Dating Myself - Chapter 39

Jian Yixi left early in the morning. An Mu was a light sleeper; the slightest movement would startle her awake, after which she couldn’t fall back asleep for a long time.

Jian Yixi had been exceptionally careful and quiet, but An Mu was startled awake nonetheless, drenched in cold sweat as always.

She had initially thought that changing bodies would cure these ailments. In reality, aside from a healthy physical body, her mental state remained the same.

This apartment choice wasn’t good either; the soundproofing was too poor. The last villa she bought in her previous life was large and empty, and its greatest advantage was the silence—she didn’t have to worry about being startled awake by the slightest disturbance.

But there was no helping it. There were very few available apartments near the school, and time was short. Finding this somewhat suitable one was already a success.

It took a long time after Jian Yixi left for An Mu to fall back into a hazy sleep. When she awoke again, the sun was high in the sky. She vaguely glanced at her phone—it was almost eleven o’clock. No wonder she felt a little hungry.

She had stolen half a day of leisure from her busy life.

An experience she hadn’t had for too long.

An Mu lay down for a moment longer before getting up. After washing up, she pushed open the balcony door. The balcony was drenched in sunlight, and were it not for the frost still clinging to the window, it would have felt like spring was in full bloom.

An Mu tried to pull the window open, but it was stuck. The temperature difference between inside and outside was too great, and the window was frozen shut. Even after a morning of sun, the ice hadn’t melted, and it would only freeze more solidly again tonight.

An Mu first poured hot water into the window crack, then found a screwdriver—a brand new one bought when she moved, its shaft bright and shiny.

She inserted the screwdriver into the crack, moved it up and down, and leveraged it outward forcefully. After several tries, she finally heard a faint clink. Reaching out to pull the window, it slid open with a rush, and a blast of cold air immediately hit her face.

An Mu shivered involuntarily. The cross-breeze ruffled her unbound long hair. Her amber eyes reflected the grey-blue sky. The winter sun hung high; staring straight at it didn’t feel dazzling. She took a deep, sharp breath of the cold air, and her entire lungs felt numb from the frost.

An Mu took several deep breaths of the fresh air, and the stuffy, irritating feeling instantly vanished.

She left the window open, cleaned up the water and the screwdriver, and then prepared a cup of rattan pepper beef instant noodles. She placed the bowl on the windowsill and ate small mouthfuls, facing the cold breeze. The thick white steam scattered with the cross-breeze, feeling hot and cold as it hit her face.

Her phone suddenly chimed. An Mu picked it up and saw it was Jian Yixi.

[Mengxi Bitalk: We’re eating yummy food~]

Following it was a photo of the food, which appeared to be focused on the pizza and mushroom soup on the table, but deliberately included the beige base shirt of the boy sitting opposite.

An Mu pursed her lips slightly, tapped her finger, and took a photo of her instant noodles to send back.

[Misty Rain Boat: I’ve noted this grudge.jpg]

[Mengxi Bitalk: So pathetic~ Why are you eating instant noodles? Sympathy for one second~ Crying on the surface, laughing inside.jpg]

[Misty Rain Boat: Don’t forget what you said last night—be back before dark.]

[Mengxi Bitalk: Mmhmm~ Got it~ I’ll try my best!]

[Misty Rain Boat: You promised last night. Why is it “try my best” now?]

[Mengxi Bitalk: Okay, okay, I know~]

An Mu scrolled up to Jian Yixi’s food photo. Since only the boy’s chest was visible, it was impossible to tell who he was.

Actually, it didn’t matter if she could see him or not. A little thought was enough to know this person was definitely involved with Maomao—likely Maomao’s older brother or a junior high school classmate.

Those two girls thought they were being seamless, but they were full of holes. The truth was easy to discover with a little attention, assuming she wasn’t already suspicious.

But how could she not be suspicious?

When she was sixteen and still in Shunyi, smartphones hadn’t even existed, and she only occasionally used a computer, so she had no chance of an online relationship.

After being found and taken back by the Jian family, one problem after another arose, leaving her even less inclined to pursue an online relationship.

Even though fewer things had happened this life, it hadn’t been peaceful either. First the candid photos, then the forum drama, then the live stream incident, the long-running feud with Lu Yuexin and her group, and then the change of residency, moving to a new apartment, Qi Liran’s case, Zhao Xudong’s case, and the school’s abolition of the old class division system—all had been major commotions and were all inextricably linked to Jian Yixi.

Moreover, Jian Yixi herself still had school, making time an issue. Jian Yixi had always been completely open with her; if she had truly added some interesting person, she would have mentioned it long ago, instead of suddenly bringing it up right when An Mu suspected she had feelings for her.

Of course, none of this was the main point. The most important thing was that An Mu knew herself: she was relatively well-behaved and conservative, unlikely to casually start an online relationship, and even less likely to rush to meet someone she had only recently met.

In summary, this was a deception.

As for the purpose of this deception, she had already guessed it before, but was somewhat hesitant to believe it, as it was truly a bit… childish and amusing.

It wasn’t until this moment, seeing the photo deliberately shown off, that she became completely certain. Jian Yixi was afraid An Mu liked her and wanted her to completely give up.

Looking at Jian Yixi was like looking at a naive, mischievous child—both annoying and funny. Yet, she could understand. After all, Jian Yixi was her past self, and it was because she valued An Mu as a friend so much that she would do something so childish.

Thinking this way, Jian Yixi didn’t seem like a mischievous child anymore, but rather a girl experiencing her first crush. However, while a girl would be anxious about the boy she secretly loved, Jian Yixi was consumed by worry and suspicion, all for her friend.

Since she was so anxious, An Mu would just let her make a fuss. Anyway, the exams were over, and it could be considered a way to relax. As long as Jian Yixi came home on time and prevented that incident from happening, it was fine.

Thinking of that incident, An Mu’s eyes darkened slightly. She ate two more mouthfuls of instant noodles, then took the bowl back inside.

She couldn’t eat any more of the noodles. She strained the liquid, threw the rest into the trash, washed up, and settled into the sofa. She tried to relax and binge-watch a series for a while, but couldn’t focus. Her thoughts drifted back to the past involuntarily.

That was… after the New Year. Although she couldn’t recall the exact date, she was certain it wasn’t now.

She remembered a lot had happened that day, but the trauma was so great that she could barely recall any of it, only the circumstances of the event itself.

That night, it seemed… Jian Xiangwei had taken a client to solicit a prostitute. He hadn’t brought cash, and his phone was somehow broken so he couldn’t use mobile payment. Afraid to contact Wen Qiaoyun, he asked An Mu to bring him the money.

She didn’t have much money then, only the ten thousand yuan her adoptive father had given her, which was in her bank card. Jian Xiangwei told her to bring the bank card.

The location was… Jinfang Road, a notorious red-light district known to all locals in Weicheng. She was completely ignorant at the time. When she told the driver she was going to Jinfang Road, she only thought the driver looked at her strangely, without understanding the implication at all.

Jinfang Road was called a road, but it was actually a narrow dead end. It was quite a long distance from the entrance to the end. Because the road was too narrow to turn around, few cars drove in. The taxi didn’t go in and dropped her off at the alley entrance.

She stood at the alley entrance, looking at the long, secluded lane. On both sides, the lights were flashy and alluring: barbershops, guesthouses, video rooms, billiard halls… In the distance, there seemed to be a KTV. The road was sparsely populated; occasionally a drunken man would stumble past, or one or two heavily made-up women would emerge, giggling sweetly while leaning on men.

She was instinctively scared and called Jian Xiangwei, asking him to come get the card. Jian Xiangwei cursed her a couple of times and told her to wait.

She waited at the alley entrance, but instead of Jian Xiangwei, she was approached by a few young hooligans in their early twenties.

Normally, she would avoid people like that, let alone in the dead of night.

She deliberately shrank back behind a utility pole, trying not to draw their attention, but they spotted her anyway.

Seeing them whistle and approach, she quickly found Jian Xiangwei’s number and dialed it again. The phone rang many times, but no one answered. The thugs walked over and surrounded her.

It was too late for her to hang up and dial 110; her phone was snatched away. Someone chuckled and asked how much she cost. She said she was waiting for her father and lied, specifically saying she was a middle school student, not yet fourteen.

They completely ignored her and sneered, “Waiting for your dad? Aren’t we your dads? Come on, call us Dad and let’s hear it!”

After that came chaos. She was dragged into the nearest guesthouse. The owner seemed to say, “Don’t cause trouble,” and someone replied, “Don’t worry,” then threw a few hundred yuan to the owner, and she was dragged upstairs.

She cried and begged them to let her go, but all she got was sinister laughter. In the confusion, she didn’t know how she found the windowsill or how she managed to jump down.

Fortunately, it was only the third floor. She didn’t die or break her legs, but she was so badly hurt that she couldn’t get up for a long time.

A few people cursed as they came down, dragging her and trying to haul her back upstairs. Struggling, she spotted Jian Xiangwei at the alley entrance and desperately shouted “Dad.”

Jian Xiangwei heard her and hesitated before approaching. Seeing they were the notorious thugs of Jinfang Road, he didn’t dare step closer. He stood far away, telling them to release her and promising he wouldn’t call the police if they did.

Not only were they unafraid, but they also egged Jian Xiangwei on to call the police.

“Coming here in the middle of the night, you weren’t up to any good either, were you, buddy? Go on, call the police if you dare! We can all have a little chat with them together!”

Her memory after that became increasingly muddled. She only remembered her entire body aching from the fall, the despair of being dragged, and Jian Xiangwei looking at her face with a frown, as if she were a stranger he had never seen. She wasn’t sure who finally called the police, but it certainly wasn’t Jian Xiangwei.

The police car arrived, but an ambulance didn’t. No one remembered to take her to the hospital.

They argued endlessly in front of the police. The thugs claimed she was a streetwalker and that they were merely clients who hadn’t completed the transaction. Jian Xiangwei, afraid of his soliciting a prostitute being exposed, denied sending her money, claiming instead that he had come out looking for her because she hadn’t come home all night.

Everyone was taken to the police station. Jian Xiangwei was fined and sentenced to fifteen days of detention, as were the few thugs.

Jian Xiangwei didn’t press charges against the thugs, choosing instead to let sleeping dogs lie. This was also Wen Qiaoyun’s intention. They didn’t want to provoke those scoundrels, saying they had nothing to lose and would cause endless trouble if truly angered.

Because of this incident, Wen Qiaoyun threatened to divorce Jian Xiangwei.

Jian Xiangwei naturally refused. While comforting Wen Qiaoyun, he took all his resentment out on An Mu, cursing her for being stupid, for not being able to handle a small task, for embarrassing him, and for causing him to lose the client.

Wen Qiaoyun didn’t truly want a divorce; she was just furious. No matter how Jian Xiangwei tried to placate her, a thorn remained in her heart. The pain of the thorn made her increasingly dislike An Mu. She cursed An Mu, saying it was her own fault, asking who was to blame for being dragged away when she ran to such a place in the middle of the night.

Her whole body ached from the fall, but she didn’t dare complain even once. She still had to go to school the next day. After forcing herself for a few days, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and took a leave of absence to go to the hospital for an IV drip.

Lying alone in the hospital, watching that long needle pierce her vein, she suddenly felt… extremely distressed. She couldn’t help but call her adoptive parents, weeping uncontrollably.

Her adoptive parents dropped what they were doing and rushed over. Without a second thought, they took her back to Shunyi.

It was starting from this incident that her adoptive parents tried every means to get her to transfer back and regain her guardianship. But the more they demanded it, the tighter Wen Qiaoyun held on, as if An Mu were her private property. Wen Qiaoyun could torment or even discard her, but no one else could have her.

Her adoptive father was so worried he couldn’t sleep at night. He lay in bed, discussing selling their house and moving with her adoptive mother, wanting to take the two of them to a place where no one knew them.

Her adoptive father was over fifty, and with his traditional mindset that valued returning to one’s roots, how could he bear to leave his hometown unless absolutely necessary?

She only needed to hold out for a little over a year until she turned eighteen, and all her problems would be solved. It truly wasn’t worth such a great sacrifice from them.

She ultimately returned to the Jian family.

A notification sound suddenly rang from her phone. An Mu’s eyelid twitched. Before she even opened her eyes, her forehead was covered in cold sweat. She quietly calmed herself for a moment, then lifted a hand to wipe away the sweat.

Over the years, she had barely gotten used to a phone alarm, but was still not accustomed to other sounds. She usually turned her phone off before bed, but she hadn’t realized she had fallen asleep while watching the series today.

The living room was dim. Outside the window, lights glowed from thousands of homes. An Mu frowned and glanced at her phone.

Fortunately, although it was dark, it was only a little past six, which wasn’t too late.

She opened the message Jian Yixi had just sent.

[Mengxi Bitalk: I’ll be back a little later.]

[Misty Rain Boat: About what time?]

[Mengxi Bitalk: I’ll try to be back before nine.]

[Misty Rain Boat: Remove the words “try to.”]

[Mengxi Bitalk: QAQ]

[Mengxi Bitalk: I’ll definitely be back by nine!]

[Misty Rain Boat: If you don’t come back, I’ll beat you.]

She got up and turned on the light. She hadn’t eaten much at noon, and now she was genuinely hungry. Neither she nor Jian Yixi could cook, and the only food they had at home besides instant noodles was biscuits—she didn’t want to eat any of it.

She opened her food delivery app. After browsing for a while, she found that although she was very hungry, she had no appetite for anything. She randomly ordered a spicy hot pot; she figured a strong flavor would be easier to swallow.

The takeout arrived at seven o’clock. She ate while continuing the series from where she had fallen asleep, having to keep her phone plugged in because the battery was low.

Time alone always seemed to pass especially slowly, and eating alone felt flavorless.

She had long been accustomed to being alone, so how was it that after just one semester of living with Jian Yixi, she had become so sentimental?

An Mu smiled and shook her head, regretting that she hadn’t ordered a bottle of Coke as well. Her mouth was tingling with spicy heat, and she just wanted one sip of something to wash it down.

She finished eating and cleaned up, then brushed her teeth early. The spicy heat in her mouth was replaced by the faint mint of toothpaste. It was eight o’clock.

Jian Yixi should be back in another hour.

An Mu opened her phone and checked her funds; they were rising nicely and didn’t need attention for now. She checked her stocks; the market hadn’t been good recently, so she would wait a little longer.

She skimmed the financial news, then checked the time—it was 9:10 PM.

She tapped open WeChat.

[Misty Rain Boat: Do you want a beating?]

It took a while for Jian Yixi to reply.

[Mengxi Bitalk: I’ll tell you in a bit.]

She had promised to be back before dark last night, then unilaterally changed it to nine, and now she needed “a bit” longer?

[Misty Rain Boat: Where are you?]

No response for a long time.

An Mu found the number and called. It rang for a long time, but no one picked up.

She hung up and called again.

Still no answer.

A robotic female voice kept repeating “sorry.” The call disconnected automatically. The screen went dark, reflecting a corner of her red lips, a lonely shade of red. The quiet living room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

An Mu was silent for a moment, then turned her phone back on and called Maomao’s number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. Maomao’s voice was extremely low, a breathy whisper that quickly said, “I’m busy right now, hurry up and tell me what you need.”

“Why is Jian Yixi’s phone unreachable?”

“Maybe she’s… busy?”

Not “Let me try calling her,” but immediately speculating “she’s busy”…

An Mu curled her lip without expression.

“I’m… on the street.”

“Send me your location.”

“Ah? Why?”

“Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to go to Night Colors to listen to the resident singer? I’m free right now anyway. Send me your location. If you’re not far from me, I’ll come find you.”

“Far! I’m really far from your place right now!”

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Then why are you making excuses about sending your location?”

“No, I mean, I’ll send it to you, okay?”

Maomao hung up tearfully, and the location was sent over quickly.

An Mu massaged her temple. She knew she actually had no right to restrict Jian Yixi. She also knew that the incident was likely an accident, and if the sports committee member hadn’t said what he did later, she wouldn’t have suspected Jian Yihu at all. Moreover, that incident happened after the New Year, so it was unlikely to be moved up to the present.

But without confirming Jian Yixi’s location, she couldn’t rest easy.

Just looking at the location was enough. There was no need to force herself to pretend to be calm when she wasn’t.

She clicked on the map link Maomao sent. The screen loaded quickly and stopped.

The small pin was placed on…

Jinfang Road?!

An Mu’s eyes widened slightly. She zoomed in for a closer look. It was indeed Jinfang Road, and specifically in the middle section of Jinfang Road.

Jian Yixi wouldn’t know what Jinfang Road meant, but as a Weicheng local, Maomao couldn’t have failed to hear of it. Why would she take Jian Yixi to a place like that?

An Mu found Maomao’s number and called again.

No answer.