The weather had been unpredictable these days. It was still sunny when leaving D University, but suddenly thunder crashed and lightning flashed during the journey, bringing a torrential downpour.
The taxi stopped at the coffee shop entrance. I rushed inside, already somewhat wet.
As I pushed open the door, wind chimes tinkled. The shop was nearly empty, with Rong Rong the only customer, sitting pristinely by the window in a white sweater dress, looking up at the sound.
I sat down across from her, taking a tissue to wipe the raindrops from my face. Rong Rong glanced out the window: “It suddenly started pouring.”
“Mm.” I put down the tissue, “Why did you suddenly want to meet?”
Still gazing out the window, she said, “I remember it was raining this hard the day I came to work in Shanghai. Who would have thought it would rain the same way when I leave.”
Only then did I notice the large suitcase behind her, and asked in surprise: “You’re leaving Shanghai?”
“Going to Shenzhen, flight’s tonight.” She turned her gaze from the window to me, “I kept thinking about whether to see you before I left, couldn’t help sending that text. Didn’t expect you’d be here – must be fate.”
I was filled with questions. Had she broken up with Sheng Xingjie? But why leave Shanghai? Was he harassing her, or was she too heartbroken and needed to leave?
Just as I was about to ask, the server brought over a milk tea.
“Figured you’d be here soon, ordered for you. You like these, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Rong Rong looked at me with a strange expression: “I understand you quite well.”
“That’s debatable.” I couldn’t help but counter, “Have you forgotten how you wrongly accused me of hiding the interview call from you?”
“Back then… going to Sheng Yuan didn’t really matter, it wasn’t my only offer. I was just happy to catch you in a lie… I did wrong you about that incident, I formally apologize.”
I couldn’t help but be surprised. The scene from New Year’s Day suddenly flashed in my mind, when we met outside the hotel – she had also called out about apologizing then, but with a completely different, aggressive attitude.
What had caused such a sudden change in her attitude?
A strange feeling welled up in my heart, and I couldn’t bring myself to say something like “It’s all in the past.” While I was hesitating, she said: “The anonymous email in my inbox was from you, right? No need to deny it, not many people would know about Sheng Xingjie.”
I froze, the strange feeling in my heart deepening. I frowned instinctively and said: “What are you talking about?”
Rong Rong completely ignored my response, smiling as she said: “It’s fine if you don’t admit it. Do you want to know how Sheng Xingjie and I broke up?”
“You broke up with Sheng Xingjie?”
“Of course, after you told me he was pursuing someone else, I had to break up with him. Want to know how I did it?”
A smile suddenly appeared on Rong Rong’s face, “I took photos of the intimate messages he sent me, registered a new email as you did, and anonymously sent them to his grandfather, Old Chairman Sheng, and his uncles. When it all came out, Sheng Xingjie came to confront me. I pretended I knew nothing and asked him what was going on. He thought back to our gathering, remembered I went to the bathroom without my phone, and said you must have taken photos while I was in the bathroom. So stupid, right? With so many people there, how could you have taken photos? But he was convinced, rushed to tell Old Chairman Sheng that you all had set him up, hah.”
“I gave him chances at first, but he kept lying and grew increasingly impatient. When everything came out, he showed not a hint of regret or guilt, instead called me vain, and spread rumors around, which is how you caught him. What did he take me for? I never took advantage of him for a single penny while we were dating, yet he treated me like this.”
Rong Rong laughed twice, an unusual flush rising in her cheeks, “But it doesn’t matter, he’ll be punished. Sheng Xingjie thought I still loved him. I made a scene pretending I wouldn’t break up until finally he was too scared to face me and sent his mother to deal with me. What kind of man is that?”
She spoke rapidly, but the development of events was so incredible. I suppressed my racing heart, organized my thoughts, and said slowly: “You’re saying you received an email, thought it was from me, telling you Sheng Xingjie was pursuing someone else. You discovered Sheng Xingjie was cheating, but instead of breaking up immediately, you arranged to meet me, deliberately planned the missed call while in the bathroom, and even kept emphasizing the photo-taking during your call with him.”
I recalled the details from that lunch gathering, “You left last that day, and afterward, you took photos of Sheng Xingjie’s messages and sent them to Old Mr. Sheng and the rest of the Sheng family, then through Sheng Xingjie led them to believe I sent them. Is that right?”
Rong Rong praised: “You’re so smart, figured it out so quickly. Such composure too – you’re not even angry?”
“Why?” I said coldly.
“What do you mean why? Sheng Xingjie humiliated me like this, should I just quietly withdraw and swallow this anger? Of course not. But could I make a scene? No, all the nasty gossip would only come at me. He might even retaliate, and in the end, I’d be ruined by rumors while he emerged unscathed. Why should that happen? Weren’t we all once favored daughters? What gives him the right?”
“You wanted revenge but feared his retaliation, so you transferred the hatred to me?”
“The great Miss Nie naturally wouldn’t fear Sheng Xingjie.”
“Even though you thought I was the one who sent the email warning you?”
“Was that out of goodwill? If you wanted to warn me, why be so secretive?” Rong Rong sneered, “You just wanted to use me to help your boyfriend take down Sheng Xingjie.”
I finally heard the answer I had guessed, feeling utterly exhausted, and not wanting to say anything more.
But Rong Rong seemed unable to stop, “I didn’t have to tell you this. Even if they came looking for you, you couldn’t be sure I sent the email, right? But having executed such a beautiful plan, wouldn’t it be a shame if no one appreciated it? Besides, Zhuang Xu taught me all this.”
This matter had an even more absurd development. I finally couldn’t suppress my shock as I stared at her.
She smiled slightly, “We grew up together. No matter how much we’ve fought or fallen out when I need help, he won’t stand idly by. He’ll always stand by my side.”
The rain beat violently against the windows as the movement came from the entrance – another customer entering.
Rong Rong looked toward the door, a smile spreading across her face, “Zhuang Xu is here.”
Memories suddenly flooded my mind.
What? Another joint interrogation?
I slowly leaned back in my chair, watching the tall figure approach and pull out the chair beside us.
It was a round table against the wall, with exactly three seats. Rong Rong and I sat facing each other, and with Zhuang Xu joining, it became a peculiar triangle.
But I had no desire to be part of it.
“You’re late,” Rong Rong said with a smile.
“What did you want to see me about?” Zhuang Xu asked in a deep voice.
“Haven’t told you yet, I’m going to Shenzhen. There are several interview opportunities there, with much better compensation than Sheng Yuan, so I wanted to say goodbye.”
Zhuang Xu said flatly: “Congratulations.”
Rong Rong said: “Surprisingly, before leaving, you two are the ones I most wanted to see.”
Zhuang Xu’s eyes flickered slightly, answering indirectly: “Shenzhen has very good prospects.”
Watching them go back and forth with this pretense, I suddenly felt amused and annoyed, “Enough, right? What are you performing?”
I looked directly at Zhuang Xu: “Are your advisors here too? Why such a grand production? I know he helped you, and always will help you, then what?”
Zhuang Xu lowered his gaze expressionlessly.
“Even if you want to prove your bond is stronger than gold, you don’t have to pick on one sheep, right? Couldn’t you choose another?”
I looked at Rong Rong mockingly: “You’ve opened my eyes. In your view, I was the one who warned you about Sheng Xingjie’s cheating, yet not only are you ungrateful, but you schemed to make me take the blame. Unfortunately, these tactics of yours probably won’t work at all. The emails you sent to the Sheng family, whatever the content – intimate messages? Or something else – you say I sent them and that makes it true? What use is Sheng Xingjie’s one-sided assertion? It’s been several days now, hasn’t it? The Sheng family hasn’t dared to come to verify with me.”
“But your little performance has taught me that kindness should be given to those who deserve it. Thank you for letting me wake up without paying any price. I’ll pay for today’s coffee, consider it a farewell gift for your happy move to Shenzhen.”
Her expression hadn’t changed much during my speech, but at my last words, she suddenly bit her lips tightly.
I had no interest in staying longer. “Check, please,” I called to the server.
The rain outside had grown heavier. Even with the awning’s protection, rain still sprayed on my face when I opened the door. But I’d rather stand in the rain than share a room with them.
Unexpectedly, after a few minutes, they came out too. I didn’t turn around, and the person behind me didn’t speak, silently standing beside me.
Through the rain curtain, I vaguely saw a taxi with its vacant light on. I was about to wave, but Zhuang Xu raised his hand before me.
The taxi stopped. Zhuang Xu said to Ye Rong: “Don’t you have a flight to catch?”
Ye Rong seemed surprised, hesitating before stepping forward. The taxi driver rushed out in the rain to help load her suitcase into the trunk.
Ye Rong walked slowly toward the taxi, but after two steps she turned back, her gaze falling on me: “We won’t see each other again, will we? Unless at Si Rong or Xiao Feng’s wedding?”
She lifted her chin slightly as she spoke, “Nie Xiguang, maybe what I did had no effect, but that’s only because I had few cards to play. We were all once brilliant daughters – you can keep looking down on me, but who knows what the future holds?”
“Good luck then,” I said coldly.
The taxi driver started urging her to hurry.
She pulled open the car door.
At the last moment, Rong Rong stood in the rain, looking at Zhuang Xu, her eyes filled with countless indecipherable emotions: “If I could go back, I wouldn’t listen to my parents anymore.”
“Have a safe journey,” Zhuang Xu said flatly.
As the taxi drove away, only Zhuang Xu and I remained under the awning. I unconsciously moved further aside. Zhuang Xu shifted slightly, hands in his pockets, “I’ll say a few words and leave, no need to avoid me like the plague.”
I stared into the white expanse of rain, surprised he had anything to say to me, but didn’t turn to look at him, maintaining silence in response to change.
He too looked at the rain curtain, and after a while finally spoke, “You really surprised me, with that anonymous email.”
He gave a “heh”: “Who taught you to write that? And this sharp tongue now, did he teach you that too?”
I finally couldn’t hold back, turning to question him: “Why did you do this? Couldn’t she just break up with Sheng Xingjie directly? Why did you have to scheme and drag us into it?”
“‘Us’?” he echoed mockingly, “I schemed against you?”
“Fine then.” His expression turned cold, “Just assume I wanted to cause trouble for Lin Yusen. If he blames you, you can break up with him.”
Such an incomprehensible statement – I stared at him, unable to speak.
He gave another light laugh, “Your words inside were quite impressive. So, what do you think Ye Rong should have done? Just silently endure after being deceived? Not fight back?”
He was trying to lead me into a logical trap.
I suddenly became calm, organizing my words carefully: “Ye Rong was deceived by Sheng Xingjie. Of course, she can fight back, and even if that process involved me and Lin Yusen, that would be fine – as long as harming us wasn’t one of your objectives.”
“But what are you showing off to me now, what are you so proud of? You’re proud that you hurt us too. So this was also one of your objectives, wasn’t it? And based on what? On groundlessly assuming I had ill intentions.”
“It’s laughable, but not surprising coming from you – it’s not the first time. In your heart, everything I do has ulterior motives, it’s never changed. But Zhuang Xu, please remember, I have never hurt you.”
“Haven’t you?”
After my long speech, he only coldly returned these three words.
The downpour continued as something like cold flames burned in his eyes.
I involuntarily stepped back.
A taxi broke through the rain curtain, and I quickly waved, just wanting to leave this place as soon as possible.
As the taxi stopped and I was about to rush over, Zhuang Xu’s low voice stopped me.
“Wait.”
I paused mid-step.
“Ye Rong did come to me for help. She had some things unfavorable to Sheng Xingjie – handled properly, she could have emerged unscathed without involving you… all. He pulled his lips slightly, “But she chose to send those photos. I’m not interested in guessing her true purpose, nor in participating. Understand?”
Without waiting for my response, he strode into the rain, not looking back.