When Spring Burns - Chapter 46.1

A car stopped at the entrance of the He residence.

This woman was running a fever again.

They shouldn’t have approved her discharge from the hospital back then. Now, here they were, having to make a house call.

After getting out of the car, Ji Siyi irritably straightened the collar of her white coat. Following the butler, she strode inside, carrying her medical kit.

But today was Sunday, she should be able to see Tingmian.

With that thought, Ji Siyi’s mood lifted considerably.

Passing through the octagonal corridor with its square inlays, she entered the courtyard planted with rare varieties of camellias. At a glance, she spotted a graceful figure emerging from behind a camellia tree, holding a cat in her arms.

Ji Siyi immediately recognized Sheng Tingmian. The sight of the beautiful girl, the lovely scenery, and the cat instantly dispelled the gloom in her heart. She was about to call out when,

“Sister, I caught it!”

That voice, sweeter than a macaron, made Ji Siyi pause. Following the sound, she saw her friend He Jianxue sitting in a wheelchair in the extended courtyard, sipping coffee and leisurely watching the figure under the camellia tree.

He Jianxue always carried an air of calm detachment. Ji Siyi wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt He Jianxue’s gaze at Sheng Tingmian was different from the way she looked at He Xiu.

Though both were like younger sisters to her, Ji Siyi sensed a particular indulgence and affection in He Jianxue’s eyes when she looked at Sheng Tingmian.

“Come up here.”

“Okay, Sister.”

Sheng Tingmian, still holding the cat, was about to head toward the steps when she turned and noticed Ji Siyi. “Sister Siyi?”

Snapping back to reality, Ji Siyi subtly observed the young girl before her. A simple, soft-colored dress accentuated her elegant and refreshing charm. “I’m here to check on your sister.”

“Oh, I see. Please come in,” Sheng Tingmian warmly invited her inside.

As they ascended the steps together, Ji Siyi remarked, “The cat in your arms is adorable.”

Sheng Tingmian adjusted the cat, Tyrande, in her arms and smiled. “She is cute, but she’s also a bit mischievous, always running off into the courtyard.”

“What breed is she? I don’t think I’ve seen one like her before.”

“She’s a Singapore cat. We brought her back as a stray when my sister and I were traveling in Thailand.”

“A stray?”

“Yes, we found her at a night market in Thailand. But my sister was kind enough to let me bring her home to raise.”

When they reached He Jianxue, Ji Siyi found it hard to believe that this woman had traveled all the way to Thailand and returned with a stray cat.

As she set her medical kit on the table, her dear Tingmian had already positioned herself beside He Jianxue, attentively waiting for the examination to begin.

He Jianxue took out a lancet, casting a suspicious glance between the two of them. She pricked He Jianxue’s finger to draw a blood sample for later testing.

After placing the sample back in her kit, Ji Siyi said, “I’ve collected the blood. I should be heading back now.”

“Sister Siyi, would you like to stay for some tea?”

Ji Siyi initially wanted to stay but inexplicably felt she would be intruding. “No, I have matters to attend to at the hospital.”

“Then take care on your way back, Sister Siyi.”

“Goodbye.”

Ji Siyi had come and gone in a hurry. Sheng Tingmian watched her leave, then suddenly sensed a gaze fixed on her. She awkwardly averted her eyes.

“Sister, does it hurt?”

He Jianxue glanced at her. “Do you want to go after her?”

Sheng Tingmian inexplicably felt this topic was a bit strange, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. “No, Sister Siyi is here for work.”

He Jianxue was somewhat satisfied with this answer. “Last time, she mentioned wanting to take you as her younger sister. What do you think? Would you like to have another sister?”

At this, Sheng Tingmian’s gaze lingered on He Jianxue’s face. Back then, her sister had firmly declared, “My sister can only be mine alone,” leaving no room for discussion. Now, suddenly asking for her opinion…

Sheng Tingmian pondered carefully. Did her sister mean to test her loyalty?

“Of course not. I already have a sister, why would I want to acknowledge someone else?”

Sheng Tingmian sweetly leaned against her shoulder. “I already have the best sister in the world. I don’t want anyone else.”

Pleasing words were always music to the ears, and this delighted He Jianxue. “You certainly know how to talk.”

“Of course! I’m an opera singer. If I weren’t good with words, how could I perform?”

Sheng Tingmian picked up the kitten rubbing against her leg, playing with it as she said, “I will only ever be my sister’s little sister.”

No sooner had she spoken than her hand was scratched. Sheng Tingmian let out a soft cry and released the kitten, letting Tyrande jump off her lap.

Just as she was about to check the wound, her wrist was abruptly grabbed.

Realizing it was her sister, and fearing she might blame Tyrande, Sheng Tingmian quickly explained, “It’s my fault for picking her up against her will.”

He Jianxue examined the scratch on her hand. The once delicate, jade-like hand now bore a stark wound, like a crack in fine porcelain, utterly jarring and irritating. She glanced at the girl making excuses for the cat, pursed her lips, and said nothing, merely calling a servant to bring the first aid kit.

“Sister…” Sheng Tingmian placed her hand in her sister’s palm, obediently letting her disinfect and treat the wound. “It’s just a shallow scratch. It’ll scab over soon.”

But as soon as she said this, her four fingers were squeezed tightly. Sensing He Jianxue’s displeasure, Sheng Tingmian immediately grew quiet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tyrande passing by and felt the urge to stroke the clever fur on its large ears.

But with her sister watching her closely, she probably wouldn’t be able to pet the cat for a while.

“Sister, Auntie’s birthday is in a few days. What gift do you think I should get for her?”

After finishing with the first aid, He Jianxue signaled for the servant to take the kit away. “What does she like?”

Sheng Tingmian suddenly remembered. “She likes pearl necklaces. Last time we went shopping, she wanted to buy one but thought it was too expensive, so she didn’t.”

“Oh, sister, I know what to get Auntie now. I’ll go buy it right away.”

He Jianxue stopped her. “The pearl market is tricky. As an amateur, you’ll easily get scammed.”

Sheng Tingmian asked, “Really?”

He Jianxue calmly explained, “Do you know how to judge luster? Can you tell the difference between freshwater pearls, saltwater pearls, and fake shell pearls?”

Sheng Tingmian felt overwhelmed. “There’s that much to consider?”

He Jianxue replied, “Of course. The jewelry and gemstone markets are both complex. High-quality pearls are either pre-ordered or require you to pay a premium for mediocre ones.”

Sheng Tingmian recalled the bracelet her sister had bought her last time, it seemed her sister had quite an eye for jewelry and gemstones. So, she linked arms with He Jianxue and pleaded, “Then, could you help me pick one, sis? I’ll pay for it.”

He Jianxue raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s in it for me?”

Sheng Tingmian stared intently at her profile, thinking seriously. “What’s in it for you… What do you want, sis?”

He Jianxue subtly glanced her up and down, her gaze finally lingering on Sheng Tingmian’s lips for a few seconds before shifting away. “Let’s put it on hold for now.”

Sheng Tingmian beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. “Okay, on hold it is. Just let me know when you think of something, and I promise I’ll keep my word.”

…

Three days later, with her postoperative recovery going well, He Jianxue was able to leave her wheelchair behind and took Sheng Tingmian to pick out a pearl necklace.

They arrived at a luxury jewelry store, where the sales assistant brought out over a dozen strands of seawater pearls, including Australian South Sea pearls, Tahitian black pearls, and Akoya pearls.

As the sales assistant enthusiastically introduced the varieties and sizes of the pearls, Sheng Tingmian listened in awe, completely unsure how to distinguish which were the best. To her, every strand looked absolutely beautiful.

She wanted to buy her aunt a pearl necklace of the finest quality.

“Which one do you like?” He Jianxue asked.

Sheng Tingmian carefully examined each strand, taking her time to choose. In the end, she selected one she thought her aunt would like, similar in size to the one she had seen during their last shopping trip.

Too large would look old-fashioned, while too small would be too particular about matching with outfits.

“Sis, what do you think of this one?” Sheng Tingmian leaned closer, asking for her opinion.

He Jianxue took it and rubbed it between her fingers. “This one is nice. You’ve made a good choice.”

In truth, every strand of pearl laid out before them was of the highest quality, perfectly round, with brilliant luster and zero flaws. Aside from differences in size and variety, there was little else to nitpick.

Reassured by the approval, Sheng Tingmian handed the strand to the sales assistant. “I’ll take this one, please wrap it up.”

The sales assistant glanced at He Jianxue and said with a smile, “Ms. Sheng, you have excellent taste. This Australian South Sea pearl is of superior quality, with a radiant sheen. The 10mm size is just right, not too big, not too small, and very versatile. I’ll wrap it up for you.”

Sheng Tingmian felt even more pleased with her choice and took out her credit card. “How much is it? I’ll pay by card.”

The sales assistant beamed. “It’s not expensive, just 28,888.”

Sheng Tingmian thought the price was quite reasonable, even a great value. To get a high-quality Australian South Sea pearl for 28,888, it had to be thanks to her sister’s expertise.

The sales assistant took the credit card and went to the counter to process the payment and package the necklace.

Another sales assistant, seeing the transaction go through, was envious of the commission. But when she noticed the amount entered on the POS machine was 28,888, she was puzzled. “Did you enter the wrong price?”

“You just don’t get it,” the first sales assistant said meaningfully, giving her a sidelong glance. “The remaining hundred thousand or so has already been paid by someone else.”

How could a top-quality Australian South Sea pearl cost only 28,888? The bare pearls alone would cost over 4,000 each.

The other sales assistant immediately understood. In their line of work, it was common for people to bring their lovers or partners to buy pearls. Most preferred the price to be as high as possible to show how much they valued the relationship. But today, one of the customers had quietly paid the bulk of the amount.

Sheng Tingmian remained completely unaware of this. Happily carrying the packaged pearl necklace, she followed her sister back home.

“Sis, are you coming with me to Auntie’s place tomorrow?”

“Do you want me to go?”

“Yes, Auntie will be happy to have you too. You’re our great benefactor.”

“Then I’ll go.”

Sheng Tingmian was even more delighted. “I’ll give Auntie a call and let her know.”