The Down and Out CEO’s Pursuit of Her Wife [GL] - Chapter 14

After getting off the subway, An Ruoning didn’t take the bus. Instead, she walked three or four kilometers home along the dark streets where most shops had already closed. When in a bad mood, sacrificing one’s legs for a chance to clear the mind was the only option.

When she reached the door, Duo Yi didn’t come to open it. An Ruoning took out her own key and turned the lock. Upon opening the door, she saw two people curled up on the sofa, holding a book and chatting enthusiastically.

“Hi baby, you’re back!” Duo Yi was sitting on the inner side of the sofa facing the door. As soon as An Ruoning entered, Duo Yi greeted her warmly.

Mu Shan, whose back was to the door, also turned her head and crinkled the corners of her eyes at An Ruoning. An Ruoning’s gaze fell on Mu Shan’s shoulders. She wasn’t sure if it was the color of the clothes, but wearing her pale lotus-root colored cardigan, Mu Shan’s lines seemed to have softened.

With her index finger marking a page, Mu Shan closed the book and asked simply, “Can I borrow this for a bit?”

The book had a black cover with white lettering. It looked like one of the many books from Duo Yi’s shelf. An Ruoning took a quick note of the title and author, Keigo Higashino’s Unrequited Love. The name sounded familiar and she could vaguely recall the plot. Though she hadn’t read it, she couldn’t help but know it since Duo Yi prattled on about it every day.

An Ruoning looked away, placed the paper bags she was holding onto the living room cabinet, and turned around to lean against it, completely obscuring the bags. “Go ahead.”

Mu Shan smiled, nodded, and reopened the book.

“Baby, you weren’t wearing this outfit when you left this morning. Has my memory failed me?” Duo Yi’s eyes scanned An Ruoning up and down.

“Oh, I went shopping and bought a few things,” An Ruoning responded softly. Immediately after, she changed the subject in a normal volume, “Duo Yi, don’t you have an interview tomorrow? Are you all prepared?”

Duo Yi brushed back her hair, gave a confident, bright smile, put her hands on her hips, and twisted her upper body. “Am I pretty? Is it stunning, the kind where the audience starts screaming the moment I appear?”

An Ruoning said, “Yes.”

Duo Yi snorted, “Che, I don’t want that kind of tacky beauty. I want the kind of shock that silences the whole room the moment I step out, you know? Honestly, when will you ever learn to appreciate my beauty?”

Mu Shan sat nearby, pursing her lips to hide a chuckle. Duo Yi rolled her eyes at An Ruoning, then turned to Mu Shan and pouted, “Sister Mu Shan, look at her. She’s like a piece of dead wood that can’t be carved, no zest for life at all, so boring.”

Mu Shan raised her eyebrows and nodded at Duo Yi, and both of them laughed at the same time.

An Ruoning turned around, pulled the paper bags into her arms, and slipped into Duo Yi’s bedroom alone.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, An Ruoning hurried to take one pill of each medication from the bag, praying she wouldn’t dream of the past tonight. After taking the medicine, she tucked the bottles under her pillow on the floor mattress.

It wasn’t that she was intentionally trying to hide it from anyone, but in this society, everyone has pressure and emotional issues. Telling people about one’s illnesses unprompted often just makes others think you’re being dramatic or making a mountain out of a molehill.

The sounds of chatting outside lingered in An Ruoning’s ears. She listened intently, catching every word. She hadn’t expected these two people, who seemed to have nothing in common, to get along so well after only meeting a few times.

An Ruoning crawled to the center of the floor mattress, curled her legs up, and hugged her knees. Listening to the waves of laughter from outside, she suddenly admired Duo Yi. With a personality like that, she could get along with anyone, it was wonderful. She also admired Mu Shan. After such an unpleasant encounter, she could still act as if nothing had happened and talk about life and ideals with others. Of course, Mu Shan had always been someone she looked up to, her extraordinary qualities weren’t limited to just that.

The conversation outside finally reached a conclusion. Duo Yi entered the bedroom, closed the door, and muttered with a bit of annoyance, “Staying here again? Tomorrow’s interview is very important, what if I don’t sleep well…”

An Ruoning immediately lay down, folded her hands neatly over the edge of the quilt, and said, “I swear I won’t make a sound.”

After massaging her face in front of the mirror, Duo Yi turned off the light, climbed into her own bed, and let out a long, melodious sigh.

Everything was dark, yet An Ruoning lay with her eyes wide open, unable to sleep. She tossed and turned, changing positions several times, but remained wide awake.

Duo Yi asked, “Can’t sleep?”

An Ruoning said, “Did I wake you? Sorry…”

Duo Yi replied, “You noticed!”

An Ruoning asked, “Duo Yi, do you think if someone has hurt you, and hurt you deeply, you can still forgive them or fall in love with them again?”

Duo Yi asked, “Are you talking about Sister Mu Shan?”

An Ruoning said, “…No! It’s just an abstract question, not referring to anyone specifically.”

Duo Yi said, “Oh, that’s hard to say, it depends on the situation.”

Three crisp knocks sounded at the door. Duo Yi sat up, “Sister Mu Shan?”

Mu Shan replied through the door, “Yes.”

Duo Yi asked, “Is something wrong, Sister?”

Mu Shan said, “Ruoning, I have something I want to say to you.”

An Ruoning said, “We’re already asleep…”

Duo Yi quickly jumped off the bed, gave An Ruoning a hard shove, and shouted toward the door, “We’re not asleep, not asleep at all!”

An Ruoning tried to cover Duo Yi’s mouth, but as soon as she raised her hand, Duo Yi grabbed it and pulled her up, pushing her toward the door.

An Ruoning hissed at Duo Yi, “What are you doing? I’m not going!”

Duo Yi said, “Just go! Hurry up!”

An Ruoning said, “No, hey, don’t push me. Wait, wait, don’t you like her? How can you let me go??”

Duo Yi put her left hand on her chest and propped her right elbow, pointing angrily at An Ruoning, “Do you think I’m stupid! I saw the ambiguity between you two long ago! You haven’t even made a clean break with your ex, yet you try to push her onto me. I haven’t even settled that score with you yet!”

An Ruoning found it hard to argue. She was anxious by the door, unable to say a word.

“Fine, I’ll settle that score with you later. I’ve moved past Sister Mu Shan. I have such a beautiful face, it’s not worth hanging myself on one tree. Go sort things out with your ex, and if you disturb my sleep again, I’m done with you!” With that, Duo Yi opened the door and “threw” An Ruoning out.

Suddenly thrust into a closed space with only herself and Mu Shan, An Ruoning’s heart leaped into her throat. Fortunately, Mu Shan didn’t make any physical contact. Seeing her come out, Mu Shan turned and walked toward the front door.

“Let’s go,” Mu Shan dropped a single word as she walked.

An Ruoning helplessly grabbed a thin jacket and followed her. They rode the elevator down to the underground garage in silence, then quietly got into the car, one in the driver’s seat and one hiding in the corner of the back row.

Mu Shan was the first to break the silence, “Shall we go for a drive?”

An Ruoning, shrinking in the shadows of the back seat, hummed in agreement.

Mu Shan said, “Come sit in the front, I want you to keep me company.”

Her tone was very earnest, so An Ruoning complied and moved to the passenger seat.

When the car reached the riverside road, Mu Shan lowered her window and said to An Ruoning, “Open the window a bit, the breeze feels quite nice.”

An Ruoning lowered her window halfway. The wind rushed in, a summer breeze, not cold but warm.

Once she adjusted to the wind, An Ruoning leaned her head out slightly, looking up at the ink-blue sky. A crescent moon hung there. Some parts of the crescent were darker than others, and from a distance, it really did look like Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit lived there.

The wind made her body feel light. An Ruoning closed her eyes, letting the wind blow and listening to its song.

Slowly, she felt something strange to her left. An Ruoning quietly turned her head and found Mu Shan with only her right hand on the steering wheel. Her left elbow was resting on the window sill, propping up her head as she gazed at her with a smile, her eyes sparkling like starlight. Their gazes lingered for a long time before Mu Shan turned her head back to the road.

Was her heart racing? Yes, it was trembling with a primal urge.

Mu Shan said, “I’m taking you somewhere.”

An Ruoning’s face turned bright red instantly. She was as useless as she had been in the past, even hearing her voice made her…

The car stopped beneath a towering, spire-like building. The upper part of the tower had a protruding section like a tray.

Before entering the elevator, An Ruoning glanced at the price of a night’s stay at this hotel. The number was nearly equal to her monthly salary. She felt an indescribable sensation, very complex and messy.

The hotel room was massive, one glance couldn’t capture its entire layout. But at this moment, neither Mu Shan nor An Ruoning were in the mood to notice.

Mu Shan walked through the living room, slid open the floor-to-ceiling glass door, and went outside. “Come here.”

An Ruoning followed the sound. She thought it was just a balcony, but it turned out to be a spacious rooftop pool.

A white wall, not even knee-high, surrounded the pool. Elsewhere, five or six metal floor lamps with plum blossom carvings were installed. A faint yellow light glowed from each lampshade, which, together with the lights of the cars moving below, decorated the night’s unique splendor.

Mu Shan asked, “Shall we swim together?”

An Ruoning said, “No, I don’t want to.”

Mu Shan took off her shoes and stepped barefoot on the ground, then removed her clothes and looked at An Ruoning while naked.

An Ruoning’s eyes went wide. She forced herself to look away, but after glancing around aimlessly, her gaze inevitably returned to Mu Shan’s straight, sharp collarbones.

Mu Shan entered the water without hesitation. Standing in the water, her eyes were candidly hooked on An Ruoning.

An Ruoning turned her back and, as if possessed, took off her clothes. After hesitating for a long time, she finally held the handrail and entered the water.

Mu Shan said, “Why are you so far away? Come closer.”

An Ruoning said, “You swim your way and I’ll swim mine.”

Mu Shan walked to the edge of the pool, pushed herself up, and turned to sit on the ledge, water dripping from her body. She raised her right hand, palm up, and curled her four fingers toward An Ruoning.

An Ruoning slowly walked to about a meter away from Mu Shan and stopped. She gripped the edge of the pool with both hands, her face seemingly a bit calmer than before. “Are you just too empty and lonely, coming to find me all day and night? Don’t you have any other acquaintances…”

Mu Shan splashed the water beside her, as if joking or pretending to be heartless, “Maybe.”

An Ruoning said, “Don’t you care about Little Grape? Being out all day and not going home to play with it will affect its behavior and psychology.”

Mu Shan replied, “I’ve hired a nanny, don’t worry.”

An Ruoning nodded helplessly.

Mu Shan asked, “What exactly is going on between you and Jian Qing?”

An Ruoning said, “Don’t you already know? What else do you want me to say?”

Mu Shan said, “Say you don’t love her, say you don’t like her, say you have no feelings for her at all.”

An Ruoning lowered her head, gave a bitter laugh, and also pushed herself up to sit on the ledge. “Actually, when it comes down to it, you don’t love me that much, and I… don’t love you that much either.”

Mu Shan stopped splashing. Her hands rested naturally in the water, and her eyes dimmed.

An Ruoning said, “I’m not saying this out of anger. You should be able to feel it too. Aside from sex, it’s as if we don’t know each other at all. Like how I don’t even know what books you like to read, and you’ve never understood my thoughts.”

Mu Shan stood up and then pulled An Ruoning up as well. She walked into the room without a word, took a cigarette from the console table, lit it, and held it in her mouth.

An Ruoning took two bathrobes from the closet, handed one to Mu Shan, and put the other on herself. “Let’s let go of each other and ourselves. We’re not a good fit.”

The cigarette burned down surprisingly fast. Mu Shan lit a new one, took a puff, held it between her index and middle fingers, and looked back at An Ruoning.

An Ruoning said, “Let me live my life on my own strength, okay? Otherwise, I really won’t have any sense of value in this world.”

The cigarette had burned halfway again. Mu Shan turned around, aimed the butt at the center of the ashtray, and stubbed it out firmly several times. Then she lit another one. “These past few years, who have you been with? Only Jian Qing and Ye Zhefeng?” What Mu Shan really wanted to ask was whether An Ruoning had ever been in contact with An Ruoxuan again. On that matter, she had been an absolute bastard.

An Ruoning completely understood Mu Shan’s meaning. She nodded and emphasized, “Only them.”

Mu Shan took the cigarette and the wine from the cabinet, walked to the sofa alone, and sat down without saying another word to An Ruoning. After An Ruoning said those things, Mu Shan’s heart actually felt a little lighter. Although she hadn’t gotten anything she wanted, she didn’t seem to be in such a hurry anymore…

As for whether what An Ruoning said was right or wrong, Mu Shan truly had no answer, at least not now. What is love, what is liking, and what is being “a good fit”? These were baffling and time-consuming questions Mu Shan had never pondered. But since it was this special person who raised them, she would eventually have to find the answers for her.

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