This Time, She Confesses First - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The parking spaces downstairs were full, so Jing Huan drove the car into the underground garage. After parking and turning off the engine, she turned to speak, “Ms. Ke, we’re here.”

Ke Qingyun hadn’t actually been sleeping. She opened her eyes immediately upon hearing the sound. “That was fast.”

“The roads aren’t congested at night, so it was quicker,” Jing Huan handed the car keys over. “Ms. Ke, I’ll head back now. Get some good rest.”

Ke Qingyun glanced at the keys but didn’t reach for them. She looked up and suddenly asked, “Do you want to come up and eat something?”

“Huh?”

Jing Huan paused slightly, instinctively wanting to refuse, but at that moment, her stomach protested with a growl. The “I’m not hungry” she was about to say was forcibly swallowed. She politely said, “No need. I’ll just cook something simple when I get back.”

“Cooking at home is the same as cooking here,” Ke Qingyun smiled. “Besides, it’s so late. If you cook when you go back, won’t you disturb your roommate’s rest?”

Jing Huan was speechless. Si Yao was a light sleeper and had to work tomorrow. She had already woken her up when she left earlier. If she went back to cook now, she would definitely wake her again. Jing Huan hesitated for a moment, saying, “I’m actually not that hungry. It’s okay if I don’t eat.”

The passenger door suddenly opened. Ke Qingyun got out, strode around to the other side of the car, opened Jing Huan’s door, and grabbed her arm. “Not that hungry means you’re still a little hungry, right? It won’t hurt you to eat something up there, and I didn’t eat enough tonight either.”

At 3:00 AM, Jing Huan vaguely found herself at Ke Qingyun’s place again. Perhaps because someone was living there, there were more everyday items, making the place look more lived-in than before. Ke Qingyun opened the fridge and rummaged through it, “Do you want tangyuan or dumplings?”

Jing Huan stood behind her, “Tangyuan.”

Ke Qingyun said, “I knew you’d want tangyuan. Good thing I grabbed two bags when I went to the supermarket last time.”

“How did you know?”

“I heard your aunt say it when I ate at your place before. She said you eat tangyuan all year round, not just during the Lantern Festival.” Ke Qingyun finished speaking with a smile, taking a whole bag of black sesame tangyuan from the fridge. She examined it for a moment, then turned to ask, “You’re not picky about the filling, are you?”

Jing Huan quickly shook her head, “I’m not picky.” She liked tangyuan simply for the soft, glutinous wrapper. The filling didn’t matter.

“That’s good. That supermarket only had black sesame filling,” Ke Qingyun put water in the pot, turned on the gas, and spoke to herself, “It’s a bit late. There’s no time to stir-fry dishes or cook a meal. Let’s eat some tangyuan first to fill our stomachs. Daybreak is soon, and then we can go out for breakfast.”

Ke Qingyun hadn’t had time to change after returning. She was still wearing the white suit she wore at the annual meeting, paired with a lake-blue silk shirt underneath, looking particularly capable and sharp. Jing Huan looked at her busy back, a strange feeling welling up inside her. She couldn’t tell if it was satisfaction or pleasure; it just felt odd. It was hard to imagine that Ke Qingyun was in this same outfit dealing with all sorts of people at the annual meeting earlier tonight, and now, still in the same clothes, she was standing here boiling tangyuan for her.

She was still the same person, and the clothes hadn’t changed, but in different environments, she could give people vastly different feelings.

“Do you like the lottery prize?” Ke Qingyun turned her head, meeting Jing Huan’s distracted gaze.

Jing Huan paused, quickly looking away, “I haven’t opened it yet.”

“Are you sleepy?” Ke Qingyun asked.

Jing Huan: “No, just too hungry.”

“The water is about to boil, just wait a moment,” Ke Qingyun leaned against the counter and continued, “A lot of girls in the company were hoping to win that prize. You don’t seem that excited.”

Jing Huan was still a student, and carrying an expensive designer bag felt too flashy, so she honestly said, “The bag is too expensive. I plan to sell it.”

Then she quickly added, asking, “Is that okay?”

Ke Qingyun smiled and said, “Of course. It’s your property. You can do whatever you want with it.”

“Thank you.”

Ke Qingyun: “Why are you thanking me?”

Jing Huan: “I’ve never won a prize before. This is the first time I’ve been this lucky.”

“This has nothing to do with luck. It just means we share a destiny,” Ke Qingyun laughed.

Jing Huan was stunned for a moment, lowered her head, and muttered inwardly: Leaders sure know how to say pretty words to fool people. The destiny between us was already cut short by you.

The water in the pot boiled. Ke Qingyun turned to drop in the tangyuan, not forgetting to remind her, “Oh, right, the bag cost twenty-two thousand to buy. Make sure you don’t sell it at a loss.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jing Huan had nothing to do there and planned to wait in the living room. Just then, her phone in her pocket suddenly rang. It sounded particularly clear and jarring in the quiet night. At this hour, a call surely meant something urgent. Ke Qingyun quickly looked back, too.

“Jing Yuan?”

Jing Huan saw the caller ID on her phone. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t dare delay and quickly answered, “Hello, Jing Yuan, it’s Jiejie.”

“Jie…” The voice on the other end sounded a little wronged. “I’m sick, Jie.”

“Where do you feel unwell?” Jing Huan asked anxiously.

Jing Yuan said, “My stomach hurts. The doctor said it might be appendicitis and wants me to have surgery. I don’t have enough money for the surgery. It’s too late. I didn’t call Mom and Dad because I was afraid they’d worry. Transfer me some money.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll transfer it to you on WeChat,” Jing Huan was extremely worried. “How are you doing now?”

Jing Yuan: “Still in the emergency room.”

Jing Huan asked, “Is someone with you?”

“My roommate is here. Don’t worry, and don’t tell Mom and Dad. If you do, they’ll definitely rush over.”

Jing Huan agreed, “Okay, okay, I won’t tell Mom and Dad. I’m coming over now. Send me your location.”

“Ah? Jie, you don’t need to come. It’s not safe this late.”

Jing Huan had already hung up. She didn’t have much money on her and could only transfer three thousand to Jing Yuan first. She looked up and said goodbye in a flurry, “Ms. Ke, my brother isn’t feeling well. I have to go see him now. I can’t stay for the tangyuan.”

“Is it serious?” Ke Qingyun turned off the gas.

Jing Huan said, “Appendicitis. The doctor said he needs surgery. He’s there alone, and I’m worried.”

“Wait a minute, I’ll go with you.” Ke Qingyun went back to the bedroom to grab a down jacket and put it over her suit.

Jing Huan had heard Ke Qingyun say earlier that she hadn’t slept much these two days due to the annual meeting and the leaders’ inspection. Now that the annual meeting was over and work had momentarily paused, it was a good time for her to rest properly. Jing Huan felt bad troubling her. “No need. I can manage by myself.”

“The high-speed trains have stopped at this hour. Let’s take my car,” Ke Qingyun said, already ushering Jing Huan towards the door. She closed the door. “I don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone.”

Jing Huan hesitated, looking up to ask, “Are you tired?”

“You only slept for three hours yesterday.”

Ke Qingyun was momentarily stunned, a smile spreading across her face. “I’m not tired.” She then patted Jing Huan’s back. “It takes over an hour to get from Shanghai to Suzhou. I can catch a quick nap on the way. Let’s go.”

Jing Huan didn’t know what to say. Her eyes drooped, “Thank you.”

“Stop being polite with me. Jing Yuan is still in the hospital. Aren’t you worried about him? Let’s not waste any time.”

This sentence was effective for Jing Huan. She said nothing more. The two went to the underground garage to get the car. Ke Qingyun said she would nap on the way, but she kept her eyes open, constantly talking to Jing Huan.

Jing Huan knew she was worried she might fall asleep. She turned her head and said, “I’m fine. You should get some sleep.”

“I lied about only sleeping for three hours,” Ke Qingyun smiled. “It didn’t fool you, though. I’m not tired now. You just drive.”

Jing Huan glanced at her, half-believing, “Why would you lie to me for no reason?”

Ke Qingyun looked at her, “What do you think?”

Jing Huan whispered, “How would I know?”

“…” Ke Qingyun opened her mouth, wanting to say she lied to get Jing Huan to continue calling her Jiejie, but then realizing the young woman had practically forgotten her, she immediately felt it wasn’t the right time to bring it up. “Because you’re silly.”

Jing Huan snorted, “You’re truly boring.”

Ke Qingyun chuckled and asked her, “Are you tired?”

“No, we’ve only been driving for twenty minutes.”

“Tell me if you get sleepy.”

Jing Huan scoffed, “What’s the point of telling you? You drank tonight, so you can’t drive.”

Ke Qingyun smiled, “I won’t drink anymore in the future.”

In consideration of Ke Qingyun accompanying her to see Jing Yuan, Jing Huan didn’t press the issue. “You should take a nap. I’ll turn on the music so I don’t get sleepy.”

By the time they reached the hospital, it was already daylight.

The minimally invasive surgery was quick. Jing Yuan had been transferred to a general ward and was fine, though he would need to eat soft foods for the next few days. When he saw Jing Huan, he was touched and guilty. “Jie, I told you not to—”

His words suddenly broke off halfway. Jing Yuan stared wide-eyed at the woman behind Jing Huan, looking astonished, almost not daring to believe it. “Ms. Ke?!”

“It’s been so many years. You still remember me,” Ke Qingyun walked over and laughed. “You’ve grown so tall.”

Hearing Ke Qingyun say that, Jing Yuan finally dared to confirm his recognition, pleasantly surprised. “It really is you! Ms. Ke, why are you here?”

Ke Qingyun turned and glanced at Jing Huan, “I came with your sister.”

“With my sister?” Jing Yuan also looked at Jing Huan. “How are you two together?”

Ke Qingyun smiled, “I’ll tell you the details later. How are you feeling now? Are you better? What did the doctor say?”

“It’s nothing serious, just a minor surgery. The hospital said I can be discharged in three or four days,” Jing Yuan said. “I told my sister not to come, but she insisted on making the trip. It’s too much trouble.”

Ke Qingyun: “She was worried about you. She drove all the way in the middle of the night.”

Hearing Ke Qingyun say that, Jing Yuan stopped complaining and looked wistfully at Jing Huan, “Jie, are you tired? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Jing Huan was spacing out. She said “Ah” when Jing Yuan called her and walked a few steps closer to the bedside, forcing a smile, “I was listening to you talk.”

She then lowered her eyes. She had been overlooking one thing all along: Ke Qingyun used to be Jing Yuan’s teacher, his official tutor, a position far more legitimate than her own as a tag-along student.

It was only natural for a former teacher to worry about and visit a student facing surgery, especially for someone as socially adept as Ke Qingyun, who would handle all social niceties flawlessly. It made perfect sense that she came along to visit Jing Yuan.

If she hadn’t heard their lively nostalgic conversation, Jing Huan would have almost forgotten this fact, and mistakenly assumed she had Ke Qingyun all to herself again.

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