ORCBRB – Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Sang Shi'an pulled an all-nighter on New Year's Eve. By the time Jian Cenyu's family came to visit the next day, it was nearly dusk. Sang Shi'an didn't even have time to put on makeup; she just managed to slip into a decent dress and run downstairs.
As she came down, Madam Ren was giving Jian Cenyu a New Year's red envelope. According to the Sang family tradition, anyone who wasn't married could receive New Year's money. Sure enough, after Sang Shi'an greeted everyone, she also received a thick red envelope from Auntie Luo.
As she sat down next to Jian Cenyu, her hand resting on the red envelope was brushed against, and another red envelope was slipped under it. Jian Cenyu said nonchalantly, "New Year's money."
Sang Shi'an rubbed the still-warm envelope, feeling that even the air in the house was sweet today.
This had long been a habit of Jian Cenyu's, something she had done when Sang Shi'an was a child. Sang Shiyue had once deliberately snatched her red envelope, making her cry and run to her mother, and Jian Cenyu had given her one then. There wasn't much money inside, but it meant a great deal to a child. Just having one more than Sang Shiyue was incredibly satisfying.
In the second and third years that followed, Jian Cenyu continued to give one to Sang Shi'an as well.
"I'm so old now, why are you still doing this?"
"You can receive New Year's money as long as you're not married. Cherish it," Jian Cenyu said with a double entendre, calmly picking up her water glass.
Sang Shi'an's ears turned red. If the elders hadn't been present, she would have retorted with something like "who wants to get married." She huffily stomped on Jian Cenyu's foot. The white lambskin boot dented slightly but left no trace when her slipper moved away.
During dinner, other visitors arrived. Sang Shi'an played the part of a quiet and gentle lady. After three hours of pretending, they finally saw those families off.
Then, using the excuse of having bought sparklers, she dragged Jian Cenyu and Sang Shiyue away. The elders were used to it, knowing Sang Shi'an couldn't sit still. Only Sang Shiyue, who knew the real reason, followed them out and went straight to the garage, planning to drive somewhere to escape and find some peace.
Deep in the garden, Sang Shi'an peeked back towards the villa until the first floor was completely obscured by trees from her vantage point. Then she turned and threw herself at Jian Cenyu, who was holding the sparklers, and burst out laughing.
Sang Shi'an was half-hanging off Jian Cenyu, nuzzling against her ear as she spoke, "Oh no, oh no, my brother's ditched us. He just drove off to fool around somewhere."
"Then what should we do? Should I call him right now and have him come back to play with sparklers with you?" Jian Cenyu patted Sang Shi'an's side, telling her to behave.
The winter plums in the garden were in full, fiery red bloom, shrouded in the thick darkness of the night. Sang Shi'an pulled out two sparklers and said haughtily, "No, I don't play with old men."
Jian Cenyu pinched Sang Shi'an's ear as if scolding a child and took out a lighter to light them for her. Just as the wick caught fire, Jian Cenyu suddenly froze, looking at something behind Sang Shi'an. Her voice deepened, "Don't move—"
Sang Shi'an's heart tightened, immediately suspecting an elder had found them. But since Jian Cenyu told her not to move, she didn't dare. Her breathing grew tighter and heavier, and her heart pounded. "Did—did someone see us?"
Jian Cenyu didn't answer. Just as Sang Shi'an felt she could barely breathe, Jian Cenyu suddenly planted a kiss on her cheek and continued lighting the sparkler as if nothing had happened. "No, there's nothing."
Sang Shi'an: ...
Realizing Jian Cenyu was teasing her, Sang Shi'an speechlessly gave her a push.
"Since when did you develop such a wicked sense of humor?"
Jian Cenyu handed the lit sparkler to Sang Shi'an. "I just suddenly remembered that time I came back to the country during my sophomore year to set off fireworks with you, and you hid in your room for half the day, refusing to come out."
Jian Cenyu's tone was a little resentful. "Later, your mother helped you make an excuse by saying you had a fever, so I didn't get to see you."
Sang Shi'an fell silent.
She seemed to recall something like that. For those four years, she had held a grudge against Jian Cenyu for studying abroad. Whenever Jian Cenyu came to the Sang house, she would find an excuse not to see her, either slipping out the back door to meet friends or pretending to be sick.
Sang Shi'an felt a little embarrassed. "I was in my rebellious phase back then, my brain was probably wired a little differently. Don't hold it against me."
Sang Shi'an couldn't help but think that if she hadn't hidden in her room back then, Jian Cenyu would have seen her blossomed appearance a few years earlier and might have fallen in love with her at first sight...
And she might have developed feelings for Jian Cenyu earlier too...
Sang Shi'an's face slowly turned red.
Seeing her lost in thought, Jian Cenyu narrowed her eyes slightly. "What's wrong?"
I'm wondering if you would have made a move on a minor.
Sang Shi'an wasn't thick-skinned enough to ask that, so she swallowed the words and turned around in the garden with the sparkler, asking Jian Cenyu to take a picture of her.
Jian Cenyu adjusted the phone's lighting. "Move a little to your left, the light from the streetlamp will look better."
Sang Shi'an took a step to her right front.
Jian Cenyu thought Sang Shi'an had understood it as her left, so she raised her hand to point. "An'an, this way."
Her hand was only halfway up when Sang Shi'an grabbed it. The sparkler in her hand fell onto the gravel path. Sang Shi'an pushed Jian Cenyu into a blind spot the streetlamp couldn't reach and pressed her lips against hers. "When I added you with the Kitty account, I think I already had feelings for you."
Jian Cenyu had long guessed Sang Shi'an's thoughts. If Sang Shi'an didn't like someone, she would never have initiated an online romance or worn those cosplay outfits.
But hearing Sang Shi'an admit it herself, Jian Cenyu's breathing uncontrollably quickened. She kept her voice low and asked, "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"Maybe because... I kind of regret that you didn't barge into my room back then and drag me out to see you?"
Sang Shi'an smiled joyfully, as if seeing the regretful Jian Cenyu from years ago leaving in the night. "That way, you could have fallen in love with the reunited me sooner, and I could have started pestering you sooner."
Jian Cenyu pulled Sang Shi'an tightly into her arms and pressed a kiss back onto her lips.
Sang Shi'an parted her lips as well, responding with passion. Their tongues intertwined, teasing every sensitive nerve. The sparkler on the ground sizzled, occasionally sputtering out a few faint sparks.
When the kiss ended, Jian Cenyu's fingers wiped away the trail of moisture at the corner of Sang Shi'an's lips. She tried her best to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Do you want to continue?"
The words "that's not a good idea" were on the tip of Sang Shi'an's tongue, but they magically transformed into, "Let's."
Jian Cenyu led her back to the villa. Madam Ren saw them return first and called out, "An'an, Cenyu, you're done with the fireworks already? By the way, An'an, where's your brother?"
"Brother had something to take care of and went out. Cenyu Jiejie just got a call she needs to handle. Mom, I'll help Cenyu Jiejie find some documents," Sang Shi'an lied without batting an eye.
Jian Zhihuan, who was in the middle of a chess game, heard this and called out to Jian Cenyu, "Cenyu, it's the New Year. Don't make a student like An'an work with you."
Sang Shi'an had finally come up with an excuse to be alone, so she immediately raised her voice, "Uncle Jian, I want to learn more from Cenyu Jiejie."
Sang Chengji, who was playing chess, smiled and placed a piece. "It's rare for this girl to put aside her playful nature. As long as Cenyu doesn't mind her being clumsy, it's fine."
Sang Shi'an shouted, "Dad! I can hear you!"
Just as the elders were about to start teasing her again, Sang Shi'an grabbed Jian Cenyu and quickly went upstairs.
The door closed and locked automatically.
"Oh no, oh no, my heart is beating so fast." Sang Shi'an panted a couple of times and deliberately pulled Jian Cenyu's hand to her chest. "Here, feel it for me."
Jian Cenyu was pressed against the wall by Sang Shi'an and couldn't help but smile. "If we get caught, all my impression points will be deducted."
Sang Shi'an said righteously, "I'd lose all my points with your parents too, and you're an only child."
Jian Cenyu bit Sang Shi'an's lip and asked, "So, are we still kissing?"
Sang Shi'an pressed closer. "Yes!"
Of course, they were!
Fervent lips pressed against hers, passionately parting Jian Cenyu's. It was completely different from the careful and restrained kiss in the garden. They only paused for a moment after stealing all the air from each other's mouths before pressing back together to continue.
Finally, Sang Shi'an's tongue was numb from kissing, and her breathing was ragged and intermittent. Only then did the long kiss end. Jian Cenyu held Sang Shi'an in her arms, and they shared a quiet, warm moment for a long time.
Sang Shi'an loved moments like this. Jian Cenyu hadn't understood before, but after Sang Shi'an had pointed it out last time, she now subconsciously made a point to do it.
When Sang Shi'an had had enough of hugging and caught her breath, she gave Jian Cenyu a small push. "Weren't you supposed to be working? I'll go get your laptop."
In fact, the work excuse wasn't completely made up. In a few days, Jian Cenyu had to go on social visits, and some materials needed to be organized accordingly.
Jian Cenyu held Sang Shi'an back, her gaze deep. She moved her lips.
As if guessing what Jian Cenyu was about to say, Sang Shi'an quickly covered her mouth. "I know you like me, don't say it, don't say it!"
If Jian Cenyu said one more sweet nothing, she wouldn't be able to resist fooling around with her!
Jian Cenyu took Sang Shi'an's hand and kissed her palm. "Alright, go get the laptop."
Sang Shi'an went into the study of her bedroom suite, opened the window to let the wind blow on her for a few seconds to calm down, then grabbed the laptop and returned.
The day before the end of the Spring Festival holiday, Sang Shi'an moved back to her place in Zuo'an. The winter break at Yanjing University was longer than the summer break, so there was still a month before school started. Sang Shi'an had chosen a fully furnished apartment she had bought long ago near Jian Corporation. She hired a cleaning service for the afternoon, and by nine in the evening, it was finally clean.
Although Sang Shi'an hadn't done much work herself, supervising was also tiring. She collapsed onto the sofa, listlessly scrolling through food delivery apps, finding nothing appealing.
Just as she finally settled on some Peking duck, a video call from Su Ningyue came through.
"I'm not going out today, so don't ask me to dinner."
"I'm in Yuncheng. I'm just calling to check on your physical and mental well-being, to see if your internship has worked you to the bone," Su Ningyue said. She was also alone, and the background looked like a hotel room.
It was originally just a joke, but after seeing Sang Shi'an's listless expression, Su Ningyue let out an exaggerated "Ah!" "No way, Senior Jian is actually willing to work you to the bone?"
"No, I found a new apartment and had someone come clean it today. If I didn't watch them, they'd treat me like a Japanese client—it was dirtier after they wiped it than before." Sang Shi'an sighed deeply. "I shouldn't have mentioned moving to Jian Cenyu."
Su Ningyue was bored out of her mind and urged Sang Shi'an to give her a tour of the new apartment. It was over two hundred square meters but had five bedrooms, a headache-inducing layout.
After the tour, Su Ningyue couldn't stop laughing. "This is meant for a family with many children and grandchildren. You have so many properties, why did you pick this one?"
"I only filtered by location and size. How was I supposed to know it was all bedrooms?" Sang Shi'an flopped back onto the sofa. "Stop laughing. If you laugh again, our friendship is over."
"Alright, alright, I won't talk about your apartment. How's your internship going?"
"It's okay, just pretty tiring, similar to my competition a while back."
"Speaking of competitions, I remember your GPA is pretty high in all aspects, right? Even your club and social activities section is full." Su Ningyue winked at her. "Have you considered being an exchange student or studying abroad for your master's?"
"Why, are you interested?" Sang Shi'an asked casually.
"Yeah," Su Ningyue said. "But I want to switch majors, so I'd have to take the exams myself, just like Senior Jian did for Yanjing University."
Sang Shi'an was taken aback. Su Ningyue laughed again. "Okay, I'm kidding. The only reason I got into Yanjing University was because my sister spent a ton of money. I had multiple tutors for each subject just to squeeze out these scores. Do I look like someone who's willing to study on her own? I just saw Harvard on the list of schools my sister gave me. Didn't your brother study there? I thought your family might require you to go too. An exchange program is faster than a master's degree, right?"
"I might not even get in. Since there are good spots this year, everyone will be eyeing them." Sang Shi'an changed the subject, asking about Su Ningyue instead. "What about you? How was your New Year?"
"It was great. My sister's biological sister is obsessed with her lab. Those relatives of the Su family who love to stir up trouble talked until their lips were raw, but she acted like she didn't understand and asked them to repeat themselves. You have no idea how hilarious the scene was."
Su Ningyue vividly described the scene. "As for me, I just have to cry to my sister in bed, and I get whatever I want. No need to worry."
Sang Shi'an: ...There was no need for that much detail.
"I just got two tickets for a concert on February twenty-seventh. Interested?"
It was a veteran group that had been popular since Sang Shi'an was a child and was still going strong in the music industry.
Sang Shi'an was surprised. "You actually managed to get them? I saw online that tickets are impossible to find."
This wasn't difficult for Su Ningyue. The Su family had extensive connections in the entertainment industry. "My sister got them, internal tickets. You in?"
Sang Shi'an immediately agreed. "Yes, yes! Just remind me the day before."
Jian Cenyu didn't get back until almost one in the morning. Sang Shi'an couldn't reach her by phone, and when she tried Secretary Gu, she didn't seem to be in a convenient place to answer either. She could only send Secretary Gu a message on WeChat to ask.
Secretary Gu replied a few minutes later, saying they were still at a dinner party.
Sang Shi'an could only wait in the living room, worried that Secretary Gu might take Jian Cenyu to the Jian family home or the Zuo'an Community near Yanjing University.
When the door finally opened, Sang Shi'an immediately stood up, only to be met with a Jian Cenyu who reeked of alcohol and was barely conscious.
It was the first time Sang Shi'an had ever seen Jian Cenyu in such a state. She quickly took her from Secretary Gu and felt her face; it was burning hot.
"How did you drink this much? Didn't you say it was just a simple dinner?"
When Secretary Gu received Sang Shi'an's WeChat message, she had found it odd. Sang Shi'an was just an intern and the young lady of the Sang family. It was late at night and not working hours, yet she had specifically messaged to ask about Jian Cenyu.
It wasn't until she saw Sang Shi'an in the apartment.
Recalling the distant yet unusually close atmosphere between the two at the company, she began to have some suspicions.
When she spoke, she deliberately explained on Jian Cenyu's behalf first. "The dinner was at a place chosen by Director Wang, which is quite far from here, so we spent a lot of time on the road. Junior CEO Jian didn't go to any shady places."
Sang Shi'an was fine with that. Some of her own childhood friends went to those kinds of places for gatherings, but not everyone went there to act like an animal in heat.
If Jian Cenyu had gone, it would have been like a monk entering a den of demons—and a group of male demons who didn't even match Jian Cenyu's sexual orientation. What was there to fuss about?
"She got like this just from dinner?" After helping Jian Cenyu to the sofa, Sang Shi'an poured her a glass of warm water and gave one to Secretary Gu as well.
The people at the dinner tonight had intentionally made things difficult. Secretary Gu hadn't been allowed to drink on her behalf, let alone drink a soft drink as an assistant. She had been thirsty for hours and downed the glass of water in one go before angrily explaining the reason.
"There was another pharmaceutical company at the dinner, one also participating in the drug reform project. They have some connection to Director Wang, but due to requirements from higher-ups, that company didn't get the lead position. So they deliberately chose today to cause trouble. As soon as we sat down, she was forced to drink a whole bottle of Maotai. Later, she barely ate a few bites of food before being forced to drink several glasses of red wine in a row. They were targeting Junior CEO Jian."
Sang Shi'an had just managed to get half a glass of water into Jian Cenyu. She was so incredulous she was almost speechless. "What?"
She quickly helped Jian Cenyu up. "Do me a favor, help me get her to the hospital right away. She might need to have her stomach pumped."
"It was Junior CEO Jian who instructed me to bring her here when the dinner ended. I saw that her complexion was still manageable, so I brought her over." This was the first time Secretary Gu had encountered such a situation since she started her job. Seeing Jian Cenyu unconscious, she realized she had been careless and quickly helped Sang Shi'an support her.
On the way to the hospital, Sang Shi'an was incredibly grateful that she was driving Jian Cenyu's Porsche today. Otherwise, those flashy two-seaters of hers wouldn't have been able to fit Secretary Gu.
Every time she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Jian Cenyu in the back seat, Sang Shi'an's anger flared. "Wasn't the matter with the business association already decided? The project was also assigned from above. If that Director Wang wasn't happy, why didn't he raise an objection back then?"
Secretary Gu explained, "Director Wang isn't the one who formulates the drug reform project; he doesn't have that authority. But these projects more or less have to pass through his hands. Junior CEO Jian said we can't make enemies."
That Director Wang was probably just helping someone vent. Given his authority, it was limited to this one time, and they had to endure it no matter what.
"No wonder she told me to hire a housekeeping service to clean the apartment today. If I had gone with her..." Sang Shi'an gripped the steering wheel, suddenly realizing that even if she had gone, she would have been useless.
That wasn't Jian Zhenyang; she couldn't just smash a wine bottle over someone's head on a whim. If she had gone, she would have been a background character just like Secretary Gu, and it would have made things even more difficult for Jian Cenyu.
Sang Shi'an said in a hoarse voice, "When we get to the hospital, please take a taxi home yourself. And as for what you just told me, just pretend you never said it."
Secretary Gu nodded. "Don't worry, Miss Sang. If Junior CEO Jian asks, I'll say I left after dropping her off."
Sang Shi'an took Jian Cenyu to a private hospital under Jian Corporation and made a special call to Jian Zhihuan, first to ask him to make arrangements, and second, to prevent news of Jian Cenyu's hospitalization from spreading.
Jian Zhihuan quickly gave instructions and asked Sang Shi'an to help take care of her for the night. Sang Shi'an had naturally planned to do so. Jian Cenyu's mother was not in good health and was still in the country, so it wasn't appropriate for Jian Zhihuan to come out late at night.
Just as Jian Cenyu was being lifted onto a stretcher, Jian Cenyu, who had been unresponsive the whole time, suddenly grabbed Sang Shi'an's wrist. The grip was light and quickly slipped away.
Sang Shi'an quickly caught Jian Cenyu's hand and explained the situation. "This is your family's hospital. You're going in to have your stomach pumped now. Do you need me to go with you?"
Jian Cenyu shook her head, gave Sang Shi'an's palm a reassuring scratch, and let go.
By the time Jian Cenyu's vital signs stabilized, it was already 3:30 in the morning.
In the VIP room, Jian Cenyu was wearing sterilized loungewear and sitting up against the bed. Her face was still pale. She half-raised her arm towards Sang Shi'an. "An'an, give me a hug."
Sang Shi'an's gaze fell on Jian Cenyu's face. She bit her lip, and before she could lose her composure, she carefully wrapped her arms around Jian Cenyu. "You scared me to death."
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Jian Cenyu leaned weakly against Sang Shi'an's shoulder. Having her stomach pumped was extremely draining, and her voice barely carried any warmth when she spoke.
Sang Shi'an remembered how just this afternoon, Jian Cenyu had been like a peacock showing off its feathers, asking her to help pick out a decent outfit. Now, she looked so fragile that a single finger could crush her. Her eyes stung even more.
But Jian Cenyu didn't want her to know about this, so Sang Shi'an could only pretend she didn't know and teased her as usual, "Your alcohol tolerance is way too low. How could you get like this just from a meal?"
Even though Sang Shi'an's own tolerance wasn't great, Jian Cenyu didn't expose her. She leaned against Sang Shi'an and chuckled softly. "It is a bit low. Will Teacher Sang teach me next time?"
Sang Shi'an wanted to laugh but couldn't. She just held Jian Cenyu tighter in silence. "Tomorrow is the first day back at work after the holiday. Should I ask for a day off for you?"
"No need." Jian Cenyu hadn't recovered yet, and she spoke very slowly. "It's not good to take the first day off. I just have to sit and listen to reports, it's no big deal."
Sang Shi'an knew she couldn't persuade her, so she had to compromise. "Then I'll go with you."
Jian Cenyu nodded. Then she heard Sang Shi'an say, "I just contacted Uncle Jian. Even if there's something you need to handle, I think he'll help..."
Jian Cenyu's fingertip pressed against Sang Shi'an's lips. "I'm a little tired."
Sang Shi'an started to panic again, holding Jian Cenyu, not knowing what to do. "...Then I'll help you lie down to sleep, okay?"
Jian Cenyu didn't speak, just pointed to her own lips. Sang Shi'an's gaze darted away. "That's not a good idea, is it? You should get a good night's sleep. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
"Just be gentle."
These words were coming from the Jian Cenyu who usually told her she 'couldn't be gentle'. Sang Shi'an's reason gave way to emotion, and she leaned in to kiss her.
The movement was very light. It was less like kissing Jian Cenyu and more like licking her, like a kitten, over and over again, helping her lie down as she kissed her.
When she noticed Jian Cenyu's breathing becoming slow and even, Sang Shi'an stopped. She watched Jian Cenyu's sleeping face by the bed for a long, long time and whispered, "Good night."
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