Why Suffer for This Distress (GL) - Chapter 22

He Jingmo was startled by the white claw draped over Wei Ning’s shoulder. Her hand trembled, and the warm coffee spilled onto Su Xiyan’s leg.

“Hot!!!” Su Xiyan screamed and snatched her hand back, gasping as she looked at her leg. Wei Ning, who was immersed in limitless joy, shuddered in fright. Su Xiyan’s shout made the hair on his arms stand up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hold it steady.” He Jingmo said expressionlessly, showing no sign of apology at all. She had tasted the coffee before pouring it. The temperature was just right—enough to jolt Su Xiyan awake but not enough to scald her. Su Xiyan winced, wiping her leg with a tissue. She wanted to vent her anger at He Jingmo, but when she saw He Jingmo’s gloomy expression, she swallowed all her grievances and dissatisfaction.

“Is it serious? Should I buy some medicine?” Wei Ning looked at Su Xiyan nervously. Since the scalded area was the inner thigh, he couldn’t very well look. Su Xiyan was eager for him to leave, so she quickly nodded. “It’s serious. A layer of skin is almost peeled off. Go buy some medicine quickly.”

“…”

In the end, Wei Ning left to buy medicine feeling wronged. Su Xiyan vigorously rubbed her leg with a tissue, rubbing so hard that she almost peeled off a layer of skin on her thigh.

He Jingmo watched from the side with cold eyes, showing no intention of helping. Su Xiyan noticed her indifference, felt wronged, and didn’t hold back verbally.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you? He Jingmo, you did it on purpose?”

He Jingmo looked at her without a word. That silence further fueled the fire in Su Xiyan’s heart. Since last night, she had been depressed because of He Jingmo’s blind date. Now, He Jingmo was actually venting her frustration by splashing coffee on her because Wei Ning didn’t fancy her.

“Feelings can’t be forced.”

Despite her anger, Su Xiyan tried to carefully choose her words, intending to offer He Jingmo some advice. To her surprise, not speaking was better. As soon as she spoke, He Jingmo’s expression worsened, and she sneered, “So?”

“There are plenty of fish in the sea. It’s just one meeting. Do you have to involve me just because of him?”

Su Xiyan’s voice unconsciously rose. He Jingmo looked at her with cold eyes, mocking, “Who is involving whom?”

“What do you mean ‘who’?” Su Xiyan froze, looking into her eyes and asking. The anger that had been simmering in He Jingmo’s heart, stimulated by their interaction just now, now poured out. “Su Xiyan, I never thought you had this ability.”

“What are you saying?” Su Xiyan frowned. He Jingmo was still smiling, but that smile made her hair stand on end. “What am I saying? I’m telling you, if I truly like someone, nothing you say will change my mind. And you don’t need to constantly nag and interfere with my life. If you want to intervene, do it openly, or else just get lost.”

He Jingmo roared these words, believing she could remain composed, believing she could wait, believing she could endure everything. But today, when she personally saw another man cast a look of fondness toward Su Xiyan, she realized how much her heart ached. That gaze was like a long snake, devouring her heart piece by piece, segment by segment.

“Do you really like Wei Ning that much?” Su Xiyan was also enraged, her expression suppressed and furious, her face flushed from excitement. He Jingmo glared at her, refusing to back down. Her ferocious appearance showed that she was genuinely angry, and the tense atmosphere instantly spread.

“I like Wei Ning?” He Jingmo’s cold, mocking laugh felt like her entire heart was shattering.

“I bought it back. Whew, good thing there’s a pharmacy downstairs. I didn’t run too far.”

Before the icy atmosphere could thaw, Wei Ning rushed in, panting, holding up the ointment. He Jingmo glanced at him without saying anything. Su Xiyan, however, stared at He Jingmo unblinkingly, her eyes red with anger.

“What happened…” Wei Ning looked at Su Xiyan in dismay, never imagining that a cup of coffee could scald her so badly she was nearly crying.

“Applying this will make it better.” Wei Ning handed the ointment to Su Xiyan. Su Xiyan didn’t take it but bit her lip, looking at He Jingmo. He Jingmo looked up at her calmly, her eyes brimming with tears.

After a moment of eye contact, Su Xiyan said through gritted teeth to He Jingmo, “Fine. You are very fine.” She turned and walked out in her high heels. Wei Ning watched her in surprise, then turned to look at He Jingmo. He Jingmo sat silently, not saying a word.

“What’s going on?”

Wei Ning asked uneasily. He Jingmo frowned irritably. Her mind was a mess, and she had no intention of explaining anything to Wei Ning. She stood up, picked up the ointment Wei Ning had placed on the side, and walked out. “Excuse me, I have to go.”

“Should I see you off?”

“No need.” Without any further conversation with Wei Ning, He Jingmo opened the door and left. She knew her behavior today was unreasonable, and she knew her words just now had hurt Su Xiyan’s feelings, but she was a woman after all. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get rid of a woman’s jealousy.

On the street, the wind slowly brushed her cheeks, quietly carrying away her tears. He Jingmo walked aimlessly, tightly clutching the cell phone Su Xiyan had given her as a birthday present during college graduation.

As night fell, her feet became numb from walking. Her phone still hadn’t made a sound. Unknowingly, He Jingmo walked to her door. She opened the door, almost having to summon courage, and the only response was the silence of the room.

Turning on the light, she silently changed her shoes. He Jingmo sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the photo of her and Su Xiyan on the coffee table.

They were nineteen years old, youthful and vibrant. They were smiling so brightly. Su Xiyan had one arm wrapped around He Jingmo’s waist and was making a peace sign with the other hand, while He Jingmo smiled brightly at the camera.

A long silence was interspersed with an agonizing wait. During this time, He Jingmo tightly gripped her phone. In the past, no matter how much they argued, Su Xiyan would call back. But now… After an unknown amount of waiting, finally, the sound of the door opening echoed in her ears. He Jingmo shot up from the sofa, looking nervously at the doorway. As expected, Su Xiyan staggered in. Her hair was a bit messy, and her face was flushed, clearly from drinking.

“Xiyan.” He Jingmo called her name lovingly and hurried over to support Su Xiyan. However, Su Xiyan dodged her, avoiding her hand. That obvious rejection made He Jingmo feel incredibly sad.

“Xiyan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly today.”

Knowing she was throwing a tantrum, He Jingmo patiently apologized. Su Xiyan, however, seemed to be in a daze, staring straight ahead at her unblinkingly.

“I understand now.”

“You understand?” He Jingmo looked at her in confusion, her eyes full of distress. Su Xiyan stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly closed her eyes. She leaned against the wall and said softly, “Jingmo, we can’t be like this. We shouldn’t be like this.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving streaks, but He Jingmo could no longer move even an inch. She was stuck in place, like a clay sculpture.

The sorrowful tears ran past her lips and into her mouth. The bitter taste completely flooded her heart. He Jingmo cried like a weeping willow.

She knows… She finally knows.