This Time, She Confesses First - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The streetlights lining both sides of the green belt were old, and the mottled outer covers made the light they cast somewhat dim. Jing Huan stood with her back to the light, her body swallowed by the darkness. Her shadow, projected onto the flower bed, was long, stubborn, and stick-thin.

From Ke Qingyun’s perspective, she could clearly capture the subtle changes in the young woman’s expression. Jing Huan lightly pressed her lips together and darted her eyes around, completely unfazed by what Ke Qingyun had just said. Ke Qingyun smiled, “You don’t have to be so formal with me.”

She then beckoned Jing Huan with a finger, “Hand me the water.”

Jing Huan quickly handed over the bottled water, reminding her, “The water is cold.”

“It’s fine, I just need to rinse my mouth.”

With long, fair fingers, she easily unscrewed the cap. Ke Qingyun turned her back and bent down, taking a few mouthfuls. Just as the sour taste in her mouth was slightly washed away, her stomach began to churn again, and she gagged and threw up.

Jing Huan’s heart tightened. She stepped forward, wanting to rub Ke Qingyun’s back, but her hand stopped mid-air. She suddenly felt it was inappropriate, so she pulled her hand back and averted her gaze, looking around, “I’ll go get you some hot water.”

“No need,” Ke Qingyun stopped her. “You go back to the car first. I’ll be fine once I’ve finished throwing up.”

Jing Huan stood still.

Having thrown up all her dinner, her stomach finally felt better. Ke Qingyun tossed the water bottle into the trash can and turned to see Jing Huan, her brows tightly furrowed, staring intently at her.

Ke Qingyun’s heart softened, “Worried about me?”

It seemed only natural for an assistant to worry about her boss. Jing Huan nodded, “Are you okay?”

“Let’s sit in the car for a bit.”

Neither of them spoke, and the car instantly fell into a deathly silence. Jing Huan couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere. She bit her lip, trying to find something to talk about, but Ke Qingyun beat her to it, “Are you very nervous? You seem to have forgotten how to breathe.”

Her voice held a hint of a laugh.

Taking a sudden, deep breath, Jing Huan tried to cover up, “No, not nervous.”

Ke Qingyun smiled faintly, “I remember you used to talk a lot.”

Back then, after Ke Qingyun finished tutoring Jing Yuan, Jing’s mother often kept her for dinner. Every night at the dinner table, Jing Huan’s voice could be heard. She was animated and excited, sharing funny stories that happened at school with her classmates. Her mouth was like a machine gun, non-stop—she was indeed a little chatterbox.

In truth, that was merely the spontaneous urge to perform that arose when facing the person she liked. Afraid that the person she liked wouldn’t remember her, she desperately performed, boosting her presence in the crowd. Every time she saw the curve of Ke Qingyun’s lips when the latter looked down, Jing Huan would be happy for a long time.

But now, Jing Huan was unwilling to admit it, “My mother said that girls who talk too much are not likable.”

Ke Qingyun laughed out loud, “But I thought you were quite cute back then.”

Jing Huan sneered internally, What’s the use of being cute if you still rejected me? “What’s the use of being cute? Haven’t you heard the saying online that cuteness is worthless compared to sexiness?”

Ke Qingyun turned her head to look out the window, her laughter becoming more cheerful, “So, you’ve changed your style now? Are you going for the sexy look?”

Jing Huan thought to herself that she had the height and the figure, with the necessary curves in all the right places, so she wouldn’t do badly if she went for a sexy look. Unfortunately, she definitely couldn’t say this to Ke Qingyun, so she pulled Jing’s mother into the conversation, “I had that idea, but my mother won’t let me. She says it’s too flashy.”

“She’s right not to let you,” Ke Qingyun said. “How old are you? Don’t always learn those messy things online.”

Jing Huan felt indignant, “I’m 24!”

Ke Qingyun paused slightly. So this young woman was already 24. She was already the same age Ke Qingyun was back then. Time certainly flew fast.

“You’re still just a child. I’ll supervise you for Auntie.”

Jing Huan mumbled under her breath, “Since when is 24 considered a child?”

“Seems like you’re quite defiant?” Ke Qingyun smiled.

Jing Huan wouldn’t dare say she was defiant. She shook her head and asked, “Are you sober now? I’ll drive you back.” It was already ten o’clock, and if they delayed any longer, she would miss the subway.

Ke Qingyun also noticed the time. She opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Since she didn’t have Jing Huan’s WeChat, she couldn’t send her location, so she had to use her own phone for navigation, “Zhu Sisi told you to add my WeChat. Why didn’t you?”

“I have your phone number. I thought I wouldn’t need WeChat.”

Ke Qingyun looked up, “You’ll need WeChat for work a lot in the future. Add it when you get back.”

Since her superior had spoken, Jing Huan could only swallow her reluctance and agree.

Ke Qingyun’s home wasn’t far from where they had dinner, a twenty-minute drive. Jing Huan steered the wheel, observing the road conditions leading into the residential area, “Where should I park the car?”

“Pull over up ahead,” Ke Qingyun said. “You drive the car back.”

“What?” Jing Huan slammed on the brakes and looked at Ke Qingyun in surprise, thinking she hadn’t sobered up yet. Ke Qingyun’s body lurched forward due to inertia. Luckily, she was wearing a seatbelt and was fine.

“I said, you drive the car back,” Ke Qingyun hissed slightly, unbuckled her seatbelt, and looked at Jing Huan, “Don’t brake so hard next time. I’m getting old and can’t handle such scares.”

Seeing that Ke Qingyun was serious, Jing Huan quickly got out of the car too, explaining, “I have to go back to school.”

“Can’t you park your car at your school?” Ke Qingyun asked.

“No,” Jing Huan was still a bit confused, thinking that a big boss like Ke Qingyun didn’t know about public transportation like the subway in the city, “I take the subway.”

Ke Qingyun checked the time, “It’s too late. Drive my car back. You can drive it to the company tomorrow.”

Jing Huan immediately understood Ke Qingyun’s intention: it was late, and she was worried about her safety using public transportation. There was indeed a short walk to school after getting off the subway, but that road wasn’t remote, and both sides were full of food stalls that stayed open until past eleven, so there were many people.

“It’s fine. I can catch the subway.”

Ke Qingyun licked her lips, staring at Jing Huan, “You wouldn’t want me to take the subway with you all the way back to school while still drunk, would you?”

Jing Huan froze.

Ke Qingyun stepped forward and patted Jing Huan’s arm, “Don’t worry, just drive. The car is insured.”

“…”

Ke Qingyun’s car was a black Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle. From the outside, it didn’t look overly ostentatious, but anyone who knew cars would realize the price was not low. Jing Huan hadn’t felt much when Ke Qingyun was sitting next to her, but now, driving it alone, she felt a slight psychological pressure.

“If I drive your car away, what will you do for work tomorrow?”

“You can pick me up. Is that on your way?”

Phew!

Jing Huan let out a breath, feeling sweat starting to form on her palms.

The next morning, as soon as Jing Huan woke up, she saw a WeChat message Ke Qingyun had sent her at six o’clock, “No need to pick me up this morning. I have a meeting at the industrial park in the morning. I won’t be going to the office.”

“Understood, Ms. Ke.”

After replying to the WeChat message, Jing Huan jumped out of bed and started washing up. The toothbrush was in her mouth, and her hand moved mechanically. The feeling on her second day of work wasn’t too different from the first: excited, nervous, and a little inexplicably thrilled.

Jing Huan wasn’t sure if Ke Qingyun was responsible for this joy, but at least during their interaction last night, she hadn’t felt too uncomfortable. When it came to adult propriety and boundaries, Ke Qingyun handled them better than she did. The right amount of nostalgia and concern was perfectly measured.

There was none of the embarrassment from the time she was rejected, nor the dramatic fluctuations of her secret crush. Jing Huan thought that if she and Ke Qingyun could continue to interact so naturally, then working as a special assistant for the long term might not be so bad.

In mid-December, Jing Huan moved out of the dorm. The rented apartment wasn’t far from the new office location; it took about fifteen minutes to cycle to the company. Although the rent was a bit expensive, the short distance allowed her to sleep in a little in the morning.

After Zhu Sisi had mostly handed over the assistant’s work to Jing Huan, Jing Huan began attending meetings with Ke Qingyun, taking minutes, and coordinating inter-departmental work arrangements. Having just started these tasks, there were inevitably some small mistakes. Perhaps because Jing’s mother often invited Ke Qingyun for dinner back then, Ke Qingyun showed her some partiality, being very patient with Jing Huan and showing no bossy airs. When necessary, she would even step in to support her.

Jing Huan was also intelligent, quickly picking up new things with just a little guidance, and gradually adapting to the role of Ke Qingyun’s assistant.

This felt completely different from being a student. Although every day was busy, the time passed exceptionally fulfilling.

“Mmh… Baby…”

Jing Huan’s spoon trembled, and a glutinous rice ball fell onto the table. A layer of dense goosebumps immediately broke out on her arm. She had only moved in a week ago, but this was already the third time.

This was the third time her roommate had brought a male friend home.

Her appetite instantly vanished.

Jing Huan dropped the spoon back into the bowl, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared resentfully at the wall. One minute, two minutes, three minutes… ten minutes. It hadn’t stopped, and the girl’s moans grew louder, accompanied by the creaking sound of the bed frame scraping the floor, lingering on Jing Huan’s every nerve ending, like ants gnawing at her.

Bang!

Before she could feel nauseous and throw up, Jing Huan slammed the door and walked out. The community environment was nice and well-maintained, but due to the cold weather, there weren’t many people outside at this time. It was exceptionally quiet.

Jing Huan was wearing a black down jacket. She sat on a swing, holding the ropes, tilting her head back to stare at the dark sky, her legs gently swinging. Suddenly, the phone in her pocket buzzed.

It was like waking from a dream.

Jing Huan quickly sat up straight, pulled out her phone to read the landlord’s reply, “Oh, young lady, it’s not easy for everyone working outside. Try to be a little understanding. Besides, co-renting isn’t always perfect. A little noise is normal.”

Jing Huan frowned, a little angry, “The contract clearly states that bringing opposite-sex friends home is not allowed. Moreover, this is the third time this week.”

The landlord’s reply was unhelpful, “Fine, I’ll give her a call and talk to her later. She should be more mindful in the future.”

The first time this issue occurred, Jing Huan had reported it to the landlord. The landlord had said the same thing back then, but the problem of the roommate bringing opposite-sex friends home was never solved.

Jing Huan angrily tapped the phone screen, “I’m not renting this apartment after the end of the month. Refund me three months’ rent.”

The landlord stopped replying.

Jing Huan, feeling blocked, opened the rental app and started looking for a new place. This area was suburban, quiet, and had few residential buildings, mostly villas. Rental listings were scarce.

Why are there no houses for rent? Why not?

Jing Huan drooped her head, sighing repeatedly, running her hand through her hair, while the other hand mechanically swiped through unsuitable listings: rent too high, too far away, no short-term rentals…

She suddenly felt homesick.

Jing Huan sniffled. The phone screen gradually became blurry. When facing injustice or distress in a foreign place, the first thought is always of family, immediately wanting someone to rely on. If she had gone to university near home, she definitely wouldn’t have to go through this.

Wuwuwu, Mom.

“Who bullied you?”

Suddenly, a gentle voice came from above her head.

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