Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 21

“I am your only benefactor.”

Jiang Qionghua failed to wait for Ming Yishu’s change of heart. She sat by the couch for a long time, so long that her heart gradually grew cold. All her previous joy was extinguished, leaving behind only the awkwardness of speaking to herself.

“You aren’t Ming Yishu. Where did you hide my Ming Yishu?”

Jiang Qionghua was still unwilling to admit it. After only one night, Ming Yishu truly no longer wished to treat her as she had before. Clearly, the Ming Yishu of the past relied on her in a hundred ways, forgiving her no matter what she said or did. Why, in the span of a mere half-day, had she developed such a stubborn temper?

For some reason, Jiang Qionghua had a faint intuition—if she failed to coax this person back this time, the two of them would never be able to return to the way they were.

Ming Yishu seemed gentle and eventempered, but Jiang Qionghua felt that this kind of personality was extreme; either she didn’t get angry at all, or once she did, she was truly difficult to appease.

In the past, Jiang Qionghua would certainly not have lowered her stance to coax someone. But she had only recently tasted the sweetness of a kiss, and the novelty had not yet worn off, so she had the mind to try and soothe her.

She endured, swallowing her irritation, and spoke again: “Fine. It was I who lost you. What must I do for you to forgive me?”

“Yishu wouldn’t dare.” Ming Yishu only spoke half a sentence. Her heart felt as though a heavy boulder was pressing down on it. She opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing more.

Even if she was disappointed, she was powerless. No matter how harshly Jiang Qionghua bullied her, she could not truly ignore the other woman. After all, Jiang Qionghua was the “benefactor” she was meant to help; only by staying by her side could she complete the mission and return to reality.

She had nothing left to yearn for in reality. The only dog she kept had died, and she had no relatives who cared for her. Her parents probably wouldn’t even bother coming to the city to collect her body… To them, a daughter dying in the big city was a shameful thing. Especially an incident like being murdered by a thug; in their small town, people would point fingers and spread rumors, saying their daughter was indecent—that because she was pretty, she must have seduced someone, and thus deserved to be killed.

Thinking of this, Ming Yishu’s hands and feet grew colder. No one would care for her. If she had to find a reason to return to reality… Ming Yishu thought for a moment. Her tuition fees for her years of study had all been paid for by a certain account in a foundation.

She truly owed a debt of gratitude to that kind-hearted investor.

Had it not been for the foundation’s help, she certainly would not have chosen her favorite major. At that time, studying art was extremely expensive, and she shouldn’t have chosen it. Who would have thought that a staff member from the foundation would specifically call her, saying there was an investor who liked ancient art and antiques? If she chose an art major, they were willing to sponsor her until graduation.

This news was like a windfall from heaven. At the time, Ming Yishu had accepted it with overwhelming joy.

Recalling the past, that investor was truly a great philanthropist. It was a pity she died early and couldn’t repay that kindness after finishing her studies.

Ming Yishu touched her forehead and slowly sat up straighter. Her head was still somewhat dazed. As she sorted through her thoughts, several voices suddenly overlapped.

The staff member who called to persuade her to study her favorite major, the kind investor from the foundation, the entrepreneur who also liked ancient culture in the same foundation, and the secretary who frequently came to persuade her while standing by that entrepreneur’s side…

After many years, Ming Yishu suddenly realized something with a delayed shock—it seemed the foundation staff who persuaded her and the secretary who tried to convince her to be “kept” were the same voice.

Ming Yishu

Once this startling thought emerged, it fit the truth perfectly. It turned out that the entrepreneur and the investor who had sponsored her education and encouraged her to study her favorite major for all those years were the same person.

And she had never connected the two. When the other party had their secretary suggest she move in with them, her attitude had been so poor. She hadn’t even offered a word of concern until the other party stopped sending news entirely.

At that time, Ming Yishu thought the other party had temporarily given up the idea of keeping her. Looking back now, she feared she had broken that investor’s heart. After all, receiving someone’s kindness for so long and then returning it with such hostility was truly rare in this world.

Ming Yishu felt increasingly miserable. Once she understood the truth, she was filled with self-reproach. She slowly recalled that although the investor didn’t contact her again afterward, they had continued to silently fund her studies, never withdrawing the sponsorship because of that incident.

Such a great kindness, and she…

Ming Yishu covered her forehead and curled her body up in agony.

“Yishu, what’s wrong? Did I push you too hard?” Seeing her in distress, Jiang Qionghua disregarded everything else and hurried forward to comfort her. “I’ll go call the doctor.”

“No need.” Ming Yishu reached out and grabbed a corner of the other’s sleeve, momentarily snapping back to reality. “I just had a dream and couldn’t quite snap out of it.”

Jiang Qionghua’s gaze slowly fell on the hand clutching her sleeve. In the silence, she raised her own hand and covered it. “Then, did you dream of me?”

Ming Yishu had actually dreamed of her, but that dream was too unsightly to speak of. She could only shake her head. “No. In that dream, I saw a former benefactor. I remembered some old truths and felt a deep sense of repentance. My heart is just a bit heavy.”

The word “truth” was like a thorn wedged between them for Jiang Qionghua. Ming Yishu had mentioned it casually, but Jiang Qionghua’s expression changed drastically.

“What did you dream of? What benefactor?”

Jiang Qionghua’s face was not good; it could even be described as hideous. She had lived a lie for years, styling herself as Ming Yishu’s benefactor. But she knew better than anyone that she had killed Ming Yishu’s real “benefactor” long ago. How could there be such a coincidence—that the girl could uncover the truth in a dream?

Distraught, Ming Yishu did not notice Jiang Qionghua’s abnormality and simply replied, “I never saw the person’s face, but I did something ungrateful. They must be very disappointed in me.”

Everything clicked.

Jiang Qionghua stood up abruptly and paced several steps in panic.

Years ago, when Ming Yishu was young and lived in a remote, impoverished mountain area, it was Tang Guangjun who had been secretly supporting this sole relative. The two had indeed never met, but both were aware of the debt of gratitude.

She, Jiang Qionghua, could act out any role or situation, but she had no way to touch the old events that happened between those two in the early years. After all, too much time had passed; no matter how powerful she was, she wasn’t a deity. She couldn’t crack open someone’s head and pour out their memories.

Furthermore, she hadn’t cared much at the beginning. Raising Ming Yishu was like casually raising a cat or a dog. How could she have spent effort perfecting the lie? She had just managed to keep the girl in the dark. Who would have thought that today, years later, she would actually remember something from the past?

Jiang Qionghua put her hands behind her back, using her rear view to hide her unease. “When you had that fever back then, the doctor said you burned your brain, making many things you remember a mix of truth and falsehood. Don’t dwell on those old matters. I am here with you; just rest easy.”

Ming Yishu nodded. “Yishu knows. Since that fever, many things have indeed become unclear.”

She was a “book-transmigrator” inhabiting the body. How could she know what role the system had arranged or the past events of that character? Fortunately, Jiang Qionghua had never looked too deeply into her identity. Neither of them wanted to bring it up, so they had always peacefully glossed over the past.

“You only need to remember that I am your only benefactor. If you want to repay a debt, repay it to me.” Jiang Qionghua shamelessly usurped someone else’s identity, feeling no remorse. “If you treat me well, I will treat you better.”

Ming Yishu followed suit naturally: “Mm.”

She should indeed stay by Jiang Qionghua’s side. Jiang Qionghua was the protagonist of the book; only by following her could Ming Yishu return to reality sooner to repay the investor from back then.

“Are you still throwing a tantrum with me?” Jiang Qionghua eased the unease in her heart before turning around to ask, “Are you still angry?”

Ming Yishu shook her head. “Never again.”

Jiang Qionghua was still uneasy. Her heart felt as though it were weighted down by lead on a thin string, swinging back and forth, preventing her emotions from finding solid ground.

She must never let Ming Yishu realize anything. Only if Ming Yishu was completely devoted to her would she dare to pamper her, and dare to place her affection on this person.

There absolutely could not be anything else obstructing the two of them. After the lesson learned from Tang Guangjun, it was difficult for Jiang Qionghua to trust anyone again. She didn’t want to share a bed with someone who could betray her at any moment.

She didn’t want to spend every day on guard against those close to her anymore; that feeling was too torturous.

In those years, Tang Guangjun gave her such a headache just as a subordinate. If Ming Yishu, who followed her every single day, truly harbored resentment in her heart, she feared she would truly fall at her hands.

Jiang Qionghua thought to herself: I am a ghost who has died once already; I must not repeat the same mistakes. Now, she would have people take care of anyone who knew the truth of what happened back then. As for Ming Yishu, it would be best if she never heard those things, otherwise…

She wouldn’t be able to stop herself from killing her.

Even if… she felt a bit of heartache and reluctance.

Jiang Qionghua’s head began to ache again. She suddenly grabbed Ming Yishu and pulled her toward the bath. “I feel unwell. Come and wash my hair.”

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