Chapter 226: Success (1/2)

That night, Baldy and Tian Rou slept in the apartment next to Cheng Xi’s.

They’d partied so late into the evening that, when Cheng Xi woke up the next day, her head was pounding with pain. However, she was too used to getting up at around that time, so she couldn’t fall back asleep. Eventually, she resigned herself to her fate, climbed out of bed, ate something, and started tidying up her room.

Meanwhile, Tian Rou slept all the way to noon.

When she woke up, the first thing she did was to knock on Cheng Xi’s door. Remembering what Cheng Xi had promised her last night, she instantly accused Cheng Xi, “Didn’t you say that you were going to sleep with me last night? You liar!”

Cheng Xi smiled warmly at her. By her awkward gait, she immediately knew that Baldy had done something with her as soon as she had woken up. Cheng Xi didn’t say anything and just sat there and flipped through the book by her side. Tian Rou felt slightly embarrassed from her penetrating gaze and reached out to pinch her. “Do you have anything to eat?”

“It’s in the microwave. You can go get it yourself.”

Lu Chenzhou had made breakfast, which was eggs, sandwiches, and milk. Cheng Xi was afraid that Tian Rou would be hungover after drinking all of last night away, so she had also made a small bowl of congee, which was currently heating up on the stove.

Tian Rou came out with a steaming plate, so happy that she was bubbling with joy. As she ate, she said, “Cheng Xi, it’d be perfect if I were a guy—I’d have married you a long time ago, and then what would that Lu fellow amount to?”

Though, Tian Rou did feel slightly guilty, as she glanced over at Cheng Xi’s bedroom as she said this, afraid that her sacrilegious words would be overheard.

Cheng Xi just smiled as she shook her head, used to Tian Rou’s blunt way of speaking whatever was on her mind. “Don’t worry. He’s not around.”

Tian Rou immediately became cocky. “I can’t believe that he’s ok with letting you stay home alone. Well, it’s perfect timing for us to-” But before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt a surge of killing intent from behind her, causing her to stiffly change her words. “-to discard our past grievances and settle our debts.”

“What debts?” Baldy and Lu Chenzhou both asked this as they walked in from behind her.

Tian Rou bluffed, “She owes me money, of course!”

Cheng Xi couldn’t bear to look at her anymore.

They all started laughing at her, and Tian Rou quickly became unhappy. When she thought about her waist, which was still faintly hurting, she felt like all of her appetite had drained away. As Lu Chenzhou and Baldy squeezed into the kitchen, she put down her bowl and sighed. But when Cheng Xi didn’t play along with her act, she became bored. She turned around and picked up a random book. “What’re you doing? Why do you have so many books here?” She briefly glanced at the title. “They’re all about medicine. Cheng Xi, why’s your life so boring?”

Cheng Xi felt like she was going to get a headache if she listened to Tian Rou chatter any longer. “Don’t make a mess. I just tidied everything up.” During the year she had been gone, she had made Cheng Yang collect all of the books and magazines that she ordered, but that fellow had just thrown all of them into a corner of the room in a messy pile.

Cheng Xi was currently sifting through the pile for anything that would be useful to bring back to Gansu.

Tian Rou clicked her tongue in annoyance, and started casually flipping through yet another book. She was about to speak when a letter fell out from between the pages. “What’s this? Is someone still sending you letters in this time and age?”

Cheng Xi glanced at it, hesitated, and then raised her head to inspect it more carefully. “Let me see.”

The logo on the envelope was very familiar. The letter had been sent last year, and it stated that Chen Jiaman’s artwork had received a commendation, and that Chen Jiaman had been invited to attend the prize ceremony at a given date.

Cheng Xi looked at the date—the supposed prize ceremony took place half a year ago.

But Cheng Xi didn’t respond. As if struck by lightning, she sat there for quite a long time, lost in thought. Tian Rou became very curious. “What’s the matter? Who wrote to you? An old lover?”

She reached over, ready to take a look at the letter. But then, it was suddenly snatched away from Cheng Xi’s hands. Tian Rou glared at the thief in anger, but when she saw that it was Lu Chenzhou, she silently sat back into her seat once more.

Lu Chenzhou finished reading the letter in a matter of moments, and was about to shred it to pieces when Cheng Xi spoke up. “Give it to me.”

Lu Chenzhou looked at her and eventually acquiesced.

Cheng Xi read over the letter once more. Then, ignoring the piles of books she had yet to go through, she called the number listed on the letter. Surprisingly, someone actually picked up, and the responder was a young male voice. When he heard Cheng Xi report Chen Jiaman’s name, he actually still remembered her. “Goodness, how long has it been since the award ceremony? You’re only replying to us now?”