RCJM Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In the library, the lights were bright.

Du Ruo had fallen asleep on the table, and had a dream. In her dream, she had fallen into a remote land, crossed mountains and ridges, fought thorns and bushes, and finally managed to run onto a road, but her classmates had already left by train.

There was not a single car on the road. She was anxious, and when she was about to cry, He Huan Huan's voice came from the sky: "Xiao Ruo, Xiao Ruo!"

Du Ruo woke up startled, raised her head, and saw students packing up their books.

"The library is closing. Let's go back."

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" she said ruefully.

She hadn’t finished reading her book yet.

"You only slept for ten minutes," Huan Huan said, "You seemed very tired."

The two carried their books and headed back to the dormitory.

Xia Nan and Qiu Yu Chen were not around. The National Day holiday started tomorrow, and they had both gone home.

He Huan Huan asked: "Do you want to go out with me on National Day? I'm going to Tian Jin with a few high school classmates."

Du Ruo was shy and said: "I'm too lazy to travel. I want to sleep in the dormitory for a few days."

Huan Huan didn't force her: "That's fine too. If you’re bored and want to watch dramas, use my computer. The password is six zeros."

"Mm."

Early next morning, He Huan Huan left.

When Du Ruo woke up, she was alone in the dormitory. She went to the playground to read English, and there were only a few people left doing their morning reading. She lost her spirits and finished early.

Walking through the campus, there were fewer students than usual as most had gone on vacation. Only straight and clean tree-lined paths remained, as the wind rustled the leaves of the poplar trees.

The library and teaching buildings were empty, and most of the canteen windows were closed.

The corridors of the dormitory were also unusually quiet.

Du Ruo wandered through these familiar places feeling lonely. She was still studying, but not very motivated.

She inexplicably fell into a period of emotional depression, and struggled to break free, but in vain, her mood remained low.

One morning, the tense clockwork finally broke, and she accidentally slept until eleven o'clock.

She sat on the balcony of the dormitory, watching the dark green canopy downstairs sway in the wind.

The wind was quite strong.

She sat by the glass window, listening to the wind quietly and in isolation, watching the sunlight dance on the leaves, feeling like time was stolen by the barrenness in vain.

Before going to university, even if she was poor, she had never felt inferior. Never. She even had proud academic achievements.

And now...

She studied hard, trying to catch up with her peers. But even though they seemed to be starting from the same line, they were already laps ahead.

She was so busy with her studies that she didn’t even have time to work part-time to support herself. But she still yearned for a life like Xia Nan, enjoying beautiful dresses, or like Qiu Yu Chen, enjoying entertainment, or like He Huan Huan, enjoying delicious food, or even like Min En Zhu, experiencing strange and wonderful romances—a suffocating sourness filled her heart.

She got up suddenly and walked towards the door of the dormitory.

Before the start of the semester, Xia Nan had bought a full-length mirror and stuck it behind the door.

The girl in the mirror had short hair at the ears, a dark yellow complexion, thin cheeks, thin and grey brows, colourless lips, and no beauty anywhere; her body was thin and weak, like a stunted bean sprout.

She looked for a while, and as if seeing Jing Ming’s slightly raised brows of when he first saw her, she suddenly felt ashamed and turned her head away.

On the afternoon of the third day of the holiday, Ming Yi called and asked her to come play at her home.

When Du Ruo was hesitating, Ming Yi said that there was no one at home, so she agreed.

She packed herself up and took the subway for fifty minutes.

It was her first time taking the subway, and it was interesting at first, until she almost got crushed by the crowds at a transfer station.

Du Ruo: Ah!

She was back in the jewellery-box-like villa amid the woods and meadows.

At dinner time, the dining room was brightly lit, but Jing Yuan Shan and Jing Ming were not there.

"Uncle isn’t home?"

"He's on a business trip to Shen Zhen."

"Not taking a break even on National Day?"

Ming Yi smiled and shook her head.

Du Ruo didn't continue to ask about Jing Ming, but Ming Yi went on to say: "Jing Ming ah, he took his younger cousins to Seychelles a while ago."

Du Ruo didn't know where Seychelles was, whether it was a country or a city, so she didn't say anything.

"Have you met Jing Ming at school?"

She deliberately reduced the number of times: "I saw him once or twice."

"Have you seen his girlfriend?"

This question was strange, and after thinking for a moment, Du Ruo felt it was okay to answer truthfully: "Yes, I've seen her."

"How does she look?" Ming Yi smiled.

"Very beautiful."

Ming Yi continued to smile: "Hmm, she is indeed beautiful."

Du Ruo faintly sensed that Ming Yi didn't like Min En Zhu.

Indeed, Ming Yi didn't like that girl.

Unfortunately, Jing Ming was a troublesome fellow. He was very rebellious during adolescence. Originally, both of them had bad temperaments, so it stands to reason that they shouldn't get along. But the more they opposed them, the more vigorous they became, and now they were still tangled up together.

Truly gives one a headache.

Ming Yi said: "You've only met him once or twice, and you've already seen his girlfriend. It seems she visits him often."

Du Ruo: "..........."

It’s over, did I cause trouble?

Amitabha, I hope Auntie doesn't talk to Jing Ming about this. She really didn't want to provoke him.

Ming Yi didn't dwell on this issue and said: "If you encounter any difficulties at school, just ask Jing Ming for help."

"...Okay."

"Eat more vegetables, here, add some fish."

"I'm eating."

"Beef is good too. By the way, have you called your mother?"

"Twice a week."

"Diligent child. Is she all right?"

"She's fine. She sends her regards to you too."

"Well, thank you. How about school life, are you getting used to it?"

The meal ended in small talk, and Du Ruo stayed at the Jing's house that night.

Ming Yi said that there was no one at home and asked Du Ruo to spend a few more days with her during the holidays. But the next day, the company had an urgent matter, and she went to deal with it, and didn't come back the whole day.

Du Ruo stayed at home, helping Mrs Chen cook and clean the house, and helped Uncle Chen water the flowers and trim the grass. So she was not bored. Going back to school would leave her breathless. A few days of relaxation would be nice.

Ming Yi felt apologetic after returning home, so she took Du Ruo out to play the next day.

They went shopping, ate snacks, bought clothes and shoes, like a mother and daughter, quite close. But no salesperson in the mall would mistake them for mother and daughter. Ming Yi was beautiful, with elegant manners and bright clothes, while Du Ruo was plain and simple, with a trace of curiosity and freshness towards her surroundings.

No matter how you looked at it, they didn't look like family, but rather distant relatives.

Fortunately, Du Ruo was no longer cautious or timid in front of Ming Yi, and Ming Yi usually met with either her subordinates’ work partners or women of the same age, and so she also enjoyed chatting with someone younger, more daughter-like, feeling relaxed and at ease.

They sat together in the mall eating ice cream, occasionally looking at the passing crowd.

Du Ruo said: "Since coming to Beijing, I haven't been out of school, except for this time. I study on weekends, so I'm too busy."

Ming Yi said: "It's been a long time since I went out to hang out too."

"Auntie is busy with work?"

"No one accompanies me. Let’s not talk about your uncle’s work. As for Jing Ming, a son can never be as thoughtful as a daughter." Ming Yi said, "When he was little, he was affectionate, but now that he's grown up, he finds me, his mother, annoying. That boy, when he was young, I could still coax him to go shopping, but now even ten ox’s can't pull him out. He was cute when he was a child, but now he doesn't listen, his temper has grown and he gets angry at every turn. I'm afraid to disturb him anymore.... Maybe, I should have had a daughter back then?"

Du Ruo was amused by her.

Ming Yi then changed her mind and said: "It's all the same, children nowadays are spoiled, and their tempers are bad."

Passing by the lingerie store, Ming Yi took Du Ruo to buy lingerie. Du Ruo was a bit embarrassed, and the prices were ridiculously high.

Ming Yi said: "Underwear is the closest thing to your body and must not be taken lightly. It's also the thing that best reflects a girl's sophistication. No matter how expensive your clothes are, if you wear bad underwear, it's like opening a delicate package to reveal a cheap plastic box. Choose your underwear carefully. That’s right, this is a gift to yourself as a girl." As she spoke, she pushed Du Ruo into the fitting room.

As Du Ruo undressed, she thought about what Ming Yi had said; this must be a part of "living well”.

After returning home with a full load, Ming Yi bought several sets of skin care products for Du Ruo, and said: “Xiao Ruo, girls must pay attention to skincare, you know? Pursue beauty, even if it’s not to please others, do it to make yourself happy.”

Du Ruo nodded with a vague understanding.

After returning home, she counted today’s harvest in detail. The expenses were not small, and for Ming Yi, it was just a drop in the bucket, but she still silently wrote it down in her notebook.

She added another sentence at the end: "Live well and be happy."

In the remaining days of the holiday, the two got along very harmoniously, sometimes chatting with each other, and sometimes doing their own things.

One afternoon, Ming Yi was drinking tea and reading on the sofa, and Du Ruo noticed a box of newly bought books next to the bookshelf, which hadn't been placed on the shelf yet, so she went to tidy them up.

Ming Yi saw this and said: "Xiao Ruo, help me find a book called 'May All Beings Rest in Peace.' It's in the cardboard box."

Du Ruo searched through the books: "It's not here."

Ming Yi recalled: "It should be in Jing Ming's study, the first room on the third floor. You can find it there."

"...oh."

"By the way," Ming Yi looked up from her book, "Don't touch anything in his study, not even a piece of paper." She shrugged and smiled helplessly, "That boy will be angry."

Du Ruo nodded like a little chick, feeling a little nervous.

She went upstairs and pushed open the first door.

There was a grey and white textured wooden floor, a long white desk, and the walls were dark blue. There were many drawings on the wall, some robot designs, some integrated circuit diagrams.

Various robot control boards, servo motors, and a pile of papers were scattered on the desk, most of which were sketches with scribbled handwriting and rough diagrams.

A few crumpled paper balls were on the floor, gathered near the trash can. Someone must have been sitting on the chair, crumpling papers, throwing them into the trash can. Some won the bid, and some bounced off.

Du Ruo was stunned for a while, then remembered why she was here—to find a book.

She turned around, and on the other side of the wall was a black bookshelf, filled with books and figurines.

The room gave a very scholarly sense. She was at a loss for words.

On the other end of the bookshelf, near the balcony, stood seven or eight robots of various sizes and shapes, which were extremely cool, and some were even humanoid ones.

She wanted to go over and have a look, but didn't. There was no one else there, but she still didn't dare to move a step.

In this moment, she suddenly returned to the start, back to the scene when she first saw Jing Ming at the train station.

He was high above and untouchable; she was embarrassed, and had nothing.

A cardboard box filled with new books was at her feet. At a glance, she saw the book Ming Yi wanted, "May All Beings Rest in Peace."

Suddenly, there were footsteps in the corridor. The boy’s footsteps were coming straight towards the study.

Du Ruo was horrified, picked up the book and left, just in time to run into Jing Ming who opened the door to come in.

Jing Ming didn't expect her to be there, and was stunned for a few seconds. His brow furrowed instantly: "Who allowed you to come in!"

Du Ruo couldn't help trembling: "Your mother asked me to get a book for her." She quickly picked up the book to prove her innocence.

Jing Ming gazed coldly over her head, and scanned the room. He opened the door, turned sideways, and said:

"Get out!"

Du Ruo hurriedly escaped from him, and just as she entered the corridor, the door slammed shut behind her.

...

It wasn't until dinner time that Jing Ming came downstairs.

Jing Yuan Shan had also come back and asked Du Ruo about her studies and life at the dinner table, then said: "If you encounter any problems at school, you can ask Jing Ming for help."

Du Ruo could only nod.

Jing Ming ate unbothered, as if he didn’t hear.

Jing Yuan Shan frowned: "Jing Ming."

Jing Ming responded casually: "Hmm?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Your son is very busy. She's not a primary school student, so why does she need someone to take care of her? Then I need someone to take care of me."

Jing Yuan Shan glared at him but didn't scold him: "What are you busy with all day long? You won’t come home even when told. Are you so busy right after school starts? Don't let me catch you fooling around outside."

As he spoke, he glanced at Du Ruo.

Du Ruo bit the bullet and replied: “Uncle, we have a lot of specialised courses, and the study materials are complex. So, it is… really busy.”

Jing Ming ignored her support.

Jing Yuan Shan paused: “If his studies are okay, I’m afraid he will only think about his freedom being away from parental supervision, and play outside all day. Ah, if only he was half as self-conscious about his studies as you are.”

Du Ruo was extremely embarrassed, and glanced at Jing Ming, who seemed indifferent. He didn’t care at all.

After a while, he asked: "Dad, that car we saw last time, have you gotten it yet?"

"It was shipped from overseas. I spent a lot of effort to get it, so you'd better do the right thing for me."

"I'll report to you after taking it apart." Jing Ming said.

He finished eating, put down his chopsticks, got up, and left.

He slumped on the sofa playing with his phone, chatting with someone, and a smile gradually appeared on his face. After a while, he said: "I'm going out."

Ming Yi: "Where are you going?"

"Hanging out with friends."

Ming Yi: "Ok, take Xiao Ruo with you."

Jing Ming: ???

Translated by evienRose

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