18. Meeting Lin Shuwan Again
Flower Language Coffee Shop.
Jiang Ruyan prepared a cup of coffee and walked out from behind the counter. Just as she was about to serve it to a customer, she felt a slight tug on her skirt.
Looking down.
The little girl with a bow in her hair was tiptoeing and asked in a babyish voice, “Do you need Qian Qian’s help?”
Though it was a question.
The little hands gripping her skirt and the fluttering long eyelashes clearly expressed a world of anticipation.
Jiang Ruyan’s heart let out an explosive roar.
She was just way too cute!
How could there be such an adorable child!
Is this a new advertisement from the civil affairs bureau? It’s a huge success!
Jiang Ruyan already liked children a lot.
Especially cute ones like Qian Qian, she liked her even more, truly wanting to hug and play with her!
“Cough cough!”
Though internally very excited, Jiang Ruyan’s expression was extremely calm.
She suppressed the impulse to pinch the little girl’s cheeks and pretended to be serious as she said, “Thank you, Qian Qian, but the coffee is hot, so it’s better to let big sister do it.”
It would be bad if Qian Qian got burned.
“Alright then.”
Qian Qian released her grip on Jiang Ruyan’s skirt and obediently nodded, “Big sister, you must be careful too, okay?”
“Mm mm mm!”
Jiang Ruyan was close to being overwhelmed by cuteness.
She smiled and patted the little girl’s head, then carried the coffee towards the customers.
“Smack!”
The coffee was slammed onto the table so hard that a few drops of the scalding dark liquid splashed out.
Jiang Ruyan’s voice turned as cold as ice: “This is the rose-scented coffee you ordered. Enjoy.”
“Is that how you treat customers?”
Gu Zhi Nian didn’t care, giving her a nonchalant glance: “You’re already thirty, right?”
He was wearing a dark gray suit today, with a tie loosely hanging around his neck, looking as if he had just emerged from an important meeting.
“What does it matter to you if I’m thirty or not?”
Gu Zhi Nian snorted: “At thirty, and you still let kids call you big sister?”
“You!”
Jiang Ruyan’s face turned red: “A woman at thirty-one is a flower, do you understand?!”
“Heh…”
Jiang Ruyan paused, turned to Qian Qian, the curse word that had slipped out was forcibly swallowed back.
“I’m not going to argue with you.”
Impatiently she waved her hand: “If you have nothing to do, you should leave quickly. This small temple of mine can’t accommodate such a big Buddha as you.”
She was also puzzled.
What business does this big boss, whose dealings are worth millions, have running to her little coffee shop every day?
Gu Zhi Nian sipped his coffee, ignoring her disdain: “Who is that little girl?”
“She’s a friend’s child.”
Gu Zhi Nian frowned: “With your temper, aside from me, can you have other friends?”
“Is it itchiness you’re feeling, Gu Zhi Nian?”
Jiang Ruyan was completely stumped; just when she wanted to refute him, she suddenly realized something.
“No, no, no, who said you’re my friend?!”
“Indeed not a friend,” Gu Zhi Nian nodded in agreement: “She’s a childhood sweetheart.”
“Ahhh, I won’t talk to you anymore!”
Jiang Ruyan thought she must have gone mad to think she could argue with Gu Zhi Nian, threw out a sentence, and quickly left.
She returned to the front counter.
Qian Qian seemed very obedient this time, not trying to chat with customers or watch TV, quietly leaning on the table.
“Is Qian Qian… drawing?”
Jiang Ruyan leaned over to take a look and saw Qian Qian holding a pen, doodling on an A4 paper.
“Mm mm!”
“What is Qian Qian drawing?”
“It’s Daddy, Mommy, and Qian Qian.”
As Qian Qian spoke, her small body leaned back, revealing a child’s drawing in front of Jiang Ruyan.
A classic stick figure layout.
Three stick figures holding hands, a lopsided sun on top, and wavy grass beneath.
Qian Qian pointed at her drawing: “The leftmost is Mommy, the middle one is Qian Qian, and the rightmost is Daddy.”
Above was a blue sky with white clouds, and below was green grass, depicting their happy family.
What Qian Qian drew was the outing with her parents.
Her parents were usually free and would often take her out to travel, and she had many memories like this.
But every time, her mother would make her bring homework along…
So annoying!
But her dad was really nice to her, always helping her do homework when her mom wasn’t watching.
But the price for that was plenty of kisses, which were also annoying!
Jiang Ruyan looked at the family of three in the drawing, her feelings complex; this child truly yearned for a happy family, didn’t she?
It’s a pity, with such a wonderful daughter, she has such a father.
“Sigh…”
Jiang Ruyan collected her emotions, pinched Qian Qian’s small nose, and smiled: “Is this drawing for Mommy?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Qian Qian suddenly put her finger to her lips and whispered to Jiang Ruyan, “Don’t tell Mommy, okay? This is a surprise for Mommy.”
She thought.
The reason Mommy didn’t want to take her to see Daddy was probably because they quarreled, right?
Though Mommy didn’t say it, she understood.
If she showed this drawing to Mommy, then Mommy would definitely take her to see Daddy because she really loved Daddy too!
Qian Qian leaned back down again, continuing her creation.
What is Mommy doing right now?
———
Mommy is dying.
Mommy is going to die from an accelerated heart rate that causes her heart to fail.
At this moment, in the hospital’s blood draw room.
Jiang Zhi stared blankly at the woman in front of her, her mind a tangled mess.
Why.
Why is Lin Shuwan here?
By the way, did she just call my name?
Realizing this, Jiang Zhi quickly lowered her head, burying it deeply in her collar, fearing that Lin Shuwan would recognize her.
But she was overthinking it.
“Jiang… Zhi?” Lin Shuwan hesitated to say the name, then shook her head: “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”
“You look very much like a person I know…”
Look alike?
No wonder Lin Shuwan almost recognized her.
She had always had an androgynous look, what they call in popular online terminology, the “Innate Male Liang Sacred Body.”
The transition didn’t change her appearance significantly.
At this moment, Jiang Zhi really wanted to curse.
Heaven, is there something wrong with you?
You took away my manhood, and it’s too hard to let me have a good look afterwards?
This is the reason I was almost recognized?!
Jiang Zhi felt very complicated.
If it were possible, she would want to tell Lin Shuwan, not just resemblance; I am exactly who you think I am!
I am Jiang Zhi!
But she said nothing, merely keeping her head down, not daring to look at Lin Shuwan, just like a child who had done something wrong.
She didn’t dare to speak.
She had no right to speak.
On the side, the nurse couldn’t sit still: “Isn’t the girl okay?”
“Huh?”
The nurse rolled her eyes with exasperation and lightly patted Jiang Zhi’s arm.
“Look at your stiff arm; I’m a trained professional. You really don’t need to be that nervous.”
She was exasperated.
What should have only taken ten seconds was dragged out because of this Jiang Zhi.
“I… I…” Jiang Zhi stammered, unable to form coherent sentences.
Now she had no choice but to look up and awkwardly said, “S-sorry.”
She didn’t want to either!
Moreover, it’s not that I was nervous because of the injection… Alright, maybe a little, mainly because of Lin Shuwan?!
How could one not feel nervous when their ex-girlfriend (??) was watching from the side while getting an injection!
And considering she had almost vanished without a trace, this ex-girlfriend was the type she had treated poorly!
“I think…”
At this moment, the nurse noticed Lin Shuwan on the side and got an idea: “Sister, sister?”
“Huh?”
Lin Shuwan seemed to be lost in thought, and turned her gaze blankly: “Hey? What’s up?”
“Could you help cover this person’s eyes? Then she won’t be nervous anymore.”
“???”
Jiang Zhi’s heart raced. Her face changed; before she could refuse, a fragrant breeze suddenly swept across her face.
It was the faint scent of soap and shampoo.
Jiang Zhi’s breath hitched.
Lin Shuwan constantly carried this scent with her; she remembered it from their first meeting, which she could never forget.
During her moment of daze, a pair of soft, boneless, delicate hands had already covered her eyes.
Jiang Zhi’s face instantly turned burning hot.
What the hell?
Is there something wrong with you, sister? If there’s nothing to do, go eat some sour plums! What are you coming up with absurd ideas for?!
What on earth is happening?!
And Lin Shuwan! Why don’t you refuse?!
“Is this okay?”
Lin Shuwan’s voice rang above her head.
“Yes, yes, just like that!”
The nurse’s voice came from across.
But Jiang Zhi couldn’t hear anything anymore.
She felt Lin Shuwan’s hand was cool and soft, almost boneless.
Instinctively shutting her eyes, her eyelashes brushed Lin Shuwan’s slightly warm palm, causing Jiang Zhi’s breath to quicken and her eyes to tremble uncontrollably.
Who could withstand this?!
Even during the flirtation between her and Lin Shuwan, they had never been this close!
What if I’m recognized? That’s the end for me!
Calm down, calm down.
With her current situation, her biological father… Oh right, she has no father; it’s just hard to be recognized!
So there’s no need to panic…
“Wow, your skin is so nice.”
At that moment, Lin Shuwan’s slightly envious voice suddenly sounded beside her ear.
As if, how could I calm down?!
“Ah!”
Fortunately, a wave of pain rushed through her arm, bringing Jiang Zhi back from the endless embarrassment.
Unbeknownst to her, the blood had already been drawn.
Jiang Zhi blinked, oh? When was it done?
The nurse wrote something on the report and handed it to Jiang Zhi: “See, all done? Look at how nervous you were.”
Jiang Zhi received it with a slightly pained expression.
She used an alcohol swab to gently press on her arm, turning her head back to see Lin Shuwan looking at her.
“Sister.”
Lin Shuwan’s eyes curled into crescents: “You really look a lot like someone I know.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, you look like twins.” Lin Shuwan said innocently.
“Haha.”
Jiang Zhi forced a smile: “Oh, what a coincidence.”
Suddenly, she felt a wave of discomfort, as if a needle had pierced her heart.
The person she liked was right across from her, and the person she liked also liked her, but she couldn’t recognize herself anymore.
She was now a girl.
“Uh, so…”
Lin Shuwan saw that this sister was still sitting in her chair, raising her eyebrows with a strange expression: “Can we move the seat?”
Strange person.
Lin Shuwan thought.
Why is she looking at me so intently, making it hard for me to say anything? By the way, does she know her face is very red?
This person must not be Jiang Zhi.
Although she looks a lot like Jiang Zhi, on one hand, Jiang Zhi does not have a cross-dressing fetish.
Hmm…
She shouldn’t have a cross-dressing fetish, right?
That face is so pretty; it would be a pity if she didn’t cross-dress.
On the other hand, Jiang Zhi wouldn’t look at her this way.
He would only stare at her with those cheeky eyes and make all sorts of cheeky jokes.
Actually, Lin Shuwan felt quite embarrassed earlier but managed to hide it well.
What’s wrong with me, stopping a stranger to tell her she looks like someone I know; I’d definitely be seen as crazy!
All because of that silly Jiang Zhi!
How unreasonable, wanting to play hide-and-seek? Ignoring my messages and calls, the next time I catch you, just see how I deal with you!
“Ah? Oops!”
Jiang Zhi scratched her head and clasped her fists in front of her mouth to mask her embarrassment: “I’m sorry, sorry, please take a seat.”
