May There Be An Echo - Chapter 2

Ji Linqing’s recollections didn’t last long. She had known Shao Yuci for many years, but they had barely interacted. If one really counted, most of their exchanges had consisted of verbal sparring.

She had never been able to understand why Shao Yuci always loved contradicting her. In any case, whenever they met, some kind of confrontation was inevitable.

Ji Linqing let out a silent sigh. Looking back on how they had interacted in the past, she found it exhausting and utterly meaningless.

The car drove into a luxurious estate, and Ji Linqing withdrew from her thoughts as well. That brief glance through the hospital-room door already counted as the greatest amount of concern she was willing to spare Shao Yuci. Whatever happened to her from now on had nothing to do with Ji Linqing.

Before getting out of the car, she said to Qu Yingzi, “Go keep Aunt Yu company first. I’ll probably be in the study for quite a while.”

Qu Yingzi nodded in tacit understanding, with no need to ask for details.

Ji Linqing’s father had died in an accident when she was eight years old. Her grandmother had also passed away in the same accident. At the time, both her grandfather and mother had been devastated—one fell ill and became bedridden, while the other grew dazed and absent-minded, developing symptoms of mental confusion several years later.

Even as a young child, Ji Linqing hadn’t been allowed to cry freely. It was Aunt Yu, the servant responsible for taking care of her daily life, who gave her warm embraces and comfort. From then on, Aunt Yu became the only warm color in Ji Linqing’s otherwise cold-toned childhood.

Aunt Yu had long since passed retirement age, and Ji Linqing had offered many times to provide for her in old age. But this year, Aunt Yu insisted on leaving, saying she wanted to return home and reunite with her family.

Ji Linqing stopped trying to make her stay. Her only request was that after moving out of the Ji residence, Aunt Yu continue living in Yuncheng for a while longer. For that reason, she had specially bought an apartment where Aunt Yu could live together with her younger sister, who had come to take her home.

After parting ways with Qu Yingzi, Ji Linqing stood outside her grandfather’s study and took a deep breath before finally knocking.

“Come in.” A deep voice sounded from inside, followed by two light coughs.

Ji Linqing opened the door and went in, finding her grandfather looking out the window.

“Grandpa.”

Ji Huaichong turned around and gestured for his granddaughter to come over.

“You went to the hospital and saw Old Xu today?”

Ji Linqing sat down across from the desk, folding her hands on the tabletop as though giving a work report.

“I saw him. I also stayed and talked with Grandpa Xu for half an hour.”

Ji Huaichong looked surprised and quite pleased. “He was willing to talk to you for that long?”

Ji Linqing’s expression was cool, and her tone equally even. “Maybe I happened to go at the right time. Grandpa Xu was in a good mood.”

“Then did he change his mind?”

Ji Linqing shook her head. “The first thing Grandpa Xu said when he saw me was that he wouldn’t leave the hospital and wouldn’t move into the place we arranged for him. Otherwise, he said he wouldn’t talk to me at all.”

Ji Huaichong snorted. “He really gets more stubborn the older he gets!”

Ji Linqing quietly waited until her grandfather had taken a sip of tea before continuing, “I think Grandpa Xu simply doesn’t want to trouble anyone anymore.”

Ji Huaichong also knew Old Xu’s temperament and stopped dwelling on the matter.

“His health isn’t good. You’ll have to put in a little more effort during this period. Go see him a few more times whenever you’re free.”

“I know.”

After finishing the matter of the hospital visit, Ji Linqing reported the key work arrangements for the near future before finally leaving the study.

She glanced at her watch. She had spent more than an hour in the study today.

There were still over three hours before her evening engagement. She needed to hurry and go see Aunt Yu.

Aunt Yu’s full name was Yu Xian, and her hometown was Yongxiang. Back then, because her family was poor, she had left home while still young to find work together with some people from her hometown. After moving from place to place several times, she finally found a job with the Ji family in Yuncheng.

At first, she had only been a servant responsible for cleaning. Later, because she was efficient and clever, she went from cleaning to managing meals, and eventually became Ji Linqing’s personal caretaker.

Unexpectedly, once she stayed, she never left again. Ji Linqing had also gone from eight years old to twenty-eight.

When she reached Aunt Yu’s room, the corners of Ji Linqing’s lips lifted slightly. But at the thought of their impending separation, a shadow of gloom soon appeared in her eyes again.

She knocked and went in, finding Aunt Yu chatting with Qu Yingzi. The two were sitting close together on the sofa, an album resting on Aunt Yu’s lap.

Ji Linqing recognized it at a glance. Over the past two years, Aunt Yu had become especially fond of pulling her over to look at old photographs.

Seeing Ji Linqing, Aunt Yu’s affectionate face blossomed into a gentle smile. “Qingqing, are you finished with your work?”

Qingqing was Ji Linqing’s childhood nickname. Ever since she became an adult, the family had tacitly stopped calling her that. It simply didn’t match the calm, composed air expected of the future heir to the family.

For a while, Aunt Yu had stopped using it too, but starting two years ago, it would occasionally slip out again.

Ji Linqing smiled as she walked over and lowered her gaze to the album. It happened to be open to a photo of her cutting her birthday cake when she turned eighteen.

“I was just telling Yingzi how beautiful you looked that day.” Aunt Yu sighed with a smile. “Our Qingqing looks beautiful every single day.”

Ji Linqing hated having other people comment on her appearance, but whenever Aunt Yu said things like this, she would show the same bashfulness she had as a little girl.

The tips of her ears reddened faintly as she sat down on Aunt Yu’s other side. “Aunt Yu, why don’t we have Aunt Yu Zhi move in too? She’s been in Yuncheng for quite a while now, and I still haven’t properly hosted her.”

Yu Zhi had come to take her older sister back to their hometown. But Ji Linqing couldn’t bear to let Aunt Yu go, so the matter kept getting delayed, and Yu Zhi had now been living in Yuncheng for more than a month as well.

“She wouldn’t be comfortable living here,” Aunt Yu said softly. “She doesn’t understand all these rules. If she moved in, she’d definitely cause quite a bit of trouble.”

“It wouldn’t be any trouble.”

Aunt Yu held Ji Linqing’s hand. “She’s terribly lively, and she especially loves swimming. If she moved in, she’d probably take over the swimming pool in the courtyard.”

“The pool was built to be used in the first place.”

Aunt Yu affectionately stroked the back of her hand. “We appreciate Qingqing’s kindness.”

Ji Linqing stayed and chatted with Aunt Yu for quite some time before leaving together with Qu Yingzi.

After going to her room to change into the evening gown she would wear to the engagement, she got back into the car. Only then did Qu Yingzi speak. “Linqing, Aunt Yu’s condition seems to have gotten worse.”

Ji Linqing’s expression turned subdued. She gave a quiet “Mm.”

“She pulled me over to look at the photo album today, but she seemed to have forgotten that I was there when that photo of you cutting the cake was taken.”

Ji Linqing’s eyes stung slightly. She gave another quiet “Mm.”

“Are you really just going to let her go back to her hometown like this?”

Ji Linqing said nothing.

Qu Yingzi suggested, “Why don’t you have a proper talk with Aunt Yu Zhi? If she’s willing to stay in Yuncheng, maybe Aunt Yu won’t want to go back to Yongxiang anymore.”

Ji Linqing considered it. “All right. I’ll go see her in a few days.”

The two of them rode together to that evening’s business reception. Ever since Ji Linqing began fully taking over the company, the number of social engagements she had to attend this past year had increased exponentially.

She had always been the center of attention in the past. Now, she stood out even more.

Not long after she arrived at the reception, people immediately crowded around her, trying all kinds of ways to ingratiate themselves.

Business topics were naturally the most effective, and Ji Linqing would prioritize responding to them. But not everyone possessed that skill. Those who stood nearby without finding a chance to speak eventually brought up Shao Yuci instead.

“President Ji, have you heard? That unlucky Shao Yuci jumped into a river!”

Everyone around them instantly fell silent, but the way they strained to suppress the corners of their mouths proved that they had all already heard about it.

The wineglass in Ji Linqing’s hand remained perfectly steady. She slowly turned her face and looked at the person who had spoken.

It was Su Yu. Of all the people who used to follow Shao Yuci around to watch the excitement, she had always been the most active.

Ever since the Shao family went bankrupt, she had appeared in front of Ji Linqing frequently, and every time she did, she loved bringing up Shao Yuci.

Without exception, the topics were always about how Shao Yuci had mocked Ji Linqing behind her back, how Su Yu had wanted to argue with her but could never outtalk Shao Yuci, and how she never forgot to kick the fallen Young Miss Shao a few more times at the end.

Over the past year, most of what Ji Linqing knew about Shao Yuci’s situation had come from Su Yu’s retellings.

If the Shao family hadn’t gone bankrupt, Shao Yuci undoubtedly would have been at tonight’s reception. By now, she probably would already be standing in front of Ji Linqing, making snide comments about how her necklace was too thick, her earrings too flashy, or her smile too cold.

Su Yu pursed her lips and waited for Ji Linqing to speak.

She had made careful inquiries and even knew exactly how Shao Yuci had sat on the bridge crying until her face was covered in snot and tears. She had already planned what tone and expressions she would use to recount it vividly enough to make President Ji laugh.

Ji Linqing glanced at her and said flatly, “I heard.”

Everyone nearby was secretly observing Ji Linqing, unsure of President Ji’s attitude. If anyone else’s former sworn rival had fallen to such a miserable state, they would surely be delighted.

But Ji Linqing was famously reserved and elegant. Naturally, she wouldn’t show it openly in front of everyone.

Still, not showing it didn’t mean she wasn’t pleased. Some people had already begun regretting that Su Yu had beaten them to it.

Su Yu perked up, ready to launch into the story, only to be stopped by Ji Linqing’s colder gaze.

“I’m not interested in hearing it.”

Su Yu fell silent, while everyone else tried to read Ji Linqing’s expression through their glances.

Ji Linqing’s tone did not change, but her voice grew colder. “I don’t care about other people’s business, nor am I interested in it. But taking something like this around as a joke…”

She paused for two seconds, her gaze seeming to sweep casually across the faces around her.

“I hate that.”

After leaving those words behind, Ji Linqing led Qu Yingzi elsewhere. The moment she settled at a new spot, people immediately followed after her, leaving only Su Yu standing there awkwardly.

**

Shao Yuci had no idea that several days earlier, people at a reception had tried to turn her into a joke. Ever since the Shao family went bankrupt, the original Shao Yuci had completely lost contact with her former social circle.

During the days she spent hospitalized, only Aunt Lian came to visit her, and everything she said, directly or indirectly, was meant to persuade her not to do anything foolish again.

The nurses looked at her with both wariness and pity. Shao Yuci didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she could understand why everyone thought her personality had changed drastically after jumping into the river.

The system appeared occasionally, but apart from missions, it rarely talked to her about anything else. If Shao Yuci wanted to make a decent life for herself in this world, she would have to rely on herself.

There was a young nurse who was easy to talk to and had an outgoing personality. Shao Yuci quickly became familiar with her.

That day, Shao Yuci had just finished eating and was planning to take a walk in the garden and soak up some sun when she happened to run into the young nurse leaving after her shift.

She smiled and greeted her. “Linlin, bye.”

Lin Xiaonian wore a sour expression. “Bye!”

Shao Yuci instinctively sensed that something was wrong and caught up with her. “Who upset you?”

Lin Xiaonian stopped short. “How did you know?”

Shao Yuci pointed at her own face. “You’re usually all sunshine and smiles. Today you look like I owe you eight million.”

Lin Xiaonian was clearly angry but didn’t know where to begin. Shao Yuci was 1.75 meters tall, considerably taller than the 1.62-meter nurse, so she had no choice but to lower her head and tilt it closer.

“If you’ve run into some trouble, tell me about it. Maybe I can help.”

Ji Linqing had just come out of Grandpa Xu’s hospital room. She hadn’t expected to run into Shao Yuci again, much less see her wearing such an expression while talking to a nurse.