Chapter 8

The overhead lights shone a brilliant white, their glare slightly dazzling.

The two women stood exposed beneath the clear light, with nowhere to hide.

The former lovers now shared the same room, yet none of their past intimacy or tenderness remained. They had become complete strangers, with a distinct boundary drawn between them. Each occupied her own side, entirely unrelated to the other.

Nan Jia’s attitude was straightforward. She made no attempt to conceal her distance and cleanly severed their connection before Ji Cen’an could do anything, unwilling to become entangled with the woman beside her again.

Ultimately, their relationship belonged to the past. There was no need for any further bonds or entanglements.

Whether Nan Jia recognized her was of little consequence. Fundamentally, it did not matter.

At those words, Ji Cen’an lowered her gaze and remained silent for a long time.

The contrast between them was striking. At a glance, they clearly did not belong bailiantales.com to the same world and were separated by an immense distance.

Nan Jia wore a luxurious evening gown. Although faint, unconscious weariness showed on her face, she had not changed much from several years ago. She remained radiant and poised, graceful and dignified—as ever, resembling the bright moon in the heavens, high above and impossible to reach.

Ji Cen’an was far worse off. Not even a trace of her former self could be found. Her brilliance had been buried beneath a thick layer of dust, leaving her gloomy and dim. All that remained on her was the defeat and desolation accumulated over the last several years, with none of her former flamboyant confidence. She resembled a dying star: dazzling and incomparable when it had burned freely, but after its decline, only faint remnants remained, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

A vast chasm separated them. They appeared close, yet were actually extremely far apart.

They had been separated for only three years, but everything and everyone had changed. They were now so disconnected that they had nothing to do with each other.

Ji Cen’an knew how to take the hint. After a moment of silence, she explained quietly, “I came back because I have something to take care of.”

She understood Nan Jia and knew what she meant.

Ji Cen’an did not cling to her or cause trouble. She explained everything clearly.

“A few days ago…” Ji Read on BaiLianTales Cen’an continued, pausing to carefully consider her wording. “I didn’t know you would be there.”

Nan Jia disliked being followed by her, so this needed to be explained.

Ji Cen’an had only herself to blame. There had been a period when she had behaved like a sinister, controlling lunatic. Jealous that Nan Jia treated outsiders kindly and was gentle toward Xu Xingjian, Ji Cen’an had been unable to restrain herself from committing several excessive acts. She had followed Nan Jia everywhere like a shadow, interfered in everything she did, and eventually almost committed a reckless and foolish act that could easily have spiraled beyond control.

Her possessiveness toward Nan Jia had once reached a pathological degree.

Perhaps everyone went mad several times during certain stages of life, but that madness had manifested particularly strongly in Ji Cen’an. She had regarded every part of Nan Jia, inside and out, as her personal possession. Unable to tolerate Nan Jia devoting her thoughts to anyone else, she had wanted the woman to belong to her completely and had consequently committed far too many willful and reckless acts.

Naturally, Nan Jia had refused to accept any of it. Ji Cen’an had then resorted to other disgraceful methods, forcing Nan Jia to yield. Her obsession had been beyond saving.

Their relationship had nearly collapsed many times. Nan Jia had loathed Ji Cen’an and hated everything she did. She had tried to leave several times, but Ji Cen’an refused to release her and would never permit it, regardless of the circumstances. In the end, they had still failed to separate.

Even now, Nan Jia remained wary of Ji Cen’an. Those experiences had sunk into her bones and could not be forgotten.

Although Ji Cen’an no longer possessed the wealth and influence that had supported her back then, that did not necessarily mean she had changed. Some people were crooked at the root, and a person’s fundamental nature was difficult to alter.

Ji Cen’an now understood certain truths as well and could comprehend some of Nan Jia’s concerns.

Knowing what the other woman feared, she offered the necessary explanation.

She had not been following Nan Jia. Their encounters were merely coincidences.

Nan Jia displayed little reaction to that answer and said softly, “I believe I also saw you on Zifu Road earlier, Miss Jiang.”

Zifu Road—the intersection where Ji Cen’an had waited for a taxi that night.

It was the night she had gone to meet Uncle Yang.

Ji Cen’an answered honestly with a quiet hum.

She neither denied it nor lied.

“I went there to meet a friend,” she replied, offering only that much and not revealing whom she had met.

Nan Jia knew Uncle Yang and had once been quite familiar with him.

Yang Kaiming had previously been the steward of this villa. Even after Ji Cen’an transferred the property to Nan Jia as a gift, Uncle Yang continued working here for more than a year.

Ji Cen’an knew nothing about Nan Jia’s current development or status and would not expose Uncle Yang so easily.

Besides, there was no need to mention him.

Nan Jia would not care about Ji Cen’an’s affairs and would probably regard anything else she said as useless nonsense. Some matters no longer needed to be discussed. They were ultimately walking different paths now, each heading in her own direction.

Just as Ji Cen’an expected, Nan Jia’s expression barely changed. After hearing the explanation, she showed no interest in Ji Cen’an’s recent circumstances.

Once the main issue had been clarified, Nan Jia ​unauthorized copy​moved past the subject and asked about other matters.

Her tone remained casual, as though speaking with someone she had never met before. She was gentle and unhurried, with no visible abnormality. It was rather cold-hearted, but it also suited her natural temperament.

Nan Jia had always been like this. In the past, the immense disparity between their power had forced her to go through the motions much of the time. Now that she no longer needed to consider Ji Cen’an’s dignity, there was no reason to behave as she had before.

Nan Jia asked without much interest, “Where were you employed previously, Miss Jiang?”

“I never settled anywhere permanently,” Ji Cen’an replied.

“Boss Zhang said you’re from Jianglin.”

“Mm.”

“It’s a rather pleasant place.”

“Mm.”

Weariness showed between Nan Jia’s brows. She appeared tired. “How long did you stay there?”

“…”

Ji Cen’an was slow to answer. After considering it for a long time, she said, “Less than a month.”

…

Boss Zhang was Zhang Linrong, the fat owner of the small bar.

They exchanged perfunctory remarks as though the information being discussed now were the truth. Nan Jia truly treated Ji Cen’an as “Jiang Can.” On the surface, she remained relatively courteous, but none of the sentiment reached her eyes.

She was even colder than during their first meeting and had yet to look directly at Ji Cen’an.

That was only natural.

Five years ago, Ji Cen’an had at least possessed the status of the Ji family’s second young lady. Who would not show her a little respect? Even if people disliked her internally, they still had to appear warm and familiar on the surface.

Had Nan Jia not done precisely that back then? She had disliked Ji Cen’an, yet pressure had forced her to receive her thoughtfully. In the end, she had even needed to accept Ji Cen’an’s invitation and leave the charity banquet in the same car as her.

But what status did Ji Cen’an possess now? How could she expect the same treatment?

Nan Jia could already be considered well-mannered. Had it been anyone else—especially someone Ji Cen’an had offended who still held a grudge—she would have lost a layer of skin even if she survived tonight. They would never have allowed her an easy time.

One deed repaid another. Fortune never remained with the same person forever.

Perhaps after struggling outside for so long, Ji Cen’an no longer felt much about it. She had lost the calculating sensitivity and hostility of her younger years and could now remain calm.

Not knowing what Nan Jia intended, Ji Cen’an went along with everything for the time being. She neither asked to leave nor raised anything unpleasant.

Nan Jia did not drink the small amount of wine in her glass, but the scent of alcohol on her body ​read the original at bailiantales.com​was strong enough to detect from beside her.

Perhaps because she had already been drinking, combined with remaining awake so late, faint red veins showed in Nan Jia’s eyes. She looked languid and absentminded, every movement carrying an air of carelessness, her unfocused gaze slightly distant.

She was probably somewhat drunk.

Ji Cen’an could tell that Nan Jia was also in an extremely poor mood.

After being bound together for hundreds of ambiguous days and nights, Ji Cen’an was not completely incapable of understanding her. Some of Nan Jia’s habits had never changed. Whenever something weighed on her mind, for example, her upper eyelids would droop.

Nan Jia briefly mentioned the male student involved in the fight.

He was the son of one of Nan Jia’s teachers and had an upright character. His fight that night had not actually been about “two men fighting over one woman.” The street thug had insisted on harassing a young woman, and the student, unable to tolerate it, had stepped forward to protect her.

The young woman involved was also one of Xu Xingjian’s students. She was an ordinary girl, shy and inexperienced with society. When confronted with such a situation, she had not known how to handle it correctly. At first, she had not even dared speak out after being harassed.

The police station had already resolved the matter. The two read the original at bailiantales.comsides had settled the physical altercation, but the street thug still needed to pay for his words and actions. He could not avoid apologizing and paying compensation.

Nan Jia slowly raised her glass and took a small sip.

In the end, she drank the wine after all, draining the remainder in one swallow.

“Aren’t you drinking?” Nan Jia asked, leaning against the back of the sofa.

The alcohol began to affect her, leaving her somewhat uncomfortable. Her full chest rose and fell heavily twice with her breathing as she paused to recover.

Ji Cen’an had not drunk alcohol in a long time and no longer touched it.

She could barely keep her life together. She had neither the money to buy alcohol nor the inclination to drink it.

Nan Jia did not pressure her. After a while, she stood and walked toward the bedroom in a composed, orderly manner.

Ji Cen’an reached out to steady her and followed behind.

After sharing hundreds of intimate, ambiguous days and nights, there were some things neither of them needed to explain. Both knew what to do.

They walked to the bed together and opened the concealed door to the walk-in closet.

Nan Jia removed her shoes and stepped inside.

“Miss Jiang, could you help me with one more thing?” she asked gently.

Ji Cen’an followed, already knowing what assistance she required. She went directly to the deepest part of the closet and took down a white silk robe.

This scene had frequently occurred in the past, except their roles had been reversed. Nan Jia had helped Ji Cen’an then, not the other way around.

Ji Cen’an had always invented countless ways to torment Nan Jia. She made Nan Jia change her clothes and perform various tasks for her. Sometimes, she remained deliberately restless, refusing to let Nan Jia feel comfortable until she finally begged for mercy.

The evening gown slipped from Nan Jia’s body and abruptly fell to the floor.

Nan Jia stood with her back to Ji Cen’an, but Ji Cen’an could see her through the mirror at the side.

The tattoo on Nan Jia’s lower back remained unchanged. It had never been covered and retained its original shape.

It depicted twin flowers growing from a single stem, one plant bearing two radiant blossoms. The stems twisted and coiled upward, climbing from below until they connected diagonally with the sensual, defined groove of her spine. The design was enchanting and mysterious. At first glance, it truly appeared as though the plant had taken root in her tender skin.

Ji Cen’an had personally tattooed it onto Nan Jia. Every stroke of the needle had been made by her hand.

She had almost forgotten why she tattooed Nan Jia in the first place. Seeing it now brought the memory back. It seemed to have begun simply because of a wager between them.

Nan Jia had lost and promised to grant Ji Cen’an any request.

This had been Ji Cen’an’s demand.

The process had been so painful that Nan Jia cursed her.

Ji Cen’an had refused to stop, persisting until the tattoo was finished.

After looking for a while, Ji Cen’an draped the silk robe over Nan Jia’s shoulders. A moment later, she took the rare initiative to ask, “Where did you go tonight?”

“The Central District, near Xiliu Road,” Nan Jia answered.

Ji Cen’an lowered her gaze and looked down. Reaching around Nan Jia from behind, she calmly tied the robe’s thin belt.

“What were you doing there?”

Nan Jia remained motionless and allowed Ji Cen’an to attend to her.

“There was an art exhibition. I went to look around.”

“To support a friend?”

“No.”

“Then someone invited you.”

Nan Jia inclined her head and answered softly, “More or less.”

They chatted intermittently, creating the illusion that time had flowed backward.

Their relationship had not always been hostile. There had been a period when they had gotten along quite well, much like they were now.

That period, however, had not lasted long—less than half a month.

Standing so close together in a scene like this…

Whether intentionally or not, Ji Cen’an felt Nan Jia step backward until she pressed against her embrace. Ji Cen’an stiffened, her movements stopping.

The woman before her was warm and soft, the scent of perfume mingling faintly with the alcohol on her body.

It was a woody fragrance, the softness of cardamom blended with the steadiness of white musk—subtle yet richly layered.

It was the familiar scent from Ji Cen’an’s memories, unchanged in the slightest.

The fabric separating them was too thin. With their bodies pressed together from front to back, each could clearly feel the other’s warmth, along with every subtle movement and change.

Nan Jia moved even closer, placing one hand on Ji Cen’an’s left arm before Ji Cen’an could lower it.

Ji Cen’an remained rigid and did not respond.

The robe lightly outlined Nan Jia’s shapely figure, revealing the curves and contours beneath. A single downward glance was enough to see everything clearly.

Nan Jia applied slight pressure, kneading the bones of Ji Cen’an’s wrist.

Once, twice…

Ji Cen’an’s fingertips moved involuntarily, and her thick eyelashes trembled.

The lighting inside the walk-in closet was less glaring than outside, lending the space a soft, hazy atmosphere.

An invisible barrier quietly rose around them, trapping both women inside.

Nan Jia turned around and raised a hand to caress Ji Cen’an’s face. Her movements were slow and gentle as she removed the baseball cap.

Ji Cen’an did not stop her or attempt to interfere.

Without the cap concealing her, Ji Cen’an’s disheveled hair fell loose, revealing the contours of that long-unseen face.

Nan Jia’s fingertips traced the side of her face and moved down [read the original at bailiantales.com]to her chin, lingering there for two seconds.

Looking directly into Ji Cen’an’s eyes, she asked quietly, “Why did you come back?”

Ji Cen’an’s eyelids lowered halfway, and she turned her face aside.

She refused to confront Nan Jia. Remaining silent, she avoided the question.

Nan Jia did not need her answer.

Her hand moved behind Ji Cen’an’s ear, where she found the mask’s strap. Instead of removing it, Nan Jia merely brushed Ji Cen’an’s hair aside and carefully tucked it behind her ear.

Then she said slowly, “Actually, you don’t look that much alike. You’re different from her…”