ASHIA Chapter 36

Translated by: Queen Dei Mos

Novel Update Schedule: Monday

“If you still don’t know how to bow your head, then you’ll have to endure the loneliness of being neglected.”

Ji Feifei stared intently at Ji Bai, as if she didn’t recognize her anymore.

Her ego and pride led Ji Feifei to raise her noble head and leave without uttering a single word.

Ji Bai knew that Ji Feifei wouldn’t easily compromise. If she were the kind of person who gave up easily, she should have done so the moment Ji Bai broke her “wings”.

But Ji Feifei didn’t give up. She was reborn from the ashes and came back.

During that time, Ji Feifei didn’t rest for a single day. She constantly pressured their parents, hoping they would call grandmother to let her attend the company’s annual meeting. She hoped that grandmother would take her poor health into consideration and be lenient enough to grant her wish.

Tao Jiazhi’s love for her daughter ran deep. Not only did she call Old Madam, but she even personally went to the old residence to beg. However, she didn’t even get to see her mother. The assistant always made excuses, saying that the chairman was very busy and didn’t have time to see her.

The elders naturally wouldn’t openly make it difficult for the younger generation, so they wouldn’t directly refuse them, but they could choose not to listen or meet them.

Ji Feifei completely fell out of favor with Old Lady Ji. Even though she desperately begged her parents to plead for her, it was already too late to change anything.

And all of this was thanks to Ji Bai!

The annual meeting was scheduled for 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. In the afternoon, the housekeeper auntie took out the dress and discovered to her horror, a faint and narrow snagged thread along the side waist.

The housekeeper auntie was very nervous. “Did it get snagged accidentally? I was very careful when I put it away ah.”

The snagged thread was in a discreet location, not easily noticeable but it was in a crucial location. If not dealt with in time, Ji Bai might embarrass herself at the annual meeting.

Ji Bai glanced back at Ji Feifei. She stood with her arms crossed on the stairs, looking down at her with an expressionless face.

Her gaze clearly conveyed——

Come on ah, let the good and bad perish together.¹(Original Text): 玉石俱焚 – yù shí jù fén. (English): to burn both jade and common stone, to destroy indiscriminately. Basically means – let’s go down together.

Since you won’t let me attend the annual meeting then you shouldn’t even think about going.

Ji Feifei thought Ji Bai would immediately explode and interrogate her. She had already prepared herself for it. As long as she provoked Ji Bai and made her go crazy, Ji Feifei would pretend to faint in grievance, blaming everything on Ji Bai, revealing her true colors to her parents and grandmother.

However, to Ji Feifei’s disappointment, Ji Bai didn’t severely criticize her as she had hoped. Instead, she merely cradled her dress in distress and asked the housekeeper auntie if there was any way to fix it.

The housekeeper auntie was skilled in cooking and sewing, but she had never dealt with such a priceless dress before ah. This kind of work required a highly experienced seamstress.

Tao Jiazhi impatiently theorized, “Oh no, what should we do now ah? The annual meeting is about to start and the dress is damaged. The Old Madam will definitely get angry.”

Ji Mingzhi suggested, “How about, how about we switch to a different dress? There’s no other way. I’m sure mother will understand.”

Ji Bai glanced at her parents and calmly said, “I don’t have any other dresses.”

“Isn’t there a dressing room full of dresses upstairs?”

When Tao Jiazhi said this, she suddenly remembered that the whole wardrobe of dresses in the dressing room were all Ji Feifei’s. It seemed that they had never had a custom-made dress specifically for Ji Bai.

From childhood to adulthood, Ji Bai had always been the one overlooked. Whether it was the company’s annual meeting or social gatherings, Ji Feifei was the center of attention like a little princess. However, because of Ji Bai’s reserved character, they worried she would embarrass herself, so she never had the opportunity to attend.

Ji Mingzhi’s expression looked somewhat ugly. Although he felt guilty inside, he was more worried about losing face because his daughter couldn’t attend the annual meeting——

“How about wearing your older sister’s dress?”

Ji Feifei intervened tactfully, “Dad, those dresses are all tailored to my measurements. Younger sister can’t wear them.”

The difference in build between Ji Feifei and Ji Bai was quite significant. Ji Feifei was a few centimeters taller and had a well developed and round figure due to too much nourishment, while Ji Bai was slender and indeed couldn’t fit into her dresses.

After considering their options, it seemed there was no other solution. Tao Jiazhi could only probingly ask Ji Bai, “Bai Bai, why don’t you call grandmother and tell her you won’t be able to attend the annual meeting today?”

“How can that be?” Ji Mingzhi exclaimed anxiously. “How can you not go?”

“How can she go? The dress is damaged. If she goes, she might make a fool of herself then our whole family’s reputation will be ruined.”

“There must be a way. If you can’t wear a dress, can’t you wear something else?”

“Please, this is the annual meeting of the Ji Group. Do you think it’s just some casual company gathering?”

Tao Jiazhi continued to persuade Ji Bai, “I’m not saying that nobody is going anymore. Bai Bai ah, you tell your grandmother to let your older sister attend the annual meeting on your behalf. After all, for such an important gathering, our family should have someone representing us. Whether it’s Fei Fei or Bai Bai, it’s the same.”

This suggestion immediately received a response from Ji Mingzhi. “Yes ah, if Bai Bai can’t go, Fei Fei can go instead. The main thing is…our family should have someone attending, that’s only right.”

While their parents were discussing fervently, Ji Bai remained silent throughout, not uttering a single word.

She had already seen through her parents’ indifference.

Biased, greedy for money, selfishness…the inherent flaws of human nature were vividly reflected in them. She didn’t expect them to have a sudden change of heart and take on their responsibilities as parents.

“This call, I won’t do it.” Ji Bai said as she walked out of the door with the dress box in her arms. “If Ji Feifei wants to go, she can make the call herself.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find someone to fix the dress.”

Tao Jiazhi impatiently chased after her, “Today is New Year’s Eve. The clothing shops have already closed. Where will you find a seamstress at this hour?”

“I don’t know!”

But Ji Bai was determined to find one. As long as it wasn’t a dead end, she wouldn’t give up.

Behind her, Tao Jiazhi said to Ji Mingzhi, “How about you give your mother a call then?”

Ji Mingzhi replied, “No need to call. Since Bai Bai can’t go, Feifei can just take her invitation and attend directly.”

**

Ji Bai went straight to the largest CBD commercial district in the city center, carrying the dress box, in search of a high-end fashion shop.

It being New Year’s Eve, there weren’t many shops open in the commercial district, and many had already closed at this hour.

Ji Bai wandered around the CBD but ended up empty-handed. By the time she checked the time, it was already five o’clock, with only three hours left until the annual meeting began.

The dress box was heavy, and her arms were getting sore and numb from carrying it.

As night fell and the city lights came on, colorful fireworks lit up the sky above the river not far away, bursting into beautiful clusters of lights.

Ji Bai sat down on a wooden bench by the street, placing the dress box beside her. She curled up and buried her head into her knees.

Since her rebirth, she had already made up her mind to keep going without turning back. Either she would die or live beautifully and let those who had harmed her get their retribution.

But often, Ji Bai really felt…so tired.

She was like a stretched rubber band, stretched tight, never knowing when she might snap.

Xie Sui walked out of the soon-to-close supermarket with a bag of braised food and beer. From a distance, he saw the girl sitting alone on the bench by the street.

She kept her head down, her back hunched like a small mountain, trembling slightly.

…Was she crying?

Suddenly, Xie Sui felt like his heart was being stabbed by a knife, the pain making his hands tremble beneath his sleeves.

Xie Sui never felt sympathy for anyone’s weakness or tears. He was as indifferent as a dictator, standing alone on the city walls of an empty kingdom, looking down with disdain.

There was nothing in the world worth stopping for even for a second.

But the moment he saw Ji Bai crying, Xie Sui felt his solitary kingdom crumble in an instant.

He slowly walked towards her.

Ji Bai sensed someone approaching her. She rubbed her tear-stained eyes and looked up.

Xie Sui had a calm demeanor with gentle eyebrows and deep eyes that reflected a complex expression.

Ji Bai wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, picked up her dress box, and stood up softly greeting him, “Happy New Year.”

Just as she tried to move past him, Xie Sui suddenly grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her back. Without a word, he cradled the back of her head and pulled her into his embrace.

“Not allowed to cry.”

I won’t allow you to cry.

The moment he pulled her into his embrace, large snowflakes filled the sky.

T/N:

Please comment and share if you like the story!
If you like what I do, please do support me thru ko-fi~ Every $2 is an extra chapter. |･ω･｀)

Chapters Left: 57

• 1
  (Original Text): 玉石俱焚 – yù shí jù fén. (English): to burn both jade and common stone, to destroy indiscriminately. Basically means – let’s go down together.