SWG Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The next day—

A few fallen leaves rustled and rolled in the sub-zero temperatures, circling twice against the ice-fogged glass before being swept away by the biting wind.

In winter, dawn breaks so late. It was past nine o’clock, yet a lingering gloom clung to a corner of the sky, reluctant to recede.

Most of the shops on the street were still closed. Inside the photo studio that had opened, Xiao Wenyu held her phone in one hand and a tool for scraping frost in the other, clearing away the thick layer of frost that had accumulated overnight on the glass.

On the phone, Zhao Wen’s voice was soft and gentle. “What do you want for lunch? Big Cat was a little upset that you didn’t come home last night.”

“Or, are you thinking of making up?”

Xiao Wenyu paused, silent for a moment. “I’m a little less angry, actually.”

Zhao Wen chuckled, a hint of relief and understanding in her tone. “That’s rare, and good. Did you spend the night together?”

“Well…” Xiao Wenyu hesitated. “Not exactly. She was drunk. She came over and made a scene, then ran back to her place to sleep.”

“Speaking of which, is our Big Cat listening?”

Zhao Wen sounded puzzled. “Yes, why?”

Xiao Wenyu couldn’t help but laugh. “I only realized after Ruan Shengyi got drunk that she’s always thought your family disliked her and forced me to break up with her. Big Cat, what did you say to her?”

“Hey, hey, hey! That’s going too far!” Xiao Yanyue burst out from the receiver, indignant. “I’ve always been very friendly to her! Compared to that Lin Simu dog, I’ve been really good! And, and…”

She remembered something, and her voice rose in anger. “You asked me if I minded that her mother passed away, and didn’t I say that as long as she treats you well, we can treat her like a daughter? Didn’t you tell her that, huh?”

Xiao Wenyu laughed again, or rather, she was just laughing. This infuriated Xiao Yanyue, who ground her teeth fiercely on the other end of the line. “You’re making fun of your mom again! Good for you, you’re all grown up now, huh? Laughing at your mom for not keeping up with the times, huh? Huh?”

“You…!”

Zhao Wen must have forcibly muted her, because after a series of unintelligible noises, her gentle voice returned, soothing Xiao Wenyu’s ears. “Do you want to have a serious conversation with her?”

“Not yet. I’ve been asking around for the past couple of days, and things are about to be resolved. I…” Xiao Wenyu smiled wryly. “Once things are settled, I’ll go and coax her back.”

“Take your time to consider it. It’s about to snow. Don’t come back for lunch, I’ll bring you food.”

Xiao Wenyu nestled into the sofa, acting spoiled. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Aren’t you thanking your birth mom? Let me speak! Let me speak!!! Hey—”

Xiao Wenyu chuckled as she ended the call completely. Her gaze softly landed on the darkened lights across the street. She couldn’t help but think of the words Ruan Shengyi had blurted out during their argument—

“I even hollowed out my own heart, I dug it out until it was dripping with blood, I laid bare the past that I didn’t even dare to touch myself, just to make you happy, to make you trust me a little, to make you rely on me a little.”

—

So, she had thought that she could help Ruan Shengyi emerge from her past based on her own abilities, but it had only made her more considerate and hide those scars even deeper…

Looking at it that way, they were truly the same kind of person.

So, when she coaxes her back this time, she would take her home. She believed that her mothers would treat Ruan Shengyi well, just as they would treat her well, because sincerity can be seen. Besides, someone who is so saddened by the mere belief that she wasn’t accepted was really quite adorable.

She would be well-liked by her elders.

The lights in the loft across the street came on. The adorable person had woken up.

Xiao Wenyu watched the loft with a smile, watching the lights turn on and off. After a while, she picked up her phone, opened the chat interface, and waited for a message that might come soon, or might take a while for her to react to.

And before that message, was the recording she had sent, from last night.

How could she not let the other person have a good look at something so good?

Just you wait, Ruan Shengyi.

Heh heh.

But she waited a long time and didn’t receive the message she was hoping for. She checked her phone several times in her spare time, but was ignored. However, Xie Yu secretly sent her a message.

Xie Yu: Xiao Wenyu, our boss wants us to cover the posters outside with white paper. What happened again?

Xiao Wenyu chuckled coldly. Beside her, Li Wan was lamenting that business had noticeably worsened since winter began.

Xiao Wenyu said gently, “Don’t worry, college entrance exams are coming up soon, they’ll come to have ID photos taken.”

Li Wan hummed in acknowledgement, and sighed deeply as she leaned on the counter.

“Li Wan, go buy two large sheets of white paper from Auntie Ming’s shop on the street. Just ask her how big the ones the shop across the street bought were, and buy ones that size. Also, buy some watercolor pens, I’ll reimburse you.”

*

Xie Yu, panting, pushed open the door with the large sheets of white paper, complaining, “I’m here, I’m here, what’s the rush?”

“Why did you want me to buy paper?”

But the person who had been rushing her all morning was now acting like an idiot, slumped in the recliner behind the counter, staring blankly at the ceiling, muttering, “I can’t go on…”

Xie Yu was amused, and laughed. “That’s great, just transfer the shop to me, and I’ll definitely make it flourish.”

The seemingly rusted eyeballs turned twice with difficulty, and then she turned her head to look at her. The lifeless eyes made her feel a sense of fear and she shrunk back. “What? I’m not trying to steal your position, don’t look at me like that.”

“My only complaint about you was that ghostly business hours, but since you changed to closing at two, I don’t blame you anymore, okay?”

The lifeless eyes rolled back again, and she smiled with difficulty. Her chest and body trembled, and her voice, like it was being squeezed out of a wooden crack, was still frosty as she said, “Whatever…”

Anyway, there was no hope.

She had a headache after waking up from her hangover early in the morning. She opened her phone and saw Xiao Wenyu’s message. She thought she was finally going to chat with her and explain the recent events, but it was a video. A video, no less…

After she opened it, the sky fell.

The sky really fell.

She was secretly pleased that Xiao Wenyu’s gentle voice called her “Ruan Ruan,” but she didn’t expect this person to tell her to say it again.

Say what?

Say things that would completely destroy her reputation?!

She even induced her and coaxed her like that, and afraid that she would forget about it after waking up, she even recorded it.

The sentence “Don’t worry, I won’t send it to anyone else.” felt like she was grabbing her collar and slapping her around.

Should she thank Xiao Wenyu?!

That black-hearted woman, An Qi is definitely going to be corrupted by her!

That dead woman, ah ah ah ah, she would never forgive her in this lifetime, wuwuwu.

She would never drink three glasses of ‘See You Tomorrow’ again.

Of course, Xie Yu didn’t know that. She saw this ancestor clutching a phone that was constantly vibrating and not planning to answer, and cursed inwardly, “I’m so done.”

She walked over and tried to take the phone to answer it, but as soon as her hand touched the ancestor’s hand, the dead-wood ancestor jumped up as if she had finally come back to life and squatted on the chair, staring straight at her: “What are you doing?”

Are you going to watch that video and laugh at me?

Did Xiao Wenyu tell you something?

Of course, she couldn’t really say these things. As the saying goes, if the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move. If Xiao Wenyu hadn’t told her, wouldn’t she be handing over her own weaknesses?

Xie Yu’s arm was still frozen in the air, her eyes wide. “You, be careful, ancestor.”

This was a recliner without four legs. This ancestor was squatting directly on the recliner. She was really afraid that the chair would flip over and trap her boss underneath it.

The process of transferring the shop hadn’t been completed yet, and only half of the month had passed. If this person was gone, she wouldn’t get her salary.

Xie Yu carefully retreated, ready to pounce over to save her at any time, and pointed to the phone in Ruan Shengyi’s hand. “It’s been ringing for a long time, do you want to take a look? What if it’s an emergency from Xiao Wenyu?”

“Let her be in a hurry.”

“…Child.” Xie Yu said weakly.

She watched the ancestor grind her teeth very obviously, and then grind her teeth again, and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart—

What exactly did Xiao Wenyu do? She’s known this person for so many years, and the emotional changes in those few years weren’t as intense as they have been in the past half month.

Is this love? Terrifying, so terrifying!

In the end, Ruan Shengyi reluctantly got off the chair, hugged her phone, and went upstairs in silence, and then turned on the screen.

Of course, it wasn’t Xiao Wenyu. Xiao Wenyu’s ringtone was separate. The ringtone just now was Chen Yuexin and Tan Yichen’s exclusive ringtone. She had already categorized them.

She silently dialed back. The phone connected, but she still didn’t have much energy to talk.

Because she was really going to be so angry at Xiao Wenyu that she lost her temper!

Chen Yuexin called out a few times, suspecting that this person had dialed the wrong number, and asked again, “Aren’t you awake yet?”

Ruan Shengyi said coolly, “I’m awake, speak.”

“Oh, do you know something? Why do you sound so cold, are you angry?”

Ruan Shengyi’s heart sank—did she also act drunk in front of Chen Yuexin last night?

Dead brain, think fast!

But she still decided to remain calm and asked, “Know what?”

“Your sister helped you keep an eye on things last night. Maybe things aren’t the way you think they are.”

Ruan Shengyi was even more surprised, and jumped up from the bed and sat up straight. “What do you mean? She didn’t want to break up with me because of her family’s situation?”

Chen Yuexin said evenly, “It’s the Lin family.”