This Time, I’ll Protect You Instead

Tu Jiaqing fled from the hotel.

In haste, she got on a taxi.

The driver asked about her destination, but Tu Jiaqing couldn't reply in that instant. She didn’t want anyone to identify her, so just said, “Wherever, I don’t want to get off for now.”

“OK.”

The taxi started slowly… or one should say it was the driver that made it slow but Tu Jiaqing didn’t mention these.

Right at this time, she found another person sitting at the passenger’s seat beside the driver who seemed to be fast asleep.

The driver explained softly, “Oh, don’t get it wrong. He’s my colleague who is exhausted and fell asleep. We just changed shifts.”

Tu Jiaqing didn’t give a reply. She merely leaned against the car window, watching the bright lights shining throughout the city’s night.

The car suddenly became really quiet.

The quietness might be what Tu Jiaqing wanted… She was unaware of what would become of the old man, whether he had just got fainted or something more terrible. Moreover, she had no idea how Lin Geng would treat her after realizing this situation.

Furthermore, she didn’t even know when that soul-corroding addiction symptom would appear again.

She thought of her sister, whom had been abducted and taken back to their previous studio. Yet when she woke up, the first thing she asked was about her younger sister’s situation.

She understood suddenly… the real meaning behind ‘The company only needs one Tu Jiaya’.

---“Packaging a person is very easy to me.”

The sentence Lin Geng said, resounded at her ears. Supposedly, the company felt satisfied with the identity value of Tu Jiaya’s sister, and tried to promote, package her and get her to become famous.

She would probably follow in her sister’s steps, who the public envied, yet had to commit adultery and drug addiction.

A deep-seated regret made her cry at the back seat, the tears messed up her facial makeup.

A wooden guitar sound rang suddenly in the car, the gentle prelude started… It was not a radio program, rather, it came from the car’s audio system… It seemed to be the driver’s own collection.

“This song…” Tu Jiaqing gazed at the driver’s back blankly.

“Ah, sorry lady, is it noisy? I’ll turn it off.”

“No… just…”

“En?”

“You… listen to her songs?”

The driver appeared to be smiling, with a relaxed voice, like chatting, “You mean Jiajia. Oh yeah, she’s not that famous and only active on a special-interest music platform; however, I got into her after overhearing one of her songs.”

“You… really think her songs are good?”

“Yep… the songs may not be classics or those that can become age-old songs. Nevertheless, she shows her attitude inside those songs. Perhaps people might not listen to it often but if they occasionally listen, it would sound really good. A pity that the singer hasn’t uploaded her new products recently. I left a message on her platform earlier, hoping she would create more new works.”

Tu Jiaqing recalled her own account that she used to keep an eye on every day… merely two days had passed but she felt like it had been an eternity.

She took out the cellphone unwittingly from her handbag.

How odd… her own phone disappeared, only her sister’s cellphone was left behind. There were no missed calls, which meant Lin Geng hadn't found out about the accident in the hotel.

She swiped over the screen mechanically, yet stopped all of a sudden.

‘My sister… uses this software too?’

Clicking it, logging in. The user name, “Jumping Phonetic Symbol”

User message: Jiajia hasn’t uploaded any new works in so long! Begging for new works!!---1 day ago.

User message: Good to listen too but perhaps a fine tuning is needed for the chord part?---7 days ago.

User message: Jiajia’s unhappy today? You didn’t leave any messages, Feeling sad.---3 weeks ago.

…

User message: I’ve heard dendrobium water is good for one’s throat. However, if it’s a cough, one can try adding a little essential balm… Anyway, I dare not to give it a try, laugh~---even earlier before.

…

User message: Jiajia fighting! Don’t be discouraged, I’ll stand by you forever, love you!!---even earlier ago.

…

User message: found a new uploader, let me leave the first comment! Good music!---even earlier ago.

Tu Jiaqing covered her own mouth forcibly, with a sore nose, and tried to stop her tears. Yet, they continued to pour down.

There had always been a person, that encouraged her when she was frustrated; there had always been a person, giving her many useful suggestions; there had always been a person, accompanying her, speaking freely in the comments section… There had always been a person, even though she couldn’t be heard or seen, staying with her through words since the beginning.

There was always a person… silently…

Tu Jiaqing only felt as if the air had been sucked out from her body.

This person… was her elder sister.

The person that always protected her and accompanied her.

“Miss? Are you OK?”

“I… I’m OK…” Tu Jiaqing forcefully wiped away her tears, taking a few deep breaths, yet her throat was almost hoarse, “Excuse me, can you drive me to a place?”

…

…

Tu Jiaqing paid him and got off after reaching her destination. She then walked towards the old buildings by the curbside.

The taxi started slowly, stopping after finding a place to park.

The driver looked at the passing pedestrians through the front windshield, then eyed the small heart-shaped photo of a man and a lady hanging on the rearview mirror. At last, turning his attention on to the young sleeping man sitting in the front seat.

He thought for a time, picking out one of the two one-hundred bills that Tu Jiaqing paid him, holding it at hands and folding it in half.

The one-hundred cash turned into two paper cranes share the same heart, then was placed on the steering wheel lightly.

The driver took off his coat, opening the car door and stepping down, saying with a whisper, “Driving without license again…”

He vanished in the street suddenly.

…

…

The locked door in the basement… had been opened.

There was nobody there when Tu Jiaqing arrived.

Before she took a further thinking, her cellphone rang…it was Lin Geng calling.

Tu Jiaqing gritted her teeth, bringing up some courage and answered it.

Lin Geng didn't raise his voice but an anger could be sensed, “What is the meaning of this? Give me an explanation. You struck him until he fainted?”

“I, I don’t want to do this.” Tu Jiaqing took a deep breath, saying decidedly, “I’m going to terminate the contract with your company!”

“Terminate? OK.” Lin Geng sneered. “When you feel terrible… Don’t come and beg me. One more thing, something interesting happened at my place. Your sister became worried about you and came to find me.”

Tu Jiaqing’s face changed suddenly, “Lin Geng, what are you going to do!!”

“What I’m going to do?” Lin Geng smiled slightly. “I’m a ‘decent’ businessman. If there is a visitor, of course I’ll have to entertain her well… and she’s your sister, an acquaintance of mine to some degree, so I'll have to be more attentive, right?”

“I am warning you… don’t act recklessly! If you dare to do anything, I… I’ll call the cops!!”

“Didn’t you forget who just saved you from the police station just now?” Lin Geng said lightly, “Judging by how much time has passed, your withdrawal symptoms should be occurring soon. Do you think the police will accept a testimony… said by an addict?”

“Lin Geng!!”

Toot---!!

Tu Jiaqing collapsed limply on the ground, feeling an abnormal change happening to her body. Her heartbeat accelerated.

She almost fainted but gritted her teeth and tried to take deep breathes. She braced herself against the wall and managed to get up, stepping towards the door.

‘Sorry… It was because of my stupidity that things turned out this way.’

‘This time, I’ll protect you instead’.

‘My elder sister.’