The biscuit was silently slipped under her clothes. Miao Jing’s heart trembled violently, sweat beading on her forehead. Her eyes flushed with shame as she stiffly pushed the biscuit away, then stumbled out unsteadily, her limbs icy cold under the scorching sun.
Footsteps followed behind her: “So proud, huh? You’d rather starve than eat it?”
“I’d rather starve than eat it!” she gritted her teeth, her voice calm. “I’d rather starve than steal.”
He threw his head back and laughed heartily, his sturdy arm slung casually over her shoulder as he teased, “Alright then, not bad. I’ll just watch you starve and see how many days you can last.”
He then dragged her off to another place—a flashy district with gaudy signs. Chen Yi pointed and said, “See that? It’s a bar. There are lots of beer girls inside. If you can sell even one drink, you’ll have enough for food, clothes, and whatever else you want.”
Miao Jing shook off his hand, bit her lip, turned, and ran.
“Miao Jing, Miao Jing!”
Her thin legs carried her swiftly, desperate to put distance between them, to escape this scoundrel.
There was movement behind her. Chen Yi quickened his pace, catching up in a few strides. His strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. Miao Jing shuddered, let out a sharp cry, and clawed at his hand, sobbing hysterically, “I won’t go! I won’t! I’d rather die than go!”
“What’s there to cry about? It’s not even time for tears yet,” he smirked mischievously, dragging her along. “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere nice—my secret base.”
Chen Yi hoisted her onto his motorcycle, pressing her against him as he rode to a desolate spot—a bankrupt factory.
The desolate, dilapidated factory stood amid overgrown weeds beneath a towering chimney. Chen Yi gripped Miao Jing’s fragile wrist, pushing her up onto a high platform before climbing up himself. He led her through the vast, abandoned workshop, thick with dust, until they reached a hidden, broken opening. A tall, vertical iron ladder led into unknown darkness.
“Climb up,” Chen Yi urged.
Miao Jing trembled, her face pale, and turned her head away stubbornly.
“Relax, I won’t harm you,” he teased playfully. “If you don’t climb, I’ll just carry you up.”
“I’m scared…”
“What’s there to be afraid of? Take it slow.” Chen Yi banged on the ladder, the crisp metallic sound echoing through the dim, empty space. “I’m right behind you. If you fall, you’ll just land on my face.”
Forced by him, Miao Jing began to climb, using both hands and feet, until she reached the top, dizzy and disoriented. It was another empty workshop, with scattered machinery whose original colors were indistinguishable.
Chen Yi followed her up, faced the vacant factory area, and let out a loud shout—the echo reverberated into the distance before slowly returning to their ears.
“Happy?” he asked excitedly. “Haven’t been here in years.”
Miao Jing stared blankly, completely baffled by what was happening.
“What’s so fun about collecting plastic bottles?” He tugged at the cables on the floor. “The stuff here is valuable. These are all scrapped machines. The factory went bankrupt, and no one’s keeping track of these anymore. Some have already been taken, but there’s still a bit left… These big iron balls, the stripped copper wires, aluminum alloy—if you can carry them, you could sell them for a hundred bucks or so…”
Her heart pounded, her forehead damp with cold sweat and grime. She asked woodenly, “You brought me here to steal this?”
“This is scavenging, picking up scrap,” Chen Yi corrected her sternly. “Isn’t it better than your plastic bottles?”Miao Jing breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her head as she plopped down onto the floor.
Chapter 13: How's the New Boyfriend? Do You Like Him?
To attract more customers, the billiards hall organized friendly competitions every month. The first prize was cumulative—anyone who could defeat the owner would take home a 10,000-yuan reward. Each time, there were plenty of participants, and Chen Yi was busy from start to finish.
Though the two lived under the same roof, they hadn’t spoken face-to-face for several days. Late at night, around eleven or twelve or even later, Miao Jing would faintly hear some noise—the sound of a door opening or footsteps from the next room. By the time she left for work the next morning, Chen Yi’s door was still closed. Only the clothes left in the washing machine and the shoes haphazardly kicked off by the entrance hinted that someone was home.
During her recent business trip, Miao Jing had brought back a gift for Tu Li to thank her for the lipstick she’d given her. Originally planning to deliver it to the gym, Miao Jing was told by Tu Li that she’d come by to pick it up when she had time. So, on a day off, Tu Li dropped by to see Miao Jing.
The gift included a bottle of Dior perfume and some northern specialties like beef jerky. Tu Li accepted them with a bright smile, chatting with Miao Jing about her experiences during the business trip. A supplier had even given her a decent bottle of red wine, and Miao Jing casually asked if Tu Li drank—if she liked it, she could take it off her hands.
"Why not save it for Chen Yi? He drinks too."
"I didn’t think to save it for him." Miao Jing smiled lightly. "If you like it, take it. I don’t drink, and I don’t really have other friends to give it to."
"Then I won’t stand on ceremony!" Tu Li blinked, resting her chin in her hands. "I really love everything you’ve given me."
"No need to be so polite."
"By the way, is the billiards hall competition over? Has your brother been busy with anything else lately? What time does he usually come home at night?"
"I don’t know." Miao Jing shook her head, completely unaware of Chen Yi’s whereabouts or activities. "You can ask him directly."
Tu Li hadn’t bothered Chen Yi for several days, knowing he’d be impatient with her during the competition. She had hoped to get some information from Miao Jing, but hearing this, she chuckled. "You two are so strange. Living in the same house but acting like strangers—you don’t know anything about each other."
"I’ve never asked, and we rarely talk about these things." Miao Jing understood what she meant, her tone gentle. "I’m busy with work, and he has his own things going on. We don’t spend much time together."
"Do you two have a bad relationship?" Recalling descriptions from Chen Yi’s circle of friends, Tu Li’s eyes roamed over Miao Jing appraisingly. "You both seem pretty distant. I’ve never heard Chen Yi mention you, and you never talk about him either—it’s like you’re unrelated. Was it always like this between you?"
Mentioning the past, Miao Jing lifted her thick lashes, revealing clear, translucent eyes. "Do you think our relationship is bad?"
"Not exactly terrible, but I feel like you’re quite proud. Do you not really like your brother? He has such a terrible temper, always cold-shouldering people or walking away. Someone as proper and educated as you, who reasons things out, seems completely different from him."
OpenNovel