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The woman on the sofa was so skinny that she looked like a puppet when she nodded. Ji Shulan clamped her hands over her mouth, a muffled cry escaping her lips.
For a couple of seconds, Qin Yinong was stunned. Then, she turned around and left without saying a word.
She was dreaming—she must be dreaming—how could this person be her sister?
Qin Yinong staggered out of the door. Nobody chased after her. She wandered aimlessly around the neighbourhood, head tilted towards the sky as tears silently streamed down her face. Even after she returned home, it took her several months to accept reality.
Up until Ningning’s birth, she clinged onto her own version of reality. This is only a long and drawn-out nightmare, she thought, once she wakes up, everything will be okay. Qin Lunong would still be the proud daughter blessed by the heavens. She would still be the dazzling star employee working at the best biological research institute in the world. She would still be working alongside other amazing people on projects that greatly benefitted all of mankind. She would still be receiving and accepting the admiring gazes of the masses.
In the photo on her tombstone, Qin Lunong smiled peacefully, her elegance remaining. She was still the older sister that Qin Yinong had known for years and years.
She forever remained at the age of twenty-nine, resting eternally.
Suddenly, a warm little hand wrapped around Qin Yinong’s index finger. She wiped the corners of her misty eyes and looked down.
Ningning held onto her index finger with red eyes, her little face full of worry. "Mom is crying."
Lifting the corners of her mouth, Qin Yinong said almost inaudibly, "Mom isn’t crying."
"Liar." Ningning pouted, eyes full of tears, and sobbed. "Mom always cries every time she comes here."
Ningning kept what she was thinking in her mind. She wanted to say that if Qin Yinong cried when she came here the next time then she wouldn’t visit first mom anymore, but she knew she couldn't. Once, Ningning had said something bad about first mom. She remembered it very clearly because Qin Yinong’s face had paled and spanked her. Ningning had never been spanked before, so she got very angry and talked back, only to be spanked even harder. Ningning had run to complain to Ji Shulan in tears, but Ji Shulan, who had always doted on her, said nothing and walked away silently. After Ningning had been spanked, Qin Yinong hugged her closely again and coaxed her, telling her that first mom was the most important person to her, so she shouldn’t ever insult her.
After that, Qin Yinong changed her parenting style, only talking about how kind her sister was to her. Since Ningning liked her mother, she grew to like Qin Lunong, just as one grows to love the crow that comes with the house.
“I didn't cry that much." Qin Yinong laughed as the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She raised her hand to wipe Ningning's tear-stained face and said, "Mom is happy. Do you know what crying tears of joy is?"
Ningning shook her head.
Qin Yinong gave her a lesson on idioms in front of the tomb.
The childish language brought some warmth amidst the chill of the wind nipping at their faces. But children do not have much resistance against the cold and it is easier for them to catch a cold if they stay out in the chilly weather for too long. Thus, Qin Yinong held Ningning's freezing little hand, faced her towards the tomb, and said, "Sister, we are going now, I’ll be back to visit you again."
Ningning also said obediently, "Mom, I'm going back, I will study hard and listen to grandma and mom well."
The two stood quietly for a while, bowed, and walked down the steps.
All of a sudden, two clouds in the sky floated by and covered the sun, darkening the ground. A strong wind surged, causing the petals of the birds of paradise and carnations placed in front of the tomb to tremble.
Ningning looked at Qin Yinong curiously.
Qin Yinong said, "It's your first mom talking to you."
Ningning tilted her little head and asked, "What did she say?"
Qin Yinong closed her eyes, listened to the wind, and said seriously, "She said, I heard you, Ningning is such a good girl."
Ningning giggled.
“Then, did first mom talk to you?"
"She did."
"What did she say? Are you also good?"
"She told me to take good care of you and grandma." Qin Yinong turned to look back at the tombstone.
The clouds moved away, and the sun shone on the earth once again, even brighter than before.
Ningning lifted her face and let out a "wow!” She bowed her head, lightly jumped up a step, and said, "You and grandma can take care of each other, but you would still need to take care of yourself."
Qin Yinong lovingly caressed Ningning's head without taking the child's words to heart.
Back home, Ji Shulan and Aunt Fang were watering the flowers in the garden. They stood side by side: Aunt Fang was holding a watering bottle in her hand, and Ji Shulan was chatting and pointing at the flowers while Aunt Fang nodded to whatever she said.
While Qin Yinong drove into her garage, she watched this scene unfold from a distance, feeling something strange in her heart. How do you describe this feeling? When Ningning got out of the car, she ran to the flower garden shouting, "Grandma! Grandma Fang!"
The scene was lively.
Ji Shulan saw Qin Yinong behind her and nodded at her.
Aunt Fang moved and distanced herself from Ji Shulan. "Miss."
Qin Yinong tolerated her response, and said, "Aunt Fang, we have known each other for many years, do you still feel uncomfortable around me?"
Aunt Fang murmured, "No, I’m fine."
Aunt Fang isn’t restrained by others, regardless she still tightens a rope around her own neck.
Qin Yinong was rarely angry. "Aunt Fang——"
Ji Shulan said, "The clothes on the balcony have not been washed yet..."
Aunt Fang said immediately, "I’ll go and wash them."
As Aunt Fang scurried away, Qin Yinong looked at her back and said, "Mom."
Didn’t think that Ji Shulan would deliberately help her out.
Ji Shulan also looked at Aunt Fang, and urged Qin Yinong, "Forget it, she’s already at this age, let her say or do whatever she wants. She’s on your payroll after all, so maybe she’ll become more comfortable later on."
Qin Yinong said, "You obviously pay her, why do you think she treats us like strangers?"
"What's wrong with that? As long as she still acts ladylike on the outside." Ji Shulan said with a faint smile as she touched a tulip that bloomed in front of her eyes.
Qin Yinong was inexplicably stunned.
"Mom, I want to play games." Ningning took her hand.
Qin Yinong snapped back to her senses, and the child dragged her into the house. Before entering the doorway, Qin Yinong looked back at Ji Shulan. Ji Shulan raised the watering can and watered the flowers slowly.
***
The defense was arranged in a multimedia classroom and split into groups. It was almost time. Seniors who were holding their graduation thesis could be seen in every corridor. The nervous atmosphere made the air in the room stuffy.
Among a crowd of nervous graduates, there were always those who were at ease with the crowd, commonly known as academic masters, such as the current 405 dormitory. Except for Cui Jiaren who went to play a drama, the other graduates were called “All-Stars”. It wasn’t bad to have one star in each acting class, but 405 had three, not to mention that there was an actress who had already won a major award. Even though Cui Jiaren, who was engaged in drama, signed with Mandarin Theatre, the National Theatre represented the highest level of acting skills.
The star-studded 405 caused a commotion as soon as they stepped on the stage. Those who knew them from other majors had their own peers in the same discipline next to them. Wen Shuxian, who was enjoying the attention from the ceremony, held her thesis underneath her arm. If she weren’t required to hand it to her teacher afterwards, she wouldn't have bothered bringing it.
Wen Shuxian looked at her watch impatiently for the fifth time and complained, "The group informed us that the defense would start at 8:30 and to arrive at 8 o'clock. It's 8:30 now, what's going on?"
Fu Yujun spread her hands. "Calm down, the official start time is actually at nine o'clock, and it’s getting closer to the start of the defense."
Even Cui Jiaren resisted complaining. “Every minute feels like a waste of time.”
"It's so hot." Wen Shuxian fanned her thesis and stood beside Tang Ruoyao, the moving iceberg.
Tang Ruoyao wore a sleeveless white dress today. Except for the embroideries on her chest, there weren't any pendants. The overall fit was relatively simple and elegant. She wore low-heel sandals with straps, revealing her snow-white, thin ankles. Looking slightly upwards, her delicate calves were well-proportioned and slender.
Wen Shuxian swept her eyes salivatingly and said, "Tang Tang's legs are really amazing. There is no fat on her calves. How did you get it like this? It must feel good to the touch."
The surrounding air suddenly dropped a few degrees.
"And this waist, it's really like a small willow, I really want to hug it." Wen Shuxian swallowed loudly. "This line of sight, what a beauty in this world. This chest, this leg..."
Tang Ruoyao lifted her eyelids and stared at her coldly.
The long silver earrings swayed slightly along with the movement of her head up, and they also glowed coldly.
Wen Shuxian felt that she was quickly brought into a harsh blizzard, a content smile flashed in her eyes. "You’re so cool."
Cui Jiaren whispered, "Tang Tang, your fingers are so long."
Tang Ruoyao: "..."
Wen Shuxian turned her head and cursed, "Shoo shoo, learn from my mistakes and live, don’t you know that you’ll die if you compliment her?"
The two bickered.
Fu Yujun looked helplessly at them.
Tang Ruoyao's expression was flat, her eyelids were half drooping. She turned over the paper booklet, its edges curled up in the corners of her hands. Fu Yujun observed the different types of people in front of her with her full attention, something she often liked to do and was good at.
It was time for the defense and several people in the dormitory were accidentally assigned to the same group.
"Successful graduates!" The four of them folded their hands one after the other and looked at each other. All of them had confident smiles. They suddenly raised their faces and shouted, "Come on!"
Before Fu Yujun and Tang Ruoyao separated, she whispered to Tang Ruoyao, "You haven't seen Huo Yuke?"
Tang Ruoyao was a little surprised that she suddenly asked her this, but still hummed in response.
The four of them entered the same classroom and had to present in a certain order. After entering the classroom, Tang Ruoyao prepped herself by reading the paper over again. She closed her eyes and in her mind, practiced answering the questions that the teacher might ask.
When Tang Ruoyao's name was called from the door, she opened her eyes. Her eyes were clear, and she walked confidently towards the multimedia classroom where her defense teacher was.
The defenses ended one after another. They made an agreement in advance to meet in the lobby on the first floor. Fu Yujun arrived early, followed by Cui Jiaren, and the third to arrive was Tang Ruoyao. After a brief exchange, they knew that everyone had answered the wrong question. Don't worry. They knew that Wen Shuxian was one of the last few, and they waited patiently.
Time kept going by, and none of them expected Wen Shuxian to be late.
Wen Shuxian and Huo Yuke were in the same group, so hopefully there shouldn’t be any conflict, right?
Fu Yujun looked at Cui Jiaren. Cui Jiaren nodded and took out her mobile phone. "Send her a message."
Just after the text was sent, Wen Shuxian came out and appeared in the sight of the three. She walked quickly, her mouth opened and closed, and you knew what kind of words she was saying by looking at her incomparable expression—she was probably cursing the street.
Fu Yujun took the initiative to welcome her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wen Shuxian looked around and said in a low voice, "We’ll talk about it later."
Back in the dormitory, Wen Shuxian closed the door and yelled, "It's Huo Yuke that bitch, this time I won't be named Wen after beating her again!"
Everyone: "……"
Fu Yujun sighed and said, "What demonic act did she commit this time?"
Wen Shuxian looked at Tang Ruoyao: her eyes were suddenly red, and her heart fluctuated violently with anger. She choked up and said, "I just hid in the bathroom after replying. I overheard Huo Yuke talking to her little sister and the representative of this year's outstanding graduates was already appointed by default. It’s Tang Tang."
Tang Ruoyao was taken aback, her eyes sank.
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The author has something to say:
Next, you will see that the 405 bedroom group beat Huo Yuke [not
Don’t go away, it’s more exciting at night~
At the end of the month, pour the nutrient solution, or it will expire (*/ω＼*)
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
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translated by drew, edited by melis