The corridor of the apartment was cut off from the pattering rain outside as if there were no sound.
The warm yellow light fell on Shi Ranâs indifferent face, which did not soften her expression at all. Instead, it was more like todayâs weather, which was cold from beginning to end.
Song Yi felt that Shi Ran was unwelcome to her, but she still smiled from several places on her face, and her voice was as sweet as usual: âShi Ran, good morning.â
Shi Ran looked at Song Yi blankly and asked, âHow did you know where I live?â
âI call you and you donât answer. I send private messages to you and you donât reply. So I can only come to you.â Song Yi answered the question in the wrong way, skipped the question, and put her hand up. She showed Shi Ran a box of delicate desserts, and she said, âLetâs not talk about that. I bought you your favorite dessert from Nagasaki Zhai. Do you want to eat some?â
This snack was Shi Ranâs favorite kind. Because of the troublesome queue, Song Yi would never buy it for her.
Today, she finally offered to buy it for her, but Shi Ran was unmoved. She just stood at the door, blocking Song Yiâs thought of going in: âIâm sorry, I donât want to eat. Whatâs the matter?â
Song Yi put down her hand in embarrassment, nodded, and said, âYes, it is about the apology statement. I want to discuss it with you again.â
Song Yi spent a lot of effort and inquired about many talents to get Shi Ranâs current residence.
She came here for no other purpose than to intercede.
When such a thing happened, she didnât dare go to Chen Yinbing at all, and she was completely behind Chen Yinbingâs back when she took the illustrator to find another way out.
When Chen Ruoyu gave up on painting in the beginning, Chen Yinbingâs angry look at home was still in front of her eyes. Song Yi knows the stakes the most. She knows that if she goes to Chen Yinbing, the consequence would only be that she would abandon her. Even if she was forgiven, her status in the Chen family would not be as good as before.
The Chen family was the last support for her and her mother, and she can not easily shake it.
All she could do now was to clinch this matter with the Chen family, and the apology statement to SaRah would be her biggest hidden danger.
But Shi Ran broke all of Song Yiâs previous illusions with one sentence: âI think my lawyer has told you. I donât think there is anything else I can talk about with you.â
Song Yi refused to obey and showed weakness again: âShi Ran, I know I made a mistake in this matter. I shouldnât plagiarize, and I shouldnât directly stack pictures, but everything I did start with you.â
Shi Ran frowned, âFrom me? Itâs cloudy now, but itâs still daylight.â
Song Yi brought up old things again, showing an upright attitude: âHave you forgotten? You asked me to do things that suit me for the class reunion after the year. I think since I donât have any skills in fine brushwork, with such talent as yours, I just wanted to try illustrations, draw illustrations, and receive manuscripts, which can be considered as planning for my future.â
Shi Ran didnât believe it and said coldly, âI want you to be down-to-earth, not plagiarism.â
âPlagiarism,â the two words that she had heard countless times in the past two days, crossed Song Yiâs ears again and again.
She was holding the bag in her hand, and her voice felt like she was about to cry: âBut if I apologize, I cannot get along in this line of work at all, and no Party A will cooperate with me.â
After yesterdayâs incident, Song Yiâs first thought was not to apologize, and then she changed her name and started receiving the manuscript again.
But she made too much trouble, and now basically no one dares to use her. She thought she could escape by changing her name, but she didnât think that she had just negotiated with a few parties last afternoon, and that night they broke up as if they had made an appointment. This morning, her father also abandoned her.
She didnât want to bother to ask why.
They also kindly told her that their company found that she had a previous record of plagiarism, so they would not cooperate after the evaluation.
But the apology statement had not been released, and she had changed her account.
How did the other party know?
Song Yi felt as if someone she couldnât see was chasing her, and she wanted her to pay the price.
This kind of fear made her want to escape, made her panic, and scared, so she could only come to Shi Ran to ask for forgiveness.
After all, SaRah had forgiven her, and the black hand she couldnât see would not chase after her. She is still turning over as a freelance illustrator.
Song Yi: âShi Ran, just look at the relationship we have been in together for so many years. Please forgive me. Just a few words for me on Weibo, just a few words. It wonât delay you very much.â
Shi Ran felt that what she had learned about Song Yi in the last six months was more than she had learned in the previous seven years.
Throwing away the skin that was blinded in front of her, the ugliness of the person in front of her was vividly displayed, and the apology when she came to the door was also purposeful.
Shi Ran: âSong Yi, our relationship over the years has long been on paper, and it has long been exhausted from the homework you asked me to do for you and the food you bought in the rain.â
âThere is no relationship between you and me.â
Shi Ranâs indifferent attitude made Song Yi feel a vast gap. She endured and clenched her palms and said, âShi Ran, I didnât mean to plagiarize. Itâs just that I look at your paintings kindly. I feel very familiar. I canât help but want to get closer and have it.â
âYou know, in the seven or eight years weâve known each other, weâve been together almost every day and night. I feel the most familiar with you, and I canât help but love your paintings. â
Since pleading didnât work, use affectionate affection.
Song Yi could tell her what Shi Ran wanted to hear in the two years they were together.
But what she didnât want, no matter how good it was, she didnât want it anymore.
Shi Ran sneered and looked down at Song Yi, who was a head shorter than herself: âLike?â
Shi Ran shook her head. Her eyes were even colder than todayâs rain: âNo, this is not your truth, Song Yi.â
âYou just see that things canât be turned around, and you want to ask for rhetoric to retreat.â
âI always attached the reason after the incident. As a result, I can give hundreds of reasons, but the fact is in front of you. If you copied my painting and violated my rights, you must publicly apologize.â
Song Yixin froze for a moment. Shi Ranâs words were so straightforward that she put the hypocritical side directly between the two.
She was reluctant: âBut didnât you also paint for me in the past?â
After talking for a long time, the man changed another way of saying, and she was still entangled in going around.
Shi Ran was a little annoyed and wanted to close the door and let Song Yi fend for itself, but she heard footsteps coming from the corridor.
The elevator door closed silently when Shi Ran was not paying attention, and she was walking down to the floor where she was.
A slender figure walked towards this side, holding a cardboard box that didnât seem to be heavy, and her deep eyes could be seen even in the dim environment.
Shi Ran knew it was Chen Ruoyu who was here, so she felt at ease.
âIn the past, Shi Ran painted for you voluntarily, and she would not make any demands from you. But this time, you plagiarized Shi Ranâs work without her knowledge and exchanged it for monetary benefits. The legal bottom line has been touched.â
Chen Ruoyu said word by word. Song Yi didnât know whether she was intimidated by Chen Ruoyuâs aura or frightened by her words.
It wasnât until she watched Chen Ruoyu stop at the door of Shi Ranâs house that she couldnât believe her eyes and asked, âAh Yu, how are you?â
âMy roomâs water pipes are aging and flooding, so I came to Shi Ran to stay here.â Chen Ruoyu replied calmly and added, âWhen you came to her residence, when Shi Ran was unknown, you harassed her. Let Shi Ran forgive you; it will only make your behavior more serious. We may now call the police and sue you in court.â
The expression on Song Yiâs face was stagnant, and she added: âI just came to Shi Ran to tell the story. How can it be considered harassment?â
Chen Ruoyu didnât say a word, and the words in her eyes were enough to make Song Yi feel guilty and cold.
She held the thing in her hand like this, skipping Song Yi to enter the room, but she didnât want something to fall out of the box in her hand at this moment.
âClap.â
Shi Ran didnât see how this thing came out at all, but the finger cuff box she had used many times fell directly between her and Song Yi.
Bright, obscure, but straightforward.
Song Yi seemed to realize something and bent over to pick it up to check, but Shi Ran took it in her hand.
The shock just received had not yet been digested. Song Yi stared at the box in Shi Ranâs hand: âShi Ran, this isâ¦â
Shi Ran looked at her indifferently and put the box in her hand on the cabinet behind her: âThis is my freedom.â
The lights in the corridor hit Shi Ranâs door straight, and the oversized T-shirt exposed half of Shi Ranâs shoulders because of the movement just now.
The skin on the neck was no longer covered by the cloth, and it showed Song Yi an unspoken mark.
Shi Ranâs long messy hair seemed to be written in depression, and the figure of Chen Ruoyu walking into the room behind her made Song Yi feel extremely dazzling.
Chen Ruoyuâs warning followed Shi Ranâs indifferent rejection of herself about Shi Ran, and then the hickey on Shi Ranâs shoulder.
The three consecutive shocks made Song Yiâs hopes pile up this morning like glass, shattering all over the floor with a clatter.
Shi Ran just stood in the center of Song Yiâs line of sight, with a beautiful body written with all kinds of amorous feelings.
The memories of the past were like a flood that had opened the floodgates, rushing toward Song Yi, trying to drown her. In the past, Shi Ran was unconditionally good to her, and her indifference to herself these days made her feel suffocated.
Song Yi regretted it.
On this rainy morning, she felt the pain of being lovelorn and stagnation deeply.
The elevator stopped at Shi Ranâs floor again. Manager Wang of the property downstairs walked out with a few people pulling Chen Ruoyuâs suitcase. âMiss Chen, your belongings.â
Chen Ruoyu looked at the people on the property, but her face was not as calm as when she was downstairs just now: âI remember that there is an access control mechanism downstairs in the apartment. Why can people without access control cards go upstairs?â
Manager Wang listened to Chen Ruoyuâs questioning and looked at Song Yi, the only person she didnât know among the three: âMiss, do you have an access card for our apartment?â
Song Yi did not hesitantly say, âIâ¦â
Chen Ruoyu was not in the mood to wait for Song Yiâs explanation and said in a crisp voice, âManager Wang, I can now reasonably doubt the professionalism of your property duty personnel and file a complaint with the company.â
Manager Wang panicked instantly. If a resident of Chen Ruoyuâs level complained, she could completely take over her job: âMiss Chen is sorry. This time, it was indeed our property that was negligent. Iâm sorry.â
As she said that, she ordered Song Yi to evict the guests with some politeness: âMiss, if you are not a resident of our apartment, please leave with us, otherwise we will call the police.â
Song Yi came here today, but nothing was resolved, and she was not willing to leave at all.
She hurriedly looked at Shi Ran pitifully and wanted to ask her for some help: âShi Ranâ¦â
Shi Ranâs lips were tightly closed, and she watched the girl from another property ask Song Yi to leave without saying a word.
Song Yi had no choice but to follow the girl from the property into the elevator.
Manager Wang watched Song Yi leave and smiled apologetically at Chen Ruoyu: âIâm sorry for this matter, Miss Chen. We have waived Miss Shiâs property fee for this quarter as compensation for the dereliction of duty. Please reconsider the complaint. Just a moment, can you? â
Manager Wangâs apology was very sincere, but Chen Ruoyu looked at Shi Ran indifferently.
Shi Ran knew that this matter could not be a monster business and that it was easy for a worker to be a worker, so she said, âLetâs change it to her parking space rent.â
Manager Wang, of course, agreed and agreed immediately: âYes.â
Then she looked at Chen Ruoyu anxiously.
Chen Ruoyu reminded me lightly, âThis is not an example.â
âYes, yes, we will step up prevention when we go back, strictly enforce import and export orders, and prevent such incidents from happening again.â Manager Wang nodded again and again. âThank you very much for your understanding, Miss Chen. Letâs move your things in for you.â
âNo need.â Chen Ruoyu refused. She looked at these unfamiliar strangers and said, âJust put it on the door.â
Manager Wang quickly ordered someone to place Chen Ruoyuâs suitcase at the door as soon as the voice fell.
The elevator went down and up again. After the property staff left, Chen Ruoyu carried the luggage into the entrance with Shi Ranâs help.
The heavy room was closed with a muffled sound.
Shi Ran pushed Chen Ruoyu against the door, touched the box on the cabinet at the entrance, and interrogated, âYou did it on purpose.â
Chen Ruoyu remained calm and explained, in a light voice, âI didnât put it away.â
Shi Ran glanced at the box that Chen Ruoyu put on the island and punctured it. âYou didnât put such a big box away.â
She didnât know if it was because she had been with Shi Ran for a long time and had been infected, or if she was just like this, but because of Shi Ranâs existence, she had released her dark side.
Chen Ruoyu said âumâ with no guilt, and her eyes fell on Shi Ranâs open shoulder.
Her fingers gently lifted Shi Ranâs neckline and helped her put the collar back on her neck. And said, her voice possessive: âDonât wear such clothes next time you open the door.â