Chapter 41. Are there fairy tales in the adult world? (Two in one)
Happy endings like the prince and princess living happily together only exist in fairy tales. Being together is just the first step in a long journey. The path to happiness will probably require going through many more difficulties.
The weekend was the billing day for Ruan Tang's three credit cards. It should have been a relatively busy day of the week for her, but the scandal still had a significant negative impact on the coffee shop's business. Looking at the numbers on the bill, she roughly added them up in her mind, and she felt even more gloomy.
Ruan Tang put on her makeup early in the morning and told Xu Wei that she was going to the store. Xu Wei had just finished doing morning wake-up yoga and suggested with a rosy face that she might as well move in and save some rent money.
"Do I look like I need these three thousand dollars?" She shook her hair.
Xu Wei elegantly lifted her glass and took a swig of the thick green liquid. She pointedly said, "You used to get up extra early two days every month: billing day and payday. You were even more punctual than your period. Let me guess, it's billing day again, right? Oh, right? Now it seems you only have billing day left."
Ruan Tang applied another layer of lipstick, rolled her eyes, smiled at her, gave her a thumbs-up, and retorted, "Did you add a lot of honey to that slime-like snot you drank today?" She's becoming more and more pleasant to listen to.
"Tsk, forget it. Don't treat this place as a hotel from now on." Xu Wei put down the cup and continued stretching.
Ruan Tang's expression changed instantly as she stepped forward to hug his thigh, grinning and saying, "How could you be so cruel? I'm just afraid of moving in, just in case you and Mr. Jia get too close and it bothers you guys."
Xu Wei ruthlessly pushed away her hands that were hugging her thighs, exhaled and did the downward dog pose, and retorted to her: Don't give me that.
"Feng Xue also told me that those without permanent property have no permanent heart. My shop is already under someone else's roof, so how can I move into your house and stay there long-term? I only come occasionally so that we can have some fun, right?"
Xu Wei sneered: If I counted correctly, you have slept at my house for more than ten nights this month.
Ruan Tang was telling the truth. The 3,000 yuan she spent sharing a room with Coco was a drop in the bucket compared to her massive bills. It only takes 21 days to develop a good habit, but correcting a spending habit formed over years is a long and painful process.
Ruan Tang only received a dozen or so delivery orders the entire morning. Feeling uneasy, she hunched over the bill behind the counter, which only made her even more anxious.
She opened Xiaohongshu and found an ID named Esther Haruko. She glanced at the center of the display cabinet reluctantly and sent a private message asking: Hello dear, good weekend. I remember you took a fancy to my Chanel black and gold CF when you visited the store last time. I wonder if you are still interested?
The other person replied immediately, as if standing in front of her chat box: Wow wow wow! That's right! ! Sister, didn't you say that these were for collection and not for sale?
"Hehe, when I saw it today, I suddenly thought of you. I inexplicably imagined you carrying it on your back. You are such a perfect match. Maybe this is our fate." Ruan Tang typed these words with a tragic look on his face, and added a cute expression at the end.
"So what's your expected price, sister?"
"This one is going for over 50,000 yuan on the second-hand market now, but I can accept at least 45,000 yuan. It's really worth it, and there's not even a trace of wear on it (crying)."
"Ah, sister, can you make it cheaper?"
"What's the price you can accept?"
"Sister, I'm actually a student still in college. Store visits and being a beauty blogger are my side hustles. I'm not as rich as other bloggers online. The most I have is... 25,000 yuan. Is that okay?"
Seeing this, Ruan Tang almost spat out a mouthful of blood on the phone screen. She never expected that a similar joke that she had laughed at countless times on the Internet would actually happen in her own life. She resisted the rising desire to curse, and with shaking hands, she sent two cute emojis and said: Oh, that's such a pity. Why don't you come to the store more often in the future to take pictures and take a look at it.
The other party's reaction made Ruan Tang feel that she just wanted to see her lose her temper, because she was too lazy to type and just replied with a smiling emoticon. As everyone knows, a smiling emoticon only expresses friendliness in the context of conversations with elders. More often than not, it conveys a "fuck you" emotion.
The financial situation was so tight that she originally wanted to go to the kitchen refrigerator to find some semi-finished products made by Feng Xue to make do with her afternoon meal, but in the end she ordered a salad for 78 yuan.
Looking back on the short twenty years of her life, Ruan Tang has a good attitude that even surprises herself when she thinks back on it. Even if Mount Tai collapses before her, she will still have a good meal and dress up beautifully.
A few years ago, she dated a man who was an internet entrepreneur. He was quite sincere to her, although the material aspects of his sincerity were very limited. But at that time, he was like a person who was keen on realistic development games. He kept urging Ruan Tang to plan more for the future and save money. He even offered to invest money in her business, provided that she had a highly feasible business plan.
She was still too young at that time, and she only wanted to be a delicate flower in a greenhouse. She accepted all the materials he provided and ignored his advice.
When she first opened the coffee shop, Xu Wei mentioned this man and lamented that if Ruan Tang had listened to that man earlier, she might have become financially independent now.
But Ruan Tang felt that every step in life was predestined. What she missed then might seem like an opportunity now, but what if it was a beautifully packaged trap? So she particularly disliked looking back and lamenting what might have been different back then.
At around three o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Yuan arrived. This was the first time Zhang Yuan appeared after Ruan Tang was exposed.
Seeing her, Ruan Tang suddenly remembered what Xu Wei had told her before, that the IDs of those who posted were all from an outsourced water army company. Although they had a strong professional ethics and would never disclose the client's information, Xu Wei still asked a friend to find out that there was a company called Universal Technology among the corporate account transactions that occurred at roughly the same time.
There was only her and another woman wearing LV at this socialite afternoon tea. Zhang Yuan looked at Ruan Tang who came to deliver coffee and desserts, and joked with a smile: I see that you are in pretty good shape, with fair and rosy skin.
Ruan Tang smiled sweetly and said, "Really? Maybe I'm just too careless."
In fact, no matter which of them did the same thing to her, it was just to protect the next generation who were inexperienced in the world from being poisoned by "women like her". She even thought perversely that because she was treated like a big shot, it proved that her charm was still dangerous and she was worth being happy about.
Zhang Yuan waved her hand and said: Why don’t you sit down and chat with us? There are not many people in your store anyway.
As she spoke, she looked at Sister LV and introduced: Ruan Tang is the owner of this store. Recently, I always bring my sisters to her place for afternoon tea. I now feel that this kind of coffee shop deep in the alley is quiet in the hustle and bustle, and is much more stylish than those Bulgari and Hilton places that are made smoky by fake socialites.
Sister LV nodded and smiled: Oh, your taste is always so unique. I think it won’t be long before your secret base becomes a check-in spot for internet celebrities again.
"That's right. I have an eye for people and things, and I'm always right. Do you remember that girl? I just told you last night that she said she was pregnant in less than a month, thinking she would be promoted to the main wife because of the child, but what happened?" She sneered and took an elegant sip of coffee.
Ruan Tang pressed her solar plexus and asked: Is there any Qing Dynasty drama that is popular recently?
Zhang Yuan's smile froze, and she uttered through gritted teeth, "I was wondering if my brother's new girlfriend, who's trying to get ahead, met him on a blind date on a cruise ship. You should have an impression of her, right?"
Ruan Tang thought: How could there not be any? Big sister, you almost demolished my shop.
She smiled slightly and said: Oh, so that's how it is. When I heard you use words like that, I thought it was from a costume drama.
"She, I found out she has a boyfriend of five years. Whose baby is she carrying?"
Ruan Tang nodded in agreement: That's right, men's sperm quality declines when they reach a certain age. This girl is too impatient.
Zhang Yuan's face turned green instantly. She probably wasn't mentally strong enough to openly discuss the sperm quality of her half-brother in front of outsiders.
Sister LV immediately took over the conversation and said: Yuanyuan's family is even richer than the ancient imperial family. It is normal for women to be eager to marry into such a family.
They sang in unison, as if every sentence was a precise sniper aimed at Ruan Tang, urging her to recognize her position and stay away from Zhang Haoyu.
LV's sister said, "Yuanyuan, you don't understand. For a woman with limited talent and resources, relying on a man is the fastest way to rise up the social ladder." As she spoke, she glanced around the store, scanning the luxury goods in the display cases. Then, turning to Ruan Tang, she smiled and asked, "Huh? I wonder where the boss lady's other businesses are?"
"Here," Ruan Tang pointed to where she was, "My property is me."
It can be seen that Sister LV had prepared a hundred sets of words to expose her fair, rich and beautiful persona, but she did not expect her to be so frank, so she laughed and said: The boss lady does have a face that makes people willing to pay for it.
Zhang Yuan poked the strawberry mousse in front of her with a metallic fork between her fingers and asked, "Where's this dessert from? It only looks good. Why is it using mixed cream? It feels so cheap, it's really a disservice."
Since opening the store, Ruan Tang has been working with a handmade dessert shop owner she met online. The desserts in the store are all provided by him. She remembers that several times she came here before, Zhang Yuan specifically mentioned that the strawberry mousse was at the level of French Cordon Bleu.
She smiled and said: Okay, I will change starting tomorrow.
Zhang Yuan seemed to feel that she had conveyed the message clearly, so she talked to LV sister about the Cartier jewelry exhibition the night before.
Ruan Tang took advantage of the fact that the two of them were gradually forgetting themselves in the conversation and found an opportunity to exit the group chat. As soon as she stood up, she saw Feng Xue coming in from outside holding a helmet.
"Why are you back so early?" Ruan Tang asked softly, and she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously. She felt as relaxed as if she had been working for people all day, fully armed and wearing a fake business smile, and suddenly came home, stripped naked, took off her makeup, took a shower, and fell into the bed.
"Because I miss you." He answered naturally in a voice that only the two of them could hear, and the hand that was close to her naturally went to her waist.
Ruan Tang tensed up again in an instant and jumped back as if she had been electrocuted. She subconsciously turned around to look in the direction of Zhang Yuan and the others. Sure enough, she was also looking in that direction.
Ruan Tang withdrew her gaze and saw that Feng Xue's hand was still frozen in place. Her brain was working rapidly, and she reached out to shake Feng Xue's hand as if possessed by a demon. She smiled awkwardly and said: We have been working together for several months, why are you still so polite?
As he said this, he patted Feng Xue's shoulder with his other hand.
Feng Xue saw her making faces at him, but he didn't say anything else. He nodded and walked towards the kitchen.
Ruan Tang breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at Feng Xue's plainly dressed back. Perhaps it was her vanity that was almost rooted in her instinct that was at work. Whenever she thought of the contemptuous look Zhang Yuan might show when she found out that she was with a tavern owner who ran errands during the day and cooked at night, as well as the look that said "a broken pot deserves a broken lid", she could not face the relationship between her and Feng Xue honestly at this time.
After finally waiting for Zhang Yuan and the others to leave, Ruan Tang was about to rush into the kitchen to kneel down and apologize, but she didn't expect Sister LV to come back.
Before she had time to clear the table, she asked softly with a smile: Did you forget something here?
Sister LV crossed her arms and looked cold and arrogant, completely lacking the kind of friendly charm she had just had when she was with Zhang Yuan.
Her eyes roamed around the store several times, and suddenly she approached Ruan Tang and asked in a low voice: Does anyone want to buy anything you have on display here?
Since Zhang Yuan brought someone here, they should be well-off. Ruan Tang was overjoyed, thinking that this month's bills were finally settled. Her tone naturally warmed up, and she asked, "Sister, which bag do you like? I can give you a discount."
"Oh, these bags of yours," Miss LV said calmly, "They are all basic styles. I have them all at home."
Ruan Tang: ...
Ms. LV took off an Hermès bracelet from her wrist and quickly surveyed the surroundings like a member of an underground party. After confirming everything, she said, "Can you help me sell this bracelet here? If you succeed, I'll give you a 10% commission."
Ruan Tang forced a smile and said: You have also seen the customer flow in my store.
Sister LV shook her head and said: I'm not in a hurry, take it slow.
"Then why don't you sell it at a second-hand store?"
Sister LV widened her eyes as if she had heard something outrageous, and said: The secondary market circle is so small, if I put something there today, everyone will know about it tomorrow. If my husband finds out, it will be over. If I am so poor that I have to sell the jewelry, where will our family's face be?
Perhaps because she felt that Ruan Tang was not in the same circle and posed no threat, and that she was sensible enough, Sister LV told her everything she knew.
Ruan Tang learned from her that the pocket money of rich wives is regulated. For someone like her who married into a family with not very strong assets, she often spends more than she earns to cope with the high-cost social activities in the circle of rich wives. However, some money has to be spent, such as high-end custom-made clothes and bags with strong social attributes.
After pouring out her grievances, Sister LV pulled her aside and said mysteriously: Think about it, I can also introduce you to other sisters in need.
Ruan Tang walked into the kitchen while holding her phone and browsing her circle of friends. Feng Xue was standing in front of the chopping board cutting mangoes. He turned around to get something from the refrigerator, and Ruan Tang accidentally bumped into his arms.
Feng Xue pressed her shoulder to make her stand still, then walked to the refrigerator and took out a box of jam. Then he returned to the chopping board and picked up the fruit knife without saying a word.
"Are you angry?" Ruan Tang hugged his arms with both hands, turned her head and stretched her neck to look at him, "I'm sorry."
Feng Xue put down the fruit knife, shook his head, looked at her seriously and said: No, I believe you have your reasons.
She had a bunch of prepared explanations, but suddenly it felt like all those words turned to anger, bubbling up in her chest, and finally reaching the corners of her mouth in a sneer. She said, "You're so generous? So I shouldn't be so stingy, then? Since we're together, have you told Jia Yingjun and Wu Jiahao? Especially Wu Jiahao, aren't you afraid he'll find out and accuse you of forgetting your old love? Are you acting so nonchalant now just so I can tell you when I ask you why you didn't make our relationship public, and tell me you're hiding it from others too?"
After saying this, Ruan Tang was shocked by his own bandit logic.
These things that she never cared about in the past, for some reason, became thorns in her heart because of the man in front of her.
She didn't want to mention it at first, and caring about these things was a bit like a naive girl in a youth novel, but the more you want to suppress some things in your heart, the easier it is for them to slip out of your mouth.
She originally thought that after going through so much with Feng Xue, it was like a master and disciple going through 81 difficulties to finally obtain the true scriptures, and that everything would be smooth and happy from now on. However, she did not expect that the adult world is not a fairy tale, and being together does not necessarily mean the happy ending of a happy life, but the beginning of another unknown journey.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
