8 YearningAmbiguity makes us suffer.
After Pei Ying returned home, Song Nanchuan’s words still lingered in her head.
She pat her chest, her heart still pounding. Then she texted Ren Shanshan, “Shanshan, do you still remember the breakfast I posted to my friend feed? Song Nanchuan saw it and then sent me some recipes. And now he’s given me all the ingredients to make the recipes.”
[Ren Shanshan] …So instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, you’re here to show off? (smile)
[Pei Ying] No, I just think that… Do you think he wants to pursue me? (shy)
[Ren Shanshan] I think he wants to bed you. (smile)
Pei Ying, “…”
This old driver, Ren Shanshan, was really too filthy-minded. (Note: I guess ‘old driver’ means experienced person? I’m not super up on the internet slang, so apologies in advance if I mess them up or don’t explain them…)
[Pei Ying] If you got to know him, you’d know that he was a true gentleman. (bye) And that tear birthmark is filled with restraint. (smile)
[Ren Shanshan] …
[Ren Shanshan] If you’re not scared a rogue is cultured, you should at least be scared that a pervert is patient
Pei Ying, “…”
She held her phone and thought for a moment. Then she sent another text, “Oh yeah, didn’t I post that photo from the drama before? When I was leaving today, he told me not to post those kinds of photos to my friend feed anymore. What do you think he means?”
[Ren Shanshan] The photo that was all legs under the chest? What were his exact words?
[Pei Ying] I saw your photo. It was really pretty, but don’t post those kinds of photos to your friend feed anymore. Mm, it was pretty much like that.
[Ren Shanshan] (smile) CEO Song wants to keep you for himself to lick and doesn’t want anyone else to see you. Tsk tsk.
[Pei Ying] …Do you have to be so vulgar?
[Ren Shanshan] The world was originally this vulgar. (smile)
[Pei Ying] …But it was for the drama. Even if I don’t post it to my friend feed, it’ll show up on TV later anyway.
[Ren Shanshan] Wah…
[Ren Shanshan] Looks like CEO Song’s going to have his fair share of jealousy~
Pei Ying, “…”
She closed her Weixin app, no longer wanting to chat with Ren Shanshan.
Over the next two days, Pei Ying once again lived her idling life. She didn’t have to rush to the filming site early in the mornings anymore, but neither did she sleep away the day. Every day, she woke up at 8:30 and opened up the recipe that Song Nanchuan sent her. Then, with the ingredients he’d bought for her, she made a nutritious breakfast.
She took a picture of the breakfast she’d just finished making and then posted it to her friend feed.
Ever since Song Nanchuan left for his business trip, she hadn’t received any messages from him. There weren’t even any likes from him on her friend feed.
She didn’t wait for Song Nanchuan’s like though. After she finished eating, she carried out a pet bowl to feed the cat.
There was one more stray cat in the courtyard. Pei Ying crouched down and watched them eat. She let out a sigh. “Blackie, Flower, what do you guys think Chuan Chuan is doing right now? Is he very busy?”
“Meow~” Blackie and Flower responded casually as they ate.
Pei Ying sighed once more. Originally, she’d thought that Song Nanchuan was pursuing her, but once he left for his business trip, he’d forgotten her entirely. Seems like she wasn’t that important after all.
Pei Ying curled her lips, a bit turned off by her current state.
She was like a little schoolgirl that had just fallen in love, thinking all sorts of thoughts and sighing all over the place over some trivial things. She really felt somewhat sorry to her 23 year old self.
Pei Ying crouched down again and pulled out her phone to bother Ren Shanshan. “Ambiguity makes us suffer grievances. (sad)” (Note: This is the first line of Rainie Yang’s Ai Mei / Ambiguity.)
[Ren Shanshan] …
[Ren Shanshan] If you’re so free, come over and help clean up the inventory. (smile)
Pei Ying thought for a bit. She didn’t have work these days, and she didn’t have any cla.s.ses either. Maybe she really ought to help Ren Shanshan with the store.
She sent back an OK and waited for the cats to finish eating before collecting the empty dish and heading upstairs. She changed into jeans and a long coat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed back out the door.
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Aside from Ren Shanshan, there was also one male and one female employee at her studio. They were currently busying themselves with the warehouse inventory. Pei Ying walked over and looked at the pile of clothes on the ground. “What’s going on here?”
Ren Shanshan rolled her eyes. “You don’t pay much attention to the internet mall, do you? The whole site’s having a big promotion in a few days, and out store’s partic.i.p.ating as well. My plan is to put up a load of new outfits and also mark down the prices for the older stock.”
“Oh…” Pei Ying nodded. “How much is a load of new outfits?”
“More than twenty. There will be two sets with different styles.” Ren Shanshan straightened her back and stood up. “The new clothes arrived a few days ago. I didn’t tell you about it then because you were so busy. Everything’s taken care of now though, so we just need to hurry with the pictures. Trust me, your life will be filled to the brim. You won’t have the time to feel aggrieved.”
Pei Ying, “…”
She put down her bag and helped out with the inventory and warehouse. In the afternoon, Ren Shanshan dragged her out for the photo shoot, leaving her without any time to rest.
This time, Ren Shanshan came up with two especially romantic themes for the clothes. One was ‘Young and Beautiful,’ and the other was ‘Paris Diary.’
As the names suggested, ‘Young and Beautiful’ carried pretty and fresh-feeling female attire, whereas the ‘Paris Diary’ fashion was very urban and chic.
With her car filled with people, Ren Shanshan drove to a touristy scenic area. The whole street was lined with hostels disguised as small, single-family villas, very reminiscent of j.a.panese-style homes. Clean roads, blue sky with white clouds and a shining sun, and peach blossoms lining the street. This was Ren Shanshan’s ideal shooting location.
Model Pei Ying, on the other hand, was greatly tortured. Since there were no changing rooms for her, she had to run back to the car to change each time. After photographing some tens of outfits, she was dead tired.
The photographer called out from the side, “Move your head to the left a bit. Yeah, like that. Smile.”
Pei Ying smiled.
When they finished the shoot with the final color of the last dress, Pei Ying nearly plopped down right onto the ground. She felt this wasn’t right though. She should see this schedule to the end, lest Ren Shanshan abuse her to death afterwards.
Ren Shanshan was standing beside the photographer, extremely satisfied. The photos were nearly the way she’d imagined them, full of spring. Looking at them, even your breathing became romantic.
“Pei Pei, come over and look. The photos are so pretty.” She beckoned to Pei Ying with a hand. Pei Ying was still lingering in the same spot, really not wanting to move. “Bring it over here.”
Ren Shanshan’s lips dropped and she brought the camera over. Pei Ying looked at a few shots, and indeed, they were very beautiful. Whether it was the color or composition, it was all especially pretty.
Ren Shanshan sighed. “When our brand gets bigger, with daily revenue in the millions, I’ll take you all around the world, and we can take photos there too!”
Pei Ying recalled their current daily revenue, feeling a slight bit of despair. “Millions? How long will that take?”
“Mm… Three, five, maybe seven years.”
Pei Ying’s eyes jumped out. “I’ll be 30 by then… Can’t you make it so that I can travel the world before I’m 30?”
Ren Shanshan retorted, “You’re not even 23 yet. In seven years, you’ll still be 29!”
“I’ll be nearly 30. What’s the difference…”
“In any case, when someone asks you later, you’re not going to say you’re 30. You’ll say you’re 29!”
Pei Ying thought for a moment. “No, I’d say I was 16.”
Ren Shanshan, “…”
“Alright, we’ll finish up here today. Everyone’s worked hard. Dinner’s on me tonight.” Ren Shanshan announced in a very boss-like manner as she collected her camera equipment.
“Let’s just eat here,” Pei Ying suggested. “I can’t walk anymore.” The restaurants at the resort area were usually pretty expensive. She had to make Ren Shanshan pay at least that much, in order to make up for her day’s hard work.
Ren Shanshan glanced at her but didn’t respond She had everyone pack up and put the materials into the car. Then they headed to a nearby restaurant.
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When they were sitting at the grilling table, Pei Ying finally recovered a bit. Ren Shanshan was holding several meat skewers in her hand as she asked, “What was with you in the morning? Your CEO Song isn’t paying any attention to you?”
Pei Ying swallowed the veggies in her mouth and answered, “He’s on a business trip.”
Ren Shanshan blinked. “He told you that? He even reports his schedule to you.”
Pei Ying’s face turned red at her words. “What do you mean report? He just mentioned it casually.”
“Oh…” Ren Shanshan’s tone and expression were both very profound. “So he went on a business trip and hasn’t contacted you, right?”
Pei Ying silently ate the food in front of her. Ren Shanshan looked at her and knew she’d guessed correctly. Then she said, “If he doesn’t contact you, you can contact him. Someone has to make the first move.”
Pei Ying said, “I’ve thought about contacting him, but what if he’s really busy? How can I be so inconsiderate and bother someone else like that? We’re not a couple after all…”
“Ah?” Ren Shanshan looked at her with ridicule. “Are you complaining about your lack of status right now?” And then she even sang out, “Ambiguity makes us suffer~”
Pei Ying, “…”
“Young person, if you don’t want to suffer, you have to make a move and make him yours.” Ren Shanshan pat her shoulder as she spoke seriously.
“I already made a move…” Pei Ying mumbled softly. She was the one to get Song Nanchuan’s contact information. When he was on a business trip, she had to be the one to contact him too? Her intentions would be made so obvious.
Although that’s what she thought, Pei Ying still couldn’t help checking her phone. When she opened up her Weixin app, she saw a new notification. She clicked to see what it was, and suddenly a smile appeared on her face.
“What is it?” Ren Shanshan asked at her side as she grilled the skewers.
Pei Ying responded, “Song Nanchuan liked my photo.”
Ren Shanshan, “…”
She was silent as she looked at Pei Ying for awhile. Then she shook her head and said, “Little girl, acting this way is very dangerous.”
Pei Ying curled her lips, not paying any heed to the words. How could Ren Shanshan understand that moment of calm that came across her when she saw Song Nanchuan’s like.
After they finished eating, Ren Shanshan didn’t forget to outline the work for tomorrow. When Pei Ying returned home, she showered and laid down on her bed. After a moment, she grabbed her phone. Without hesitation, she opened her texts with Song Nanchuan and started writing. “CEO Song, are you busy?”
With just those few words, she felt the message was too abrupt and quickly deleted it. She bit her lip and started writing again. “CEO Song, how is your business going along?”
Ah ah ah, that’s not right! How can she ask like she’s checking up on her partner…
After a brief back and forth in her mind, Pei Ying finally sent her text.
“CEO Song, goodnight. ^_^”