Chapter 4 : The Fish and the Dog

After the party ended, Jiang Yanlin spent a little time managing her fish pond.

For the past two months, she had either been sick or grinding to meet a deadline, and she had almost forgotten how many live fish were still in her pond.

She filled the bathtub with hot water, added some relaxing bath salts, tested the temperature, and then sank in, listlessly scrolling through her contacts.

Her account for managing the fish was clean, with no personal information, and even the profile picture was a generic meme.

The friends list was also relatively clean, as she periodically cleared out people she couldn’t remember or found boring.

‘Who was this? Oh, that Australian-Chinese guy who’s been single since birth. Such a downer. Delete. ’

‘And this one? A college student born in ’05? Can’t remember what he looks like. Delete. ’

With a few taps and swipes, Jiang Yanlin cleared out a dozen people in no time.

Most were contacts she’d been pressured into adding at parties, whose faces she would forget in an instant.

Normally, Jiang Yanlin rarely refused on the spot. But if someone was truly off-putting, she would decisively pretend her phone was dead, ask for a business card or a note, and then toss it in the nearest trash can.

—Especially when dealing with men, she could never be sure they wouldn’t turn violent if their pride was wounded.

Fortunately, her standards for friendship were quite high. The people she truly interacted with were few, and all of them were busy individuals with full lives and careers, constantly traveling and working. They could only meet up in person occasionally.

So, she had rarely encountered truly low-quality social settings, but she was always on guard, preventing any future trouble.

After cleaning up her contact list, Jiang Yanlin glanced at the remaining names. The few people she had added recently were all there.

Her finger hovered over the ID “Mavis” for a moment. After some thought, she decided against deleting it directly.

El was a decent conversation partner, and she had no plans to cut off that connection just yet.

And besides, wasn’t the certain young miss his “best friend”?

Just as she was thinking, two new messages popped up simultaneously.

One was from El, asking her to dinner tomorrow.

The other was from one of the few remaining live fish in her pond.

[“It’s been a while, Sis. Have you been well?”]

Seeing the long-unseen Japanese text, she finally remembered who this was.

Jiang Yanlin leisurely got out of the tub, rinsed off, dried herself, and completed her entire skincare routine before sending a voice message in reply.

“I’ve been busy, but I’m still alive.”

No extra comfort was needed; a single voice message was enough to show her “attentiveness.”

At least, that’s how it seemed to the person on the other end.

And so, this well-behaved fish quickly forgot about being ignored for nearly two months and started chatting with her again without any hard feelings.

Whether it was a national trait or his personal character, he had been remarkably hassle-free in the six months she had known him.

If she didn’t message him, he wouldn’t bother her—unless it was for something important.

But if she sent a single message, he was available on demand, whether it was to play games with her online or to help her find research materials.

More importantly, he knew his place and never deluded himself into thinking she had any feelings for him, willingly allowing himself to be used.

This was very important to Jiang Yanlin.

Because most of the time, she was cold and stingy, unwilling to give even a sliver of feigned “love.”

This inherent coldness helped her filter out anyone, male or female, who harbored any illusions about her.

So, strictly speaking, Jiang Yanlin wasn’t a qualified “Sea Queen.”

A true player provides emotional value—either through constant concern or gentle flirting, using fabricated affection to make their fish dizzy and fall fast, offering up their true heart.

But Jiang Yanlin didn’t need a “true heart.”

A heart that was too true would become a chain.

That’s why level-headed people like Chen Yuran didn’t expect anything from her.

And those who weren’t so clear-headed couldn’t get close to her.

Only those who understood the rules of the game and enjoyed playing could linger in her life for a little longer.

In simple terms, it was just mutual benefit.

It was late. After a brief chat with the fish she hadn’t seen in a while, Jiang Yanlin put her phone down and went to sleep.

She didn’t reply to El. He was too enthusiastic.

Jiang Yanlin knew that kind of enthusiasm all too well. Usually, just ignoring it was enough to cool it down.

But El was clearly an unusual case. First, there was the cultural barrier; as a South American, he would have a hard time understanding Chinese subtlety and might misinterpret her indirectness.

Second, they had only known each other for two days. It was too soon to say anything definite, and he clearly wasn’t a complete fool. He wouldn’t confess his feelings right away and give her the chance to reject him instantly.

Jiang Yanlin found him contradictory. He expressed his interest so quickly, yet he wanted to trade sincerity for sincerity.

—During their chat, he had explicitly stated that he was not a “Play Boy.”

At the time, Jiang Yanlin could only respond with a smile.

‘Oh darling, but I am. ’

The next day, Jiang Yanlin woke up naturally, made herself a bowl of oatmeal, and joined a group video call.

“Morning. I’m making a midnight snack,” Lin Xiaoqi’s sleep schedule was a mess again. She was cooking at two in the morning, though at least she was sparing Chinese food today.

Jiang Yanlin sat down with her bowl. “It’s not morning anymore. I’m having lunch.”

Saike, who had been buried in her studies, immediately asked when she saw her join,
“I heard you ran into that poser Han Xu last night?”

Jiang Yanlin wasn’t surprised she was so well-informed, especially since she had already told Lin Xiaoqi.

After briefly summarizing the previous night’s events, Jiang Yanlin turned down her volume. The next second, she heard earth-shattering laughter from the other two.

Saike’s face was full of schadenfreude. “I love watching that poser’s drama. It’s like a monthly series.”

She was so amused she completely forgot about her exam the next day.

Lin Xiaoqi put a pizza in the oven and turned to ask the most important question:
“So he didn’t see you the whole time and thought you were someone else?”

Jiang Yanlin added, “He mistook me for a woman he had offended in the past.”

The two on the other end burst into laughter again.

Anyone watching them laugh so hard would find it hard to believe they still had Han Xu as a contact.

On the surface, it was because they had all known each other for years and had overlapping social circles. They were bound to run into each other, so they had to maintain a civil front.

But in reality, they just wanted to watch the drama. For the sake of this entertainment, they even tolerated his occasional messages trying to stay in touch, only to complain in their private group chat, “Suffering for the cause, girls.”

Jiang Yanlin had no comment on this. As long as he didn’t message her, it was fine.

They ate, chatted, and watched a comedy together before logging off and returning to their own lives.

For friends who saw each other so rarely, spending an hour or two together like this was a precious occasion.

Jiang Yanlin was very satisfied with this rhythm of life. Living alone gave her ample personal space to work and rest at home without any interruptions.

She had few friends and only went out to socialize occasionally, with most of her interactions happening online, but it was enough to fill the small details of her life.

As for the needs that friends couldn’t fulfill, they were rationally allocated to the well-behaved fish.

—Han Xu had once been a very obedient fish.

In the fish pond that Jiang Yanlin had carefully cultivated over the years, he was arguably the most trouble-free and intelligent one.

He was educated and emotionally intelligent. He kept a low profile in their social circle, was friendly and gentle, and gave everyone the impression of a harmless boy next door.

That’s why Jiang Yanlin had no interest in him at first, and his first advance fell flat.

It wasn’t until after a chaotic six months, during which the people around her had changed again and again, that his honest image was accidentally exposed during a chance reunion, finally catching her attention.

Having navigated the world for years, Jiang Yanlin specialized in dealing with two-faced people.

She loved to dig into the inner workings of those who hid their thoughts deep inside, to see if they were black or red.

It was true for Qining, and it was true for Han Xu.

Coincidentally, those two were also good friends.

There was some truth to the saying “birds of a feather flock together.”

—Both of them were paragons of inscrutability.

Later, with no effort at all, Jiang Yanlin tamed Han Xu into something more valuable than an obedient fish.

—A dog that wagged its tail and begged for her.

If she casually mentioned something she liked, it would be in her hands the next day.

Research materials and documents she needed would appear in her inbox, neatly organized, without her having to lift a finger.

He did everything he could to cater to her professional needs, personal convenience, material desires, and even her emotional well-being.

The man who was gentle and harmless in front of everyone else revealed his dark and cynical side only to her.

Separated by a 12-hour time difference during daylight saving, they never met in person, and their mutual friends were completely oblivious to their relationship.

But Jiang Yanlin was very satisfied. Someone who didn’t ask for a title, didn’t interfere with her thoughts, didn’t demand any promises, and didn’t even take up space in her real life was beneficial to her in every way.

So, in the end, Jiang Yanlin didn’t hold a grudge over the dog’s betrayal.

Without any promises, how could it be considered a betrayal?

She had many places to go and many things she wanted to do, while he had bet the rest of his life—his parents’ investment, his years of hard work as a student—on that green card.

It was only a matter of time before they went their separate ways.

Jiang Yanlin just found it a bit of a shame.

—For every person who had to bow to reality and become unrecognizable.

And so, the warm-hearted citizen Ms. Jiang Yanlin extended a helping hand every time she encountered this lost and pretentious soul.

Whether it was a month ago or a day ago.

Applause, please, if you’re following along.

It wasn’t even afternoon when El messaged her again.

Jiang Yanlin was doing a HIIT workout at home, wiping away sweat as she read his message.

The young man was enthusiastic and sincere, saying his restaurant had new dishes on the menu and he absolutely wanted her to come and review them.

This fell into the realm of work. Jiang Yanlin remembered her side gig as a blogger and finally agreed.

She quickly showered, changed, put on some light makeup, and headed out.

Jiang Yanlin usually didn’t charge for promoting a friend’s business.

But she wasn’t that close with El, and she worried he might overthink it if she didn’t charge him. So, on the way, she clearly stated her price, giving him a 20% discount as a friendly gesture.

When she arrived at the restaurant, just as she expected, he was the only one there, clearly wanting to spend time with her alone.

Jiang Yanlin pretended not to notice and immediately switched into work mode. She took out her dedicated work phone and started taking pictures of his shop, constantly directing him to adjust the scenery and lighting, giving him no opening for any romantic advances.

El ran up and down, exhausted after just half an hour, and gave up on creating any useless “romantic atmosphere.”

Looking at this woman who only had work on her mind, he found himself at a rare loss for words.

But after the photoshoot was done, El found his chance.

He brought out a plate of a specially prepared dish, plated with the utmost care, his intentions practically written on the plate.

If Jiang Yanlin continued to pretend she didn’t understand, it would be out of character.

She cringed internally, wondering how to react with just the right amount of indifference, when she heard the glass door being pushed open.

A not-so-unfamiliar voice sounded from behind her:
“What’s this? You’re launching new dishes and didn’t invite me?”

Jiang Yanlin paused and turned her head.

The young miss was wearing a white shirt today, still with no makeup on.

A cigarette was pinched between her fingers as she leaned casually against the bar, looking both relaxed and bold.

But for some reason, Jiang Yanlin found her more pleasing to the eye than ever before.

‘And it’s definitely not because she’s good-looking. ’