Loving You in Silence - Chapter 3

The words “old classmate” placed Jiang Zi on a pedestal she had never occupied before.

To be honest, back in high school, she and Meng Yihuai had almost no interaction. They weren’t even in the same class. Calling her an “old classmate” felt like a bit of a stretch. Jiang Zi had a very weak presence in high school, but then she thought. It really wasn’t easy for someone to remember her after all these years.

But taking someone home…

For someone like Jiang Zi, who maintained a strong sense of personal space, she was only willing to do such things for people she was very close to.

The next second, another message arrived.

An Jia: [Sister says that even though her friend has the face of a ‘bad woman,’ her character is top-tier! She guarantees it with her reputation as a host! You don’t have to worry about being scammed by her at all!!]

Jiang Zi looked at the woman beside her. “Where do you live? I’ll call a car for you.”

Meng Yihuai’s eyelashes fluttered as she named a residential compound.

The level of wealth associated with that compound went without saying. Jiang Zi silently looked away. Before long, the car she had called pulled up at the entrance.

Meng Yihuai stood up from the sofa, her steps a bit unsteady. She braced her fingertips against the wall, her head swaying slightly.

She looked quite unwell. Jiang Zi didn’t understand why she had drunk so much, so she reached out to offer a hand.

Meng Yihuai paused, looking at her with a hint of confusion.

Jiang Zi: “I’ll help you over.”

“…” Meng Yihuai’s lips curved. “Thank you, Ms. Jiang.”

They walked to the door. As they got closer, Jiang Zi noticed the driver was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and a tattoo visible on his arm. Recalling recent news reports about robberies and assaults, Jiang Zi felt it wouldn’t be safe to leave Meng Yihuai in the car alone.

Meng Yihuai let go of her arm at the appropriate moment. “Thank you, Ms. Jiang. I’ll be heading back now.”

“Wait,” Jiang Zi paused for two seconds, her helpful nature getting the better of her. “I’ll go with you.”

Meng Yihuai looked at her. “Is Ms. Jiang going my way?”

Actually, it wasn’t on her way at all.

The two compounds, Tomson Riviera and Bandaoli—were worlds apart.

Jiang Zi: “It’s on the way. Let’s go together.”

They sat in the back seat. The car didn’t smell bad. The driver remained silent from start to finish. Jiang Zi and Meng Yihuai sat at opposite ends of the seat.

Jiang Zi looked out the window at the passing streaks of light.

In the quiet atmosphere, her thoughts drifted back to high school.

Back then, Jiang Zi was an utterly unremarkable person. She had ear-length short hair and grades that were in the upper-middle range. She followed the rules every day, and her looks weren’t particularly striking.

One day, a certain name began to reach her ears. For a long time after that, whether it was through the school radio station or on the disciplinary notices in the hallway, she would constantly see that name.

Meng Yihuai.

She was the person with the most disciplinary marks Jiang Zi had ever seen. Her reputation among the students wasn’t great either. It was said she got into fights, used her phone in class, engaged in “puppy love”… there wasn’t a rule she wasn’t an expert at breaking. Every Monday before the flag-raising ceremony, there was bound to be a self-reflection speech from this Student Meng.

It’s a shame that Jiang Zi only remembered the name vividly.

Faces always escaped her.

The few times they had crossed paths, Student Meng had been standing high atop the assembly stage while Jiang Zi was buried in the crowd, too far away to see clearly.

One morning, Jiang Zi discovered her bicycle tire was flat and was forced to take the bus, arriving half an hour late. She had never broken a school rule before; seeing as she was a first-time offender, the Dean gave her a light punishment: cleaning the conference room during lunch. Some big shots from the Bureau of Education were coming for a meeting in a few days.

When Jiang Zi arrived at the conference room with her broom, she found a girl already there. The girl wore a crisp white school uniform, her supple long hair draped over her chest. She had a radiant complexion and an air of quiet elegance.

Appearing here, she must have broken a rule too.

Since they were in different classes, they exchanged a brief glance and started working. Jiang Zi was responsible for the floors while the girl took a rag to the tables and chairs. The room was large, and they rarely made eye contact.

It was lunch hour, and the school radio was playing music. When a song finished, someone tapped the microphone and announced: “The next song is JJ Lin’s Gan You (Go!), dedicated to Meng Yihuai of Class 2-8. Hope Student Meng works quickly. Don’t forget we’re meeting for cards during the noon break.”

The speakers in the conference room carried the words clearly to Jiang Zi’s ears.

Jiang Zi went to the sink to rinse her mop. Seeing the girl beside her with the rag, Jiang Zi couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know Meng Yihuai?”

The girl’s brow arched slightly. “I know her. Why?”

“Nothing, just curious,” Jiang Zi said. “I don’t know what she looks like.”

The girl asked, “And if you did?”

Jiang Zi said quite seriously, “Then I’d definitely stay far away from her.”

“…”

Just as the words left her mouth, the door was pushed open. A strange female student walked in holding a takeout container. “Meng Yihuai, there’s nothing left in the cafeteria. Luckily, I packed some for you. Aren’t I good to you?”

For a moment, Jiang Zi wondered if she had gone deaf.

Meng Yihuai put down the rag and washed her hands.

“Eat up, I’ve got things to do, so I’m heading out,” the student said.

In an instant, only the two of them remained.

As if oblivious to Jiang Zi’s frozen expression, Meng Yihuai naturally took the container, found a seat, and looked up at her. “Want to eat together? I have two pairs of chopsticks.”

Jiang Zi didn’t dare meet her eyes. “No thanks, I’ll go to the cafeteria later.”

Meng Yihuai: “The cafeteria is out of food.”

“Then I’ll just skip it…”

Before she could finish, she was cut off by Meng Yihuai’s leisurely voice: “Student.”

Jiang Zi met her slightly upturned eyes.

“What,” Meng Yihuai said slowly, “are you afraid I’ll poison you?”

Jiang Zi had lived an upright life for over a decade; that single instance of bad-mouthing someone only to be caught by the person herself was a suffocating memory that remained vivid to this day.

Now, Jiang Zi couldn’t help but steal a glance sideways. Meng Yihuai’s eyes were closed as she rested. Streaks of light from outside the window occasionally danced across her long, thick lashes, highlighting the lean, exquisite lines of her profile.

Compared to high school, she had gained a touch of mature charm.

She was even sexier.

Even just sitting there quietly, she seemed to exude a subtle allure.

Having spent a lot of time with An Jia, Jiang Zi understood a bit about these things. Someone with Meng Yihuai’s looks was likely “top-tier” in that circle, someone who could summon a crowd of admirers with the flick of a finger.

And her voice was indeed very pleasant.

As for her figure…

Jiang Zi’s gaze drifted down from her face, past her fair neck to her deep collarbones, before returning to her face.

Suddenly.

“Ms. Jiang.”

The voice snapped Jiang Zi out of her thoughts. She instinctively sat up straighter and gave a confused hum.

Meng Yihuai opened her eyes. “Is there something on my face?”

“…”

It seemed she really had been staring for too long.

Jiang Zi blinked and said, “Yes, there is.”

Meng Yihuai arched a brow. “Where?”

“There was just now, but I must have been mistaken.” Jiang Zi turned her gaze away calmly. “The light is probably too dim.”

Meng Yihuai: “…”

The car stopped at the gate of the compound.

Meng Yihuai was the first to open the door. Before stepping out, she looked at the burly, rough-looking driver, then her gaze landed on Jiang Zi’s quiet, harmless face. “Ms. Jiang, it’s so late. Why don’t you just make do at my place for the night?”

Jiang Zi shook her head. “No thanks, thank you though.”

“But I’m not comfortable with you going back alone,” Meng Yihuai said. “Lately, there’s been so much news about girls being harassed while going home late at night. My friend is a news host. It’s not safe for you alone.”

Hearing this, a hint of hesitation appeared on Jiang Zi’s face.

The car had been idling at the curb for a long time. Finally, the driver lost his patience and grumbled, “Are you getting out or not?”

The driver’s voice was loud enough to give someone a start. Jiang Zi felt that compared to her personal safety, a sense of propriety could be cast aside for once.

Jiang Zi: “Then, sorry for the intrusion.”

Meng Yihuai smiled. “No intrusion at all.”

Meng Yihuai’s home was huge, big enough to ride a bike around the living room. The decor was very cozy, dominated by warm tones; it was clear the owner loved life.

Jiang Zi put on the slippers she was offered, said her thanks, and lay down to rest in the guest bedroom as directed.

She had to work tomorrow, so she set an alarm for five in the morning, intending to stop by her own home before heading to the office.

On the other side, Meng Yihuai returned to the master bedroom.

Discarding the drunken act she had maintained all the way home, she took a nightgown from the closet and went straight to the bathroom.

As she passed the mirror, she paused to look at her slightly flushed face.

This wasn’t a flush from the alcohol.

“Honestly, staring at me for that long…” Meng Yihuai rubbed her face, her eyes and brows brimming with an irrepressible, triumphant glow.

When Dai Ruyue called, Meng Yihuai was lying in the bathtub, humming a song while her fair fingers toyed with rose petals.

“Why didn’t you let me take you home?” Dai Ruyue asked. “By the way, where are you now? You sound like you’re in a great mood.”

Meng Yihuai: “I’m home.”

Dai Ruyue caught on instantly and teased, “Oh, so you just wanted someone else to take you home.”

“By the way, I thought Xiao Jia’s friend looked familiar. If I remember correctly, is she your ‘White Moonlight’ from high school?”

Meng Yihuai’s lips curled. “Bingo.”

“My god, it really is her! So, did she take you home tonight?!” Dai Ruyue’s tone was ecstatic. “Are you finally going to end your single streak?!”

“It’s too early for that,” Meng Yihuai said calmly while applying body wash. “She’s not interested in me yet.”

Meng Yihuai added: “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be enjoying a ‘spring night’ right now? Why are you thinking about me?”

“Don’t be like that. I can still find time to care about you while I wait for my girlfriend to finish her shower,” Dai Ruyue said, standing on a hotel balcony looking out over the Beicheng nightscape, letting out a performative sigh. “Poor little single dog with no sex life.”

“Is that so?” Meng Yihuai leisurely stirred the warm water. “Instead of a boring sex life, I’d rather know. Have you ever been stared at by your ‘White Moonlight’ for exactly four minutes and fifty seconds?”

Dai Ruyue: “?”

“Sorry, but I have,” Meng Yihuai’s lips curved slightly. “And have you ever invited your ‘White Moonlight’ to stay at your house without being rejected?”

Dai Ruyue: “…”

“So sorry, but I have that, too.”