Shine on Me

I decided to perk up...

But that definitely didn’t include being dragged onto the plane by Jiang Rui.

“Sis, you’re already this old, can’t you stop acting like a spoiled kid?” he said.

The words “spoiled kid” struck me like lightning. Annoyed, I retorted, “I’m not! Can’t I even protest after being tricked by you? You clearly said we were going in July. What’s the date today? There are still several days left until July!”

Jiang Rui chuckled. “I did it for your own good. Aren’t you afraid of flying? So I deliberately told you a later date. By the time you realized, you’d already be on the plane without time to worry. Isn’t that great for your health? Pretty brilliant of me, huh?”

“...”

Brilliant my foot!

After settling into our seats, Jiang Rui tried to comfort me. “Alright, I know you’re traumatized by that one incident and now you’re scared of planes. But once we take off, there’s nothing to fear.”

“Why?”

“You don’t get airsick. You’re just afraid of dying, right? Once we’re in the air, it’s all up to fate. What’s the point of overthinking it?” He shrugged nonchalantly.

“...” I silently grabbed a magazine and covered my face, sighing. “Why on earth did I agree to Auntie’s request to travel with you?”

“You get to travel and still complain.” He shook his head and spouted some nonsense he must’ve read somewhere. “Crossing mountains and rivers to see a view is like going through hardships to pursue love. Sis, muster your courage and enjoy the scenery!”

I was too exhausted to react to this jerk who treated reopening wounds as therapy. I gave him a lifeless glance.

“Oh? So after you see the scenery, what then? You just leave?”

Jiang Rui looked baffled. “What else? Live inside the scenery?”

I immediately scoffed. “So if you get the love, you’d just leave too, huh? You playboy!”

Perfect. This time, it was finally his turn to be speechless. Peace at last...

But the quiet didn’t last long. Soon, he started rustling around doing who-knows-what. Moments later, he pulled the magazine off my face and leaned in excitedly. “Come on, sis, let’s take a photo together to commemorate the trip!”

I pushed him away. “No way. What if it becomes a posthumous photo?”

Just then, I heard a “click” beside us. An elderly man sitting across the aisle, who had been holding up his phone for a peace-sign selfie, turned to stare at me in horror.

After a long pause, Jiang Rui forced a laugh. “Sis, you mean... ‘auntie photos’?”

“Haha... yeah...”

The old man silently lowered his head, seemingly... deleting the photo?

Over a dozen hours later, the plane landed at London Heathrow. As we disembarked, the old man finally couldn’t hold back. “Young lady, you scared me so much I didn’t dare sleep properly the whole flight!”

Jiang Rui and I apologized profusely and offered to help with his heavy luggage. He waved us off and staggered out of the plane.

Jiang Rui and I exchanged glances, burst into laughter, and raced each other out.

Our trip was nominally for study abroad, but in reality, it was just about having fun and touring famous universities. Jiang Rui had planned the entire itinerary himself, while I was nothing more than a mindless follower. He lamented, “Sis, have you ever played online games?”

I shook my head.

“If you had, you’d understand. Someone like you is basically a ‘pet follower’! You know, those pets that trail behind their owners?” He muttered, “At least those pets can pick up items for their owners...”I: "......"

Jiang Rui slapped the itinerary into my hand. "Well, if you like it here, we can stay a couple more days. But that means changing the rest of the schedule—you can take care of that."

My younger brother always appeared rough around the edges, but in truth, he was the most thoughtful person. He probably wanted to keep me occupied so I wouldn't have time to dwell on things...

How could I tell him he didn’t need to worry about me anymore? I waved him over to sit with me on the ridge overlooking endless fields of lavender.

"Jiang Rui, this trip is really nice."

Jiang Rui let out a long "Oh?" and teased, "I wonder who was so reluctant to come in the first place."

"I'm happy."

"Really?"

I smiled at him. We sat side by side in silence for a while. When I finally tore my gaze away from the boundless purple, I tossed the itinerary back to him. "I heard there are fields and fields of sunflowers too—why haven’t we seen any yet? Let’s go, next destination!"

Traveling really was good. At the very least, it taught me that no matter how beautiful the scenery along the way, you have to be willing to say goodbye in time. Because it doesn’t belong to me.

Amidst all the banter and playfulness, Jiang Rui and I continued our journey. In August, we arrived in Germany and unexpectedly received a call from Dad.

My phone didn’t have international roaming, so the call went to Jiang Rui’s phone. Dad said he was in Germany for a business trip and asked us to join him for a meal.

In an ordinary little restaurant on a German street, I saw Dad again after so long—still as spirited and dashing as ever. He had always been a handsome man, while Mom was rather plain-looking. I remembered how, when I was little, Dad would often hold me and joke with Mom, "Thank goodness our daughter doesn’t take after you, or she’d have trouble getting married in the future."

Mom would pretend to be angry, yet when introducing me to friends, she’d proudly boast, "Our Xiguang is lucky not to look like me—she takes after her father. The Nie family, men and women alike, are all good-looking."

Her tone was always brimming with happiness and pride.

My parents had been deeply in love—until that woman appeared.

We ordered our food and made small talk as we ate, the conversation as dry as the bread on our plates. After the meal, Dad praised Jiang Rui a few times, then glanced at me. Jiang Rui, ever perceptive, immediately stood up and said tactfully, "It’s pretty lively outside. Sis, I’ll go pick up some souvenirs—you two take your time."

Left alone with Dad, neither of us spoke for a while. Finally, he asked, "How has your mother been lately?"

"She’s doing great," I said casually. "Godmother told me she even has suitors knocking on her door—her prospects are better than mine. Dad, Mom might remarry before you do."

"Don’t talk nonsense!" Dad’s expression darkened instantly. "I’ve said I won’t remarry. An old friend of decades is seriously ill and only has a few years left—is it wrong for me to take care of her? There’s nothing improper between us. Your mother just loves jumping to conclusions and imagining things, unable to tolerate even the slightest hint of suspicion."

Right, right—just an old friend, just taking care of her...I sneered inwardly. The so-called "old friend" my father mentioned was once his first love. She had looked down on the Nie family for being poor and having rural household registration, so she turned around and married someone with the coveted urban household status at the time. But fate has a way of turning the tables. Twenty years later, that woman’s husband lost his job and died unexpectedly, leaving her in dire straits. Before even the seventh-day mourning rites for her husband had passed, she dragged her frail, sickly body to faint right in front of Mr. Nie Chengyuan, who by then had risen to wealth and prominence. Naturally, Mr. Nie was deeply moved and couldn’t resist playing the gallant protector—providing her with a villa, hiring renowned doctors, and even taking her daughter in as his goddaughter.

My mother couldn’t stomach this. Back then, she had defied her entire family to marry a poor laborer who had come to the city to work. Now, she could just as decisively file for divorce.

And my dear father actually thought he was the victim.

How laughable.

I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore. Everything that needed to be said had already been said before their divorce. Rehashing it now would only infuriate me further. I took a sip of tea and said, “Is that all you wanted to ask? If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. Jiang Rui is waiting for me.”

My attitude must have angered him, but he restrained his temper. “I called you here today to talk about your job. Last time, you mentioned applying to Shengyuan. Are you planning to work there after returning to China?”

I shook my head. “No, I’ve changed my mind.”

“The Sheng family has been working well with us these past two years. I even joked with Sheng Bokai about exchanging sons for mentorship.” He looked somewhat regretful, then paused before adding, “But it’s just as well you’re not going. Xiguang, come work for me. It’s time you got familiar with things. After all, my business will eventually be handed over to you.”

I hadn’t expected this topic and was momentarily stunned.

“I know your mother doesn’t want you to be close to me. Hmph, your mother’s temper…” He glanced at me but didn’t finish the thought. After a moment’s consideration, he said, “Start by shadowing me and learning the ropes. You shouldn’t waste your time on trivial tasks from the ground up.”

I was about to refuse when my father suddenly sighed heavily and said, “Xiguang, your father is getting old.”

I wanted to brush it off—tell him he was still as dashing as ever—but when I looked up, I spotted white roots at his temples. His expression was weary, as if in that instant, the once-vibrant Nie Chengyuan had suddenly aged before my eyes.

Wasn’t he still under fifty? How did he already have gray hair?

Though I was still furious with him, an inexplicable pang of sorrow hit me. Memories of how good he had been to me as a child flashed through my mind—one after another. When I was very young, he had carried me halfway across the city to buy KFC, which was still a rare treat back then. As our family grew wealthier day by day, they also became busier. But as long as he wasn’t away on business, whenever I came home from evening self-study, I would always find him waiting for me under the light at our doorstep.

Yet it was precisely because of this that his betrayal of our little family hurt me even more. I stubbornly pushed away those distant, tender memories and shook my head. “If Mom doesn’t want me to go, then I won’t.”

His voice grew agitated and wounded. “You still don’t believe me? How many times must I say it—there’s nothing going on like you two imagine!”

“Then why haven’t you made her move out of our house?”"...That's just an empty house we've never lived in, it holds no meaning." Dad sounded exhausted. "She has another surgery, and after that, I won't have anything to do with her anymore."

The last sentence successfully rekindled that long-absent mix of anger and pain in me. But seeing how drained he looked, I couldn't bring myself to say anything cutting. My voice came out stiff as I replied, "Then I'll come to your place after you're done with her."

Dad looked at me and finally sighed helplessly. "I don't know who you take after with this temper. Outwardly you seem easygoing, but inside you're stubborn as a mule. You...ah."

By the time Jiang Rui returned from his stroll outside, Dad had already left. Jiang Rui sat down and asked immediately, "Sis, everything okay?"

I shook my head. "Dad wants me to work at his company. What do you think?"

Jiang Rui thought for a moment. "What did Uncle say about it?"

After I recounted our conversation in detail, he considered it and said, "Sis, go for it. First, Auntie also contributed to Uncle's company—it's only right for you to be there. Second, what do that mother-daughter pair want from clinging to Uncle so shamelessly?"

A disdainful smirk that didn't match his youthful face appeared. "The more others covet something, the tighter you should hold onto it. There's a certain pleasure in letting them see what they can't have."

"..." I wordlessly patted his shoulder. "Little brother, have I ever told you you'll go far in life?"

Jiang Rui nodded seriously. "Sis, let me tell you—I've been fed up with Dad for a long time. How can he just tolerate Auntie being treated like this? All for some lousy business dealings. But as the younger generation, I can't say much. Still, if anyone bullies you in the future, I'll be the first to kick down their door."

Touched, I threw my arms around him. "Little brother, you make me feel so safe. I can't bear the thought of you getting married off..."

His solemn expression immediately cracked as he turned bright red, flailing awkwardly. "Hey hey hey, what are you doing? You can't just hug me whenever you—"

After spending some time in Germany, we visited Austria before concluding our two-month study tour and flying back to China. Jiang Rui returned to Nanjing to prepare for university at Fudan in Shanghai, while I went straight back to Wuxi...

The moment I got home, Mom scolded me. "You finally remember to come back? Tell me, how many times did you call home in two months?"

I grimaced. "Ah...I didn't dare call too often."

Mom looked puzzled. "Why not?"

"The food abroad was terrible. I was afraid you'd hear how much weight I'd lost over the phone and worry about me."

"..." Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After gorging myself on braised pork at home, Mom dragged me to visit my godmother. We'd been close since childhood, though we didn't meet often—she'd long settled in Beijing and only returned to Wuxi for short visits each year...

At her place, I first presented the gifts from Europe before being interrogated about studies and work. Then Mom shooed me away—I suspected she wanted to discuss Dad matters and tactfully escaped to play with the kittens in the garden...On the way home, Mom seemed lost in thought. Before bedtime, she suddenly asked me, "Xiguang, how's your job search going? You mentioned you were looking for work yourself last time."

Feeling a bit guilty, I replied, "I'll start sending out resumes tomorrow."

Mom fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "While you were in Europe, your father contacted me."

"What?"

She remained quiet again, then sighed and said, "Go ahead."

I was surprised. "You want me to go to Dad? Did he mislead you about something? I didn't agree to anything."

Mom smiled. "Of course I know you didn't agree. Otherwise, why would President Nie come to me in such a rage?"

A tiny spark of hope flickered in my heart, and I cautiously probed, "...So you two had a good talk?"

Mom seemed momentarily distracted, her expression calm as she said, "Our family and the Sheng family jointly invested in a manufacturing enterprise in Suzhou a few years back. You'll start working there first, learning the ropes properly."

I truly didn't understand what agreement had been reached between Dad and Mom, but suddenly I wondered—maybe Dad was telling the truth? That he only pitied that woman, and now there might be a chance for reconciliation with Mom? Even though I still felt indignant on Mom's behalf, if Dad admitted his mistakes and they could get back together, I would be overjoyed...

That small hope in my heart grew a little larger, and I nodded vigorously to show my complete willingness to follow their arrangements.

So a week later, dragging my suitcase and holding onto the beautiful hope that my parents would soon reconcile, I happily set off for Suzhou to begin my career.