SWG Chapter 11
by VolareRuan Shengyi only glanced at the girl sitting there, looking uneasy, and knew that if she wanted to understand the ins and outs of the matter, she couldn’t talk about it in front of her. So, she turned her steps, gently pulled Xiao Wenyu aside, and lowered her voice to say, “What’s wrong?”
“I have to go get the clothes, but her makeup will take a long time, so…”
Ruan Shengyi turned her head to look over. The timid little girl had a large dark red birthmark on her face, centered on her right eye, symmetrical up and down, like the two wings of a butterfly.
After Xiao Wenyu’s simple outline, it did look like a butterfly, lifelike.
Ruan Shengyi briefly conceived for a moment, and nodded, “Go get the clothes, I’ll finish the rest.”
Without hesitation, without questioning whether what she was doing was meaningful, and without saying any extra words, she simply said, “I’ll do it.”
Xiao Wenyu was a little stunned, her lips trembled, and she said, “I’ll explain to you at noon. Ruan, the boss, should be free at noon, right?”
“It’s okay, go ahead. By the way, should I drive my Chopped Chili Fish Head?”
“…” Xiao Wenyu silently looked at her for a long time, her eyes flickered and gradually returned to calm, for a long time, “I’m counting on you.”
The little girl sitting there alone was even more uneasy at this time. Waiting would bring anxiety, and anxiety would bring some hesitation, so that when Ruan Shengyi sat in front of her again, she Tuckedher hands tightly and said in a low voice, “Is it too difficult to draw? Aunt Xiao is already…”
“Not difficult.” Ruan Shengyi sat on the round stool and picked up the brush beside her, “She went to get the clothes, so I’ll draw part of it.”
“This butterfly is very beautiful.”
“Close your eyes.”
Her voice was a completely different type from Xiao Wenyu’s. At this moment, even if it softened, it still carried a bit of coldness, clear and cold, like the wind blowing through the pine forest, bringing a silent rustling sound.
But it was equally reassuring.
She could feel the little girl relax, as if exhaling a breath, and said naively, “Sister, are you Aunt Xiao’s friend?”
Ruan Shengyi paused for a moment with her hand that was further processing the butterfly, and said in a deep voice, “Call me auntie.”
“Why?” The little girl pouted, “Aunt Xiao won’t let me call her sister either, and neither will you. Aren’t you all supposed to like being called sister? Why?”
Ruan Shengyi slandered in her heart: I don’t know why Xiao Wenyu doesn’t let you call her sister, but since you can’t call her sister, then you can’t call me sister either.
Otherwise, wouldn’t the generations be messed up!
But she was always too lazy to explain these things, and even less willing to explain such painstaking things to children, only touching up the makeup bit by bit, without saying a word.
So the already silent air became even more silent, and the breathing of the two people could be heard clearly.
Gradually, Ruan Shengyi realized that she seemed unable to hear the other person’s breathing.
She let go of her hand and took a few steps back, only to realize that the little girl’s face was tense and slightly red, but her cheeks were bulging, as if she was deliberately controlling her breathing.
Ruan Shengyi: …Is she that scary?
She changed a tool, gently lifted the little girl’s chin with one finger, hooked it upward, and raised her eyebrows slightly: “Am I some kind of monster that eats people?”
The girl seemed afraid to look her in the eye. After looking away, she breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, “Auntie doesn’t say a word, I’m scared.”
Ruan Shengyi: …
“Sorry.” She tried to soften her voice a little more, “What’s your name?”
“Luo Yiyi!”
The best way to build rapport is to start by asking names. After the girl answered with enthusiasm, she curved her lips, “Auntie, what about you? I know it’s not good to ask for a name, but auntie can just tell me your last name.”
Ruan Shengyi raised her hand and wiped the powder from the corner of her eye, “Ruan, the left ear radical with the ‘yuan’ of ‘one yuan’ Yuan.”
So Luo Yiyi traced it with her finger on the chair, and retracted her hand with satisfaction.
She became bolder and talked more, saying, “Auntie Ruan, do you know how Aunt Xiao and I met?”
Ruan Shengyi thought about the tone that Xiao Wenyu would have, pressed her tongue, and said, “How did you meet?”
Too soft, she didn’t even recognize herself. The hand holding the Pole even trembled.
“It was on shake/sound! It was a long time ago. Aunt Xiao would share photos she usually took with her phone. In her introduction, it said that she could take photos for friends in Spring City for free, but they needed to fit her schedule. I bravely sent her a message, and that’s how we met!”
Ruan Shengyi paused slightly, then chuckled softly.
The internet, it really is quite good.
In this day and age, with information exchange as busy as traffic, can there still be such pure and sincere feelings?
Then could she also…
The moment this thought popped up, Ruan Shengyi dismissed it.
She wouldn’t register for these almost real-time and unprivate software. She even handed over the account for her own bar to Ye Min to manage, and wouldn’t upload any photos related to her.
She didn’t dare to accept that anyone from the distant soil would grab her again, reminding her of where she came from and what her past was like.
The dust of the past was too heavy, like a shackle. On this day when she had finally walked out, it was destined to be too heavy to carry.
In today’s world where network information is so developed, she is someone without micro/Blog and without shake/sound, isn’t it amazing?
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but chuckle a few times, mixed with a lot of self-deprecation and helplessness.
But Luo Yiyi still couldn’t understand the deep meaning contained in the adult’s laughter. She muttered Humph, “Auntie Ruan, do you also think what I said is funny?”
“No.” Ruan Shengyi pressed on the corners of her lips, “I think it’s rare.”
“Network information is changing rapidly, you can recognize each other, chat with each other, and persist until the day your dream is truly realized, it’s very rare.”
“Whether it’s you or Boss Xiao, you are both one in a million good people, that’s why you can get such a perfect ending.”
Luo Yiyi: “Auntie, you’re right! Aunt Xiao is really one in a million good person. After she knew about my situation, she was always preparing for me, even though I could clearly feel that she was unhappy during that time, and even sharing her works slowed down a lot. So I asked her, why don’t we just forget about it…”
Ruan Shengyi’s heart skipped a beat, and she asked softly, “And then?”
She could probably guess the reason for Xiao Wenyu’s unhappiness during that time.
The freshness of marriage was fading, and the problems that were not exposed during the relationship were gradually emerging. Trivial matters brought a lot of annoyance, even affecting such a warm person like her, and even sharing her works slowed down.
So, and then?
At that time, was she trapped in place by the bitterness of marriage? Did she still have her own wishes? Was she still working hard for her own wishes?
She will probably always fight for her own passions.
In that instant, Ruan Shengyi was startled by the clusters of thoughts that popped up in her heart. The hand that was picking out lipstick even trembled for a moment, almost touching the lip balm next to her that didn’t have a lid on it.
They had only known each other for a few days.
Ruan Shengyi thought.
Is her empathy a little too strong?
Luo Yiyi Puffed mouth, and said, “Aunt Xiao said, ‘A word once spoken is hard to take back,’ but it just needed me to wait a little longer.”
“Then I waited for a year. Last month, Aunt Xiao sent me a message saying that her photography studio was about to open, and that I could come to fulfill my wish.”
Ruan Shengyi tried to restrain her thoughts and lowered her voice, “Are there other people like you?”
“I mean, others like you who have wishes that need Boss Xiao to help them fulfill.”
Luo Yiyi: “Then I don’t know. But Sister Xiao is very kind. Mommy says kind people are rewarded, so Sister Xiao will definitely be very, very happy in the future!”
Boss Ruan scoffed lightly, but couldn’t bear to shatter her thoughts, and said, “Your mommy is right.”
“Open your mouth, time to put on lipstick.”
Luo Yiyi smiled hey-hey, and obediently opened her mouth, waiting for this auntie to put lipstick on her.
Before long, the real owner of the store returned.
“What step have you gotten to?” The person who went to get the clothes came in with a consistent gentle smile, gently breathing as she put down the few paper bags in her hand, and walked over gently supporting her waist, “Let me see, let me see how beautiful Yiyi is now.”
Ruan Shengyi then closed the lid of the lipstick and slid back a few steps, giving the person who had just returned enough wide space to admire the “work” they had jointly completed.
She supported the armrest of another armchair, moving her slightly sore neck, squinting in the somewhat blinding reverse white light, and was flashed by a flash of pale neck in the white light.
Before she closed her eyes, she saw Xiao Wenyu bending down to pick up a fine-haired brush, dipping a small amount of color, and placing it on her cheek, rather than on the butterfly that was fluttering like a butterfly.
She thought, Xiao Wenyu, you will definitely be happy soon in the future.
No matter because of whom.
Luo Yiyi was obediently closing her eyes at this time, letting Xiao Wenyu turn her head to observe. After a long time, Boss Xiao couldn’t help but sigh, “This butterfly has been carved and embellished by two people, it really looks like it’s alive.”
“Yiyi, after you change your clothes, you will be the most beautiful butterfly fairy.”
Luo Yiyi happily opened her eyes, “Really? Then I’ll go change my clothes!”
Xiao Wenyu: “Can you do it yourself?”
Luo Yiyi nodded, “Of course! I’m already thirteen years old, Auntie can just give me the clothes, thank you, Auntie.”
Xiao Wenyu watched Luo Yiyi go to change clothes with a smile. After she disappeared into the door, her gaze gradually shifted and fell on the person leaning on the armrest, looking a little drowsy.
She lightened her steps and walked over. Ruan Shengyi said dissatisfied, “I wasn’t asleep.”
Xiao Wenyu: “Is the boss tired from doing makeup?”
She gently grasped a strand of broken hair hanging in front of her body, rubbing it in her hand, “Thank you, Boss Ruan. How about I treat you to lunch today?”
Ruan Shengyi then lazily looked at her. A hint of laziness appeared in her pair of black and white eyes, and she smiled, “Boss Xiao should save some money to hire an employee for herself. I can’t be a temporary worker every day.”
She was sitting in the warm light, but also in Wenyu’s shadow. The shadow happened to envelop her, and happened to let them both see the faint smiles on each other’s lips.
Xiao Wenyu: “Is Boss Ruan considering doing a part-time job? You and I have so much chemistry, I can teach you how to take pictures.”
Ruan Shengyi shook her head, “That’s too brain-intensive. It’s already difficult to adjust my biological clock, and my brain can’t function anymore.”
Xiao Wenyu didn’t ask any further, and said in a low voice, “Okay.”
A little wronged, a little pitiful.
Click.
In the corner, the girl forgot that it was so important to turn off the sound of her phone. Her phone exposed the fact that she was taking pictures.
The two of them looked over almost at the same time. Luo Yiyi was frantically turning off the sound, and repeatedly apologized.
But in the instant she looked up, she was stunned in place again, and said in a low voice, “Can you two aunties not move for a moment?”
……