death. How was I supposed to know she would react so strongly?" After speaking, she suspiciously sized up Tang Ruoyao, hissing, "No, something's not right."

Tang Ruoyao's heart skipped a beat, but she calmly walked to the side as if nothing had happened and poured herself a glass of water to drink.

Wen Shuxian checked the dormitory door, making sure it was securely closed. Then she muttered to herself, "There's definitely something up with Tang Tang!"

Tang Ruoyao, of course, kept silent.

Fu Yujun glanced at Tang Ruoyao's calm and expressionless profile and remained silent.

Only Cui Jiaran asked, "What's the situation?"

Wen Shuxian replied, "I think she might be seeing someone."

Cui Jiaran asked again, "Why do you think that?"

Wen Shuxian said, "Only someone who's involved with someone else would be so sensitive to physical contact with others."

Cui Jiaran rested her chin on her hands and sincerely continued questioning, "But why didn't she have one before?"

Wen Shuxian felt like she was just making wild guesses now, so she scratched the back of her head and blurted out, "Maybe she just had an intimate encounter with her love interest, haha."

Tang Ruoyao choked on her saliva, an instant flush of heat rising to her ears.

Fu Yujun raised an eyebrow lightly.

But before the topic could go any further, Tang Ruoyao shut it down with an unyielding gaze, and it wasn't brought up again.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, the lights in the dormitory were turned off.

Tang Ruoyao tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Inside her heart lay a dormant volcano, usually silent and calm, but once ignited, it would unleash an inferno that devoured everything in its path.

Wen Shuxian insisted on provoking her.

As soon as Tang Ruoyao closed her eyes, she was transported back to those nights when they were tightly entwined. They rolled in sweat, and Qin Yinong whispered husky words of love in her ear, igniting her and bringing her one near-death experience after another.

Her camisole was soaked in sweat, and her back felt sticky. Tang Ruoyao kicked off the covers and exposed her arms and legs, feeling uncomfortable all over.

After a while, she gently turned over, moved her legs, and let out a sigh while staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, a light appeared in her field of vision.

The bedside lamp opposite her bed turned on, and Fu Yujun turned to look at her, whispering, "Are you feeling hot?"

Tang Ruoyao wiped the sweat off her neck and replied in a low voice, "I'm okay."

The other two were already asleep.

Fu Yujun extended her hand from the side of the bed railing, holding the air conditioner remote control. She whispered, "Lower the temperature a bit and adjust the airflow."

Tang Ruoyao replied, "Thank you."

Fu Yujun smiled and turned off the light.

Tang Ruoyao's heart was burning, her liver was inflamed, and adjusting the temperature didn't help at all. She didn't change the temperature but adjusted the airflow, which was better than nothing. Tang Ruoyao turned her back to the wall, turned on her phone, and logged into an alternate account.

@Our Daily Life with Miss Q:

[Can't sleep, miss her a lot, don't know if she misses me too. Also, heard some good news today and looking forward to meeting her again.]

She carefully selected the option to make the post visible only to herself.

There were countless cases of celebrities getting exposed, so one should never underestimate the internet's ability to dig up information.

Tang Ruoyao scrolled through her own posts, gradually feeling drowsy. She placed her phone under the pillow and fell asleep in a hazy state.

.....

Qin Yinong lay in bed, and her eyelashes suddenly trembled. She abruptly opened her eyes, waking up drenched in cold sweat. She looked out of the floor-to-ceiling window, which was never covered by curtains, and saw that the sky was still pitch black, approaching the darkest time before dawn.

Qin Yinong pressed her hand against her pounding chest, breathing heavily. She propped herself up with one elbow and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table.

It was just 4 o'clock. in the early morning.

Qin Yinong slowly sat up, turned on a light, and leaned against the headboard, half-awake and half-asleep. The night had its own sounds, the wind and the summer insects, softly drilling into her ears. Qin Yinong clenched her fist with one hand, her brows furrowing with unease.

She closed her eyes and waited for the alarm she had set in advance. As soon as the alarm sounded, Qin Yinong opened her eyes as if granted amnesty, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

While sleep was rest for others, for Qin Yinong, it was a torment she had to endure to maintain her energy during the day.

After washing away the sticky sweat, Qin Yinong felt refreshed as she went downstairs to the kitchen. She started cooking porridge and then gently opened Ji Shulan's bedroom door. Quietly, she climbed into bed, hugging Ningning's small body, and planted a kiss on her cheek.

There was a slight movement from Ji Shulan's side, indicating that she was awake.

Qin Yinong whispered, "It's 6:30, the porridge is ready."

Ji Shulan quieted down.

Qin Yinong kept her eyes open, gazing at the ceiling above her with the faint light, quietly lost in thought. When the little one in her arms stirred and began murmuring, showing signs of waking up, Qin Yinong closed her eyes, feigning a deep sleep.

She heard the soft voices of Ji Shulan and Ningning talking to each other.

"Mom hasn't woken up yet."

"Mm."

"Let's not disturb her and let her sleep a little longer."

"Okay."

"Is Mom very tired?"

Ji Shulan paused for two seconds before saying, "Yes."

Then Qin Yinong felt a warm sensation on her cheek as something soft pecked her lightly, filling her breath with a sweet milk fragrance.

"I gave Mom a kiss. Will she feel better?"

"She will, Ningning is such a good girl."

The voices grew fainter, and there were two consecutive empty spots by the bedside, followed by the gentle closing of the door.

Qin Yinong's eyelids, moist with unshed tears, twitched slightly.

Qin Yinong and Ji Shulan prepared breakfast together while little Ningning sat on the balcony in the living room, reading stories. Ningning was easy to take care of. She didn't need adults to tell her stories in various ways; she could happily listen on her own. Although she didn't know many characters, they had bought her picture books so she could follow along by looking at the pictures.

"I have a shoot in the morning and need to go out for a while." Qin Yinong said as she washed her hands, holding a long-handled wooden spoon in one hand and lifting the lid of the electric rice cooker to scoop out the porridge.

"What kind of shoot?" Ji Shulan handed her a bowl. "When will you be back?"

Qin Yinong blew on the hot steam rising from the porridge and replied, "Just a quick photoshoot for a cover, and also an interview for a magazine. It won't take much time. I'll be back in the evening."

Not much time, but she wouldn't be back until evening?

Ji Shulan didn't ask further and simply made a sound of acknowledgment. She reminded Qin Yinong, "Take care of yourself." Then she changed the subject and asked, "Did you manage to sleep last night?"

"I slept for four or five hours."

"That's good enough."

Qin Yinong handed Ji Shulan a bowl of porridge. "Call Ningning over for breakfast."

There was a bowl and a spoon in front of Ningning, but she held a book in her hands, engrossed in reading.

"Drink the porridge." Qin Yinong tapped her knuckles on the table in front of Ningning.

"I'll finish reading this page first." Ningning replied and turned to the next page.

Qin Yinong frowned as she watched, understanding why Ji Shulan worried about her eyesight.

Setting down the spoon, Qin Yinong lightly tapped the rim of the bowl, making a gentle clinking sound.

"Qin Jianing."

No child wasn't afraid when their mother called them by their full name. Ningning shivered, and Ji Shulan timely took the picture book from her hands, placing the spoon in her hand instead. She spoke softly, "Be good and have the porridge first."

Qin Yinong's face turned cold. "Did you wash your hands?"

Ningning quickly jumped off the chair and hurried to wash her hands. Ji Shulan followed her because Ningning was too short to reach the hand soap. After checking Qin Yinong's expression, Ningning came back and obediently started drinking her porridge.

After breakfast, Ji Shulan and the driver took Ningning to kindergarten, and Guan Han arrived early to wait for Qin Yinong.

Perhaps remembering that she had only given her an apple last time, Qin Yinong led Guan Han to the kitchen and lifted the lid of a pot, saying, "There are beef-filled pancakes inside. Would you like some?"

Guan Han's eyes immediately lit up at the sound of it. "Did you make them yourself?"

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment.

Guan Han quickly said, "Yes, please!"

Qin Yinong handed her a plastic bag.

Guan Han packed all the pancakes, leaving none behind.

Qin Yinong: "..."

She couldn't help but ask, "Can you finish eating all of them?"

Guan Han swallowed her saliva, guarding the bag tightly as if afraid Qin Yinong would snatch it back. "If I can't finish, I'll heat them up and put them in the fridge."

No one knew that Qin Yinong was actually skilled in cooking. Guan Han had once tasted her homemade fried noodles on set and nearly swallowed her tongue in delight. Just the thought of it was mouthwatering. However, Qin Yinong rarely cooked outside and it was challenging to have the opportunity to taste her dishes firsthand.

Qin Yinong: "...Alright."

The morning magazine shoot went smoothly as usual. Some people were born for the camera, and Qin Yinong's face had no angles that couldn't be captured. The photographer changed her outfits a few times—some proud, some alluring, some enchanting—and Qin Yinong adjusted her body language and expression according to the photographer's instructions.

For the final set, she sat on a glossy black chair, elegantly stretching out her long legs, leaning forward with both elbows resting on her knees. Her red lips were slightly pursed, and her fair neck arched with an air of arrogance as she coldly stared into the lens. The contrasting sensations of oppression and freedom were palpable.

The photographer finished capturing the shots and gestured "OK" to her.

Qin Yinong took off her jacket, and even before Guan Han could approach, a respectful staff member had already taken it from her. Qin Yinong quietly thanked them.

The staff member looked at her in awe, completely stunned.

Qin Yinong smiled gently at them again and turned to look in another direction.

Guan Han and a woman in her forties approached them together.

The woman was Lin, the Editor-in-Chief of VG Magazine in the Greater China region. In just a few years, she had led VG Magazine into a new benchmark in the fashion media industry in China, showcasing her impressive capabilities.

As she approached, Director Lin took two steps ahead of Guan Han and hugged Qin Yinong. Afterwards, she held onto Qin Yinong's hand and teased, "This time, you're in my hands, right? You can't escape from having lunch with me today."

Qin Yinong subtly withdrew her hand and calmly smiled. "I had no plans to escape. I've been looking forward to treating you for a long time."

Director Lin burst into laughter.

Everyone enjoyed themselves.

After dealing with the Director, Qin Yinong sat in the car, feeling exhausted as she massaged her temples. Guan Han handed her some headache medicine and a glass of water.

"At what time did the psychologist set an appointment?" Qin Yinong glanced at the water, took the medicine, and leaned back in her seat, lazily lifting her eyelids to ask.

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT