That slap left Tang Yan dazed. Her cheek stung and burned, but the deeper pain was the humiliation—made worse by Aunt Ji standing right there. Tang Huiyi’s raised hand slowly dropped to her side, her face stiff and awkward. The instant she struck, she regretted it and reached out, trying to touch Tang Yan, but Tang Yan turned away without mercy.
At the same moment, the child sleeping in the bedroom woke with a piercing wail. Startled from a dream, he cried at the top of his lungs. Caught between two fires, Tang Huiyi froze, not knowing what to do.
Ji Yuqing stepped forward. “Senior-sister, you’d better check on the boy first.”
Tang Huiyi glanced at Tang Yan, but Tang Yan turned her face aside, refusing even eye contact. Left with no choice, Tang Huiyi half walked, half ran back to the bedroom. The moment she opened the door, she saw the little boy sitting on the bed, hair a rumpled mess, crying in confusion. Clearly, waking up in a strange place without his mother had frightened him.
“Mama… Mama…”
Panic surged in Tang Huiyi’s chest. She opened her arms and gathered him close, soothing him. “Mama’s here. Mama’s here. Shall we go to the hotel?”
A while later she came out of Tang Yan’s room with the child in her arms and looked awkwardly at Ji Yuqing. “We’d better go back to the hotel for now.”
Ji Yuqing hesitated, then nodded. “All right. I’ll drive you.”
She glanced back at Tang Yan, who sat with her head bowed, silent. “Yan-yan, you stay home. No need to go.”
The three hurried out. When the door shut behind them, the apartment was suddenly empty. Tears spilled from Tang Yan’s eyes—she had held them back only so she wouldn’t lose face in front of Aunt Ji.
In the car, Tang Huiyi was filled with remorse. “I… I lost my temper.”
Ji Yuqing checked the rear-view mirror. “I understand. Don’t blame yourself too much.”
Tang Huiyi shook her head helplessly. “Now Yan-yan and I will only grow farther apart.”
Ji Yuqing had no words. She took a breath and pressed the accelerator. They left the neighborhood and, after just one street, reached the hotel she had already paid for.
Parking at the entrance, she helped carry the luggage inside. Tang Huiyi looked around the room in surprise. “Why book us such a nice place? It must be expensive.”
Ji Yuqing smiled. “It’s fine. Since you’re here in Huadu, you should stay somewhere decent. Our company works closely with this hotel—I get a discount.”
After setting down the bags, Tang Huiyi raked a hand through her hair, weariness on her face. “Yan-yan has changed so much these past six months. I hardly know her now, and I understand her even less. But all the changes are for the better—I can see she’s becoming outstanding. That’s thanks to you, Yuqing.”
Ji Yuqing hastily shook her head. “I owe you too much already. I’m only trying to make amends…”
Tang Huiyi cut her off, her expression turning grave. “Yan-yan doesn’t know about that matter, does she?”
“No.” Ji Yuqing paused, puzzled. “Senior-sister, why won’t you tell her the truth? If she understood, she wouldn’t have said such hurtful things today, and the two of you might get along better.”
Tang Huiyi shook her head. “I have no resources in Huadu, no network. I can rely only on you, Yuqing. All my hopes rest on Yan-yan. I want her to be excellent—successful like you. For that, I’d rather she never know the truth, even if she ends up hating me all her life.”
Ji Yuqing understood. If Yan-yan learned everything, their relationship might collapse—and that was the last thing her senior-sister wanted.
“So please, Yuqing.” Tang Huiyi suddenly gripped her hand, earnest and pleading. “I don’t need any repayment. Just guide Yan-yan, help her become exceptional—that’s enough.”
“Rest assured, Senior-sister. I’ll do everything I can to help her find her footing in Huadu.”
Relieved, Tang Huiyi nodded. “All right, head on back. She’s probably sulking at home—comfort her for me.”
Ji Yuqing rose. “Do you need dinner? I can order something and have it sent up.”
“No, you’ve done plenty already. The hotel has a restaurant—we’ll go down ourselves.” Tang Huiyi smiled.
Finished with the arrangements, Ji Yuqing left the hotel. Driving away, she decided not to return empty-handed and detoured to pick up roast duck—Yan-yan’s favorite.
“Mama, where’s Sister?” Xuan-xuan sat on the big hotel bed playing with toys, his child’s voice piping up.
Tang Huiyi forced back her sorrow and smiled. “She’s not sleeping here, sweetheart. She’s staying at that auntie’s house.”
Xuan-xuan looked up and persisted. “Why won’t Sister sleep here? Does she not like me?”
“Of course not.” Tang Huiyi stroked his forehead. “Our Xuan-xuan is so adorable—everyone likes you. Sister likes you, Mama likes you, and Aunt Ji likes you too.”
He pouted, dropped his toy, patted his stomach, and said, “Tummy hungry.”
“Then Mama will take you to the restaurant on the second floor. I’m hungry too.”
Evening.
Shen Yu-yin sat alone at the long dining table. The family chef had prepared exquisite dishes, but as always she dined by herself. Her father, ill, had separate meals arranged by doctors and nutritionists; her mother, heavily made-up, had gone off in the Rolls-Royce again.
The vast villa was brightly lit, yet Shen Yu-yin ate in solitary silence. Two maids stood behind her, waiting to clear the table. Fed up with this life, she took only a few bites, tossed down her fork, and pulled out her phone. Scrolling through the long list of contacts on WeChat, she found no one she wanted to meet.
Then she remembered someone. After hesitating, she dialed.
Zhao Xiao-yun had been asleep all afternoon. The room was pitch-black, and the flashing light of an incoming call woke her.
An unfamiliar number. Because of her work, she worried it might be a client and answered quickly.
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” Shen Yu-yin said, voice low.
Zhao Xiao-yun froze, recognizing the voice. “How did you get my number?”
“Tang Yan gave it to me. Have you eaten?”
“That’s none of your business,” Zhao Xiao-yun snapped.
“Please, don’t be like that—as if I’m some monster who’s committed a great crime…” Shen Yu-yin grumbled.
Silence from Zhao Xiao-yun.
Shen Yu-yin tried again. “I honestly didn’t think you’d care so much—I mean, I didn’t expect any of this. I was drunk last night.”
“Enough,” Zhao Xiao-yun interrupted. “What happened, happened. It’s no one’s fault but my own. Don’t call me again. Because you’re Yan-yan’s friend, I’m being polite and haven’t hung up yet. I hope you won’t call in the future.”
“Hello? Hello—”
Zhao Xiao-yun ended the call, burrowed back under the covers, and dozed for another half hour. The phone rang again. Another strange number. Annoyed but professionally cautious, she answered.
“Hello, is this Miss Zhao?”
“Uh… speaking.”
A man’s voice. “Your food delivery is here—could you come down to pick it up?”
“Delivery?” She frowned. “I didn’t order anything. You must have the wrong person.”
He recited her address and phone number. “It’s correct. Could you come out?”
Urged on, she got up, switched on the light, and hurried out to collect the order, pulling the door shut behind her.
To her surprise, the bag held three dishes and soup—two meat, one vegetable—lavish and aromatic. The price on the receipt made her gasp: over two hundred yuan, more than a day’s wages. She would never splurge like that.
Ji Yuqing returned with the roast duck to find Tang Yan silently tidying the apartment, her spirits low. She slipped in quietly, unnoticed, and crept up behind her. “Guess what I brought you?”
Tang Yan started. “Aunt Ji, you’re back.”
In that instant the light revealed the finger-marks on Tang Yan’s left cheek, vivid from the afternoon’s slap. Ji Yuqing’s heart clenched. She set the roast duck down and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”
Tang Yan shook her head. “It doesn’t anymore.”
“I’ll dab on some liniment. It’ll bring down the swelling.” Ji Yuqing fetched the first-aid box.
Tang Yan sat obediently on a stool. Ji Yuqing moistened a cotton swab and gently applied the cool, faintly stinging medicine. Watching the girl frown yet grit her teeth without a sound, her heart ached. “And you say it doesn’t hurt.”
Tang Yan lowered her eyes, embarrassed.
Putting the bottle aside, Ji Yuqing spoke gently. “Your mom… she’s having a hard time too. You shouldn’t have said those things today, but she shouldn’t have hit you either. She’s been reflecting on it at the hotel. I hope you’ll let it go and stop being angry, all right?”
Tang Yan stayed silent for a long moment. Ji Yuqing smiled, took her hand. “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on—let’s eat. I brought your favorite roast duck.”
Hand in hand, Tang Yan followed her blankly. In this house, nothing could beat Aunt Ji’s comfort—and a plate of roast duck.