Crossing the Line – Chapter 9
by Little PandaThe Hotter, The Better
Of the four seasons, Jiang Siyi liked autumn the most and found winter the hardest to bear.
This year’s winter was exceptionally cold and difficult to endure.
The endless, falling snow seemed as if it would never stop.
After their argument at the Jiang family home that day, it was only to be expected that Jiang Siyi and Song Ti had once again fallen into a cold war.
The silent treatment was Song Ti’s specialty. In the past, Jiang Siyi had always been the one to find ways to break the ice and be the first to lower her head.
But this time, Jiang Siyi didn’t take the initiative to contact her.
Other things were negotiable, but the feeling of being wrongfully accused was something anyone would find hard to bear.
Even someone as patient as Jiang Siyi couldn’t do it.
Furthermore, Song Ti had always known she had a poor relationship with her family.
From the day Zhao Jun entered their home, Jiang Siyi had stopped accepting Jiang Luo’s care. Over the years, she had never taken a single cent from the Jiang family and rarely went back.
Her colleagues at the auction house all assumed her parents were deceased and that she was an orphan.
How could she possibly have teamed up with Jiang Luo and Zhao Jun to pressure Song Ti into marriage?
Jiang Siyi had also tried to look at it from Song Ti’s perspective. Perhaps Song Ti had been too angry at the time, and even if she didn’t show it on the surface, she’d been so furious deep down that she spoke without thinking.
Regardless, Jiang Siyi didn’t plan to be the first to back down this time.
As the days passed, she didn’t send Song Ti any WeChat messages.
Yet, in the gaps between her work, Song Ti’s smile would occasionally pop into her mind without warning.
Even Duan Ning could see that her mind was elsewhere.
Duan Ning said, “Siyi, did you enter the wrong year for this lot? It’s not 1890, it’s 1990.”
Jiang Siyi’s fingers froze over the keyboard. She checked the numbers on the computer screen—it was indeed wrong.
She closed her eyes and put in some eye drops.
“A difference of a hundred years means the price is worlds apart.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
With her eyes closed, the eye drops wet her long eyelashes, the glistening liquid pooling in her eye sockets and the corners of her eyes.
Duan Ning rested one hand on the edge of the desk.
“Why do I feel like you’ve lost so much weight since the Spring Auction? You look so haggard. Is the pressure too much? Why don’t you take a day off to rest? Don’t push yourself so hard.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Duan Ning sighed. “You’re wonderful in every way, but you’re just too stubborn.”
Duan Ning didn’t want to pry further; Jiang Siyi never liked discussing her family.
Having known her for so many years, all she knew was that Siyi had a fiancée.
Yet that fiancée had never once visited the auction house. Duan Ning had never even seen her face and only knew her surname was Song. Needless to say, she was clearly not very reliable.
Sometimes Duan Ning truly felt bad for Jiang Siyi. Despite her sweet and obedient appearance, Siyi actually had immense self-esteem and hated receiving pity. Because of this, there were many things Duan Ning couldn’t bring herself to say.
When she returned home that night, Jiang Siyi listened to the English news to help her fall asleep.
Perhaps because “London” was mentioned in the broadcast, she dreamed of Song Ti.
In the dream, she and Song Ti had both returned to their childhood.
Her mother had passed away back then, and her father had brought a new woman home. When Zhao Jun arrived at the Jiang family home, she had also brought along Jiang Cheng, who was about to start primary school.
Zhao Jun ordered everyone around, behaving exactly like the new mistress of the Jiang family.
Jiang Siyi didn’t dare to tell her anything; otherwise, Zhao Jun would not only refuse to help but would even kick her while she was down.
Her elder sister, Jiang Siling, was going to study painting and spent very little time at home. Furthermore, her sister had the typical temperament of an artist; her mind was filled with nothing but composition and color, leaving absolutely no room for the ways of the world.
When Jiang Siyi was bullied by a male classmate at school, she had nowhere else to turn, so she could only pour her heart out to her classmate, Song Ti.
Jiang Siyi could no longer tell whether Song Ti had truly been that good to her back then, or if she had simply romanticized the memories over the years.
In the dream, Song Ti was genuinely worried, her own eyes turning red when she saw Siyi cry.
Song Ti held her hand and asked, “Did you tell the teacher?”
Jiang Siyi sniffled, her large eyes swollen from crying.
“I did, and the teacher talked to him, but he denied it. His parents even scolded me and said I was lying. I really wasn’t lying… He really cut my hair.”
Song Ti looked at the gap in the ends of Jiang Siyi’s thick, shiny black hair. It was obvious at a glance that it had been maliciously snipped.
Song Ti comforted her, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll go back and think of a way.”
The next day, Song Ti ran over to her excitedly. “I’ve got a plan! Doesn’t he only bully you when you’re alone? Just time it right and get the teacher there beforehand. Whether you’re lying or he’s a habitual liar, wouldn’t the teacher see it with their own eyes?”
Song Ti said, word by word, “It’s called seeing is believing.”
Jiang Siyi nodded her round head. “Okay, I’ll try.”
Song Ti’s plan worked perfectly. The teacher caught the boy bullying Jiang Siyi red-handed, called his parents in again, and gave him a stern reprimand.
From then until they graduated from primary school, the boy steered clear of Jiang Siyi and never dared to bully her again.
The sun always shone brightly in her dreams, where time felt gentle and long.
Song Ti had always been so clever, always able to help her resolve any trouble, no matter how big.
…
At 3:15 AM.
With no warning, Jiang Siyi woke up from her dream in a daze.
The light from the streetlamps squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, slicing across the ceiling and making the night seem even darker.
She didn’t know when it had started, but Song Ti’s smile no longer made her feel warm and reliable; instead, it felt gloomy and cold.
When exactly had things begun to change, and because of what?
Had the world somehow fallen out of alignment?
Jiang Siyi gripped the quilt tightly; the cold was bone-chilling.
Today was a rare day off. As soon as Song Ti woke up, she sent a WeChat message to Lin Ji.
【Cousin, do you want to play tennis together?】
She waited for most of the day before she finally received Lin Ji’s reply.
【Not free.】
Just two simple words, a direct refusal.
Song Ti thought to herself that her cousin was indeed a straightforward person—if she was busy she just said so, without wasting anyone’s time.
Even though she deliberately came up with excuses for Lin Ji, her cousin’s coldness still made her feel uncomfortable.
What bothered her even more was that her cold war with Jiang Siyi had been going on for days, yet Jiang Siyi was actually holding out and hadn’t initiated contact.
While playing tennis with Xie Shuyi, Song Ti was still wondering why Jiang Siyi wasn’t clinging to her like before.
How was she keeping her composure like this? It was unlike Jiang Siyi’s usual behavior.
Her mind drifted, her focus slipping from the ball. Just then, Xie Shuyi put some force behind a shot. The tennis ball bounced off the court and struck Song Ti square on the nose.
Song Ti doubled over, clutching her face as tears welled up from the sheer pain.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Xie Shuyi apologized repeatedly, rushing around the net.
“My fault, completely my fault! How are you? Are you hurt… Oh no, you’re bleeding!”
Clutching her nose, Song Ti suppressed her rising irritation and muttered, “It’s nothing.”
After returning home, the family doctor helped stop the bleeding, but by midday her nose still throbbed with a burning pain.
The phone on the coffee table buzzed a few times with WeChat notifications.
Song Ti’s gaze drifted over to it.
Jiang Siyi must have finally been unable to hold back and come to make peace, she thought.
Song Ti didn’t pick up the phone immediately. She slowly ate two cherries before finally reaching for it.
It wasn’t Jiang Siyi after all. It was Tan Ya.
Without realizing she was frowning, Song Ti held the phone for several seconds before tapping open Tan Ya’s message.
Tan Ya: 【Guess where I am right now?】
Song Ti: 【Not in London?】
Tan Ya: 【Since I’m asking like this, of course I’m not in London. It’s a rare holiday, so naturally I had to go out and unwind.】
For once, Song Ti wasn’t in the mood to play guessing games with Tan Ya.
Seeing her parents’ car pull into the courtyard, Song Ti quickly replied to Tan Ya:
【Get some rest. My parents are here.】
After sending the message, she quickly exited WeChat and immediately found the video of the Spring Auction that Jiang Siyi had sent her earlier.
She turned on the television and cast the screen.
Just as Song Liming and Lin Yunting stepped into the house, they saw the television screen displaying footage of Jiang Siyi in a qipao, hosting the auction.
Watching her command the stage and call out bids, Song Liming walked up to the television in a fit of rage, poking his finger repeatedly at the screen.
“How is this any different from hawking goods at a wet market? How embarrassing!”
While Song Liming fumed, Song Ti smiled faintly and said, “Dad, Mom, you didn’t even let me know you were coming over.”
Song Liming stood with hands on his hips. “What? Do I need to file a report before visiting my own daughter’s house?”
“That’s not what I meant. Don’t be angry, please sit down. Sister Ming!”
Housekeeper Sister Ming came over to pour tea, and Song Ti obediently handed a teacup to Song Liming.
“Don’t be angry, Dad. Have some tea to cool down.”
Song Liming took the teacup but didn’t drink from it. With a dark expression, he asked if she had seen Lin Ji recently.
Song Ti crossed her left leg over her right and leaned back against the sofa.
“Dad, Cousin is extremely busy. You can’t just see her whenever you want—you have to make an appointment.”
Song Liming scoffed, “We’re all family, yet we need an appointment just to meet?”
Song Liming was displeased, but he didn’t dare utter a single negative word about Lin Ji. He was still hoping she would take an interest in his production lines.
As long as Lin Ji nodded her head and let even a tiny fraction of resources slip through her fingers, the traditional manufacturing conglomerate Song Liming had built from scratch would be able to turn its heavy locomotive around. Forget merely coming back to life—reclaiming its position as the industry leader would be well within reach.
Yet Lin Ji had been back in the country for over a month now, and let alone discussing cooperation, the only time they had actually met was on the night of her return.
That night, they had thought there would be plenty of time ahead. Clinging to her to talk business the second she got back would’ve made them look desperately greedy.
Who would’ve thought that this “ahead” would never arrive?
Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Lin Yunting stepped in to smooth things over.
“Oh, Xiaoyou is just busy. I’ll go ask my older sister. If she speaks up, Xiaoyou will have to carve out some time no matter how busy she is.”
Song Liming let out a short snort through his nose, clearly conveying that it had better be.
Lin Yunting had already contacted her eldest sister before. Her sister mentioned that Lin Ji had relocated her company headquarters to J City, which involved a massive undertaking and a heavy workload. She probably wouldn’t have much free time over these two months and urged her not to worry. Once her daughter finished this busy period, they’d host a family banquet, and any matters could be discussed slowly afterward—there’d be plenty of time.
Only after Lin Yunting conveyed her sister’s words did Song Liming’s expression gradually soften.
Lin Ji wasn’t the main source of Lin Yunting’s worry; Jiang Siyi was.
Jiang Siyi in the video just now had been far too ostentatious. Let alone Song Liming, even Lin Yunting found it an eyesore.
Things couldn’t go on like this. Lin Yunting planned to invite Jiang Siyi over for a proper talk.
To her surprise, before she could even see Jiang Siyi, Jiang Siyi’s stepmother, Zhao Jun, paid an unexpected visit first.
Three days later, Zhao Jun called on them. Lin Yunting was very polite to her future in-law, keeping her for dinner and treating her to excellent food and tea, but the more they spoke, the more off-track the conversation became.
Zhao Jun praised her son to the skies, clearly hinting that she wanted to squeeze Jiang Cheng into the Song family’s corporate headquarters.
Lin Yunting remarked, “I recall Jiang Cheng is only eighteen, right? He should be of college age.”
Zhao Jun gave a few dry laughs and said, “He is, but he isn’t cut out for studying, and he’s unwilling to go abroad. To be honest, he’s my only son, and I wouldn’t feel at ease if he weren’t by my side. There’s too much going on at home, so I can’t just leave everything behind to accompany him overseas. After thinking it over, it’s better not to force the child down a path he’s not suited for. He should start working early to get some experience. Not to brag, but our Jiang Cheng is incredibly intuitive. Except for rote memorization, he picks up everything else instantly.”
With a smile plastered on her face, Lin Yunting thought, If he needs experience, why doesn’t he get it at your own company instead of coming here to be a nuisance?
Lin Yunting said, “I don’t understand these matters, so I can’t make that decision.”
Zhao Jun beamed. “Of course, I know you can’t make the call.”
Lin Yunting had only been making an excuse, but Zhao Jun actually agreed with her. The smile at the corners of Lin Yunting’s mouth stiffened slightly as she listened to Zhao Jun continue:
“Once your husband gets back, just whisper in his ear. Settling Jiang Cheng’s job will be a matter of minutes.”
Lin Yunting cared about appearances above all else. Even though she was displeased, she didn’t outright refuse.
In Zhao Jun’s eyes, Lin Yunting’s politeness was taken as tacit agreement.
It seemed this future in-law was even easier to talk to than she had imagined, so she proceeded to discuss cooperation between their respective businesses.
Zhao Jun’s underlying message was that she wanted to provide the entire supply chain for the Song family. Lin Yunting massaged her temples and said:
“We already have a cooperative partner.”
Zhao Jun waved a hand dismissively. “Just cancel the contract. Why let fertile water flow into someone else’s field when it can stay in the family?”
Lin Yunting’s expression gradually darkened, wishing her eyes could shoot daggers that screamed: Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.
When Song Liming returned home that evening, Lin Yunting brought up the matter, her anger still unresolved.
Applying a facial mask, Lin Yunting said, “You should’ve seen Zhao Jun’s face today—she acts like she’s suffered a loss if she doesn’t get some advantage. I felt something was off at the time, so I went to ask around afterward. It turns out Stella and Little Jiang haven’t been in touch for quite some time. You can’t even imagine how ridiculous the Jiang family is. They actually dragged Stella to their house, and a pack of them practically forced her like a pack of wolves to set a wedding date. What kind of nonsense is that?!”
Song Liming took a sip of his nourishing soup and sneered in silence.
Lin Yunting turned around to face Song Liming directly.
“With all this trouble, let alone Stella, even I find it disgusting. Jiang Luo probably knows what they did wasn’t right, and they’re afraid that if we get upset and call off the engagement, they’ll have absolutely nothing left to lean on. So they’re trying to grab whatever benefits they can while the engagement still stands. Even if we do break off the engagement, having a cooperative business relationship would keep them tied to us. It took me so much effort just to get rid of her; otherwise, she’d still be stubbornly overstaying her welcome at our house.”
Song Liming said, “This is the wonderful in-law family you chose.”
Lin Yunting retorted, “How is it my choice? Wasn’t this engagement set by the previous generation?!”
Song Liming originally wanted to say, The child who was engaged back then wasn’t even ours, but after turning the words over in his mind, he decided not to say them aloud.
The two exchanged barbs back and forth, and by the end of their bickering, Lin Yunting’s head was buzzing, and the face mask stuck to her skin had cracked.
No, the one who tied the knot had to untie it. She needed to have a serious talk with Jiang Siyi.
It had been a long time since Jiang Siyi last visited the Song family home. Her previous visit had been during the New Year before last.
Lin Yunting laid out a table of tea and pastries, chatting casually about her recent life.
Jiang Siyi felt rather uncomfortable facing Lin Yunting alone. Furthermore, the older woman’s unreserved, probing tone regarding Siyi’s private life and work carried an undisguised sense of condescension.
This was not a comfortable conversation between equals, but Jiang Siyi did her best to ignore the discomfort, answering every question.
Until Lin Yunting bluntly told her to resign.
“Siyi, the work at the auction house is simply too grueling. A single auction can go on for four or five hours, not to mention those large-scale art auctions. Standing for that long will take a toll on your back and legs.”
Before Jiang Siyi could respond, Lin Yunting continued:
“You also have to maintain client relationships. Just like in sales, you have to lower yourself to beg others. You’re not some girl from an ordinary family, yet you still have to go out and earn a meager living. This is what I’m thinking: you and Stella have been engaged for so long, it’s about time to put the wedding on the agenda. You should take this opportunity to resign and focus entirely on preparing for the wedding. I know you want a career. In the future, you can work at your Uncle Song’s company, or I can fund a studio for you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.”
Jiang Siyi had guessed that Lin Yunting must have had something to discuss when she invited her over, but she had not expected it to be a demand for her to give up her job.
Lin Yunting’s words sounded pleasant enough, but whether she entered the Song family’s company or had Lin Yunting fund a studio, it would amount to begging for scraps from the Song family. A life spent with palms turned upward, dependent on others, was never easy.
Jiang Siyi’s eyes were clear and bright. “I won’t resign.”
The smile on Lin Yunting’s face gradually faded as Jiang Siyi continued in a firm tone:
“When my mother was alive, she often told me that one must have their own career and work. Work is the foundation in life. Only by earning your own money can you decide your path forward and take charge of your own destiny. I have never forgotten these words, nor do I dare to. I enjoy my work at the auction house very much. To me, this is what I want to do.”
The girl before her possessed an exquisite, obedient face, as cute as a little pet, yet she was unexpectedly difficult to manage.
In the past, Lin Yunting had quite liked Jiang Siyi’s tenacity. However, when that tenacity was directed against her, it felt extremely unpleasant.
Lin Yunting placed her teacup back on the tray, her tone turning several degrees colder.
“I always thought you were a sensible child, but today you’ve surprised me. Earlier, your stepmother came to see me. She wanted me to do her a favor and arrange a job for your brother at our family company. That wasn’t all—she also wanted to swallow up our entire supply chain.”
At this point, Lin Yunting let out a mocking chuckle.
“If it weren’t for your sake, I would’ve rejected her to her face. Siyi, tell me, aren’t your stepmother’s demands far too excessive?”
Jiang Siyi gripped her teacup tightly with both hands.
Resting one hand on the arm of the sofa, Lin Yunting tilted her chin up and spoke to Jiang Siyi:
“At the end of the day, our two families are not yet true in-laws. If you’d put in some effort over the past few years to get the marriage registered, we’d be family now and wouldn’t need to speak as outsiders. But you’re far too self-centered, showing absolutely no regard for our family’s feelings. Siyi, you’ve disappointed me greatly.”
Before her marriage, Lin Yunting had also worked in her family’s enterprise as an executive, and she understood that the methods used to control employees in the workplace were effective in any situation.
Jiang Siyi was young; she might not be able to withstand this pressure.
To her surprise, Jiang Siyi slowly set down her teacup, raised her head, and met Lin Yunting’s gaze without flinching.
“Auntie, life is short. I must first be true to myself. As for what might disappoint others, that’s not something I can control.”
Lin Yunting slowly narrowed her eyes.
Jiang Siyi maintained her politeness as she stood up to take her leave.
After parting ways on bad terms with Lin Yunting, Jiang Siyi returned to Jiashibi that afternoon.
Duan Ning was quite surprised to see her.
“Didn’t you take the whole day off? Why are you back this afternoon?”
Jiang Siyi put on her gloves and began registering the newly arrived lots into the inventory.
“I didn’t have anything to do, and staying at home was boring, so I came back.”
“Don’t you even know how to rest? You should’ve gone out to have some fun.”
While Jiang Siyi muttered that there was nothing fun to do, Lin Yunting’s face once again crowded into her mind without invitation.
Those words demeaning her and her profession kept burrowing into her heart, no matter how hard she tried to forget them.
Jiang Siyi was exhausted from the mental drain and felt sick of it. Unwilling to let these demoralizing emotions continue to run wild in her head, she forced herself to focus all her attention on her work.
Her department had just received another Green-yellow Jade Dragon and Phoenix Pendant.
Remembering that Lin Ji was always collecting pieces of the same style, Jiang Siyi took a photo and sent it to her.
【This lot was just registered. When will you be free so I can bring it over for you to take a look?】
She had always had Lin Ji on WeChat, but they had barely ever spoken. The chat history was practically blank.
Their last interaction had been a New Year blessing sent by Lin Ji three years ago.
Come to think of it, Siyi had no idea why Lin Ji had sent it to her—it was likely just a mass message.
She thought Lin Ji wouldn’t reply until that evening or the next day, but before she could even put her phone down, Lin Ji’s text bubble popped up, pushing Siyi’s message upward.
【Now.】
Followed by her current location.
It seemed Lin Ji truly cared deeply about her grandmother’s pendant.
【Alright, I’ll come find you now.】
Jiang Siyi carefully packaged the item, informed Duan Ning, signed out for field duty, and left to meet Lin Ji.
At that moment, Lin Ji was sitting in an afternoon tea cafe.
When she received Jiang Siyi’s reply, the long kiss between Song Ti and Tan Ya in a far corner of the cafe had only just ended.
Yan Yu, who had come along with Lin Ji, let out a few clicks of her tongue at the sight.
“Messing around behind her fiancée’s back—what a scumbag. Still, calling Jiang Siyi over directly like this, isn’t that a bit cruel?”
“Allowing her to be kept in the dark is the real cruelty.”
Lin Ji pressed the call button on the table.
“Seeing is believing.”
A server quickly approached.
Lin Ji said, “Add a cup of coffee. Bring it in half an hour.”
The server thought they had misheard. “In half an hour?”
Lin Ji said, “Yes, in half an hour. The hotter, the better.”
The author has something to say:
Lin Ji: Step seven of wife-stealing—if the wife is going to make a move, help her sharpen her knife.
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