"Knock knock..."
The next morning, Mi Jing was awakened by a series of knocks on her door. Cozy under the covers, she didn't want to get up and grumpily shouted, "Who is it?"
"It's me. Get up quickly, I have something important to ask you!"
Fang Qingru's stern voice came through the door into the room. Hearing this, Mi Jing's pretty face scrunched up like a bun. "Mom, use your key to open the door yourself."
Click...
A few seconds later, the lock turned with a sound and the door was opened. Fang Qingru walked into the room holding a key, dressed in her outdoor clothes.
"Mom, what's so important? Can't it wait until I wake up?" Mi Jing asked, hugging her blanket with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
"It can't wait! I need to ask you, why didn't you tell me Han Xiujie is back?" Fang Qingru sat by the bed with a stern face and questioned Mi Jing irritably.
"How did you know he's back? Who told you?" Mi Jing sat up, thinking Lulu and Ruanruan would never tell her mom anything about Han Xiujie. Who could it be? Could it be that Han Xiujie talked to her mom?
"He's downstairs. I saw him with my own eyes." Fang Qingru stared unblinkingly at Mi Jing, her face still tense. "Jingjing, don't forget the pain after the wound has healed. Han Xiujie is not reliable, you..."
"Stop!" Mi Jing gestured to stop, interrupting Fang Qingru's impending tirade.
She knew her mom was worried she would get tangled up with Han Xiujie again, or worse, have a lapse in judgment and want to reconcile with him.
So, Mi Jing explained, "Mom, don't worry, I will never have anything to do with Han Xiujie again."
"Really?" Fang Qingru looked intently at Mi Jing, giving her a sense of pressure.
"Really! How could I lie to you?" Mi Jing held Fang Qingru's hand and nodded firmly.
Relieved by the answer, Fang Qingru's heart finally settled, but she then thought of Han Xiujie waiting downstairs, and her heart lifted with worry again. "What if he keeps pestering you? You're always soft-hearted, if he says a few sweet words, you'll probably lose your way again."
"Mom, I'm twenty-seven, not some naive girl." She had already been dumped by Han Xiujie once, would she give him another chance? That would be an insult to her intelligence.
"How can I not worry? You're my daughter, of course, I want the best for you!" Fang Qingru said. "I think we should cancel the three-month agreement. Starting tomorrow, I'll resume setting up blind dates for you. You need to find a boyfriend quickly to prevent Han Xiujie from taking any chances." She muttered the last sentence to herself, not saying it aloud.
"No, you can't go back on your word!" Mi Jing panicked. She had barely managed to get three months of peace and quiet, she didn't want to go back to endless blind dates.
"My decision is final, objection overruled!"
"Mom, you can't be so authoritarian," Mi Jing protested, annoyed.
"Say what you want," Fang Qingru's attitude was very firm.
"Hmph, arrange all you want, I won't go," Mi Jing firmly opposed.
Ssshh...
The mother and daughter stared at each other for a long time before Fang Qingru spoke first, "Mi Jing, are you trying to make me angry to death?"
"Of course not! Mom, I promise I'll do what I said. Please trust me, okay?" Mi Jing pleaded in a softer tone.
"You're all grown up now, I can't control you anymore. Do whatever you want!" After saying that, Fang Qingru left Mi Jing's room in a huff.
Making Fang Qingru upset made Mi Jing feel bad. Their relationship had always been good, but their views on her marriage were different, causing occasional disagreements.
"Mom, I'm sorry for my attitude earlier. Please don't get angry, it's bad for your health," Mi Jing gently comforted outside Fang Qingru's door.
"I'm fine, just go about your business."
After saying this, no sound came from the room. Mi Jing opened her mouth but hesitated for a while, swallowing the words she wanted to say. She stood outside the door for five minutes before quietly turning around to change her shoes and leave.
"Jing."
Sure enough, Han Xiujie was waiting downstairs. Hearing his call, Mi Jing didn't stop, pretending not to hear.
Not getting any response from Mi Jing, Han Xiujie didn't give up and quickly caught up with her, grabbing her arm, "Jing, wait! I have something to tell you!"
Mi Jing was in a foul mood, and Han Xiujie was the cause of her argument with Fang Qingru. Furious, she shook off his hand harshly and glared at him coldly, "Han Xiujie, get lost!"
Who did he think he was to her? Did she have to listen just because he had something to say? In her eyes, he was less than a pile of dog poop now!
Mi Jing didn't want to look at Han Xiujie anymore. She quickly walked to her car, started it, and disappeared from his sight.
"Jing, your sister is here." As soon as Mi Jing walked into the shop, a staff member came up to her with this news.
Hearing this, Mi Jing's mood immediately improved. "Oh, where is she?"
"On the balcony at the back."
Mi Jing's sister was called Mi Wan, seven years older than her, married, with a five-year-old daughter.
Mi Wan was very accomplished, both knowledgeable and beautiful. She got into the law department of T University at just fifteen, becoming the youngest entrant in the department's history. She skipped grades in elementary, junior high, and high school, using less time and money to complete the same education.
She graduated from college at nineteen, and the same year got into graduate school. After graduating, she worked in a law firm and by twenty-seven was a renowned star lawyer in the industry.
One might think having such an excellent sister would be stressful, but Mi Jing never felt that way. In their family, the sister wasn't pampered just because she was more accomplished, nor was Mi Jing neglected for being less so.
Their sisterly bond was strong, and the age gap didn't create any emotional distance. Since childhood, Mi Jing loved to stick to Mi Wan, asking her to buy and cook delicious food. As a result, Mi Wan inherited Mi Zhihong's excellent culinary skills, while Mi Jing only knew how to make fried rice with eggs.
Sunlight filtered through the balcony's tree branches, dappling the light and shadow on her weary face. Mi Wan was sleeping on the sofa, her closed eyelashes casting fan-like shadows. Despite her snow-white skin, the dark circles under her eyes were particularly noticeable and jarring.
How exhausted was her sister to fall asleep here? Mi Jing frowned, quietly observing Mi Wan's peaceful, beautiful sleeping face with a mix of heartache and worry.