PSMD – Chapter 71

The elevator doors closed on cue and descended to pick up other residents.

The corridor was very quiet. Shen Ningruo looked at Tao Sixian’s malicious smile without the slightest surprise. She raised an eyebrow and curled her lips slightly: “I was just telling Xiao Yang. You and Guo Ming’an are truly a perfect match of rotten fish and shrimp, rotten to perfection.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Tao Sixian nodded slightly, her hand already withdrawn. Her gaze swept over Shen Ningruo from head to toe, and she said sarcastically, “I still think you and Qiu Yang are a better match. One likes women, and the other… is an old virgin. If you two were to sleep together, would there really be such a thing as an orgasm? I’ve always been very curious. Could Director Shen please enlighten me?”

The sound-activated light didn’t stay on for long. Their voices weren’t loud, and soon the light completely dimmed, leaving them unable to see each other.

Shen Ningruo softened her breathing. She was furious now, but she couldn’t show it. She just said, “You’re so curious, why don’t you find someone to try it with next time?”

“I…”

“Ah, sorry, if it’s you, that would really be risky.” Shen Ningruo took a step forward and also said sarcastically, “If you and your husband are so fond of hooking up, you’re very likely to encounter ‘Ai’ love. Don’t go harming others.”

It was the ‘Ai’ from AIDS.

After Shen Ningruo finished speaking, she stomped her foot. The sound-activated light turned on at that moment. Shen Ningruo looked at Tao Sixian’s clearly enraged expression and calmly added, “You two, if you have time, go get a physical exam at the hospital. I heard before that Guo Ming’an had a disease, which is why I never agreed to him.”

“Too dirty. You’d still take that? You’re really not picky.”

Tao Sixian was the same age as Qiu Yang and had grown up in a privileged environment. She hadn’t really gotten into many arguments before, otherwise, after being splashed with water by Qiu Yang last time, she wouldn’t have just asked what Qiu Yang was doing.

She usually indulged in a life of pleasure and wasn’t Shen Ningruo’s match. Now, being spoken to like this by Shen Ningruo, she was again at a loss for how to respond, just like last time.

The elevator doors opened at this moment, and a resident came out. Seeing the two of them standing there, they were startled and cursed, “Are you crazy?”

Tao Sixian’s lips parted, but in the end, she just glared fiercely at Shen Ningruo, said “You just wait,” like a villain in a drama, and entered the elevator.

Only after the elevator doors closed again did Shen Ningruo deflate like a balloon, losing all her energy.

It was now basically confirmed that the matter of someone sending her flowers was inseparable from Tao Sixian and her group.

But why?

If Qiu Yang hadn’t happened to meet her that day and hadn’t known she was pretending to work overtime, wouldn’t nothing have happened?

Shen Ningruo couldn’t quite figure it out, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. She took a few steps forward, staring at Qiu Yang’s door, her lips slowly tightening again.

It was like going back to the time she had called Qiu Yang “gullible.”

She had come to apologize then, she had thought Tao Sixian was insidious, and now she was walking down Tao Sixian’s old path, just not as excessively as Tao Sixian.

But she had still lied to Qiu Yang, she had still hurt Qiu Yang’s heart.

The sound-activated light dimmed again. Shen Ningruo saw the faint light inside the room through the crack in the door. She really wanted to raise her hand and knock like before, but this time she hesitated.

Had Tao Sixian come to see Qiu Yang?

Had Tao Sixian said anything to Qiu Yang?

Their meeting wasn’t accidental. Did Qiu Yang know?

More questions came, waiting for Shen Ningruo to ponder. Her head was about to burst. Her thoughts were chaotic now, and she wasn’t sure if she could explain everything clearly if she faced Qiu Yang.

Shen Ningruo stood at the door again, her eyes becoming firm, then dimming, repeating this several times, still without a clue.

She used to argue with Yao Yao too, giving each other the silent treatment for several days before reconnecting. This kind of friendship lasted for a while during their adolescence until they grew up and matured and stopped doing that.

And she and Qiu Yang had always had such good chemistry. Qiu Yang wouldn’t know that this kind of contact was already abnormal.

Did she have to give Qiu Yang the silent treatment for a few days too?

It was already the second day, and Shen Ningruo couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood outside the door for about half an hour before finally raising her hand to knock.

Qiu Yang thought Tao Sixian had come back. She had no intention of going to the door and even turned off the living room light, hugging Pingzi and going into the bedroom.

Shen Ningruo watched the light disappear through the crack in the door and lowered her raised hand.

She felt like everything had happened so suddenly.

Just three nights ago, they were taking a family portrait here. Just three nights ago, they were sleeping in the same bed. That night, she had called out “Xiao Yang” many times.

But the light went out.

Shen Ningruo’s lips parted slightly, and she quietly exhaled, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from getting warm. In her 28 years of life, this was the first time she felt so miserable because someone didn’t want to talk to her.

Shen Ningruo’s body swayed slightly. Finally, with blurry eyes, she unlocked her phone and sent Qiu Yang two words:

Goodnight.

Qiu Yang received the message after returning to her room. She stared at it for a while until the screen went black. Only then did she unlock it again and reply with the same two words.

The medicine seemed to be taking effect. Qiu Yang’s eyelids were already itching for a fight. She put her phone aside, placed her hand on Pingzi, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

But she didn’t sleep well that night. She had a nightmare again.

The scene in the dream was the moment she was pushed into the ornamental pond by Qiu Wenyun. She was small and short and couldn’t touch the bottom at all. This time, there was no kind person to save her. She gradually sank down, and soon she had no strength left to struggle.

But she wanted to live, she didn’t want to drown like this.

Because she hadn’t yet owned her first doll.

Because she hadn’t seen her mother again.

Because she hadn’t grown up, earned money, and lived the life she wanted.

Qiu Yang woke up just as she was about to sink to the bottom. She was covered in sweat, and her body was so hot it felt like her pajamas were soaked.

She fumbled for her phone. It was only five in the morning.

She stared at Shen Ningruo’s contact note for a long time before choosing to dial. As soon as the other person answered, her tears instantly spilled from her eyes.

“Shen Ningruo.”

“Are you… are you going to abandon me too?”

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