Chapter 29: 29

The next morning, Ruan Nan had just stepped out of the shower when Lin Wei and the group came bombarding into the living room. Once he was in the apartment, he went straight to Ruan Nan and shoved his phone in her face: “Sister Nan, Sister Nan, look! It’s been cleared up!”

Rather than looking closer, Ruan Nan only strode past him and took a sip of her mineral water before picking up her own phone.

A post marked with a red banner and a HOT icon was pushed to the top of the forum’s front page, the headline stating: “To Ruan Nan, Qin Juran, and all the classmates involved with the ‘La Princesa El’ stage production, I apologize.”

The poster was Feng Jing, using her real name. The contents pretty much summarized the entire incident from beginning to end, explaining that she was Qin Juran’s roommate, and her reason behind tricking her was due to a heat of the moment impulse after an argument between them. Afterward, she was afraid of being discovered by Qin Juran, so she decided to pin the blame on Ruan Nan instead.

The article stated that the incident was entirely her own doing, and attached was an image of Han Xusheng captured from the surveillance video. The student was shown walking inside the elevator after Ruan Nan had already gone up, then only coming back down after making sure that the performance had already started.

Feng Jing explained that she and Han Xusheng were merely good friends. Since he was conveniently on the stage production crew, she asked him for help.

Although she stated as such, there were all kinds of speculation in the comments below.

As soon as the confession was posted, comments came pouring in underneath, continuing for miles. Some called her out for using such an underhanded scheme, remarking on how horrible it would be to end up with a roommate like her. There were also some offering sympathy for Qin Juran and Ruan Nan, while others seemed to have been personally insulted by their own gullibility, fueling all of their rage blindly onto Feng Jing.

Some particularly sharp commenters easily noticed the flaw in her explanation:

【I wonder just how good of a friend you’d need to be to help do this kind of thing】

There was a reply directly below: 【I think I’ve seen those two together recently. But didn’t the guy already have a girlfriend? 】

The comments talking about Feng Jing and Han Xusheng’s relationship shot up to the top.

Ruan Nan scrolled through the tower of comments. Some were apologies directed towards her, but they were few and scattered.

Lin Wei snorted, “They were all relentless with the cyberbullying, but now there’s only silence. Absolute trash.”

Wang Yuanyuan let out a frustrated sigh: “Having the confession and evidence posted is already more than we can ask for. Since everything is anonymous, they only want to hear the more exciting story. They just come, drop some hate comments to satisfy themselves, then leave; there’s no point in expecting any apologies.”

Zhou Ziqing suddenly told everyone to stop moving as he proceeded to place a reservation for a 5-star restaurant: “Tonight, we’re all going out to celebrate Sister Nan’s cleared name. My treat!”

Lin Wei rolled his eyes at him. Knowing that Zhou Ziqing never liked Qin Juran since high school, he asked, “So are you inviting Qin Juran, too?”

“Why would I invite her? Just because she wrote a letter of guarantee for Sister Nan? And it’s not like we’ll even need that anymore,” Zhou Ziqing retorted, raising his brow. Meanwhile, Ruan Nan’s gaze hovered over them, as if waiting for Lin Wei’s opinion.

Lin Wei grunted in response, “No, no, can’t you see that it was Qin Juran who forced this confession out of Feng Jing? Let me tell you something: it was Qin Juran who first suspected Feng Jing. We staked out outside of Crescent Moon Hotel together for three straight nights to take pictures of Feng Jing and Han Xusheng getting rooms there. We also found out that Han Xusheng had a girlfriend, which is what we used as leverage to take care of the matter so quickly.”

“And during those three nights, I even slept for a while, but Qin Juran stayed awake and alert the entire time. And the time before when Sister Nan fainted, it was Qin Juran who carried her to the hospital. When Sister Nan was being harassed by her brother, it was Qin Juran who had gone to save her.”

All of their secret contributions over the past few days rushed out of Lin Wei. Finally, he added, “Regardless of what you guys think, I don’t hate Qin Juran anymore.”

Zhou Ziqing kicked his foot: “You’re betraying us that easily?”

Wang Yuanyuan coughed lightly, adding, “Anyways, after this whole incident, I’m also starting to realize that not everything is so black and white. Qin Juran said herself that she’d changed, and she hasn’t done anything to suggest otherwise.”

All three of their gazes landed on Ruan Nan. However, she was focused on a different issue at hand. She questioned Lin Wei: “You said that you guys staked out together for three days?”

“Ah…” Lin Wei scratched his head, answering truthfully under Ruan Nan’s scrutiny, “Well, two days; the day before yesterday, I had something to do, so she went by herself.”

The day before yesterday was just when Qin Juran posted that picture from the bar. When Ruan Nan asked where she was, she said Crescent Moon Hotel…

Without waiting for Ruan Nan’s response, Lin Wei continued, “I forgot to mention, Qin Juran hasn’t been replying to my messages these past few days; she didn’t even react after the post was submitted. I hope nothing happened to her…” He then sent a message to Huang Ying, to which there was a swift reply:

【Juju is sick with a fever, she’s at our dorm sleeping right now】

Hearing Lin Wei murmur the words, “She’s sick, huh,” Ruan Nan grabbed his phone and stared at the screen for a few seconds, then speedily changed her clothes and left the apartment.

Zhou Ziqing was puzzled. “Wait— where’s she going now?”

Lin Wei shot him a look: “Can’t you tell by now? Obviously to go see Qin Juran.”

Zhou Ziqing frowned, wanting to refute him. In the end, he merely pursed his lips and responded, “But why? I just can’t imagine why Qin Juran would do that.”

Wang Yuanyuan spoke thoughtfully, “It’s easy to come up with reasons to be mean to someone, but to be so nice to someone…maybe Qin Juran wants to join our circle and hang out with us?”

Zhou Ziqing nodded: “Right, I think she wants to become friends with Ruan Nan.”

Hearing the both of them, Lin Wei rolled his eyes. He thought back to Qin Juran’s melancholic state sitting at Ruan Nan’s bedside the night she went to the hospital, as well as her careful planning these past few days. After a moment of pondering, he let out a heavy sigh, then pat Zhou Ziqing’s shoulder: “You’re too narrowminded, brother.”

Qin Juran had caught a cold the other day from the stakeout, and on top of that, it was very windy atop of lovers’ hill. She’d woke up in the middle of the night to uncontrollable shivering, and when her alarm had begun to ring in the morning, she couldn’t bear to get up even after three snoozes.

After another round of sleep, she woke up slightly more refreshed, but only enough to realize she had a fever.

After Huang Ying gave her a few tablets of cold medicine, Qin Juran lied back in bed. Before long, she was awoken by the fuss of Huang Ying’s shouting.

“Oh my god, Juju, the one who locked you out on the roof that day was Feng Jing! Look – she personally posted a confession!”

As she spoke, she moved to sit on Qin Juran’s bed. In her worn-out state, Qin Juran pushed weakly against her: “I got it, you don’t need to read it out loud.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe that my own roommate was that kind of person! How horrifying! Juju, I never even want to speak to her again. We should go to class and eat together without her from now on.”

“Oh right, Juju, you should drink lots of hot water when you’re sick. Here, I’ll bring you a cup.” Huang Ying proceeded to speed into the kitchen and poured a glass of hot water, which she brought over to feed Qin Juran. Since the cup was scalding hot, she forgot to close the door in the process.

As Qin Juran felt the cool draft brush against her body, she could only shake her head weakly: “I’m not thirsty right now. Can you go shut the door?”

Huang Ying ignored her, continuing to lean against her bed, stretching out her arms to ease Qin Juran into a sitting position. “Here, here, drink some water.”

Annoyed by her pestering, Qin Juran dodged Huang Ying’s arms. Not expecting the movement, Huang Ying had already begun to tilt the cup, causing a stream of warm water to drip onto Qin Juran’s nightgown.

The water had soaked through Qin Juran’s chest area. Huang Ying was kneeling on the bed, frozen in shock for a quick moment, then quickly put down the cup and moved to wipe down the wet patch.

Neither of them noticed the third person standing in the doorway until the sound of knocking startled them both.

Seeing the two girls on the bed, one laying down, one kneeling, the bed curtains parted to reveal Qin Juran’s flushed face and Huang Ying’s hand lingering in midair, reaching out to where it wasn’t supposed to, Ruan Nan let out a small cough:

""

“Am I interrupting something?”

Qin Juran’s and Huang Ying’s eyes met awkwardly. With a hiss, Qin Juran pushed her off the bed.

Realizing Ruan Nan’s presence, Huang Ying felt slightly nervous. But remembering that she and Qin Juran were supposed to spend all of their time together from then on, she stood in front of her loyally: “Ruan Nan, Juju is already this hot. Can you not come bother her today?”

Ruan Nan: ?

Qin Juran: “…..Huang Ying, can you please stop talking?”

Pushing aside Huang Ying’s elbow, Ruan Nan strode purposefully in her high heels to the edge of Qin Juran’s bed, her face betraying no emotions.

Her cheeks were flushed a deep pink, her long dark hair splayed out around her on the bed. On the front of her gown was a splotch of water, and her large eyes were glistening with tears from coughing.

Ruan Nan reached her hand out, touching her cool fingertips to Qin Juran’s forehead. She nodded, mimicking Huang Ying’s word choice: “She’s indeed very hot.”

“Go change your clothes and wash up, first. I’ll be waiting for you in the car,” Ruan Nan spoke as she turned to walk away.

Qin Juran didn’t think that was necessary: “No need, I’ll be fine with some sleep.”

Ruan Nan raised a brow: “Do you want me to call a doctor here for you? Or do you need me to help you change?”

Huang Ying: “I’ll help Juju change!”

“…..”

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After she finished getting ready, Qin Juran realized that Ruan Nan hadn’t gone to her car and was instead waiting patiently by the doorway. Her heart soared and she stumbled over her foot, nearly falling headfirst into Ruan Nan’s chest.

Despite her high heels, Ruan Nan easily caught Qin Juran. Noticing that she was still weak on her feet, Ruan Nan thought for a moment, then pulled one of Qin Juran’s arms around her own shoulders, supporting her as they walked out.

They passed by plenty of students, and their close proximity attracted numerous stares. With one arm wrapped around Ruan Nan’s shoulders, Qin Juran felt a warmth creep up in her body, and she inhaled a deep breath of the citrusy scent that lingered by her nose. She whispered softly into Ruan Nan’s ear, “You’re not worried about being seen?”

“What do you know, I also could care less about what people think of me.”

Since the dormitory had no elevators, walking down the stairs posed some difficulty. Once Qin Juran got in the car, she sat obediently in the passenger seat, her expression blank. Her outfit consisted of a black shirt and a beige jacket draped over a long skirt. Her hands were clasped together and her cheeks were still red from her fever.

Seeing this strangely well-behaved Qin Juran in the reflection of the mirror, Ruan Nan frowned. How many different sides were there to this girl?

They soon arrived at the hospital and got checked by the doctor. It seems that Qin Juran’s cold was pretty serious, so the doctor suggested an IV, but Qin Juran argued that it would waste too much time and opted instead for the shot. By the time they finished, it was already noon. Without waiting for her consent, Ruan Nan drove them straight to her own apartment building.

Qin Juran looked from the apartment back to Ruan Nan, her eyes blinking as a large questioned mark emerged in her mind.

Noticing her doubt, Ruan Nan spoke, “Your dorm is too loud. And I don’t want you to confront Feng Jing in this state, so get some rest at my place for now.”

“Wha–“ Qin Juran stretched out her utterance of confusion, but eventually got out of the car and obediently followed.

When the two walked inside, Zhou Ziqing and the others had already left. Ruan Nan told her to sit, and since Qin Juran hardly had any energy to do otherwise, she changed into slippers and sat compliantly onto the living room sofa.

The entire apartment was organized in a Nordic style design, with tall wooden stools situated beside white gauze curtains, and a potted plant perched upon one of the stools. Beyond the living room was a balcony where one could spy a large pot of gypsophila flowers.

Ruan Nan poured a cup of hot water for Qin Juran which she received with both hands: “Thanks.”

“…..”

It seemed to Ruan Nan that this was the first time she’d heard that phrase come out of her mouth. However, looking down on her feeble expression, she didn’t poke fun at her, and simply asked, “I’ll make some noodles for you to eat, alright?” 1

“Ah…..” For once, Qin Juran didn’t have a witty punchline. She only looked Ruan Nan up and down, then subtly curled her lips and shook her head.

Although she didn’t say anything, Ruan Nan understood the meaning behind her gesture and her face flamed. She pouted in response and stomped wordlessly into the kitchen. As Qin Juran listened to the movement from inside the kitchen, she smiled softly and laid back on the sofa, shutting her eyes for some rest.

Perhaps the shot she got caused some drowsiness symptoms, but Qin Juran soon felt the pangs of sleepiness, falling into a deep sleep. By the time she woke up, she saw that a thin blanket had been draped over her, and the table before her was lined with various side dishes.

Qin Juran rubbed her head. She went to wash her face then returned to the kitchen, where a flash of something bright yellow in the trash can caught her eye. She paused in her step and looked closer: Meituan Food Delivery.

Qin Juran walked further into the kitchen, where Ruan Nan was still busy preparing things. Leaning lazily against the doorway, she asked, “Working hard the past two hours?”

Ruan Nan hadn’t noticed her presence, as she was in the process of carefully transferring the last container of congee from the plastic takeout tray into a ceramic bowl. Hearing her voice, Ruan Nan’s hands jolted with surprise. Seeing that there was no more point to her struggle, she put down the bowl and rubbed her nose, feigning ignorance: “Takeout.”

While she was busy in the kitchen, Ruan Nan had tied her hair into a ponytail and changed into a pale pink colored shirt dress that accentuated her white skin. Seeing her outfit, Qin Juran felt that the only thing missing was a matching bunny ear headband.

Letting out a laugh, she walked towards her and picked up the takeout container before Ruan Nan could finish pouring the congee into the bowl. “I can just eat from this container.” She also grabbed some of the disposable utensils that came with the bag.

The entire meal, Qin Juran hardly opened her mouth except to eat. After she was about halfway done, Ruan Nan started to look at her as if wanting to say something. However, Qin Juran immediately began sipping the congee so that the large bowl obscured her face.

“…..”

Ruan Nan swallowed her words with a gulp. Taking in a deep breath, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks to fork over some spiced radishes onto Qin Juran’s plate, then snuck a peek at Qin Juran’s face. She didn’t expect the other party to merely nod and say a single word of “thanks.”

Finally, Qin Juran was feeling reenergized from the filling meal and her long nap, and the medicine shot was starting to kick in as well, so she was already starting to feel much better. Once she helped Ruan Nan clear the table, she asked, “Miss Ruan, would you mind giving me a tour?”

Ruan Nan froze, then nodded and began to lead her around the apartment. Actually, this apartment was quite similar to the two-story loft that Qin Juran used to live in. Although this one only had one floor, the overall design was similar.

Seeing the tv in one of the bedrooms, Qin Juran walked towards it. “Do you watch tv?”

Ruan Nan shook her head.

Qin Juran reached towards the power strip, where there was a mass of electrical cords. “Make sure to turn off the outlet when you’re not using it.”

The two then made it to Ruan Nan’s bedroom, which was decorated in a light grey Scandinavian fashion. As soon as they walked in, it seemed as if the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Qin Juran stood dazed for a moment as a familiar memory entered her mind.

Ruan Nan felt her sudden change of mood. “What’s wrong?”

Qin Juran shook her head. “Living here all by yourself – it must be very lonely?”

Hearing her words, Ruan Nan’s gaze suddenly darkened. Glancing back to where Qin Juran stood in the doorway, she replied, “So what?”

Qin Juran pointed to the empty head of the bed: “I saw that there’s a bolster pillow on your sofa; maybe you can put that on your bed, too, or buy some stuffed animals. You’re scared of the dark, but this light is a bit far. I recently found a nice nightlight that you can put on your bedstand, so I’ll send it to you later.”

“That’s all?” Ruan Nan raised a brow.

Not quite understanding the implication behind her words, Qin Juran only let out a puzzled laugh: “Is there a problem?”

Ruan Nan flicked her eyes away, replying stiffly, “Never mind.”

Qin Juran continued to give advice about other safety precautions and furniture organization, and before long, it was already 6 in the evening.

During this time of the year, the sun set rather early. Thus, outside Ruan Nan’s 23rd-floor apartment, the sky was already starting to turn dark. Qin Juran walked over to the living room windows to draw the curtains, then turned on two lamps. “If you’re hungry, order some more food. Don’t worry about sending me back.”

“You’re leaving?”

Qin Juran nodded. “I’m already feeling much better. Thank you for your hospitality today.” With this, she began to walk towards the door.

Ruan Nan rushed after her. “Qin Juran, we haven’t even properly talked yet.”

Qin Juran asked skeptically, “About what?”

Ruan Nan pursed her lips: “You know what I want to talk about. Everything regarding Feng Jing’s confession post – you were behind it all, right?”

Qin Juran’s face dawned in realization. She tried to take a step back, but accidentally walked into the shoe rack beside the door. Ruan Nan stretched out a hand to support her, and soon the two of them were standing very close. Lifting her head, Qin Juran stared cunningly into Ruan Nan’s eyes: “Oh, that. If I say so, then wouldn’t that mean I helped you out?”

“One person helping another – that’s how the relationship between two people strengthens. But that means I’d be going against Miss Ruan’s rule of not becoming friends with me.”

“But you already did.” Ruan Nan sounded uneasy, not knowing how to rebut her.

Qin Juran let out a soft laugh. “I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be fine once a few days pass and Miss Ruan forgets about it. After all, how could I bear to trouble you like that?”

Afterward, Qin Juran gently pushed Ruan Nan’s elbows away. “I’m sick, don’t come so close to me. Sorry.”

Ruan Nan couldn’t resist going against her obvious effort to avoid her. In a swift moment, Ruan Nan leaned an arm on the wall that Qin Juran was backed up against, tilting her head even closer. “I’m not afraid. I’ve told you before that I don’t like being indebted to anyone.”

Since she was still tired from her cold, Qin Juran let her body slump against the wall until her back formed a slight arch. Her face was slightly pale under the lamp lights, and her voice came out weakly, with a faint laugh: “We’ll call it even with today’s meal.”

“Qin Juran, you better stop belittling me. If I owe you, then I will return the favor, so you better think of something that I can do for you that doesn’t affect our ‘friendship.’”

Qin Juran’s smile grew. Feeling as if she were watching a child throw a tantrum, she asked exasperatedly, “Is there anything like that?”

“I don’t care, but you must think of something. You’re not leaving until you do – I won’t be able to sleep with this debt on my shoulders.”

Qin Juran pressed her lips, leaning down closer to her face: “Really?”

“Really.”

“You’re really not afraid of catching my cold?” Qin Juran’s questions came out increasingly softer, her voice sounding increasingly coaxing.

At that moment, Ruan Nan felt that she’d been deceived. As she met Qin Juran’s large, mischievous eyes, she couldn’t even protest before Qin Juran wrinkled her brows in thought for a second, then smoothly reached out and pulled Ruan Nan so that she was now entrapped against the wall. Stooping over her body, Qin Juran murmured,

“Ah-Ruan, why don’t you give Big Sister a kiss?”

Footnotes

The term for making noodles has the same pronunciation as the word for “below,” so this sentence sounds as if she’s is saying “I’ll eat you down there?” Hence cooking noodles has a sexual connotation 

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