The two sat awkwardly in the living room. Su Mo held a cup of hot water and drank it slowly, while Jiang Jianhuan looked restless, his gaze wandering in the air, occasionally lingering on him before quickly looking away.
Silent silence.
Su Mo was a little irritated; he didn't know why he had come up here.
"How have you been these past few years?" He wanted to greet him like a long-lost friend, but he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
As expected.
"It's alright," Jiang Jianhuan answered cautiously, then, noticing his somewhat gloomy expression, added a follow-up question.
"And you?"
As if touching some taboo, Su Mo looked up at her, and that last bit of peace vanished completely.
He raised his eyes and coldly retorted.
What do you think?
Jiang Jianhuan froze, staring at him blankly.
Su Mo scratched her hair in frustration, unable to stay any longer, picked up her coat and got up.
"I'm leaving."
Su Mo came and went quickly, leaving the room empty, making one wonder if everything that had just happened was an illusion. Jiang Jianhuan sat there, her fingers nervously rubbing against her knees, her grievances only becoming apparent belatedly.
Wasn't it him who suggested breaking up back then?
-
Since that night, Jiang Jianhuan had no news of Su Mo for a long time; no, it should be said that she hadn't seen Su Mo in person for a long time.
After all, as a public figure, his information will still appear everywhere around Jiang Jianhuan.
And the black car downstairs hasn't been seen for a long time.
Time slowly moved forward, and early winter arrived in Jiangcheng. It had been more than three months since Jiang Jianhuan returned to China. She had successfully completed her internship at iro, and Jiang Yuan had taken her along to participate in the design of this season's new products. The days passed quickly as she was immersed in her work.
What she wants most right now is to pay off this month's debts as soon as possible and work hard to get a promotion and a raise.
On the day of the Beginning of Winter, which happened to be a Saturday, Jiang Jianhuan went back to her parents' house.
Jiang Xin and Yi Qingxue now live in a rural area far from Jiangcheng. They have to take a bus to the edge of the city and then transfer to a minibus, watching the high-rise buildings turn into reservoirs and farmland along the way.
When Jiang Jianhuan arrived, it was near dusk. Jiang Xin was carrying a hoe and walking home from the field. In the dead of winter, he was only wearing a sweater, with his coat draped over the hoe handle.
"Dad, why are you dressed so lightly? What if you catch a cold again?!" Jiang Jianhuan put down what she was carrying and hurried over. Jiang Xin waved to her and smiled happily.
"It's okay, I've been feeling alright lately."
The person speaking had almost completely white hair, a face covered in wrinkles, and a slightly hunched posture.
Jiang Jianhuan frowned with heartache; her father had aged a lot in the past few years.
Hearing the sound, the woman inside the house came out to greet her. Seeing the pile of things she had brought, she felt heartbroken.
"Huanhuan, you bought so much again. I told you your dad and I have everything we need here, you don't need to worry—"
"Mom, I just bought it on a whim, don't worry about it. Come and see what delicious food you made today." Jiang Jianhuan pushed the woman towards the kitchen, and her attention was immediately diverted.
"I specially cooked old duck soup and made dumplings today, just waiting for you to come..."
The family of three finished their meal in a lively atmosphere. Jiang Jianhuan slept there that night. The rural lifestyle was regular, and everyone went to bed before eight o'clock. It was very quiet outside, without the hustle and bustle of the city.
After Jiangxin's investment failed during his junior year of college, he was left with a mountain of debt. His villa, car, and even his office building were all mortgaged, but it was still far from enough. Eventually, his temporary residence was discovered.
During that period...
Jiang Jianhuan closed his eyes in pain.
Debt collectors are everywhere, the front door is always dirty, splattered with foul-smelling dog blood, and warnings are written in big red letters on the windows and walls.
The family of three didn't even dare to leave the house. The sound of kicking the door would be heard every few hours. In the end, with the help of the Shen family, they managed to send Jiang Jianhuan abroad to avoid these conflicts.
It was also through the mediation of the Shen family that Jiang Xin and Yi Qingxue were able to settle down in the countryside, while Jiang Jianhuan, though living abroad, was still burdened with debts that he could hardly repay in his lifetime.
Most of my monthly income goes towards debt repayment. If the money in my account exceeds a certain amount, the bank will forcibly withdraw it, leaving me only able to maintain the most basic needs. I'm always burdened by a huge, endless mountain.
Jiang Jianhuan doesn't have many memories of her life abroad these past few years, because every day, besides going to class and working, she would just go back to bed and fall asleep. The days were like a black and white silent film flashing by, reel after reel, as her life slipped away.
Fortunately, everyone is doing well now.
Chapter 5
IRO's work hours are flexible. Jiang Jianhuan took the earliest bus and arrived at the office close to ten o'clock. As soon as she turned on her computer, she saw a meeting notification in the work group.
Everyone is very busy with work, and sometimes the routine meeting on Monday is skipped. Jiang Jianhuan organized the materials from the past two weeks. At 10:30, Jiang Yuan came out of the office on time, took the folder and walked to the meeting room next door.
Even through a frosted glass door, Jiang Yuan's profile remained crystal clear, exuding a sharp and solemn aura.
Everyone packed up what they were doing and went inside with their notebooks.
At the long conference table, Jiang Yuan sat at the head of the table. The entire department consisted of designers, as well as assistants like Jiang Jianhuan. Jiang Yuan was the director and held absolute power.
Let me first summarize last week's work...
Jiang Yuan spoke at a fairly fast pace and with great clarity. In just over ten minutes, she had almost finished outlining the work of the entire department. As the meeting was about to end, she casually glanced around before calmly announcing something.