Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: Eating
After getting drunk, Song Xian took half a day off. When Yuan Hong answered her call, she said, “Don’t come in today. Don’t you still need to choose photos with Miss Jiang? Just do it at home.”
With a hand to her aching head, she replied, “Okay.”
After hanging up, Song Xian moved like a sleepwalker to the refrigerator. She opened it, took out a bottle of cold water, tilted her head back, and gulped down a few mouthfuls. At last she felt a little more awake. What had happened last night—how she’d gotten home, what she’d done—was a blur. She vaguely remembered Jiang Liuyi getting out of the car again and again to buy things for her. But what had she bought?
Her head throbbed again. She leaned against the counter, finished the water, tossed the bottle into the trash, and turned to look at the room. Jiang Liuyi was still asleep.
Last night had been utter chaos. When she woke up just now, she realized the sheets hadn’t even been changed—no wonder she’d felt so uncomfortable all night.
Song Xian rubbed her aching temples and returned to the bedroom. Jiang Liuyi was still fast asleep. A faint sliver of light slipped through the doorway. Song Xian sat beside her and softly called her name. Jiang Liuyi was deeply exhausted and didn’t respond.
With no better option, Song Xian gently lifted her and shifted her to the other side, changing the sheets one half at a time. Finally, she managed to get a fresh set on. Traces of the previous night’s chaos lingered—clothes scattered everywhere, undergarments too. She picked up her own shirt and saw that the buttons had all popped off.
“Song Xian, I can’t get it off.”
“Song Xian, I don’t know how to undo it.”
She didn’t know what had come over her at the time—she’d just yanked her shirt open. Hearing the sound of buttons popping, Jiang Liuyi followed suit. A perfectly fine shirt, now left with only the top two buttons.
Hard to say whether it was the poor quality or just how rough they’d been.
Song Xian tossed all the clothes into the laundry basket and stuffed everything into the washing machine. As it began to churn, she went to the bathroom to shower. When she came out, Jiang Liuyi’s phone kept ringing. Song Xian picked it up and walked into the bedroom, nudging Jiang Liuyi gently.
Jiang Liuyi opened her eyes drowsily and looked at her. Song Xian said, “Your phone.”
“Who is it?” she asked.
Song Xian glanced at the screen. “Your sister.”
Jiang Liuyi took a beat to process that, then answered the call directly from Song Xian’s hand. Jiang Liubing’s voice came through immediately: “Big Sis, why weren’t you picking up?”
Her mind gradually cleared, though her body still felt drained. Leaning against Song Xian for support, her head resting on Song Xian’s shoulder, she said into the phone, “What is it?”
Song Xian had intended to let her take the phone herself, but seeing how spent she looked, she hesitated. On the other end, Jiang Liubing launched into a flurry of words: “I’ve been trying to reach you—did you know Sister-in-law’s back from abroad?”
Her voice was loud, and the room was quiet, so Song Xian had definitely heard it. Jiang Liuyi shot her a glance, then took the phone and said sternly, “Jiang Liubing, you only have one sister-in-law. If you keep spouting nonsense, don’t bother calling me again.”
Jiang Liubing froze. Before her sister got married, she had always called Yu Bai “sister-in-law,” and Jiang Liuyi had never objected. Why the sudden hard line?
Of course she knew who the new sister-in-law was—some illustrator at a magazine, just an ordinary person, completely unworthy of her sister. And yet her sister was defending her so fiercely.
She must’ve been brainwashed.
Fuming, but not daring to argue, she grit her teeth and muttered, “Got it.”
Jiang Liuyi said nothing, clearly upset. Jiang Liubing didn’t dare push her luck, so she tried meekly, “Big Sis, could you help me talk to—help me talk to Yu Bai?”
Jiang Liuyi frowned. “About what?”
“Didn’t her studio just open? I want to go work there.”
There were very few people in the country who had ever been mentored by Bai Ye. Yu Bai’s return from abroad had immediately earned her a special feature, and in the art world, credentials mattered. Bai Ye’s artistic accomplishments and contributions spoke for themselves—you only had to skim a Baidu entry to be awed.
Right now, the two most talked-about figures in academic circles were his final two disciples. Especially Shaniya—her use of bold, vivid colors and constantly evolving style had driven the price of her paintings sky-high, even exceeding the value of Bai Ye’s most iconic works.
Beyond those two prized final disciples, the remaining six students held roles as prestigious as chairpersons at top national art academies—positions that were, in academic circles, unattainable for most.
As for Yu Bai, the fact that she’d studied under Bai Ye at Newss instantly elevated her status within the circle. Her return to China and upcoming solo exhibition were generating immense buzz. Her studio had barely opened before the phone lines were flooded—with admirers, volunteers, and job seekers alike.
Yu Bai had previously hinted that Bai Ye might make an appearance, and that possibility only heightened attention from both within and outside the art world.
Jiang Liubing could have just gone straight to Yu Bai and asked for a chance. Given the long-standing relationship between the Yu and Jiang families, it would’ve been no problem. But she had an ulterior motive—she wanted to rekindle things between Jiang Liuyi and Yu Bai.
So she deliberately said, “Big Sis, you wouldn’t believe it. I stopped by the studio yesterday—the threshold’s practically worn flat with people coming and going. I didn’t even get to see Sister Yu Bai. You probably have no idea how incredible she is now, right?”
Definitely more incredible than Song Xian.
After her sister’s wedding, Jiang Liubing had looked up Song Xian’s name. There was barely anything. Just a few illustrations from some children’s magazine. She truly couldn’t understand why her sister would lower her standards so drastically to choose Song Xian.
To her, Song Xian was just pretty. Career-wise, she was no match for Yu Bai.
Clearly, her sister had been hurt so badly by Yu Bai that she settled for a substitute.
Jiang Liubing shook her head, only to hear Jiang Liuyi say, “If you want to go, call Yu Bai yourself.”
“I did!” Jiang Liubing said. “But her line’s been busy nonstop. She’s swamped. I heard from Sister Qiushui that you two are going to collaborate—so if you see Sister Yu Bai, could you say a word for me?”
Jiang Liuyi opened her mouth slightly.
Her younger sister was a few years her junior and had always struggled academically. After their parents gave up hope for Jiang Liuyi, they turned their attention to raising Jiang Liubing. But no matter what they tried, she just wasn’t cut out for it. She failed the national college entrance exam twice and ended up in an art school to study painting.
Maybe it was because she and Yu Bai shared a major—Jiang Liubing worshipped her, the way a starry-eyed fan idolizes someone. Back when Jiang Liuyi and Yu Bai were together, Jiang Liubing had treated Yu Bai far better than her own sister.
“Big Sis?” Jiang Liubing called.
She snapped out of it. “Mm.”
“Did you hear me or not? Can you please talk to Yu Bai for me?”
Jiang Liuyi held the phone. “We’ll talk if there’s a chance to meet.”
“Don’t just leave it to chance!” Jiang Liubing said. “Didn’t Sister Qiushui tell you? She’s meeting you for lunch today.”
Jiang Liuyi frowned. “Lunch?”
“Yeah! I just called Sister Qiushui. She said she wants to discuss the collaboration with you over lunch. I’ve got something else, so I can’t make it. Big Sis, could you talk to Sister Yu Bai for me?”
Jiang Liuyi said, “Got it.”
“You’re the best, love you!” Jiang Liubing said sweetly before hanging up.
Jiang Liuyi set the phone on the nightstand. Song Xian had already drawn the curtains open—the room was clean and neat, with no trace of last night’s chaos. The bedsheets had been changed. Looking toward the door, she could just make out Song Xian’s silhouette through the crack—sitting on the sofa, slender frame in a sleep shirt, long hair cascading down her back, her posture lazy and relaxed.
She stepped out and heard Song Xian ask, “Want some bread?”
Jiang Liuyi looked down and saw a bag of bread on the table, the logo from a familiar bakery. She knew the owner—Gu Yuanyuan, a friend of Song Xian’s.
She walked over and said, “I’ll wash up first.”
Song Xian nodded. As Jiang Liuyi passed the balcony on her way to the bathroom, she noticed the clothes hanging to dry. One shirt stood out—a pale pink blouse, Song Xian’s. The buttons had been torn off. Thinking of last night, Jiang Liuyi cleared her throat and stepped into the bathroom.
A hangover always left some discomfort. As she brushed her teeth, she gagged a few times. Only after freshening up did she step out again.
Song Xian turned to her. “Got a moment? Come help me pick some photos.”
Jiang Liuyi was just about to respond when her phone rang. She sighed, “In a bit.”
Song Xian watched her go retrieve her phone and answer the call. Into the receiver, Jiang Liuyi said, “What time? Okay, got it.”
She hung up and stepped out of the room. Song Xian looked at her. “Something up?”
“Qiushui wants to meet to discuss the collaboration.”
Song Xian nodded. “Let’s pick the photos first, then. I’ll edit them this afternoon.”
Jiang Liuyi checked her watch. There was still over an hour, and the restaurant was close to their complex. Plenty of time. She said, “Alright.”
Song Xian handed her the photos one by one. To be fair, they were all quite good. The makeup softened her sharp features and lent her an elegant warmth. In the photos, she looked more gentle than usual.
“Which ones do you like?” Jiang Liuyi asked.
At her question, Song Xian opened a second folder—these were the images she’d selected based on professional judgment. Jiang Liuyi looked through them and said, “Let’s go with this set.”
“Okay,” Song Xian agreed without hesitation.
Once she was done, Jiang Liuyi got up to change clothes. When she came out, she saw Song Xian retouching the images with a focused, meticulous expression.
She called out, “Song Xian.”
Song Xian looked up. Jiang Liuyi was dressed in a pale orange dress with a long coat layered over it. Her hair was tied up, bangs tucked behind her ears, revealing a smooth, fair forehead. Their eyes met.
“I’m meeting Qiushui for lunch,” Jiang Liuyi said. “She wants to discuss the new collaboration.”
She wasn’t sure why she repeated it—she’d already told Song Xian earlier. But she said it again anyway.
Song Xian didn’t question it, just nodded. “Alright.”
“Should I bring you lunch?” Jiang Liuyi asked.
Song Xian thought for a moment. “No need.”
She’d just had bread and wasn’t particularly hungry. Besides, the hangover from the night before still lingered, leaving her with a faint headache. She figured she’d nap after finishing the photo edits.
“Okay then. I’ll head out first.”
Song Xian watched her walk to the door. The door closed with a quiet thud. She returned to her seat in front of the computer and continued retouching. One by one, colleagues began surfacing in the group chat, all talking about last night’s dinner.
He Xiaoying sent her a message: [Song Xian, we didn’t make fools of ourselves last night, did we?]
Fools? It was she and Jiang Liuyi who had left first. If anyone had been rude, it was them.
Song Xian replied simply: [No.]
He Xiaoying: [Good.]
Song Xian went back to editing. After a while, another message popped up. She thought it was He Xiaoying again, but when she opened it, it was a photo.
Gu Yuanyuan had sent it, her tone fierce: [Holy crap! Song Xian, look who I just ran into! Isn’t that Jiang Liuyi? And across from her—isn’t that Yu Bai? What are they doing? Sneaking around behind your back? Have they no shame?! And look—they’re even wearing matching outfits!!]
In the photo, Jiang Liuyi and Yu Bai sat across from each other. Yu Bai wore a pale-colored coat. At a glance, the two did look like they were dressed in couple’s outfits.
Song Xian suddenly remembered what Jiang Liuyi had said before leaving: “I’m meeting Qiushui for lunch.”
Now Lin Qiushui had been replaced by Yu Bai.
Eyes downcast, Song Xian closed the photo and replied to Gu Yuanyuan with quiet calm: [Noted.]
