Chapter 60: Just A Dream
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
A ray of sunlight shone into the thirtieth-floor high-rise.
Song Qingluo lay on the bed like a corpse, staring stiffly at the ceiling. Her phone was thrown to the side, its screen still on, showing the photo album—each picture was of Wen Ruoxian.
Two minutes ago, the security office called to ask if a woman named Wen Ruoxian, claiming to be a friend, could visit her. In her sleepy haze, Song Qingluo instantly woke up, her mind filled with joy as if she had won a game. Then she remembered something, and it was like a bucket of cold water extinguished her emotions.
Although she bet that Wen Ruoxian would come, it wouldn't change anything.
She had already decided not to be a beggar anymore.
She gritted her teeth and said she didn’t know her. At that moment, she didn’t feel the satisfaction of revenge. Instead, she felt a bit guilty. Blocking her on WeChat and phone, disappearing from Wen Ruoxian's sight without a word, doesn't it seem irresponsible?
After all, last night they—
Song Qingluo raised her hand and examined herself in the light.
Slender, fair, with evenly distributed flesh and bones. Her fingertips had thin calluses. She looked thin, but having played the violin and piano since childhood, her strength and dexterity were not lacking.
She had no actual experience, but she had watched many videos and was well-versed in theory.
The more Wen Ruoxian held back, the more she wanted to bully her.
Then she thought, what responsibility? What explanation? They were both adults, willing participants, mutually enjoying it. There was no talk of who took advantage.
Even if there was a loss, it was her loss!
She fussed until early morning, cleaning and packing, and only slept for less than four hours. Early in the morning, she called the driver and helpers to hurriedly move her things. She had just lain down for a bit when the guard room called again...
She was the sad one, and she was the one who labored. She was the one at a loss.
Song Qingluo turned over and buried her face in the quilt.
Imagining Wen Ruoxian waking up and not finding her, unable to reach her by phone or WeChat, and finally coming to look for her, would she be anxious? Was it because she cared about her, or was it just out of courtesy that she felt they shouldn't fall out?
She could only think pessimistically so she wouldn't have expectations and continue to torment herself.
Lost in her thoughts, her eyelids began to fight. She was really exhausted from last night and hadn't slept well, her whole body felt weak. Just as she was drifting in and out of sleep, her phone rang again—
A string of unfamiliar numbers.
Song Qingluo almost exploded, cursing as she hung up. But before long, the number called again, as if it wouldn't stop until she answered.
"!"
She picked up the call, yelling irritably, "Are you crazy? Are you trying to sell your Aunt…”
"It's me, Qingluo," Wen Ruoxian's voice came from the other end.
Song Qingluo went silent.
After a moment of silence, she asked, "Do you want to cut off contact with me?"
Hearing her speak, Song Qingluo felt both sour and bitter in her heart. On one hand, she felt she was being excessive; on the other hand, she felt wronged and resentful, holding back her voice.
"Qingluo..."
"Can you tell me why?" Wen Ruoxian's tone was low, almost pleading.
Song Qingluo tightly clutched the quilt, tears welling up in her eyes. Her lips moved, but in the end, she bit her lip and hung up the phone.
If she wanted to be resolute, she had to be thorough.
Isn't this exactly what she wanted?
….
The call abruptly ended.
Wen Ruoxian sat in the car, looking through the windshield at the entrance of the Green Shang Mansion. The phone, pressed to her ear, slowly slipped into her lap. She slightly lowered her head, picked it up, and realized that Song Qingluo had hung up on her.
She was about to call again, guessing that she had probably been blocked once more, and simply gave up.
She looked up and sighed.
Recalling the words Song Qingluo had said, crying at her ear last night in a daze, maybe that was the reason—she had someone in her heart but had hidden it from Qingluo for so long, and always being vague. Such hurt was hard to forgive for anyone.
She admits she is a scumbag.
But since they had a substantial relationship last night, it should mean Qingluo should have forgiven her. How could she just disappear so casually?
In the morning, she woke up alone in bed, covered only by a thin blanket. The curtains were not drawn, and the sunlight streamed in, glaringly bright. Not finding Qingluo made her feel like a discarded toy.
This was not the scene she had imagined.
She thought it would be passionate, a natural outcome, with her lover whispering sweet nothings after a moment of intimacy.
She could not blame Qingluo.
She was confused and disoriented herself.
In the face of uncertainty, how could she rashly consider the other person as a "lover"? It was a form of emotional kidnapping. So, she deserved it; today was entirely her own fault.
“Ai…” Wen Ruoxian rubbed her temples, put her phone back in her bag, and her fingertips suddenly touched a cool metal object.
It was a necklace—
It's Song Qingluo playing the violin.
Small and exquisite, lifelike.
[When I'm not around, you have to think of me. I will think of you too.] Qingluo's words still linger in memory.
Wen Ruoxian tightened her fingers.
If she hadn’t carried it with her, she would have lost even this only memento. Thinking of this, her heart ached, and she unconsciously gripped the necklace tightly, as if she wanted to crush it…
….
During the afternoon company meeting, Wen Ruoxian was completely out of sorts.
Her lower back still ached and felt swollen, and sitting for long periods was uncomfortable. Maybe it was due to not resting well last night. Her emotions fluctuated greatly throughout the day, and her head ached. Her body wasn’t as resilient as it was in her twenties; she couldn’t handle a bit of torment.
Her mind was preoccupied, and she couldn’t focus on anything.
Cheng Suran noticed her odd behavior early on and waited until the meeting ended to stop her. “Ruoxian, why didn’t I see Secretary Song?”
“Aren’t you two usually inseparable?”
After everyone had left, she winked at Wen Ruoxian.
Wen Ruoxian's expression was dark, and she hesitated slightly before saying, "She took the day off today."
As she spoke, her collar shifted slightly, revealing faint traces of dark red marks. Cheng Suran noticed and was momentarily stunned. Her expression immediately became inscrutable.
"Oh..." she said with a playful look.
"Today's thirty-six degrees. Aren't you hot wearing a turtleneck? I see you're sweating on your forehead. Here, wipe it off."
Cheng Suran grabbed a tissue and reached out to wipe Wen Ruoxian's sweat. Wen Ruoxian was startled and hurriedly dodged. She moved too quickly and nearly fell off her chair.
"Hey, be careful." Cheng Suran steadied her, half laughing and half crying. "What's wrong? You didn't think I was going to hit you, did you? You're so scared.”
"No..." Wen Ruoxian pulled her hand back. "I have something to do, I have to go."
She fled in a panic.
She walked quickly while covering her collar, afraid of being seen by others. She pretended to be calm, but her face was already burning.
Outside the office, both workstations were empty. Song Qingluo's desk was filled with quirky little trinkets. From a distance, Wen Ruoxian saw it and suddenly had a flash of inspiration, as if she had seen hope—
She took out her phone to dial that number.
She thought she might be blocked so she put her phone back and headed into the office. She picked up the desk phone and dialed the number, waiting anxiously.
Qingluo knew the office phone number, so there was a good chance she wouldn't answer...
"What do you want?"
It connected.
The tone was unfriendly.
She obviously knew it was her.
Wen Ruoxian felt both joy and pain. "Qingluo... are you still coming to the company?"
On the other end, Song Qingluo paused, then only said two words: "Not going."
"Are you quitting?"
“Mm."
Wen Ruoxian's throat tightened. After a moment, she carefully said, "Our personal matters shouldn't affect work..."
She wanted to keep her, but somehow the words that came out sounded preachy. The things she truly wanted to say felt too hot to speak—she ultimately couldn't express her emotions directly.
The consequence was that she infuriated the person again.
Song Qingluo became furious and said, "Wen Ruoxian, do you need me to spell it out? Fine, I'll say it clearly. I'm quitting because I don't want to see you anymore! Every second I look at you makes me sick!"
Her sharp words were like thousands of arrows piercing her heart.
Wen Ruoxian was stabbed hard, feeling unsteady as if a hand had gripped her throat.
Sick?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Qingluo felt sick when she saw her...
The call hadn't ended.
It seemed Song Qingluo was waiting for her reaction.
After a long while, Wen Ruoxian regained some sense and mechanically uttered in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
The other end of the call was silent as well.
"When you have time, come to handle the resignation procedures, and your things at your desk, I'll bring them to you..."
Before she could finish, Song Qingluo, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelled even more harshly than before, "Don't touch them! Have someone throw them away! I don't want them anymore."
—Am I not wanted too?
A sudden thought popped into Wen Ruoxian's mind, startling herself. Although she didn't say it out loud, she felt as if Song Qingluo had already heard it, feeling both ashamed and regretful.
How could such a blatant thought appear?
The call ended.
With the sound cut off in her ear, she suddenly lost all support and collapsed into the chair.
….
The sun set in the west, and the evening glow was as fiery as flames.
Song Qingluo lay at home all day, her mind muddled from sleep. After receiving Wen Ruoxian's call, she felt wide awake, her explosive emotions unsoothed, only angrier.
What an old-fashioned!
Yesterday, Wen Ruoxian had nearly driven her mad, and not a single word of apology or comfort came. Instead, she was lectured?
Would Wen Ruoxian talk to Cheng Suran like that? Of course not. She could guess that Cheng Suran was a treasured darling. Not only would Wen Ruoxian never lecture her, she wouldn't even frown at her.
After all, Wen Ruoxian could give up her career and start anew for her.
A beggar can't compare to a white moonlight...
Thinking about all this, she couldn't help but feel sad.
Song Qingluo pulled the blanket over her face.
There were still things left in the office. If she went to pack them, it would mean running into Wen Ruoxian. So, throwing everything away was the best choice.
They were just some unimportant stuff.
She thought.
But would Wen Ruoxian really throw them away?
None of her things could be left behind, they couldn't appear in Wen Ruoxian's sight. Otherwise, she would feel "dirty."
She wouldn't be at ease without seeing them thrown away herself.
Song Qingluo hesitated for a while, then got up, grabbed her phone, and called Xu Man—
"Man-jie, is President Wen still in the office?"
"Is she busy today?"
….
At seven o'clock, it was already dark.
Some floors of the building were brightly lit.
Song Qingluo quietly sneaked into the company. Most people had already left work, with only a few colleagues finishing up their tasks. After delaying for a bit, they were getting up to pack their things and prepare to leave.
The whole floor was empty and quiet.
Not seeing Wen Ruoxian's car in the parking lot, she felt relieved and went upstairs. After greeting a few colleagues who were about to leave, she walked towards the office as if nothing was happening.
She turned on the lights—
Sure enough, all her things were still at her workstation.
Song Qingluo was instantly infuriated and threw a figurine from her desk into the trash can.
Small items were easy to discard, but the larger ones wouldn't fit. She looked around and remembered that there were large plastic bags in Wen Ruoxian's office, so she entered the password and went in.
She efficiently opened the cabinet and took out a plastic bag.
Her thin coat was still draped over the sofa, and next to it were the couple's slippers she had specially bought—one pair for her and one for Wen Ruoxian. Sometimes, when they were tired, they would change into these slippers during their office naps...
Decorative vases, desk ornaments.
All of these were bought by her.
They all had to go.
She almost forgot about these items.
Song Qingluo looked at them coldly, with a sarcastic curve at the corner of her lips. As she approached the items on the desk, a series of footsteps came from afar and grew closer—
The office door was pushed open.
She was startled, turning around and locking eyes with the newcomer.
"Qingluo?"
Wen Ruoxian's face was still puzzled, but soon her eyes showed a hint of joy. "You..."
"What are you doing back here?" Song Qingluo asked, feeling a bit awkward. But remembering she was there to retrieve her things, not to steal, she straightened her back.
Wen Ruoxian instinctively said, "I forgot to take my laptop."
"Oh."
Song Qingluo calmly turned her face, shaking the plastic bag and stuffing all the items she had bought onto the desk into it.
Pens, hourglasses, figurines, digital clocks.
It was like a gust of wind sweeping away leaves.
“Qingluo…” Wen Ruoxian's expression changed slightly. “What are you doing?”
“Collecting trash.”
“No.”
“It’s my stuff, I’ll decide,” Song Qingluo said without looking up, speeding up her actions.
Seeing that all the items were almost packed up, Wen Ruoxian stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “Don’t…”
Song Qingluo shook off her hand. “Don’t touch me!”
“Qingluo…”
Wen Ruoxian stood in front of her, looking sorrowful. “Does it have to be this way? We can discuss everything calmly; there’s no need to be extreme.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Song Qingluo said angrily.
“Get out of my way!”
Wen Ruoxian stood still. “Why?”
“I'm tired of it.”
“But we already…”
The words that were too direct couldn’t be said. In those eyes was a hint of sadness. It was the first time Song Qingluo saw such an expression on her face, like someone who had been thoroughly used and was now flustered, wanting someone to take responsibility.
“Already what? Done it?” She said the words she was too shy to say with ease.
Wen Ruoxian blushed, feeling embarrassed, and fell silent.
Song Qingluo sneered and said dismissively, “So what if we did it? What old-fashioned nonsense are you spouting? Who says doing it always has to come with an explanation? There are plenty of people who engage without any emotional attachment, it doesn’t matter.”
“Besides, I didn’t force you. It was your own choice.”
That’s right.
It was her own choice.
She willingly believed that Qingluo was someone she could trust, someone with whom she shared feelings.
Wen Ruoxian furrowed her brows, feeling as if her heart was being cut with a knife. “So that’s how you think of it…”
“What else?” Song Qingluo bit her lip and retorted.
Wen Ruoxian stared at her for a while, saying nothing. Slowly, she turned her back, her tightly clenched right hand revealing faint blue veins, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing her wavering back, Song Qingluo suddenly felt a surge of regret.
Had she gone too far?
In an instant, the fleeting regret was pushed aside.
Song Qingluo suddenly remembered something. She grabbed Wen Ruoxian's bag and rummaged through it while mumbling, “Where’s the necklace? Give it back to me.”
“No!” Wen Ruoxian spun around abruptly, her eyes bloodshot.
She tried to reclaim her bag.
But it was too late. Song Qingluo had already pulled out the necklace, clenching it in her hand. “Just pretend we never knew each other, that we’ve never met…”
That autumn, she did not go to see the debate.
That summer night, she did not get injured on the street.
These six years were merely a dream.
Author's Note:
Wen-jiejie: Pah, the necklace is gone too √
….
Next update will probably be on Saturday (midnight TT
Admin