Green Plum, Green Plum (End)
“I announce that Shen Yelan has failed.”
“Who were you talking to just now?”
Hearing Xu Jiao’s question, Shen Yelan’s expression froze slightly.
Just now, at the door, she saw the phantom of Xu Jiao again, that “Xu Jiao” pretended to look for her but failed to find her. She fell at the door, rubbing her eyes and asking her:
“Shen Yelan, where did you go? I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
She bent over to help her up, when another voice wrongly accused her out of a blue: “How come you are always so stupid? You were deceived so many times but still not able to keep the bitter lesson in mind. It doesn’t matter if it is the real one or your hallucination, you always get fooled time after time.”
“Or should I say…actually you really enjoy us taking on the appearance of that person to do things she would never do. For example, relying on you so deeply, and then you would feel self-satisfied after watching that?”
Shen Yelan stared at the figure sitting at the door, as if judging whether this person was the real Xu Jiao.
She kept refuting those messy voices in her mind:
No, it’s not.
It’s not like that.
Because…
If now she turns a blind eye to even an illusion, she is afraid that one day her condition will become so serious that she will not be able to tell the difference between reality and illusion. By that time, if she encounters the real Xu Jiao asking for her help, she will just ignore her and walk away… Shen Yelan cannot forgive herself just by thinking about it.
She raised her hand, wanting to pull the Xu Jiao on the ground up. While bending over, she could not bear it any longer and snapped at the other voices: “Shut up.”
However, the next moment——
She saw her hand pass through the figure empty-handed. The person who was sitting on the ground looking pitiful before disappeared, leaving only air in the palm of her hand.
……
“I…”
Regaining her senses, Shen Yelan met Xu Jiao’s eyes, moved her lips, and only uttered a single word before not knowing how to continue.
Xu Jiao raised an eyebrow. She did not expect that her casual question would make Shen Yelan so embarrassed. She casually gave Shen Yelan a topic: “Were you on the phone with a friend? I was just asking casually, it’s okay if it’s not convenient to say.”
Anyway, the blackening value was only 1 point left. Xu Jiao did not really want to press Shen Yelan for details.
There were still many things she needed to think about, such as what would happen to her and Shen Yelan after the blackening value was cleared? Would they break up? If they broke up, and Shen Yelan became blackened again, wouldn’t all the previous efforts be in vain?
If they don’t break up…
Could it be that she would accompany Shen Yelan until they grow old in this world?
Just thinking about the long time, Xu Jiao felt a sense of stuffiness rising from her stomach, making her feel suffocated.
Shen Yelan pursed her lips and simply followed Xu Jiao’s words with a light “en”. It was unknown whether she was referring to “talking on the phone with a friend” or agreeing to “not wanting to say” this matter.
The remnants of joy in the room had not yet dissipated from the air. There were still traces of the previous fooling around on Xu Jiao’s shoulders and ankles, except that the color had become much deeper, like traces of watercolor that had dried up for a long time, fading slowly.
However, the cold wind from the night outside had already blown in. No matter how fiery the heart was, its temperature gradually dropped.
The two of them fell silent for a while and lost in their own thoughts at the same time. Even when eating the same dinner, they were as indifferent as two students who happened to share a table in the cafeteria, facing each other, with only the sound of chopsticks and chewing.
……
“Buzz…buzz…”
Shen Yelan’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the caller ID, looked up at Xu Jiao, and got up to answer the phone outside.
“Master.” Her voice was neither high nor low as it reached the receiver. Although this tone of voice was of an exceptionally sexy and charming type, she could be serious to the point of making people hear a sense of sternness.
Dong Qing’s laughter came from the other end: “Have you eaten? Did I disturb you this time?”
Shen Yelan did not answer this question, but only said, “What’s the matter?”
Dong Qing knew that she was still angry about the last time she was tricked into squatting in that desolate and remote place without a signal for a few months like being imprisoned. She coaxed her with a smile: “My good apprentice is still angry with me? Are you so vengeful and difficult to coax? Does your significant other know about this?”
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t hang up. Alright, I have something serious to ask you.”
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Noticing that Shen Yelan did not say anything, Dong Qing could not see her apprentice’s current expression, but she guessed from this long silence that Shen Yelan was in a bad mood. In a second, she pulled the topic back on track.
She asked, “Remember the guys who blew up our communication base last time? I took you to take down their lair, but it turned out that they had a strong backer and were lucky. Even though they were fools, they had the good fortune of a fool and managed to survive. I heard that they recently entered the country from Southeast Asia. You have to be careful.”
“Don’t capsize in your own territory.” At the end, Dong Qing’s voice not only had her usual casual and frivolous tone, but also a meaningful reminder.
Shen Yelan opened her lips and looked at the crescent moon hanging in the sky outside the window. Her eyes reflected the curved arc of the sickle. Just when Dong Qing was about to hang up the phone, she suddenly spoke:
“Master, I…”
Dong Qing put the phone back to her ear and glanced at the female celebrity who was holding a wine glass and was preparing to flirt with Ouyang Hao. She curled her lips and asked, “What? If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t play the speaking but stopping again and again]routine. I’m attending a party with our big financier right now. If I don’t show up in time to help him block those flirtatious women, he’ll find an excuse to deduct my salary again.”
Shen Yelan: “…”
She lowered her eyelashes and let the moonlight slip away from her eyes. The bright brilliance spilled onto her body through the living room window glass, hazy and dreamy, adding a layer of unreal halo.
“I want to say that next time there is such a lucrative task, you don’t have to look for me anymore. I’ve earned enough money. Thank you, Master, for taking care of me all this time.”
Dong Qing gave an “En”, her eyes fixed on the female celebrity who had appeared beside Ouyang Hao. She was guessing in her heart whether the other party was planning to play the straightforward and upright way of getting to know him, or whether she was preparing to accidentally fall and land at Ouyang Hao’s feet, soaking the dress on her chest.
Because of this absent-mindedness, she did not react immediately to what Shen Yelan said on the other end.
A few seconds later.
The smile in her eyes suddenly froze. As Ouyang Hao kept using his eyes to remind her to go to work, Dong Qing simply turned and walked towards a place where there was no one. Her tone could not hide her concern:
“Did something happen?”
“Or do you simply not want to do it anymore?”
“If it’s the latter, I have no opinion. Although you’re surprisingly talented in this line of work, you’re different from me after all. You have to go back to the life of a normal person. While you haven’t waded too deep into the water, even if you don’t mention it yourself, I plan to gradually reduce the number of times you participate in these matters.”
Speaking of this, Dong Qing paused appropriately, ready to listen to what Shen Yelan had to say next.
During the brief pause, she recalled the expression Shen Yelan had when she first heard that she wanted to participate in her business.
The little girl who was always beaten up but whose eyes were always firmer, as if burning with a strong light, stood in front of her, carrying thoughts that Dong Qing could not understand, and said to her, “Master, can you take me along in what you do?”
She said, “I need a lot of money.”
Shen Yelan was Dong Qing’s first, and perhaps only, apprentice. She originally planned that as long as it was within her power, she would do whatever it took to let her apprentice grow up in a healthy environment. Maybe Shen Yelan would use what she taught her to protect herself in the future, or maybe she would participate in some formal fighting competitions because of her interest.
But Dong Qing had never thought…
She wanted to enter the darkness.
After Shen Yelan stubbornly asked many times, Dong Qing reluctantly took her to try the waters in less dangerous tasks. Immediately afterwards, she saw this child’s talent, as if she was naturally meant to walk along such a dangerous edge.
Every time she saw Shen Yelan’s eyes in those missions, Dong Qing would secretly worry, what method would she use in the future to persuade Shen Yelan to quit this line of work?
But now.
Without waiting for her to take the initiative to mention it, Shen Yelan took the initiative to say that she was leaving.
Dong Qing was both happy for her and a little worried for her, because Dong Qing thought of the person beside Shen Yelan. In Dong Qing’s eyes, that girl’s gaze had never fallen on Shen Yelan.
There is a saying that the affectionate are the most ruthless, and the ruthless are the most devoted.
Would Shen Yelan become someone special in the heart of that person who seemed careless at first glance and had a layer of separation with everyone around her, and seemed out of tune with the whole world?
Would Shen Yelan be the heartless part of her, or would she be fortunate enough to become the devoted part?
Dong Qing did not know.
She just had a vague feeling that her apprentice, having set her sights on such a person, was destined to have a tragic ending.
Just then, Shen Yelan’s reply popped up softly in her ear:
“I just don’t want to do it anymore. Master, haven’t you always hoped that I would withdraw as soon as possible? Now I’m doing as you wish.”
Dong Qing sensed something from her long silence and could only sigh after a long while: “I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, I can’t see through you now. At such a young age, your thoughts are deeper than an old fox.”
“Be careful recently, and go to crowded places less often, lest you lower your guard. My people are not in the country now. If you need them, tell me in advance and I’ll arrange some bodyguards for you.”
Shen Yelan pondered for two seconds, but still chose not to trouble Dong Qing so early: “No need for now. Thank you, Master. I’ll take care of it.”
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……
“Do you want to go out for a walk?”
When Shen Yelan returned to the bedroom, she saw Xu Jiao put the empty box she had finished eating into an empty garbage bag on the ground, and then looked up at her with a smile.
Shen Yelan blinked and asked her, “Is there anything Sister Xu Jiao wants to buy?”
Xu Jiao nodded and raised an eyebrow at her, “Of course.”
Xu Jiao: “I suddenly remembered that I haven’t bought you anything yet, so I want to go pick out a gift for you. What do you think?”
Shen Yelan’s heart skipped a beat, and the first thought that popped into her mind was:
A breakup present?
Or a souvenir of this relationship?
She didn’t dare to ask further, but she couldn’t resist Xu Jiao’s invitation either. However, thinking of Dong Qing’s words just now, she still said, “Does it have to be today? Can we do it next week?”
Shen Yelan was not afraid of encountering those guys, but she didn’t want Xu Jiao to follow her into danger, even the slightest potential danger worried her.
Xu Jiao thought about the last bit of progress value, and frowned slightly, putting on a hesitant look, as if she was really thinking about whether to postpone this plan until next week.
However, when she saw her frowning, Shen Yelan’s heart also wrinkled up. She did not want to see Xu Jiao unhappy, so for the first time, she went against her master’s advice and quickly added: “Today is fine too, I’m free.”
Xu Jiao looked at her enthusiastic appearance in surprise and asked for confirmation, “Didn’t you just say next week? Are you sure you didn’t change your mind just to comfort me?”
Shen Yelan gave her a shallow smile and said softly, “I suddenly don’t want to wait that long anymore.”
She said, “I really want to know what Sister Xu Jiao will give me as a present now.”
No matter what the gift was, even if it was a sharp knife that pierced her heart, as long as it was given by Xu Jiao, she would be happy.
……
The commercial area at night had a different kind of prosperity. The office workers who were confined by work and professional attire during the day had all let go of their shackles and were freely releasing their other side under the night.
Red and blue light strips intertwined, and the green belts beside the streets were all hung with golden tassel lights. From afar, it looked like golden foil rain falling from the sky, fluttering and dancing, all with the smell of extravagance and debauchery.
Shen Yelan and Xu Jiao walked hand in hand on this golden boulevard. Xu Jiao looked up at the tall and thin road signs covered with directions to various brands, trying to find the one she wanted to go to from the dazzling array of brand logos.
“Let’s go, it’s over there.” Soon, Xu Jiao found her target, clasped Shen Yelan’s ten fingers, and walked all the way to the magnificent shopping mall next door, her steps revealing a bit of briskness.
Shen Yelan looked down at her steps, seeing that she had unconsciously stepped in the same rhythm as her, even the order of their left and right feet was the same. A touch of desolate joy surged in her heart.
“How useless.”
“Why are you so happy just by holding hands, Shen Yelan?”
The annoying voice appeared again, but Shen Yelan didn’t even bat an eyelid. Her gaze lingered on the hand that Xu Jiao held with hers for a long time, and then slowly, slowly, the corners of her lips curled up.
The two of them walked into the huge shopping mall like this, took the elevator, went to the target floor, and along the way smelled the fragrances from various brand stores, some strong and some light, making it seem like even passersby could be touched by a hint of them.
Xu Jiao stopped in front of a women’s clothing store that was displaying the latest new models.
“Let’s give this a try then. The prices of their new products are reasonable, and they have a lot of styles. Besides, the manager in this area has always had good taste. I quite like this brand. Do you want to buy couple outfits with me?”
Xu Jiao turned her head and asked Shen Yelan with a smile. At this moment, she truly seemed like the perfect lover. She would blush because of a single gesture from Shen Yelan, and in those wonderful moments, she would show the soft, pleading expressions that Shen Yelan most wanted to see. She would wait for Shen Yelan to go to and from school together, take Shen Yelan to watch movies and try new products, and when they couldn’t meet, she would impulsively share interesting things she had seen.
Just like now, when she talked about couple outfits, her calm expression carried a soft smile, as if she was genuinely looking forward to the idea of wearing matching outfits.
Looking at her like this, Shen Yelan wanted to forever sink into this dream and never wake up.
……
“What are you doing…”
Twenty minutes later, Xu Jiao picked out an outfit for Shen Yelan and asked her to go to the fitting room to change. She also took a tag and prepared to enter the adjacent room. However, just as she walked in, she saw the curtain being lifted, and Shen Yelan, with her usual calm and indifferent expression, naturally followed her inside.
Facing her justified expression, even Xu Jiao couldn’t help but be stunned for two seconds before exclaiming in surprise.
Shen Yelan averted her gaze, looking only at the wall covered in warm yellow wallpaper beside her. She didn’t say she was worried about Xu Jiao’s safety, but silently took another step closer to Xu Jiao, unintentionally cornering her against the wall, and then softly said:
“We came here together in the first place, so what’s wrong with changing clothes together now? There are a lot of people lining up outside; I’m giving them a spot.”
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Xu Jiao: “…” I don’t believe you one bit.
She really admired how Shen Yelan could always commit such rogue acts with such a serious expression.
Seeing that Xu Jiao hadn’t moved for a long time, Shen Yelan hung her clothes on the hook beside her and softly said, almost like exhaling, “If you don’t change clothes soon, won’t the people outside start wondering what we’re doing in here?”
Xu Jiao: “!”
She couldn’t afford the embarrassment, so she immediately turned her back on Shen Yelan, ignoring her, and quickly changed her clothes. Her straight back was like a pine tree, and her firm skin shone with a shimmering arc under the dim light.
However, that was not the most captivating part.
The messy marks from the daytime unintentionally peeked out from the side of her waist and the back of her neck. With the thin fabric gone, they brazenly exposed the absurdity under the light, inexplicably alluring.
There were finger marks and kiss marks.
They made Shen Yelan’s breathing become a bit heavier.
She struggled to avert her gaze and quickly lowered her head to finish changing her outfit. By the time Xu Jiao turned around, both of them were wearing the same style of dress.
One black, one white.
Crossing from the neck down, the waist revealed two intersecting slits, showcasing the delicate waistline. Below was a wavy, rolling ruffle skirt that stopped just at the calves, with the black being seductive and the white being pure.
Half angel, half demon.
Xu Jiao wore white, with her slightly curled hair cascading down her shoulders, accentuating her noble and ethereal temperament. Clearly possessing an extraordinarily clean, almost otherworldly aura, yet the bruises made on her shoulders and below her collarbone instantly made her pure aura seem contradictory.