The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 8 - 8

Chapter 8 - 8

"Welcome!" Hearing the door chime, Yu Jia called out instinctively. As the sound faded, she looked up and saw Luan's younger sister—her sister-in-law—standing right in front of the ordering counter. Wearing a welcoming smile, Yu Jia asked what brought her here now while handing over the menu to ask what she wanted to eat.

The sister-in-law glanced over the menu and casually ordered a single dish. Yu Jia added an extra helping of beef for her on the house and served a bowl of their most expensive bamboo fungus and chicken soup. After the younger sister took a few bites, Yu Jia urged her to eat a bit more. A short while ago, the sister-in-law had mentioned coming to the big city on a business trip, but at the last minute claimed she didn't have time to meet up, causing the two of them to miss each other. It was unclear why she had shown up now.

Once she was nearly finished eating, Yu Jia finally asked about the purpose of her visit. The sister-in-law stated that she had come to collect some of her late brother's personal belongings. Collect them from where? His workplace? Why hadn't anyone notified her?

Yu Jia felt a growing sense of bewilderment.

The sister-in-law wore a grim, hostile expression.

"Why make a special trip all this way? You should have just called me," Yu Jia said, offering a mix of mild complaint and explanation.

Luan's sister raised her head, confronting Yu Jia directly with a harsh tone. "Sister-in-law, our family isn't backward; if you want to remarry and take another step forward, there's no problem! But things must be done out in the open. You are still the widow of a revolutionary martyr, and every single word and action of yours must be handled with the utmost caution!"

Startled, Yu Jia's hands trembled. "Little sister..."

The sister-in-law cut her off fiercely. "Word has already spread all the way back to our hometown! When Dad heard about it, he almost ended up in the hospital, and Mom hasn't been able to get out of bed since! Sister-in-law, whether you want to date or remarry, nobody is stopping you, but you cannot sneak around behind our backs and ruin my brother's good name!"

"No... sister... is there some kind of misunderstanding..." Caught entirely off guard, Yu Jia was left at a loss.

Armed and prepared, the sister-in-law sneered. "Sister-in-law, how do you think this restaurant of yours was funded?" Yu Jia answered truthfully, "The apartment back in our hometown and the apartment in the provincial capital—everyone in the family knew when we sold them." Raising her head to scan the surroundings, the sister-in-law retorted, "What kind of prime location is this? Could selling a hometown apartment ever be enough to open a place like this? Sister-in-law, don't try to pull the wool over my eyes." She pointed at the promotional sign hanging on the wall. "Jiayuan—'Jia' is you, but whose character is 'Yuan'?"

Though her conscience was entirely clean, Yu Jia still felt a rush of heat to her cheeks. "He's a business partner."

"Does my brother know this person?"

"He knew him."

"Were you two planning this partnership while my brother was still alive?"

"Little sister... you can't talk like that..."

"You can do it, but I can't talk about it?" Refusing to back down an inch, the sister-in-law pressed on. "Sister-in-law, let's lay our cards on the table today. Why did my brother insist on leaving the big city, abandoning a brilliant future, and heading off to the Northwest? What was he running from? Why couldn't he ever sit still in that home of yours? Yes, my brother is gone now, leaving no way to confront him, but everyone has a scale in their heart—don't go too far! You are still Sisi's mother, and you still collect the martyr's dependent subsidy every month! Aren't you afraid of being struck down by a thunderbolt from the heavens?!"

It truly felt like a five-thunder strike from the blue! She was so aggrieved she could hardly cry. What the sister-in-law was alleging was the exact opposite of reality; from the past up to the present, regardless of whether Luan was around or not, when had she, Yu Jia, ever committed any improper transgression? On a moral level, she was confident that she had given no one grounds for criticism.

"Rumors... misunderstandings... sister... it's all a misunderstanding..." Yu Jia's voice quivered. Even in her current predicament, she refused to reveal the harsh truth to her sister-in-law; she wanted to preserve Luan's dignity, just as she wanted to preserve her own. Besides, with the sister-in-law storming in with such fierce aggression, would she even listen to a single word of explanation? How exhausting!

"Sister-in-law, we're both women here, so let me offer you a piece of advice: have some basic decency. Even if you lose your pride, don't lose your integrity!" Under the younger sister's relentless verbal bombardment, Yu Jia was on the verge of tears.

What terrifying power a person's words held! Who on earth had dreamed up this nonsense? How could they spin such an outrageous yarn? What sort of relationship could she possibly have with Bai? And what kind of relationship could they have? Setting aside the age gap, even if they were the same age, would a young, unmarried man ever look twice at a divorced woman with a child? Wasn't that absolute fantasy! She simply looked upon him as a younger brother; the reason he was willing to invest in this little restaurant was partly out of friendly obligation and partly because he saw it could turn a profit. And even that had to be picked apart and chewed on by malicious gossips?!

Night had fallen. There were very few customers left in the shop. Yu Jia fought desperately to control herself, holding back her tears. Another customer bustled in through the door with a hurried rush of wind. "Sister Jia! Bring me a pork rib set meal!"

It was Yu Meng. Having failed to secure the wind power plant project, she was currently burning with frustration and had come to Yu Jia to vent her grievances. Noticing that Yu Jia's eyes were red and swollen, Yu Meng asked, "What's going on here?" Glancing at the sister-in-law, she offered a bright smile and said, "Oh, what a rare guest! Little sister is here." Recognizing Yu Meng, the younger sister greeted her with a terse "Sister Meng."

Yu Meng chuckled. "Reminiscing about old times, are we? Why are you crying?"

With a fiery temper, the sister-in-law snapped, "Sister Meng, this is a family matter of ours, stay out of it." Just as Yu Meng opened her mouth to retort, Yu Jia grabbed her arm. "Little Meng! Stop talking!"

Unwilling to back down, Yu Meng maintained her fierce stance. "Little sister, if you're here to eat, the food is on the house and there's plenty of it! But if you're here to cause trouble, even if Sister Jia lets it go, I certainly won't."

Meeting her tit for tat, the sister-in-law sneered, "What gives you the right not to let it go? What qualifications do you have to interfere?"

Yu Meng smiled coolly. "Sister Jia's matters are my matters. I probably know more about what has gone on in this family from start to finish than you do." While Yu Jia continued to plead with Yu Meng to stay quiet, Yu Meng refused to listen. The sister-in-law shot back, "What could you possibly know? Do you know why my brother insisted on going to the Northwest? Do you know the pain in his heart? Do you know what it feels like to be betrayed by someone? Do you know the insults a revolutionary martyr suffered both during his life and after his death?"

Catching the drift of the argument, Yu Meng immediately fired back, "Your brother went to the Northwest for the sake of his own political career. Sister Jia tried to advise him otherwise, but he refused to listen."

"Why wouldn't he listen?"

"Because he was too busy chasing his own promotions."

The sister-in-law let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Sister Meng, since you're so eager to stick your neck out, why don't you spell it out clearly? What kind of relationship exists between my sister-in-law and that Bai Yuankai? Why was my brother trying to avoid them?"

Stunned into a sarcastic laugh, Yu Meng reacted as though she were hearing a fairy tale. "The two of them? Little sister, are you narrating a pulp novel or writing celebrity gossip?" Reaching out to pull Yu Meng back, Yu Jia's voice cracked in panic. "Stop talking!" Twisting away, Yu Meng shouted, "Do you have any idea how much suffering Sister Jia endured under your brother all those years! How many tears she shed! Do you even know that it was your brother who initiated the divorce?!"

"Why would he ask for a divorce?!" the sister-in-law roared at the top of her lungs. "If my sister-in-law had done nothing wrong, why would he ever propose a divorce?!"

"He cheated on her!" Yu Meng screamed in an earth-shattering bellow.

The remaining customers in the shop fled in a scramble of panic.

"You're lying!" the sister-in-law shrieked, refusing to believe it.

"Yu Jia was the only one who could have tolerated a bastard like him for so long!" Channeling all the anger she felt over losing the wind power project into this outburst, Yu Meng let loose, "Your brother was nothing more than an absolute scumbag!"

Leaping to her feet as though she wanted to tear Yu Meng to shreds with her bare hands, the sister-in-law lunged forward. The two women instantly locked together in a violent scuffle, with Yu Jia caught helplessly right in the middle—shoved to the left one second and batted over to the right the next.

Another person walked into the restaurant. Taking in the chaotic scene, he hurried over to break up the fight.

Pulling Yu Meng aside, he still couldn't stop her from yelling, "Little Bai! Stay out of it! I'm going to teach this motherless, father-raised brat a lesson today!"

As Yu Jia tried to restrain the sister-in-law, she received a vicious shove that sent her stumbling backward. Fortunately, Yuankai stepped in and caught her steadying her balance. Narrowing her eyes, the sister-in-law stepped forward and barked, "Are you Bai Yuankai?"

"I am."

"Good, you're all here. The adulterer and the adulteress! If I'm going to beat someone, I might as well beat the pair of you!" With that, the sister-in-law lunged to attack again.

With a single hand, Bai Yuankai completely subdued her. Twisting her arm behind her back, he left her utterly immobilized, applying just enough pressure to make her yowl in pain.

"Adulterer and adulteress!" she continued to shriek. "Police! Call the police!"

Yuankai calmly stated, "We can talk once you've calmed down."

Recognizing that discretion was the better part of valor, the sister-in-law quickly changed her tune. "Fine, fine, I'm calm, just let me go." When Yuankai released her, she hopped backward like a frightened chick fleeing an eagle's talons, pointing a finger at Bai Yuankai as she demanded, "I'm asking you, what kind of relationship do you have with my sister-in-law?"

"Friends."

The sister-in-law snorted. "What kind of friends? Fuck buddies?"

Stepping in, Yu Meng cursed, "Her mind is just filth!"

With unshakeable poise, Yuankai replied, "Good friends."

"Is that all?" the sister-in-law pressed aggressively. "Swear on heaven! Swear a deadly oath!"

"We knew each other before your brother passed away," Yuankai explained. "Lately, our interactions have grown more frequent because I believe this restaurant has a promising future, so I invested in it."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You expect me to believe that nonsense! What else is there?"

"I don't believe there's anything else worth telling you."

The sister-in-law sneered. "Wonderful, you're looking guilty."

Carrying the air of a top-tier defense attorney, Yuankai declared, "Yu Jia is a free woman, and I am a free man. Neither of us is married, and she owes me nothing. However, I have every right to like her and to pursue her. That violates neither public order nor good morals, and it is certainly no crime."

Silence descended over the room. All three women were left utterly dumbfounded. Yu Jia was stunned because Yuankai had actually declared that he liked her; Yu Meng was stunned because it seemed Luan's sister might have been telling the truth after all—perhaps Xiao Bai and Sister Jia really were... what players; the sister-in-law was stunned by the sheer shamelessness of this pair of scoundrels! How dare they stand there talking about love!

Fumbling for her smartphone, the sister-in-law shrieked, "Fine! Very good! Excellent! You have the guts, say that again!" She wanted to record his words.

Yu Meng barked, "Enough! Keep this up and I'm calling the police! You're disturbing the public peace!" Realizing that she was heavily outnumbered and unlikely to gain the upper hand, the sister-in-law beat a timely tactical retreat, hurling curses as she stormed out of the shop.

Once the commotion cleared, Yuankai offered to stay and comfort Yu Jia, but Yu Meng told him to head home first, insisting she would handle things here. Insisting on staying, Yuankai kept his eyes fixed on Yu Jia. Hastily, Yu Jia turned her face away. Anxious and exasperated, Yu Meng snapped, "You're only making things worse! Just go!" Left with no other choice, Bai Yuankai had no option but to withdraw.

By nearly eleven o'clock, only Yu Jia and Yu Meng remained inside the small restaurant. Throughout the evening, Yu Jia felt as though her heart had been blown apart twice. The first time was due to the sister-in-law's unreasoning harassment and the way she slung mud. Having Yu Meng around turned out to be a blessing in disguise; all the raw truths that Yu Jia had been too timid and unwilling to speak aloud had been spewed out by Yu Meng in one massive wave. Whether those people chose to believe it or not, this was the objective reality. The second shock came from Yuankai's defense and open confession. He liked her? He intended to pursue her? Dazed and bewildered, Yu Jia would almost have preferred to believe that his words were merely a desperate, last-ditch legal maneuver—like a defense attorney pulling out extreme tactics in a courtroom to save a client. She was merely a middle-aged woman, widowed, with a child and heavy burdens on her shoulders; right now, her sole focus in life was keeping this restaurant running smoothly. Talk of romance or remarriage could be tossed entirely to the wind.

Yet, under Bai Yuankai's public "reminder," Yu Jia seemed to suddenly perceive subtle undercurrents she had missed before. Take that business trip to Japan, for instance—he had been so impeccably gentlemanly, thoughtful, and protective of her all the way through. Could he have treated her like that without even a shred of affection? To take it a step further, would he have invested his money in this restaurant without any underlying fondness? In the past, Yu Jia had simply attributed Yuankai's actions to pure business logic—the restaurant could turn a profit. Looking back now, that explanation felt inadequate; it wasn't a sufficient condition.

Yu Jia felt lost and tormented. She was terrified of bringing trouble to her friends, and deep down, she had already decided that anything between her and Xiao Bai was an absolute impossibility. Seated across from Yu Jia, Yu Meng remained silent for a long, drawn-out stretch.

Yu Meng was equally shaken. Whenever she pursued romance, she always took the initiative; yet Sister Jia had quietly pulled off the boldest move of all. Perhaps she hadn't actively done a thing, but wasn't the art of winning without fighting even more formidable?

Yu Jia took a deep breath.

With a mysterious, enigmatic smile, Yu Meng asked, "Did anything actually happen between you two?"

Stunned for half a second, Yu Jia replied, "No." She understood what Yu Meng was implying.

Yu Meng pressed further, "Are you sure?"

"No!" Yu Jia denied it vehemently.

Waving her hand dismissively, Yu Meng pivoted to a new topic. "Fine, fine, no means no. So there's nothing going on—just like my situation with the wind power project, where I've got nothing either." She settled in to thoroughly vent her frustrations to Yu Jia. Wisely, Yu Jia refrained from mentioning that Luan Chengyun had already sought her out to discuss the matter, choosing instead to simply advise Yu Meng not to expand her business empire too rapidly all at once.