The Reconciliation Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Meeting Again

Xixi, I just realized who your new neighbor is. It’s the new boss, President Jiang.

After closing the phone, Zhong Chen’s voice resounded in Yu Xi’s ears. Actually, last night she already guessed that the new neighbor was Jiang Jingbai.

In the beginning, when she chased Jiang Jingbai all over the school, not to mention her shadow, even the angle her lip corners quirk at when she smiles and which of her expressions genuinely show happiness and which ones are half-hearted, she knew clearly.

That’s right. She was that infatuated with Jiang Jingbai in the beginning, disregarding everything to like her and give her everything.

Finally resulting with them breaking up at the end.  

She thought about it afterwards, was it because she liked her too much that it gave her too much stress causing their relationship to not have a satisfactory ending?

Of course, no one could have answered this question.

Because when she wanted to ask this, Jiang Jingbao had already left for abroad.

Even though they’ve already met once again, she already doesn’t want to ask anymore.

Yu Xi laid on the sofa, looking at the chandelier hanging above her head. Her head felt like a complete mess. She didn’t sleep well yesterday, partly because of the whole situation online, and partly because of Jiang Jingbai. It’s been a long time since she’s been this anxious to the point that she wasn’t able to sleep.

As expected, Jiang Jingbai and her were fated to be ill-matched.

The moment she came back, she let her experience the feeling of insomnia all over again.

As she was thinking about it, her eyelids started to feel really heavy. She closed her eyes and lightly fell asleep.

The glass door to the balcony remained open, with warm air blowing in occasionally. Hanging on the side of the balcony was a small wind chime that produced a melodious sound when blown by the wind. The sound floated over to the next door apartment.

Jiang Jingbai was currently changing in her room. She needed to attend a wine reception in the evening. Even without eating lunch, she rushed back to change her clothing.

The dark blue gown stuck closely to her waist and the sleeveless design exposed her slim arm. Her skin, fair and exquisite, was full of luster. On one wrist, she wore a watch, not a brand watch but its simple design excluded an imposing air about it. On the other wrist, she wore a jade bracelet with the same color as her gown. The color was very rich causing the skin to look even clearer to some degree in contrast.

The gown featured a V-shaped neckline and a fitted bodice but did not have any excessive decorations. The length of the skirt was very long, just a bit off from reaching the ankle. She also changed on a ten centimeter high heel. Jiang Jingbai swayed in front of the mirror before sitting down in front of the dressing table, drawing on her eyebrows and applying eyeliner.

The moment she held up the brow pencil, she suddenly remembered how someone told her before, “Hey Jingbai, I saw on tv that when you like someone, you have to help them draw their eyebrow. How about I help you draw them on for the rest of our lifetime?”

An entire lifetime.

What a captivating statement.

Jiang Jingbai held up the brow pencil again, brushing all of the distracting thoughts out, and started to concentrate on putting on makeup.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang with her assistant’s voice following, “President Jiang, it’s time.”

“Got it.”

After a few minutes, Jiang Jingbai and her assistant stepped into the elevator and then left the apartment complex.

It was currently the beginning of October and the weather was very dry. Before Yu Xi slept, she forgot to open the air conditioner, but instead of being woken up by the heat, she woke up to a noise.

Her phone’s ringtone rang incessantly and persistently. Yu Xi yawned before picking up the phone.

“Hey.”

“Xixi, it’s me.”

Yu Xi moved her neck, “I know, I’m not deaf. You think I can’t tell who you are from your voice?”

Hu Xiaojing let out a ‘pu¹’ sound of laughter, “Yo, superstar Yu, you still remember me? This lowly one is truly touched.”

“Is your skin itching for a beating?” Yu Xi mumbled, “I haven’t even looked for you yet.”

“The birth of my goddaughter is such an important affair yet you didn’t even tell me?”

Hu Xiaojing was surprised, “How do you know?”

“It’s Han Yisi again, I already told him to not tell you! I wanted to give you a surprise!”

Yu Xi was amused, “A surprise?”

“Don’t tell me the child is actually mine?”

Hu Xiaojing sighed lightly, “You think only you know how to joke around like this?”

“I already saw everything on Weibo, were you busy these two days?”

Yu Xi very honestly replied, “No.”

“Very idle.”

The type of idleness that was very hard to get after becoming popular. Hu Xiaojing sighed, “Got it. Honestly, you too, putting out such a big news without any warning. Your fans are almost driven crazy by you.”

Yu Xi laughed without a sound. Hu Xiaojing continued, “Oh right, I read from the group chat that Jiang Jingbai came back. Did you know?”

“I did.” Yu Xi rose from the sofa and twisted her waist, stretching her back, “She’s my new boss.”

“Pu-“

Hu Xiaojing let out this type of sound for the second time. She didn’t even try to hide it and immediately started to gossip, “Your new boss?”

“You’re saying Jiang Jingbai is your new boss?”

Yu Xi blinked, “Was what I was saying hard to understand?”

“No, no.” Hu Xiaojing still felt it was miraculous, “No, but how did she just happen to go to your company? And become your boss? Xixi, be honest, are you two getting together again? When I heard your phone call during that program, I just knew something wasn’t right!”

“Don’t you dare forget the pain you went through immediately after your scars have healed. If you’re dumped again this time, there won’t be anyone that can accompany you and be crazy with you!”

Yu Xi didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, “Miss Hu, don’t you think you’re overthinking it?”

Hu Xiaojing suppressed the flames that were coming up, “It’s not that I’m overthinking it, I’m just afraid you’ll disappoint me again! If she even points a finger at you, you’ll lose all of your reasoning!”

It’d be better if she didn’t say anything, the moment she said something, the flames she managed to suppress started to rise again. Back then, she and Han Yisi both saw how Yu Xi treated Jiang Jingbai. Besides being a good girlfriend who even followed the Twenty-four Filial Examplars², she even completely changed her interests and hobbies to match with Jiang Jingbai’s entirety. Yet what did she get in the end?

She didn’t get anything in the end besides a serious illness. Even before she got better, she heard that Jiang Jingbai was leaving the country so she dragged her feverish body to the airport to find her, but eventually collapsed at the airport.

Fortunately, Hu Xiaojing and Han Yisi went and secretly brought her back home, otherwise it would now be used as a pile of dirt to slander her with.

So if she wants her to treat Jiang Jingbai more kindly, that is not possible at all!

Yu Xi listened to her chatter on without stop, even more gossipy than her own parents. She pressed on her hurting head, “Hold it.”

“Did you call me today just to criticize me?”

Hu Xiaojing was stumped for a few seconds, “Of course not.”

“Your goddaughter was born, I wanted you to come and take a look at her.”

Yu Xi responded, “Why don’t I go with Han Yisi.”

Hu Xiaojing replied, “Okay.”

Once Yu Xi thought the other was going to hang up the phone, she let out a deep breath in relief. Before she even let it out halfway, she heard Hu Xiaojing start to speak again, “Xixi.”

“The stuff on Weibo, does your family know?”

Yu Xi’s movement of raising the phone up paused and slowly said after a while, “Probably.”

After all, the whole situation has already gotten this big, it’s hard to not know about it.

Hu Xiaojing heard the disappointment in her voice and softly replied, “Has your grandpa still not allowed you go back yet?”

“Not yet.” Yu Xi leaned against the balcony, “Let’s not talk anymore, Bai-jie just called me. Let’s talk about it later.”

Once Hu Xiaojing’s ‘okay’ came out, Yu Xi hung up the phone.  

Talking about it later.

About the situation back home, she never even wants to talk about it.

Yu Xi put her phone away. Head down, her eyes were lit brightly by the lighting. As neon lamps flickered, the city seemed to be like a city that never sleeps as it bustled with extraordinary noise and excitement.

As she leaned against the balcony, her stomach sounded out a gulu gulu sound.

She ate a little in the morning but did not eat in the afternoon nor at night, so her stomach started to rebel now.

Yu Xi glanced at the time on her phone. Nine-thirty. She sent Zhong Chen a message: Where are you?

Zhong Chen replied really quick: I just got in bed. What do you need, XiXi?

Yu Xi looked at her reply, thinking that if she forced Zhong Chen, who just got in bed, to get up, would that be too unreasonable?

She sighed: Nothing, go to sleep then.

After closing the phone, Yu Xi returned to the living room. She went to boil a pot of water and then started to pull out drawers and open cabinets in vain to find a bag of instant noodles.

In the end, she only managed to spread the smell of new furniture from the cabinets.

She compromised, drinking two cups of the water that finished boiling.　

The more she drank, the hungrier she got.

Yu Xi finally gritted her teeth and gave in, get takeout!

It wasn’t as if she’s never ordered takeout before. In fact, due to her previous constantly changing work schedule, Bai Yutang even specifically gave her a phone just for ordering takeout, but it was usually Zhong Chen who helped her pick it up. It’s because Zhong Chen isn’t here that she will hesitate for this long.

However, no matter how much she hesitates, she still has to eat.

Yu Xi found the phone specifically for ordering takeout and entered the app. She saw the various kinds of food and couldn’t help but swallow her saliva. Even before the food came, she could smell the aroma already.

She was honestly hungry, so she ordered a Mala Fish³ set meal from nearby. After ordering, she conveniently pressed into Weibo. She saw that the previous two hot searches were already gone, but the discussion on her was still in full swing. Under her own account, there were already numerous fans who came to lament. Hard core fans declaring they’ll follow her through life and death, casual fans declaring they’ll like her shows no matter what, and new fans declaring that her response to the reporters was so refreshing that they became fans. Of course, there were also old fans who came back to smear her. In short, her Weibo was very exciting and even comparable to a big show.

The last time it was this lively, it was day she received her awards. At the time, Weibo was filled with her name, even before Bai Yutang published the announcement of her three award Grand Slam, the news was already everywhere.

Alas, every dog has its day, right now Weibo is once again filled with her name, but it is due to an entirely different incident.

Before long, a certain app sent him a notification: the takeout has already been retrieved from the restaurant and is currently waiting to be sent.

Yu Xi immediately went into her room and fully armed herself up, leaving only her eyes exposed. After five minutes, her phone started to ring. Yu Xi received the phone call in a low muffled voice.

“Is this Miss Han? Your delivery is here.”

Yu Xi stood in front of the elevator, “Put it the elevator, I’ll have it come up to me.”

The deliveryman did not hesitate at all, probably regularly having to do this type of operation.

“Alright.”

Right as the deliveryman placed the takeout in the elevator, he saw a girl pass by and enter the elevator just before the doors closed. The fragrance of perfume wafted over, it was not dense but fresh and clean instead and smelled very nice. Curious, he wanted to take a couple more looks but found that the elevator door had already closed.

Jiang Jingbai stood in the elevator, the heavy savory spicy smell lingering around her nose, irritating her deeply that she even coughed a couple of times. Eventually, she looked down at the origin of the smell.

A takeout was placed at the side, but because it was packaged not securely enough, some soup spilt out. As this type of odor remained in the sealed space, Jiang Jingbai couldn’t help but frown. Right as she was about to shift her line of sight away, she discovered the label containing a very familiar name.  

Han Yisi.

Yu Xi was leaning against the wall next to the elevator when she heard a ding and the elevator door opened. She leaned over, preparing to grab her takeout, but did not expect someone standing inside.

The person inside was carrying a bag of takeout.

Based on the smell, it should be what she ordered.

Seeing Jiang Jingbai, Yu Xi knew she didn’t need to disguise herself anymore. She took off her mask, her face not showing any expression. She greeted, “President Jiang.”  

Jiang Jingbai looked up and glanced over. Yu Xi’s long sleeve shirt and long trousers hid her very securely. From top-down only her toes were exposed to the outside and her red nail polish was also particularly eye-grabbing as well.   

When Yu Xi saw her stare at her for half a day without any movement, she yelled out again, “President Jiang?”

Jiang Jingbai looked away and held out the takeout. Yu Xi put on a fake smile, “Are you delivering food as a part-time job?”

“Was just convenient.”  

This was the first sentence Jiang Jingbai said to her after reuniting, and, as always, continuing her style of speech from many years back, it was consistently short.

Yu Xi’s lips parted slightly, “Thanks.”

After she took the takeout and was prepared to leave, Jiang Jingbai behind her said, “Yu Xi.”

“I remember you didn’t eat spicy things before.”

When her attitude turned into a seemingly close friend who wanted to talk all of a sudden, Yu Xi who had her back turned against her, rolled her eyes. Stiffly swallowing the ‘that’s none of your business’ back down from almost coming out of her mouth, she turned around and gave a light and gentle smile, “I’ve truly inconvenienced you, President Jiang. You’ve been so busy with work all day every day, yet still remember that insignificant little detail of mine.”

“But I forgot to tell you, I’ve already changed my taste long ago.”

“Oh- I suddenly remembered. I don’t even need to tell you anything.”

After Yu Xi finished lashing out, she sauntered into her apartment and closed the door in front of Jiang Jingbai with a bang. The spicy aroma still lingered in the air and did not dissipate for a long time.

---

1 I honestly didn’t know how to translate this ‘pu’, but it’s like a sudden sound of laughter usually after someone says something funny but not really. Or something like that.

2 Twenty-four Filial Examplars is a classic text of Confucian teaching filial piety.

3 Mala fish is just hot and spicy fish filets that’s cooked with loads of hot pepper.

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