Who Wants to Love Bad Girls - Chapter 52

Chi Jianyue has been in a good mood lately, and it’s evident to those around her who have sharp eyes. Zhuang Xiao, upon a slight association, probably guessed the reason behind it. He secretly teased her a bit but didn’t dare say too much, lest Ojou-sama become embarrassed.

The dynamic between Chi Jianyue and Ting Wan seems to be in a comfortable zone, even though Chi Jianyue still doesn’t know what she’s thinking. A woman’s life is simple and repetitive, easily understood at a glance. However, her past remains a mystery, as she has not revealed even a hint of it. Occasionally, Chi Jianyue chats with her, discussing past anecdotes or his own family. Ting Wan simply listens quietly with a smile. Several times, Chi Jianyue was on the verge of asking, “And what about you?” But Ting Wan’s serene demeanor while listening to others’ stories makes it seem as if she has no past of her own.

Life doesn’t have ups and downs every day; most of the time, it’s mundane. When things truly happen, they turn into memories and become part of the past. People often say not to dwell on the past, but without the past, our present existence wouldn’t be complete. Those beautiful and heartbreaking memories become either topics of conversation or lessons learned in the present. No one can remain indifferent in such discussions, except for Ting Wan.

She seems to have no desire to confide in others and lives purely for today. This piques Chi Jianyue’s curiosity even more.

What kind of person is Ting Wan, really… From a superficial perspective, her personality is as accommodating as water, but Chi Jianyue has also witnessed the turbulent undercurrent beneath that facade. The extreme contrast and contradictions are overwhelming.

The seed of doubt has been planted in Chi Jianyue’s heart since he first saw Ting Wan, and now he waits or gambles, hoping that she will speak up.

…

The sudden rain disrupted all of Chi Jianyue’s plans for the day. Just this morning, the sun was shining, but in the afternoon, the sky turned dark as night, with black clouds looming, giving an eerie feel as if it were the end of the world.

In this kind of weather, one can’t help but feel anxious. The phone displayed an orange rainstorm warning, advising citizens not to go out.

Ting Wan had left not long ago, and Chi Jianyue was a little worried about her. Just as he was thinking about it, a notification sound rang, and a new message popped up.

Ting Wan: [Jianyue, can you bring me a jacket?]

A jacket?

Ting Wan was wearing a sweater when she left, and it wasn’t thin.

The tree shadows swayed outside the window as Chi Jianyue opened the balcony door. A gust of wind blew in, causing the curtains to flutter and knocking over a bottle on the coffee table. The chilling wind made her shiver, so she quickly closed the door. The warmth that had filled the room vanished instantly, and she realized how much the temperature outside had suddenly dropped.

[Which one do you need?] Chi Jianyue asked, referring to the jackets in Ting Wan’s small storage room where she kept rarely worn clothes.

Ting Wan replied, [The black coat in the bedroom closet. Thank you, Jianyue.]

Chi Jianyue was familiar with her bedroom and easily located the black woolen coat hanging in a corner of the closet. Although it had gotten colder, she wondered if it was necessary to wear such a thick garment. Nevertheless, she didn’t think too much about it, took off the coat, and as she reached for it, the heavy hem swept over the nearby clothes, causing a small box placed in the closet to fall out. Chi Jianyue assumed it was some kind of jewelry.

Her phone chimed again, and she stood still, one hand holding the hanger and the other retrieving her phone. It was another message from Ting Wan.

[You don’t have to bring it anymore. It’s raining heavily outside. Jianyue, stay safe at home.]

Chi Jianyue looked out towards the balcony and saw that a torrential downpour had already started, leaving streaks on the glass as the raindrops slid down.

With one hand occupied, she replied with difficulty, [Aren’t you cold?]

Ting Wan responded, [There’s air conditioning in the store, Jianyue. Don’t worry.]

Naturally, Chi Jianyue didn’t believe her words, nor did she intend to listen. If there was air conditioning in the store, why did Ting Wan ask her to bring the coat just now? It was obvious that Ting Wan didn’t want her to go out in the rain.

She put away her phone, took off the coat, placed the hanger back in its original position, and then squatted down to pick up the fallen box. The lid of the box had shifted due to the impact, loosely resting on the body of the box.

As Chi Jianyue picked it up, intending to check if the jewelry inside was damaged, she froze the moment she opened it.

Indeed, it was a jewelry box, but inside, instead of rings or necklaces, lay something that shouldn’t have been there—a neatly folded silk handkerchief.

The exquisitely crafted handkerchief had a crescent moon embroidered on its velvety surface. Her fingers glided over it, and then she turned it over, revealing a small, embroidered character in the opposite corner—池 (chi).

No one was more familiar with this handkerchief than Chi Jianyue, because it belonged to her.