A group of people stepped out of the restaurant entrance, where a black Cadillac was parked by the roadside. Leaning against the car was a young man in a white T-shirt and jeans, his presence impossible to ignore. He lowered his head to take a drag of his cigarette, flicked his fingers, and a faint red glow flashed as the ash drifted away. Hearing the noise, he lazily lifted his eyelids for a glance, his eyes cold and sharp, fixed intently on the scene. He kept his mouth shut, smoke swirling in his mouth as if something ferocious might burst forth the next moment.
Miao Jing halted in her steps, her gaze locking straight ahead. A smile touched her lips as she hooked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her pinky, cheerfully announcing that a friend had arrived. She waved to the group and gracefully made her way toward the black car.
Chen Yi had already tossed his cigarette butt and crushed it under his foot, starting the engine as he waited.
Miao Jing naturally took the passenger seat, first scanning the interior—barren, with not a single extra decoration. She bent to fasten her seatbelt, her cool voice tinged with a hint of mischief. "This car suits your vibe."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. Damn "King of Bathhouses"—whenever he drove this car, even if he were heading to a construction site, people would speculate he’d just come from a foot massage parlor.
"Did you drink?" Her cheeks held a faint blush, her gaze slightly unfocused.
At the same time, Miao Jing spoke up, pulling a wet wipe from her bag. "Are the seats clean?"
"Just sit. They won’t dirty you," Chen Yi gritted his teeth, his expression dark. "If you’re so capable, take a cab back yourself."
"I’m not capable. If you hadn’t come, my colleagues would’ve given me a ride." Miao Jing leaned back into the seat, stretching comfortably.
Chen Yi recalled the crowd of admirers surrounding her earlier and frowned. "What kind of job is it? All men?"
"Most of the recent hires are engineers. It’s an automotive plant with four major workshops—more men than women is normal. But there are female colleagues too; you just didn’t notice—two women were there."
Of course, Chen Yi knew about this automotive company—a major local manufacturer backed by the government. The production lines had recruited many vocational school and college graduates in mechanical fields from the area. He just hadn’t expected Miao Jing to be working there.
The area was desolate. He kept his eyes on the road, his tone disdainful. "What’s your position? How do you commute?"
"Eight to five. The company has a shuttle bus that stops downtown. I work on vehicle architecture, mainly system layout and validation testing for some body components. I just started, so it’s a gradual process."
At the traffic light ahead, Chen Yi’s face was stern, the shifting lights reflecting in his eyes. "A top university graduate, earning eight thousand a month? Such a pittance. Come to my billiards hall—I’d pay you that even with a middle school diploma."
Miao Jing paid no mind, quietly watching the scenery outside. As they entered the city, she eyed the shops along the road. "Pull over up ahead. There’s a shoe store—I need to buy sneakers. I walk too much in the workshops, and my flats are rubbing my feet raw."
She bent to rub her ankle. Chen Yi’s gaze inadvertently slipped downward, catching sight of her crossed legs, a light blue patent leather flat dangling from her toe. The skin of her foot was snow-white, with faint blue veins visible, her rounded heel flushed red from a friction mark. Above it, her slender, pale ankle and the graceful curve of her calf.
He quickly averted his eyes, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he pulled over. Leaning back heavily, he let out a breath. "Got money?"
"Will you give me some if I don’t?"
Chen Yi pulled his wallet from his pocket and tossed it at Miao Jing. "Buy a decent pair."
"Okay." She opened the door and got out, rifling through his wallet—ID card, a few bank cards, over a dozen red bills. Enough.Twenty minutes later, Miao Jing returned cheerfully carrying shopping bags: "The shoe store was having a promotion—spend seven hundred get one hundred off. I bought you a pair too."
During her first few days back home while cleaning, Miao Jing had also organized the shoe cabinet and thrown away several pairs of his old shoes.
She held them up for him to see: "Black. Do they look good?"
One pair black, one pair white—not exactly matching couples' styles, but each reflected their preferred tastes.
Chen Yi gave them a cursory glance: "They'll do."
Miao Jing put the shoes back in their box and casually placed them on the back seat. "Who's been buying these things for you these past few years?"
"My girlfriend."
"How long have you been together?"
"This one's been over a year, almost two." He thought for a moment before slowly adding, "We have a good relationship."
"Good." She sat obediently, her expression somewhat lazy yet exceptionally calm. "When do you plan to let me meet my future sister-in-law?"
"Whenever you want to meet, you can."
"Then let's schedule a time to meet, have a meal together, get acquainted."
Chen Yi remained tight-lipped.
The car stopped at the foot of their apartment building. Miao Jing waited for him to park so they could go upstairs together, but Chen Yi rolled down the window: "You go on up. I still have some things to do."
She stood by the car window, her clear, lively eyes fixed on him: "What could you possibly have to do this late?"
"Need to stop by the billiards hall."
Miao Jing made as if to get back in the car: "Then take me along. I want to see what kind of billiards hall pays its employees eight thousand a month."
Chen Yi gritted his teeth imperceptibly. Turning off the engine, he sat motionless in the driver's seat and pulled out a cigarette: "Miao Jing, have you really thought this through? About coming back to work here?"
She tilted her head, her ponytail already loose, a strand of hair fluttering gently in the soft evening breeze: "Haven't I already returned?"
"Maybe it's good you're back. At least we siblings can keep each other company. Who knows, we might even look out for each other sometimes." He got out of the car, slamming the door shut with force, the muscles in his handsome face twitching faintly with suppressed emotion. "In the future, when we each have our own families and careers, we'll still have family to visit."
Miao Jing's gaze swept over his face, her tone remarkably composed: "That depends on whether anyone would be willing to marry you."
They walked upstairs one after the other. Miao Jing inserted her key to open the door but suddenly paused—there were lights on inside, and sounds coming from within.
A pair of red high heels sat on the floor. Keys and several boxes of late-night snacks were placed on the dining table. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Miao Jing turned to look at Chen Yi, her brow slightly furrowed, her expression so calm it was almost indifferent as she stood silently in the doorway.
Noticing her strange expression, Chen Yi also sensed something unusual. Spotting the high heels on the floor, he froze for a moment before frowning, placing his hands on his hips, leaning against the doorframe, and letting out a weary sigh.
Tu Li had the evening shift today.
He gave Miao Jing a slight push: "Don't block the doorway. Go on in. Your sister-in-law is here."
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