Chapter 2: Chapter 2

The evening of early spring was still a little cold, especially in Baiyun City, an economic city located at the northern end of China.

Jian Ai sat on the sofa in the living room with a blanket draped over her shoulders. On the coffee table in front of her was a steaming hot meal: fried eggs with tomato, sweet and sour pork, and a bowl of soup with fish head and tofu.

There were two clean red apples next to the dishes, and it was evident that they were the most expensive ones at the fruit stall. Her mother always treated her like this. Even if her family background was not good, her mother always tried her best to give her the best when it came to eating and learning.

At this time, Wang Yunmei had already gone out for work. After Jian Ai finished eating, she changed into a clean set of clothes and tied her hair into a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror before putting on her shoes and leaving.

In April and May, Baiyun City was as wet and cold as of late autumn. Jian Ai wrapped her coat tightly around her and looked around while recalling everything that she was familiar with during her childhood.

Baiyun City was a provincial capital located in the Jin Province in the north. It was considered an important trade hub and an economic city divided into five major districts: Haicheng District, Zhonglou District, South City District, North City District, and Wanbao District.

The most prosperous city center was Haicheng District, while Jian Ai’s home was in the South City District, also known as the slums. Most of the South City District residents lived in poverty, and they could count the number of tall buildings in the entire district with one hand. Most of them were flat houses or two or three stories tall residential buildings. In the bustling Baiyun City, this place seemed out of place.

After walking for more than half an hour, Jian Ai stopped in front of Starlight Bar in Zhonglou District. Many young men gathered in groups at the bar entrance, where a deafening noise came from. Jian Ai was a little nervous, but she was more excited and expectant because her brother, Jian Yu, worked here.

To earn more money to finish her university studies, her brother had gone out with the construction team to do construction work in her previous life. He had done hard work and spent all his youth. It was unexpected that a falling object took away his life at the construction site. Until now, Jian Ai still did not dare to think about the scene of seeing her brother’s body.

“Little girl, are you looking for someone? We can’t let children in here.”

As soon as she reached the main entrance, a blond with a cigarette in his mouth looked up at Jian Ai and asked. The blond didn’t look like a good person, but his tone was decent.

Jian Ai paused and looked at the blond before nodding. “I’m looking for someone.”

The blond stood up and sized up Jian Ai. He took a puff of smoke and raised his eyebrows. “Who are you looking for? There are no customers here yet!”

“I’m not here to look for a customer. I’m looking for Jian Yu. He’s here as a security guard,” Jian Ai quickly said.

“Oh, you’re looking for Jian Yu!” The blond couldn’t help but look at Jian Ai meaningfully. Then, he smiled and said, “Wait at the door. I’ll go in and call him for you.”

When the blond entered the bar, Jian Ai exhaled deeply.

Starlight Bar was considered the best bar in Zhonglou District. Young people liked to come to such places, and many out-of-school youths nearby were willing to work in such places. Their jobs were only at night, and they could earn eight hundred or a thousand yuan in a month. For a person in his twenties, this was considered quite an income.

Her elder brother, Jian Yu, was four years older than her and had just turned eighteen. He had been working as a security guard at Starlight Bar for almost a year. Her elder brother loved her the most. Jian Ai still remembered that whenever he received his salary every first day of the month, her elder brother would secretly give half of his money to her as pocket money. The rest of the money would be given to his mother, leaving him with only a few dozen dollars.

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“There, that girl in the white sweater!”

As soon as he walked out of the bar, Jian Yu saw Jian Ai. He raised his hand and slapped the back of the blond’s head. “Girl, damn you. That’s my sister!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jian Yu ran up to Jian Ai. He looked at Jian Ai up and down worriedly before saying, “You ran out after you recovered! And you came here…” Jian Yu looked around and asked, “How did you get here? Did you walk here?”

Jian Yu was 1.8 meters tall, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he looked very energetic. When he spoke, he frowned. His eyebrows were filled with concern for Jian Ai.

Looking at her elder brother, Jian Ai once again felt as if it was a lifetime ago. Her heart warmed, and she felt a lump in her throat. She almost wanted to cry.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Ai? I’m asking you a question!” Jian Yu was even more nervous now that Jian Ai was silent.

Jian Ai quickly recovered from the trance and said, “I’m fine, Brother. I just came out for a walk. I just wanted to see you.”

Their home was in South City District, and the place she was at now was in Zhonglou District. By foot, it would at least take half an hour to get there. Hearing that Jian Ai walked over, Jian Yu couldn’t get angry. He was worried, and his heart ached.

“Er Zi, I need to send my sister home. Help me ask Brother Dong for leave.” Jian Yu suddenly turned around and shouted at the blond who was watching from afar.

The blond made a hand gesture to indicate that he had received the message. Seeing this, Jian Ai smiled in embarrassment. “Sorry to trouble you, Brother.”

Hearing this, Jian Yu smiled helplessly. “It’s okay. Anyway, it’s not the weekend yet. The bar isn’t busy. I’m worried if you walk back by yourself.”

Jian Ai immediately went up and hugged Jian Yu’s arm. Her brother was tall and strong, making her feel safe. She and her mother used to like to walk with him like that.

“This is for you.” Jian Yu suddenly took out a small object from his pocket and handed it to Jian Ai.

Jian Ai looked up and saw a pair of hairclips with a Little Ball character.

“Thank you, Brother.” Jian Ai received them with joy. She looked up and grinned.

Jian Yu smiled and said lovingly, “I saw it at the night market by accident. Didn’t you like Little Peach? Don’t stand on ceremony with me for two yuan.”

“What Little Peach? Her name is Little Ball.” Jian Ai smiled.

“Sure, sure. Little Ball.”

The siblings walked towards Jian Yu’s motorcycle.

On the way back, Jian Ai sat in the backseat with her arms around Jian Yu’s waist. The night wind of Baiyun City blew on her face, and it was cold and wet. However, at this moment, Jian Ai’s heart was exceptionally and unprecedentedly warm.

Before going to bed that night, Jian Ai packed her school bag, took out her school uniform, and ironed it. She had a high fever a few days ago and hadn’t been to school for a few days. Now, she was no longer feeling unwell. Although Jian Ai still remembered the things she had learned in her previous life, she still planned to return to school tomorrow.

Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but lying on the bed, Jian Ai could not fall asleep for a long time. It was as if she was worried that everything would disappear once she woke up. She would become a successful businesswoman again, and she could no longer see her mother and brother.