Did the Tsundere Miss Get Slapped in the Face Again Today? - Chapter 24.1

Chapter 24.1: “Lin Anran is Missing.”

 

“Thank you, thank you so much. I’m really grateful; I’ve troubled you.” The woman got off the electric scooter, clasped her hands, and sincerely thanked Jiang Zhi.

 

“It’s nothing, no need to thank me. Your child is still waiting for you upstairs. You should go check on them first,” Jiang Zhi smiled and waved her hand, signaling the woman to hurry up.

 

The woman nodded, thanked her a few more times, and then rushed into the apartment building.

 

The woman worked in the office building next to the convenience store and was a regular customer. Jiang Zhi wasn’t very familiar with her, didn’t even know her name; they were just on greeting terms.

 

Today, the woman suddenly rushed into the convenience store, asking for help. She said her child had a fever, no one was home, and she couldn’t get a taxi immediately. She was very anxious and hoped Jiang Zhi could drive her home on the scooter.

 

Before, when Jiang Zhi was on duty, she had been verbally abused by a drunken customer. The woman happened to be in the store then and helped her out by calling the police.

 

Because of that incident, Jiang Zhi owed her a favor. Now that the woman was in trouble, there was no reason to refuse. Jiang Zhi immediately asked her boss for leave.

 

Now that she had safely delivered the woman home, Jiang Zhi felt relieved and hoped her child was okay.

 

Jiang Zhi took out her phone and checked it. There were no new messages.

 

That’s strange. Lin Anran always spams messages. Why has it been quiet for several hours now?

 

She came to harass her almost every day. Was she not coming today?

 

Jiang Zhi bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and typed a message to Lin Anran: What are you doing?

 

Lin Anran, who usually replied instantly, was slow this time, and there was no “typing” indicator showing up.

 

Jiang Zhi had originally intended to tell her that she got off work early today and wasn’t at the convenience store, reminding her not to come over to avoid a wasted trip.

 

But after thinking about it, she didn’t send the message.

 

The other person hadn’t said she was coming. Reminding her out of the blue would seem odd, as if Jiang Zhi was really looking forward to her visit.

 

Forget it. I won’t send it. I’ll just go home.

 

She put on her helmet, started the scooter, and headed home. Midway, the phone in her pocket vibrated.

 

Jiang Zhi braked, put her foot down, and stopped immediately.

 

She took out her phone to check. When she saw the notification, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

 

She thought it was Lin Anran replying, but it was just an “all hands” mention in the work group chat.

 

Jiang Zhi replied “Received” in the work group chat, following the crowd.

 

Then, she tapped into her chat with Lin Anran and scrolled up. The chat history stopped at 4:07 PM.

 

At that time, Lin Anran had expressed her annoyance that Jiang Zhi replied too slowly and made a harsh declaration to break off their friendship.

 

Lin Anran: Do you think I’m so eager to chat with you? You’re so self-important. Let’s break up. Get lost!

 

She can’t still be angry, can she?

 

So much time had passed, and besides, Jiang Zhi had explained afterward that she was working and couldn’t check her phone constantly, let alone chat with her all the time.

 

Jiang Zhi pondered for two seconds and sent her another message: Still angry?

 

The scooter was parked on the side of the road. Jiang Zhi sat on it, feet on the ground for balance, holding her phone, staring intently at the screen. She waited for a full two minutes, but still didn’t get a reply.

 

The autumn night wind blew in her face, making her shiver with cold.

 

Jiang Zhi turned off her phone, put it in her pocket, and rubbed her cold hands.

 

I should go home first. Maybe she’s busy and didn’t see the message.

 

Jiang Zhi was different from Lin Anran. Jiang Zhi would send one or two messages at most, then wait for the other person to reply before continuing.

 

Lin Anran was the opposite. She would keep sending messages—a dozen or twenty was the starting point—and wouldn’t stop until the other person replied.

 

Lin Anran was too willful and rarely considered others. She believed everything should go her way. Jiang Zhi didn’t have the capital to be willful. Living independently, she always maintained courtesy and boundaries in her interactions.

 

This year’s autumn is truly cold. Winter is almost here, and the end of the year is approaching.

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t look forward to holidays. Celebrating alone always felt cold and desolate, so she didn’t like holidays much.

 

She arrived at her complex, parked the scooter, took her canvas bag, and walked into the apartment building.

 

The sensor lights in the stairwell of the old complex were not sensitive. Jiang Zhi would clap or stomp her foot on every floor to turn on the sensor lights.

 

In the past, Lin Anran would always complain when going upstairs at night: “These broken lights. I’ve stomped twice, and it still hasn’t turned on. Such garbage. Just smash them.”

 

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but shake her head and chuckle softly.

 

Jiang Zhi lived on the fourth floor. There was no elevator, so she had to climb layer by layer.

 

Climbing to the third floor, she heard movement above.

 

Jiang Zhi’s eyes brightened. Is it Lin Anran?

 

She quickly sped up, climbing the last flight of stairs, but when she reached the fourth floor, she realized it was just a neighbor opening and closing their door.

 

The sensor light on the fourth-floor landing flashed briefly and then went dark. It was pitch black, and there was no one there.

 

Jiang Zhi lowered her gaze, fished the key out of her bag, opened the door, and just before stepping inside, she looked back.

 

The empty corridor—no one.

 

It seems Lin Anran really doesn’t plan on coming today. She used to dislike being bothered by her every day, but now that she wasn’t coming, she felt a little…

 

She took out her phone and checked again. Still no reply.

 

She can’t be asleep, can she? Sleeping this early? That seemed unlikely. Lin Anran was a night owl who often stayed up late.

 

Jiang Zhi sighed: “It’s fine if she doesn’t come. I can go to bed early today. Being harassed every day gave me sleep deprivation. This is good, really good. It’s fine if she doesn’t come.”

 

Jiang Zhi talked to herself, then tossed her phone aside.

 

She went back to her room to grab clean clothes, then headed to the bathroom to shower, but she turned back specifically to bring her phone inside.

 

I should keep my phone with me. If Lin Anran messages me and I don’t see it while showering, she’ll blame me for not replying promptly.

 

Once she failed to reply promptly, she would be upset for a while. Although it wasn’t a major issue, and comforting her was simple, it was still best to keep the phone close.

 

By the time she finished showering, blow-drying her hair, and brushing her teeth, and was ready for bed, the phone remained silent.

 

Since meeting Lin Anran, her phone had rarely been quiet for this long, constantly “buzzing” with notifications. Its current silence made Jiang Zhi feel slightly uneasy.

 

She wondered for a bit why Lin Anran wasn’t replying, but she didn’t think too deeply and slowly drifted off to sleep.

 

She slept until morning and checked her phone the moment she woke up.

 

A quiet screen…

 

Jiang Zhi bit her lip and proactively sent a message: Good morning.

 

This message, like the previous two, was lost to the sea.

 

For three consecutive days, Lin Anran gave no response, as if she had evaporated.

 

Jiang Zhi even suspected that something might have happened to Lin Anran and tried to inquire with her editor, but she received a negative response.

 

“Lin Anran? No, she’s fine. Why would anything happen to her? I saw her at the mall yesterday, carrying bags and buying things. I went up to say hello and got cursed out for no reason. I swear.”

 

Lin Anran was perfectly fine, hadn’t encountered anything, and even had the leisure to shop and curse at people in between.

 

For a moment, Jiang Zhi didn’t know whether to feel relieved or a little disappointed.

 

If she was fine, why wasn’t she replying or coming to see her? It had been three days.

 

Jiang Zhi reread the chat history before the silence several times. Nothing seemed special. The only unusual thing was her last message: “Let’s break up.”

 

Jiang Zhi hadn’t taken this petulant remark seriously at first. Lin Anran often said things like that, and usually, she wasn’t serious.

 

Was she serious this time? Did she really want to break off their friendship? Just because I didn’t reply to messages promptly?

 

Jiang Zhi didn’t know what Lin Anran was thinking, but Jiang Zhi was starting to feel a bit angry herself.

 

She didn’t know where Lin Anran placed her, whether she genuinely considered her a friend, but Jiang Zhi truly considered her one.

 

Now, her sudden, unexplained silence, while puzzling, was also infuriating.

 

She sent Lin Anran a few more messages afterward but never received a reply.

 

Slowly, Jiang Zhi stopped messaging her. Continuing to send messages would feel too impolite.

 

Lin Anran was difficult to understand, yet sometimes very easy to understand. When she liked someone and wanted to be friends, she was very enthusiastic. When she disliked someone and wanted to end the friendship, she was just as “enthusiastic.”

 

Perhaps for a young lady like Lin Anran, Jiang Zhi wasn’t a friend. As she once said, she wasn’t worthy—at best, she was a distraction when bored.

 

On the fourth day of the silence, a knock came at Jiang Zhi’s door.

 

Jiang Zhi knew perfectly well that Lin Anran would only kick the door, never knock so gently, but the moment the sound came, her heart still held a flicker of hope.

 

But hope was ultimately destined to be dashed.

 

The person knocking was the landlady, coming to collect rent.

 

After paying the rent, as the landlady was leaving, her gaze lowered, spotting a dent in the door.

 

“The door was perfectly fine. How did such a large dent get there?” The landlady bent down and touched the door.

 

Jiang Zhi followed her gaze to the dent, momentarily stunned, then sank into a long silence.

 

“The door was fine when I rented the place to you. You need to get it fixed. This door isn’t cheap. Otherwise, I’ll deduct it from your deposit when you move out,” the landlady reminded her.

 

“Yes, you can rest assured. I’ll find someone to fix it,” Jiang Zhi recovered and smiled, agreeing.

 

The landlady said nothing more and left. Jiang Zhi, however, stood at the doorway, staring at the dent at the bottom of the door for a long, long time.

 

Was she thinking about anything? Not really.

 

She now had an unexpected expense for fixing the door. She shook her head with a self-mocking smile and closed the door.

 

Suddenly, she felt like doing a deep clean. She wanted to tidy up the house and put away or clear out things that didn’t originally belong in the room.

 

Jiang Zhi acted on the thought. Staying up late, she started a thorough cleaning.

 

Lin Anran’s pink towels, toothbrush set, her dedicated expensive shower gel, and various other items in the bathroom were all collected by Jiang Zhi.

 

Finally, she entered the room, opened the closet, and looked at the cabinets full of gorgeous, fancy dresses.

 

This shabby closet truly doesn’t deserve to hold these dresses, Jiang Zhi mused.

 

Just yesterday, Jiang Zhi had messaged Lin Anran, asking what she should do with these clothes and if she still wanted them.

 

Naturally, she received no reply.

 

Since the owner of the clothes hadn’t provided a solution, Jiang Zhi was in a bind. Throwing them away felt wrong, but keeping them in the closet felt even more inappropriate.

 

After hesitating for a while, Jiang Zhi took the clothes off one by one, folded them neatly, packed them into a suitcase, closed the lid, and locked it.

 

Then she took out her own clothes and hung them in the closet.

 

When she finished and looked back at the closet, she found it very empty, devoid of anything, with an added sense of loneliness.

 

But the closet was that empty to begin with. Lin Anran’s clothes were only briefly stored there.

 

Jiang Zhi remembered when she first hung Lin Anran’s clothes inside, seeing the closet fully packed, she had felt a sense of homeliness and liveliness.

 

Looking back now, that feeling was rather ridiculous.

 

She couldn’t help but sigh again. She really wasn’t suited for making friends because she always invested too many feelings in them.

 

But friendships have different depths. Most people are just passersby.

 

It was already 3 AM. Jiang Zhi lay in bed, having concluded this sudden spring cleaning.

 

Was the cleaning thorough? Maybe not, but everything related to Lin Anran had been cleared out—not a single item remained.

 

There were no longer any traces of Lin Anran in this room.

 

The room was hers alone, and now it had returned to being lived in by one person.

 

That’s fine. Back to the start, back to the beginning.

 

“Your friend who used to visit you often, why haven’t I seen her lately?” Xiao Man suddenly asked during a casual chat.

 

Jiang Zhi was taking off her green work vest. Hearing this, her movement paused slightly.

 

The momentary emotional slip was fleeting. She calmly took off her work vest and put it into the drawer of the workbench.

 

“Her? We haven’t been in touch for half a month,” Jiang Zhi replied casually.

 

“Why? I thought you two had a good relationship. She came to see you every day,” Xiao Man pressed.

 

Jiang Zhi was silent for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

 

Yes, for a long time, Lin Anran came to see her every day, with an enthusiasm that was almost unbearable. Even bystanders could see that they had a good relationship.

 

The speed at which that fiery person cooled down was just as fast.

 

So fast it was like flash freezing, catching her completely off guard.

 

Jiang Zhi laughed self-mockingly: “No matter how good the relationship, it’s only temporary. We’re not people from the same world. We can’t truly become friends.”

 

Xiao Man frowned, confused: “Why do you say that? What do you mean ‘not from the same world’? Are you from two different worlds? Did she travel here?”

 

Jiang Zhi shook her head and said nothing.

 

Xiao Man: “Now that you mention it, I think about it, too. Every time I see your friend, I think she doesn’t seem like she belongs here, whether it’s her demeanor or appearance. I just feel like she shouldn’t be in this convenience store.”

 

Xiao Man said it casually, but those casual words were the truth.

 

A princess belongs in a castle. She should be in a grand and noble place, not here. This place was too humble, unworthy of the princess’s noble status.

 

“But then again, whether people are from the same world shouldn’t just be based on external conditions. You also have to see if the two of you have common interests, if your hobbies align…”

 

Common interests? Jiang Zhi thought about it. She and Lin Anran didn’t seem to have much to talk about. It was mostly Lin Anran talking and her replying, and then being criticized by Lin Anran for replying too slowly, missing the point, and concluding with a comment about her being a tasteless bumpkin.

 

Similar hobbies? Not really. Lin Anran liked everything pink, while Jiang Zhi wasn’t fond of the color, preferring simple black, white, and gray. Lin Anran liked manicures, which Jiang Zhi couldn’t appreciate…

 

Completely different interests and no common topics…

 

Analyzing it this way, even setting aside the vast difference in family background, analyzing it from other aspects, she wasn’t suited to be her friend.

 

Jiang Zhi dismissed these distracting thoughts and smiled: “Alright, I’m off work.”

 

Xiao Man waved at her: “See you tomorrow.”

 

“See you tomorrow.”

 

Stepping out of the convenience store, the cold wind hit her face, messing up her hair.

 

Jiang Zhi shivered, tucking her chin into her jacket.

 

It was getting colder. Winter was truly coming. She wondered if it would snow this year.

 

Does Lin Anran like snow?

 

Jiang Zhi shook her head. Where did that thought come from? What does Lin Anran liking snow have to do with me?

 

She occasionally still thought of Lin Anran, but rarely. If Xiao Man hadn’t brought her up today, Jiang Zhi wouldn’t have thought about her for quite some time.

 

After all, half a month had passed.

 

Time passed quickly, and time easily faded things, whether it was family, friendship, or love.

 

Jiang Zhi went to work, worked her part-time job, and had little free time. She was busy every day and didn’t have the leisure to overthink things.

 

She no longer wondered why Lin Anran suddenly cut off contact. In the adult world, many things just are.

 

No reason, no logic. They just happen. It’s impossible for everything to have a rational explanation.

 

But it was strange that just when Jiang Zhi had almost forgotten about her, something would always pop up to remind her, pulling her memory back to Lin Anran.

 

Like now.

 

A customer bought a large bag of items, all coffee and instant noodles.

 

When Jiang Zhi saw these items, she subconsciously looked up at the customer’s face.

 

What was she expecting?

 

Expecting Lin Anran to suddenly show up? To appear suddenly and create a huge surprise?

 

Life wasn’t a TV drama. There weren’t that many coincidences, nor that many reunions.

 

So when she looked at the customer’s face, she inevitably saw a stranger. It wasn’t Lin Anran. She just happened to buy a large bag of instant noodles and coffee that looked like too much to consume, just like Lin Anran.

 

The customer saw her staring and waved a hand in front of her: “What are you doing? Check me out.”

 

Jiang Zhi snapped back to reality: “Apologies. Checking you out now.”

 

She scanned the items, checked out, bagged them, and watched the customer leave.

 

Jiang Zhi looked at the convenience store’s seating area. There was no one there, though there used to always be someone.

 

I was almost over it. Why am I inexplicably reminiscing and feeling sentimental again…

 

Being too emotional seems to be a flaw. Jiang Zhi wanted to correct this flaw, but it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

 

Just when she hadn’t thought about Lin Anran for a long time again, something else coincidentally appeared, pulling Lin Anran back into her memory.

 

“This draft was written by Lin Anran?” A colleague’s tone was surprised.

 

“Yes. It’s very well written, isn’t it? Sales for this issue of the magazine are much better because of this draft. The feedback is excellent, and people are even discussing it online.”

 

“That’s genuinely surprising.”

 

“Why are you surprised? She might be a bit spoiled and overbearing, but she’s a wealthy heiress. She received the best education since childhood. Her excellence is something we can’t compare to. Even a casually written draft from her is significantly better than ours.”

 

“Sigh, you’re right.”

 

Jiang Zhi overheard this and fell into thought. She remembered that Lin Anran had thrown a huge tantrum over this draft, angry that the editor didn’t trust her abilities and had found someone else to write it with her.

 

Jiang Zhi had comforted her then, saying that even if two people wrote the same draft, she would surely be the one whose version was ultimately chosen.

 

And the facts proved that Lin Anran lived up to, and even exceeded, expectations.

 

When Lin Anran wanted to do something, she could do it very well, exceptionally well.

 

Aside from the halo of her family background, she herself was a very capable person.

 

Perhaps her only flaw was her terrible personality, but when contrasted with her strengths, that flaw didn’t seem like a problem.

 

“Are you still in touch with Lin Anran?” A familiar colleague nudged her shoulder.

 

Jiang Zhi froze, then forced a smile: “We haven’t been in touch.”

 

Colleague: “I see. I thought you two would still be in contact. After all, you were the only one who could cheer her up.”

 

A male colleague who was often at odds with Jiang Zhi saw the situation and immediately interjected, sneering: “What are you dreaming about? ‘She was the only one who could cheer her up?’ What does a wealthy young lady need? It’s beneath her to be friends with someone like Jiang Zhi.”

 

The female colleague frowned: “Was I talking to you? What are you barking about?”

 

The male colleague lifted his eyebrows in provocation: “I’m just afraid that someone, seeing money, would try to flatter and grovel to be her dog, but the person doesn’t even want that kind of lapdog.”

 

The female colleague stood up, pointing and cursing: “No one here wants to talk to you. Always seeking attention, sticking around like a clingy plaster. You’re disgusting! Talking to you for two minutes feels like stepping in [excrement]. The whole person stinks.”

 

The male colleague’s face turned green. Knowing he couldn’t win the verbal battle, he glared angrily and fell silent.

 

Jiang Zhi pulled her colleague back down and poured her water: “Calm down, calm down. Thank you for your trouble, always cursing him out for me.”

 

Colleague: “Go away.”

 

Jiang Zhi laughed and started talking about other things, either unintentionally or deliberately skipping over the previous topic.

 

After the minor interlude, she finally endured until the end of her shift, but even after clocking out here, Jiang Zhi rushed to the convenience store without delay.

 

Busy, busy, with hardly a moment to spare.

 

Red light at the intersection. Jiang Zhi put both feet down and stopped, waiting for the green light.

 

While waiting, she glanced at the commercial street next to her.

 

The intersection was a flurry of busy people—delivery drivers, people just getting off work—everyone in a hurry. The mall, however, seemed like another world.

 

People there were not rushed. They were dressed elegantly, strolling and shopping, chatting and laughing, enjoying life.

 

The street corner represented the hurried life of survival, while the mall represented the leisurely life of living.

 

Jiang Zhi only glanced at this briefly, quickly retracting her gaze, and started the electric scooter…

 

Suddenly, Jiang Zhi stopped the scooter and looked back.

 

On the second floor of the commercial street, she saw a familiar figure. Even through the crowd and the distance, Jiang Zhi recognized the person instantly.

 

Waist-length, wavy, curly hair, a vibrant and fancy red dress, and that proud, impatient expression.

 

It was Lin Anran.

 

Reality wasn’t a TV drama, but reality occasionally had coincidences.

 

Jiang Zhi had never imagined that she would encounter Lin Anran again after a month.

 

Lin Anran was standing by the second-floor window, browsing clothes in a boutique. Her attention was on the clothing, and she didn’t notice someone at the traffic light intersection below looking up at her.

 

Jiang Zhi went from shock to calmness in just a few seconds. Her last thought was whether she should go say hello.

 

As soon as the thought arose, the person focused on selecting clothes seemed to sense something and also looked towards the intersection.

 

Their eyes met.