She Is Like a Breath of Spring - Chapter 4

Jiang Yin froze for a moment. Before she could react, Jiang Zhen had already stepped ahead and followed the clerk to the cashier. By the time Jiang Yin moved to stop her, Jiang Zhen had already quickly paid the bill.

Holding the brand-new backpack, Jiang Yin met Jiang Zhen’s gaze, which was filled with expectation, nervousness, and a faint, hidden trace of worry. Jiang Yin lowered her eyes and said softly, “Thank you.”

Jiang Zhen wondered if it was just her imagination, but the person in front of her did not seem particularly happy. Since she did not know Jiang Yin well and did not dare to ask further, she could only offer a dry chuckle.

The two left the clothing store one after the other. Jiang Zhen looked around and said to Jiang Yin, “Yin, do you want something to drink? I want to go to that coffee shop over there to buy an Americano.”

She had slept too late last night, and her face was slightly swollen this morning. To look better on camera, Jiang Zhen decided to get an iced Americano as a “first aid” measure.

Jiang Yin did not particularly like coffee. Moreover, the shop Jiang Zhen pointed out looked far too high-end, so she waved her hand and said, “Go ahead. I will wait for you out here.”

“Then I will trouble you to wait.” Jiang Zhen gave a polite smile and hurried toward the shop.

She had tried to close the distance between herself and Jiang Yin by giving her a gift, but now it seemed her efforts had backfired. Was it her method that was wrong, or did Jiang Yin simply not want to be close to her?

While waiting for her coffee, Jiang Zhen recalled the details of their interactions today. She felt more certain that Jiang Yin was somewhat resistant to her contact.

It seems she still does not like me. Reaching this conclusion, Jiang Zhen felt dejected. She lowered her head and let out a silent sigh.

It was not yet eleven o’clock, and the coffee shop was nearly empty. The clerk finished the drink quickly. As she handed it over, she asked cautiously, “Um, are you a celebrity?”

Jiang Zhen froze visibly. Seeing her expression, the clerk became very excited. “It is you! The one in that popular drama Lost Starlight. You look just like the female lead!”

Jiang Zhen grabbed the coffee, took a sharp step back, and lowered her voice. “You have the wrong person. I am not a celebrity.” She turned to leave, but the clerk chased after her and grabbed her sleeve.

“I am your fan,” the young clerk said timidly. “Could I please take a photo with you?”

The young girl looked at her with such nervous anticipation that Jiang Zhen’s heart softened instantly. Since the shop was empty, she figured taking off her mask for a quick photo would be fine.

She bit her lip and hesitated. “I can, but please do not tell anyone I am here, okay?”

The clerk nodded vigorously. She ran to get her phone and happily handed it to Jiang Zhen. After snapping two quick selfies, Jiang Zhen pulled her mask back up and took a signed photo from her bag. Her manager, Sister Song, made her keep these on hand to give to fans at any time. She handed it to the clerk and said, “Thank you for the support.”

Exiting the coffee shop, Jiang Zhen scanned the area to ensure there were no suspicious characters before walking back to Jiang Yin. Her caution stemmed from an incident a month ago, when an extreme fan had followed her to her hotel and managed to hide in her closet. If a female assistant had not been with her at the time, Jiang Zhen feared she would have suffered at the hands of that fan. Since then, she had been jumpy at any sign of trouble and had suffered from nightmares for weeks.

Seeing Jiang Zhen return, Jiang Yin stepped forward and asked, “How much longer until your assistants arrive?”

Jiang Zhen checked her messages. “Ten minutes.” She put her phone away and said, “Let us wait outside.”

Jiang Yin nodded, and they walked toward the mall exit. The mall was quiet. Even though it was Saturday, there were few customers. Only a few people passed them by, though it was unclear if they were shoppers or employees.

As they neared the exit, a man caught Jiang Yin’s attention. Despite the summer heat, he was wearing a black mask and a cap just like Jiang Zhen. The brim was pulled very low, only revealing narrow, shifty eyes when he looked up.

At first glance, Jiang Yin felt uneasy. When the man met her gaze, he gave a strange, eerie smile that made her skin crawl. Then, she noticed something worse: the man’s gaze was fixated on Jiang Zhen like a predator who had found its prey.

Beside her, Jiang Zhen was looking down at her phone and had not noticed the man’s behavior.

The sense of crisis Jiang Yin had felt as a child when being followed rushed back to her. As the man quickened his pace toward them, she grabbed Jiang Zhen’s wrist and whispered urgently, “Quick, let’s go. There is a paparazzi or a sasaeng over there.” She had heard that term from her roommate, Lin Shu, but she never expected to see one in person.

Jiang Zhen gasped, nearly dropping her phone. She wanted to look back, but she forced herself to keep moving.

“A sasaeng?” Her voice trembled. The terrifying memories of the hotel incident flooded back, making her whole body shake uncontrollably.

“Probably. Either way, he does not look like a good person. I will find a way to lose him.”

Since they had already been spotted, finding security inside the mall seemed unrealistic. They had to get out or lose him first.

Terror left Jiang Zhen’s mind blank. She stumbled behind Jiang Yin, allowing herself to be pulled toward the escalator. She could not understand how a stalker had gotten into a high-end mall or how he knew her private schedule.

Jiang Zhen was only nineteen, and she was so scared that her hands and feet felt like ice. If Jiang Yin had not been holding her hand tightly, she might have collapsed from weakness.

By comparison, Jiang Yin was much calmer. She led Jiang Zhen to the second floor, which specialized in men’s clothing. She pretended to be shopping and pulled Jiang Zhen into a store that had exits on both sides.

A clerk approached them. “Ladies, what style of clothing are you looking for?”

Jiang Yin saw the fan lingering outside the shop and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She asked quietly, “Where is the nearest fire exit?”

The clerk was stunned but answered quickly, “Go out this way, turn the corner, and you will see it.”

Jiang Yin nodded. While pretending to look at the clothes, she continued, “Someone is following us. Could you please help us stall him for a moment while we find security?”

The male clerk looked hesitant, but a female clerk nearby stepped forward. “Is it the man in the brown shirt? I will help you.”

Jiang Yin gave her a grateful look and whispered her thanks.

“It is nothing,” the female clerk said, taking a deep breath to gather her courage. She poured a cup of water from the dispenser and walked straight to the fan. “Sir, I saw you standing outside for a long time. Would you like to come in and sit? We have many new arrivals this season. May I introduce them to you?”

The man waved her away impatiently. Seeing his colleague step up, the male clerk felt embarrassed and joined in. He turned back to give the girls the location of the fire exit one last time before approaching the fan as well. “Sir, please come in and take a look. Many of these styles would suit you perfectly.”

The two clerks surrounded the man, successfully blocking his view. Jiang Yin pulled Jiang Zhen and hurried out of the other door. As they left, she could hear the fan shouting at the clerks, trying to push past them.

Even inside the fire exit, Jiang Zhen could not stop shaking.

“It is okay, Zhenzhen. It is okay.” Noticing the tremors, Jiang Yin slowed down and gently stroked her hair. “Let us get out first. Once we find security, they can catch him.”

Jiang Yin felt a pang of pity for Jiang Zhen. However, time was tight. She could not stop to comfort her properly and had to lead her out of the mall as quickly as possible.

They ran out and immediately found security, demanding they intercept the fan. However, the man had realized they escaped and had already fled through another exit, jumping into a black car and speeding away.

The two watched the footage of the car leaving, both feeling a mix of anger and frustration.

“His behavior did not constitute actual physical harm,” the security guard said with an apologetic smile. “So we cannot cooperate with the police to arrest him.”

Jiang Zhen lowered her head in disappointment but still managed a polite “Thank you.”

“But do not worry, ladies. We will strictly monitor our entrances from now on to prevent similar incidents,” the head of security promised.

Jiang Yin nodded and said her thanks before leading Jiang Zhen out.

Before she could check on Jiang Zhen again, the assistant, Liu Yin, suddenly appeared. She ran up to Jiang Zhen, looking frantic. “My goodness, why haven’t you been answering your phone? You are twenty minutes late. Sister Song is going to kill me!”

Jiang Zhen was still dazed and responded slowly.

“Sorry, there was a situation. We can talk about it in the car,” Jiang Yin said, stepping forward.

Liu Yin had never seen Jiang Yin before. She pulled Jiang Zhen away and asked suspiciously, “Who are you? Why are you with Zhenzhen?”

“She is my sister,” Jiang Zhen whispered. She seemed to be regaining her composure. “Let her come with us. We can drop her at school first.”

“There is no time for that!” Liu Yin grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a black business van. “We have to go to the brand location first. We can talk about her ride later.”

As they were pulled toward the car, Jiang Yin’s refusal was cut short. She sighed, but thinking about Jiang Zhen’s fragile state, she decided to follow them to make sure she was okay.

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