TSDT - 3

A week in hell.

Jiang Ying was swamped. Old cases and new cases piled up at the office, and while overtime and field assignments were one thing, she also took on side jobs. This time, she encountered an extremely difficult client who made her revise a thousand-word draft over twenty times.

And that wasn’t all.

She had only moved into her new apartment a few days ago when the air conditioner broke.

Triple Kill.

It was mid-September, a time of year that was neither hot nor cold. Jiang Ying’s rented serviced apartment had windows only on the balcony, so it wasn’t ventilated at all. At night, she worked overtime with a temporarily bought fan blowing on her, sniffling all the while. When she was tired and sleepy, she could only vent all her anger on others. Meng Jingshu was cursed by her in various ways countless times.

Perhaps cursing was a good way to release the accumulated frustration in her body, because her cold actually didn’t follow the “seven-day recovery” rule. By the fifth day, her nose was clear, and she had fully recovered.

On Friday night, Jiang Ying finally had time to schedule an air conditioner repair.

Around ten o’clock, a guest arrived at her new home.

Her friend Huang Yanfei had returned from a business trip and, because her own place was too far, decided to stay at Jiang Ying’s for safety reasons.

Huang Yanfei exclaimed as soon as she entered, “Ah, living alone is so good, you can do whatever you want.”

During her internship as a lawyer, Jiang Ying’s salary was embarrassingly low, forcing her to share an apartment. Last year, after getting her license, Jiang Ying saved up for several months before she had enough money to rent a single room.

Jiang Ying handed her slippers, “Then you should rent one too, your place in the suburbs must be much cheaper than mine.”

“Maybe after the new year, I’m thinking of changing jobs.”

The two were high school roommates and both attended university in Zebian City. Although it was never explicitly mentioned, their decision to stay after graduation probably had something to do with the other person being there. After all, in such a big city, it would be too lonely if you were all alone.

Huang Yanfei rummaged through her luggage and pulled out some local specialties for Jiang Ying: pineapple cakes. Jiang Ying didn’t stand on ceremony, opened the box, and ate one.

Huang Yanfei: “It’s so late, aren’t you afraid of getting fat?”

Jiang Ying finished eating and drank half a glass of water, “I only had some broccoli for dinner, and now I’m starving!”

Of course, this was because she had eaten too much braised pork for lunch and had no appetite for dinner. Jiang Ying perfectly hid the truth and received her friend’s understanding.

When they went to bed, they lay there, each playing on their phones, with the small electric fan whirring.

Jiang Ying said, “Doesn’t it feel like our first year of high school, when our dorm didn’t have air conditioning, and we only had two small fans?”

Huang Yanfei: “Yes, yes, everyone hid under their blankets playing on their phones, afraid of being caught by the dorm supervisor.”

Jiang Ying: “One time, it was very late, and we thought the dorm supervisor was asleep. But we were chatting too loudly, and the auntie suddenly burst in, shining her flashlight on our heads... Even now, thinking about that scene makes me panic.”

Huang Yanfei: “Hahahaha... Did our entire dorm get points deducted that time? We thought we’d be scolded by the old homeroom teacher, but then the boys’ dorm got caught playing video games and arguing with the supervisor. The next day, the old homeroom teacher was too busy lecturing them to bother with us.”

They laughed until they sweated.

Jiang Ying sat up and turned the fan to its highest setting, making the whirring sound even louder. It was just like that year, everyone sleeping on narrow single beds that creaked with every turn, in an eight-person dorm with only two small ceiling fans slowly turning their necks.

They continued to chat.

Huang Yanfei: “Back then, Meng Jingshu was really cool. He was the dorm leader of their dorm, right? The second Monday, he was punished to read a self-criticism speech under the national flag, but he didn’t show any fear. His expression was cool and arrogant, almost like an honor speech by a student representative. The girls below were totally smitten, and later, so many people came to our class to deliver love letters that they almost wore out the doorstep.”

Jiang Ying: “Yeah, little girls back then probably all liked that kind of guy.”

Even she was no exception.

Huang Yanfei: “He had good grades but wouldn’t be disciplined. The old homeroom teacher couldn’t do anything about him. That persona would still attract fans even now.”

Meng Jingshu was undoubtedly a hot topic back then. Girls’ dormitories often talked about him during late-night chats. Now, talking about it again, Huang Yanfei looked at Jiang Ying with emotion, “He was a cool and smart young man back then, truly handsome. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have liked him for so many years.”

Jiang Ying stared at the ceiling and slowly said, “He’s still handsome now.”

Huang Yanfei’s senses were sharp: “Hmm? Now? I heard in the class group that he’s returned to the country. Have you seen him?”

Jiang Ying put her hands on top of her head, sighing deeply: “Feifei... let me tell you something, he and I, we slept together.”

“Huh???”

As she told Huang Yanfei what happened, her friend’s expression slowly changed from shock to a series of “tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.”

After a moment of “tsking,” she finally managed to pick out the first question from countless queries.

“Then do you think... will you two have a future?”

Huang Yanfei knew about their past, so she didn’t ask if they would get together, but used an ambiguous phrase.

Jiang Ying shook her head, “We’re not children anymore; how can we think about the future after just one night?”

Huang Yanfei expressed understanding, then said, “Meng Jingshu is still with your arch-rival, right? So he cheated? Tsk, tsk, that arrogant and handsome young man has really been corrupted by society’s big dyeing vat.”

Jiang Ying was quiet for a moment, then asked her, “Then do you think I’m bad?”

“Of course not! That Fu Xuan treated you like that, so she deserves to be cheated on now.” Huang Yanfei defended her friend, “I’m telling you, you should have secretly taken a naked picture of Meng Jingshu and sent it to her, gloating and making her furious!”

Jiang Ying was amused, “Yeah, why didn’t I think of that?”

As they were talking, a red dot appeared on Jiang Ying’s WeChat. It was her university dorm group, and her roommates were furiously @-ing her.

“Yingying baby! I have great news for you!”

“Fu Xuan got dumped, hahahahaha!”

“Look!”

Below popped up a Weibo screenshot.

Fu Xuan Larissa V:

Yes, I broke up, with no turning back. I won’t go into the specific reasons, but I can only say that people change. Three years of time, destroyed overnight. Perhaps one must experience pain to grow stronger.

I will try my best to move on and continue to share happiness with you all. Thank you all for your concern.

Jiang Ying’s mood suddenly became complicated.

She held out her phone screen to Huang Yanfei’s face, “I suddenly really want a drink.”

Huang Yanfei looked at it and understood, “Get some good rest tonight, and tomorrow, big brother will take you to a good place.”

“Where?”

“THE ONE.”

________________________________________

The air conditioner repairman arrived early and fixed it quickly, giving them plenty of time to get ready.

At Huang Yanfei’s instigation, Jiang Ying rummaged through her closets and finally found a black slip dress she had impulsively bought but never worn, paired it with lace-up high heels, and put on heavy makeup.

Huang Yanfei herself wore a sleeveless white T-shirt and denim hot pants with a choker, and the two of them looked quite good.

To complete her look, Jiang Ying chose a mini square bag and, when leaving, stuffed her power bank and keys into Huang Yanfei’s bag.

They booked a casual table, had a leisurely dinner, and then slowly ambled over when the night was in full swing.

THE ONE was located in the most prosperous area of Zebian City, a high-rise building by the river. Stepping out of the elevator, one was immediately greeted by the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the river, the traffic, and the dazzling lights.

A handsome young man at the entrance smiled and welcomed them in. From prosperity to intoxication, the beats of the nightclub pounded in Jiang Ying’s heart.

They ordered drinks and snacks, sipping slowly.

Huang Yanfei pointed to the huge glass panel above them and suggested, “It hasn’t even gotten wild yet. Should we go up to the second floor and take a look?”

“Mhm.”

They pushed open the soundproof door, walked through the corridor, and went up the stairs to the second floor.

The first floor was a wild nightclub with pulsating rhythms; the second floor was a chic lounge bar with graceful melodies.

The ceiling of the first floor, which was also the floor of the second floor, had a hexagonal glass panel in the center, bright and clear, where lights and gazes could meet. You could see but not hear, like watching a silent movie about another world.

This also became one of many popular spots for young people to check in.

Taking advantage of the sparse crowd, Jiang Ying and Huang Yanfei also took a few photos with their small wine glasses, then went to the terrace to enjoy the view and take selfies.

The early autumn night breeze was very comfortable, and the deep, distant night view of Zebian below them was like a reflection of the Milky Way.

Jiang Ying took small sips of her wine, and for a moment, this bustling scene intensified her loneliness and insignificance.

But that was only for the brief moment the liquid touched her throat.

They only went to the second floor to browse. Reservations for seats there needed to be made several days in advance, so they left after checking in.

Back on the first floor, the stage performance had already begun, and people were swaying and dancing to the passionate beats.

The atmosphere raised the temperature by several degrees. Jiang Ying and her friends took off their jackets and joined the crowd. The lights constantly flickered, making it impossible to clearly see the people around them. If they bumped into someone, no one minded, and some might even gesture to dance together. All that their eyes saw in the flickering lights were the hazy, relaxed, or excited smiles on other people’s faces.

Sweaty and a little tired, Jiang Ying returned to their small table to rest during a break in the program. Huang Yanfei ran into some friends and, after telling Jiang Ying, went over to say hello to them.

Jiang Ying got some water from a waiter and was playing on her phone when a man with a pompadour and a white T-shirt with GIVENCHY printed on it walked up to her.

It was someone she had bumped into earlier while dancing.

The man smiled charmingly at her and handed her a beautiful drink: “Beautiful lady, this is for you.”

Wow, a pickup artist.

Jiang Ying was still high on the atmosphere, so she playfully refused, “My mom doesn’t let me drink!”

The man smiled pleasantly and didn’t insist, “Can I sit down and chat?”

Seeing that Huang Yanfei wouldn’t be back for a while, Jiang Ying flipped her palm, gesturing for him to sit.

The man spoke like an orator, from THE ONE to other famous bars and restaurants in Zebian City, then to his insights on various types of wines from different countries, followed by the local customs of England, France, and Italy. Jiang Ying listened vaguely, finding it easier to zone out than while writing a case summary. She was starting to get fed up and wondered if she should call Huang Yanfei back.

Unexpectedly, another low male voice spoke: “Mr. Hong, what a coincidence.”

Jiang Ying’s hair stood on end.