Loving You in Silence - Chapter 13

One moment she had the face of a black-hearted capitalist offering ten yuan an hour, and the next, she could promise to transfer 188,000 yuan without blinking. Was this the magic of a “White Moonlight”?

Dai Ruyue clicked her tongue. “Ms. Meng, you sure are generous.”

“How much is your monthly salary, Ms. Meng? Even twenty thousand?” Dai Ruyue entered the apartment living room, popped a cherry from the coffee table into her mouth, and accused her: “You spendthrift, just running wild because your family has money.”

Meng Yihuai tidied the kitchen. “So, do you want the money or not?”

“I want it, I absolutely want it! This is my hard-earned labor income, perfectly reasonable and legal.”

“Go get my phone.”

Dai Ruyue grabbed the phone from the sofa and presented it with both hands: “Rich lady, please make the transfer.”

Under Dai Ruyue’s flattering and burning gaze, Meng Yihuai’s fingertips moved across the screen. The next second, a transfer notification popped up on Dai Ruyue’s phone.

Counting the digits, it really was 188,000. Dai Ruyue covered her mouth in shock: “Is this what it feels like to have a sugar mommy?!”

“…”

“I’m so moved. This is more than all the New Year’s red envelope money I’ve received in twenty-eight years combined. I’m going to cling to this thigh for dear life.”

“It’s not like today is the first day you’ve clung to me,” Meng Yihuai said casually.

“Who said I was going to cling to you? I’m going to cling to Ms. Jiang,” Dai Ruyue said gleefully.

After watching her in silence for a few seconds, Meng Yihuai went to pour herself some water and said indifferently, “Don’t go saying anything weird to her.”

Dai Ruyue: “Like what?”

“We are currently just ordinary colleagues—at best, friends. If you say a bunch of nonsense to her, it’ll be easy to scare her off.”

“Oh? But I remember not long ago, someone was holding a certain ugly rabbit and bragging about how important she is to a certain someone now?” Dai Ruyue looked up at the ceiling, appearing deep in thought. “Did I somehow gain a phantom memory?”

“…” Meng Yihuai gave her a cold sideways glance.

“So, you’re still just ordinary colleagues. My bad! I thought you two were about to… you know, any second now,” Dai Ruyue patted her own mouth with an exaggerated tone. “Fine, for the sake of 188,000, I won’t run my mouth.”

Meng Yihuai took out her phone. “I’m calling Xu Zimei right now to tell her to expect a folder of dirt on you in her inbox.”

Xu Zimei was another female host at the Beicheng TV station. She and Dai Ruyue looked like best friends on the surface, frequently interacting on Weibo, but it was all for show. After work, Dai Ruyue often vented about Xu Zimei’s “Green Tea” act, complaining that Xu Zimei used her pitiful “white lotus” face to steal resources and was more popular both inside and outside the station.

If Xu Zimei got her hands-on dirt about Dai Ruyue, letting even a single second pass before spreading it would be a sign of disrespect to their rivalry.

All of Dai Ruyue’s arrogance vanished. She put on a flattering face and leaned in with a grin: “Ms. Meng, I really won’t say anything reckless. Rest easy.”

Meng Yihuai: “Your fans call you a ‘cold goddess.’ I think there’s something wrong with their eyes.”

“Yes, yes, you’re the most insightful, you’re the best judge of character,” Dai Ruyue said. “Weren’t you about to make chicken soup? Tell me what ingredients you need; I’ll go buy them right now.”

“There’s no labor fee.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Dai Ruyue said seriously. “Why would we need labor fees between us?”

“…”

Meng Yihuai rarely stayed here, so the apartment was essentially brand new. She had moved a lot of things from her home that morning. Besides kitchenware, there were clothes and daily necessities.

After Dai Ruyue left, Meng Yihuai continued organizing the odds and ends. A while later, there was a knock at the door.

Jiang Zi was standing outside. She had changed out of her pajamas and was wearing a casual white cotton T-shirt and loose trousers of the same color, with white slippers. Her ink-black hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore no makeup, looking clean and elegant.

After entering, Jiang Zi took a brief look around and asked, “Did you just move here, Ms. Meng?”

“No, I occasionally take my lunch breaks here, but I usually sleep at the housing complex,” Meng Yihuai said. “Make yourself at home.”

Jiang Zi scanned the room, feeling that the current state of things looked very much like a full move-in. She sat obediently on the sofa, her hands resting properly on her knees, and asked, “So, do you plan on staying here tonight, Ms. Meng?”

“Yes, I am.”

“…I felt the housing complex had a better environment.”

“I thought so too,” Meng Yihuai gathered the delivery packaging by the entryway and casually patted the dust off her pants. “But after what happened last night, I’m quite scared to be home alone.”

Jiang Zi went quiet for a moment, observing her expression. “The security at your complex should be very good.”

“I’m very poor; I was almost at the point where I couldn’t afford the rent.”

Jiang Zi fell silent, wisely choosing not to speak further on the topic.

After sitting on the sofa for a while, watching Meng Yihuai walk back and forth in the living room and drift between the kitchen and bedroom, Jiang Zi blinked. “Ms. Meng, do you need help?”

“You just sit there, Ms. Jiang.” After saying that, Meng Yihuai knit her brows. “My clothes got a bit dirty. If you don’t mind, may I go take a quick shower?”

After the incident where Meng Yihuai took off her clothes while on the phone, Jiang Zi was able to accept this proposal with complete calm: “Of course.”

Meng Yihuai nodded and headed to the bedroom.

The soundproofing here wasn’t great. Jiang Zi remained on the sofa, scrolling through her social feed out of boredom, her ears catching the pitter-patter of the shower.

A short while later, the door opened again. Jiang Zi looked up and saw Dai Ruyue carrying a pile of groceries from the supermarket. Their eyes met, and Dai Ruyue gave her a friendly smile before putting the items in the kitchen. As she walked, she asked, “Where’s Meng Yihuai?”

“She’s taking a shower.”

Dai Ruyue nearly tripped. A peach fell out of the plastic bag and rolled across the floor. She leaned down to pick it up, her gaze shifting to Jiang Zi’s face with an unreadable look.

Jiang Zi was puzzled: “…”

Dai Ruyue: “I was only gone for ten minutes, and you two already…?”

“Already what?”

“Wait, why is Meng Yihuai the one taking a shower?”

“…” Jiang Zi couldn’t read the meaning in her eyes and couldn’t quite understand her words. She explained plainly, “Her clothes got dirty.”

Dai Ruyue pressed: “How did they get dirty?”

Before Jiang Zi could answer, Meng Yihuai having changed into a set of light-colored loungewear pulled open the bathroom door and stepped out. She gave Dai Ruyue a look: “They got dirty while I was organizing things. What else could it be?”

Dai Ruyue’s gaze swept back and forth between the two: “It’s that simple?”

“…” Meng Yihuai smiled faintly. “Do you still want that chicken soup?”

“…”

Dai Ruyue mimed zipping her lips shut.

After nearly an hour of busywork, they finally sat down to eat. At first, Dai Ruyue tried to maintain her “cold and elegant” persona, but her hunger likely reached a breaking point. She gave up the act and tapped her chopsticks together: “I’m starving to death, Huai. I have to be at work by 2:00 PM.”

Jiang Zi brought the dishes to the dining table and heard Meng Yihuai say, “Could you please not call me by such a sappy name?”

“Isn’t that your nickname? How is it sappy?” Dai Ruyue replied, clutching her bowl and chattering away.

The atmosphere between them was relaxed and casual. Jiang Zi sat quietly, not feeling like an outsider at all. She listened to them chat, occasionally letting a small smile touch her lips.

The golden chicken soup had a rich aroma. After Jiang Zi finished her bowl, she noticed an empty one being pushed toward her out of the corner of her eye. She naturally ladled a serving for her.

Dai Ruyue: ?

Dai Ruyue also pushed her bowl over and waited expectantly.

A slender, fair, and beautiful hand entered her field of vision and took the bowl from Jiang Zi. Meng Yihuai’s lazy voice rang out: “Can’t you serve yourself?”

Jiang Zi found it inexplicably funny. “It’s fine.”

“You’re being a bit petty, aren’t you?” Dai Ruyue remarked.

“Is this the first day you’ve realized this virtue of mine?” Meng Yihuai tugged at Jiang Zi’s sleeve. “Just sit and eat properly.”

Jiang Zi sat back down and couldn’t help but steal a glance at Meng Yihuai, who was now focused on ladling soup for Dai Ruyue. Whether intentional or not, her wrist was lightly brushed by Meng Yihuai’s fingertips. Jiang Zi lowered her eyes and smoothed over the spot where she had been touched.

It felt a bit tingly.

To maintain her figure and ensure she looked good on camera, Dai Ruyue put down her chopsticks after a few bites and picked up her phone to reply to messages. As Jiang Zi was chewing her rice, a phone started ringing.

Glancing at the unknown number, she answered it.

“Hello, this is Officer Zhang from the Beicheng Police Station. Am I speaking with Ms. Jiang Zi?”

Even without the speakerphone on, the voice was clear enough in the quiet room. Jiang Zi put down her chopsticks, gave an apologetic nod to the two looking at her, and walked over to the balcony to take the call.

At the dining table, Dai Ruyue winked frantically at Meng Yihuai. The two began surreptitiously texting each other.

Dai Ruyue: [What’s going on with this?]

Meng Yihuai: [That’s her private business; I can’t tell you.]

Dai Ruyue: [Wow, you even know her private business now? Ms. Meng, you really have some moves. Did you move in here just to get closer to her?]

Dai Ruyue: [Cat stare emoji /]

Meng Yihuai: [Mm-hmm~]

Dai Ruyue: [You’re such a flirt, I swear…]

A few minutes later, Jiang Zi returned. One was playing with her phone while the other continued eating as if nothing had happened.

After finishing the meal, they tidied up the kitchen and the table together. Once everything was done, Jiang Zi looked at them and said, “I’ll be heading out first, then.”

“Is it something urgent, Ms. Jiang?” Dai Ruyue asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Zi nodded, not hiding it. “The police station just called. They need me to go over and give a statement.”

“By yourself?” Dai Ruyue let out an ‘oh.’

Jiang Zi nodded.

“Why not take Yihuai with you? She has nothing to do anyway,” Dai Ruyue suggested. “You’re colleagues, after all. You should look out for each other.”

Jiang Zi offered a faint, polite smile. “No need. I’ve already troubled Ms. Meng many times since last night.”

“Last night?”

Jiang Zi had no intention of explaining further. She glanced at Meng Yihuai, saw her lack of reaction, and nodded. “I’ll be going now.”

After changing into a clean, sharp outfit, she took a taxi to the police station. Following the officer’s guidance, she sat down in a quiet room.

As soon as she entered, she saw a girl sitting across the table. Her head was bowed, and her bangs obscured her features. She was silent and exuded a heavy sense of gloom. Hearing the noise, the girl looked up.

It was Jiang Meng. A student from No. 1 High.

The officer spoke: “Ms. Jiang, after our investigation, she was the one who knocked on your door last night, and she was also the one who installed the hidden camera in your living room. We currently have all the criminal evidence.”

Jiang Zi locked eyes with Jiang Meng, who quickly looked down.

“We just questioned her. She claims to be a student at No. 1 High and that you are her teacher. As for her motive, she didn’t say. She kept saying she wanted to see you and apologize. Her parents are in the next room and want to talk to you in hopes of gaining your forgiveness,” the officer said.

Jiang Meng was a high schooler who had always been quiet and unnoticed in class. She had been diagnosed with moderate depression previously, and Jiang Zi had once provided her with counseling.

Jiang Zi understood the officer’s words but only asked: “Did the camera capture anything?”

“It was just installed yesterday after she picked the lock to get in,” the officer replied. “We checked; there were no files on it.”

Jiang Zi let out a breath of relief. “Good.”

“So, what are your thoughts?” the officer asked.

Jiang Zi glanced at Jiang Meng and said calmly, “Please handle it according to the law, Officer. There’s no need for forgiveness.”

Back home, Jiang Zi found a new friend request. It was from Jiang Meng’s mother, with a profile picture of a professional suit-clad self-portrait. Jiang Zi ignored it.

People must take responsibility for their own actions.

She video-chatted with An Jia for a bit that evening. In the middle of it, a message popped up.

Meng Yihuai: [Ms. Jiang, can you wait for me so we can go to work together tomorrow morning? I have a bit of trouble sleeping in new beds, so I might stay up late tonight.]

She stared at the screen for a while. Seeing her sudden silence, An Jia called out, “Hey, spacing out?”

Jiang Zi snapped back and repeated the content of Meng Yihuai’s message. An Jia took a bite of her sandwich and mumbled, “That’s nice. Having a work buddy, and a beautiful one at that. I’m jealous.”

Jiang Zi couldn’t help but add, “She’s a very good cook, too.”

“You’ve tried it?”

“Yeah, she made chicken soup today. It was delicious.”

“Well, if she’s making you chicken soup, asking her to wake up for work isn’t too much, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

Jiang Zi: [Okay, Ms. Meng.]

Meng Yihuai sent back an emoji of a big blowing kiss.

Jiang Zi’s face turned red for some reason. “…”

She wasn’t one to oversleep. The next morning, she woke up on time, finished getting ready, and stood before the door opposite hers, knocking as promised.

No response. She knocked again. Still no response.

Jiang Zi sighed, pulled up Meng Yihuai’s chat, and initiated a voice call. This time, the other party answered quickly: “Hello?”

The voice was slightly raspy from sleep, lazy, and transmitted right into her ear as if the person were lying right next to her.

Jiang Zi was silent for a few seconds. She said, “Ms. Meng, it’s time to get up.”

A minute later, the door opposite opened. Meng Yihuai was wearing loose white silk pajamas. Despite being face-to-face, she still held the phone to her ear. She tilted her head. “There are still forty-five minutes before we have to clock in. What does Ms. Jiang plan to do?”

Jiang Zi blinked. “Wait for you to get ready?”

“Come in and have breakfast.”

Watching her hesitate for only a second before obediently walking in, a smile reached Meng Yihuai’s eyes. She hung up and closed the door, saying nonchalantly, “By the way, I need you to judge something.”

“Which is better: Xia Zhou’s bread, or the breakfast I made?”