Chapter 49: Entanglement

After watching the sunrise, Jiang Se returned to Xiangshu Alley, changed into her pajamas, and fell into a deep sleep.

Her phone had been turned off since midnight. When she finally woke up and turned it back on, the screen was filled with a string of missed calls—all from Guo Qian.

Jiang Se glanced at the time. It was 12:20.

Time to head to Liyuan Street for lunch.

And also…

He should be back in Beicheng by now.

Jiang Se opened WeChat. As expected, there were two messages from Lu Huaiyan at the top:

[Arrived.]

[Are you awake yet?]

Jiang Se didn’t reply immediately. She got up to brush her teeth and wash up. After even taking a shower and tidying herself up completely, she finally headed downstairs.

She replied to Lu Huaiyan: [I’m awake, heading to my parents’ place for lunch.]

After sending the message, she called Guo Qian. It was currently wintertime in the United States—about 2 AM there. But Jiang Se knew that without hearing from her, Guo Qian probably wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.

Sure enough, the phone had barely rung once when it was immediately answered:

“You heartless thing, you finally remembered me? What urgent matter just happened?”

“When you called earlier, Lu Huaiyan was standing right outside my house.”

Guo Qian: ”!”

Guo Qian: “And then?!”

“We went to a temple to offer incense, and then watched the sunrise.”

“That’s it? You didn’t do anything else? He even ditched the setup my brother organized just to take you to a temple and watch the sunrise?”

Guo Qian didn’t believe it for a second. Someone like Lu Huaiyan—cunning to the bone—wouldn’t travel all the way to Tongcheng for something so simple. Offering incense and watching a sunrise? Who would buy that?

Jiang Se remained calm and said, “Really, nothing else. If he had come for anything else, I would—”

She suddenly paused mid-sentence.

“You would what?”

She would have felt even less burdened.

Jiang Se pushed open the iron gate on the first floor, shook her head, and said, “Nothing. If you have any questions, ask quickly. I’m heading to my parents’ place for lunch.”

On the way from Xiangshu Alley to Liyuan Street, Guo Qian bombarded her with dozens of questions, all revolving around Lu Huaiyan, speaking as rapidly as a machine gun.

It wasn’t surprising she was this curious.

Although they had all grown up together, Guo Qian wasn’t particularly close to Lu Huaiyan. In fact, she had been a bit wary of him when they were kids.

She was the kind of person who could climb walls and rip tiles off roofs wherever she went, but every time she visited the Lu family, she would behave as meekly as a quail.

Lu Huaiyan had never been easy to get along with. In Guo Qian’s memory, he had always been a cold, detached “grim reaper” figure—even as a child.

It was hard to imagine what someone like him would be like if he fell in love.

Guo Qian was so curious that she even asked outrageous questions like “How many minutes can little Lu President last each time?”

“Se Se, do you still remember what you said after your coming-of-age ceremony?”

“What did I say?”

“You said you were looking forward to the day when Lu Huaiyan’s proud, lofty face would be ruthlessly crushed into the dirt.”

”…”

Jiang Se narrowed her eyes slightly: “Three days after my coming-of-age ceremony?”

Guo Qian: “Yep. At that time, things between you and Fu Jun were already decided. I asked you if you still liked Lu Huaiyan.”

Guo Qian still clearly remembered how cold Jiang Se’s tone had been back then:

“I don’t like him anymore. But—”

“But what?”

Eighteen-year-old Jiang Se had taken a sip of black tea and said lightly:

“But I’m still looking forward to the day when that high and mighty face of his gets trampled into the ground.”

”…”

“Se Se, isn’t this your chance now?”

Guo Qian, always eager for drama, offered a terrible idea:

“Why don’t you stomp on his face a few times while he’s asleep?”

Jiang Se: ”…”

Maybe the eighteen-year-old Jiang Se would have.

At her core, she had always been an extremely proud person.

Growing up, there was nothing she couldn’t excel at—everything she touched, she mastered.

So when she wanted someone, she naturally planned it step by step.

In less than two years, she had won over Grandpa Lu, who held her in high regard, and with Aunt Han, who had liked her since she was a child, she had secured the two people Lu Huaiyan cared most about.

She had been confident that with a few more years, she could win over Lu Huaiyan too, becoming the person who stood by his side.

Until that day, when she overheard what he said outside the study.

He said she was dull and flavorless.

Said that no matter how good others thought she was, to him, she was just “so-so.”

If it had been anyone else saying that, Jiang Se wouldn’t have even spared them a glance.

But Lu Huaiyan was different to sixteen-year-old Jiang Se.

Those words shattered not just her pride, but the self-deceiving illusions she had clung to.

It turned out that the person she thought could save her had only ever been an illusion.

No one could save her.

She would have to save herself.

Jiang Se lifted her eyes.

The sky was a clear, endless blue, and a plane was slowly carving a long cotton-white trail across it.

Last year, when she came to Tongcheng, she and Lu Huaiyan had taken the same flight. Their seats had even been in front and behind each other.

Their gazes had briefly met midair.

At that time, behind the lenses of his glasses, his eyes were cold and indifferent, the kind of look reserved for people he found utterly insignificant and wanted no further contact with.

At that moment, an odd thought had flashed through Jiang Se’s mind—

A sense of regret.

Regret that she might never get to see that proud man’s arrogance shattered.

Lu Huaiyan often said she bore grudges, especially against him.

He wasn’t wrong.

After all, he had been the one she once pinned her hopes on, only to cruelly crush her pride.

Five years ago, when she had walked away from that study room corridor step by step, she had thought they would never cross paths again.

Five years later, when they met again on a plane, she also believed there would be no further entanglement.

Who could have expected that within just a few short months, they would become so entangled?

The last question Guo Qian had asked that day was:

What exactly is your relationship now? Lovers?

Jiang Se looked at the white trail in the sky and thought of that kiss after the sunrise—

A kiss that had no hint of desire, a light touch of his hand against the windowsill as he leaned down.

Her tone was mild: “Something like that.”

⸻

Because of the New Year, all the bars on Fuchun Street were closed.

On her first night here, Cen Mingshu drank on Liyuan Street.

Yu Shiying had brought out a jar of aged liquor from the wine cellar.

Cen Mingshu had originally been regretful that she couldn’t get drunk at a bar, but once the jar was opened and the rich aroma of wine filled the air, all her regrets vanished.

She held her liquor well—after finishing the whole jar, she was only slightly tipsy.

When they returned to the apartment, she stubbornly refused the honey water Jiang Se offered, saying: “I’m not drunk. No need for a hangover cure.”

She sat on the sofa, squinting at Jiang Se: “Your parents said you got quite a few red envelopes this year. Say something sweet and your dear auntie here will give you another one.”

Jiang Se immediately played along:

“Then I wish you smooth sailing and endless wealth when you return to the United States.”

Cen Mingshu was scheduled to return to the U.S. on the sixth day of the new year.

She had companies both on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley—one a finance company, the other a tech firm.

In the Chinese community, she was something of a legendary “iron lady.”

“Don’t think that just because I’m back in the States you can slack off on seeing your doctor,” Cen Mingshu said, crossing her legs and hooking her index and middle fingers toward her own eyes, then pointing at Jiang Se.

“I’ll be watching you.”

Jiang Se picked up the cup of honey water Cen Mingshu had so disdainfully rejected and sipped it slowly:

“Got it.”

Cen Mingshu stared at her for a long while, then suddenly said,

“You’re looking pretty good lately. Did you start dating someone?”

“Cough.”

Jiang Se almost choked. She slowly swallowed the honey water in her mouth, looked at Cen Mingshu, and nodded.

“But I’m not going to tell you who it is.”

Cen Mingshu sneered, “What? Afraid I’ll scare him off? Don’t worry, your aunt won’t interfere in your personal life, whether it’s about your man or the things you’re investigating.”

She paused for a moment and then asked, “How’s that investigation going?”

Jiang Se put down her cup, her face calm and composed: “There’s been some progress.”

Whenever she was being evasive, she always wore that expression.

Cen Mingshu glanced at her but didn’t press further. Instead, she changed the subject: “A few days ago, I ran into Fu Yun at a He family banquet. He said he’s coming to Hucheng on a business trip and might swing by Tongcheng to try some drinks at ‘Wangchuan.’ Recently, the Fu family’s been getting close to the Zhu family. It’s likely Fu Yun will get engaged to that little girl from the Zhu family—the one you never got along with. You should keep your distance from him, avoid getting dragged into any mess.”

“Zhu Mingli?”

There was no one else from the Zhu family she clashed with.

Jiang Se smiled leisurely: “Don’t worry. She’s never been able to beat me at anything since we were kids. As for Fu Yun, even when we were engaged before, we weren’t close. Now that we’re nothing to each other, there’s even less reason for contact.”

Cen Mingshu nodded: “Just keep your distance. The Fu family is probably going to have a rough year. Fu Shushu’s health…”

She shook her head and sighed.

Getting old brought all kinds of problems.

At the end of last year, Old Master Fu had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor, and it was uncertain how much longer he could hold on.

Jiang Se had only a neutral impression of Old Master Fu.

Unlike Grandpa Lu, who was genuinely kind, Old Master Fu, though polished and cultured on the surface, always looked at people as if he were evaluating the worth of merchandise.

Hearing Cen Mingshu mention his health issues now, Jiang Se didn’t ask further, simply responding with a soft “Mm,” before slowly finishing her honey water.

Jiang Se spent two more days touring Tongcheng with Cen Mingshu.

On the morning of the sixth day of the New Year, she sent her off at the airport for her return to America.

As she was leaving the airport, she unexpectedly received a call from Fu Yun.

The man’s voice was still as gentle as flowing water:

“Se Se, I’m in Hucheng now. Would it be convenient for me to visit you in Tongcheng tomorrow?”

Jiang Se hadn’t paid much attention to Fu Yun’s plans to come to Tongcheng.

After hearing about Old Master Fu’s health issues a few days ago, she thought Fu Yun would stay away.

Lu Huaiyan and Han Yin were scheduled to return on the evening of the seventh day.

After thinking it over, Jiang Se said, “I’m free around noon tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll come find you at noon?”

“Mm,” Jiang Se replied.

”‘Wangchuan’ will reopen tomorrow afternoon. I’ll treat you to a drink.”

Fu Yun chuckled warmly: “Sounds good.”

—

The next day, just after noon, Jiang Se received Fu Yun’s call and went to meet him at the entrance of Fuchun Street.

After the turn of February, spring was already budding, and even the sharp chill in Tongcheng’s wind couldn’t completely hide the warmth of the season.

The man was wearing a shirt and a knitted sweater, layered under a light camel-colored overcoat.

His gentle and refined demeanor blended perfectly with the spring breeze.

He didn’t look like a businessman at all—more like a professor engrossed in academic research.

Jiang Se wasn’t particularly thrilled about the visit, but since he had made time to see her, she figured she should at least be a proper host.

Once she picked him up, she smiled and asked, “Anything you want to eat?”

Fu Yun smiled warmly: “I’ll leave it up to my host.”

“Then I’ll take you to try some local specialties. It’s just nearby.”

The restaurant Jiang Se mentioned was on the street across from Fuchun Street, on the other side of Fuchun River.

The two of them strolled across the stone arch bridge in the center of the river.

The river below was beginning to thaw after winter, and the sound of gently flowing water passed beneath their feet.

While crossing the bridge, Fu Yun turned his head slightly to glance at Jiang Se, as if something had crossed his mind.

The restaurant was a local cuisine restaurant, with dishes leaning toward sweet and sour flavors.

Not knowing Fu Yun’s preferences, Jiang Se handed him the menu to choose for himself.

Fu Yun glanced over the menu briefly before politely pushing it back: “I’m not familiar with Tongcheng’s cuisine. Se Se, just order whatever you like.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Se took out her phone and began scanning the QR code to place their order.

Fu Yun sat across from her, his gaze slowly drifting from her features down to the water glass on the table.

The glass was half full. The dark green glass wall reflected a blurry, distorted face—but even blurred, it was easy to tell it was an exceptionally beautiful face.

He stared at that reflection intently, his gaze lingering for a long time.

Before long, the dishes were served, and the two quietly ate. Just as they were about to finish, Jiang Se’s phone on the table suddenly rang.

Without showing any emotion, Fu Yun’s eyes briefly flicked to the screen—

The caller ID read “Boss Zhang.”

Jiang Se raised an eyebrow, picked up the phone, and said to Fu Yun, “Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

Fu Yun smiled warmly and said, “Go ahead.”

Jiang Se got up and walked out of the restaurant.

The wind chimes hanging at the restaurant door jingled softly.

Fu Yun waited for a moment before slightly turning his head, looking through the window at the girl leaning against the stone railing, talking on the phone.

People are always sensitive to the gaze of others, especially someone as perceptive as her.

His gaze lingered on Jiang Se for about three seconds before he appropriately looked away, letting his eyes fall onto the menu holder standing on the table.

The blue glass holder faced the corridor outside, reflecting the beautiful silhouette completely within its frame.

Fu Yun picked up a napkin, gently wiping the corner of his lips while gazing at the glass stand, his gentle brows and eyes maintaining a faint smile.

The call from Zhang Yue was about the removal of her cast: “The doctor said my leg is almost healed. Whenever you want to go watch the sunrise, just let me know.”

Zhang Yue’s words unexpectedly made Jiang Se think of the sunrise from a few days ago—and the kiss Lu Huaiyan had left on her lips.

She smiled lightly: “Alright, once your leg is fully healed, I’ll take you to a good spot for watching the sunrise.”

Zhang Yue responded softly: “There’s one more thing. A couple of days ago, I dreamt about some strange past events for no reason.”

She paused, then continued: “It was the night Ah Cheng left Jiangcheng. He stared at a bottle of beer and said some really strange things.”

Jiang Se’s brows furrowed slightly: “What did he say?”

“He asked me if I believed in fate. After that, he said something like… ‘Is fate something that’s decided the moment you’re born? A rat living in a sewer can only spend its whole life there, doing the dirtiest things.’”

A rat in the sewer?

After ending the call, Jiang Se stared at the darkened phone screen, her brows slowly knitting together.

She had handed that beer bottle over to Fang Shang, and also sent the beer’s information to Zheng Huan, asking her to investigate the brewery in Bai County.

She had the nagging feeling that she’d heard the name “Bai County” somewhere before.

While she was lost in thought, her phone buzzed again.

Jiang Se glanced down. Seeing the name on the screen, the frown between her brows eased. She picked up the call: “Lu Huaiyan.”

“Mm, what are you doing?” Lu Huaiyan asked.

Jiang Se instinctively glanced at the window across from her, where Fu Yun was resting his chin on his hand, looking at his phone.

She withdrew her gaze and replied calmly, “I’m having a meal with Fu Yun.”

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