CHAPTER 376: 361 CRIED (PART 2)

Ye Binyi took a sip of milk and did not respond.

If Tian Sangsang truly respected her as a mother-in-law, she wouldn’t be complaining about Jinghuai. She believed Sangsang wouldn’t dare mention today’s events. From the way she’d tried to please her through cooking breakfast this morning, it was clear.

**

Tian Sangsang dragged her exhausted body out of the Jiang Family’s main residence, surrounded by strange houses and roads. She was lost and confused. Even though Jiang Jinghuai had taken her and Yanyan out for a walk this morning, it certainly wasn’t around this area.

As for what her mother-in-law had mentioned, West City Road and Zhenwei House—she had truly never even heard of them.

Her heart burned with anxiety, and she didn’t dare tarry because her mother-in-law had told her to hurry and return. She knew her mother-in-law didn’t particularly like her, but she didn’t want to interpret it as intentional trouble. Maybe this was just a test her mother-in-law had set for her. She had to pull herself together, be quick and accurate. If she succeeded, her mother-in-law might change her opinion of her.

She walked a bit and found a bus stop. A bus was parked there, so she stood politely at the door and asked, "Sir, could you tell me where West City Road is?"

The driver said, "Miss, you don’t seem to be a local, huh? Get on—West City Road is five stops away. There’s a famous shop called Zhenwei House there that makes amazing pastries!"

Tian Sangsang was overcome with joy. "Thank you, sir! That’s exactly where I need to go!"

She paid, got on the bus, and sat down. Watching passengers get off and new ones get on in waves made her suddenly feel nervous—five stops seemed a bit far.

When she got off, she calculated the time—ten minutes altogether.

With this calculation, the round trip would take twenty minutes, plus another ten to buy the items, which would cost her more than thirty minutes. By then, her mother-in-law’s milk would already be cold!

They’d said Zhenwei House was right at the intersection, but actually, it wasn’t. From the intersection, one had to go into a small alley, which led to a wide street. From a distance, Tian Sangsang spotted Zhenwei House’s sign amidst the bustling crowd.

The closer she came, the heavier her heart grew. This shop was three stories tall, with the upper floors packed full of patrons and a long line on the ground floor—roughly twenty-something people.

Standing rigidly at the end of the line, Tian Sangsang turned to ask a young girl in front of her, "Is this shop really so popular it has lines like this?"

"Yes, because it’s so delicious. There’s only one in all of Beijing. Even if we have to queue, we’re willing."

"I’ve got something urgent. If I have to wait like this, it’ll take forever..." She pretended to grumble.

The girl replied, "Everyone has urgent matters, but they still queue up willingly. Actually, it won’t take that long—it’s less than half an hour. Unless you’re unlucky and there’s someone buying cakes, which take time since they’re freshly made."

Three piercing arrows struck Tian Sangsang straight in the heart, leaving it bleeding one drop at a time.

The noisy surroundings were filled with the chatter of pedestrians, yet Tian Sangsang could no longer hear anything. She was on the verge of tears; her legs were numb, her heart felt hollow. She didn’t even know how long she had been waiting until, finally, it was her turn.

She reported her order mechanically: "Sir, I need four sesame cakes, four osmanthus cakes, and two regular cakes."

"What size?"

"Medium, please."

Another lengthy wait—it felt like years. Tian Sangsang’s heart was utterly lifeless by then; she didn’t dare think about how much time had elapsed. Either way, she had definitely exceeded the allotted time! What was she going to do? Her mother-in-law would surely be disappointed in her!

She held one cake in each hand, along with a bag of pastries. Carrying the cakes wasn’t physically difficult, but it required careful attention—they could easily get squished if held incorrectly or bumped by someone.

Seizing the opportunity when the road was free of cars and pedestrians, Tian Sangsang hurriedly crossed the street. Her pace was so rushed, she sneaked a glance at the cakes in her hands—thankfully still intact—but she didn’t notice what was in front of her.

Her forehead struck something, causing her to cry out as she fell to the ground, the items in her hands flying forward. No matter what era, falling on the road is never a pleasant experience. Her palms scraped on the pavement, stinging painfully. It wasn’t just that—her cake was utterly ruined, with cream smeared all over her clothes and pants.

"My stuff!"

The ground was a complete mess. The cakes were shattered into pieces, scattered everywhere. It looked horrifying, much like how she felt inside right now. Sourness and grievance surged forward, and tears began rolling uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"Hey, miss, why are you crying? If anyone should be crying, it’s me! Look what you’ve done to my brand-new clothes. I was heading to school. How are you going to compensate me?"

A dissatisfied male voice rang in Tian Sangsang’s ears, finally making her realize she’d bumped into someone. Without even raising her head, sharp honking sounds came from all around her, and she realized she was still in the middle of the street. The honking was so loud, as if openly mocking her embarrassment.

Her cheeks burned with shame and guilt. Flustered, she tried to get up, only for someone to yank her hard forward. A car sped past her, and above her head, there was a man shouting profanities, "Hey! Can’t you see there’s someone here? How dare you drive! Do you even have eyes? I ****!" A curse!

Although the words weren’t aimed at her, Tian Sangsang felt stabbed by those five words—’Do you even have eyes?’ It deepened her pain. She recoiled and looked at the person before her. A young man, taller than her, with refined features and a cocky expression. His skin was neither pale nor dark, and he wore a black coat.

The white cream splattered across his chest stood out starkly against the black fabric.

How had the cream accomplished such a feat?

Tian Sangsang momentarily forgot her sadness and kept apologizing, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose. I truly apologize, classmate." Just now, she’d heard something about school, and judging by his age, he was probably a college student?

The young man kept his face dark, lowering his gaze to inspect his stained clothes before glancing back at Sangsang’s earnest expression. However, in no time at all, his roguish gaze wandered over her face and even further down.

Tian Sangsang was genuinely remorseful. Seeing his grim expression made her wish she could just disappear. She didn’t even notice his wandering gaze. "I’m truly sorry. Perhaps I could help you clean it off...?"

As soon as she said it, she wished she could slap herself. That spot was too awkward—clean it off with what?

Hua Zifeng raised his arrogant brows. "Sure, go ahead. Clean it up. If you can get it spotless, I won’t ask you to pay for it."

Tian Sangsang noticed his odd tone and seriously studied him with her beautiful eyes. His demeanor was awful. She kept her composure: "Alright, then. Take off your coat, and I’ll clean it for you."

"Whoa, you’ve got some nerve, girl." Hua Zifeng tapped his foot and smirked. "Take my coat off? Sorry, I don’t fall for that. Next thing I know, you’ll be running off with my coat, claiming I slept with you and left clothes at your house. Then I’d be screwed. Just so you know, plenty of people have tried reporting me lately. Don’t even bother. And by the way, my sister works in the inspection bureau, so reporting me won’t do you any good."