An Angelic B*tch's Climb Up the Social Ladder - Chapter 19
Chap 19- Acting Coyly and Desire
“Mr. Jiang, why are you here at the 63 Building so late?”
After entering the box, Zhinan couldn’t help the words that escaped her mouth as soon as she sat on the flower carving soft stool.
Her cheeks flushed red from running, appearing to be blossoming with peach blossoms.
Jiang Ting, sitting across from here, looked her in the eye and did not answer, “What about you? What brings you here.”
“To see the night view of course.” Her eyes were lit with overflowing happiness, “The capital has a light show these few days, it’s super beautiful.”
More importantly, here to look for you, Lin Zhinan thought.
[On the day of Tang Yanan’s birthday every year, Jiang Ting would go to Riffett in the 63 Building with her, and in the later years, he even booked one of the restaurant’s private room for lorm-term just so he could bring her to see the light show any time. ]
[After the break-up, the habit continued. ]
The latter text appeared unsurprisingly in the documents given by the private investigator. Zhinan had long arrived early to view the scenery at the 63 Building, finding a place to stand opposite the western restaurant in which they could easily spot each other.
After nearly half a day in the cold winds and frantic anxiety, she finally glimpsed the arrival of Jiang Ting.
God knows, she almost gave up in despair.
As he stood in front of the windows in thought, she’s anxious beyond her wits because he was so distracted he hadn’t spotted her.
This feeling of not having control is not good at all!
“The view from the observation deck of the Liu San Building is very good. No wonder it requires tickets, it’s really worth it.” Zhinan said while beaming.
“I’m off today, so I found time to come immediately.”
There wasn’t a word spoken from Jiang Ting who only slightly bent his lips.
Unknowingly what he thought of, he turned to look out the window, his dark pupil like the night sky was staring out in absentmindedness.
The bright red liquid swirled around in the glass, fully consumed by his mouth. A lift of his hand revealed the sleeve of his white dress shirt that had become silvery in colour under the dark night light— seeming smoothly textured and distant.
The girl’s enthusiasm was not dampened by the cold.
“I just heard a few tourists say the government will cancel the city’s light show next year, it was said that it is too extravagant and wasteful. Fortunately, I came this year.”
“I spent an hour on the observation deck and I found out the light show’s change of patterns were very orderly.”
It was as if she had discovered something remarkable, and the girl who focused on the night view outside became talkative.
“Every pattern change is a combination of colors until it becomes a black and white background and then the color repeats, but the content is completely different, you know……”
In her chit chatting, she turned her head, and suddenly her voice dropped(slowly faded away).
Across the dining table, Jiang Ting is leaning against his chair, looking out the window, perhaps it;s the night-light— the light in the mist— but there’s hints of emptiness in the man’s expression.
His face flushed with a few gulps of wine down his throat, the redness slowly spreaded down his neck.
He noticed the girl looking at him, but he didn’t turn around.
The atmosphere was almost eerie quiet, and it was about to get awkward.
“Mr. Jiang.” Zhinan asked probingly, “You…are in a bad mood?”
Jiang Ting’s voice is very faint, “What makes you think so?”
Well duh, isn’t it because Tang Yanan’s birthday stirred up your feelings.
“Mmh… the center of your brows is in a frown.” Zhinan said, “And if I remember correctly, this is the third glass you’ve had since I came in.”
Zhinan softly murmured under her breath, “I didn’t expect people like you would have bad moods too.”
Her words made Jiang Ting begin to feel interested, dark eyes stared at her and asked, “What am I like?”
Err, this question made the girl opposite hesitant, but after some thought she decided to tell the truth.
“Just… You have your own car and you’re always being called GM, so you’re definitely not worried about food and clothing.”
“And if I’m right, you’re also calling the shots at work… “
Noticing the person opposite her narrowing his eyes , she shivered and immediately corrected, “No, no, no! You’re the superior who gives out work tasks, a superior!”
“It should be unlikely that anyone would throw you a long face(be rude).” She said, “I can’t think of anything that would affect your mood, for someone who is successful like you.”
Jiang Ting looked at her, the light outside the window was bright, her eyes were also lit up by the light of the small stars, seeming pure and naive.
The girl’s world is either black or white, just as if a winged bird that has just left the protection of its mama, believing that such a life was the limit she could look up to. Her lips upturned into a smile as she chit chatted away.
“Every time I feel bad, I’ll tell myself there are only a few days left till I get my salary. It’s only $1,000 to $2,000 in a small town, but here, it’s actually $8,000 a month.”
[T/N: 8000 yuan is about 1200 USD]
She’s in glee, her fingers dancing around the table.
“If I take it home and let my mother and the others count them bill by bill, who knows how happy they’d be.”
Jiang Ting found it unimaginable as he listened to her words.
Every inch in the imperial capital has ants who’d desperately climb upwards despite getting injured, and she is happily in self-entertainment with a few dollar bills clutched in hand.
He asked, “You feel $8000 is a lot of money?”
Zhinan nodded.
“Feeling that your current life’s not too bad?”
Her eyes had spotted the trap, looking carefully towards him several times, but still went with her heart and nodded.
Jiang Ting laughed coldly, “This is all you’ve got?”
That’s a bit harsh, Zhinan looked at him, stunned.
“What are you doing here in the Capital? Your aim? School? Have you achieved it?” He said, “It doesn’t seem to have been, but within a few months, you’re now attracted by small gains and feeling complacent.”
These remarks hit where it hurts most, the glittering eyes of the girl opposite shrunk and shrunk again at his words, and Jiang Ting had no intention of stopping.
“A person’s time and energy is limited, what they focus on determines their working ability. A hotel waiter’s salary is high? You’re here for this?”
His lips curled in an arc, “Last time I said you put the cart before the horse, it seems I misunderstood you. You do your own job pretty well.”
These words were said opposite to what he meant(sarcastic), making one feel like digging a hole to hide inside.
The girl’s face burned up, the embarrassment even traveled to her ears.
Jiang Ting looked at the fingers scratching the tablecloth in shame, as if her tail that perked up high into the sky had been chopped off one by one, and flatten in dispirit.
Ton of words were wrapped around his tongue, “You…”
“Stop talking about me. I know I’m wrong.” Zhinan looked at him pleadingly, to let her off.
Perhaps even the girl doesn’t know how pitiful her tone is, and the receiver of her stare— Jiang Ting only felt as if he has a pet kitten.
Rubbing against his arms when being lectured, and even the twinkling starlight in her eyes has become a weapon for acting coyly.
And that pleading for mercy sound was soft and timid, as if giving his chest a slight tickle.
A burning sensation travelled down to Jiang Ting’s abdomen, he averted his eyes and downed a whole glass of red wine into his throat.
