DF Chapter 125

Chapter 125 Sheng Jia, What Gift Did You Receive When You Were Fifteen?

Chapter 125 Sheng Jia, What Gift Did You Receive When You Were Fifteen?

This isn’t the largest museum under Wang Huiqiu’s name, but it is the most desolate and deserted. It seems that when this museum was built, there were no plans for visitors. Over the years, it has quietly sat in this corner. Even someone like Sheng Jia, who grew up in Jingjiang, might not have known about this private museum in such a remote coastal location if she hadn’t searched its name carefully.

Ivy climbed all over the museum’s walls. Perhaps because it was humid enough, they grew lush and green, reflecting a golden light in the setting sun.

Song Ji’an sat in the car without moving. She stared at the square-shaped building for a long time before saying, “I never accepted it. It shouldn’t belong to me.”

“But its original owner insisted on giving it to you.” Sheng Jia took a key from her pocket and handed it to her. “Ms. Wang Huiqiu hopes you inherit everything. This is her last wish.”

“I know, you always feel that after we switch back our identities, we should cut off everything from the original.” She said softly, “But now you can’t cut it off, because your life has re-integrated with mine. Do you really want to stay away from Mom, away from the world you were originally familiar with, for the rest of your life?”

Song Ji’an’s eyes flickered. She looked at Sheng Jia with some surprise and understanding.

Perhaps this was the first time in so long that they had spoken so frankly about this matter.

In the past, neither Sheng Jia nor Song Ji’an would actively mention the future.

They seemed to have forgotten in this entanglement that there was still an unplanned future between them. The two people who had to be clear about everything they did had drifted along to the present.

It was as if they really were just saying they were living in the moment, and that’s what they were doing.

But they were also clear that this topic would be brought up sooner or later. Being muddleheaded was a state that neither of them could tolerate. Perhaps out of a mentality of avoidance, and the adaptation of the past five years, Song Ji’an could endure it for a while longer. But clearly, in Sheng Jia’s plans, it was time to break this state and talk about the future.

Just like she was gradually approaching Song Ji’an, from mutual resentment to the harmonious coexistence now, what she had been doing all along was to re-open her defenses in a way that Song Ji’an could accept.

She tested Song Ji’an’s boundaries, gradually entangling her like a vine, forcing her to face everything and cutting off all her possibilities of escape.

“I don’t have the right to choose anymore, do I?” Song Ji’an took a deep breath, suppressing the myriad of thoughts in her heart.

“No, you always have the right to refuse. You can not accept it. You can say right now that you don’t want to go back to the original world, that you just want to maintain the way things have been for the past five years, and live the most peaceful and tranquil life you want,” Sheng Jia met her gaze. Her tone was clearly gentle and slow, but it made Song Ji’an feel a little breathless. Her usual meticulousness seemed to have completely disappeared, and she continued, “Even, you can reject me more directly, tell me you want to cut off everything with me, it doesn’t matter. You can make these choices, no one will blame you for it.”

“Song Ji’an, you have always had many, many choices,” Sheng Jia said, “It’s not that I cut off your choices, it’s because you can’t bear to part with all of this either.”

“Stop talking.” Song Ji’an closed her eyes, suppressing the throbbing and depression in her heart. She could feel that with each sentence Sheng Jia spoke, she felt heavier.

She could no longer return to the way she was five years ago.

The desire she had strongly suppressed in her heart had long been completely released by Sheng Jia. She wanted to see Song Ningqiu, she wanted to be a good mother and daughter with Sheng Huaiying, she missed her past life, she missed every relative and friend who had been kind to her since she was a child, she—

She could no longer completely cut off everything with Sheng Jia either.

They had become like vines entangled with each other, completely glued together. Cutting them off would bring another kind of tearing pain, as if she was completely abandoning another version of herself in the world.

Wang Huiqiu’s death made her suddenly realize that her escape and resistance would only make her lose more and more of the people she cared about.

The only thing pulling her back from daring to admit it, from daring to take a step forward, was the precarious bottom line called fear and morality.

But Sheng Jia’s offensive seemed to really stop with her sentence “Stop talking.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached out to Song Ji’an, “Let’s go in and take a look?”

Song Ji’an nodded randomly, didn’t take her hand, and got out of the car on her own.

They walked side by side towards the tall building covered in ivy.

No one had been here for many years. Wang Huiqiu had many industries under her command. Most of these museums were also bought on a whim, and then filled with the collections she had acquired over the years. Only a local old woman was employed here to watch the museum, mainly responsible for cleaning and other things. The protection and cleaning of the collections were done by special personnel who came every month.

Even though Wang Huiqiu had passed away, this old woman named Nianci was still working here.

She had been watching the museum for more than ten years. It was a very leisurely job, so she cherished this opportunity even more. For more than ten years, she had been conscientious and dedicated. Even though she hadn’t seen the owner a few times, she still went to work on time every day.

Today, after hearing that Sheng Jia and the other were coming, she specially worked overtime and waited an extra hour.

“Our museum has a total of ninety-two exhibits, most of which are Wang Huiqiu’s auction items. Eighty percent of them come from the Saudi Arabian region. The collections are mainly gemstones, and the treasure of the museum is a yellow diamond.” Nianci carefully introduced to the two.

The floor was covered with thick carpets. The museum was square on the outside, but luxurious on the inside. The crystal chandelier above sparkled with bright light.

Song Ji’an and Sheng Jia quietly followed behind Nianci, only nodding occasionally when she introduced something.

The museum wasn’t very big. It only took about twenty minutes to see everything. Nianci knew what was what and handed the keys to the two of them. Then she quickly said goodbye and left work. She hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t help but remind them to try not to open the glass cabinets and touch things. If they really had to touch them, it was best to wear special gloves.

Sheng Jia nodded in agreement. When Nianci left, the museum became quiet again.

Song Ji’an was focusing her gaze on a diamond. It had the most common shape on the market, sparkling with a cold luster under the laser light. Only a nameplate introduced its name – Twins.

“Sheng Jia, do you know why it’s called Twins?” Song Ji’an suddenly asked.

“Why?” Sheng Jia asked, following her lead.

“When I was fifteen, Grandma Wang accompanied me and Song Ningqiu to a diamond field in Arabia. That year, she gave me a birthday present. It was the largest diamond in the field, with two pieces. One was given to me as a gift called Pearl, and the other was this one, a little flawed, a twin to Pearl, but because it was not the best one after all, it could not be brought to me.” She continued, “But Grandma Wang had a love for talent, and still took down this diamond, turning Twins into her collection from then on.”

“Almost ten years later, I saw it again. It turned out to be placed here.”

“It has also been properly protected here,” Sheng Jia watched this diamond with her. It wasn’t the biggest or most precious gemstone here, but it was also emitting its own brilliance.

“Sheng Jia, what gift did you receive when you were fifteen?”

Song Ji’an’s voice was as light as smoke, as if it disappeared into the blurry lights above in an instant, disappearing without a trace.

Sheng Jia fell silent.

She and Song Ji’an rarely talked about her past eighteen years.

Sheng Jia hid all the pain and hardship well, and almost never told Song Ji’an about it.

In the past, it was because she held a burst of anger, unwilling to let Song Ji’an explore it.

Now, it was because she already knew what kind of person Song Ji’an was. Those past events would only make her guilt towards herself deeper and deeper.

But fifteen-year-old Sheng Jia actually only received a bowl of longevity noodles and a piece of candy. The longevity noodles came from Sheng Huaiying, who was finally divorced, and the candy came from the staff member who helped Sheng Huaiying with the divorce.

But she gave herself a great gift. That year, she sent Wang Jian’s Brother to prison, finally giving herself and Sheng Huaiying a stable environment.

“Actually, I know,” Song Ji’an said softly when she saw her not speaking, “I know what you did that year, and I also know what you did in the past many years. When I learned my own identity, I saw your past eighteen years.”

“When I was surrounded and held in the palm of the hand by my relatives, you were forced to learn how to grit your teeth and live; when I was still ignorant but enjoyed everything, you were learning how to protect yourself and protect Mom; during the summer vacation, Song Ningqiu took me across the ocean to Tromsø to chase whales, I was splashed in the face by a Humpback whale’s tail, and the surroundings were full of kind smiles, but you were working part-time everywhere in the sweltering heat, worrying every day about the dismissal that your age might bring; during the winter vacation, Song Ningqiu took me to the south to escape the cold, when I was sightseeing on the island, you were huddled over a small table with frostbite, studying hard all night for college entrance.”

“Don’t you care about these things?” Her voice trembled, and she looked at the Twin diamond without blinking, but tears poured out uncontrollably, “Why don’t you hate me, these hardships should have belonged to me, I stole everything from you.”

Tears gathered on her chin and fell into the carpet. Song Ji’an bit her lip and suddenly found it difficult to speak.

A hand went up her back and finally clasped around her neck.

Sheng Jia’s head rested on her shoulder, her voice close at hand, unable to discern any emotion, “Do you care?”

Song Ji’an did not respond.

But she cared.

When she liked Sheng Jia the most, she learned about the suffering Sheng Jia had endured because of her.

Her heart was torn apart.

She was in pain for Sheng Jia, felt wronged for Sheng Jia, and felt infinite guilt towards Sheng Jia.

That was why she didn’t dare to see her, didn’t dare to face her, and didn’t dare to get close to her.

She didn’t want to touch anything that belonged to Sheng Jia anymore. She wanted to do everything she could to make Sheng Jia’s later life happier.

“But Song Ji’an, it’s really tiring to have your heart always filled with hatred.” Sheng Jia’s voice lingered in her ear, with a hint of weariness and sadness, like a taut string finally stretched to the extreme at this moment, on the verge of breaking, “It can give me the motivation to move forward, but it will also blind my eyes, and confusion and emptiness will always be accompanied by hatred, which can completely destroy a person.”

“I want to care, to care more.” She said softly, “I want everyone to love me a little more.”

“Compared to hatred, your care and empathy for me make me happier, as if I have drawn the most needed nutrients for growth.”

Hot tears fell on Song Ji’an’s neck, scalding her slightly. Through the glass of the exhibition stand, she saw Sheng Jia’s expressionless face shedding tears.

Sheng Jia was crying.

She rarely showed her pain, and her sincerity was rarely analyzed.

But when all of this was truly presented to Song Ji’an, it was difficult to have any rebuttals, and only a shock remained in her heart.

Sheng Jia’s vulnerability and helplessness were no longer hidden at this moment.

“Please, get a little closer to me,” Sheng Jia said, choking with sobs, “Everything I have experienced has nothing to do with you. I have never associated those pains with you.”

“And you are the one who truly heals me.”

“Sheng Jia, stop talking,” Song Ji’an blinked, tears streaming down her face.

She couldn’t accept the proud Sheng Jia pleading like this.

Before, she always wanted to explore what Sheng Jia was thinking in her heart, but now, when she truly faced Sheng Jia’s inner self, she realized that even now, Sheng Jia’s pain was still no less than hers.

Such a plea, even if Sheng Jia said it in an almost calm tone, still hurt Song Ji’an so much that she almost wanted to tremble, and even her breathing became rapid.

From beginning to end, their fates had always been tightly intertwined.

They were each other’s source of pain, but also the antidote to strip away the pain.

She had been used to being passive for too long, and it seemed that the courage to take the initiative in the face of Sheng Jia had disappeared. She had even thought that she should be like this, because Sheng Jia had always been a person who liked to take control.

It turned out she was wrong again.

She was wrong again.

Sheng Jia’s pain was guiding her on what to do.

Song Ji’an turned around and raised her hand to hug her.

“I’m sorry, Sheng Jia,” she said in her ear with a sob, “I’m really sorry.”

“Give me a little more time, okay?”

Her chaotic brain made her not understand when she had healed Sheng Jia, but she clearly knew that from the reunion until now, Sheng Jia had been pulling Song Ji’an’s hand step by step to move forward.

At this moment, she suddenly had great courage.

Perhaps she shouldn’t look forward and backward, and shouldn’t be timid.

She should believe that she would no longer hurt Sheng Jia.