Loving You in Silence - Chapter 1

At 9:50 PM, the last session of evening self-study ended. Jiang Zi stayed behind in the office to finish grading the remaining assignments.

The office was brightly lit. Another teacher, who was also heading home, noticed her slender figure and asked, “Ms. Jiang, working overtime again?”

“I’ll be heading back in a bit,” Jiang Zi replied. “Drive safely, Mr. Lin.”

“You too.”

Ten minutes later, Jiang Zi packed her things and drove home. Her car cut through the thick night, passing through secluded lanes before pulling up in front of a dilapidated residential compound.

The compound was named Bandaoli. The three characters on the sign above the main gate were peeling, swaying slightly as if they might fall at any moment.

Jiang Zi got out of the car and checked the time.

10:30 PM.

Elderly residents would occasionally stroll past. After waiting for about half an hour, a slender silhouette suddenly caught Jiang Zi’s eye.

It was a young girl, about high school age. Her soft, long hair fell over her chest, giving her a gentle and clean appearance.

Jiang Zi glanced at her short skirt. “Jiang Manjing.”

“…” Not expecting her to be waiting there, Jiang Manjing clutched her phone and instinctively took a step back. “Auntie, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Jiang Zi asked, “Back this late again?”

“I was at my part-time job, just finished.” Jiang Manjing stole a glance at her. “Have you eaten? Shall I cook something for you?”

The building had no elevator. They climbed the stairs to the sixth floor. Under the dim hallway lights, Jiang Zi could see the girl’s vivid makeup, the bright red lips and her cautious expression.

“Is the money I give you not enough?” Jiang Zi asked.

Jiang Manjing fiddled with her fingertips. “It’s enough.”

“Then why do you keep going out for part-time work? I remember telling you before not to do that.” Having reached the front door, Jiang Zi pulled out her keys. She gave her a faint look. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

Strangely, Jiang Zi didn’t look reproachful; she didn’t even frown. Yet, Jiang Manjing couldn’t help but feel flustered. Perhaps it was the natural authority of a teacher, but under Jiang Zi’s calm, unruffled gaze, her head dropped lower and lower, like a startled kitten.

At 1:00 AM, Jiang Zi went to the living room to get some water.

Passing Jiang Manjing’s bedroom, she paused and peeked through the slightly ajar door. The girl wasn’t sleeping soundly; her brows were knit together, and her eyelashes were damp. She had likely been crying in a nightmare.

Since they started living together, Jiang Zi noticed that the girl didn’t like closing her door and suffered from frequent nightmares.

Jiang Zi watched in silence for a while, then gently pulled the door shut.

She sat on the sofa clutching her glass. Moonlight swayed with the window curtains. In the silent space, she sat alone.

Recalling Jiang Manjing’s panicked expression, Jiang Zi bit her lip in frustration.

Was I too harsh?

The next morning, Jiang Zi woke up a bit before her alarm. She considered making breakfast, only to find the faint sounds of cooking already coming from the kitchen. The girl, wearing an apron, stood at the counter skillfully tending to a pot of congee.

“…” Jiang Zi decided not to interfere; after all, her own cooking was mediocre, certainly a step below Jiang Manjing’s.

Jiang Manjing set the breakfast on the table and handed her a pair of chopsticks. She stole occasional glances at Jiang Zi, her manner somewhat ingratiating.

“Auntie, are you still angry?” Jiang Manjing peeked at her.

Jiang Zi wasn’t actually someone who got angry easily. For some reason, she just tended to give off the impression of having a cold temperament.

“No,” Jiang Zi said. “Do you have plans today?”

“No plans.”

“Then come to school with me,” Jiang Zi said after a thought. “You can take a look around. If you have no objections, you’ll transfer there for the new semester.”

Jiang Manjing wouldn’t dream of objecting. “Okay.”

Beicheng No. 1 High School was the top public high school in the city. Many prestigious universities regarded it as a source of elite students. The faculty was formidable, consisting mostly of “Double First-Class” PhDs or those with overseas experience. Jiang Zi was one of the latter.

The school had a beautiful campus and a large grounds. When Jiang Zi led Jiang Manjing into the office, they were immediately met with stares from the other teachers.

After a few seconds of silence, a female teacher holding a water cup spoke up: “Ms. Jiang, is this girl your daughter?”

Before Jiang Zi could answer, an older teacher burst out laughing. “How is that possible? You’re young, but your eyesight is terrible! This child must be Xiao Zi’s relative. Their eyes look very similar.”

“You’re right, they really do.”

“And Ms. Jiang is so young and not even married. Don’t start rumors!” the other teachers chimed in.

The teacher with the cup smiled apologetically. “My mistake, Ms. Jiang.”

Jiang Zi was twenty-eight. She had started working at Beicheng No. 1 High after returning from her studies abroad. Three years of work hadn’t aged her much; with her bare face and fair, delicate skin, she was often mistaken for a college student.

After waiting patiently for their banter to end, Jiang Zi introduced the teachers one by one, and Jiang Manjing greeted them politely.

Today, Jiang Manjing was dressed modestly in a white T-shirt and knee-length shorts. Her clean face and well-spoken manner quickly won everyone over. By the time Jiang Zi returned from teaching two classes, she found a pile of snacks and fruit in front of the girl, who was surrounded by teachers asking her questions.

From a short distance away, Jiang Zi watched the girl’s curving eyes.

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that their eyes were similar. Both had gentle amber pupils, like a slow-flowing lake that instinctively made people want to reach out and touch the water.

However, while their eyes were similar, their temperaments were worlds apart.

Taking advantage of a moment when Jiang Zi wasn’t looking, the teacher with the water cup whispered, “Manman, does your auntie ever hit you?”

“No,” Jiang Manjing shook her head. “My auntie is very good.”

“She doesn’t look like the type to hit people,” the teacher whispered. “But her vibe is just so icy. When Ms. Jiang first reported for work, none of us dared to speak to her.”

Jiang Manjing could imagine the scene and nodded.

…

After a day of touring the school and confirming that Jiang Manjing had no objections, Jiang Zi began handling the transfer procedures.

During the weekend, Jiang Zi visited Nanxin High School—Jiang Manjing’s previous school—to inquire about the specific process for transferring her registration and records. By the time she finished, it was evening.

Jiang Manjing had reported earlier that she would be eating out with friends.

Jiang Zi typed a long message into the chat box, but ended up deleting it all, sending only four words: Stay safe. She put away her phone and ducked into a random cafe on the street.

She ordered a chocolate mousse and a coffee and took a seat by the window.

As the sweetness melted in her mouth, Jiang Zi’s eyes curved almost imperceptibly. Then, thinking of Jiang Manjing out somewhere, a shadow of worry clouded her gaze.

Since Jiang Qing had been imprisoned without warning, the responsibility of raising Jiang Manjing had fallen on her. But she rarely interacted with children and was used to being alone. She had no idea how to get along with a teenage girl, especially since they’d had almost no contact before this.

Thinking about it, she felt like a very inadequate aunt.

In an instant, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

The cafe was decorated in a “fresh” style, with wind chimes hanging by the door. They tinkled softly as someone entered.

Jiang Zi retracted her gaze from the window and took another spoonful of cake without looking toward the door until the whispers of two nearby girls reached her ears.

“Is that the TV station host?”

“Is it? Let me see… Wow, it really is!”

“My god, she’s even more beautiful in person. Is the person next to her a host too? So pretty.”

“What a stroke of luck to run into them here!”

…

It sounded like some celebrities had arrived. Jiang Zi looked up casually and saw two tall women ordering at the counter. Just from their backs, one could tell they had extraordinary poise.

A second later, one of them turned around.

The woman had long, wavy light-brown hair. As she turned, she casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her earring swaying slightly. The face revealed was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her eyes met Jiang Zi’s.

The world seemed to stand still for a few seconds.

The swaying wind chimes, the dangling earring, and the surrounding whispers all faded away. The very air seemed to freeze in that moment.

“…”

“…”

Their eyes met for a few seconds.

To Jiang Zi, this was a completely unfamiliar face. She quickly looked away, feeling the slight guilt of being caught staring.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two women finish ordering and sit down at a table directly near her. The other woman looked somewhat familiar. She was likely the Beicheng TV host the passersby had mentioned, Dai Ruyue.

Jiang Zi occasionally watched the news, and since this woman had trended on social media a few times, she had a slight impression of her.

Dai Ruyue rested her cheek on her hand while stirring her coffee. Dropping her “cold goddess” persona from the internet, she began to grumble incessantly: “I really can’t take it anymore. I’ve worked overtime for two weeks straight! My period isn’t even on time! I must have been out of my mind to think being a host was a good idea!”

The woman opposite her gave a non-committal “Mhm.”

“I keep telling you, it’s so much better being a teacher like you. You seem so free every day, not a single overtime worry.”

Another “Mhm.”

Dai Ruyue continued to vent about the miseries of work until she finally noticed the other woman’s distraction. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, dissatisfied.

“Nothing,” Meng Yihuai replied. “Do you still have to work overtime today?”

“Probably not.” Just as the words left her mouth, Dai Ruyue’s phone rang. Her face grew darker by the second. After hanging up, she couldn’t help but curse.

“I’m going to jump off a building, right now!” Dai Ruyue said, looking utterly soul-crushed.

Meng Yihuai curled her lips into a smile. “Alright, if you have business, get going. I’ll treat you to dinner next weekend.”

“Treat me to this coffee, too.”

“No problem.”

Jiang Zi took a sip of her coffee and slowly ate her cake. Outside the window, the brilliant red sunset was gradually swallowed by dark clouds. Soon, raindrops dampened the glass, and the heavy sound of rain filled her ears.

After staying a while longer, Jiang Zi grabbed her bag and left.

Outside the cafe, many pedestrians were sheltering from the rain, including that woman. Jiang Zi stood beside her. In her peripheral vision, she saw the woman look up at the gloomy sky and murmur softly, “It looks like the rain won’t be stopping anytime soon.”

Jiang Zi glanced at her but didn’t respond.

Not long after the woman spoke, someone approached with an umbrella, offering to walk her home.

Jiang Zi took her own umbrella out of her bag and opened it.

The next second, a face appeared in Jiang Zi’s field of vision.

Unlike the distant gaze from before, at such close proximity, the woman’s beauty felt aggressive. Despite her light makeup, there was an air of enchantment about her. Her face and her pleasant scent were incredibly impactful.

“Hello, would you mind sharing your umbrella?” she asked.

Jiang Zi looked up at her slightly, remaining silent.

The woman turned and pointed toward a convenience store not far away. “I’m just going there to buy an umbrella. Could I trouble you?”

It was very close, no more than a hundred meters.

Jiang Zi nodded. “Sure.”

The two shared the umbrella under the curtain of rain.

Meng Yihuai was about half a head taller than Jiang Zi. Seeing her hold the umbrella looked a bit awkward, so she smiled. “Let me.”

Jiang Zi gave a soft “Okay” and handed the umbrella to her.

During that short walk, neither of them spoke. When they reached the convenience store, Meng Yihuai handed the umbrella back.

Jiang Zi nodded and turned to leave.

“Ms. Jiang,” Meng Yihuai said to her retreating back. “The rain is quite heavy; be careful not to catch a cold.”

Jiang Zi turned back and said politely, “Thank you. You too.”

After walking a bit further, Jiang Zi suddenly realized something was wrong.

She didn’t recall introducing herself to that woman.