Mixed Chapter 62

Wasted

Song Shixue had disappeared.

Ever since Chi Nuan’s conversation—which wasn’t really a heart-to-heart—with Song Shixue that night, Song Shixue hadn’t returned home for two or three consecutive days.

At first, Chi Nuan would still receive a reply or two when she messaged, though the content was usually an excuse about being busy.

Chi Nuan even tried waiting for her at the school gate, which also ended fruitlessly. Later, she stopped replying to messages altogether.

The next time Chi Nuan sent a message, the screen displayed the red exclamation mark she dreaded seeing the most.

She had considered calling the police, but she was afraid—afraid that this departure was something Song Shixue had planned for a long time, and afraid that involving the police would make Song Shixue resent her even more.

She knew Song Shixue too well; if a turtle didn’t want to leave its shell, anything done would be futile.

All she could do was wait.

/

Since returning from the trip to Milan, her workload had increased exponentially, half of which was thanks to Lin Zi. Of course, Chi Nuan herself was highly capable; based solely on her talent, she had quickly brought Hua Shang Company new glory. Following Director Shu’s suggestion, Chi Nuan, at the age of 22, prematurely completed her internship and was promoted to the enviable position of Department Manager of the Photography Department.

Chi Nuan hadn’t even settled into her new role before facing skepticism from her subordinates. Naturally, questioning her skill was impossible given her proven ability, but her recent work state was genuinely worrying.

Chi Nuan arrived at the company every day with messy, bird’s nest hair. Initially, they thought it was the new department manager’s fashion style. But as they watched the hollows beneath her spectacle frames deepen and her dark circles grow heavier, she looked like she had been subjected to some cruel torture in private.

She was practically a walking corpse.

Beyond the change in appearance, what terrified them more was Chi Nuan’s volatile temper. Most employees’ first impression of Chi Nuan was that she was sunny and gentle. Now, she was like a landmine, ready to explode at any moment.

Chen Zhou, the company supervisor, couldn’t stand it anymore. He called Chi Nuan into his office and frowned, asking, “Xiao Nuan, what’s wrong with you lately?”

“What do you mean, what’s wrong?” she countered weakly.

Chen Zhou spun a pen in one hand and pushed the mirror on his desk toward her with the other. “Look at yourself right now.”

She looked neither human nor ghost.

“Do you know how many colleagues are discussing you privately, saying you don’t deserve your current position? Chi Nuan, so many people want to climb up! Since you’ve achieved this, you should cherish it and put in a hundred times more effort than before! Not wander around listlessly and moody all day like this!” Chen Zhou grew increasingly agitated as he spoke.

During the recruitment fair, he had been jealous of Chi Nuan’s luck and doubted Director Shu’s judgment. However, after witnessing her talent, he admired her from the bottom of his heart.

And now, the young Chi Nuan had once again caused Director Shu to make an exception for her—ending her internship early and smoothly ascending to a high position.

It was clear how much Director Shu valued Chi Nuan.

Yet, she sat in a position many dreamed of, failing to appreciate it.

Was she too arrogant, or had both he and Director Shu misjudged her?

Chi Nuan was silent for a long time before saying, “I don’t have the ability to handle it. Let someone else take it.”

She said it lightly, completely unconcerned.

“Chi Nuan, are you serious?” Chen Zhou was incredulous. In his eyes, Chi Nuan was quite ambitious; she wouldn’t easily give up everything she had gained. “Did something happen to you?”

“Chen Zhou, I…”

“Alright, you don’t need to say anything. I’m giving you some time off. Go home and think things through during this period.” He patted Chi Nuan’s shoulder. “Chi Nuan, I hope you truly consider your decision carefully. Currently, no one in the company has more talent and skill than you. You can’t just waste them.”

“Okay… thank you…”

At six in the evening, this highly valued rising star, looking utterly lost, arrived downstairs from the company and took a taxi home to take care of Shanshan. At eight, she left the house again, a hollow shell, and headed to a nearby, brightly lit bar.

She vanished into the red lights, reappearing conspicuously at the bar counter.

Even in a dim bar, the central counter position was always far more noticeable than the corners. She thought, since Song Shixue had said she would supervise her and prevent her from drinking, then if she got herself wasted now, Song Shixue would surely appear.

Song Shixue would definitely spot her immediately and then take her home.

Empty glass bottles piled up and clinked on the counter, causing her to constantly drift into a haze only to be jolted back to consciousness. She propped up her head, continuously muttering Song Shixue’s name. Suddenly, she heard the stool next to her being pulled out, followed by a gentle pat on her shoulder.

She lifted her gaze slightly, her fringe obscuring part of her vision. She cracked a smile and slowly spoke, “Teacher Song, you came?”

Song Shixue’s face appeared in Chi Nuan’s eyes.

She instantly felt time rewind, back to the night she and Song Shixue first met in a bar. The same lighting, the same expression, only the drunk person had changed from Song Shixue to herself.

“Chi Nuannuan, look closely, it’s Zhiyu, Chen Zhiyu!” Chen Zhiyu sat down beside her and pinched her flushed right cheek. “Why are you drinking yourself into this state alone?”

Chi Nuan hadn’t told Chen Zhiyu about Song Shixue’s disappearance. Firstly, she thought Chen Zhiyu had her own things to be busy with, and secondly, she knew Chen Zhiyu’s personality. If she knew Song Shixue had inexplicably left without a word, Chen Zhiyu would first scold her thoroughly, then lecture her, and finally, she would likely drop everything to come and stay with her.

But Chi Nuan didn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of Song Shixue, nor did she want Chen Zhiyu to rush over without a care just to accompany her.

Chi Nuan rubbed her temples, then looked at Chen Zhiyu with blurry eyes. She had sobered up slightly, but the moment she saw Chen Zhiyu, her vision was once again clouded by tears.

“Zhiyu, Teacher Song left,” she said, pulling Chen Zhiyu’s hand and burying her entire head in her friend’s lap.

“What?” The loud music and chatter in the bar mixed together, making Chi Nuan’s words, like her person, insignificant and powerless.

Chen Zhiyu felt Chi Nuan’s trembling back. She gently patted it, then paused.

It was mid-September, and Chi Nuan was wearing a light gray hoodie. The fabric didn’t feel thin, yet Chen Zhiyu could directly feel the protruding segments of her spine through it.

Due to work, Chen Zhiyu and Chi Nuan mostly communicated online, and they had met in person no more than three times. But in her memory, Chi Nuan hadn’t been this thin during their previous meetings.

The already slender person looked half a size smaller, with slightly sunken cheeks.

She looked emaciated. At 172 centimeters tall, she probably weighed less than 90 pounds. Even Chen Zhiyu had barely recognized her when she first saw her in the bar.

Chi Nuan, who looked like she could be blown over by the wind, weakly repeated with a clearly congested voice, “She left.”

Chen Zhiyu heard her clearly.

She said she left.

Chen Zhiyu didn’t need to think to know who “she” was.

Chen Zhiyu now understood the reason for Chi Nuan’s weight loss—a broken heart.

If anyone else had been heartbroken, Chen Zhiyu would have long since unleashed her inner gossip queen and started asking endless questions. But this time, the heartbroken person was Chi Nuan.

Years of friendship had forged an invisible understanding between them; saying anything more at this moment would be useless. All Chen Zhiyu needed to do was continue patting Chi Nuan’s back until she calmed down slightly, then take her straight home.

The other things could wait until Chi Nuan woke up and would naturally be discussed slowly.

Chi Nuan leaned against Chen Zhiyu, drifting in and out of consciousness.

She hadn’t waited for the lover she expected, but fortunately, she had waited for a good friend.

Chen Zhiyu wasn’t Song Shixue.

But she found Chi Nuan faster than Song Shixue and took her home sooner.