NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4.1: One Last Time (1)
The following night after meeting with Song Shiyu, Ji Fanyin put on her glasses and began working out the details of her money making plan.
Song Shiyu hadn’t called for the entire day, but Ji Fanyin wasn’t too worried about the fish on her hook getting away.
She had marked out Song Shiyu’s birthday on her calendar and sorted out all of the information she had on him. In other words, she was creating a profile for her client.
It’ll be Song Shiyu’s birthday three days from now, which means that I’ll be receiving the call latest by the day after tomorrow?
After clearing up her work, Ji Fanyin took a glance at her phone and saw that it was already nearing ten. So, she took off her blue light glasses and stretched her back lazily. She was intending to put on a mask and head off to sleep when she suddenly received a video call request on her laptop.
It was from Ji Xinxin.
Had it been a few seconds later, Ji Fanyin would have already closed her laptop.
It was worth noting that, unlike their parents and friends, Ji Xinxin didn’t give Ji Fanyin the cold shoulder. On the contrary, she maintained a close relationship with her.
In fact, Ji Fanyin was one of the first few to receive Ji Xinxin’s call when she landed in Paris.
Out of consideration of the fact that Ji Xinxin was crucial to her money making plan, she returned to her seat and accepted the video call.
Once the connection was established, Ji Xinxin’s face popped out on the screen. She was seated by the window, basked in warm sunlight. Even the gloomy grey shirt she wore seemed to brighten up when it was on her.
“Sis, are you already heading off to sleep?” said Ji Xinxin with a smile as she adjusted her white earpiece.
“I would already be lying on my bed if you were half a minute late.” Ji Fanyin took a sip of water. “The weather in Paris looks fine.”
“It is.” Ji Xinxin rested her chin on her arm as she pouted her lips slightly. “But I’m already starting to miss the sunshine back at home.”
“Three years is a long time,” remarked Ji Fanyin lazily.
Perhaps it was due to her overly calm voice, Ji Xinxin appeared to be surprised for a moment before she asked, “Sis, you seem to be in a good mood today. Did something good happen?”
Ji Fanyin responded with a vague answer, “I finally thought some things through.”
“I see…” Ji Xinxin lowered her eyes contemplatively for a few seconds. “Sis, there’s something I’d like to ask you. You mustn’t get angry, alright?”
“What is it?”
“I spoke to Shiyu over the phone yesterday, and he told me something about you.” There was a glimmer in Ji Xinxin’s eyes as she pushed the conversation forward carefully. “Actually, that’s also the reason why I’m calling you today… I want to apologize to you. I… wasn’t aware that you were fond of Shiyu. If only I knew, I should have…”
She paused at this point with a deeply conflicted look on her face, as if unsure of what phrase she ought to use here.
“… But in any case, I’m sorry.”
“There isn’t a conflict between me liking him and him liking you,” said Ji Fanyin with composure as she leaned back on the chair. “Why are you apologizing to me?”
Putting aside ‘Ji Fanyin’s’ own weak character and inability to reject others, the main culprits that brought about her tragedy were those despicable men. It was not to say that her unfeeling family who turned a blind eye to her plight were innocent, but they were at least further down on the guilt ladder.
Ji Fanyin couldn’t be bothered to figure out the reason why Ji Xinxin was suddenly making this video call to apologize. She wasn’t interested in getting involved in this complex web of relationships as long as none of them interfered with her money making plan.
Ji Xinxin patted her chest and exhaled deeply before a smile finally returned to her face. “It’s a relief that you aren’t bothered by that. I’ll make sure to keep my distance with Shiyu in the future. Don’t worry, I’ll never get together with him.”
Ji Fanyin responded with a nod, but in her head, she was thinking ‘How pitiful, Song Shiyu’.
“Sis, do you still like him?” asked Ji Xinxin.
Her tone was so innocent that it sounded no more than a casual question. It was hard to tell whether there was a more duplicitous intent behind it.
So, Ji Fanyin also replied with equal casualness too, “There’s no way feelings can be forgotten that easily.”
“… So you still do like him,” Ji Xinxin repeated contemplatively. “Got it.”
It would appear that she had really called for this matter. After settling this issue, she quickly bade Ji Fanyin goodnight and ended the call.
Ji Fanyin shut her laptop before taking off her bluelight glasses once more. She tossed the earlier conversation to the back of her mind, not bothering to think about it at all.
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