MY - 48

A week ago, Chen Huan’s mother returned from a business trip abroad.

Chen Huan naturally no longer had a reason to continue living at her aunt’s house and was picked up by her mother to go home.

But after only a week, the mother and daughter had a huge fight. Chen Huan stopped going to class and, after staying at her aunt’s house for a few days, flew to Beijing.

Teenagers also have their own troubles. The world doesn’t give them a pass just because they’re young.

Chen Huan must have something on her mind, but she wasn’t saying anything, and Jiang Xi wasn’t going to ask.

Until one evening, Chen Huan came back, bringing the cold air with her.

Jiang Xi was sitting on the floor, building Lego, and looked up when she heard the door open.

In the entryway, Chen Huan was wrapped in a down jacket, with a guitar bag on her back. After entering the house, she closed the door.

When Jiang Xi saw the guitar bag on her back, she understood. “Did you find a teacher here?”

Chen Huan took off her guitar bag and placed it against the wall. “I had a lesson today.”

Jiang Xi nodded, looked away, and continued playing with her Lego.

Chen Huan took off her down jacket, sat down on the sofa, and rested her chin on her hand, watching Jiang Xi build her Lego. “You really know how to have fun by yourself.”

Jiang Xi: “Being bored to death also sounds pretty good.”

Chen Huan: “That’s a good point.”

A minute later, Chen Huan joined Jiang Xi.

While they were building, Jiang Xi asked, “Are you not going back anymore?”

Chen Huan didn’t hesitate at all. “No.”

“Not going to school anymore?” Jiang Xi asked calmly.

Chen Huan was nonchalant. “I can’t learn anyway. Going to school is just wasting time. It makes no difference whether I go or not.”

She paused. “No, actually, not going to school means I have a lot of time to learn what I want to learn.”

Chen Huan had always been a person with her own ideas and didn’t need Jiang Xi to give her any advice.

Jiang Xi: “As long as you don’t regret this choice now.”

It was the first time Chen Huan had heard someone say that. She looked up at Jiang Xi and smiled. “Other people say, ‘Just don’t regret it in the future.’ But you’re saying, ‘Just don’t regret it now.’“

Jiang Xi glanced at her, then lowered her head to continue building her Lego. She said calmly, “Many people regret their past choices because people change. When they made the choice, they didn’t know what they would become. It’s better to just look at the present. As long as you don’t regret it now, that’s enough.”

Chen Huan thought she had a point.

But she smiled. “But I’m sure I won’t regret it in the future.”

Jiang Xi actually believed her.

Chen Huan was a person with a strong purpose. She had her own ideas since she was a child, which was why her relationship with her mother was so strained.

Her disagreement with her mother didn’t come from rebellion but from having too many of her own ideas.

One was traditional and conservative, while the other wasn’t bound by rules. It was inevitable that they would constantly argue while living under the same roof.

Jiang Xi said, “It’s fine as long as you’ve made up your mind.”

Chen Huan: “I made up my mind eight hundred years ago.”

After a while, Jiang Xi asked, “Are you short on money?”

Although Chen Huan was independent and brave, she was only a high school student and had no source of income.

Chen Huan was also honest. “It’s impossible to say no, but it’s an exaggeration to say I’m so short on money that I can’t eat.”

After saying that, she was a little smug. “After all, I’ve saved up two years’ worth of allowance.”

She was still a kid.

Jiang Xi said, “So you wanted to run away two years ago?”

“More than two years ago,” Chen Huan said, “I wanted to run away since I was ten.”

Jiang Xi laughed.

Chen Huan suddenly said, “Oh, right. I’m just staying here for a few days. Once I find a place, I’ll move out. I’ll only be bothering you for a few more days.”

“Do as you please,” Jiang Xi said. “You can stay if you don’t want to move out.”

Jiang Xi’s apartment was big and usually very quiet. After Chen Huan moved in, it became a little more lively. But since Chen Huan wasn’t home much during the day and was usually out, they didn’t run into each other often, so it didn’t bother Jiang Xi.

Chen Huan: “Thank you.”

Jiang Xi didn’t say anything. She stopped building Lego and stretched. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

Chen Huan nodded lazily.

Jiang Xi picked up her phone next to her. “I’ll order something for you too.”

She opened her phone. “What do you want to eat?”

Chen Huan: “Anything.”

Jiang Xi casually tapped into a store and added a bunch of things to her cart.

It took her no more than a few dozen seconds. After ordering, she threw her phone back on the table.

Chen Huan was surprised. “You’re done ordering? That was fast.”

Jiang Xi: “Didn’t you say ‘anything’? I just ordered randomly.”

Chen Huan: “...”

Jiang Xi had nothing else to do, so she got up and took a shower.

When she came out of the bathroom, Chen Huan was just getting the takeout from the entrance.

Chen Huan placed the two bags of takeout on the table and asked her, “Is there anywhere around here to buy clothes?”

Jiang Xi lightly dried her hair with a towel and walked to the sofa to sit down. “The mall.”

It was only when Chen Huan asked this that Jiang Xi noticed Chen Huan only had two sets of clothes that she would switch between.

She asked, “You didn’t bring any clothes?”

Chen Huan plopped down on the floor, crossed her legs, and opened the takeout. “I left in a hurry and didn’t have time to pack my things.”

In a little over a month, it would be Chinese New Year.

Jiang Xi thought for a moment. “Let’s go together tomorrow.”

Chen Huan asked, “Are you free tomorrow?”

Jiang Xi hummed. “I don’t have anything going on.”

“Alright, then let’s go together tomorrow.”

Chen Huan was now not only studying and focusing on her music but also making time to work.

She worked in the morning and had lessons in the afternoon. She had agreed to go to the mall with Jiang Xi today, so she still went to work in the morning and asked her teacher for time off in the afternoon.

Jiang Xi went to pick her up from her workplace.

Chen Huan didn’t have a diploma or any special skills, so she worked at the front desk of an internet cafe.

The building was probably a bit old, and the iron gate was rusty.

There were many people in the internet cafe playing games all night. Every once in a while, two or three boys would come out laughing and joking.

Soon, Chen Huan came out with a few boys and said goodbye to them when she saw Jiang Xi’s car.

The boys seemed to know her well. They waved, then put their arms around each other’s shoulders and walked away.

Chen Huan walked over, opened the car door, and hopped in, throwing her backpack into the back seat.

Jiang Xi started the car. “Did you make friends?”

“I guess so,” Chen Huan said. “After all, we’re in the internet cafe every day. We talk a lot and just get to know each other.”

“Are you keeping up with everything?”

Chen Huan: “Of course I am. This job is pretty easy. I just help customers turn on their computers and sell instant noodles.”

Jiang Xi knew that working at an internet cafe didn’t pay much. “You can tell me if you’re short on money.”

Chen Huan: “I’m not short on money right now.” She tried her best not to cause trouble for others.

Jiang Xi didn’t say anything. The two of them chatted casually and soon arrived at a nearby mall.

The mall wasn’t very busy on a weekday. There weren’t many people. Most of the people shopping were college students who didn’t have class.

Chen Huan’s style was quite flamboyant. Most of the casual clothes were on the first floor. After they walked around the first floor, they went to the second floor.

Jiang Xi said she was also there to look at clothes, but in reality, Chen Huan was the only one looking. Jiang Xi was so leisurely that she looked like she was just out for a walk.

Chen Huan bought her second set of clothes and asked, “Aren’t you buying anything?”

Jiang Xi was leaning against the counter. “I didn’t see anything I liked.”

After paying, the two of them left and aimlessly walked around the other side.

On the way, they passed by a beautifully decorated small shop with many pretty dresses hanging inside.

Jiang Xi glanced at it and slowed down.

Chen Huan also stopped with her and looked in the same direction. The dresses had intricate designs but were still cute.

Jiang Xi’s style wasn’t usually like this, so Chen Huan was surprised. “You like this kind of thing?”

Jiang Xi just glanced at her, said nothing, and walked into the store.

Chen Huan followed her inside.

As soon as they entered, a store clerk came over. When Jiang Xi described a person’s height, weight, and appearance to the clerk, Chen Huan realized that Jiang Xi wasn’t buying it for herself.

The girl Jiang Xi described was not very tall, was light in weight, and had a cute appearance.

Chen Huan immediately knew who it was.

She asked Jiang Xi, “Is it a gift for my cousin?”

Chen Huan’s cousin was Xia Xinyan’s daughter, who was also Jiang Chi’s girlfriend.

Since she was a few years younger than her, Jiang Xi had gotten used to bringing her gifts every year for Chinese New Year. It had become a habit now.

She was picking out clothes and said to Chen Huan, “Should I buy you one too?”

“I’m fine,” Chen Huan said, looking at a dress. “I can’t pull off this kind of outfit. I don’t have the personality for it.”

Jiang Xi picked out a set and said calmly, “Everyone has their own unique style.”

Jiang Xi was quick to pick out clothes. After walking around, she chose three sets.

Chen Huan had to admire her taste. “They’re pretty suitable for my cousin.”

After they were bagged, the two of them quickly left the store. Chen Huan still needed a few more clothes and shoes.

Halfway through, Jiang Xi went to the restroom. When she came back, Chen Huan was still in the store trying on shoes.

It was a little stuffy inside, so Jiang Xi didn’t go back in and stood outside to get some fresh air.

She stood by the glass railing, next to a potted green plant.

After a while, Jiang Xi suddenly noticed a figure in the store next to her. When she realized it, she had already looked over.

When she saw the man’s back, she already knew who it was. It was a familiar face.

Jiang Xi glanced at the sign. It was a computer repair shop.

When she looked away, the man had already pushed the door open and walked out.

When Qin Jin saw Jiang Xi, he was also stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

He returned to his normal self and walked over to Jiang Xi.

The two of them had only met once or twice. Even though Jiang Xi and Lu Nandu had met many times, Jiang Xi had never run into Qin Jin. This was probably because the times Lu Nandu met her were not during work hours.

The last time Jiang Xi and Qin Jin met was when her car scraped Lu Nandu’s Maybach.

At that time, Jiang Xi didn’t know that Qin Jin was Lu Nandu’s assistant.

Qin Jin stopped in front of Jiang Xi. He was polite and well-mannered. He extended his hand. “Hello, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Xi, who had been leaning lazily against the railing behind her, extended her hand in return. “Hello.”

Even though there wasn’t much to talk about between them, Qin Jin wouldn’t let the conversation get awkward. He asked, “What a coincidence. What are you doing here?”

Jiang Xi: “Just came to walk around.”

Qin Jin hummed. “Did you buy what you wanted to buy?”

Jiang Xi nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Normally, Jiang Xi wouldn’t continue a conversation like this. She wasn’t good at it. But today, she forced herself to ask another question.

“How about you?”

Even Qin Jin was a little surprised, but his expression returned to normal in a second. “I’m sending a computer in for repair. There are some important files inside.”

Jiang Xi said, “Oh.”

Qin Jin probably had other things to do and glanced at his watch.

Jiang Xi saw everything and asked, “Is Lu Nandu very busy lately?”

Qin Jin looked up at her, his expression very natural, with a smile on his face. “Mr. Lu has been very busy lately. He’s been tied up with work, and he also has some personal matters to take care of.”

The first half of the sentence was normal. Jiang Xi was a smart person and could tell what he meant by the second half.

Qin Jin was conveying some information to her, and both of them knew it but didn’t say it out loud.

Qin Jin glanced at his watch again. “Miss Jiang, I have some work to do, so I’ll be going now. See you next time if we have a chance.”

Jiang Xi nodded. “Okay.”

Qin Jin left quickly.

Jiang Xi’s gaze followed Qin Jin’s back.

This was the only connection she had with Lu Nandu these past few days.

He hadn’t called her or texted her.

It was as if he had never existed in her world.