Hidden Assassin 178

It was the darkest hour before dawn. She had already gotten up, made the bed, washed up, and then cooked breakfast.

Although she had initially suppressed her drug addiction, she still felt a constant discomfort every morning, her body alternating between hot and cold. She didn’t put much in the rice noodle soup, and it tasted bland. She added a lot of chili, only to end up coughing from the spiciness.

It was a simple house, with a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen next to it. There wasn’t much in the house, and it was so well-organized that it felt empty. Of course, there were times when it was lively. When her father was still alive, the family was richer than most. But because of her drug addiction, things were slowly disappearing. The only modern thing in the house was a radio on the bedside table in her bedroom, a gift from Teacher Zhang.

After breakfast, the sun rose from the east. She put on her foggy glasses and headed to school with her backpack.

The aftereffects of drugs lingered, a constant presence. Walking amidst the joyous and energetic crowd in the morning, she often felt detached from reality. In this bustling city, she couldn’t find her place.

She no longer understood the meaning of her existence, the future, or why she needed to eat or go to school. Everything was simply running on autopilot, devoid of meaning. After the Huang family situation was resolved, she rejected all of Teacher Zhang’s help and insisted on living alone…She just didn’t know where she would end up, even with help.

At school, she attended classes, listened, took notes, had lunch at the cafeteria, went back to the classroom to review, and then continued with classes in the afternoon. Occasionally, she would see Teacher Zhang, talking to someone in the hallway or on the playground. She had an elegant smile, yet maintained a certain distance. Many of the wealthy, mischievous students were actually a little afraid of her because she was uncompromising in handling school affairs. Of course, she knew Teacher Zhang was a good person. Her experience with drug rehabilitation had made this abundantly clear. Whenever they met at school, Teacher Zhang would greet her with a smile, ask about her well-being and worries, and try to help without damaging her self-esteem. But recently, she had noticed sadness and loneliness in Teacher Zhang’s eyes. Rumors spread around the school that her boyfriend had recently broken up with her. And it was the man who had abandoned her.

She couldn’t understand how any man could be so cruel as to hurt such a kind woman like Teacher Zhang. But she didn’t feel qualified to offer any comfort.

She continued through the day, feeling as if there was a thin fog separating her from the world. The last class of the afternoon was dedicated to various extracurricular activities. Of course, since joining the intimidating five-person club, there wasn’t much to do. While technically cousins with Jia Ming, their relationship hadn’t progressed much since his father owed the Yongsheng Gang over a hundred thousand yuan and Dongfang Wan helped repay it. Lingjing and Sasha were considered easy-going, but the small club rarely had any events, so they weren’t that close. As for the beautiful Japanese girl, Xun, they hardly ever spoke. She still wondered how her odd-tempered cousin could even be friends with such a girl, who was nearly perfect in her beauty.

She had finished her assignments and reviewed everything that needed to be reviewed. Not knowing what to do, she sat on a bench by the playground, staring at the lively crowd on the vast field. Despite the recent floods reported on TV, the weather in Jiang Hai City was still fine. As the setting sun stretched out solitary shadows, she caught a familiar scent of roses. Someone sat down next to her. A voice, somewhat androgynous yet containing an alluring charm, spoke softly.

“My time is precious, so I’ll be brief.”

“Su…Suyan Jie…”

…

…

After suppressing her drug addiction, Xu Yiting saw Jian Suyan again after a month.

A simple white shirt, black dress pants, and high heels. Even on Jian Suyan, these clothes seemed to hold a unique charm: clean, simple, and sharp. Removing her sunglasses, she opened a small handbag and pulled out a bank card.

“There are eight thousand on this card. The password is 123456. Change it yourself. It’s not much, but if you’re frugal, it’s enough for you to finish university, even graduate school, until you find a job. The price is…this paper. Sign it.”

“Uh, Suyan Jie, I…”

From the moment they met, this woman named Jian Suyan had seemed to possess an aura, one that felt even more perfect than Yue Chi Xun’s, inspiring admiration while simultaneously exerting immense pressure. During her rehabilitation, she had never had any say in anything. Sensing the kindness behind Jian Suyan’s direct approach, Xu Yiting instinctively wanted to refuse, but couldn’t think of what to say. Seeing her hesitation, Jian Suyan clearly frowned.

“So, you don’t want what I’m offering?”

“I…I…” Feeling the danger in the other woman’s tone, Xu Yiting stammered.

“This isn’t about my sympathy for you.” After a pause, Jian Suyan explained. “The money is from Yahán, so you don’t have to feel indebted to me. I thought you had your own plans when you refused Yahán’s help, but it seems like you don’t. So we’ll arrange it for you. From now on, you don’t have to live for yourself. I don’t care how you live, but Yahán wants to help you, so you have to do as she says. You must go to university. You can work part-time before graduation, but don’t get a full-time job. After graduation, you need to start repaying Yahán. This money will double every year. After five years, you’ll owe forty thousand. You have ten years to pay it back. The maximum is eighty thousand. Alright, sign.”

Like a deed of sale, a promissory note along with a bank card was placed before Xu Yiting. She picked up the pen and paper, and soon after, her nose felt sour, and tears welled up. They fell onto the paper and slowly spread out. Jian Suyan glanced at her watch, then frowned again. “Don’t dawdle. Whether you cry or scream, you need to sign this promissory note.”

“No…no…” Xu Yiting shook her head, her hand trembling as she held the pen above the paper. Her voice choked as she said, “I…I’m just…thank you. Thank you…I…I’ll work hard to pay it back…”

“Well, good.” Jian Suyan nodded and took the signed promissory note, glancing at it. “Awful handwriting. You need to practice more.” Then, she nonchalantly put it back in her handbag, got up, and prepared to leave.

“Suyan Jie, I’ll walk you out…”

“No need. Go back to the classroom and practice your writing.”

“Oh.” Xu Yiting nodded. Then she took two steps forward. “But…Teacher Zhang seems very unhappy recently. I thought…”

The woman in front of her suddenly stopped, and after a moment, sighed. “This isn’t something you can get involved in. Go back. Just remember to repay her after you graduate from university.”

In fact, with Yahán’s family background, she wouldn’t care about a few thousand yuan. Xu Yiting clutched the bank card and watched the departing figure. One hand desperately wiped away tears. Through her blurry vision, she seemed to see Dongfang Wan sneaking behind a tree, then scurrying like a monkey to the back of another tree, then running out of the playground entrance and disappearing. It was rather strange for Dongfang Wan, with her usually open and straightforward personality…

…

…

Dongfang Wan actually wanted to find Xu Yiting.

When she first started the club, she invested her own money to attract members. It was a travel club. Besides going on trips and picnics during long breaks, there weren’t many school activities. During the last class, she sat in the classroom thinking about starting a small factory with her pocket money, then she remembered Jia Ming’s request to join her, and saw Xu Yiting sitting by the playground. She wanted to go down and chat.

Dongfang Wan was usually strong-willed, protective, and loved to meddle in other people’s business. Overall, she was a kind person. She knew about Xu Yiting’s situation and had comforted her several times, although it hadn’t had much effect. She tried harder than most friends. Now, remembering Jia Ming’s request to join her toy factory, she hadn’t had a chance to discuss it in detail yet. But now, having calmed down, Dongfang Wan started to doubt. Although Gu Jia Ming was very capable, could he really have designed things that could be patented? Or were these designs actually from someone else, like…Jian Suyan?

The thought of Jian Suyan made her sensitive. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that way.

So when she saw Xu Yiting looking dejected by the playground, she wanted to strike up a conversation to cheer her up. On the other hand, she also wanted to subtly get some information about Jia Ming from her. After all, they were cousins, although not close, there must be some details she didn’t know.

Who knew, when she went downstairs and circled the playground, she actually saw Jian Suyan!

She secretly watched them talk for a while, then Xu Yiting started crying, Jian Suyan left, and Dongfang Wan followed from behind.

Jian Suyan didn’t like interacting with Yan Huang Jue Xing members, and didn’t even want to talk to strangers. Dongfang Wan knew this, and realized her stalking wouldn’t go unnoticed. When Jian Suyan suddenly stopped and turned around in the deserted street, Dongfang Wan awkwardly ran out and took the initiative to greet her. “Uh, uh, hello…my name is Dongfang Wan.”

“I know. What is it?”

She actually remembered me! Her mood suddenly became excited, but she lost her train of thought. Dongfang Wan froze for a moment, then politely bowed. “That, um, on the night of May 10th…thank you for saving me…um, and also the last time…ah, and my father, his name is Dongfang Linghai…”

In her nervous gratitude, Jian Suyan glanced at her watch again, then impatiently looked to the side. It was his turn to cook tonight. He had already made soup and put it on the stove, then changed clothes before coming to console Xu Yiting. But Dongfang Wan was of some use recently. Should he give her some advice? He was a little troubled…Frowning, he said, “Anything else?”

The rejection was clear. Judging by her watch-checking, she clearly had something urgent and didn’t want to talk much. Dongfang Wan thought that the only things that could make Jian Suyan anxious were probably catching big drug lords or becoming a superhero to fight criminals. She had so much to say, but didn’t know where to start. Her thoughts were jumbled as she stuttered, “Uh…I feel…ah, Gu Jia Ming knows you, he…he always says random things…I’m not trying to cause trouble, but he always says things that disrespect you. He also said…he said you’re his…you’re his…”

The idea of a child bride had been stuck in her mind for a long time, and she had been obsessing over it. She wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to phrase it. However, the next moment, a playful smile flashed across Jian Suyan’s eyes, though her smile was delicate and subdued. “You mean a child bride?”

“Ah, yes, yes…” Dongfang Wan nodded vigorously.

“That’s true.” After a brief and clear answer, Jian Suyan turned around, smiling, and waved. “Goodbye, Dongfang Wan…***…”

Dongfang Wan, with a petrified expression, was left behind in the shade of the trees.

…

…

Note: The “…” at the end of the text is a stylistic choice from the original and is left in to preserve the original style. The “***” is also present in the original and I believe it is also a stylistic choice.

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