Did the Tsundere Miss Get Slapped in the Face Again Today? - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: “I’m Going To Catch Her, Shut Her Away, And Lock Her Up.”

Late at night, Jiang Zhi lay on the soft hotel bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her ears kept ringing with what Lin Anran had said: “Who else would it be? We never broke up.”

Was Lin Anran sober when she said that, or was she drunk? Was it a drunken truth, or just nonsense spoken under the influence?

She paced circles in the room, her heart a tangled mess of excitement, conflict, and worry. She was afraid of overthinking it, yet afraid of underthinking it. Finally, the thought of “overthinking” won out. She had left without a word for two years; there was no reason for Lin Anran to wait, no reason for her to still love her.

Real life wasn’t a novel. In novels, you could find unswerving love everywhere—people who wait five, six, or eight years without regret. But in reality, who would be that foolish? Especially someone as pure, vivid, and radiant as Lin Anran. She had so many people around her; anyone she picked would be a hundred times better than Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi pressed a hand to her restless heart and closed her eyes to calm down. Don’t read too much into it. Don’t be narcissistic. Don’t have illusions.

Vibration. The phone under her pillow buzzed.

Jiang Zhi pulled it out, the bright white light stinging her eyes. It was a message from an online friend she’d met through her video account, Li Yingying.

Li Yingying: “You attended the video creation exchange banquet in Mucheng too?”

Jiang Zhi: “Yeah, how did you know?”

Li Yingying: “You mentioned it in the video you just updated.”

Jiang Zhi: “Oh, right. I forgot.”

Li Yingying: “The banquet is over. Are you still there? I already left. If I’d known, we could have met up. Where are you staying?”

Jiang Zhi: “Haven’t left yet. Staying at the XX Hotel—the one the organizers provided.”

Li Yingying: “???”

Jiang Zhi stared at the question marks. Soon, another message popped up.

Li Yingying: “Is there some kind of preferential treatment going on?? We only got an invitation. They didn’t arrange accommodation at all, let alone a five-star hotel!”

Jiang Zhi was stunned. The organizers didn’t arrange housing?

Jiang Zhi: “None of you have a place to stay? Did they provide gowns for you? Did they help with hair and makeup?”

Li Yingying: “??? Are you telling a joke? What banquet provides gowns and professional styling for every guest? We aren’t big stars; nobody gets that treatment.”

Jiang Zhi’s confusion deepened. If the organizers didn’t provide a hotel or a dress, why was she here? Why did she have a gown and a personal stylist?

She sat up abruptly, ran into the bathroom, and grabbed the toothpaste. This brand and flavor were Lin Anran’s favorites, but they were obscure and hard to find. She had thought it was a coincidence, but how many coincidences could there be?

The breakfast, too… it was prepared exactly to Anran’s tastes: three slices of toast, a soft-boiled egg, and cold milk.

The invitation, the hotel, the dress, even the toothpaste and breakfast—it was all Lin Anran’s doing. Was it for revenge, or… to make her stay?

Jiang Zhi almost wished it were revenge. She didn’t want to think about how much Anran must have suffered over the past two years. She would rather Anran had forgotten her than know that Anran had spent two years tormented by this relationship, only to swallow her pride and try to win her back after being abandoned. She didn’t want Anran to be that humble. She wasn’t worth it.

Distraught and unable to sleep, she dressed and headed out.

She wandered aimlessly until she found herself across the street from the ZAR building. She looked up at the sign, her lips moving as she whispered the letters: “Z-A-R.”

A realization hit her like a physical blow. Did “ZAR” stand for what she thought? Z for Zhi. AR for Anran. Together, their names.

Her fingers curled at her sides. The weight of this love was becoming too heavy to bear. Lin Anran was still that pure, brave girl. But what about her? She hadn’t grown at all; her cowardly nature was still stuck in two years ago.

High up in the building, a single light was still on. Jiang Zhi stared at it, her vision blurry since she wasn’t wearing her glasses. But even through the haze, she recognized the figure standing by the window.

One looking down, one looking up. Across the distance, their eyes met. Time seemed to slow down until she could hear her own heartbeat. Finally, Jiang Zhi lowered her head, broke the gaze, and walked away.

Lin Anran watched the retreating figure, her eyelashes trembling.

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” Lin Yishu asked from beside her.

“No,” Anran replied, her eyes never leaving the person walking away. “I’ve done everything I can. Now it’s her choice. Give her some time.”

Lin Yishu sighed. “What if she keeps hiding? With her stubborn, twisted personality, what will you do?”

Anran’s gaze sharpened. “If she hides again, then there’s no need to continue…”

Lin Yishu expected her to say she’d give up. Instead, Anran continued: “If she dares to hide again, I’m going to catch her, shut her away, and lock her up.”

Lin Yishu’s mouth twitched. She didn’t think Anran had turned into a dark villain for love; she knew there was a novel on Anran’s desk. These lines were clearly learned from some obsessive romance book.

Dominant, Paranoid Love… Lin Yishu wanted to laugh every time she saw the title.

“Please, throw that novel away. I’m begging you,” Lin Yishu facepalmed.

“Peeking at my things is rude. I don’t like it,” Anran said coldly. “Anyway, I have work to finish. You go home first.”

“Work is never finished. Get some rest! You already won the bet with Eldest Sister; there’s no need to push yourself this hard.”

Anran returned to her desk and opened a file. “This has nothing to do with the bet now. I need to make my own money so I have true control over it. I have a wife to support, and supporting a wife is expensive. The pressure is high.”

Lin Yishu: “…”

Jiang Zhi returned to her small mountain village, trying to go back to her secluded life. But her heart was no longer at peace. She held her cat, Zhaocai, stroking its fur.

“What should I do?” she whispered. “If she really has been waiting for me… can I even go back? Do I deserve to?”

Lin Anran didn’t despise her for running away, but Jiang Zhi despised herself.

She looked at her old wooden desk. Inside the drawer sat a phone—a phone that had been gathering dust for two years, never turned on since the day they parted.

Jiang Zhi hesitated, then opened the drawer. She stared at the device as hours passed. Finally, she bit her lip, gathered her courage, and pressed the power button.

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