The city wasn't quiet at night; it was even more clamorous than during the day.
The streets were an endless stream of cars spewing grayish-white exhaust. In the windows of the grand skyscrapers, many office drones were still hard at work, with piles of uncleared takeout containers beside them.
In contrast to the skyscrapers was the residential complex where Jiangg Ning lived.
The apartment was quite spacious.
She had set up a dedicated study for work, and besides the usual desk and chair, the largest piece of furniture was a bookshelf against the wall, adorned with a clivia, a money plant, and a small pot of mint.
To the left of the door was a stand where several goldfish cheerfully blew bubbles in a transparent glass tank.
The room was brightly lit. Jiangg Ning was hunched over her desk, working, occasionally jotting down notes on her materials with a look of intense focus.
Anyone who saw her like this always said it was when Jiangg Ning was at her most beautiful. Her fair hand held a pen, her brow furrowing in deep thought one moment, her lips pressing together tightly the next.
This was a rare treat. Usually, when she worked from home, Jiangg Yao would burst in and pull her away to chatter about this and that, completely shattering her hard-won train of thought. Today was different. For the first time in ages, Jiangg Yao had gone out by herself.
Leaving her in peace.
Jiangg Ning had no idea what her sister was up to. If she did, she would have coughed up blood from anger.
Almost savoring the moment, Jiangg Ning finished her work, put down her pen, and stretched.
As she let out a lazy sigh, the stretch accentuated her curves. She let her arms fall heavily, draping them over the back of the chair.
She glanced at the time: 8:30 PM.
She wasn't hungry at all. Jiangg Ning found it strange, patting her flat stomach and muttering, "I didn't eat much for lunch, either."
The fridge was full of ingredients; she could easily whip up a satisfying meal. But she didn't get up from her chair.
She knew that when Jiangg Yao got back, she would definitely be clamoring to eat this and that.
Sometimes, when you get used to being the older sister, you naturally consider your younger sister first in everything. As the saying goes, the eldest sister is like a mother. And with a cold mother of their own, Jiangg Ning had shouldered even more of the responsibility for taking care of Jiangg Yao.
Ever since they were little, she had been far more responsible than their actual mother.
She had given almost all her tenderness to Jiangg Yao, and it had gradually become a habit. If one day Jiangg Yao no longer needed her to worry…
...Jiangg Ning wouldn't know what to do with herself.
Just like now. Looking out at the night, she was a little worried if Jiangg Yao could get home by herself, so she picked up her phone from the desk and sent a message.
DING—
A few seconds later, Jiangg Yao replied.
"Having a bit more fun, sis. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"Where are you having so much fun that you don't even want to come home?" Jiangg Ning mused, propping her chin on her hand. 'Still, it's a good thing my sister is willing to go out. I can't take care of her forever.'
'Maybe one day, I'll get married.'
'I can't just bring my sister along with me, can I?'
'That would be too scandalous.'
Everyone has to learn to live independently, no exceptions. In the blink of an eye, she and Jiangg Yao were already twenty-six... Jiangg Ning couldn't help but recall the phone call from her mother a few days ago.
Remembering that tone of voice, she couldn't stop herself from twisting the corner of her clothes.
'In a few days, I should probably make a trip back. Some things you just have to face; there's no running away.'
Jiangg Ning turned her head, her expression lonely. But resting on a pile of books, something shiny caught her eye.
Reaching out, she picked up the ring and stared at it in a daze.
It was an extremely cheap ring, but Jiangg Ning had worn it for months. When she first accepted this "token," she had actually been quite happy. She especially remembered what Chen Yuan had said during their chat: "Even though we're in different cities and don't know what each other looks like, we're wearing the same ring. Every time you see it, you'll think of me, and I'll do the same." The day she received the ring, she put it on immediately.
She had even hidden it from Jiangg Yao.
Only after repeated questioning did she tell the truth.
But while she usually gave in to Jiangg Yao, she hadn't that time. She'd insisted on claiming ownership of the ring and had never once let Jiangg Yao wear it.
Because of it, the two had a falling-out and gave each other the silent treatment for over a day.
'So childish, like little kids. As if seeing a ring would really make you think of someone...' Just as a smile touched Jiangg Ning's lips, Chen Yuan's face flashed in her mind.
'I actually remembered...'
...
"Sis, I'm home! Did you make dinner yet!" The moment Jiangg Yao got home, she kicked off her shoes without a care for her image, slipped on her slippers, and yelled.
"Not yet. If you're hungry, I'll make it now."
"Wait, do we have any liniment? HISS—"
Jiangg Yao clutched her shoulder, her face contorted in pain as she started rummaging through the living room.
Jiangg Ning walked out of the study, a concerned and puzzled look on her face. "You're hurt? Let me see."
"I think I bruised it when I fell."
"Oh, how could you be so careless!" Jiangg Ning helped her take off her jacket and pulled down her shirt, immediately spotting a large, dark bruise on her tender shoulder.
"Don't ask. I took a tumble, and I scraped my leg, too."
"I swear, you're impossible..."
Jiangg Ning scolded her but didn't forget to quickly grab the liniment from a drawer. She poured some into her palm, rubbed her hands together to warm it, and began massaging her sister's shoulder.
Surprisingly, Jiangg Yao, who would normally make a huge fuss over the smallest injury, wasn't making a scene at all.
She just sat quietly on the sofa, even letting out a small laugh from time to time.
"You're laughing after a fall like that? Just how much fun did you have out there...?"
"It was alright, I guess. The main thing is I got to see a good friend. We met up in person!"
"Since when do you have friends I don't know about?" Jiangg Ning was skeptical.
"An online friend! We've wanted to meet for a long time. I was always too scared to go out before, but now that I'm not, of course we had to have some fun together."
Jiangg Yao wiggled her shoulders, looking incredibly smug. It was obvious just how happy she was.
Her infectious happiness even affected Jiangg Ning, who had been about to scold her a bit more. She examined the bruise with a sense of helplessness and decided not to say anything else.
"Alright, I bought some ham yesterday. I'll make shiitake mushroom stir-fry with pork and egg fried rice."
"Yay!"
While Jiangg Ning went into the kitchen, Jiangg Yao propped her long legs up on the coffee table and started peeling an orange.
She peeled it absently, her mind on what had happened half an hour ago, picturing Chen Yuan's furious, frustrated face.
"Hee hee hee." Jiangg Yao giggled to herself and popped a slice of orange into her mouth.
In that moment, the feeling in her heart was much sweeter than the taste in her mouth.
...
"BURP~ That was so good!"
Jiangg Yao devoured the entire plate of egg fried rice, then flopped onto the sofa and let out a satisfied burp.
Jiangg Ning, by contrast, was much more demure. She ate in small, unhurried bites.
Once she started to feel full, she stopped, pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth, and stacked her bowl and chopsticks neatly.
"I'll help you bathe later, so you don't get the wound wet. We need to be careful with it, even with a bandage on."
"Okay, I'll go after I rest for a bit."
"I'll go run the water then."
Jiangg Ning went into the bathroom. It had an oversized bathtub, big enough for both of them to soak in together. Bath time was usually the most relaxing part of their day.
Humming a cheerful tune, Jiangg Yao went to the bedroom to change. She stripped off all her clothes without a second thought, revealing a figure that was just right in every way.
Not an inch too much, not an inch too little.
"With a girlfriend this good-looking, Chen Yuan, what are you even hesitating for...?"
Jiangg Yao muttered to herself, striking a seductive pose and winking playfully. The image in the mirror was enough to mesmerize any man.
However, in the bathroom, two such exquisite figures would soon appear.
And when the two of them stood together, the sight would be truly, breathtakingly stunning.