Chapter 3: Ruan Jiu Jiu woke up very early.
Ruan Jiu Jiu woke up very early.
It was the first light of dawn, and a few stars hung in the clear, cool sky. After a night of rain, each breath she inhaled was full of moisture.
Ruan Jiu Jiu opened the window and took in the fresh, cool air. Not many people woke up this early. It was quiet and comfortable. Ruan Jiu Jiu thought she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep since she wasn’t used to sleeping on the bed. Who knew that once she opened her eyes, it would be light outside. Good thing she set an alarm.
Today, she had a lot to do. She couldn’t afford to sleep in.
Ruan Jiu Jiu wore her house slippers and opened the bedroom door. A tall, slender figure walked out from the kitchen and scared her.
Cheng Jiu had two pieces of toast and a carton of milk. It looked unhealthy. He didn’t seem to care for Ruan Jiu Jiu’s presence and ambled back to the study.
Thinking back to the likelihood that Cheng Jun didn’t eat dinner last night, Ruan Jiu Jiu scratched her head and called out to him. “Want to eat some eggs or udon or something for breakfast?”
Cheng Jun stopped in his tracks.
His sight swiveled in Ruan Jiu Jiu’s direction. The living room’s lights were on. His pair of black eyes were long and narrow, and had an alluring beauty to them. There wasn’t any intensity to them. His gaze wasn’t piercing, but Ruan Jiu Jiu felt like she had said a little too much.
The original Ruan Jiu Jiu probably didn’t know how to cook. How could her pair of delicate jade hands have ever touched a kitchen fire.
Her manicure had been pretty but very inconvenient. Ruan Jiu Jiu had cleaned off the nail polish with acetone and clipped her nails. Only this way could she actually do some work.
Ruan Jiu Jiu stiffened.
Shoot. She was probably too happy and forgot her image. Did Cheng Jun start suspecting her?
Just as she was floundering and thinking of how to remedy the situation, Cheng Jun stuck out three fingers.
Yuan Jiu Jiu: “?”
Cheng Jun lazily said, “Three eggs.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu: “…”
Ruan Jiu Jiu prepared fried eggs, ham, bread, and milk heated in the microwave to the right temperature. She didn’t eat much for breakfast. She thought she had made too much and that there would be leftovers. Who would have thought that Cheng Jun would eat all the rest.
He didn’t eat that fast, and ate a decent amount. Ruan Jiu Jiu was shocked as she saw him finish off all the leftovers.
Cheng Jun silently looked in Ruan Jiu Jiu’s direction. “… There’s no more.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu was scared that he would get sick with all that he ate so early in the morning.
She liked to cook but hated doing the dishes. Cheng Jun was like an unperturbed Buddha. He wouldn’t get mad and would even clean the table and do the dishes.
Ruan Jiu Jiu was very pleased.
※
Today, she woke up early to change her wardrobe. Ruan Jiu Jiu had a major problem with all the lace and leopard print in her closet. This body looked good with everything but the original Ruan Jiu Jiu just had to style herself in that cheap, vulgar fashion, wasting such a good looking figure.
The most unbearable was the ajumma perm. Thus, Ruan Jiu Jiu decided to first put the hair on the chopping block.
She arrived at the salon and drew the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
The woman who walked through the door was wearing a trench coat, wide-legged pants, and kitten heels. Her features were delicate and refined. She didn’t need makeup. She only wore a simple red color on her glossy lips. Her slightly slanted, bewitching eyes took a gander around the salon, not landing on a single point. Everyone’s hearts itched.
A person immediately came up and asked, “Miss, what would you like today? Come come, please take a seat first.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu sat on a chair and said, “I want the hair straightened, make it more simple, and the ends permed into larger waves.”
“Yes!”
The stylist in the salon repeatedly praised Ruan Jiu Jiu’s hair as thick and good quality. Ruan Jiu Jiu only smiled a little, saying nothing. The other felt a bit embarrassed at their attempts at making conversation, and regardless of how excited they felt, didn’t dare to keep chatting.
They had seen countless people before. Ruan Jiu Jiu’s reserved attitude probably meant that her background wasn’t ordinary. Having a careless remark be snubbed would be bad.
Spending an entire morning at the hair salon was worth it. Ruan Jiu Jiu fiddled with her hair, then handed over the money with satisfaction and left.
Ruan Jiu Jiu was very content with the balance in her bank account. Last night, Cheng Jun as usual transferred to her living expenses for the month, and the amount was more than enough to cover her usual spending habits. She didn’t really have much interest in luxury goods, but even if she did live extravagantly, she probably wouldn’t be able to use it all up.
Ruan Jiu Jiu’s mood was very good.
Turns out that not having to work yet still having an income was this kind of wonderful feeling. With this thought in mind, Ruan Jiu Jiu decided that tonight’s dinner would have a few more dishes to reward Cheng Jun, hopefully easing their relationship of roommates.
Ruan Jiu Jiu didn’t plan to spend all the money. She opened a new bank account, planning to transfer over some funds every month.
Cheng Jun definitely wouldn’t support her like this for her entire life. Ruan Jiu Jiu had thought it all out, she would stay until Cheng Jun found a woman he liked, and then she could happily depart with the money to place with a lower cost of living. Then regardless of if she wanted to work or buy a house, she would have no worries.
Ruan Jiu Jiu slung her bag over her shoulder and with a relaxed pace walked towards the shopping mall. At this time, two young girls walked towards her. One with a face full of flattery, helping carry the other’s coffee. The other had her makeup done up delicately, with a beautiful smile and a gentle appearance overall.
They walked towards each other. The other two, saying something to each other, lifted their heads, and by coincidence met Ruan Jiu Jiu’s eyes.
They stopped in surprise.
Ruan Jiu Jiu nodded politely and walked up the stairs, her steps sounding steadily as she walked into the shopping mall. On the way, it wasn’t just the two of them, quite a few people had stopped to take a second look at her.
“Omg…Rou jiejie, I’ve never seen such a good-looking woman before.” The young girl holding the coffee cups sighed with envy. “Look at that skin, it looks so tender you could squeeze water out of it, and she’s not even wearing any makeup. And that figure…”
Suddenly sensing that the woman named An Rou’s face was on the verge of collapse, she realized that just now she had been praising their counterpart as big beauty. Immediately, she awkwardly backpedaled, “Ah I didn’t have that kind of meaning! You beauties each have your own characteristics, she’s more like a glamorous rose and you’re a white lily, you two each have your own style.”
An Rou was indeed worthy of this description. She pursed her lips into a small smile and shot a glance at the rattled intern next to her, saying softly, “It’s nothing, there are so many beauties everywhere, trying to place them into first, second and third would be too difficult.”
The intern sighed in relief, “Rou jiejie, you’re so kind!”
Covering her mouth, An Rou laughed in ridicule, “Lets go, our work isn’t done yet.”
Her gaze moved away, but she still felt somewhat doubtful.
Odd…Why did she have this persistent feeling that that figure was somewhat familiar? But if she really had met a woman that beautiful before, she definitely would have had an impression of it.
Who was that person?
Ruan Jiu Jiu was unaware that this little episode had occurred. She had already embarked on the long, arduous quest of trying on and buying clothes.
Even though the design of the clothes she had on was ordinary, they were all from name brands. And adding on the Chanel bag she carried, her overall appearance was impressive. Upon her entrance, the sales assistants immediately fixed their sights on Ruan Jiu Jiu. They warmly displayed the latest styles. Ruan Jiu Jiu casually took a look at the tag, and upon seeing the string of zeros, couldn’t help but be inwardly speechless.
She only wanted to buy some clothes in a simpler style and didn’t need anything expensive. At first, the sales assistants were still enthusiastically presenting clothes, but when Ruan Jiu Jiu’s eyes kept glancing towards the sales section, and the clothes she selected weren’t expensive, their smiles gradually cooled.
The sales assistants still had a degree of professionalism, but their enthusiasm waned and they stopped crowding her. This, however, actually caused Ruan Jiu Jiu to let out a sigh of relief.
She smoothly purchased a few pieces of clothing, and after trying them on, the sales assistants eyes’ brightened. They complimented her with a tinge of envy.
“This item draws the eye, and looks especially good with a good figure!”
Being paid a compliment was obviously a pleasing thing. Ruan Jiu Jiu said thank you with a smile.
It was almost the agreed upon time. Ruan Jiu Jiu carried two shopping bags and hailed a taxi to Emerald Isle Coffee. She alighted from the taxi and just so happened to bump into the pretty boy Xiang Rong bearing an icy expression on his handsome face. Xiang Rong was wearing a checkered shirt with a brown knitted vest. He was slim and flushed many a young lady’s cheeks.
Ruan Jiu Jiu muttered something under her breath. He was indeed good looking. It’s just that he paled in comparison to Cheng Jun.
She walked up and called out to Xiang Rong.
Hearing a familiar voice, Xiang Rong stuck a hand in his pocket and cooly turned his head. When he saw Ruan Jiu Jiu he was taken aback.
His face was frozen in shock. When he recalled who the woman in front of him was, he was stunned. He fixed his gaze on her and looked her up and down. Then with great difficulty, he asked, “You are… Ruan Qiu?”
Ruan Jiu Jiu remembered that the original person didn’t like her given name. When she was out on the prowl for pretty boys, she would use the name Ruan Qiu.
It was the same towards Xiang Rong.
“That’s me.” She walked forward, her eyes half smiling. Her eyes could suck a soul in.
Xiang Rong’s throat was dry and he swallowed. He was stunned!
Though they had known each other for a while, Ruan Qiu had always been very pleased with her Western-style makeup. No matter what was said, she wouldn’t tone it down and even more, she wouldn’t let Xiang Rong touch it. Xiang Rong knew that she was beautiful under all the makeup. But when he saw her greedy, ugly appearance and the dumb look on her face, he immediately lost appetite.
Don’t even mention getting close and being intimate. When he saw those spider lashes, he’d become disgusted.
If it weren’t for the possibility that Ruan Qiu could come into a few million yuan, he definitely wouldn’t have wasted so much time on her. But now look. She doesn’t want to divorce and has changed so much!
Xiang Rong clenched his teeth. “I almost didn’t know it was you.”
Ruan Qiu Qiu brushed past him. There was laughter in her eyes but her voice was cold. “What a joke. I’m afraid you never knew me.”
“…”
Two elegant ladies sat in a private room. One was Li Yun. Another was Sun Lan. Li Yun was the so-called friend who introduced Ruan Jiu Jiu to Xiang Rong. They knew each other from playing mahjong. Compared to the two ladies who could spend lavishly, the original Ruan Jiu Jiu didn’t have social circles and didn’t have money. She had always wanted to mingle with people in that social stratum.
Who knew that the two ladies were using her as a joke.
Ruan Jiu Jiu walked in and the two were stunned. “Miss, you are…”
“You can’t recognize me?” Ruan Jiu Jiu leaned against the doorway.
Xiang Rong went in with a stiffened face. He was finally able to calm himself. On the contrary, the two ladies were so shocked they covered their mouths. They couldn’t believe that the person in front of them was the once unbearably vulgar Ruan Qiu. But after a closer inspection, her features did look similar.
Li Yun quickly stood and squeezed out a smiled. “Qiu Qiu, come sit! Look at you, it’s only been a few days and you’ve become so much prettier.”
“I won’t bother going in. Standing here is perfectly fine. I don’t want people assuming things and spreading rumors.”
The two ladies who had spread God knows how many rumors were now donning very awkward expressions. Li Yun’s hand stiffened in mid air and she could only laugh.
“How could that be? Who’s spreading rumors?”
Ruan Qiu Qiu couldn’t be bothered with her. She folded her arms and threw down a bomb. “I’m not getting divorced anymore.”
“What!” The three’s expressions changed in an instant.
Seeing their pretense being stripped, Ruan Jiu Jiu smiled as she leaned against the doorway. She lightly said, “Perfect timing, I’ve just come to break up with Xiang Rong. I hope he won’t bother me in the future.”
“This……” They looked at each other in dismay, no one daring to be the first to say anything. Only, Xiang Rong’s expression was still as bad as the beginning, coldly staring silently at Ruan Jiu Jiu.
“What? You’re unhappy that I haven’t divorced?” Ruan Jiu Jiu asked.
Only
“No, no, it’s just, why so sudden?”
They had all been confused by Ruan Jiu Jiu’s sudden change in attitude.
Ruan Jiu Jiu signed, “Saying it aloud is really still a bit embarrassing. Really Li Yun, you’re such a stingy person. How could you introduce me to someone who can’t get it up?”
Li Yun was dumbstruck. “Wh-what?”
“If you don’t have the ability, don’t do it.” Ruan Jiu Jiu shot a digusted glance at Xiang Rong, and immediately the two women had an awkward feeling.
Dark-faced Xiang Rong, “……”
Author’s Note:
Xiang Rong: As a side character, I also have dignity. It’s not true!