Loving You in Silence - Chapter 4

Dai Ruyue was momentarily speechless.

“I wish you a night as wonderful as mine,” Meng Yihuai said cheerfully before hanging up.

Dai Ruyue was stumped for a long while. She really didn’t know why Meng Yihuai was acting so tough. Since high school, her “White Moonlight” had basically ignored her, couldn’t even remember her name, yet just because of a tiny bit more contact now, this woman was acting like a peacock in full bloom, desperate to show off even though they weren’t even friends yet.

But looking at her reaction, she still seemed hung up on her?

Dai Ruyue hissed under her breath.

Dai Ruyue: [Who knew you were such a romantic?]

It took quite a while before Meng Yihuai replied: [Have you finally discovered my virtues?]

Dai Ruyue: “…”

She realized this woman’s flirtatiousness really knew no bounds. Meng Yihuai had never been a “straight-laced” person, but she hadn’t been this exhausting before.

Just then, An Jia walked out of the bathroom drying her damp hair. Dai Ruyue switched off her phone and thoughtfully took the towel to help her.

An Jia was overwhelmed by the attention, her whole body going stiff.

While drying her hair, Dai Ruyue asked casually, “Xiao Jia, that friend who came with you tonight… is she single?”

An Jia frowned. “Why?”

She felt a flicker of wariness. Even if the person in front of her was a famous host frequently seen on TV, An Jia and Jiang Zi had been friends for years; she wouldn’t just give away Jiang Zi’s private information.

“She looked like a high school classmate, I wasn’t sure so I thought I’d ask,” Dai Ruyue hummed. “If I remember right, her surname is Jiang?”

An Jia: “My friend’s name is indeed Jiang.”

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Dai Ruyue said. “Back then we lost touch after graduation. To run into each other again after all these years is quite the fate.”

She spoke in a very nostalgic tone, making An Jia ask suspiciously, “Were you close in high school?”

“You could say that.”

“But she didn’t seem to recognize you just now.”

“…” Dai Ruyue said, “Doesn’t she have face-blindness?”

That was true.

An Jia nodded, her guard finally dropping. “Anyway, I’ll be in the country for a while. Since you know each other, we should hang out more over the next few days.”

Dai Ruyue: “Alright.”

The next morning, Jiang Zi woke up before her five-o’clock alarm.

Opening her eyes to an unfamiliar environment made her uneasy. Not wanting to be a burden, she disposed of her used toiletries and left several hundred-yuan bills on the counter.

Finding no paper in the guest room to leave a note, Jiang Zi headed to the living room. As she passed the kitchen, she paused.

She checked her phone again—4:45 AM. Who in their right mind would be awake now? Yet, someone was in the kitchen.

A tall, slender figure came into view. Her long hair was pinned up haphazardly, revealing a sliver of pale neck. The sleeves of her dark silk pajamas were rolled up, making her skin look exceptionally white.

It seemed she was making breakfast.

Jiang Zi averted her gaze. Attempting to slip away before Meng Yihuai noticed her, she looked for a pen and paper to leave a quick note and bolt.

But she had only taken two steps when Meng Yihuai turned around. They stared at each other for a moment.

Jiang Zi looked away first, feeling inexplicably awkward. Meng Yihuai pushed open the glass kitchen door, smiling. “Ms. Jiang, you’re up early.”

I’m up early specifically to avoid you, Jiang Zi thought. She hadn’t expected to encounter a “god” who makes breakfast at four in the morning.

“You too,” Jiang Zi said, her face unreadable.

“Breakfast together?” Meng Yihuai invited.

Jiang Zi had no choice but to abandon her escape plan. It was a simple breakfast; they sat across from each other in total silence.

After finishing, Meng Yihuai put the dishes in the dishwasher and asked, “Ms. Jiang, may I go into the guest room to grab my power bank?”

Jiang Zi said “sure” without thinking.

Two seconds later, she realized her mistake, but it was too late. A few minutes later, Meng Yihuai emerged from the room, several hundred-yuan bills pinched between her fingers. She looked at Jiang Zi with a half-smile. “Ms. Jiang, do I look that poor to you?”

Jiang Zi: “…”

Facing the woman’s slightly arched eyebrows, Jiang Zi’s mind went blank. This was a first—her attempt to leave had failed, and she’d been caught red-handed leaving “hush money.”

Pursing her lips, Jiang Zi eventually nodded. “A little.”

“…”

“You should still work hard to earn more money,” Jiang Zi added.

On the way back, the awkward scene replayed in Jiang Zi’s mind like a broken record.

She had a difficult personality. To put it kindly, she was “aloof”; to put it bluntly, she was socially stunted. Since childhood, she never knew how to please adults and didn’t care to try. She had few friends for this very reason. She was bad at handling interpersonal nuances. If someone gave her something, she preferred to pay it back immediately so neither owed the other.

But this was often misinterpreted as her not wanting any further contact. Just like what had happened with Meng Yihuai.

She recalled Meng Yihuai’s reaction. After Jiang Zi told her to “work hard,” Meng Yihuai had stunned for a moment, then curved her lips and hummed, “I will definitely work hard to earn money.”

It seemed she wasn’t angry.

The sophomores were already on summer break, but the rising seniors had to stay at school for a few more days for final exams. The atmosphere at No. 1 High was thick with the scent of intense revision.

After two days of proctoring, Jiang Zi finished her final session. While taking the exam papers to the administrative office, she received a notification.

She glanced at it casually. It was a stranger’s avatar. Someone she had added a few days ago.

Meng Yihuai: [Ms. Jiang, did you lose a Bluetooth earbud? I don’t usually stay in the guest room; I just found it while changing the sheets.]

Meng Yihuai: [If it’s yours, shall we set a time?]

Jiang Zi hadn’t noticed if her earbuds were both there during the busy exam week.

Jiang Zi: [Alright. When are you free?]

Meng Yihuai: [Anytime.]

Jiang Zi: [How about Friday night at that same lounge?]

Meng Yihuai: [Sounds good.]

Once exams ended, the seniors left with their luggage, and the teachers finally began their vacation. With no more early mornings or late nights, Jiang Zi had more free time. She spent some of it gossiping with An Jia about her progress with Dai Ruyue.

An Jia expressed that “Sister” (Dai Ruyue) was wealthy, gorgeous, and skilled—a perfect “friend with benefits,” but not quite right for a girlfriend. First, there was the distance; second, “Sister” had too many casual flings, which An Jia minded.

Jiang Zi gave some clumsy words of comfort before An Jia pivoted to the fact that Jiang Zi and Dai Ruyue were high school classmates. When the conversation shifted to Jiang Zi having stayed at Meng Yihuai’s place, An Jia’s voice jumped an octave: “You two slept together?!”

“…” Jiang Zi: “No.”

“I knew I should have taken you home myself. She was totally taking advantage of the situation!”

“No, we slept in separate rooms. Besides, I don’t think I’m that charming.”

“Why are you so self-deprecating? You’ve got the curves, and your skin is like jelly,” An Jia grumbled. “Anyway, I think you’re the best in the world!”

Jiang Zi laughed. Just then, a knock at the door interrupted her. She explained and hung up. To her surprise, Qiao Zhao was standing outside.

Despite the heat, the girl looked cool and composed, radiating an innate air of nobility. Qiao Zhao greeted her politely and stated her business. Jiang Zi gestured toward Jiang Manjing’s room.

A moment later, Qiao Zhao emerged. Jiang Zi, who was in the middle of drinking water, nearly choked when Qiao Zhao announced she was taking Jiang Manjing to live with her.

After confirming Qiao Zhao wasn’t joking, Jiang Zi questioned her own reality but ultimately didn’t refuse. She watched them leave, telling them to stay safe.

In the following days, life returned to its usual rhythm. Jiang Zi had been used to living alone since she was young. However, one morning, she habitually looked toward the guest room.

It was empty.

Jiang Zi felt a strange, dull tightness in her chest.

Friday night. The lounge was filled with various workers relaxing after a long week.

Meng Yihuai sat in her usual spot. She had dressed up specifically for tonight: a black waist-cinching maxi dress, with her wavy hair cascading down her back and her thick lashes casting shadows as she looked down.

She sat quietly, not ordering a drink, with no one else beside her. After rejecting yet another person trying to hit on her, she checked the time. It was thirty minutes past their meeting time.

Did she forget?

Meng Yihuai’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the sofa. Just as she was about to initiate a WeChat call, a message arrived.

Jiang Zi: [I’m so sorry, things have been a bit hectic. Are you still waiting?]

Meng Yihuai: [Yes.]

Jiang Zi: [Apologies. I’ll be there in a bit.]

The drive usually took thirty minutes, but Jiang Zi made it in twenty. She entered the lounge, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on a corner where the lighting was particularly intimate, accompanied by a slow love song. The woman was sitting leisurely, her profile exquisite.

Jiang Zi walked over and apologized.

“It’s fine,” Meng Yihuai said. “I didn’t wait long.”

Jiang Zi nodded and got straight to the point. “My earbud?”

“Right here.” Meng Yihuai pulled a small box from her bag and pushed it across the table. “Well, since that’s settled, I’ll head out first, Ms. Jiang.”

Meng Yihuai stood up. Her movements were deliberate, like slow motion in a movie. It took her a full thirty seconds to stand and grab her bag. It wasn’t until she had walked a few steps away that she heard Jiang Zi call out.

“Wait a moment.”

Meng Yihuai couldn’t help but smile. Half a second later, she adjusted her expression to one of calm and turned back. “Is there something else?”

“Thank you,” Jiang Zi said.

Meng Yihuai curved her lips. “You’re welcome. Anything else?”

“No, that’s all.”

If it wasn’t Jiang Zi’s imagination, Meng Yihuai’s expression seemed to turn slightly… resentful.

In her car, Meng Yihuai’s fingers tapped the steering wheel. Shedding her elegant, calm facade, she let out a frustrated “Tsk.”

Jiang Zi was truly hard to pursue. It had been like this since high school. Years of experience told her that after this goodbye, they might not cross paths for a long time.

She sighed. Just then, a work group chat notification popped up. A supervisor was asking teachers to share the school’s official account post to their Moments.

A second after she shared it:

Jiang Zi: [Are you a teacher at Beixu?]

Meng Yihuai: [I am.]

Jiang Zi: [What a coincidence.]

Jiang Zi: [My kid is going to study there next semester.]

Meng Yihuai stared at the screen for a long time.

Meng Yihuai: [?]