Chapter 12: Remember To Find A Man Who Is Both Good-Looking And Useful

In the parking lot, as soon as Jiang Tang saw the car Jiang Se had chosen, her brows furrowed.

“Is this the car dad picked for you?”

“No, I picked it myself.”

Jiang Tang looked at her incredulously: “Your taste is as bad as Dad’s. It’s hard to explain.”

Jiang Se seemed amused by Jiang Tang’s expression and smiled, pressing her lips together: “Isn’t it cute?”

“…”

The two of them got into the car. As Jiang Tang fastened her seatbelt, she asked, “Aren’t you going to ask anything?”

Jiang Se slowly turned the steering wheel. “Ask what?”

“About me and Cao Xun.”

“There’s nothing to ask. He’s just an irresponsible scumbag. He’s not worth wasting our time on.” Jiang Se turned her head to look at her. “I just want to know, will he or his fiancée cause you any trouble?”

“They won’t.” Jiang Tang smiled. “It was Jian Ruyi who made me see Cao Xun’s true nature. No matter what her intentions were, I’m grateful to her. The agency I’m signed with now is under the Jian family, and I signed a five-year contract.”

She handed over her future to Jian Ruyi, just to make it clear: she, Jiang Tang, would never have anything to do with that man, Cao Xun.

Jiang Se nodded, not continuing the topic, but curiously asked, “How did you find out about Cao Liang? Xiao Ye even told me not to tell you.”

Jiang Tang chuckled lightly: “He exposed himself so obviously. How could he hide it from me?”

The car drove into the financial district, and the neon lights reflected off the car window, retreating inch by inch.

Jiang Se stopped the car at a red light.

“Just because Xiao Ye didn’t video call you, you guessed he was in trouble?”

Jiang Tang made a sound of agreement: “You know Xiao Ye’s style. He’s afraid I’ll be bullied if I join the crew, so every Friday he makes me video call him. But starting last week, for two weeks straight, he switched our video calls to voice calls.”

Xiao Ye must have gotten hurt, so of course, he didn’t dare video call Jiang Tang.

“I had to ask Huang Xu in the morning to find out about Xiao Ye and Cao Liang,” Jiang Tang said. “I had someone look into Cao Xun’s schedule, and as soon as I got off the plane, I came straight to find him. Don’t worry, Cao Xun has promised he won’t let Cao Liang cause trouble for Xiao Ye. He’s a scumbag, but when he agrees to something, he rarely goes back on his word.”

As the traffic light turned green, Jiang Se started the car and, as she checked the rearview mirror, subtly glanced at Jiang Tang.

Her face remained calm, and when she spoke of Cao Xun, there was neither sadness nor joy in her voice. Her emotions were almost flat, showing that she had truly let go.

Cao Xun was still lingering in his feelings, enough so that he would drop everything to meet her after one phone call from Jiang Tang.

What worried Jiang Se was that Jiang Tang might mistake this lingering affection for deep love.

Jiang Se had seen too many girls who became moths to the flame with these rich young men, their hearts turned to ashes, yet still waiting for the day when the ashes might revive.

Fortunately, Jiang Tang seemed to have a clear head.

Just as she was thinking, Jiang Tang suddenly called, “Se Se.”

“Mm?”

“From now on, if anything happens, don’t go looking for your friends in Beicheng.” Jiang Tang’s gaze drifted to the window, her almond-shaped eyes illuminated by the passing neon lights, “Xiao Ye said you really don’t like them, so don’t force yourself. Those people are all a mess.”

The director of the crew was from a prestigious family in Beicheng and knew a little about the Cen family’s situation.

Jiang Tang understood Jiang Se’s circumstances.

The Cen family had completely ignored her, and the Fu family had broken off the engagement.

The rich second-generation men, who had once been unable to reach the Cen family and had shown interest in Jiang Se, even placed a bet on who could be the first to get her into bed.

Those who had once surrounded her like stars around the moon, once they fell from grace, became the playthings in the mouths of others.

Jiang Tang understood all too well how painful it was to be treated as a mere plaything.

“Before you came back, Mom and Dad specially held a family meeting and told Xiao Ye and me that you’re a precious treasure the Jiang family has regained, and none of us can let you suffer any grievances,” Jiang Tang said. “We can’t, and those outsiders certainly can’t either.”

Jiang Se’s hand on the steering wheel paused for a moment.

She stared at the blurred night outside the windshield, fell silent for a while, then smiled and nodded. “I understand. I won’t let myself be wronged.”

Jiang Tang withdrew her gaze from the window and turned to look at her, suddenly changing the subject. “Are you still having trouble sleeping? The sleeping pills you took that night, I’ve taken them before. They’re for severe insomnia.”

Jiang Se pressed her lips together and, after considering for a couple of seconds, said, “I only take them occasionally.”

Jiang Tang nodded. “That’s good. Severe insomnia is often caused by psychological issues. If it really gets bad, you should see a psychologist.”

Jiang Se answered obediently, “Okay.”

---

After dropping Jiang Tang off at Liyuan Street, Jiang Se returned to her apartment, and it was almost eleven o’clock.

After taking a shower, she came out to find her phone flooded with WeChat notifications.

These messages were from a few hours ago.

Aunt: [Dr. Gina says you haven’t contacted her in two months, and you won’t even answer her office calls. What’s going on? Have you changed your name and decided not to treat your illness anymore?]

Aunt: [Stop playing dead. I’ll be back in the country at the end of the year. Don’t make me skin you alive. Reply to Dr. Gina’s message, quick.]

Aunt: [….]

Aunt: [You little brat, just wait!]

Jiang Se read each message one by one, and she could feel her aunt’s anger even through the screen.

Her aunt, Cen Mingshu, had “Shu” in her name, but her character had nothing to do with being virtuous or gentle.

According to Cen Li, Jiang Se’s aunt was a rare freak in the Cen family, someone they still didn’t like to talk about to this day.

Cen Mingshu lived as she pleased, spending her life in a perpetual state of rebellion.

When she was younger, Jiang Se greatly admired her aunt.

Now, she still admired her, but without the blood ties, she wasn’t sure if Cen Mingshu still considered her a niece.

Looking at the messages on her phone, clearly filled with emotion, Jiang Se smiled.

It was obvious that Cen Mingshu did recognize her.

She replied succinctly: “Too expensive, no money.”

It was around noon in the U.S. at this time, and Cen Mingshu, who was used to being nocturnal, was probably already asleep.

After sending the message, Jiang Se locked her phone and went to bed.

She didn’t take any medicine and just lay down on the bed. Within half an hour, she had fallen asleep.

In her dream, the endless darkness was still present, the narrow corridor, and the hot, damp wind rushing in from all directions. Fireworks exploded in the night sky, but the light couldn’t penetrate.

The choking smell of smoke filled the darkness, followed by the scent of blood, and finally, a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance of incense.

All the scents mixed together, weighed down by the damp air, pressing in so heavily that it felt like suffocation.

Jiang Se woke up in the suffocating, sticky heaviness of the air.

It was pitch black inside and outside the room. She grabbed her phone and saw that it was only five in the morning.

On her phone, Cen Mingshu had replied, with a rather unusual tone: “On credit.”

Aunt: “I’ll vouch for you, Gina will definitely agree.”

The term “on credit” was very much in line with Cen Mingshu’s style.

Jiang Se exited the conversation box, deciding not to follow her aunt’s suggestion.

She still had money in her account, and it wasn’t yet at the point where she needed to go into debt to see a doctor.

During the five years she spent working at Hongsheng, her salary and bonuses had never been reclaimed by the Cen family. All in all, she had several million saved up.

She had invested all the money in stock accounts.

In the month since arriving in Tongcheng, the stocks and options she bought previously had already earned her some pocket money.

The reason she said she didn’t have money to see a doctor was just an excuse.

She was very clear: Dr. Gina couldn’t cure her illness.

She had never gone to Dr. Gina for treatment in the first place.

---

Jiang Tang’s shooting would take another two months to wrap up. After resting for two days in Tongcheng, she flew back to the set to work hard again.

On Thursday afternoon, after dropping someone off, Jiang Se received a call from He Miao on the way back from the airport.

“Miss Jiang, the qipao you custom-ordered is finished. Will you be coming today?” He Miao’s voice was sweet. “Master is here too. Didn’t you really want a unique floral pattern made just for you? It would be perfect for you to come and discuss it with Master!”

Jiang Se glanced at the endless flow of cars ahead, her heart uncontrollably pounding in her chest. She took a light, calming breath, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal before responding with a smile: “Alright, I’ll come over now.”

After ending the call, Jiang Se turned the steering wheel and headed towards Jinxiu Alley.

This old street was just like last time—cold and quiet, with few people around.

The “Zhang Xiu” shop was still without any customers.

When Jiang Se arrived, He Miao was organizing the fabric shelves. Upon spotting her, she quickly greeted, “Good afternoon, Miss Jiang.”

He Miao smiled brightly and lifted one side of the curtain, calling out, “Master, someone’s here.”

As soon as she said that, a woman in a qipao, around thirty years old, with a beautiful face and slender figure, stepped out from behind the curtain.

The woman had long, jet-black, smooth hair, the ends of which reached her waist. As she walked, her hair swayed gently with her movements.

This woman was He Miao’s master and also the owner of the tailoring shop—Zhang Yue.

When Zhang Yue stepped out, she was holding a heavy wooden frame, with the qipao Jiang Se had custom-ordered hanging on it.

The qipao was made of off-white cotton fabric, with an embroidered ink painting of a magpie perched on a branch. The scene conveyed a profound, timeless feeling.

Jiang Se calmly observed the magpie, its dark, ink-black eyes slowly becoming more immersed in the ink on top, making them appear even deeper.

“Try it on and see if it fits,” Zhang Yue’s voice matched the cold, distant aura she gave off.

Her gaze briefly passed over Jiang Se’s delicate face with a hint of bitterness, and Jiang Se stepped forward to take the wooden frame.

“Thank you.”

The shop had a fitting room, and after Jiang Se went in to change and came out, He Miao, who was looking down at her phone, raised her eyes and was visibly stunned.

“Wow, Miss Jiang, you look amazing in that qipao!”

The first time He Miao had seen Jiang Se, she was stunned by her face.

But this time, she was astonished by Jiang Se’s figure.

Curvaceous, well-proportioned, graceful and elegant.

It was the most beautiful and best-suited body for a qipao that He Miao had ever seen.

After thanking her out of politeness, Jiang Se walked out from the changing room.

Zhang Yue’s gaze followed, slowly scanning over the qipao on Jiang Se’s body.

“Is there anything that needs to be altered?” she asked.

“No, the qipao fits very well. I’d like to order another one, but regarding the embroidery,” Jiang Se smiled at Zhang Yue, “I want to design a unique pattern.”

Zhang Yue nodded, walked behind the counter, took out a sketchbook and a pencil, and asked Jiang Se, “He Miao mentioned that you’d like a floral design. What kind of pattern are you thinking of?”

“Birds,” Jiang Se walked over to Zhang Yue’s side, propping her elbows on the counter, smiling as she said, “He Miao told me you are best at flower and bird designs, so I want a pattern with birds.”

Zhang Yue’s eyes, which were slightly lowered, seemed to flicker for a moment.

“What kind of bird?” she asked.

Staring at the shadow cast by Zhang Yue’s lowered eyelashes, Jiang Se pondered for a moment before slowly replying, “The bird should have a long tail, one feather pointing upwards, and the other pointing down.”

Zhang Yue fluttered her eyelashes and, with the tip of the pencil, began sketching on the delicate white paper. Soon, she had drawn several birds with long tails, each with its own shape and style.

“This is a blue magpie, this one is a lovebird, this is a long-tailed weaver, and this is a flower-colored sparrow.” She held the pencil as she drew, calmly introducing each bird on the paper. “These are the only long-tailed birds I can embroider. Let me know if any of these suit your taste.”

Each bird in the drawing was perched on a dead branch, tilting its body and gazing upwards. The two long magpie feathers in their tails, due to their posture, were positioned with one feather pointing up and the other pointing down.

Jiang Se’s eyes moved slowly over the paper. After a long pause, she raised her hand to glance at her watch and smiled, saying, “I’m not sure yet. Do you mind if I take these designs with me? I’ll come back in a couple of days.”

Zhang Yue hummed in acknowledgment, tore off the drawing paper, and pushed it over to Jiang Se. Lifting her eyes to look at her, she said, “I might not be in the shop, but once you’ve chosen, let He Miao know.”

---

As the car drove out of Jinxiu Alley, it stopped at a red light. A road sign for Hanshan Temple stood prominently at the edge of the street.

For a moment, Jiang Se caught a glimpse of the sign, and her thoughts were drawn to a line from a Buddhist sutra:

【In the world of South Jambudvipa, all beings’ thoughts and actions are nothing but karma, nothing but sin.】

Thoughts, karma, sin.

She turned on the right signal and headed towards Hanshan Temple.

The last time she came here, Yu Shiying had expressed regret for not taking Jiang Se to the temple to pray for a peace pendant.

She had mentioned it several times but hadn’t found the right moment.

Instead of waiting for the perfect day, she decided to go today.

At the foot of the mountain was a dedicated parking lot, with stone steps on both sides leading up to Hanshan Temple.

After parking, Jiang Se slowly began walking up the nearest stone steps.

Hanshan Temple stood halfway up Mount Qi Han, and from a distance, Jiang Se could already see the grayish-white roofline emerging from the trees.

The sky was overcast, and the whole mountain forest was as quiet as snow, with only a few people around.

After climbing halfway, her phone rang.

It was Cen Mingshu, who had just woken up.

Jiang Se answered the call, “Little Aunt.”

Cen Mingshu seemed pleased that Jiang Se hadn’t changed the form of address to something chaotic. She chuckled, “I see you have a conscience. I heard from your brother that on the day you changed your surname, you also changed how you addressed Ci Minghong and Ji Yunyi.”

Jiang Se responded nonchalantly, “I followed your lead.”

“Followed my lead, my foot!” Cen Mingshu laughed and scolded, “Don’t you know your own temper?”

“Isn’t it your favorite thing about me?” Jiang Se huffed slightly, “You used to say that we, aunt and niece, have similar bad tempers.”

“Yes, similar bad tempers.” Cen Mingshu sneered, “You’ve always taken advantage of me spoiling you and used to come to me whenever you did something wrong. This time, when you fell out with the Cen family, why didn’t you come to me?”

“Because I don’t need to.” Jiang Se paused on a step, taking a brief moment to catch her breath before continuing up the stairs, “Have you met the junior?”

Cen Mingshu gave a hum of acknowledgment and deliberately said, “I’ve video-called with 

Xiao Yu countless times already. That girl is much more interesting than you!”

“Of course.” Jiang Se answered nonchalantly, “The junior has a good personality, and she’s easy to get along with. Be nicer to her.”

Cen Mingshu snorted, tired of debating with Jiang Se. She got straight to the point: “You can’t avoid going to Dr. Gina. As for the money for your treatment, how about I lend it to you?”

Cen Mingshu had lived a high-handed, arrogant life, and it was the first time she was asking to lend money. If she didn’t know this girl would only respond well to softness, she would have ordered someone to drag Jiang Se straight to Dr. Gina’s office.

As Jiang Se was almost halfway up the mountain, she stopped wasting time and said sincerely, “Little Aunt, you know, no one can cure this illness of mine except myself. Dr. Gina can’t help.”

There was silence on the other end.

After a while, just when Jiang Se thought the call was about to end, Cen Mingshu suddenly said, “Se Se, find a man to date and relax, one who can sleep with you every day.”

“…”

Just as Jiang Se reached the last step of the staircase, hearing this, she couldn’t help but laugh, “Are you trying to get me to hang up the phone?”

Cen Mingshu replied, “Hang up? I’m offering you a temporary solution. It’s a piece of advice from your little aunt, and at least it’s better than those bottles and jars you keep using.”

There was no denying that this was typical of Cen Mingshu.

At the age of thirty, Cen Mingshu had already written her own epitaph: “I’ve pushed this damn world to its limits.”

For her, men were indeed a way to relieve stress, a textbook example of “passing through the forest without leaving a trace.”

Jiang Se listened to her while walking through a patch of shadowy trees.

Pushing aside a thick branch, the path ahead suddenly opened up.

The ancient temple stood tall against the gloomy sky.

Beneath the gray eaves, prayer flags fluttered in the wind like ripples on a lake.

The man’s figure was hidden behind the flags.

He stood lazily with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a black coat. Leaning against a closed red lattice window of the back hall, he tilted his head slightly, as if gazing at something.

Jiang Se didn’t stop walking.

However, the man outside the hall seemed to notice the movement and turned his head to look.

From quite a distance, she could already feel the weight of his gaze.

In her phone, Cen Mingshu was still talking: “Make sure you find a man who’s both good-looking and useful. Those empty-headed pretty boys are no good.”

The distance between them slowly shortened.

Jiang Se met Lu Huaiyan’s gaze, which hadn’t shifted since he turned his head to look at her. She then said to Cen Mingshu, “I’ll hang up now, Little Aunt. I’ll seriously consider your advice.”

The tone sounded obedient and sincere, but Lu Huaiyan knew that this girl was simply brushing off the person on the phone, just like she had brushed him off before.

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