The Twilight Does Not Stain the Rose - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Christmas Cactus (II)

The next day before clocking out, Zhuang Baiwei picked up the last pot of Christmas Cactus. She happened to bump into Jiang Feifei, who was locking the door. The latter shot her a teasing look. “Off to see the pretty girl?”

Zhuang Baiwei gave her a light eye-roll. “Why are you so flippant?”

Jiang Muchen lived in the neighboring residential complex.

According to what Zhuang Wenlan had said, Jiang Muchen had returned to the country in a hurry three months ago because her father had passed away from a sudden myocardial infarction. After the funeral, her mother, Shen Shuhao, wound up her father’s business and everything in S City to bring her back to their hometown.

Unexpectedly, on their first day staying at a hotel, they ran into Zhuang Wenlan, who was there delivering wine. The reunion of old friends—former neighbors and “forget-the-age” companions—was naturally emotional. As the elder of the two, Zhuang Wenlan put in both effort and connections to personally find them the most suitable residence.

It was the neighboring complex, separated only by a central street square. However, Zhuang Baiwei rarely bumped into Shen Shuhao; both mother and daughter were equally introverted and never participated in things like square dancing. But Zhuang Wenlan interacted with them frequently, was more familiar with Jiang Muchen, and liked her very much.

Entering the residential garage, Zhuang Baiwei noted that her own Jeep was a bit too conspicuous for Jiangcheng, so she drove Zhuang Wenlan’s white SUV instead.

She and Jiang Muchen had agreed to meet at 6:30 PM. To her surprise, when she reached the complex gate at 6:20 PM, the other woman was already there, looking as if she had been waiting for a while.

Zhuang Baiwei was startled and quickly pulled up in front of her. Sensing the vehicle’s approach, Jiang Muchen looked up. With a single glance through the window, she recognized Zhuang Baiwei. A reserved smile touched her lips, though she still looked a bit nervous.

The passenger door opened and closed. Jiang Muchen got in, buckling her seatbelt as she said softly, “Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Miss Zhuang. And thank you for going through the trouble of picking me up.”

With a “click,” the seatbelt fastened.

Zhuang Baiwei looked down, noticing the slight tremor in the other woman’s hands. Moving her gaze upward, she saw the pale complexion and the faint dark circles under her eyes.

“You’re very welcome, Miss Jiang,” she said, not rushing to drive off. “However—” She paused, pointing toward Jiang’s eyes. “Did you not sleep well? Or are you feeling unwell? Your complexion looks…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence because Jiang Muchen hurriedly reached out to cover half her face. The embarrassment and apology in her remaining features couldn’t be hidden. “No, no… I just didn’t sleep well.”

Seeing this, Zhuang Baiwei didn’t press further. She gave a gentle smile. “Alright. Sit tight, Miss Jiang. We’re heading out.”

On the eastern outskirts of Jiangcheng, there was a small freshwater lake. The famous restaurant Zhuang Baiwei had been dreaming of, “Crab Manor,” was built right along the shore. Business was at its peak every autumn, with a constant stream of diners and a long waiting list for reservations. She hadn’t made it last year, so she had booked a spot early this year, only to find herself with no one to accompany her.

Luckily, Jiang Muchen appeared.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Baiwei snapped back to reality, realizing the atmosphere in the car had become awkwardly silent. Having not spent much time alone with an acquaintance for a while, she belatedly realized that the car was essentially a semi-enclosed space.

In her peripheral vision, Jiang Muchen seemed hesitant, as if she wanted to say something to break the awkwardness but couldn’t find a suitable topic. Consequently, her mood grew increasingly tense and uneasy.

Zhuang Baiwei thought for a moment and asked softly, “Miss Jiang, what kind of music do you usually like to listen to?”

Jiang Muchen’s hands on her knees tightened slightly. “I like listening to light music… and instrumental tracks.”

Zhuang Baiwei was surprised; this was a complete blind spot for her, as someone who loved pop music. Her expression remained unchanged. “Then, would you like to connect to the car’s Bluetooth? I’m quite curious about the music you usually listen to.”

A moment later, crisp piano notes rang out, gently filling the car. Zhuang Baiwei thought to herself: This indeed fits Jiang Muchen’s temperament perfectly.

For the next half hour, they remained silent amidst the piano melodies until they reached their destination.

After getting out of the car, Zhuang Baiwei remembered the gift she had forgotten. She opened the back door, took out the transparent gift bag, and handed it to Jiang Muchen.

The latter’s eyes widened slightly, and she let out a soft gasp. “A Christmas Cactus?”

Zhuang Baiwei gave a tender smile. “It seems I really did see you yesterday. An opening gift—everyone gets a share.”

Jiang Muchen held the plant with both hands, subconsciously bowing her head to catch its scent. The red petals brushed against her cheek, casting a vivid color onto her pale skin. She looked much more vibrant all of a sudden.

“There were too many people yesterday,” Jiang Muchen smiled faintly. “I was afraid of bothering you.”

Her gaze lingered on the plant, a smile touching her eyes and the corners of her mouth. She looked genuinely delighted.

Zhuang Baiwei felt a stir in her heart. She realized that Jiang Muchen was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve; it was easy for others to read her emotions. Although the fluctuations were subtle and she appeared somewhat cautious, she couldn’t hide her underlying vitality.

Like a small animal.

Jiang Muchen wasn’t wearing all black today. Instead, she wore a beige hoodie with light-colored jeans. Because of this, her sense of loneliness had dissipated, replaced by an even stronger aura of refined cool. Zhuang Baiwei glanced at her height and thought: A bit… like an Arctic hare…

But as much as she thought it, she couldn’t actually say that to her. She simply smiled. “Put it back in the car for now. Let’s go eat crabs.”

Zhuang Baiwei had booked a private room. Shortly after being led to their seats by the waiter, the dishes began to arrive. The pre-ordered menu was a standard crab feast for two.

Eight steamed crabs, two large crab-roe buns, two bowls of crab-roe noodles, and a 300ml pot of osmanthus wine.

“I didn’t know your appetite, so I ordered double my own portion,” Zhuang Baiwei said. “If it’s not enough, we can add more later.”

“It should be enough,” Jiang Muchen replied. “My appetite hasn’t been great lately, so I can’t eat much.”

“Alright,” Zhuang Baiwei smiled. “Can you drink?”

Seeing Jiang Muchen nod, she poured two cups of osmanthus wine and handed one over. “The alcohol content is very low, but just a small sip is fine.”

The aroma of the osmanthus wine was fragrant, its taste silky and mild. Combined with the lake view and osmanthus trees outside the window, the ambiance was perfect.

“Eat while it’s hot!” Zhuang Baiwei reminded her.

The crab-roe noodles were served last, so the two started with the soup buns before moving on to peeling the crabs.

Jiang Muchen looked at the porcelain osmanthus wine pot and asked softly, “I heard from my mother that Miss Zhuang’s family is in the wine business?”

“Yes,” Zhuang Baiwei nodded. “We have a small winery in the western suburbs. My grandmother left it behind, then it was passed to my mother, and now my sister manages it.” She smiled at this. “There’s a vineyard at the winery. I’ll take you there to play when there’s a chance.”

“Okay.” Jiang Muchen pursed her lips into a smile and nodded.

The crabs in late October were fatty and flavorful. Paired with ginger vinegar to enhance the taste, Zhuang Baiwei ate with great relish. While deconstructing her third crab, she glanced at Jiang Muchen and found that the other woman was eating faster than her, yet she didn’t look like she was gorging. It was actually quite appetizing to watch.

She recalled Zhuang Wenlan mentioning that Jiang Muchen had gone abroad during high school and only officially returned three months ago. She must not have had a good domestic meal in a long time.

She smiled and asked, “Miss Jiang, have you been abroad for many years?”

Jiang Muchen nodded. “I went abroad to study at sixteen. I usually only came back for a month each year.” Her eyes lowered, and her voice became even softer. “But before returning this time, I hadn’t been back for nearly three years.”

Zhuang Baiwei was surprised. “Because you were too busy?”

“No,” Jiang Muchen’s eyes remained downcast, her movements peeling the crab becoming much more clumsy. “Three years ago, I came out. I had a huge fight with my father, so I hadn’t returned since then.”

As her voice grew softer, Zhuang Baiwei’s movements also stopped. She thought back to the reason Jiang Muchen had returned this time. Suddenly, she realized she had overlooked a key point. In an environment like this, Jiang Muchen had proactively come out, risking a permanent rift with her family and refusing to look back.

Her heart rate accelerated instantly—thump, thump—overflowing with a surge of shame and apology. Despite spending so many years in the entertainment industry, she of all people should have known the pitfalls of judging a book by its cover. She hadn’t expected that because of a hurdle in her own heart she couldn’t get over, she had subjected Jiang Muchen to her intentional distancing for no reason.

Jiang Muchen did share that similar fragile and melancholic air with that person, but they were two completely different individuals.

The crab-roe noodles were served, but Zhuang Baiwei had lost her appetite. She wanted to apologize, but felt that an apology might also be an intrusion. At least right now, it didn’t seem appropriate. She sighed inwardly; in her final years before retiring, she had almost become a social butterfly in the entertainment industry just to make money, yet she never expected to be stuck in such a dilemma here.

Jiang Muchen took off her disposable gloves and helped the waiter clear the remains of the crabs. She wiped her hands with a hot towel, tidied the table, and stacked the discarded shells neatly on the tray. Meticulous, steady, and organized.

The crab-roe noodles smelled delicious, but Zhuang Baiwei couldn’t taste them. She silently put down her chopsticks, her gaze falling on Jiang Muchen’s hand holding her own chopsticks—slender and fair, yet not weak. Indeed, as a jewelry designer, how could one create good work without strength in their hands?

While she was lost in thought, the woman opposite her happened to look up and meet her gaze. Startled, she let out a cough and instinctively reached for a napkin.

“I,” Jiang Muchen wiped her mouth and looked at the tissue, asking uncertainly, “did I get something on my face?”

Cautious, flustered, and cute. Much like a small animal. No, a large animal.

Zhuang Baiwei swallowed the apology in her throat, shook her head, and smiled. “No, I just noticed your hands. To be able to make such beautiful ornaments… it’s great.”

Perhaps it was the first time she had heard someone describe her hands that way. Jiang Muchen froze, her fingers curling around her chopsticks, and a red tint crept onto the tips of her ears.

Zhuang Baiwei chuckled. “Speaking of which, I found a few letters on the bottom of the rose ornament.” She changed the subject. “So ‘Twilight’ was your brand? I once bought your pearl and aquamarine series.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the red on Jiang Muchen’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a stark paleness. Her eyes lowered, her features drooping into an expression of cold distancing, as if she were pushing everyone thousands of miles away.

“No.” Her voice was no longer airy; it carried an unquestionable firmness, emphasizing it almost bluntly.

“That is not my brand.”

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