Contradicting Hearts - Chapter 2 - The 75a Chest

The next morning, Hao Sijia was woken up by Lin Jize’s coughing. It seemed likely that he had caught her cold. She glanced at the breakfast on the table and then at the cold medicine by Lin Jize’s side.

“Got a cold?”

Lin Jize paused his page-turning. “Yeah.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt, albeit not much, since he caught it from their night together, Hao Sijia offered, “How about I drive you to school later?”

Lin Jize didn’t refuse. Hao Sijia heard his phone buzz twice. She wasn’t trying to snoop, but with her perfect vision, she couldn’t help but notice. Both messages were from Qin Ya, indicating that Lin Jize had accepted her friend request.

Given their arrangement was more of an employment relationship than a romantic one, Hao Sijia naturally didn’t pry into Lin Jize’s personal matters.

Lin Jize didn’t check his phone. Instead, he suddenly frowned. Following his gaze, Hao Sijia noticed the red and yellow stains on the book cover. The last time she had instant noodles, she had used Lin Jize’s book as a makeshift coaster for the pot, and those conspicuous spots of chili oil on the blue and white cover were undoubtedly her doing.

“Uh…” Knowing Lin Jize’s obsession with cleanliness, Hao Sijia quickly tried to divert his attention. “I haven’t paid you this month’s salary yet, have I? Let me transfer it to you now.”

Lin Jize crossed his arms, looking at Hao Sijia, waiting for an explanation.

“I’ll buy you a new one?” Hao Sijia offered, trying to appease him by placing a peeled, slightly mangled boiled egg into his bowl. “I promise I won’t use your books as coasters again! Don’t be mad, okay?”

Lin Jize wasn’t buying her promises. She was always quick to admit fault but never changed her ways. By now, nearly every book cover he owned had splashes of chili oil.

They headed to the garage, and Lin Jize instinctively got into the flashy bright yellow Lamborghini. He wasn’t particularly fond of Hao Sijia driving him to school, but she loved seeing him squirm. Despite having several more discreet cars in the garage, Hao Sijia always chose the fire-breathing Lamborghini when driving Lin Jize to school.

After a few times, Lin Jize had given up resisting.

They left a bit late, hitting rush hour traffic, with cars cutting in left and right. Lin Jize, sitting in the passenger seat, seemed unbothered, but Hao Sijia was getting increasingly irritated.

Another Mercedes tried to squeeze in.

“Damn it!” Hao Sijia cursed a few more times, checked that Lin Jize had fastened his seatbelt, released the brake, and hit the gas.

The side of the Mercedes crumpled instantly. A few seconds later, a short, stout middle-aged man emerged, clutching his neck.

Hao Sijia adjusted her hair in the rearview mirror, removed her sunglasses, pulled out a pack of premium cigarettes from the glove compartment, and stepped out of the car.

Lin Jize leaned back in his seat, watching the man gesticulate angrily at the car. Though he couldn’t hear what the man was saying, his furious expression made it clear how upset he was. In stark contrast to the man’s hysteria, Hao Sijia appeared calm. She had transformed, smiling as if she hadn’t been the one cursing moments ago.

The man seemed to tire of yelling. Hao Sijia lit a cigarette for him, exchanged a few words, and his demeanor softened considerably. Before long, they were chatting by the roadside, and the man even cracked a smile. Whatever he said made Hao Sijia laugh and wave her hand dismissively.

Lin Jize rolled down the window, watching as the man opened his trunk, pulled out a still-flopping fish from a bucket, and handed it to Hao Sijia. She made a show of refusing twice before accepting it.

Once the Mercedes drove off, Hao Sijia examined the fish, got back in the car, and tossed it at Lin Jize’s feet.

“What an idiot!” Hao Sijia dropped her smile, tossing the fish at Lin Jize’s feet. “Make some pickled fish tonight.”

“If you knew he was an idiot, why bother crashing into him?”

“I was annoyed!” Hao Sijia sniffed her fingers, now smelling fishy, and instinctively tried to wipe them on Lin Jize, who shot her a warning look. “If I’m annoyed, I’m not going to let him have it easy. Watching him jump around like a dog in heat, barking and yapping, was quite entertaining! Fixing the car, repainting, dealing with insurance, and losing a fish-he’s got his hands full.”

The fish at Lin Jize’s feet was still flopping around. Hao Sijia gave it a kick, only making it more lively.

“Give me the brooch.”

“What for?”

Lin Jize didn’t answer, simply reached over and removed the brooch from Hao Sijia’s collar. He then inserted the metal pin into the fish’s head, pushing it along the spine, twisting it back and forth until the fish stopped moving.

Whoa.

Hao Sijia clicked her tongue a few times, silently criticizing Lin Jize’s ruthless efficiency. “That brooch cost me thirteen thousand!”

Lin Jize tossed the brooch back into Hao Sijia’s hand. “Oh.”

After dropping Lin Jize off, Hao Sijia headed back to her studio.

Hao Sijia didn’t go to college; she started working right after high school. Without a diploma or connections, she was fortunate to have striking looks. Her tall figure and unique aura landed her roles as a fashion model.

Initially, there weren’t many gigs. To make ends meet, Hao Sijia took on any clothing jobs. The fashion industry always stayed ahead of the seasons, so wearing skimpy tops in winter and thick coats in summer, doing makeup and changing clothes on the street, and munching on bread were all part of her daily routine back then.

After saving some money, Hao Sijia started buying clothes from wholesale markets and opened an online store. She took on the roles of model, photographer, operator, and packager herself. Though it wasn’t smooth sailing, she eventually managed to turn a profit. Later, Hao Sijia launched her own fashion brand and established her current studio. Navigating the cutthroat business world alone, building a thriving career, was fraught with heartache, setbacks, and moments of despair.

July was unusually cool, giving the illusion of autumn’s arrival, but August brought scorching heat. The autumn collection, launched early, remained stuck in the warehouse. At this rate, there was only about a month left for autumn sales. Hao Sijia instructed the operations team to revise the strategy, and she spent the entire afternoon in the photo studio, scrutinizing the posters and magazine photos on the screen.

“Who chose the model?” Hao Sijia tapped the screen.

“Zora did.”

The clothing had a unisex style, and the model bore a striking resemblance to Satomi Ishihara¹.

The photographer cautiously asked, “Is the model not pretty enough?”

Hao Sijia shook her head. “Too pretty. With someone that beautiful, who’s going to notice the clothes? Let’s replace her. When Zora arrives, have her come see me.”

The photo studio was heavily air-conditioned, and the stale air made Hao Sijia nauseous. Her temples began to throb again. She touched her forehead, feeling a bit warm; she was likely feverish again.

Slumped in a rocking chair, Hao Sijia rummaged through her bag for a while but couldn’t find any pills. She eventually turned the bag upside down, spilling its contents everywhere. Not wanting to get up, she clung to the chair with one hand and stretched the other to reach the medicine box.

“Fever?”

Hao Sijia glanced up and accepted the pills. “Yeah, thanks.”

Wang Ke handed her a glass of water. “You should take a few days off.”

Hao Sijia swallowed the pills, the bitter taste making her wrinkle her nose. “I’m almost better. About the model…”

Hao Sijia thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “She could work for the macaron series. Her style doesn’t quite fit the recent shoots. If you can’t tell her, I can.”

Wang Ke hesitated before realizing, “She’s not… What are you thinking?”

“Not? I thought she was your type, like the ones before,” Hao Sijia shrugged. “That makes it easier. Just replace her.”

Wang Ke didn’t object and walked over to massage Hao Sijia’s temples. Hao Sijia stiffened, instinctively wanting to get up, but considering Wang Ke wasn’t interested in her, acting coy seemed self-absorbed.

Wang Ke’s touch was just right, soothing rather than painful, unlike Lin Jize’s heavy-handed approach.

Sometimes, Hao Sijia modeled her studio’s clothes herself, posing for the camera for hours, leaving her sore all over. She would beg Lin Jize for a massage, but he always seemed to vent his frustrations, leaving her yelping in pain.

Last night, Hao Sijia worked until nearly dawn, barely catching any sleep, and now she felt comfortably drowsy.

She felt a gentle touch under her chin and heard Wang Ke’s laughter, which brought her back to reality. Looking up, she met Wang Ke’s eyes in the mirror. Wang Ke’s smile faded slightly as she turned her face away.

Hao Sijia rubbed the back of her neck and subtly leaned forward to avoid Wang Ke’s hand. “I almost fell asleep just now, thanks, Zora.”

“No need to be polite, you…”

Wang Ke seemed about to say more when Hao Sijia’s phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Hao Sijia waved her phone at Wang Ke and stepped out.

“Sijia.”

Hao Sijia sighed softly, taking a few seconds before responding with a simple “Hmm.”

“Are you busy?” Liu Xiafang tentatively asked.

“Busy. Just say what you need to.”

“Alright, alright.” Liu Xiafang didn’t beat around the bush. “Your Uncle Zhang usually rides his bike to the factory, but it’s been so hot lately. He just got his driver’s license last month, and I was thinking if he had a car, it wouldn’t be so scorching for him to commute every day…”

“How much do you need? I’ll transfer it to your account.”

“I’m not sure. Neither your Uncle Zhang nor I know much about cars. Why don’t you just buy one for him, like that white one you drove home before?”

Don’t know much about cars?

A Lexus LC costs over 1.2 million yuan². While it’s not the most expensive in her collection, it’s not something just anyone can afford. They weren’t clueless; they knew quite well.

“Mom, Uncle Zhang just got his license. There’s no need for such a fancy car. New cars are prone to scratches, and maintenance costs can be high.”

There was silence on Liu Xiafang’s end for a while, so Hao Sijia continued, “If a good car gets scratched, it’ll be heartbreaking. Once Uncle Zhang is more experienced, it won’t be too late to get a better one.”

Hao Sijia heard Liu Xiafang softly call Hao Yu’s name. After a few seconds, Liu Xiafang spoke again, “I’ll discuss it with your Uncle Zhang then.”

“Alright.” Hao Sijia didn’t intend to prolong the conversation.

“Oh, by the way, Hao Yu is planning to attend a summer camp and needs…”

Suddenly, Hao Sijia felt a sharp headache. She clenched her fist and knocked on her forehead, eager to end the call quickly. “Got it. Send me the account number and the amount on WeChat.”

Liu Xiafang noticed something off in Hao Sijia’s voice and, after a moment’s thought, asked with concern, “Are you stressed?”

Hao Sijia casually replied, “Yeah,” and hung up, needing to get back to work.

She tossed her phone back into her pocket, grabbed a paper cup, and filled it with cold water, gulping it down. The burning pain in her throat eased, and the cool water temporarily quelled the frustration in her chest.

During the call, Hao Sijia vaguely heard Hao Yu speaking in the background. Zhang Hua might be poor, but he was honest and not greedy. The idea of buying a car probably wasn’t his, and Liu Xiafang certainly didn’t understand cars, but Hao Yu did, and whatever Hao Yu said, Liu Xiafang would listen.

Drinking too hastily, Hao Sijia choked on the water, coughing as she tried to pat her chest to ease it down. But as soon as her hand touched her chest, a sharp pain shot through. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, she pulled her shirt aside to reveal a bruise on her left breast.

Lin Jize really didn’t know his own strength. With her modest 75A chest, she couldn’t fathom why Lin Jize was so fond of squeezing. Honestly, Lin Jize’s pecs were more impressive than hers.

Footnote:

1. Satomi Ishihara(石原里美):Satomi Ishihara is a well-known Japanese actress famous for her roles in television dramas, films, and commercials.
2. Yuan(元): Yuan (yuán) is the basic unit of currency in China. The symbol for yuan is ¥, 1 yuan ≈ 0.15 USD. Yuan (yuán)