Cruel Romance Chapter 2.3

Three days later.

The bruises and swell on Jin Xiu’s face, after much careful healing, had greatly subsided, only the sprain on her left ankle was more serious, it was inconvenient for her to get around and she had to rely on crutches.

When Xiang Ying Dong came around, Jin Xiu was practicing walking in the house.

“Can’t wait to get off the bed.” Xiang Ying Dong called out from the door,”You’re bored?”

“Ying Shao!” Jin Xiu was surprised, hurriedly turning around. “You’re here!” Over these few days, Xiang Ying Dong came by a total of three times, he only casually chatted before leaving. But every time she saw him, Jin Xiu was filled with joy. And when he wasn’t around, days were filled with light antic.i.p.ation.

JinXiu wasn’t an idiot. At this age, she knew that longing for someone like this, her heart thudding in excitement for him even a fool would know what it meant. That’s right, she liked him.

The way he spoke and the tone of his voice,was strangely embedded in her mind. His expressions, she ran through them time and again in her mind, even imitating his sinister laughter to no one in particular. Even the buds of cigarettes he smoked were carefully taken out of the ashtray and added to her collection.

She knew she could never have him. He was a born charmer, irresitible to all women. But it all seemed as though she was under a spell, her soul losing all sense of logic. What Xiang Ying Dong’s status was, she didn’t truly comprehend, but his n.o.ble qualities, generous nature and his attention to detail. As for the people working under him, everyone was reverent and respectful towards him–All these showed that he was someone with status. He did not belong in the world that Jin Xiu was familiar with.

But, from the moment she awoke from coma and saw him, she remembered that face. She knew that she shouldn’t, and it wasn’t to possess but just to get a little closer to him. Even a praiseworthy glance from him would make her happy.

This time, Xiang Ying Dong didn’t come alone.

The man beside him, handsome and gentle, he looked familiar to Jin Xiu, she could faintly remember meeting him in the Yin Residence. He casually stood there, a tad conceited, a tad cold, who was he?

“I’m Zuo Zhen, Zhen which means shock.” He introduced himself that way, “We’ve met.”

“Oh,” Jin Xiu was a little confused, “You’re–Ying Shao’s friend right?”

Zuo Zhen smiled faintly,”Not bad.”

He evaluated Jin Xiu. It was in the evening, Jin Xiu stood against the light, the warm rays from the setting sun looked like a golden halo around her silhouette. She looked like she was in better health today, in a thin woolen qipao, a pair of beautiful plaits hung before her chest. She was leaning with difficulty against the crutch, perhaps she was tired, beads of perspiration formed on her forehead, her cheeks flushed.

Like Ming Zhu, she had a pair of clear beautiful eyes, black irises, giving a bewildered look, with little less style than Ming Zhu but a little more gentleness.

Perhaps because she was pure, she was like a piece of white paper. In comparison, her charm could not match up to that of Ming Zhu’s– Every frown and every smile, every raise of her eyes and lowering of her head, was as mesmerizing as mist, and astonishing to others.

“Sit down and talk.” Xiang Ying Dong told Auntie Lan to bring the tea, “What are you standing around for? It’s not like you haven’t met.”

Jin Xiu shyly smiled, kept the crutches and sat on the chair closes to her,”I’m really sorry, my leg is taking too long to heal, and have to trouble Ying Shao to visit every two to three days.”

“It’s not bad already,” Xiang Ying Dong was nonchalant, “Initially you couldn’t even raise your fingers. I’ll estimate that in eight to ten days, you’ll have a complete recovery.”

Zuo Zhen downed a cup of hot tea, “Miss Rong is so worried, is there something that you haven’t accomplished?”

Jin Xiu shook her head,”I’ve just arrived in Shanghai, unfamiliar with the place and people, there’s nothing that needs my attention here. It’s just that, the sooner i recover, the sooner I can find something to do. Staying here everyday, leaves me unsettled.”

“You want to find something to do?” Xiang Ying Dong cast a glance at Zuo Zhen, this was a tad strange, “What kind of job is more suitable for you?”

Jin Xiu’s face turned red, “I’m not sure, both of you are more familiar with Shanghai, perhaps you could offer me some suggestions.”

“Let’s put it this way, what do you know?” Xiang Ying Dong, placed his leg on his lap,”For example, accounting, English, perhaps playing the piano or something like that?”

Jin Xiu widened her eyes,”Play…play the piano? The western score is completely different from the Chinese notes, how would I know.”

She didn’t know anything, yet she wanted to make money?

Xiang Ying Dong laughed, even the usually expressionless Zuo Zhen couldn’t help but let out a sinister smile,”That would be difficult then.”

Jin Xiu’s face turned red from his intention to ridicule, “Even working at the factory needs knowledge of English, accounting, and to be able to play the piano? I have hands and legs and can work for a living.”

Zuo Zhen looked at the pair of small hands on her knees, slender fingers, snow white and soft, it didn’t look like a pair of hands that worked. “Then what kind of work do you plan to do? Do you know about silk reeling or wearing? Those machines in big factories, do you know a little about them?” Zuo Zhen was no longer looking at her,”Let’s first not talk about whether the money you earn from working will be enough to rent a place or feed yourself, I fear that the minute any employer looks at your pair of hands, they wouldn’t want to hire you.” What a naive girl, if things were as smooth and easy as she imagined, then the world wouldn’t experience depressing to dark things anymore. To be able to survive till this day, it was just blind luck.

Jin Xiu was in a daze, she couldn’t help but feel discouraged, yet she was unwilling to admit defeat and argued back,”But… I’ve learnt embroidery, weaving, back when I was in school I learnt how to sing, that’s right, I can play the flute as well, I’ve been learning how to since I was five…” Her voice got softer and softer as she spoke, frustration growing in her heart. These small tricks of someone who came from the countryside, tricks that were just fluff, perhaps they could entertain people at home, but to make a living from them, especially in a place like Shanghai, what use were they?

Zuo Zhen looked at her, seeing how her small teeth bit down on her lower lips, anxiousness, confusion, expressed in those bright eyes of hers, yet unwilling to admit defeat as she continued to glare at him as she pleaded her cause, stubborn on the surface, panic in her heart, none of these escaped his eyes.

Unknowingly, he became soft hearted.

Xiang Ying Dong laughed as he waited to see Zuo Zhen make a fool out of himself. He had really courted trouble this time around. Rong Jin Xiu was Ming Zhu’s younger sister, whether Ming Zhu would admit to it or not, she was different other women. It wasn’t right to throw her out but to continue providing for her seemed inappropriate, even providing for eight of ten Rong Jin Xius wasn’t a problem. The problem was, how to answer to Ming Zhu about this? I picked up your sister from the streets, so I might as well make her mine? In addition, Jin Xiu this girl, was completely oblivious, she didn’t even know how to ingratiate herself with men, completely not suitable for his palate.

“Let’s discuss this after you recover.” Zuo Zhen continued, “I’ll make arrangements then.”

What a cunning old fox! Xiang Ying Dong silently laughed and scolded. Skilfully deflecting the problem, till then, till what time? To think that stupid woman Jing Xiu had grat.i.tude written all over her face. Understanding the intentions of others and evaluating the situation, she didn’t even learn even a little from Ming Zhu, she was certainly a far cry from her.