Being Raised in Captivity by the Former Canary - Chapter 15

During their meal, Yue Tingqin usually took the initiative to keep the conversation flowing, preventing any awkward silences.

Around 6 p.m., only a few scattered tables were occupied, mostly by well-dressed couples. It seemed that every table with a couple was adorned with a single rose by the waiter. The warm yellow lighting and violin music created an intimate and immersive atmosphere. Jiang Jixue casually asked, “Why doesn’t our table have a rose?”

Yue Tingqin chuckled, her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Jiang Jixue with sparkling eyes. “Jixue, this restaurant only puts roses on tables for couples.”

“Oh,” Jiang Jixue replied nonchalantly.

In the innermost corridor, a waiter led two women out of a private room. As they passed a window-side table, one of the women stopped abruptly.

“Rowen, what are you looking at?”

“Wait for me a moment,” Quan Ruo’an said, withdrawing his hand from Nana’s arm and walking slowly toward the table.

Jiang Jixue was savoring the last strip of medium-rare steak, still enjoying its charcoal-grilled flavor, when Yue Tingqin, sitting across from her, nudged her with a subtle reminder.

Yue Tingqin set down her knife and fork, pointing behind Jiang Jixue with her index finger.

Jiang Jixue instinctively turned around and met a familiar pair of eyes. She couldn’t quite decipher the emotion in them, but both women saw a flicker of surprise in each other’s gaze.

First came the joy—the joy of seeing her elder sister again.

“Elder Sister?” Jiang Jixue instinctively wanted to stand up the moment she recognized the newcomer, but a gentle hand on her shoulder from behind made her sit back down.

Quan Ruo’an circled around to the side of the table, his gaze drifting lightly over Yue Tingqin’s face. He half-closed his eyes before turning to Jiang Jixue. “Out for a weekend gathering with classmates?”

“Mm-hmm!”

It had been almost a week since she’d last seen her sister.

And from her tone, it seemed she wasn’t angry anymore. She was simply asking about the situation with gentle concern, Jiang Jixue thought to herself.

Quan Ruo’an’s gaze swept over their nearly finished meal. “Almost done?”

“Tingqin has one bite left,” Jiang Jixue said, glancing at Yue Tingqin’s plate.

Yue Tingqin pulled a napkin from the side, wiped her mouth, and left the last piece of meat untouched. “I’m done too. Since you two ran into each other, why don’t you leave together?”

With that, she stood up, meal ticket in hand, ready to pay at the counter.

Quan Ruo’an turned to Yue Tingqin. “I remember you—you’re Xiao Xue’s roommate.” Tall and elegant, she stood with a relaxed yet dignified posture, extending her hand toward Yue Tingqin. “Let me take care of this.”

“That’s not right,” Yue Tingqin protested. “I was the one who invited Jixue here.”

Quan Ruo’an smiled warmly. “It’s no problem. Since we ran into each other, I’ll cover it. I’ve been meaning to treat you both anyway. Besides, you’re still students—it’s only natural for someone who’s working to pay.” Her hand remained extended.

Unable to refuse any further, Yue Tingqin reluctantly handed over the meal ticket.

Quan Ruo’an smiled again and turned toward the counter.

Jiang Jixue and Yue Tingqin exchanged glances. As Jiang Jixue looked away, she instinctively glanced toward the entrance.

A woman stood there, her gaze fixed on Quan Ruo’an’s slender figure.

Jiang Jixue’s breath caught in her throat. A heavy weight seemed to lodge in her throat, crushing her chest and making it impossible to breathe.

Those clear words echoed in her mind: “I don’t want my girlfriend to misunderstand our relationship.”

A wave of guilt washed over her, threatening to drown her in a sea of worldly expectations.

“Jixue, let’s go. What are you thinking about?” Yue Tingqin’s voice pulled her back to reality. “Your girlfriend is waiting outside. We should hurry.”

“Mm,” Jiang Jixue replied with a stiff, slightly bitter smile.

When they stepped outside, a woman was indeed standing beside Quan Ruo’an.

The woman had long, chestnut-brown curly hair, styled with sunglasses perched on top. She wore a lemon-yellow backless knitted top.

Their eyes met, but no one spoke. Quan Ruo’an made no move to introduce them to each other.

“Where are you headed, classmate?” Quan Ruo’an asked Yue Tingqin, his tone that of a senior caring for a junior.

Yue Tingqin showed everyone the information on her phone screen. “I’m going back to school. I’ve already booked a ride.”

“Alright, I was going to offer you a ride myself. Then I’ll take Xiao Xue and leave first?” Quan Ruo’an said, already opening the passenger door.

But no one moved.

“Okay, safe travels,” Yue Tingqin waved goodbye. Just then, her ride arrived. After saying to Jiang Jixue, “See you at school on Monday,” she got into the car.

After Yue Tingqin left, Jiang Jixue felt herself sinking into an awkward silence.

How would my sister introduce me to her girlfriend?

“Xiao Jiang, Rowen has told me about you. You can call me Nana. Your sister must have mentioned that we’re together, right?” Nana spoke with a thick Hong Kong Central accent, occasionally peppering her sentences with English words. “…Are you and your cousin still living together? This isn’t Hong Kong, you know. Tell your sister to find you a bigger place to live…”

She seemed to be saying a lot, but Jiang Jixue barely registered any of it. That half-sentence declaring their relationship reverberated in her mind like a golden bell, echoing endlessly. Jiang Jixue felt like she was hallucinating.

Quan Ruo’an remained composed, opening the back door of the car for her.

“Get in first. We can talk later, not standing in the middle of the road.”

Nana wrapped her arm affectionately around his. “Alright, alright.”

Nana naturally took the front passenger seat. Jiang Jixue’s body stiffened, but under Quan Ruo’an’s urging gaze, she obediently slipped into the back seat.

Throughout the drive, Nana and Quan Ruo’an’s conversation faded into background noise. Jiang Jixue heard nothing.

Jiang Jixue only snapped out of her daze when the car pulled up to the familiar apartment building. We’re already home? she thought.

As she got out, Jiang Jixue walked to the car window, smiled, and proactively said goodbye to the two women. Quan Ruo’an’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment longer than necessary before she simply instructed, “Next time you go out with classmates, let me know beforehand.”

“Okay. Goodbye, Elder Sister,” Jiang Jixue replied, feeling a sudden lump in her throat. She met Nana’s eyes and waved. “…Goodbye, Nana.”

“Bye~ See you next time!” Nana called out.

Watching the car drive away, Jiang Jixue stood there for a long time. Only when the dizzy, disoriented feeling had subsided slightly did she finally move her feet and slowly walk home.

Inside the car, the woman called Nana immediately shifted her posture.

“Hey, your little sister looks like she’s about to shatter,” Nana remarked, glancing at the woman’s cold, stern profile. “You really have a knack for playing the villain. Do you think she’ll hate you to death when she finds out the truth?”

“Get out,” Quan Ruo’an said as the car smoothly parked in its designated underground garage spot.

“Hey! I’m your executive vice president, the one you poached from Hong Kong!”

“I’ve driven you all the way to the company entrance. Do you still need me to personally escort you upstairs?”

“What about you? Where are you going if you’re not staying at the office?” Nana asked.

Quan Ruo’an rested his head on one hand. “I’m going to check on the little one.”

“…You’re incredible!” Nana slammed the car door shut, glaring at his refined, handsome face.

The car U-turned and headed back the way they had come.

When Quan Ruo’an opened the door, he was taken aback by the empty living room.

Didn’t Xiao Xue just get back?

He pressed his lips together and walked slowly toward the bedroom.

As he reached the door, he heard faint sobs coming from inside.

At first, Quan Ruo’an thought he might be mistaken. He paused, straining his ears and holding his breath to listen intently. After a moment, he confirmed that someone was indeed crying inside.

He stood outside the door for five minutes before quietly leaving.

Throughout his life, Quan Ruo’an had always struggled to comfort others.

He couldn’t let his emotions flow naturally like water, nor could he distill his positive feelings into an essence to nourish others.

Moreover, he was the one who had caused this situation in the first place.

The bedroom was filled with a warm, fragrant aroma as Jiang Jixue changed into her pajamas and sat on the bed.

Since returning home, she couldn’t stop overthinking. Her mind was flooded with images of the car ride, Nana’s dazzling smile, and her words.

She began frantically searching for related posts online.

“My Gold Master has a girlfriend. Does that make me, his kept Golden Canary, the third party?”

The replies were unanimous: “Rich people always have one at home and another on the side.”

“Maybe the girlfriend knows? Maybe everyone’s just playing along?”

This post wasn’t hers, but it was clearly designed to generate buzz and attract attention. Still, many netizens had responded earnestly, proving the poster’s strategy successful.

The comments largely echoed the same sentiment: being kept was simply a business transaction. Why invest emotions? Keep things separate—no need for conventional morality or guilt. Unless, of course, genuine feelings were involved.

If you’ve truly fallen in love and care deeply, there are only two options: seize what you want and claim your rightful place, or end this unhealthy relationship.

Jiang Jixue scrolled through over a thousand comments, her thoughts swirling until she drifted off to sleep. Even in her slumber, her mind remained tangled in conflicting thoughts. Is this really the truth?

In the hazy realm between sleep and wakefulness, she had already made up her mind.

She hadn’t expected to sleep until 4 AM.

Her mouth parched, Jiang Jixue got up, drank a glass of ice water, and sat on the sofa in the unlit living room. After a moment of hesitation, she typed a message into the chat box:

“Elder Sister, let’s meet.”

“I have something I need to tell you.”

She sent the message swiftly and immediately put her phone on silent mode.

Jiang Jixue didn’t feel relieved; instead, she felt an overwhelming weight, as if a massive stone were lodged in her throat.