When Jiang Jianhuan was a sophomore, Jiang Xin came to the school to look for her. At that time, she was with Su Mo, and the two of them bumped into each other unexpectedly.
Later, when Yi Qingxue heard the news, she made a special trip to the school to see him, and they even had a proper meal together.
Inevitably, memories of the past surfaced, and Jiang Jianhuan's mood darkened, her tone becoming lower.
"They are all doing well now."
"There's nothing else going on at home."
"That's good."
"you..."
Su Mo had just started speaking when Jiang Jianhuan's phone rang, interrupting her. She saw the caller ID, apologized softly, and answered.
"Second Uncle?"
"Jianhuan, are you short on cash this month? Your aunt is in the hospital because she's not feeling well—" The man's rough voice came through the phone and echoed in the quiet room.
Jiang Jianhuan bit her lip, her face unconsciously showing embarrassment. She stood up and pointed to the door.
Su Mo nodded.
She took her phone and went outside.
"Second Uncle, what's wrong with Auntie..." Jiang Jianhuan searched the corridor for a while before finally spotting a corner. She asked softly into her phone.
“Her heart condition flared up again, and now we’re waiting to pay the hospital bills. Jianhuan, look, your dad still owes me tens of thousands of yuan…” Jiang Jianhuan leaned back weakly against the wall, looking up at the snow-white ceiling.
This was the third time her aunt had "relapsed".
It all boils down to wanting money.
Jiang Xin's business partners' debts were all repaid through bank loans, but her relatives kept finding ways to ask her for money every now and then. These were considered relatively mild cases; some even resorted to illegal means, like the people she met last time.
If the money arrives even slightly late or not on time, they will stop at nothing to come to your door and will do anything.
As she listened to the man on the other end of the phone rambling on and on, repeating similar phrases, a sudden, overwhelming sense of annoyance welled up within her.
Not at this person, but at the world.
"Second Uncle, I have a little bit left after paying off my bank account, but it's not much, only two thousand yuan. Could you take it to tide me over? I'll pay you back next month when I have the money."
"Well, that's the only way then. Just transfer the money to my card directly. The number hasn't changed. Thank you, niece."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Jianhuan didn't move. He leaned against the wall and stared blankly for a while before opening his mobile banking app and transferring the money. The balance immediately became clear at a glance.
There are still two weeks left. If we spend money sparingly, we should be fine.
Her mind went blank, and she thought about a bunch of random things before finally gripping her phone and going back.
Turning around, just as I stepped out of the corner, I saw Su Mo in the corridor not far away. He was standing next to a trash can, one hand in his pocket and a cigarette between his other fingers.
Upon seeing Jiang Jianhuan, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette in the extinguishing area of the trash can and explained succinctly.
"I was afraid you'd get lost if you went too far, so I came out to check."
"Oh," Jiang Jianhuan replied softly, her mind in turmoil, and she didn't ask him when he had learned to smoke.
When it was time to go back, Su Mo insisted on giving her a ride, leaving Jiang Jianhuan no choice but to get in the car.
They drove in silence. Inside the quiet car, Jiang Jianhuan turned her head to look out the window, occasionally lowering her eyes in a daze. Su Mo would glance at her occasionally while driving.
While waiting at the traffic light, Su Mo unconsciously rubbed the steering wheel with her fingertips and asked a question.
"Did something happen to you just now?"
Jiang Jianhuan looked at him with some surprise, then suppressed her emotions and answered.
"It's nothing," she said, then added.
"It's just a small matter."
"Oh." Su Mo lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes falling down, tinged golden in the sunlight streaming through the car window.
The words "innocent" and "gentle" are perfectly embodied at this moment, with a hint of loss also subtly emanating from them.
Jiang Jianhuan forced herself to look away, not to be misled by the scene before her.
Upon arriving downstairs, Jiang Jianhuan opened the car door and thanked him.
"Thank you for taking me home."
"Jian Huan." Su Mo suddenly called out to her, his expression serious.
"If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."
When Jiang Jianhuan realized what he had said, an indescribable anger surged into her brain, and the gentle expression on her face instantly turned cold.
"No need." She tried to force a polite smile, but failed; instead, her lips tightened.
"You and I have nothing to do with each other, and I don't need your help in any way."
After saying that, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Su Mo sat there in frustration, watching her disappearing figure in the corridor, clenching her fist against her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut.
-
That evening, Zhou You organized a gathering to celebrate landing a big order. He tagged everyone in the group chat early on. When Su Mo arrived, everyone was there except for Bai Qiu.