The Mad Beauty and the Sick Young Lady [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 40

Zhu Qiyu probably hadn’t seen the message, as she took a long time to reply:

[This is none of your business, is it?]

Jiang Zhuoye slowly typed her response:

[If you pursue her, you must give her your absolute best.]

Zhu Qiyu:

[That’s ridiculous! You shouldn’t be worrying about what happens between her and me!]

Jiang Zhuoye gave a self-mocking laugh and replied:

[If you do anything bad to her, I won’t let you off.]

Zhu Qiyu didn’t reply again. Jiang Zhuoye guessed she had been blocked. Lost in her thoughts, Jiang Zhuoye lay on the bed and began to laugh to herself, her laughter growing more and more hysterical.

“Haha… Hahahaha… Have I finally gone mad? Is this the result you wanted to see? Should I even thank you for burning me to death, allowing me to come to this world… Hahahaha, why don’t you come? We should perish together again!”

In the empty, luxurious room, only the sounds of her laughter and murmuring echoed.

After checking for allergy related vital signs at the hospital, Zhu Qiyu suggested Su Li get a thorough full body check-up. Su Li refused.

She didn’t want to face her results, nor did she want to bring bad moods to her new friends. She just smiled brightly and said:

“My family doctor has all my records. I don’t need another check-up now. A check-up is quite a hassle, too.”

It was finally confirmed that Su Li was indeed allergic to pollen, and it was a new allergen that had only appeared this year. Now, all she needed to do was take allergy medication and stay away from all kinds of pollen.

Being driven home by Zhu Qiyu, Su Li felt complicated recalling Jiang Zhuoye, whom she had seen earlier today.

She could tell that Jiang Zhuoye was in a very bad state. Her make-up was heavy, and her eyes always carried a deep sorrow.

However, she seemed to handle herself relatively well, not to the extent of affecting her work… right?

Su Li couldn’t help but open Weibo to search for recent news about Jiang Zhuoye, discovering that she had turned down several variety show invitations, reportedly entering a rest period and not accepting any scripts for dramas or movies.

Recently, Jiang Zhuoye had only accepted one text interview and a cover photoshoot.

On the cover, she was dressed in all black, looking solemnly at the camera. With no extra embellishment, just her face, a heartbreaking sadness seemed to pervade, leaving people stunned.

In the interview, many questions were more stream of consciousness, aimed at exploring her inner feelings.

In the text interview, Jiang Zhuoye’s characteristic tone was evident between the lines.

Reporter: You’re not that young anymore. Is there any particularly unforgettable lesson you can share with everyone?

Jiang Zhuoye: Yes, something that happened recently. It’s the most painful thing I’ve experienced in my life. Don’t intentionally do bad things, don’t think about playing with other people’s feelings. When you see the other person hurt, you’ll feel an unbearable pain yourself. You won’t know what important things you’ll lose.

Reporter: Is what happened recently related to romance? Do you have any current intentions of dating?

Jiang Zhuoye: Sort of. Sorry, I can’t discuss too much here. I just want to say one thing to the person who might see this: I’m sorry.

Reporter: Sometimes life’s circumstances are truly regrettable. Why do you say you shouldn’t play with other people’s feelings? I believe you probably didn’t do it on purpose. Could there be a misunderstanding?

Jiang Zhuoye: No, I was intentional at the very beginning. Everything was my overestimation of myself, and I hurt an innocent person. I also received a very severe punishment myself. I want to tell my fans that sincerity, you must be sincere. If I could tell her… In any case, I regret the mistakes I’ve made.

After reading this part of the interview and looking at the sorrowful eyes of Jiang Zhuoye on the cover, Su Li sighed softly.

She couldn’t tell Jiang Zhuoye, “I forgive you,” yet, but she somewhat hoped Jiang Zhuoye could move on quickly.

A few more days passed, the weather grew warmer, and just before the Qingming Festival, Su Li and Guan Jingxian went to a minority ethnic settlement in a nearby city, planning to experience the Qingming Festival with local customs.

Su Li mainly wanted to experience the bonfire party. She had always envied the scene of handsome guys and beautiful girls holding hands and dancing together in videos, as well as the thought of baking flatbreads and roasting meat directly over the fire it sounded delicious.

The two stayed in a very nice guesthouse and headed to the designated area by the river for the bonfire party in the evening.

Some people were playing folk songs on guitars, some were practicing ethnic dances on their own, and there were also groups of tourists clustered together, chatting and eating melon seeds.

Su Li was pulled by Guan Jingxian into a seemingly reliable small group, listening to a backpacker recount his adventure stories.

The bonfire was hazy and warm. Su Li was listening intently when she saw everyone look up at a spot not far away, their faces showing expressions of awe.

Su Li also looked up, and her brow furrowed once more.

Why was it Jiang Zhuoye again?

Dressed in a long ethnic style dress, with her hair styled in a bun adorned with gold and silver ornaments, the firelight made her beauty seem like a scene from a movie.

Jiang Zhuoye was walking with a heavy heart. Upon arriving near the bonfire, she looked up and met Su Li’s eyes.

Her eyes instantly brightened, as if flames had fallen into them.

“You’re here too?”

Jiang Zhuoye picked up her skirt and walked over. The tourists, who dared not speak, quickly moved aside. Jiang Zhuoye was about to sit next to Su Li.

Su Li prepared to stand up and leave, but Jiang Zhuoye hesitated, shook her head apologetically to the tourists, walked around the large semi-circle, and sat down opposite the bonfire, at the farthest distance from Su Li.

Su Li’s heart stirred, and she understood.

Jiang Zhuoye must have known she didn’t want to sit with her, so she deliberately sat at the other end, and it seemed she didn’t intend to speak to her either.

That was fine; she didn’t need to leave.

Most of the tourists recognized Jiang Zhuoye. The two boys sitting next to her cautiously started a conversation, asking her why she had come here and if it was for a show.

Jiang Zhuoye answered gracefully that it was her vacation, and she was just wandering around on her own, not filming a show. If anything, it was for inspiration.

As she spoke, she glanced across the bonfire at Su Li:

“I plan to shoot a movie myself.”

The people around exclaimed, “Wow.”

Su Li thought: Shoot a movie, fine, but why look at me!

Her face was nonchalant, and she looked away.

Even though a big star had joined the gathering, everyone’s attitude didn’t change much. The storyteller continued his tale, and the person playing the guitar not far away also joined in, casually strumming some deep chords, creating a good atmosphere.

After one story finished, Jiang Zhuoye took the guitar, held it in her arms, and smiled, saying:

“I’ll play a tune for everyone. Just listen casually.”

Su Li thought she would play some sad song and perhaps subtly hint at her feelings, but unexpectedly, Jiang Zhuoye played a lively dance piece, “Carmen.”

The others were supportive, standing up and starting to dance around the bonfire, handsome guys and beautiful girls holding hands, haphazardly performing their own improvised dances, looking vibrant, with their clothes fluttering, a truly beautiful sight.

It was exactly the scene Su Li had longed for, but she found herself not wanting to join in.

She was pulled by Guan Jingxian, and her other hand was held by a stranger girl. She awkwardly twisted and turned a few times with everyone, then felt tired and started breathing heavily, so she had to sit back down to rest.

Her seat was separated from where Jiang Zhuoye was playing the guitar by the entire bonfire, but for some reason, she could always feel Jiang Zhuoye’s gaze fixed on her.

The sound of the guitar was clear and distant. Jiang Zhuoye played very well; she seemed to be proficient with any instrument.

Su Li idly wondered if she could learn an instrument in the remaining time… What should she learn?

Jiang Zhuoye gazed intently at Su Li, using the music to surround her across the bonfire.

After a while, everyone was tired of dancing. Jiang Zhuoye finished her piece and returned the guitar to its original owner.

The guesthouse owner brought over some marinated skewers. The long sticks were perfect for turning and grilling over the fire. Everyone grabbed a skewer and happily started grilling and eating meat.

The aroma of roasted meat spread. Su Li was craving it immensely, but could only eat a little. Guan Jingxian grilled a skewer of beef fat. Su Li ate one piece and was completely satisfied.

Looking up, she was reminded that the first time she ever ate beef fat was at a street stall with Jiang Zhuoye.

And now, Jiang Zhuoye also held a skewer of grilled lamb, but she wasn’t eating it.

Seeing Su Li look at her, she smiled slightly, stood up, walked halfway around the bonfire, and offered the sizzling skewer of grilled lamb to Su Li.

Su Li didn’t take it and turned her head away.

Guan Jingxian took it instead. Jiang Zhuoye didn’t mind and silently walked back.

Guan Jingxian asked:

“What is she trying to do, apologize?”

Su Li:

“Whatever.”

Guan Jingxian asked if she wanted to eat, but Su Li firmly shook her head. In the end, Guan Jingxian ate the entire skewer.

Night deepened, and people gradually started heading back to their guesthouses. As Su Li and Guan Jingxian walked back, Jiang Zhuoye also stood up and followed behind the two.

Su Li couldn’t help but quietly complain to Guan Jingxian as they walked:

“She’s afraid people won’t know I know her, isn’t she? Did she purposely follow me? This person is unbelievable, why is she like this?”

Guan Jingxian:

“But it’s not easy for a big star like her to do all this for you.”

Su Li:

“Her behavior is illegal! Be sensible. She even hired a private investigator to look into me before. Maybe this ‘chance encounter’ was also deliberately arranged after an investigation!”

Guan Jingxian had nothing to say.

The two returned to the guesthouse. Coincidentally, Jiang Zhuoye was also staying there, on the floor below.

Su Li actually wanted to ask Jiang Zhuoye if she planned to become a stalker, but she didn’t want to talk to her. She could only glare at her at the stairwell, then went back to her room to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Su Li was awakened by a cough.

She coughed violently and almost instantly noticed the smell of thick smoke in the room!

She grabbed her coat and rushed to run out, but when she opened the door, she found the doorknob was hot, and thick smoke billowed around the door!

Looking through the window, Su Li saw flames somewhere, and thick smoke was everywhere she couldn’t see anything! She couldn’t open the door, and outside the window, there was fire. She was trapped in the room!

Su Li, a pampered young lady with a chronic illness, had never encountered such a scene before. Her mind was blank. Her throat was itchy and painful from inhaling the smoke, and her legs and hands felt weak!

Crying, screaming, and glass-smashing sounds came from outside, which reminded Su Li that she might be able to get out through the window! There was a fire extinguisher in the hallway!

Su Li spun around, rushed into the bathroom, soaked a towel, covered her nose and mouth, took a vase from the table, and smashed the window glass.

However, the glass shards somehow cut into her arm, which she used to shield her face. Su Li didn’t have time to feel the pain. She frantically tried to tie the towel around the back of her head, but the towel wasn’t long enough. She couldn’t climb out the window with one hand, making a mess of things.

Fire snakes even started crawling inside from outside the window. The sheer curtains were ignited by the firelight. Su Li couldn’t do anything and screamed:

“Help! Help!”

She tried to climb out the window while screaming, but the window frame was scalding hot. She couldn’t even put her hands on it, and she couldn’t jump.

The thick smoke gradually invaded her nasal cavity and throat. Su Li’s consciousness became increasingly hazy, and her muscles tensed up, starting to cramp…

Just then, someone started smashing the door, bang, bang, a continuous loud noise.

Outside the window, someone also started spraying extinguishing material. White foam quickly put out the fire on the curtains, but the smoke increased even more, making it almost impossible to see the nearby hallway.

Amidst the sounds of the wind, fire, and screams, a hoarse voice yelled forcefully:

“Su Li! Hold on, just a moment!”

Su Li felt a little more at ease, and her mind cleared slightly. She stood farther away from the door and tightly held the towel over her face.

After what felt like an eternity, the room door was finally smashed open, with splintered wood and half the door falling onto the floor.

In the thick smoke, Su Li saw a figure stumble in, clutching a fire extinguisher, and tightly scoop her up, rushing outside.

Why… after not seeing him for so long, was this scent of fresh grass still so familiar?

So familiar that once she confirmed who it was, she felt a profound sense of security.

In Jiang Zhuoye’s arms, Su Li slowly closed her eyes, utterly exhausted.