Chapter 57. Jiang Shuyan took in Song Jie's reaction...
Jiang Shuyan took in Song Jie's reaction.
This is the effect she wanted.
Song Jie and Gao Wen are a hidden storyline in the story. Jiang Shuyan didn't pay much attention to them at first because the mother and daughter were too weak and posed no threat to her at all.
Moreover, she gets along well with Song Jie, even more so than in the storyline.
But Jiang Shuyan looked down on Song Jie.
This person is too selfish and ruthless.
As far as she knew, Jiang Chuanwen had an affair with Song Jie while traveling, and she became pregnant. At the time, it was said that it was likely to be a boy, which made Jiang Chuanwen extremely happy. He felt that he finally had an offspring.
Song Jie abandoned Gao Wen, who was about to take the college entrance examination, sold all her family property and disappeared, and came to City A with Jiang Chuanwen.
Unfortunately, she was unlucky and gave birth to Jiang Ru, who happened to be a daughter. They haven't registered their marriage yet, so they live in a house under Jiang Chuanwen's name without proper status. She relies on Jiang Ru for a little living allowance each month, which is often interrupted. It's estimated that she has spent almost all the money she made from selling her assets in previous years.
Seeing Gao Wen was like seeing a "death knell," especially after learning that they both knew Gao Wen, she was even more afraid that her shameful past would be exposed.
Jiang Shuyan understands this kind of person very well. Like her, they are most afraid of losing their superior living conditions, unable to go back to the way things were before, unable to endure even a little poverty, and have no ability to do so.
*
Inside the residential community.
Gao Wen and Fang Han were walking back.
He was carrying two large bags, while Gao Wen was carrying bouquets and potted plants.
"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?" Fang Han asked Gao Wen softly.
Gao Wen showed no joy whatsoever from buying flowers; instead, she looked preoccupied, which genuinely worried him.
"It's nothing, I just thought about something." Gao Wen snapped out of her reverie, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Fang Han didn't ask any more questions.
After the two returned, Gao Wen placed the potted plant on the table and gave the small potted succulent to Fang Han: "Here, put this in front of your computer. It might be useful."
Fang Han took it, looked at the little succulent in his hand, and a smile appeared on his face.
He took the succulents back, placed them carefully in front of the computer, and even moved them a few times before leaving the room and taking the ingredients to the kitchen.
Besides buying ingredients, they also bought a lot of bowls, plates and small items this time. Gao Wen was in the living room. After arranging the flowers, she took out the small items one by one and was thinking about how to arrange them. Occasionally, she would go in and out of the kitchen to ask Fang Han for advice.
In the small living room and kitchen, the two of them were busy at work. Fang Han could see Gao Wen as soon as he turned around. His eyes were full of smiles, and his heart was filled with happiness.
He had imagined this scene countless times.
late at night.
Fang Han leaned against the headboard, bent down to open the bedside table, took out a box, placed it on his person, and opened it.
Under the refraction of the light, the diamonds on the necklace pendant shone brilliantly.
This necklace is the one Gao Wen saw in the mall.
That night, when the two returned, Fang Han was afraid that she would be bought by someone else, so he hurriedly went out again after she returned to her room.
He had bought the necklace, but he still lacked an opportunity to give it to her. Fang Han had never done anything like this before. After spending time together, he knew Gao Wen's personality well. If he gave it to her rashly, he would probably make things worse.
Although he didn't think it was a big deal, she wouldn't accept it easily, as it would cause her trouble.
Fang Han closed the box, carefully placed it in the drawer, got up, and went out to get water.
He sat at the dining table and looked towards Gao Wen's bedroom.
She was asleep at that time.
Although separated by a door, Gao Wen was not actually asleep. She sat on the bed, her eyes clear, showing no signs of drowsiness.
A memory she had also kept buried was being forcibly opened—a past she least wanted to mention.
Helplessness, confusion, panic, fear, despair—
That was the first time I grew up.
Gao Wen hugged her knees with both hands and silently buried her head.
That's it. I hope to continue forgetting.
However, Song Jie had no intention of letting Gao Wen off the hook.
She hadn't slept for several nights, overwhelmed by unease and fear.
In particular, from the few words she gleaned from Lin Siyue, she found Gao Wen's online video account and learned that she was doing very well and had even come from City A after being admitted to University A.
Gao Wen's college entrance exam score was only good enough to get into a regular top-tier university, and that was only after they spent a lot of money on tutoring, with each lesson costing several hundred yuan.
With Gao's father dead and her source of income gone, Song Jie felt that Gao Wen would only be able to attend an ordinary undergraduate program.
This news was indeed a huge surprise to her.
No matter what, Gao Wen cannot stay here.
After several twists and turns, Song Jie obtained Gao Wen's phone number. When she dialed the number, Gao Wen's clear and polite voice came through: "Hello."
"It's me," Song Jie said, pursing her lips.
"Who are you?" Gao Wen asked, sounding puzzled.
Song Jie took a deep breath, her face looking very unnatural. She forced out a sentence: "I'm your mother. When do you have time to meet?"
She hadn't referred to herself like that for several years, and she really disliked it.
"You've probably mistaken me for someone else. My mother died a long time ago."
Gao Wen's words carried a hint of sarcasm and irony, causing Song Jie to freeze instantly, her face turning ashen.
She was afraid that Gao Wen would pester her and question her about what happened back then, but she didn't expect the other party to have this attitude.
Gao Wen actually cursed her!
Just as Song Jie was about to continue speaking, the other end simply hung up.
She tried calling back, but couldn't get through, which made her so angry she almost couldn't catch her breath.
After class, Gao Wen didn't rush back. She practiced alone in the classroom, constantly deepening her understanding of the postures.
Sweat streamed down her face, dripping onto the yoga mat, one drop after another, quickly soaking a large area. Her hair and clothes were also completely wet.
She pursed her lips and remained silent, without even frowning.
Before leaving get off work, the receptionist quietly opened the door and saw Gao Wen in the classroom. Her eyes showed surprise and admiration: "Teacher Wenwen, there's no one left in the library. I'm going back now."
"Okay, bye-bye." Gao Wen opened her mouth and forced a smile.
"Bye-Bye."
......
The classroom doors were closed together, and Gao Wen continued training. When she was exhausted, she lay on the yoga mat, panting.
After adjusting herself, Gao Wen stood up.
She picked up her phone and saw several messages from Fang Han in the message bar.
Generally speaking, Fang Han wouldn't bother her. After sending one or two messages, he would quietly wait for her reply.
It was almost eleven o'clock, which was past Gao Wen's usual overtime hours. Gao Wen could sense his worry; he had even made two phone calls.
Gao Wen made a video call back.
The call connected in the next second.
Fang Hanjian frowned, but his voice remained gentle as he softly asked, "Why haven't you replied to my messages?"
"I'm busy," Gao Wen said, forcing a tired smile.
Fang Han saw her wet hair and the beads of sweat on her face, and his eyes showed pity and concern: "I'm at the company. It's cold outside, you should change into dry clothes and not catch a cold."
“Okay, go change now, I brought it.” Gao Wen nodded.
Fang Han: "I'll wait for you downstairs, and we'll go back together."
"good."
When Gao Wen changed her clothes and went outside, she saw a tall and slender figure standing under the tree. When Fang Han saw her, his eyebrows rose and his gaze remained fixed on her.
"You've had a particularly tough day. Are you hungry?" Fang Han walked towards Gao Wen, his voice filled with tender affection.
Gao Wen felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart, followed by a lingering warmth. She lowered her head, shook it, took a deep breath, and whispered, "I'm not hungry."
I didn't have much of an appetite either.
"Is something bothering you?" Fang Han asked with concern.
“No, I’m just tired,” Gao Wen added after she finished speaking, “I was a little over the limit.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Han also became worried: "Why don't you take a rest? Your health is the most important thing."
"I'll feel better after a good night's sleep," Gao Wen said as she walked forward. "Let's go back, I'm sleepy."
Fang Han followed behind her.
He has always been a man of few words. Usually, Gao Wen is a little more talkative. She would talk about interesting things at the yoga studio, the troubles of taking classes, and even funny things that happened in private messages on her online video account. Today, she didn't say anything, so he could only keep trying to find topics to talk about.
As Gao Wen listened to Fang Han racking his brains to find topics, which sounded so dry and awkward, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
As they walked side by side, she couldn't help but move a little closer to him.
The weather is gradually getting colder.
Gao Wen, however, felt that Fang Han emanated warmth, which always healed her. Her chaotic emotions would become grounded when she saw him. She wanted to get closer to him and draw some warmth from him, which made her feel a little happier and more content.
After returning home, Fang Han asked Gao Wen, "Didn't you want scallion oil noodles? I'll make them for you now. You can have a couple of bites if you want."
"Too much trouble, and it's late." Gao Wen shook her head and dragged her feet into the house. "I'm sleepy."
"Alright then, go to sleep early." Fang Han poured her a glass of warm water. "Goodnight."
Gao Wen held the glass of warm water, smiled gently, and walked towards the bedroom: "Goodnight."
......
Two more days passed.
Gao Wen was too busy, and her mood, which had been affected, gradually returned to normal.
She thought she had been good to herself enough, but Fang Han was very, very good to her. He probably remembered that she was too tired and in a bad mood during this period, so he was going to cook her a big meal on this week's day of indulgence.
"Don't be shy, you can order whatever you want, I should be able to cook it," Fang Han said from the other side of the video.
"I won't stand on ceremony," Gao Wen said with a smile, standing in front of the classroom's floor-to-ceiling window. "I want to eat stir-fried crab with scallions and ginger, and I also want to have hot pot with fermented rice wine and honey-glazed chicken wings..."
She listed a series of dishes: "Just pick a few to make, otherwise you won't know what to eat next time. The order doesn't matter."
Fang Han smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll take a look in a bit."
"I will have an extra class in the evening, so I will finish class later."
"It's okay, I get off work early, I'll go to the supermarket by myself. Is there anything you want to buy?" Fang Han had already thought it through. He would go to the same fresh food supermarket as last time. The flowers and potted plants there were very pretty, and he would buy her some.
Hopefully, this will cheer her up.
"Rainbow candy," Gao Wen blurted out, she really wanted some.
Fang Han's eyes flickered slightly: "Hmm,"
......
Gao Wen was in a hurry to go home for dinner, but the member didn't arrive on time.
The class, which was supposed to start at 8:00, was moved to 8:30. Gao Wen could only keep sending messages to Fang Han, apologizing repeatedly.
He always had a good temper, and instead comforted her, telling her not to worry, that he hadn't finished cooking yet and would do it later.
Gao Wen still felt guilty and anxious.
After she finished class, she quickly packed up, put on her coat, and prepared to go home.
Gao Wen walked out of the classroom and found that Lin Siyue hadn't left.
"You haven't gone back yet?" Gao Wen asked in surprise.
The front desk is responsible for being on duty. Lin Siyue usually gets off work at six o'clock, and now it's nine-thirty, so she thought there was no one at the front desk.
"I'm free, so I'll stay here," Lin Siyue said with a smile when she saw Gao Wen come out while she was watching a TV series. "My brother said he'd pick me up after get off work, so I'll wait for him."
After she finished speaking, her phone received a message: "My brother has arrived. Shall we take you home?"
"No need." Gao Wen didn't like to trouble others.
However, on second thought, the most troublesome person for her right now is Fang Han. Maybe she's become shameless. Knowing that he's a good person and indulges her, she doesn't feel embarrassed at all and even orders the dishes with a straight face.
"Let's go, it's very convenient. It's so late and cold outside, I have to take you home." Lin Siyue took Gao Wen's arm and insisted on taking her home.
Unable to refuse such hospitality, and remembering that Fang Han was still waiting for her at home, Gao Wen didn't say no: "Thank you for troubling your brother."
"No way! Our whole family is grateful to you. Without you, I would still be a freeloader. Now I'm living the high life. My parents can brag about my brother and me too!" Lin Siyue said with a smile, sticking close to Gao Wen.
Gao Wen and Lin Siyue walked together to the roadside, chatting and laughing.
The black Mercedes was parked on the side of the road. Lin Siyue walked up to it and called out, "Brother."
Then, she opened the car door and said to Gao Wen behind her, "Sister Wenwen, you go in first."
Upon hearing this, Lin Heng, sitting in the driver's seat, narrowed his eyes slightly, silently hung up the phone, and sat up straight.
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Author's note: See you at the second update!
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