ORCBRB – Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Once Sang Shi'an calmed down and thought about it, she realized there had been signs all along.
Jian Cenyu had said it was love at first sight the night they first met again.
Jian Cenyu clearly liked Kitty; it wasn't just about being lonely and looking for someone to chat with, as she had claimed at the time.
But Jian Cenyu had also said that after discovering Kitty was her, she had never confused the two.
At the time, her love-addled brain had been completely overwhelmed. She was ecstatic just hearing that Jian Cenyu didn't confuse her with Kitty and never considered the deeper meaning behind Jian Cenyu's words.
As the heir to the Jian family, the chances of Jian Cenyu indulging in an online romance with a stranger were minuscule. The only explanation was that Jian Cenyu had guessed Kitty was her from the very beginning.
All the students and professors at Yanjing University contacted Jian Cenyu through another WeChat account. Only she had Jian Cenyu's personal WeChat ID.
So, the moment she added Jian Cenyu as a friend under the guise of 'Professor Xu,' Jian Cenyu had already guessed it was her.
And she didn't expose her.
She even made her pull down her clothes to see her chest and do all those shameful things.
Later, she even coaxed her into changing into one outfit after another and saying one shameful thing after another.
While she was smugly thinking she had seduced Jian Cenyu, Jian Cenyu had seen right through her and made her lower her boundaries time and time again.
The more Sang Shi'an thought about it, the more her anger flared. Not only had Jian Cenyu played her for two months, but she had also developed feelings for Jian Cenyu before the truth came out, and now they were even in a relationship.
Su Ningyue looked at Sang Shi'an with concern and tried to comfort her. “It's actually quite normal to have two WeChat accounts. Senior Jian isn't the type to cheat on you behind your back. Your family members probably all have the account you know, right?”
That was indeed true, which was why Sang Shi'an had never considered the possibility of another WeChat account.
“I'm not angry. I just suddenly remembered a question on this afternoon's exam. I think I miscalculated it.”
Su Ningyue had already had several drinks, and her mind was working slower than usual. She didn't doubt Sang Shi'an's words. “Ah, can you top students still do math problems while you're out drinking? Was it worth a lot of points?”
“Not many.” Sang Shi'an said through gritted teeth, “What's lost is lost.”
Su Ningyue felt that Sang Shi'an's words had a hidden meaning, and she looked like she could eat someone alive.
To avoid becoming collateral damage, she scooted a little to the side.
On the other side, the birthday girl, a senior, finally found a chance to confess to her crush, and everyone at the table was watching them. Sang Shi'an opened a bottle of alcohol, fiercely downed two glasses, then excused herself to go to the restroom, phone in hand as she walked out.
After Jian Cenyu hung up the voice call from that senior, she immediately called Sang Shi'an back twice and sent a few lines of text.
[Something came up just now. I'm almost home. Do you want me to bring some snacks back for you?]
[The snack shop has those capybara-shaped lollipops you like. I bought ten for you.]
[I'm home now. Are you out?]
If Sang Shi'an hadn't known about the WeChat account, she would have immediately hailed a taxi and rushed home to see Jian Cenyu as fast as she could.
But now…
Sang Shi'an exited WeChat and called Jian Cenyu directly.
Jian Cenyu answered quickly, her voice on the other end as gentle as ever. “An'an?”
Sang Shi'an didn't waste a second and got straight to the point. “Do you have another WeChat account?”
There was a two-second silence on Jian Cenyu's end before she said, “Yes.”
Even though she already knew the answer, Sang Shi'an's hand tightened. “The one registered with Professor Xu is that account, and the other students at Yanjing University also added that one.”
She took a deep breath. “The one I added, the one only I have, is a WeChat you registered years ago, isn't it?”
The other end of the line was silent, which felt like a tacit admission.
The warm air blowing on her felt like a cold wind. Sang Shi'an's hands were trembling as she asked, word by word, “Isn't it?”
After a long moment, Jian Cenyu's voice finally came through. “Yes.”
Sang Shi'an took two steps back, her hand reaching for the wall, only to slide down weakly. She squatted in the corner, heedless of her appearance.
“So you knew Kitty was me from the very beginning? Right?”
“Yes.”
Sang Shi'an hung up the phone.
“Sangsang?” When Sang Shi'an went back to get her bag, Su Ningyue, who was nearby, was startled by her pale face and quickly pulled her down to sit. “Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell from the alcohol?”
Sang Shi'an shook her head silently and put her turned-off phone into her bag.
“Don't try to act tough. Is it your stomach or something else?” Su Ningyue slowly noticed that Sang Shi'an was trembling, and her hands were growing cold.
If this was a physical reaction from being unwell, she needed to go to the hospital immediately. “Don't scare me, Sangsang. Should I call a car and take you to the hospital?”
She hesitated. “Or should I call an ambulance for you?”
Sang Shi'an was amused by her, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. Just as she tried to curve her lips, she thought of the 'Kitty' incident again.
She no longer wanted to smile.
It was too humiliating.
Being played for a fool, and even throwing herself at the person to start a relationship.
“I'm really fine, it's just…” Sang Shi'an thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a suitable explanation. Her lips, already pale beneath her lipstick, moved as she said weakly, “My stomach was a bit upset, but it's better now. I'm going to head home first.”
Su Ningyue insisted on taking her, but Sang Shi'an stood up, spun around, and repeatedly assured her that she was no longer in pain, finally dissuading her.
Right now, she just wanted to go outside, feel the cold wind, and find a nearby hotel to sleep in.
As Sang Shi'an was leaving, the phone of He Feng, the guy who had called Jian Cenyu, lit up. He Feng's half-drunk mind suddenly sobered up. Before he could even finish saying 'Holy crap,' he took his phone to a quieter spot. “Jian Cenyu?”
The voice on the other end was still very cold. “Where are you guys hanging out?”
He Feng had thought he'd really hit the jackpot with love. He answered Jian Cenyu's questions without hesitation, giving her everything from the bar's name to the street, and even detailed the subway and taxi routes from Yanjing University.
Just as he finished and was about to ask if Jian Cenyu wanted him to pick her up, he realized she had already hung up.
He stared at the dark screen, baffled.
A friend came up from behind and slung an arm over his shoulder. “Hey, which girl are you secretly reporting to? You actually have a curfew? Who would've thought?”
He Feng rubbed his nose. “Reporting what? You know I'm single.”
The guy patted his shoulder and pushed him back toward the party. “Boring. Let's just keep drinking then. We're not going home until we're drunk tonight.”
Sang Shi'an walked out of the bar into a biting cold wind. Yancheng wasn't like Australia; January was the coldest time of the year.
At eleven at night, the streets were still bustling, especially the late-night food stalls. She watched groups of people walk past, laughing and talking, her gaze empty and weary.
She thought to herself that love, this torturous thing, was truly something one shouldn't touch.
She had been happy for so many days. As expected, love was now revealing its true face to punish her.
She had considered the difficulties of being with Jian Cenyu, which were mainly due to the social environment where same-sex marriage was not legal. But that was still a distant issue for them.
Before coming out to their families, they could still have many happy years of dating.
The one thing she had never imagined was that this romance would end like this.
However, she had initially pretended to be Kitty to stop Jian Cenyu from entering a sham marriage. Her motives weren't pure, and neither were Jian Cenyu's. It was only normal that their relationship couldn't last.
“Miss, miss, would you like to buy some flowers? They just arrived today and will last for many days at home.” A little girl selling flowers on the street stopped her.
Sang Shi'an looked at the large basket of red roses in the little girl's arms and found it even more ironic.
But she still scanned the code and paid enough to buy all the flowers, then continued walking.
The little girl ran after her. “Miss, you paid too much! And here are your flowers.”
Sang Shi'an shook her head. “They're all for you.”
The little girl looked at her strangely. “I can't do that. If you bought them, they're yours—”
“I'm heartbroken,” Sang Shi'an interrupted. “Please, I'm begging you, don't talk to me.”
The little girl saw the sadness on Sang Shi'an's face and froze, not daring to follow her anymore.
She looked at the roses in her basket and, for the first time, didn't find them so beautiful. She decided to place the flowers by a planter, hoping they might attract the attention of passersby and serve some final purpose.
Just as she bent down, another young hand grabbed the basket. “How much are these flowers? I'll buy them all.”
The little girl looked up and saw another very beautiful woman. She said happily, “They're free. A lady just paid for them but didn't take them, telling me to do whatever I want with them. Since you like them, miss, you can have them.”
Jian Cenyu, still catching her breath from running, pointed at Sang Shi'an's retreating figure. “Was it that lady?”
The little girl replied, “Yes. She said she was heartbroken, so she didn't want them.”
Jian Cenyu's heart sank. She quickly scanned the QR code on the little girl's chest with her phone, transferred a thousand yuan, then picked up the flower basket and chased after Sang Shi'an.
The little girl was completely stunned. “Am I dreaming?”
Perhaps it was because of that basket of fiery red roses, but after leaving the little girl, Sang Shi'an's heart grew even more restless.
The sound of high heels grew clearer behind her.
Click, clack, click.
It wasn't a sound the little girl's sneakers could make.
Sang Shi'an's breath hitched, and the sense of unease in her heart grew stronger.
Her pace quickened, her body on high alert, just like the first time she'd walked home at night after encountering an obsessive admirer at school.
They were getting closer and closer in her direction.
Sang Shi'an's scalp tingled. Although it was most likely a stranger she didn't know, at this moment, she had a strange feeling that the person behind her was… was…
The feeling was so jarring that she started running out of reflex.
The footsteps behind her also sped up.
Until a voice called out, “An'an.”
Sang Shi'an froze completely. In disbelief, she turned her head to look and saw that it really was Jian Cenyu.
Jian Cenyu had finally caught her.
Jian Cenyu's hands were cold, her usually neat collar was slightly askew, and she was panting.
“You forgot the little girl's flower basket. She asked me to give it to you.” Jian Cenyu clearly knew that she had already found out the truth about the Kitty account.
To have caught up so quickly, she must have guessed the reason for her anger.
But Jian Cenyu didn't confront her immediately. Instead, she spoke in her usual gentle tone, with a familiar hint of intimacy.
As if she had really just forgotten something she'd bought, and Jian Cenyu was laughing at her for being forgetful.
But this only served to infuriate Sang Shi'an.
It was precisely because of Jian Cenyu's all-encompassing gentleness and extreme thoughtfulness that she had fallen so deeply and unreservedly.
Sang Shi'an's throat tightened. She didn't reach for the flower basket.
She stood frozen in place, and Jian Cenyu said nothing more, but her grip on Sang Shi'an's hand was tight, firm, preventing her from escaping.
To an onlooker, it must have been a beautiful scene: fresh, vibrant roses and a stunningly beautiful woman.
But Sang Shi'an felt the blood in her veins turn to ice. She finally raised her gaze to meet Jian Cenyu's.
Under Jian Cenyu's tense gaze, Sang Shi'an asked coldly, “Did the little girl not tell you the reason I didn't want the flowers?”
Jian Cenyu's pupils constricted.
Sang Shi'an caught it sharply. Suddenly, she found it much easier to say certain things.
She thought, Jian Cenyu deceived me, so I have to be the one to break up with her first. Otherwise, it would be too pathetic.
Sang Shi'an smiled, a malicious yet brilliant smile. The corners of her eyes lifted into a slight curve, her beauty breathtakingly vivid.
She said, “I told her I'm heartbroken.”
“Or to put it another way, Jian Cenyu, you've been dumped.”
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment