One Year After Her Sister-In-Law Was Widowed - Chapter 54

Xiao Shuangyu could not sleep.

The gland at the back of her neck was still throbbing intermittently due to her rut. Her head felt heavy, her thoughts chaotic. As she closed her eyes, several faces overlapped in her mind, emitting a series of distressing voices.

Her heart was no longer being hollowed out bit by bit; it was beginning to tear apart.

She reached for the wine bottle she had stored away.

Alcohol quickly makes one lose consciousness, but it also causes one to wake up with a start from a deep sleep.

Daylight had come.

Xiao Shuangyu got up quickly. In the dim room where no lights were turned on and the curtains remained drawn; she stripped off the ill-fitting formal dress and washed away the unsuitable makeup.

She became herself again.

She didn’t know if this would make things even a little bit more “right.”

But amidst the echoes of “Lianlian is just Lianlian,” she wanted to give it a try.

She left the rental apartment and walked toward the subway station.

She was intimately familiar with the subway lines. She went down the stairs, entered the train on the left, transferred to the opposite side after six stops, and then took it for another seven stops.

Habitually, she silently recited each station. About an hour later, she left the station and stood outside a high-end residential complex.

On the subway, she had bid Ji Zhuozhou good morning and asked if she was resting today.

Ji Zhuozhou said she still had some matters to attend to.

She asked if it was regarding the restructuring of Huarui.

Ji Zhuozhou had not replied yet.

Xiao Shuangyu went upstairs and opened the door. The house was still cold and deserted, appearing as if no one had returned.

Ji Zhuozhou was not there.

She asked again, “Sister, are you not home? When will you be back?”

After waiting for a moment, Ji Zhuozhou said: Not sure.

But she still did not reply to the previous question.

Yet Xiao Shuangyu knew—she knew that Ji Zhuozhou knew that she knew, and she knew that Ji Zhuozhou knew that she knew.

She sat on the sofa in a daze for a while. The messages in the small group chat kept popping up, reminding her that it was time to head out.

Today was the day the band “Zhenyu” was to participate in the audition for that music program.

Even though she had said yesterday that her rut was fine, A-Nan and Nie Siyu still asked about her condition this morning.

She still said she was fine and that she could attend the audition normally.

Now, A-Nan and Nie Siyu were already preparing to set off, and she needed to leave as well.

On her phone, Wan Qiyan was frantic with worry, asking where she was and wanting to come find her.

From last night until now, Wan Qiyan had sent her countless messages, asking in every way possible if she was alright. Xiao Shuangyu said she was fine, but Wan Qiyan didn’t believe it.

Xiao Shuangyu said she had things to do and had to go out, suggesting they talk later.

Wan Qiyan was still very suspicious. Having no choice, Xiao Shuangyu truthfully said she was going to an audition with the band.

Wan Qiyan quieted down, told her to get in touch after it was over, told her to cheer up, and even gave her a “fighting” encouragement.

The subway arrived at the station.

She saw A-Nan’s car already parked at the subway exit. Two people were standing outside the car talking about something. As soon as she appeared, they noticed her and waved frantically.

Xiao Shuangyu took a deep breath, tried her best to pull herself together, and walked over.

She couldn’t let them see it.

She couldn’t let them worry.

She had to perform well at the audition.

The audition ended.

Seeing that it was near noon, the three of them went to eat nearby.

At the dining table, A-Nan sighed. “It sounds good, it’s just that the duration is a bit long.”

Once they passed the selection to participate in the program, the competition process alone would take nearly a month.

And it wasn’t just long; it was more rushed than imagined. They were already the last batch of people to be interviewed. From signing the contract to the start of filming, there might only be a few days’ gap.

Nie Siyu silently added, “We might not necessarily make it to the end.”

Only by staying until the finals would it be a month or more. Otherwise, according to the schedule of one minor competition every three days and one major competition every week, they might be eliminated in the first week.

Besides, they had no capital backing them. Perhaps from the very beginning, they were just there to make up the numbers.

A-Nan let out a low wail.

Then she looked up at the other two. “Then how about we participate? At worst, we just get eliminated.”

A-Nan’s interest was obvious, but the hesitation of the other two was also clear.

In comparison, A-Nan’s job was easier to take leave from, allowing her to adjust her time more flexibly. The other two were different, with fixed nine-to-six working hours; even if they had nothing to do and were just staring blankly at their desks, they couldn’t leave early.

For this kind of job, even asking for a week off was considered a long leave, and it might not necessarily be approved.

Nie Siyu was counting the projects she had on hand; Xiao Shuangyu was thinking about Ji Zhuozhou.

She lived in Ji Zhuozhou’s house and was with her every day.

Even during the years when they barely spoke, she always followed behind Ji Zhuozhou.

Yet she didn’t know that Ji Zhuozhou was the General Manager of Huarui, didn’t know that Ji Zhuozhou was a member of the Huarui main family, didn’t know that Ji Zhuozhou was going on blind dates, and didn’t know what Ji Zhuozhou was thinking.

She knew nothing about Ji Zhuozhou.

If she left, if she couldn’t contact the outside world for a long time, would Ji Zhuozhou have already become someone else’s wife by the time she reappeared?

She suddenly felt that if only Xiao Mingyi could have been more charming.

To hold Ji Zhuozhou’s heart more firmly, to let Ji Zhuozhou move on a bit more slowly, to give her a few more chances.

If… if only she were a bit more outstanding, if only she worked a bit harder.

If she were also liked by the mothers, if she were also valued by the main family, if she weren’t just a small, ordinary employee—would Ji Zhuozhou look at her more?

The spirit she had struggled to lift suddenly collapsed.

Nie Siyu, beside her, said, “Anyway, there are still a few days to consider. we don’t have to decide right now. Let’s think about it more.”

Xiao Shuangyu lowered her head and gave a haphazard response.

She tried to hide her emotions, but as soon as she finished speaking, Nie Siyu turned toward her. “Lianlian has been listless all day. Did you have a fight with your sister?”

Xiao Shuangyu was suddenly startled.

Before she could look up, A-Nan on the other side suddenly spoke up. “Ah, Siyu, why did you just say it out loud? I’ve been holding it in, thinking of asking indirectly.”

Xiao Shuangyu looked up, looking at the two of them with a hint of shock.

This… they had seen through it long ago?

Whether or not her thoughts were written all over her face, the two of them responded almost in unison.

“We noticed the moment we saw Lianlian.”

“Lianlian probably hasn’t noticed that there are still some marks on her face.”

Xiao Shuangyu immediately touched her face. She clearly hadn’t seen a single trace before she left the house.

But it seemed the two of them had mistaken the marks left by her mother for marks left by Ji Zhuozhou.

Xiao Shuangyu shook her head.

She couldn’t tell if she was denying the marks or denying the fight with Ji Zhuozhou.

Ji Zhuozhou didn’t fight with her.

Before they parted, they were still kissing.

They kissed lingeringly and deeply, like beloved partners.

She had wanted to say it was because the rut made her mood not very good, but once she spoke, she still told the truth.

“Sister… is going on blind dates with someone else.”

Her voice was very choked. “Her status… I… I’m not good enough for her.”

Slap!

A-Nan’s hand reached across the table and slapped her shoulder. She hadn’t expected it to be so loud; A-Nan herself was a bit startled. She gave a sheepish laugh but then straightened her face. “What era is this? Why are you talking about being ‘good enough’ or not?”

She added, “And is it really her own choice to go on blind dates? I feel like she’s not that kind of person.”

Xiao Shuangyu didn’t want to believe it either, but last night, Ji Zhuozhou hadn’t refuted the “blind date” claim at all.

It was tacit agreement.

Seeing her head about to droop again, Nie Siyu slapped her other shoulder. “You said it yourself, her status. In powerful families, it’s hard to avoid being overbearing. Maybe her family is forcing her to go?”

Xiao Shuangyu still didn’t speak.

She had been thinking about these things as well, thinking about them constantly, but then she kept thinking about how Ji Zhuozhou had diverted the topic.

Ji Zhuozhou didn’t want to talk to her about these things, or rather, she hadn’t planned to tell her anything.

A-Nan withdrew her hand as the waiter brought the food. She quickly started piling food into the bowl in front of Xiao Shuangyu. “Oh, don’t think too much. Just go find her, talk to her face-to-face, and ask her what she’s thinking first. If it doesn’t work… if it doesn’t work, come find us. We’ll drink with you anytime.”

Nie Siyu also said, “Lianlian needs to be quick. You must be firm when the time comes. No matter what your sister says, don’t let her change the subject. Only by speaking clearly can the problem be solved.”

As she spoke, Nie Siyu also began to put food in her bowl.

Xiao Shuangyu nodded, looking as if she were about to get up and go find Ji Zhuozhou right then and there. She was quickly pulled back by the two of them.

“Eat first, eat first. A meal’s worth of time can still wait.”

“Right, right. Even if you don’t eat, your sister has to eat too.”

Xiao Shuangyu paused, sat back down with her head lowered, and ate in large mouthfuls, her cheeks puffing out.

After eating, Xiao Shuangyu parted ways with A-Nan and Nie Siyu.

On her phone, Wan Qiyan was asking again if she was finished. She said she was. Wan Qiyan immediately asked for her location, saying she would take her to eat something delicious.

Xiao Shuangyu said she had just eaten. Wan Qiyan said, “So what? I just ate too.”

Xiao Shuangyu was at a loss for words. In the end, she just said the audition was over and she still had some things to do.

Wan Qiyan said “Oh” and told her to find her once she was finished.

Xiao Shuangyu agreed.

However, things didn’t end quickly.

She returned home, but Ji Zhuozhou wasn’t there. she asked Ji Zhuozhou, but she didn’t reply.

She sat on the sofa waiting, curled into a ball with her legs hugged to her chest, her mind a mess of thoughts on how to start the conversation with Ji Zhuozhou.

The sunlight gradually turned golden. The cook opened the door on schedule. Seeing her, she greeted her and asked casually, “Has Miss Ji not returned yet?”

Xiao Shuangyu nodded.

The cook made the meal, cleaned up, and left. Xiao Shuangyu received a message from Ji Zhuozhou.

Sailboat: I won’t be back today. We’ll see each other at the company tomorrow.

Xiao Shuangyu’s heart, which had already been losing steam as time passed, felt even more cowardly. She replied with a “Good,” moved from the sofa to the dining table, and ate the bitter dinner alone.

The next day, Xiao Shuangyu arrived early at the underground parking lot next to Huarui. She crouched at the entrance for a long time, but until she was almost late, she didn’t see Ji Zhuozhou.

She returned listlessly to her workstation, giving not a shred of attention to the continuous shock ringing in her ears.

The company was in nearly total chaos. The notice from Huarui headquarters had been sent out over the weekend. After two days of simmering, the pot boiled over as soon as work began.

Shortly after, it was heard that people from Shengjing had arrived.

Shortly after that, Mingyi came down and said that Teacher Ji had just arrived and went to see CEO Luo of Shengjing.

Xiao Shuangyu suddenly snapped out of it. She got up and followed the information she heard from Mingyi, running all the way up to the rooftop.

The wind on the rooftop was light.

She saw the radiant Ji Zhuozhou and Shengjing’s youngest and most outstanding CEO walking in the vast, bright space, talking and laughing.

The wind carried intermittent voices into the dark corner by the door, into Xiao Shuangyu’s ears.

She heard Luo Wen ask, “I heard that CEO Ji has a ‘hidden beauty’ at home. Is it really okay to leave her alone like that?”

She heard Ji Zhuozhou let out a light laugh, her soft voice cold and heartless. “What ‘hidden beauty’? She’s just a little mouse in the shadows. I’ve long grown tired of playing with her.”

The sunlight stung her eyes.

She…

She could no longer hear anything.