Chapter 7: She's Top Tier

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The summer night was a bit stuffy. The cicadas on the oak tree in the yard made a buzzing sound, and the stars in the sky also came out to cool off, twinkling in the dark sky.

A breeze lifted a few strands of hair from Ji Lianxing's forehead. She slightly lowered her head, her long hair covering her eyes, showing only a thin outline, though her expression was not visible.

“It’s all right now. He’s gone,” Jiang Shu said.

"Mm." The short word carried a nasal tone. Ji Lianxing lifted her head. She didn't cry, but her eyes were red. "Thank you, President Jiang."

Jiang Shu looked at Ji Lianxing. She had just entered society and was inexperienced. Her eyes were clear and bright, making it easy to understand her thoughts.

It was clear that the man just now had embarrassed and upset Ji Lianxing.

"You're welcome. Here, take this." Jiang Shu handed Ji Lianxing an ID badge, which was necessary for entering and leaving the office building.

She lowered her head slightly, keeping about the same distance from Ji Lianxing, and said in a teasing tone, “Is it time to change your name? Should I call you 'Little Careless'? You've dropped things twice here already~"

Ji Lianxing looked up and met Jiang Shu's eyes. Her eyes were smiling, and the amber irises sparkled like a sea. Ji Lianxing felt as if she were floating in that sea.

She took the ID badge and quickly shifted her gaze, feeling awkward. "Thank you, President Jiang."

Jiang Shu teased again, "So, are 'thank you' and 'sorry' your most frequent words?"

"Ah—" Ji Lianxing bit her lip, her face flushing red and turning pink. "Not really, maybe it's because I'm a bit nervous?"

"Because I'm your boss?"

"Probably."

It wasn’t really the case, but Ji Lianxing felt she could only say that. She couldn’t exactly say that her heart raced when she saw her.

"Don’t worry, little hedgehog, I won’t eat you, and I won’t cut your salary." Jiang Shu moved a little closer, reducing the distance between them.

Ji Lianxing's heart pounded. The scent was so pleasant; she found Jiang Shu's fragrance—an intoxicating blend of rose and cedar—coursing through her DNA, creating an irresistible fluttering sensation. Her head felt light and dizzy.

"President Jiang..."

The little hedgehog's voice was soft, and Jiang Shu found it extremely pleasant.

"Mm?"

Ji Lianxing took a small step back, creating some distance to clear her mind. "About the debt you helped me with earlier, I’d like to discuss it with you."

"Go ahead." Jiang Shu responded casually, wondering why Ji Lianxing stepped back. Was it because she didn’t like being too close to her?

"Thank you so much for helping me, but I can’t just accept your help without any return." Ji Lianxing scolded herself internally for saying thank you again. She paused and continued, "Can I pay you back a portion each month from my salary? Including interest, I’ll repay the full amount within two years."

When she heard the word "interest," Jiang Shu’s eyebrows involuntarily lifted. "Oh~ there’s interest too?"

"Yes, what do you think a reasonable interest rate would be?"

Ji Lianxing was already calculating how long it would take to repay the debt. After covering her daily expenses each month, it might be next year? The year after? It depended on the interest rate.

"I’m not good at math. You decide," Jiang Shu said lazily.

Not good at math? A top student from the finance department of N University says she's not good at math?

"Ten percent?" Ji Lianxing suggested cautiously. Ten percent is quite high; even ordinary investment returns don’t reach that level, President Jiang~~~~

Jiang Shu smiled and said nothing.

“Fif... fifteen?" Ji Lianxing tried again.

Jiang Shu continued to smile and say nothing.

"How about twenty?" After all, Jiang Shu had helped her in an urgent situation. If the interest was higher, it would just take longer to repay. With over three hundred thousand, she’d definitely need until the year after next to pay it off.

“Pfft." Jiang Shu couldn’t help but laugh, "Ten percent was already surprising. And now twenty percent? You’re so generous. How about I lend you ten million, or even twenty million? I could just relax and live off the interest."

Ji Lianxing was stunned, her cheeks burning, unsure how to respond.

She only wanted to show her gratitude, but then realized, with Jiang Shu’s conditions, maybe she didn’t need such thanks in this regard.

"I don’t want your interest or repayment."

Ji Lianxing’s breath hitched. Experience told her that there was no such thing as a free lunch; it's normal to pay one for one.

No repayment? Then what did she want? Ji Lianxing had a vague sense of what it might be, but if Jiang Shu really brought it up, how would she refuse?

“Take me off the blacklist?"

Huh?

It was completely unrelated to what Ji Lianxing had imagined. She was a bit confused that Jiang Shu didn’t bring up the matter she expected.

"Oh, okay, okay."

"Let’s not talk about money for now. Go home and rest first."

"But this money—"

Jiang Shu interrupted her, "Let’s not discuss it today, alright?"

Jiang Shu stayed in place as if to see Ji Lianxing off.

Ji Lianxing hesitated and cast a probing glance at Jiang Shu.

"Don’t think too much. Just go home and rest."

Feeling too embarrassed to argue further, Ji Lianxing turned and headed toward the hallway. She stopped midway, turned back, and said, "President Jiang, I was too impulsive about blocking you. I’m sorry."

Last night, she had been so scared and concerned about Jiang Shu's opinion that she chose to avoid the situation.

Jiang Shu gave an understanding smile. "It’s alright. I didn’t take it to heart~"

That slender figure quickly vanished into the darkness, leaving only the lingering glow of the fluorescent light at the stairwell.

Jiang Shu stood in place, looking at the old building. The first and second floors had no lights, only the faint sound of footsteps. When Ji Lianxing reached the third floor, she clapped her hands, and the orange light illuminated the darkness. Soon after, the sound of a key turning was heard.

With a creak, the iron door closed.

The little hedgehog had gone home.

****

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The car sped down the main road as Jiang Shu played Radiohead’s "Creep" again.

She didn't know why, but she had always liked the tune and the lead singer’s voice. However, she couldn’t relate to the lyrics.

Her phone vibrated a few times; the caller ID showed Li Xiangyan.

Jiang Shu answered the call, "What’s wrong?"

"Come home quickly! I’m waiting outside your door!"

"...Why are you coming to my place this late?"

"I broke up! I was dumped! I&*#...#￥％..." Li Xiangyan rambled on.

Jiang Shu scoffed, "What are you doing?"

"How much longer until you get back?"

"About ten minutes."

Ten minutes later, Li Xiangyan stood next to Jiang Shu, continuing to complain:

"I mean, he used my money and ate my food. How dare he break up with me?"

Jiang Shu opened the door and glanced sideways at Li Xiangyan. "You know, I’ve never been interested in your problems. You’ve come to the wrong person, sissy¹."

"Sissy? I’m a top dog², okay?"

¹姐妹 (Jiěmèi) = sister, ²大猛1 (Dà měng 1) = Big and fierce, and 1 represents ‘Top’ in a gay relationship 

The two of them walked into the house. Li Xiangyan took out his slippers at the entrance, moving as smoothly as if he were at his own home.

Jiang Shu’s apartment was in one of the few residential areas in the city center—expensive but close to work. It was a bit noisy during the day due to its proximity to the commercial area, but since she was rarely home during the day, it was still quite comfortable.

Li Xiangyan rushed to the massage chair and sat down, starting to give himself a massage.

Jiang Shu: "...You really know how to enjoy yourself, huh?"

Li Xiangyan: "Can’t a heartbroken person enjoy a little comfort?" He activated the leg massage mode and relaxed. "Did you buy the steam eye mask I recommended last time?"

Jiang Shu handed him an eye mask and said, "Hurry up with the massage and go back to your place. I need to sleep."

Li Xiangyan ignored the hint to leave, put on the eye mask, and lay down. He continued to gossip, "Why did you come back so late today? Did you go see that little sister from the company again?"

"What's it to you?" Jiang Shu sat down, half-lying on the sofa, ready to take a short nap before removing her makeup.

Li Xiangyan pulled the eye mask up slightly, revealing one eye, and smiled, "Come on, tell me!"

Thinking of Ji Lianxing, Jiang Shu remembered the slender, lonely, and cautious figure she had seen going upstairs earlier, like a pitiful little hedgehog. She felt a strong urge to protect her.

"I think she’s actually quite cute?"

"That's hilarious." Li Xiangyan got up and threw the eye mask aside. "What kind of cute?"

Jiang Shu undid the second button of her shirt, tilted her head back, and stared at the ceiling for a while before saying, "The kind of cute that makes me desire her physically. Last night, I didn’t just hug her; I almost went all the way."

Li Xiangyan looked shocked and confused. "Seriously? The kind of cute that makes you want to do that? Are you kidding me!!! With your frigidity???”

Jiang Shu rubbed her forehead, irritated by Li Xiangyan's bluntness. "I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to talk about it."

Li Xiangyan’s shock only grew as Jiang Shu didn’t deny it.

"Oh my! The sun must be rising in the west! Your psychological issues might actually be treatable!"

"I’m not sick, it’s your ignorance."

"Where aren’t you ill?" Li Xiangyan, clearly getting more excited, stood up from the massage chair and began counting off on his fingers. "Let me count the issues for you. There are nine in total. The first one, because she’s a virgin, you didn’t go all the way with her; the second one, you didn’t like her, so you dumped her in two days. From the third one, you started acting weird—treating them like dolls, only hugging them tightly when sleeping. I really don’t get you."

Jiang Shu looked up, her gaze sharp, and retorted, "It's consensual. What's the problem?"

Li Xiangyan threw up his hands, looking even more confused. "Am I not being clear enough? This is a disorder! What’s it called? Skin hunger! You need some kind of skin contact to feel comfortable, yes! That’s exactly what I mean!"

"So?" Jiang Shu crossed one leg over the other, appearing calm and indifferent.

Li Xiangyan immediately deflated, realizing that no matter how excited he got, this sister in front of him would remain composed.

"Hey, what I mean is, if you have that kind of feeling for her, maybe it could actually cure your disorder."

"That’s not the same thing. And I’m not ill." Jiang Shu took out her phone. Someone had just added her as a friend on WeChat—Ji Lianxing.

She accepted the friend request and waited for a message. The status showed that the other person was typing, but no message came through.

Jiang Shu thought about what happened tonight and said to Li Xiangyan, "I find her cute, but I don’t think she wants to be my canary."

"Well, money can make even ghosts grind the mill," Li Xiangyan said, making a gesture as if counting money.

Jiang Shu shook her head. "It depends on the person."

"Is there anything money can't solve? If it can't be solved, then it just means there's not enough of it."

"Li Xiangyan, you're too black-and-white. Don’t try to brainwash me with your money doctrines."

Jiang Shu's phone buzzed again. Ji Lianxing had finally sent a message.

It was a long text detailing her repayment plan: how much she would repay each month, the interest rate, and how long it would take to clear the debt.

Jiang Shu showed the phone to Li Xiangyan. "See? She doesn’t want my money, she wants to pay me back."

Li Xiangyan showed an expression of disbelief. “She owes you money?”

“Tonight she ran into some trouble, so I temporarily covered her debt. Not much, just 250,000.”

Li Xiangyan immediately went berserk.

“Jiang Shu! She’s top-tier! In just one day, she can scam you out of 250,000! And you’re completely obsessed! Wake up! Wake up already!”

Jiang Shu replied, “...She will pay me back. You’re overthinking it.”

“It’s a scheme! Definitely a scheme! Women’s hearts are as deep as the ocean! A poisonous snake can still have a pure face! Do you even know what she’s really planning?”

“Stop being so loud and annoying, just leave already,” Jiang Shu stood up, not wanting to listen to Li Xiangyan’s conspiracy theories.

“Really! Take your sister's advice! Today it's 250,000! Tomorrow it'll be 2.5 million! The day after, it'll be 25 million!” 

Jiang Shu covered Li Xiangyan’s mouth. “Shh... You’re too noisy.”

After dragging and pushing, she finally got Li Xiangyan out of the house, feeling that the world had finally quieted down.

She took out her phone and looked carefully at the message from Ji Lianxing. According to what she sent, the interest was 20 percent.

Jiang Shu shook her head at the screen, thinking to herself that this girl was really naive.

But she still replied:

[Didn’t we agree not to discuss this matter?]

The other party was typing...

[President Jiang, it’s impossible. Paying back debts is a matter of principle. Thank you for your kindness, but I can’t accept it without returning the money. It must be repaid.]

Jiang Shu put her phone aside and didn’t reply to Ji Lianxing.

Ah, who wants her money?