translated_Chapter 21

21: The Year of Twenty-Five

“Eight years, Qiu Shi,” Tsukimi Rin said with emotion. From acquaintance to now, it had been eight years.

Qiu Shi was silent for a moment. “It should take another two or three years. Qiu Ci is recommended for postgraduate studies at the business school. That kid… forget it, I’m too lazy to talk about him.”

Qiu Ci going to business school wasn’t Qiu Ci’s wish, but someone had to do it.

“Qiu Shi, you’re lying to me again.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, okay? I really haven’t lied to you much. Over the past few years, I’ve been gradually letting him take over. It’ll be over once I’m done,” Qiu Shi said, looking at her phone messages.

Tsukimi Rin thought of her adoptive father. “How is your father lately?”

“Not optimistic lately. It’s been on and off for the past few years. The other families are eyeing us covetously. Let the old man wait a few more years, until Qiu Ci can truly run the family.”

Tsukimi Rin stopped what she was doing. “Qiu Shi, I feel so uncomfortable.”

Qiu Shi turned over and hugged her. “What’s wrong, baby? Hmm?” She leaned close to Tsukimi Rin’s nose, able to smell the faint fragrance on her.

“If I had known it would be so difficult, I wouldn’t have started dating you, Qiu Shi. Don’t you have any after-sales service?”

Qiu Shi paused at those words. “Do you really regret it?”

“Can I regret it? Qiu Shi, can I?” Tsukimi Rin buried her head deep into Qiu Shi’s arms. She didn’t know what to do anymore. Qiu Shi was good, really good.

Apart from not being able to be public, she had given her everything else she could. Tsukimi Rin couldn’t find a reason to break up.

Qiu Shi pushed Tsukimi Rin down, her slender fingers grasping her fragile neck. “No, Tsukimi Rin, I’m already a gambler. I’ve given you eight years, so there’s no breaking up.”

With that, she kissed her.

Deep and lingering.

This attempt to test the waters for a breakup ended without resolution.

Tsukimi Rin really couldn’t bring herself to initiate a forceful breakup.

Qiu Shi had really taken a night flight from Switzerland.

The next itinerary was China, to discuss investment issues for several emerging companies.

After finishing the estate commission in her hands, Tsukimi Rin looked at the calendar, the circled December 31st drawing closer.

The New Year was coming.

Tsukimi Rin had been in a much better mood recently.

After inquiring from various sources, she learned indirectly where Qiu Shi was now.

She bought a plane ticket, planning to go to China to spend the Spring Festival with her.

The Spring Festival was most atmospheric when celebrated in China.

It had also been many years since she had returned home.

She took a plane on the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month and arrived in the capital on the thirty-first.

Tsukimi Rin confidently planned to give Qiu Shi a surprise.

Never would she have thought that she would run into an acquaintance as soon as she left the airport.

When she saw Qiu Ci, she kept her head down, pretending not to see him. With her superb anti-reconnaissance awareness, Tsukimi Rin quickly realized that Qiu Ci seemed to be avoiding her as well.

Could it be that Qiu Ci was also secretly coming to China?

Upon closer inspection, Qiu Ci was indeed alone.

Tsukimi Rin followed him and tapped Qiu Ci’s shoulder to say hello. “Qiu Ci?”

The other person paused for only a moment before turning around naturally. “Sister Rin? You’re in China!”

“Yeah, yeah, are you here to see Qiu Shi too?” Tsukimi Rin asked, feigning curiosity.

“You’re here to see her?” Qiu Ci’s expression was unnatural.

“Yes, we’re celebrating the New Year together tonight. Let’s go together,” Tsukimi Rin said with a gentle smile.

But Qiu Ci pushed her arm away. “Sister Rin, I came here without my sister knowing, please keep it a secret,” Qiu Ci said with a pleading look.

“Why keep it from her?” Tsukimi Rin was a little curious.

“I want to participate in this year’s Youth Fashion Competition, so I definitely came here secretly. Let’s keep each other’s secrets.”

Tsukimi Rin sensed something was wrong. “How do you know I didn’t tell her?”

Qiu Ci sighed. “Wouldn’t it be better if we each did our own thing and didn’t bother each other?”

“Where is Qiu Shi now?” Tsukimi Rin suddenly thought of the engagement news she had seen in the restaurant that day.

Could Qiu Shi be hiding something else from her?

Qiu Ci shook her off, ignoring Tsukimi Rin.

He quickly walked to a parked car, which started quickly, taking Qiu Ci away.

Leaving Tsukimi Rin alone on the spot.

“Ding-dong—” Her phone received a strange text message, the content—”XX Private Club…”

Who sent it?

Tsukimi Rin looked in the direction Qiu Ci had left, and finally took a taxi to the address in the text message.

She thought she would be stopped, but she went all the way to the door of the private room without any problems.

Could that text message not have been sent by Qiu Ci, but just a spam message?

Tsukimi Rin suddenly wanted to back out.

Following a text message to knock on someone’s door for no reason didn’t seem right.

A young boy with short blonde hair walked over. “Hello, sister, do you want to go in?” The boy’s name tag said his name or code name—Yuyang.

“No, I seem to have gone to the wrong place. Do you know a tall female boss? Have you seen her?” Tsukimi Rin asked him.

Yuyang thought for a moment. “Then you shouldn’t have gone to the wrong place. This is Sister Ai La’s private event tonight. Someone must have signaled for you to be able to come in.”

No one signaled, no one knew.

Only Qiu Ci, but Qiu Ci had also come without Qiu Shi knowing.

Tsukimi Rin tried to think about these things calmly.

“Sister, do you want to go in?” Yuyang’s hand was on the doorknob. As long as Tsukimi Rin nodded, she could see what was inside.

Tsukimi Rin was struggling there. “Do you know me?”

Yuyang shook his head. “I’m just a worker.”

“Click—” Yuyang finally opened the door.

Inside, there were dim lights and many noisy voices of men and women.

Yuyang went in on his own, without closing the door. Was he leaving the door open for Tsukimi Rin?

“Sisters, how are you all having fun tonight?” Yuyang sat in the seat that the girls had made for him.

A woman in a black dress praised, “Little Su, you’re so sensible, you specially booked a venue for Ai La.”

“It’s the Spring Festival, you have to be the first person to give Sister Ai La a New Year’s gift.”

“Do you have any high-quality male employees to tease?” The woman continued to laugh.

Yuyang became shy in a way that didn’t match his gender. “Oh, if there were any high-quality ones, I would have taken them long ago. Aren’t I waiting for you sisters to introduce me?”

“Talk to your Sister Ai La, her younger brother is so handsome,” the woman exclaimed.

“Is that so…”

During the conversation, someone noticed that the door was still open, and it seemed like someone was standing there.

“Who is it? Come in,” the woman said impatiently.

No one could see her clearly against the light.

But how could Qiu Shi, who knew each other well, not recognize this silhouette? She tentatively asked, “Rin Rin? Is that you? Come in.”

Tsukimi Rin slowly walked in, wearing a fitted trench coat, she had a neat aura, and this neat aura was completely incompatible with the perfume and alcohol smell in the private room.

Qiu Shi was sitting in the main seat wearing a red short dress, next to her was a girl in a white dress, and everyone was curiously looking at Tsukimi Rin.

The moment of silence was unbearable.

The girl in the white dress seemed unhappy. “Ai La, do you know this guy?”

Qiu Shi took a deep breath. “A friend,” she said, stroking the hair of the girl next to her, playing with her dark brown long hair.