Did the Tsundere Miss Get Slapped in the Face Again Today? - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: “Little Ingrate.”

Hugging the pink plush bear, Jiang Zhi stood still for a long time.

Suddenly, she regretted it. She regretted staring blankly just now. She should have at least said goodbye to her, even though they were unlikely to meet again.

There was no reason for Lin Anran to return here.

She was so preoccupied with spacing out that she didn’t even manage a proper farewell.

Jiang Zhi drooped her head in disappointment.

In the end, she didn’t return the bear and took it home with her. Where Lin Anran used to sit in the back, the bear sat now.

She put the helmet on the bear, just as she used to put the helmet on Lin Anran.

As luck would have it, just as she arrived downstairs at the complex, she received a notification about a delivery.

The ¥99 pink helmet that Lin Anran had picked out, which had been delayed, had finally arrived.

Lin Anran had been complaining that the helmet hadn’t arrived yet, and now, the moment she left, it arrived.

It truly was a coincidence. If it had arrived even one day earlier, it wouldn’t have gone unused even once.

Jiang Zhi dragged her sore legs and took a detour to the express locker to pick up the package. She hadn’t wanted to go; she felt unusually tired today and didn’t want to move, but if she didn’t go today, she would have to pay a 50-cent locker fee, and she couldn’t bear to lose that five cents.

She couldn’t spare five cents, yet she didn’t return the bear?

She couldn’t figure it out herself.

After getting the package, Jiang Zhi spoke to the pink plush bear as if talking to herself: “You’re not the only one she abandoned, see? Here comes another one.”

Similarly, Jiang Zhi didn’t return the helmet either. She kept it, although she didn’t know what use it was, as the owner of these things wouldn’t be coming back.

Lin Anran left so decisively, without any reluctance. But then again, what was there to miss about this environment and this life?

Jiang Zhi climbed the stairs with a noticeable limp, carrying the express box in one hand and the pink plush bear in the other.

Once a person forms a habit, it can be quite frightening. Lin Anran had already left, yet she could still vaguely hear her noisy voice.

“Can’t you rent an apartment with an elevator? Climbing these stairs every day is exhausting me.”

“Why haven’t they fixed the light in this stairwell yet?”

“Why are there so many messy ads on the walls? Doesn’t anyone manage this place?”

“I don’t like this broken place at all…”

Lin Anran’s mouth never stopped while climbing the stairs. Sometimes Jiang Zhi thought she wasn’t tired from climbing; she was tired from talking.

That little mouth just kept going without a break.

To be honest, it was noisy, making her ears hurt. But now, without that person’s noise, it felt excessively quiet.

Jiang Zhi looked back. It was empty. She was the only one in the entire stairwell.

Jiang Zhi lowered her eyes and continued climbing.

Her leg hurt so much. Every step up made her wince from the soreness. Is being delicate contagious? She must have been infected by Lin Anran; she felt exceptionally delicate now.

It truly hurt. The pain made her feel so tired that when she got home, she didn’t even turn on the light, just collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained of energy.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind empty.

A night’s sleep would fix everything. All feelings of sentimentality and loss were only momentary and wouldn’t linger for too long.

She had long been accustomed to being alone; now she was just returning to a solitary life.

When she went to work the next day, Jiang Zhi was mostly used to it. She didn’t need to wait for anyone in the morning, and the back seat didn’t need to carry anyone anymore.

But during breaks at work, she occasionally glanced at the empty desk that used to belong to Lin Anran.

It was vacant now.

Before this, Lin Anran often sat there, holding out her palms, repeatedly admiring her flashy manicure.

Jiang Zhi still remembered her manicure. When her first month of work ended, the magazine paid her one month’s salary, only the base pay, which was around ¥3,000.

She immediately spent the entire salary on a manicure that day, leaving none. She truly had no financial planning; she got paid one day and it was gone the next, then complained that the amount was only enough to dismiss a beggar.

Thinking of these things, Jiang Zhi smiled unconsciously.

A familiar colleague leaned over: “What are you laughing at all by yourself?”

Jiang Zhi snapped back and shook her head: “Nothing.”

The colleague looked at Lin Anran’s desk, raised an eyebrow, and teased:

“You’re this happy that Lin Anran is gone, huh? I really thought you handled her with ease before, but I guess not. It looks like she tortured you quite a bit during this time, so you’re happy she left.”

Jiang Zhi shook her head: “I’m not happy.”

Colleague: “Then you can’t possibly be sad, right?”

Jiang Zhi: “…”

The colleague actually hit the mark. Yes, she was a little sad. It was strange. She should be happy that this troublesome ancestor was gone; there was no reason to be sad.

She had originally taken a few days off from her convenience store part-time job, but now that Lin Anran was gone, there was no reason to continue her leave. She rushed straight from her day job to her part-time job.

No matter whether she was sad or happy, no emotion could interfere with earning money.

She changed into her green work vest and stood at the cash register for five hours. Her legs felt even more sore.

During slow moments, she would look at the seating area by the convenience store window. It was empty, without the familiar figure.

There would be no one constantly urging her to finish her shift.

She picked up her phone to check it. Aside from pop-up ads, there wasn’t a single message.

What an ungrateful little thing. She went home and immediately forgot about her. No messages, no calls.

Before, when Jiang Zhi was on fieldwork, Lin Anran often called her, and texts were constantly sent. Now that she was home, she had forgotten all about her Jiang Yi.

But then again, after spending almost two months together, she hadn’t even memorized her correct name; she still confused “Jiang Yi” and “Jiang Zhi.”

At 11 PM, Xiao Man came to take over the shift.

Xiao Man looked around, puzzled: “Sister Zhi Zhi, why isn’t your very beautiful friend here? Did she not come today?”

Jiang Zhi’s expression paused: “No, she didn’t come.”

Xiao Man: “Is she busy today? I saw her waiting for you here usually.”

Jiang Zhi pursed her lips, her voice low: “No. She won’t be coming anymore.”

“Ah? Did you two have a fight?”

Jiang Zhi shook her head, not intending to elaborate.

Xiao Man: “It’s normal for friends to argue sometimes. It’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Jiang Zhi gave a noncommittal “Mm,” and the topic ended there.

After returning home, Jiang Zhi spontaneously decided to have a late-night snack. Of course, it wasn’t a luxurious meal, just a cup of coffee and a package of instant noodles.

Lin Anran’s favorite combination.

She took two bites of the instant noodles but lost her appetite. She drank two sips of the coffee, but the taste was bitter and unpleasant.

She checked her phone again. Still no messages.

The princess who returned to her pink castle had, as expected, genuinely forgotten about this small shrimp.

Jiang Zhi lightly punched the pink plush bear on the sofa: “Little ingrate.”

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