Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 71 (Part 2)
Semi cliffhanger warning~
Translated by Pure (ko-fi)
Chapter 71.2 Shen Tiantian's expression gradually turned cold, "I see."
Shen Juanying had just finished the meeting. She was walking out of the conference room, in front of the crowd, with a document that was about to be issued in hand, when the secretary stepped forward and whispered to her ear, "Deputy Secretary Shen, Professor Lin is here to find you."
Lin Runsheng seldom came to her work unit, so Shen Juanying was a little surprised. Before she could guess his reason for visiting her, he had already been brought over by an assistant. Lin Runsheng walked in with a tense expression, setting off an aura that made others shy away.
Shen Juanying's subordinates, who were giving instructions outside, were terrified by this paper-tiger-like professor. Helpless, Shen Juanying could only send everyone away with a gentle smile, "Go back to work first, if there are any updates, I’ll have Xiao Liu to call your office .”
Everyone greeted Lin Runsheng politely and immediately dispersed. The secretary who was promoted by Shen Juanying also didn’t have the guts to remain at the scene. When he closed the office door for the two of them, he patted his chest with some lingering fear.
Deputy Secretary Shen's husband was really too imposing. As expected of a strict professor who was notoriously hard to mess with at Hanhai University, only such a person could subdue the straightforward and decisive Deputy Secretary Shen.
As soon as the door was closed, Lin Runsheng hugged Shen Juanying, and buried his head in her neck.
Shen Juanying put down the document, hugged his back, patted it lightly, and comforted him like a child, "What's wrong? What wronged you? Did something happen? What made you directly come to my work place? "
Lin Runsheng said sorry quietly, raised his head and asked, "Did I disturb you?"
Seeing that the rim of his eyes were red, Shen Juanying immediately reached out to rub his cheek with heartache. "Of course not! You would never disturb me! What happened? Did someone bully you again? Tell me and I will help you out."
Lin Runsheng was the type of person who would never hide anything from Shen Juanying.
Jiang Qiaqia's affairs were, of course, no exception.
******
Jiang Qiaqia waited until 8:00 pm but failed to see Lin Runsheng again. She called the receptionist since the security guard refused to help. Without any other option, she had no choice but to return home. Unexpectedly, that night, Jiang Qiaqia received a call from Lin Runsheng.
When Lin Runsheng asked her to meet her at a newly opened cafe on the weekend, Jiang Qiaqia was overjoyed.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Qiaqia rushed into the bathroom of the small hotel to wash her face with cold water, making sure it wasn’t just a dream. She looked up and silently stared at her haggard face in the mirror. She took out all the cash on her body, including the three thousand that Lin Runsheng gave. In total, everything added up to a mere seven thousand yuan.
Her bank account was constantly being monitored. From what she had last heard, the debt collectors had yet to leave her house, so there was no way for her to make a trip back to grab anything.
Jiang Qiaqia suddenly came to her senses in the dim bathroom.
She put on her hat and sneaked out, heading straight for the busiest commercial street in Yan City. The opportunity to meet Lin Runsheng was not easy to come by. She had found him too hastily and dressed too casually. She has to make it up the next time they meet, and try to leave a better impression on him.
******
Shen Tiantian was jolted awake in the middle of the night by thirst. She decided to go downstairs for a glass of water. To her surprise, the living room was still illuminated.
Her stepfather and mother were seated on the sofa, deep in discussion. Just as Shen Tiantian was about to call out to them, she heard a familiar name, causing her voice to catch in her throat.
Shen Juanying's tone was notably grave, "We mustn't underestimate this matter. Thankfully, you handled it with care. If Jiang Qiaqia were to find out about Jingzhe’s situation, it could escalate into a bigger problem."
Lin Runchang let out a sigh, "I'm concerned she might persistently hound Jingzhe. You know how she can be; she stops at nothing to get what she wants."
"She owes so much money now, but comes to find you. This probably means that she has nowhere else to go." Shen Juanying analyzed, "Once she finds Jingzhe, she will definitely entangle herself onto him as if she was grabbing a life-saving rope. Considering her personality, whatever she did could be justified. Back in Qunnan Province, she had no trouble swallowing all the living expenses we sent for Jingzh; it’s hard to say what she would do if she were to face Jingzhe directly."
Lin Runsheng took a sip of his cup of water wearily. "If it happens, Jingzhe's life will definitely turn upside down. No matter what grievances there are in the past, as long as she uses her identity as his mother to cause a ruckus, with the cultural beliefs of our country... Alas...”
Shen Juanying shook her head helplessly. "Sometimes, I really want to abuse my power, but... if only there was some way to keep her away."
The couple sat opposite each other and exchanged exhausted sighs. Shen Tiantian stood in the shadow of the corridor, holding a glass of water, her expression fluctuating as she heard the whole conversation from beginning to end.
Jiang Qiaqia? She remembered the name– she’s Lin Jingzhe's biological mother.
******
Jiang Qiaqia dyed her hair black, trimmed her hairstyle, and changed into a new outfit; she had a complete makeover.
She followed the directions and found herself in front of the newly opened cafe, the bright neon sign under the night was heart fluttering. Western customs and culture had slowly made its way in, slowly assimilating itself in China. Recently, many various cafes and western restaurants in Yan City have opened. Although it was expensive, there were a bountiful amount of incoming customers.
Jiang Qiaqia lightly pushed back her side bangs behind her ears. She remembered that Lin Runsheng's favorite drink was coffee only because of its high expense. He drank the beverage often, which irked Jiang Qiaqia very much in the past.
Couples strolled in and out, hand in hand, while the melodic strains of music seeped through the door's crevice. Jiang Qiaqia ventured into the softly lit space, her mind pondering over Lin Runsheng's motives for inviting her to such a place.
As she walked, her hips swayed in a subtle rhythm, but was stunned when the waiter brought her to the designated table.
On the other side of the table sat Shen Juanying, donning a tailored lady's suit. Her legs were elegantly crossed as she held a coffee cup to her lips, a subtle smile playing at the corners of her mouth. When her eyes met Jiang Qiaqia's stunned gaze, they held each other's gaze momentarily before Shen Juanying's suggestive look traced down to Jiang Qiaqia's choice of pantyhose.
Jiang Qiaqia felt a palpable scrutiny from head to toe. In her embarrassment, she reached out and tugged at the corner of her skirt, biting her lip. "Why are you here?"
Shen Juanying's smile remained light as she gestured casually with her right hand. "Sit."
Jiang Qiaqia, though wanting to leave, hesitated due to her current circumstances. She sat down reluctantly. Shen Juanying's aura of confidence and her confident smile unsettled her. "Where's Lin Runsheng?"
"Give her an Americano," Shen Juanying ordered Jiang Qiaqia’s drink without bothering to ask for her preference. She then turned to answer Jiang Qiaqia's question, "He's at home."
Resting her hand on her cheek, Shen Juanying lightly praised, "You look quite pretty today."
Jiang Qiaqia was at a loss for words; her usual assertiveness seemed to have abandoned her in front of Shen Juanying. The bitterness of the Americano lingered in her mouth as she whispered after a pause, "Thank you."
Shen Juanying observed her reserved demeanor for a moment, like a cat playing with a mouse. Jiang Qiaqia's toes curled up in her high-heeled shoes. She knew she couldn't match Shen Juanying's strength, so she uncharacteristically focused on her coffee cup, making little sound. It wasn’t until she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye that she looked up. Shen Juanying had placed something on the table.
She subconsciously looked over and saw a light gold debit card.
"Runsheng told me about your situation," Shen Juanying's confident and relaxed demeanor remained unchanged. "Here’s 50,000 yuan, you can consider it as a kind regard."
50,000 yuan...
This was not a small amount of money, but it was nothing compared to her total debt. Jiang Qiaqia’s eyes were fixed on the debit card when Shen Juanying's voice came from above her head, "You can take this money, but I hope you can be a little more polite and stop blocking the entrance of Runsheng’s school."
Jiang Qiaqia didn't feel much when she had done it, but now that it was described from another person’s perspective, she suddenly felt extremely ashamed. Perhaps her embarrassment stemmed from the huge gap between herself and Shen Juanying even though they were both women. She gritted her teeth and unexpectedly gathered the courage to retort, "I wasn't blocking the entrance. I'm just... I just have some things to tell him."
"Dress like this?" Shen Juanying leaned forward with a smile and brushed Jiang Qiaqia's delicately styled hair with her slender fingers. Right before she got up and left, she gently stroked Jiang Qiaqia's cheek with her fingertips, causing the latter's whole body to stiffened.
Shen Juanying smiled and pinched Jiang Qiaqia's firm cheeks, "Listen to my words while I’m still amicably talking to you. You know my abilities. As long as you are in Yan City, I have countless ways to make you disappear without a trace."
Of course she was just scaring Jiang Qiaqia, but Jiang Qiaqia obviously took Shen Juanying’s words very seriously, and the blood on her face receded, causing her to look deathly pale.
Shen Juanying stood up in satisfaction. She took out two hundred yuan and put it on the table, "I’ve got this covered and you can keep the change. Enjoy your drink, I'll be leaving first."
When she got up to leave, Jiang Qiaqia didn’t even dare to turn her head to see her out. After stepping out of the door, Shen Juanying took her mobile phone and called Lin Runsheng. "The money has already been given to her. There shouldn't be any problems on our side. The trouble now is to find a way for Lin Jingzhe to avoid encountering her."
As to how to do this, Shen Juanying was still clueless at the moment. She took one last look at the dark coffee shop, then solemnly got into her car and left.
Jiang Qiaqia downed the rest of her bitter coffee before she was able to suppress the strong fear in her heart. She took the debit card and stepped out of the door in a trance, realizing that as long as Shen Juanying existed, she would never be able to completely convince her ex-husband.
Standing in the cold night, she shivered, gathering any amount of heat under her thin layers of clothes. Jiang Qiaqia desperately sorted out all the people she had come into contact with in her life, and eliminated them one by one.
The only one that remained was her son. The boy who she had never visited, the one that shared the same name as Lin Jingzhe.
Her younger sister from Liyun Town had told her that he was studying at Yan University. It's just that the university had too many academic buildings. She searched for the main campus for a whole day but couldn't find him at all.
Jiang Qiaqia didn't expect her son to be of any help, but at least he still had the property deed to the house left by her old man! That house was worth at least tens of thousands.
Thinking of this, Jiang Qiaqia decided to search every building in Yan University one by one starting tomorrow. Just as she came to this conclusion, she heard a storm of footsteps.
"Over there!!!!"
Someone shouted and then ran straight towards her.
Jiang Qiaqia subconsciously turned around and tried to run, but failed. She was quickly restrained by a group of people.