Who Wants to Love Bad Girls - Chapter 53

The sky seemed to have a gaping hole, as the rain poured down like a waterfall. Bahe Road, being an old area, had an imperfect drainage system. Whenever it rained heavily, the road would accumulate a layer of water that wouldn’t dissipate for hours. On such days, there would be no customers at the “kilig” establishment, and even if there were, they wouldn’t be able to endure the cold indoors—since they had discovered in the afternoon that the air conditioning at “kilig” had broken down. The temperature had been mild for the past few days, neither too cold nor too hot, so they only realized the problem when the weather suddenly changed.

This had never happened before. Ting Wan was always meticulous, keeping the store well-organized. She would even check and fine-tune the audio and lighting equipment daily. She blamed herself for neglecting “kilig” during this period and shifting her focus elsewhere.

Lán Líng and Ting Wan stood side by side at the entrance, wrapping their bodies tightly with their clothes. They had already changed into their work clothes, but when they found out that they couldn’t operate without air conditioning, they had to change back.

“It’s really strange to have such heavy rain in November. Ting Wan Mama, how are you going to go back later? Will someone come to pick you up?” Lán Líng asked, looking at the rain-soaked flowers with a melancholic gaze. This sudden downpour had washed away all her hard work. Unconsciously, she tugged on the fabric at her sleeve cuff, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.

“I live nearby… I’ll endure and walk back. What about you? What are you going to do?” Ting Wan’s tone carried a sense of concern.

Lán Líng sounded relaxed, without a trace of worry. “My dad said he’ll come to pick me up. There’s nobody here today anyway. I’ll have him drive the car in later.”

Most of the “kilig” staff had either taken the day off in advance due to the bad weather or had left. The few who remained in the store were waiting for someone to pick them up. They all had family or lovers to rely on. Ting Wan smiled and didn’t say anything further.

Two beams of light pierced through the rain curtain, and the sound of a car horn echoed. Lán Líng spotted a familiar vehicle and exclaimed with joy, “My dad’s here.”

A middle-aged man wearing a raincoat got out of the car, struggling to hold an umbrella. The wind blew the umbrella backwards, rendering it useless for sheltering from the rain.

“Li Ling!” He hurriedly ran over with his head down, adjusting the umbrella. He nodded at Ting Wan, acknowledging her presence, and then took out a raincoat from his pocket and handed it to Lán Líng. “I’ve been telling you all day to take a leave because of this weather. But you insisted on coming. Now you’ll get all wet and catch a cold.”

His tone was reproachful, but concern was evident. Lán Líng felt a bit embarrassed and glanced at Ting Wan. Her family had never supported her in doing this.

Ting Wan didn’t mind. The rain continued to sweep in with the wind, causing her to take a few steps back.

“Ting Wan Mama, I’m leaving now—take care!” Lán Líng was escorted by the man towards the car, but she turned her head to bid farewell to Ting Wan. The woman’s figure faded into a blurry silhouette, and it seemed like she raised her arm and waved at her.

Ting Wan herself didn’t know why she was standing here, waiting for something. The cold wind cut through her body, chilling her to the bone. She knew she would have to go back sooner or later, but she held onto a glimmer of hope that maybe the rain would lessen a bit later.

Hope was in vain, and the thought that there were people waiting for her at home crossed Ting Wan’s mind. She took an umbrella from the nearby umbrella stand, and as she looked down and then up, she saw a person walking through the heavy rain curtain, drenched from head to toe. Their jeans had turned a dark shade from being soaked, and strands of their chestnut-colored hair clung to their face, neck, and shoulders, dripping with water. The umbrella barely served its purpose in the pouring rain.

Ting Wan was momentarily stunned, taking in the sight of the disheveled woman. She furrowed her brows and said, “Jianyue? Didn’t I tell you to stay at home?”

Chi Jianyue didn’t answer. She had used her expensive leather bucket bag as a makeshift clothing carrier, and she had even put on an extra layer of waterproof bag over her coat. She shook out the clothes and draped them over Ting Wan, then glanced at the dimly lit store. “If I hadn’t come, how would I have known that you lied to me again?”

Ting Wan put on the coat and followed her gaze, thinking she was referring to the air conditioning issue. Feeling guilty, she was about to respond when Chi Jianyue suddenly leaned in closer. The residual moisture on her face was clearly visible, and her hand reached into the pocket of Ting Wan’s coat, retrieving something.

Ting Wan’s pupils contracted for a moment as she stared blankly at the handkerchief in her hand. The dark patterns and embroidery on it had accompanied her through many days and nights, deeply imprinted in her mind, incredibly familiar.

Amidst the pouring rain, Chi Jianyue’s words thundered like a shockwave. “My handkerchief, how did it end up with Ting Wan?”

Unaware of the woman’s expression, her lips curled into a smile, her voice light and cheerful, a sense of triumph after finally discovering the truth. “Ting Wan Mama said you hadn’t seen it before. Turns out it wasn’t left at the hotel… someone took it.”

Ting Wan’s tense body gradually relaxed, and her emotions retreated from the depths of her eyes. She then heard the girl continue, “Ting Wan, do you… actually like me?”

Her lips moved, and her low voice blended with the sound of the rain, almost becoming one. “I accidentally brought it back in my bag and kept forgetting to tell Jianyue. Since this handkerchief originally belonged to Jianyue, it should be returned to its rightful owner now.”

Cleverly avoiding the question, Chi Jianyue let out a soft snort and casually slipped the handkerchief into her pocket. She saw through Ting Wan’s mixed feelings, and although she had made her own judgment, she no longer pushed for answers.

“Are we taking a break from ‘kilig’ today?” She immediately noticed that the store was empty when she arrived.

Ting Wan nodded, and when Chi Jianyue opened the umbrella for her, she felt the icy coldness of her fingers. The woman’s skin, as white as snow, looked delicate and frail, with only her nose turning a rosy red from the cold. She murmured softly, “I’m glad I came.”

Ting Wan forced a smile and spoke in a soothing voice, “Thank you, Jianyue.”

As Chi Jianyue’s gaze swept over the broken and scattered flowers, she remarked, “What about these flowers…” She knew how much Ting Wan cherished the flowers she had cultivated with her own hands.

Ting Wan had already regained her composure and replied calmly, “It’s okay, there will be more.”

The rain was pouring heavily, accompanied by strong gusts of cold wind. Even with the umbrella, the wind still blew rain from all directions, soaking them both. Ting Wan’s home was not far from ‘kilig’, and it took them only a few minutes to run back, but they were still drenched from head to toe.

As soon as they entered the house, Chi Jianyue began to remove her wet clothes one by one. The clothes clung to her skin, dripping with water, and caused a prickling sensation that was very uncomfortable.

“Let’s take a bath,” Ting Wan followed behind her, picking up the clothes from the floor and tossing them into the laundry basket in the bathroom.

Chi Jianyue had the same idea, “Then I’ll use this one, and you can use the master bathroom? Or…”

The woman smiled lightly, her eyes filled with amusement as she looked at her. Chi Jianyue’s ears immediately turned hot, and she quickly closed the bathroom door.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Ting Wan’s smile gradually faded as she turned to the kitchen to brew a pot of ginger tea. When she returned to the bedroom, the jewelry box that usually held the handkerchief was still in its place. She had meant to ask Chi Jianyue to retrieve the clothes, but she had forgotten. It was too late now.

Luckily…Chi Jianyue didn’t ask any further.

The jewelry box had lost its meaning, and Ting Wan tossed it into the trash without any attachment.

As steam filled the bathroom, dispelling the cold, Chi Jianyue relaxed in the hot water. She leaned back against the edge of the bathtub, lazily looking at the handkerchief in her hand. Perhaps because it had been stored in Ting Wan’s closet for a long time, the handkerchief had absorbed her scent.

The silk fabric was smooth, and the embroidery patterns on it were clear. But as she looked at it, she sensed a slight unfamiliarity, a sense of discord.

A fleeting memory flashed through her mind, and Chi Jianyue furrowed her brows in confusion.