A Chance Encounter with an Old Acquaintance
After leaving home, Chu Tianqing took out her phone and searched for the nearest mall. It was only a twenty-minute walk away, so she decided to stroll over.
Jincheng had four distinct seasons, and September was just the time for clear autumn skies and refreshing air.
Chu Tianqing gazed up at the deep blue sky and remembered what her supervisor had said to her in her previous life: weather this lovely was perfect for mountain climbing. Young people were full of energy, so how could she not go?
Go. Fine, she'd go, all right. And the result? Fuck that—she'd lost her life.
Chu Tianqing swore to herself that she would never climb another mountain in this life. If she did, she'd be a massive fucking idiot!
With these idle thoughts running through her head, Chu Tianqing soon reached the mall.
It was a well-known, large mall in the city center, with a considerable flow of people. Even on a weekday, there were plenty of visitors.
Chu Tianqing went inside. It was nearly noon, so she decided to find somewhere to eat first.
She remembered the doctor's instructions when she was discharged from the hospital: for at least a month, she was to eat light, easily digested food.
After looking around, Chu Tianqing decided to have some congee.
She went in and sat down. Just as she picked up the menu, she suddenly heard a voice call to her. "Shen Xixi?"
It took Chu Tianqing a moment to adjust to the name. She put down the menu and smiled politely. "That's me. Hello, may I ask who you are?"
The girl in uniform suddenly picked up a small dish of side food from the table and hurled it straight at Chu Tianqing!
Startled, Chu Tianqing hurriedly stood up.
The girl was clearly the one who had attacked her, yet she dropped to her knees, trembling as though she'd suffered some terrible shock. She muttered almost deliriously, "It really is you. Why aren't you dead yet? Die! Die!"
Paying no attention to the mess on her clothes, Chu Tianqing asked with concern, "Are you all right? Should I call an ambulance?"
By then, the other servers and the manager had all rushed over. They split up to deal with the situation: the manager apologized to her, while the others helped the girl outside.
"I'm fine. My clothes just got dirty." Puzzled, Chu Tianqing asked the manager, "What's that girl's name?"
The manager was quite kind. Thinking Chu Tianqing wanted to hold the girl responsible, he hurriedly spoke up for her. "She's had a hard life, and things haven't been easy for her family. I apologize on her behalf. How about we waive the bill for your meal today?"
Chu Tianqing started to speak, then stopped. She wanted to say she wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation; she only wanted to know the girl's name.
But seeing the manager bowing and scraping, Chu Tianqing didn't want to pursue it. She said it was fine and there was no need to waive the bill; she would pay as usual.
The restaurant soon settled down. She quickly placed her order, and the food arrived shortly afterward. The manager also brought her a complimentary dessert, which Chu Tianqing had no choice but to accept. She ate at a leisurely pace.
Halfway through the meal, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Among the memories that didn't belong to her, she found the girl's face.
If she wasn't mistaken, the girl from just now was someone the fake heiress had bullied before.
That had been in middle school, when the fake heiress attended an elite school. Such schools were most like little societies and loved dividing people into ranks.
The fake heiress had been bent on becoming the queen at the top, so how had she shown off her status? Naturally, she'd picked a soft persimmon to squeeze.
The criteria for a soft persimmon were an introverted personality and an unimpressive family background.
That classmate from just now had fit the bill. She was introverted and hardly noticeable, and her family was only middle class. Her parents had gritted their teeth to give her the best education, never knowing their daughter was being bullied at school.
Chu Tianqing recalled the worst incident. They had sneaked into the girls' dormitory, stolen the girl's underwear, and hung it from a hoop on the basketball court.
For a sensitive, introverted adolescent girl, such humiliation was worse than being killed.
In fact, it had indeed been much the same as killing her. The girl dropped out of school a few days later.
Her name seemed to be Jiang Lean.
Chu Tianqing couldn't eat anymore. Although she wasn't the one who had committed those sins, she felt the pain as though it were her own.
Seven or eight years had passed, but judging by Jiang Lean's state, she probably still hadn't gotten over it.
The fake heiress truly deserved to die. She had ruined that girl's life.
Unable to sit still, Chu Tianqing decided to do something for her.
She looked around but didn't see Jiang Lean in the restaurant. Thinking the manager must have sent Jiang Lean outside to calm down, she decided to go look for her.
After walking around the mall, she found Jiang Lean in the back alley, just as she'd expected.
She was crouched in a corner with a cigarette between her fingers. Her face was expressionless, and she looked much calmer.
Chu Tianqing approached quietly and stopped two steps away, maintaining a polite social distance. In a soft voice, she said, "Jiang Lean, if I told you I'm doing really badly now, would that make you feel a little better?"
Jiang Lean moved the cigarette away and looked her up and down. "You're dressed in designer brands from head to toe, and you're telling me you're doing badly? Did you come here to rub it in?" she said mockingly. "Miss Shen, you haven't changed one bit. You're still just as vicious and arrogant. You'll get your karma."
Chu Tianqing smiled helplessly. "I already have. Want to hear about it? I'll tell you."
Jiang Lean stared at her venomously, then suddenly gave a nervous laugh. "Sure. Go ahead."
Chu Tianqing sighed, walked over, and crouched beside her. She began calmly, "Actually, I'm not the Shen family's biological daughter. I was switched at birth. My biological mother is a gambling addict, and she's made money by selling herself all these years. That's my real background."
Jiang Lean glanced sideways at her and said nothing for a while. After a long silence, she threw her cigarette on the ground, stood up, and stamped it out. "Good story. I believe you," she said indifferently. "Don't let me see you again. Next time, I'll definitely throw it at your head."
Chu Tianqing could tell she didn't believe her. She emphasized earnestly, "It's true. I came out to look for work. If you don't believe me, you can introduce me to a job. It's not like I could keep up an act all day, could I?"
Jiang Lean scoffed, thinking that Miss Shen's life was probably too boring, so she'd come to amuse herself at her expense. Talking to her was the stupidest decision of all.
Without another word, Jiang Lean walked away.
Chu Tianqing watched her leave and let out another long sigh. She didn't know whether she'd done the right thing. She hoped Jiang Lean would feel a little better from now on.
Chu Tianqing didn't hurry off. She remained crouched where she was, recalling the past. Besides Jiang Lean, she had bullied quite a few other people.
That heiress really had been beyond saving. Fortunately, she had already gotten her karma.
While she was lost in thought, Jiang Lean came back around the corner. Raising her chin, she said coldly, "Are you really looking for work? Come do a part-time job with me at eight tonight. It pays three hundred yuan for the night. Want to earn it or not?"
Chu Tianqing froze for a moment, then hurriedly answered, "Sure! Where are we going? What kind of work is it?"
"Cut the nonsense. You'll find out when the time comes." Jiang Lean walked over and held out her phone. "Let's exchange contact details. I'll send you the location then."
Without hesitation, Chu Tianqing took out her phone and added her contact.
Seeing her profile picture, Jiang Lean gave a cold smile. She wanted to see just how long this young lady could keep up the act.