This was Jiang Yu's second time coming to the school to pick up Cheng Suran.

After a few months apart, many things seemed to have changed, subtly and unknowingly, like seeds being planted in the soil, taking root and sprouting.

The pale golden sunset fell on Jiang Yu's face, illuminating her eyes. At that moment, Cheng Suran saw an expression that only a child who had done something wrong would have, but it quickly disappeared, leaving one to wonder if it was just an illusion.

Cheng Suran whispered, "I can drive back by myself."

If that wasn't possible, there was still the driver sister, there was no need to trouble Jiang Yu. She thought to herself.

She was stunned.

She had actually talked back.

"Don't you want sister to come and pick you up?"

"..."

Seeing the girl's silence, Jiang Yu's smile froze on her lips.

For a moment, she lowered her eyes, appearing both disappointed and helpless. She nodded gently, not saying anything, and started to get off the car.

"Where are you going?" Cheng Suran quickly grabbed her, looked around, and pushed her back inside.

This was the busiest time for students entering and leaving the school. Eyes were everywhere. Jiang Yu's tall figure was already conspicuous enough on the street, and her strong and commanding presence attracted even more attention. If she got off the car, she would surely be surrounded by onlookers.

Jiang Yu slumped back into her seat without lifting her head. "I'll take a taxi."

"Why would you take a taxi when you have a car?"

"Since you don't want me to pick you up, I'll just leave. You can drive back by yourself."

Her voice was low, filled with helplessness.

"I didn't mean it that way..." Cheng Suran immediately felt guilty, holding onto her hand as if she had bullied her, "Think about it, I do want you to come. Just quickly sit back and don't let anyone see you."

She was both acting spoiled and trying to coax her, which was somewhat funny and frustrating. Cheng Suran couldn't help but pout.

Jiang Yu raised her head and gazed at her.

—So, are you still mad at sister?

Her lips twitched, and the words surged up but were swallowed back down.

"Come up."

"Okay."

Cheng Suran cautiously looked around, making sure no one was passing by before stepping aside, closing the door, and walking around to the right side. She slid into the passenger seat.

The car slowly drove out of the vicinity of the school.

No one spoke during the journey, and the atmosphere was strangely quiet. It remained that way until they stopped at a traffic light intersection. Jiang Yu turned to Cheng Suran, took out a silver-gray card from her bag, and handed it over.

It was the credit card that was returned to her this morning.

Cheng Suran opened her mouth, about to say something, but Jiang Yu interrupted her:

"Do you remember the password for this card?"

"82..." She couldn't recall.

"827930." Jiang Yu calmly completed the answer.

"It means August 27th, 9:30 p.m., our first official meeting."

Cheng Suran's heart trembled, and she involuntarily clenched the card, the sharp edges digging into her palm, almost bending.

She turned her head slowly, looking at Jiang Yu.

The two silently locked eyes.

At that moment, the green light lit up. The car in front had already started, and the car behind honked impatiently.

Jiang Yu silently withdrew her gaze and focused on driving again.

Cheng Suran turned her face towards the window, still tightly gripping the card. The sharp sensation seemed to prick her heart, immovable and impossible to ignore.

What could such a meaning imply?

Does her sister value her? Care about her? Have a place for her in her heart? Only these reasons could explain it, but she couldn't feel happy about it.

That slap not only landed on her face but also pierced her heart. She thought that a good night's sleep would make everything better, and her sister would comfort her as she used to. But this time, she couldn't sleep, and there was no comforting.

From last night until now, it felt like her heart had been torn apart, empty, occasionally filled with a gust of wind that stung sourly. Sometimes it felt like the ebb and flow of the tide, leaving behind a desolate expanse of sand and silence.

What was wrong with her?

She didn't sleep last night, and she had classes all day today. It should be physical exhaustion.

With that in mind, she closed her eyes.

....

Source:?https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

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The car didn't head towards the hotel but instead arrived at the central square of the city.

As the sky grew darker, streetlights began to illuminate one after another. People walked by the roadside, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere. Cheng Suran opened her eyes and saw the scene outside the window, feeling momentarily stunned.

"Sister? Where are we going?"

"To buy something."

Jiang Yu kept her eyes straight ahead, driving the car into the underground parking lot of a nearby shopping mall. She found a parking spot, took out a hat and a mask from her bag, and put them on. "Let's go, let's go inside and have a look."

Cheng Suran thought she was going to accompany her sister for some shopping, so she obediently nodded.

Suddenly, the card in her hand was snatched away.

"??"

She had a sense of impending doom.

After getting out of the car, Jiang Yu naturally took Cheng Suran's hand and their fingers interlocked. Cheng Suran hadn't even had a chance to be surprised when that hand let go and returned to the normal position of holding her hand.

"... "

The ground beneath them was the most prosperous section of Jiangcheng, adjacent to the river. The lights were dazzling, and across the river stood towering skyscrapers. High-end restaurants and luxury stores were clustered together, emanating an atmosphere of extravagance and luxury.

Having been in Jiangcheng for over two years, Cheng Suran had never entered any nearby stores. The bright lights were too overwhelming and would scorch her already fragile confidence.

The moment they entered, she involuntarily moved closer to Jiang Yu, shrinking behind her. When she saw the salesperson approaching, her body tensed up.

"Don't be afraid," Jiang Yu whispered softly.

Caught red-handed, Cheng Suran's cheeks flushed slightly. She had to force herself to raise her gaze and appear more confident.

The salesperson smiled and greeted them, their gaze fixed on Jiang Yu, as if trying to find a flaw on her face. "You are... Jiang..."

Pfft.

Cheng Suran quickly turned her face away, pursing her lips to suppress her laughter.

Hahaha...

"Just having a look around," Jiang Yu nodded lightly, smiled, and held Cheng Suran's hand, starting to browse from the left side.

As they strolled, Jiang Yu explained the elements of clothing and roughly discussed how to mix and match them.

The salesperson followed from behind, maintaining a not-too-close, not-too-far distance, able to perceive their needs in a timely manner without making them feel awkward.

Originally, Cheng Suran didn't like shopping in physical stores. Regardless of whether the items were expensive or cheap, there was always someone following her, making her feel uncomfortable. But today, she felt okay. She didn't know if it was because Jiang Yu kept talking and distracting her attention or if it was because walking beside her gave her a sense of security...

Gradually, she began to relax.

However, as they continued browsing, she felt something was off. Whenever Jiang Yu stopped and looked at a particular item of clothing, her gaze would then shift to Cheng Suran, wearing an examining expression as if contemplating something.

It seemed like she wasn't buying clothes for herself but rather selecting them for her.

"This dress suits you well," Jiang Yu stopped once again, picking up an avocado green spaghetti-strap dress, gesturing in front of Cheng Suran, nodding in satisfaction.

Cheng Suran shook her head repeatedly, lowered her voice and said, "I already have a dress of this style, please don't spend money on it."

"I know you have one, I've seen you wear it, but that one doesn't match you."

"... "

"This type of dress is called a slip dress. It's made using bias-cut techniques and looks the best. However, this technique wastes a lot of fabric and requires extensive calculations, making it costly. So, cheap slip dresses are all knockoffs. They won't fit your body naturally, resulting in an uneven and unflattering look. It doesn't do justice to your overall aura," Jiang Yu explained with a gentle smile and narrowed eyes.

Cheng Suran was taken aback by her words, and by the time she regained her senses, Jiang Yu had already swiped the card to pay. She lightly touched her own face, feeling bashful as she bit her lip.

At the second brand's store, Jiang Yu selected two tops for Cheng Suran. At the third brand, she chose a pair of pants and a pair of shoes. Gradually, both of them were carrying three or four paper bags.

Cheng Suran's "ominous" premonition finally came true—

Everything was paid with that card.

Was this a way to indirectly force her to spend money? Turning her into a "genuine" canary.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly.

After putting the items in the car, the two of them held hands and went to have a meal. Sitting in a high-rise building along the riverbank, Cheng Suran looked at the sparkling lights of the tall buildings and the mesmerizing advertisements of Jiang Yu playing on the large display screens. The complexity of her feelings grew...

She could sense her sister's remorse and understand that this might be her way of apologizing to her.

But she still felt like something was missing.

What was it?

Wasn't she a canary after all? Isn't this how a benefactor spoils a canary? In that moment, she suddenly understood that it wasn't about what was missing; it was that she had never truly possessed it.

If she were a girlfriend, she would apologize in person.

If she were a girlfriend, there wouldn't have been that slap.

She was still holding a grudge, after all.

After finishing their meal, the two of them took a leisurely stroll along the riverside path. Jiang Yu was recognized again, this time by a fan, and she happily took a photo with them. She treated fans well, treated strangers well—it was a kind of equal treatment.

Cheng Suran vaguely began to understand.

She was actually less than a stranger...

The hole in her heart grew a little larger. The cold night breeze from the river slowly seeped in, chilling her to the bone. She had never felt this cold before. It was as if the entire world was shrouded in darkness and coldness, and she could no longer see the sun of tomorrow.

"Why are your hands so cold?" Jiang Yu held her hand and furrowed her brow.

Cheng Suran gathered her thoughts, mustered a bitter smile, and blinked. "Hmm, it's a bit cold. Let's go back."

Back in the underground parking lot, after getting into the car, Jiang Yu didn't immediately drive off. Instead, she turned on the heater for a while and then took Cheng Suran's icy hands into her own, gently warming them.

Her palms were warm.

"You were very brave today, Ranran."

"?"

The car was dark, with only dim lighting from outside. The cold light seeped in, illuminating the girl's fair skin, as if covered with a thin layer of glaze, radiant and smooth.

Jiang Yu gazed at her gently, her eyes filled with depth.

"When I was your age, I would feel nervous and scared when entering a shopping mall because I had no confidence and couldn't afford to buy anything. I was afraid of being laughed at. I wouldn't even dare to glance inside store windows as I passed by."

"The first time a photographer took pictures of me, they said I looked as stiff as a block of wood. I felt like countless pairs of eyes were staring at me, mocking me. At first, I cared a lot about it, but then I thought, I had nothing to begin with, so what is there to care about? And later, after many photo shoots, I gained experience and gradually found my own style and direction. I have never shown fear since."

"Many things are like that. It's human nature to fear the unknown. To turn the unknown into the known, you have to try multiple times. And the first attempt can never be perfect."

"There's a term called 'cost of trial and error.' You see those confident people of your age who seem to have the poise and ease to do anything, and you envy them, right? But it's not that they were born knowing everything; it's that their cost of trial and error is low. When they try something and make a mistake, they can bear the risks and consequences without attracting ridicule and blame. That's why they dare to do it. As they do it more, it becomes natural. And us..."

She paused for a moment, gripping the girl's hand tightly.

"We are no less than them."

"If you want to see a bigger world, you have to step out, like the stores I took you to today. They are small worlds, worlds you have never encountered before. You don't necessarily have to possess the things inside, but you can look and know that these things exist. When you have witnessed various people and things, you won't be easily deceived by a few words from others. You're young, and you can try anything, then figure out what you want and what you don't."

Jiang Yu curved her lips, reaching out to brush away the stray hair from the girl's temple, tucking it behind her ear.

For some reason, the more she looked at the kid, the more familiar she felt. It was as if she saw her past self through her, or perhaps a luckier version of herself from a parallel universe.

She understood that Ranran had ambitions.

"Sister..." Cheng Suran looked at her in a dazed manner. "Do you like brave people?"

"Who doesn't like brave people?" Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly.

The light in Cheng Suran's eyes dimmed.

She wasn't brave enough.

She didn't even have the courage to say she liked someone. She could only stay by her sister's side as a canary looked down upon...

A look of sorrow and bitterness appeared on her young face, a gray haze in her eyes, listless.

Jiang Yu also sensed the heartache and took a deep breath, embracing her. Her lips moved for a while before finally whispering a few words, "I'm sorry."

Cheng Suran suddenly froze.

"Don't be mad at sister, okay?"

"I'm..."

"Good."

A comforting kiss landed on her left cheek.

...

After Christmas, the reality show that Jiang Yu participated in began airing. The first episode was lively and received unexpectedly high ratings. It skyrocketed to the third spot on Weibo's hot search overnight, garnering a surprisingly positive response.

Jiang Yu and Pei Chutong's team generated the most discussion, while the gap between them and the second-ranked team was like a cliff drop. The other two teams were more or less on par.

As the second episode aired, the reason behind the success finally surfaced. People generally felt that Jiang Yu and Pei Chutong appeared more genuine. They had seamless cooperation no matter what they did, and their everyday interactions felt natural. On the other hand, the performances of the other teams seemed slightly forced and carried obvious idol burdens. They didn't give the same comfortable impression.

The deeper reason was only known to the people involved:

Jiang Yu and Pei Chutong were pre-arranged, real-life friends who had known each other for several years. They had more than just professional connections, unlike the others who only had occasional interactions and were grouped together for the show, lacking that sense of authenticity.

And authenticity was what the reality show aimed for.

With time, discussions within the small circle started to revolve around a CP*.

*couple pairing/ship

Some created fan tags, some collected beautiful pictures, and others wrote fanfiction, self-indulging in their own little corner of joy.

Cheng Suran also came across it.

Shortly after New Year's Day, with two weeks remaining until the final exams and everyone studying diligently, she accidentally stumbled upon CP fan art while scrolling through Weibo. Curiosity led her into the fan Chaohua*, and she couldn't escape.

*Super talk/topic a feature in Weibo similar to Twitter Community, where one can follow topics of interest and share discussions with the other fans of that topic

Those fanfictions, short or long, were filled with romance and affection. The fan art was both beautiful and matched flawlessly, depicting a perfect couple.

She felt agitated yet couldn't help but look. Despite knowing it was all created by fans, it still made her heartache.

As a result, she couldn't focus on her studies.

In the late afternoon of that day, after class, Cheng Suran hastily went to the cafeteria for dinner and then headed to the library. Luckily, there were a few empty seats left. She sat down, took out her books and laptop, and couldn't help but open Weibo again.

The CP fan Chaohua ranked first on her frequently visited list, with a profile picture of Jiang Yu and Pei Chutong embracing each other intimately, looking naturally affectionate.

She clicked into it, and the first post she saw was the latest reply on the most popular fanfiction.

Then she checked the "latest posts," which were filled with various screenshots from the show.

[Yuyu dotes on our Tongtong so much.]

[That cooking scene had me squealing! Yuyu is such a perfect top kswlkswl! dog head.jpg]

[Thousand-year old evil doer x rich and noble worldly flower, lock it up for me!]

After a quick scroll, Cheng Suran's grip on the mouse tightened, her face turning red. Unable to bear it any longer, she exited and clicked into Jiang Yu's Weibo, seeking some comfort.

Her sister updated her Weibo today with a set of nine-square grid photos.

She was wearing a black suit, standing in the rain with slightly damp hair, exuding a film-like texture, gentle and serene.

Cheng Suran's eyes sparkled as she imagined having such a person sleeping beside her, feeling a hint of solace. She saved all the photos into her exclusive album and clicked into the comment section.

The top comment was a fan's declaration of love.

[Ah, ah, ah, sister, I love you so much. I unilaterally declare you as my wife =3=]

Jiang Yu replied below: I love you too. (heart.jpg)

Cheng Suran stared at this reply, and the light in her eyes instantly extinguished. It was as if she heard a thunderous sound in her heart. At that moment, she suddenly felt foolish.

To hear the words "I love you" from Jiang Yu's mouth seemed so effortless and simple. It appeared that anyone had the right to stand on equal footing with Jiang Yu, except for her.

Even though her sister slept beside her every night, even though her sister held her and affectionately called her by her nickname, and kissed her...

She was nothing more than a stranger.

One hour, two hours... Time slowly passed by. She didn't read a page of her book, didn't turn on her computer, but her phone was running out of battery.

As soon as she entered the library, she would leave in the same way.

Cheng Suran, carrying the black bag that Jiang Yu had given her, wandered around the campus like a walking corpse. She remembered that she needed to get a book and changed her direction towards the dormitory.

The dorm room was lit up, and the air conditioner blew warm and dry heat. Li Meiling was taking a shower in the bathroom.

Cheng Suran walked mechanically to her desk, pulled out a book from the shelf, and casually glanced at the embroidered little white rabbit placed beside it. She hesitated for a moment, then picked it up.

It had been sitting here for three months without being wiped or cleaned, accumulating quite a bit of dust on its body.

She gently blew on it, patted it, carefully examining the rabbit that was still a bit dirty, and instinctively put it in her pocket. She held the book and turned to leave.

Her phone, which was almost out of battery, received a message from Jiang Yu:

[Are you back? Do you want me to pick you up?]

Cheng Suran hesitantly replied: [I'm ready to leave.]

Add a spoonful of Coco: [Take your time driving, no rush.]

Looking at the caring words, tears welled up in Cheng Suran's eyes. She quickly logged out of Weibo, unloading everything...

...

Back at the hotel, Jiang Yu was taking a shower.

The sound of water dripping came from the bathroom...

Cheng Suran stood at the doorway, lost in thought as she looked in that direction for a while before turning around and slowly walking into the guest room, switching on the lights.

She put down her bag, took out her phone and the little rabbit from her pocket, and threw them onto the bed. She took off her jacket and tossed herself onto the bed, lying flat.

After lying down for a while, footsteps approached.

Cheng Suran opened her eyes.

"Ranran?" Jiang Yu, wearing a bathrobe, entered the room and saw the girl lying sprawled on the bed. She paused for a moment, then asked, "Just got back?"

"Mm."

Cheng Suran obediently nodded and sat up, feeling a vague impulse in her heart.

"How's your review going?" Jiang Yu sat down, hugged her waist, and pulled her into her embrace.

Cheng Suran was taken aback, feeling a bit guilty. "It's going well."

"This month is the haute couture month, and I have a few haute couture shows to attend. So, I'll have to go on a business trip next week. Study well at home, and when you finish your exams, sister will come back." Jiang Yu affectionately ruffled the girl's hair and kissed her lips repeatedly.

Cheng Suran closed her eyes, her cheek pressed against Jiang Yu's neck, feeling the warmth radiating from it. She replied in a muffled voice, "Okay..."

Once she finished her final exams, there were only eleven days left until the second contract expired.

No one mentioned it.

But reality had to be faced.

Jiang Yu fell silent, gently caressing her face with the palm of her hand. She shifted her position, getting closer, but accidentally sat on something.

Something small and slightly hard.

She furrowed her brows slightly, turned her head, and picked it up to take a look.

It was a yellowed embroidered little rabbit.

"What is this..."

"Hm?"

Cheng Suran raised her head in confusion, only to see Jiang Yu's eyes widen in surprise, and her thin lips trembled. "Where did you get this?"