Chapter 24: One Drop and Down

Shen Qingyao heard Shen Qingye say it wasn't necessary, but she didn't feel like just letting it go. At the very least, she wanted to bring something for him. Besides, she had nothing to do in this world, and now that she had started working, she really ought to find some activities to occupy her time.

Shen Qingye had nearly finished his meal, and while he went to wash the dishes, Shen Qingyao fiddled with the radio. Qiao Yufen had one at home too, but it was an outdated model. Just as she managed to get the radio to play, there was a knock at the door. Shen Qingyao didn't think much of it and pulled the door open.

"Why are you here?" Seeing the tall man at the door, Shen Qingyao instantly felt tense. "You..."

Jiang Yan looked at Shen Qingyao, hesitating as if he had more to say. He hadn't expected to run into Shen Qingyao here. The door had remained open, and a draft of wind had crept in. Shen Qingye poked his head out to look. "Who is it?"

Seeing Jiang Yan’s figure, Shen Qingye was also taken aback. After a moment, he nodded. "Come in."

"I came to have a drink with your brother," Jiang Yan said.

Shen Qingyao stepped aside. "Just don't get into a fight with my brother."

Jiang Yan entered and sat down, appearing somewhat reserved. After drinking together yesterday, he had felt their relationship improve quite a bit. Yet, to his surprise, the atmosphere felt off again the moment he sat down. Jiang Yan felt a bitter ache in his heart, though he couldn't quite put a name to that bitterness.

The three of them sat around a small wooden table, looking at one another, but no one spoke. After a while, Shen Qingye could no longer stand it. "Jiang Yan, open it up—you brought it, after all."

"But what about Yaoyao..."

According to Shen Qingyao’s original plan, she should have been heading home by now. However, with Jiang Yan here, she wasn't in such a rush to leave. "It's fine, you two drink; I'll just watch." Shen Qingyao smiled gracefully and even thoughtfully brought out two glasses.

Besides the liquor, Jiang Yan had brought some snacks to go with the drink. They weren't expensive, but they were flavorful. With Shen Qingyao present, the two men were much more restrained in their drinking. Shen Qingyao also sensed the awkward atmosphere; she looked at Jiang Yan, then at Shen Qingye.

The door was knocked on again, accompanied by a loud voice. "Old Shen, I’m here to borrow a stool!"

"Alright, coming!"

Shen Qingye grabbed a stool and opened the door. After lending it out, he didn't rush to close the door, standing in the doorway to chat with the person for a moment. Taking advantage of the gap, Shen Qingyao started talking to Jiang Yan.

"You came to drink with my brother; aren't you afraid he doesn't like you?"

Jiang Yan replied in a low voice, "Your brother doesn't like me, which is why I need to work hard to make him like me." He let out a soft chuckle after saying this.

"How are you so smooth about all this?" Shen Qingyao felt a strange sensation.

Jiang Yan watched her quietly until Shen Qingye returned. Seeing the ambiguous look between them, he cleared his throat. Jiang Yan slowly shifted his gaze toward Shen Qingye and refilled his glass. A program on the radio ended, replaced by another voice. Shen Qingyao wasn't interested in the content, but she had nothing else to do.

"Yaoyao, I haven't asked you about your work yet."

"Nothing much to say. Just wait to eat braised pork every day, brother." Shen Qingyao spoke with confidence, but Shen Qingye replied with profound meaning.

"Is that so? Even the people in the military can't manage meat every day; you have that kind of ability?"

"Brother, don't look down on me so much..." Shen Qingyao scratched her head. In truth, she wasn't even sure how much longer she could work with Xie Meiyi. In her own words, being a model for Xie Meiyi was, at best, a part-time job. She still needed to find stable employment.

Although she had grand ideas in her head, she knew that jobs didn't just fall into one's lap. Shen Qingyao joked, "Brother, why don't I come work at the steel mill too?"

Once the words were out, she didn't exactly regret them. There were plenty of women working in offices at the steel mill, such as in procurement or the cafeteria. Overall, the factory did have a modern feel to it; otherwise, it wouldn't have grown so large. Life at the steel mill was tough now, but that might change over time. She didn't know if there was any chance of returning to her original world after transmigrating into this book, and she certainly didn't know what the future held. She had to find a way out for herself.

As her thoughts drifted further away, a single sentence from Shen Qingye pulled her back to reality. He frowned. "What would you do there? There are hardly any women in the factory."

"But there are some, aren't there?"

"Don't you go causing trouble for me." Shen Qingye gave her a rare glare.

Seeing that look, Shen Qingyao knew it was out of the question. If she dared to bring it up again, Shen Qingye might actually take action.

"If you're looking for a job, I can keep an eye out for you," Jiang Yan said, easing the tension.

Shen Qingyao thought about it; that didn't sound bad. Although it felt a bit like "clinging to a powerful figure," he was her man, after all. If she didn't cling to her own man, who would she cling to?

Shen Qingyao felt energized by the thought and picked up a glass, intending to drink some water. She moved quickly, but only after it reached her lips did she realize something was wrong.

"Yaoyao!" Shen Qingye practically shrieked, and Jiang Yan reached out to grab the glass from her.

Shen Qingyao looked at the glass in her hand, and suddenly, everything before her eyes doubled. "Brother..." She stood up abruptly, and Shen Qingye immediately steadied her. Shen Qingyao stared intently at Jiang Yan and pointed. "Jiang Yan, why are you... dancing..."

With that, she collapsed into Shen Qingye’s arms. The glass fell to the floor, though fortunately, Jiang Yan caught it. The entire process was more harrowing than any mission he had ever been on. Jiang Yan couldn't help but ask, "What happened to her?"

"Most people are 'one-cup wonders,' but she's a 'one-drop wonder.'" Shen Qingye sighed and told Jiang Yan to look in the cupboard for sugar to make some water.

After placing her on his bed, Shen Qingyao wouldn't lie still. She tossed and turned, occasionally sitting up out of nowhere. Jiang Yan was still there, and Shen Qingye wanted to preserve some of her dignity. When he turned his head, he saw Jiang Yan laughing at Shen Qingyao’s antics on the bed.

"She wasn't like this before."

"I know." Even as he said it, Jiang Yan felt he had gained a new understanding of Shen Qingyao.

"We seem to be out of sugar. Are you sure it's in this cupboard?"

Recalling Jiang Yan's words, Shen Qingye remembered he had given the sugar to Qiao Yufen last time. "Watch her; I'll go borrow some." Just as Shen Qingye started to leave, Jiang Yan held him back.

"It's not convenient for Yaoyao to stay here. Why don't I have Chen Zheng drive over and take her home?"

Shen Qingye thought about it and agreed. After all, this was just a dormitory, and even the bed was a basic, makeshift one. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Shen Qingye stopped insisting.