Jiejie, Help Me Please Chapter 5 | AmeriLatte - Lesbian Collections & Translations

Jin Hanshuang took Lu Yunshu on a leisurely stroll through the park.

The night breeze swept over them, blowing Lu Yunshu’s long hair, along with its gentle fragrance, towards Jin Hanshuang.

Then, Lu Yunshu tied her hair up.

She used the hair tie on Jin Hanshuang’s wrist because she forgot to bring her own.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They fell into a rhythm, discussing what they should.

The person Lu Yunshu liked.

It was mainly Jin Hanshuang who brought up the topic, like a military advisor who was diligently investigating the enemy.

“Have you liked her for a long time?”

“Yeah.”

“If you knew her for so long, why didn’t you confess before?”

“I haven’t had the chance.”

“Chance? What do you mean?”

“She had…someone with her.”

“Ah~ So they recently broke up?”

“Yeah, it’s over.”

“Really? If they were together for so long, it seems like they had a decent relationship.”

Lu Yunshu stopped talking.

She didn’t know how to respond to that.

Jin Hanshuang thought the younger woman was feeling down, so she comforted her. “Ai-ya, it’s no big deal. They broke up anyway so she should look forward to the future. Look forward to you.”

Lu Yunshu laughed softly and said nothing.

After seeing her smile, Jin Hanshuang changed the subject. She brought up an important question, “I forgot to ask—does she like women too? You didn’t fall for a straight girl, did you?”

The smile on Lu Yunshu’s lips deepened, and she shook her head. “No, she’s not.”

Jin Hanshuang nodded knowingly. “Good.”

And that was it.

Their conservation came to an abrupt halt.

After a while, Lu Yunshu picked it up again.

“Does Shen Wenxin…visit?”

Starting a topic using her archnemesis.

It shouldn’t have happened—just bringing her up was depressing—yet somehow, it was the most fitting topic for now.

Would Shen Wenxin come? Suddenly appear?

Would she be scared to death when she saw Lu Yunshu and Jin Hanshuang walking together?

Would she accuse Jin Hanshuang of associating with Lu Yunshu?

Jin Hanshuang continued smiling. “She comes here when she doesn’t want to live alone and doesn’t want to stay with her friends or go to her uncle’s house. Oh, you should know her uncle is—”

“Her biological father.” Lu Yunshu finished Jin Hanshuang’s sentence for her.

That’s right. Shen Wenxin was not the biological daughter of the chairman, Shen Minghai. She was adopted by Shen Minghai from his brother.

Because Shen Minghai couldn’t have children, and he wanted a smart child.

Coincidentally, Shen Wenxin was very smart. She just so happened to carry the Shen family bloodline, and she had been clever since she was a child.

In their circle, it wasn’t much of a secret anymore.

Jin Hanshuang nodded with a smile. “Wenxin usually lets me know before she comes over, so you don’t have to worry about running into her.”

Lu Yunshu nodded.

“Time flies so fast,” Jin Hanshuang suddenly sighed, looking up at the moon hanging in the sky. “Back when I first met the two of you, you were still studying in high school. But in the blink of an eye, you’ve become bigwig CEOs, capable of handling things on your own.”

She continued somberly, “You’ve both changed a lot, but also not at all. For example, you’re still afraid of the dark.”

Lu Yunshu blinked, the corners of her lips slightly curved as she quietly listened.

Jin Hanshuang’s memories slowly drifted back to those days, to that night which had left a deep impression on her.

“I remember that day, the streetlights were broken, and you wanted to walk with me. But you were too embarrassed, so you secretly followed me home.”

Lu Yunshu’s voice was tinged with embarrassment. “I didn’t secretly…”

“Huh? Really?” Jin Hanshuang’s tone was full of teasing laughter.

Lu Yunshu fell silent, then sighed. “Okay, yes.”

She couldn’t help but look at Jin Hanshuang, her eyes sparkling. “So you remember it clearly.”

Jin Hanshuang’s lips curled, the smile on her face becoming lazy and a little naughty. “Yes, I remember it very clearly. Especially your expression.”

It was the day she found out Lu Yunshu was afraid of the dark. It was also the day this kid found out that she had a lover—that she was a lesbian.

Lu Yunshu: “…”

She slowly averted her gaze, looking straight ahead.

That day, she must have looked very surprised.

It was the first semester of her third year of high school, a beautiful weekend evening before the autumn cold had fully set in.

Lu Yunshu had gone out with her classmates during the day. Now, as she made her way back home, she found herself once again at the entrance of the long alley that led to her community.

The alley glowed under the soft, orange hue of the streetlights, painting the narrow path in a warm glow. The branches and leaves of plants she had never studied lazily hung down from above, rustling softly in the cool breeze.

With her school bag on her back, she walked past a white wall covered with stretching vines.

The next second, the light above her head suddenly went out, and darkness engulfed her.

She froze in her tracks, not daring to move.

A faint breeze drifted through the darkness, brushing against her limbs and seeping into her bones.

Her ability to think shut down.

After a few seconds, she forced herself to gather her strength and slowly look around. The lights in the residential buildings were all working, it was just that the streetlights had gone out.

“…”

Of all times, they broke now.

There was light ahead. The streetlights further down were probably still working.

Hearing the lively sounds from the surrounding residential buildings, Lu Yunshu felt a flicker of courage in her heart. She steeled herself, gripped the shoulder straps of her school bag, and dashed toward the light ahead.

Just find the light. There’s nothing to be afraid of in the dark.

She comforted herself.

The bright light was just ahead of her. She hurriedly stepped into the light, then…stopped.

Under the dense branches and leaves, beside the mottled white wall, she saw—Jin Hanshuang.

She recognized Jin Hanshuang. This was the woman who had just moved in to take care of Shen Wenxin. She was Shen Wenxin’s new mother, a very beautiful woman.

Shen Wenxin seemed to have a pretty good relationship with this stepmother.

But Jin Hanshuang was not alone. There was another woman in front of her.

They stood intertwined, the woman holding Jin Hanshuang and Jin Hanshuang holding the woman. One of Jin Hanshuang’s hands gently moved up and down the woman’s back, the other stroking the woman’s head, as if comforting her.

The woman whispered something in her ear, then quickly gave her a kiss—a kiss on the mouth.

Lu Yunshu watched as Jin Hanshuang’s lips curled into a slight smile, without any trace of anger. She even—She even returned the woman’s kiss, gentle and sweet.

The little Lu Yunshu was stunned.

What was going on?

Was this…an affair?

Shen Wenxin’s stepmother was having an affair, with a woman.

With…with a woman??

It was too much to process.

Lu Yunshu’s brain exploded on the spot.

She stood rooted in place, unsure what to do.

At that moment, Jin Hanshuang recognized her.

Surprise flashed across the older woman’s face. But just as quickly, it settled into a deep and composed calmness.

Lu Yunshu watched as Jin Hanshuang asked the other woman to leave first. She watched as Jin Hanshuang walked toward her. Then she watched as Jin Hanshuang gave her an apologetic yet exceptionally beautiful smile.

When the older woman spoke, her voice was soft. “Good child, you won’t tell anyone, will you?”

Lu Yunshu couldn’t find her voice for a long time. She didn’t know what to say.

She didn’t even understand why it had to be she—Shen Wenxin’s mortal enemy and archnemesis—who bore witness to this scene.

After a lengthy silence, Lu Yunshu finally forced out an extremely stiff response, “We are not familiar with each other.”

Jin Hanshuang smiled and said, “Even so, you can’t tell anyone about what you saw tonight. This will be our little secret.”

A little overbearing.

Lu Yunshu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Jin Hanshuang added, “If you tell anyone our secret, I will be very sad.”

Lu Yunshu finally spoke up. “If you continue doing this, other people will also be very sad.”

Jin Hanshuang asked, “Who?”

Lu Yunshu: “…”

She said slowly, “Shen Wenxin…and her dad.”

It was unbelievable—she never thought she’d be defending the Shen family one day.

But Jin Hanshuang just laughed when she heard this.

She laughed so freely, without a care in the world.”

“You’re such a good girl,” she suddenly said.

Lu Yunshu: “…?”

It was inexplicable.

“But you don’t need to worry,” Jin Hanshuang said. “No one will be sad.”

“Why?”

“Because our adult world is very complicated.”

“What’s complicated about it?”

“Everything is complicated.”

“…”

What a nonsensical answer. It was as good as saying nothing.

Jin Hanshuang smiled and turned to walk in the direction of their community. “Let’s go home, little friend. The road ahead is a little dark, so I’ll walk you back.”

“Dark?” Lu Yunshu asked. “Are the lights further out broken too?”

“Hmm? You mean the lights behind us are also…?”

“…Yeah.”

“How amazing.”

“…”

Not amazing, just very annoying.

Lu Yunshu looked at the inexplicable woman in front of her again. She hesitated to follow in Jin Hanshuang’s footsteps. Her mind was still replaying the scene she had just witnessed.

What good came out of cheating? When parents cheated, it was the kids who suffered.

But Jin Hanshuang had said that no one would be sad about it…

It was incomprehensible, this complicated world of adults.

Jin Hanshuang was ready to leave, but considering Lu Yunshu’s safety, she decided to wait patiently. After a long time, the child still hadn’t budged a bit. As if she was competing with her.

“If you’re going to be like this, then call your family’s auntie^[1] and have her pick you up.”

With that, Jin Hanshuang turned and strolled away.

But as soon as she began walking, the child began following her. Secretly, cautiously, keeping a bit of distance from her.

Jin Hanshuang heard the footsteps and couldn’t help but smile at herself. She thought that this kid was pretty funny, but she didn’t turn back to expose Lu Yunshu. She just continued walking straight ahead.

When they approached the darkness, Jin Hanshuang felt the person behind her suddenly drawing closer, still keeping a distance but walking much faster.

It was almost like…fear.

“Are you afraid of the dark?” Jin Hanshuang asked, not turning around.

Leaving the question in the air, Jin Hanshuang continued walking.

After a while, she heard the child behind her respond softly, “Yeah.”

Lu Yunshu finally compromised with a single affirmation.

Then she said, “Don’t tell Shen Wenxin. This is also a secret between us.”

She was worried that if Shen Wenxin found out, her archnemesis would think she was a coward. She was afraid that Shen Wenxin would laugh at her. Just thinking about it made her angry. Shen Wenxin must not know!

She heard the voice of the person in front of her say gently, “Then follow me closely.”

Later, Jin Hanshuang took the initiative to exchange their contact information.

“If you ever find yourself in a situation like this again and your family’s auntie isn’t around, you can call me and I’ll come pick you up,” Jin Hanshuang said. “Just consider it a thank-you for keeping my secret.”

At the time, Jin Hanshuang really thought that Lu Yunshu’s housekeeper was not around, so Lu Yunshu chose to follow her.

In reality, Lu Yunshu just wanted to get home quickly.

But Lu Yunshu never expected that Jin Hanshuang, even to this day, would remember her—Lu Yunshu’s—secret.

Her brows and eyes were filled with gentle joy.

How could she not be happy when the person she liked still remembered a promise they made in her youth?

“So,” she asked, “has Shen Wenxin always known?”

“Hmm?”

“That you like women.”

“Yeah.”

Shen Wenxin wasn’t bothered.

She didn’t care about Shen Minghai’s or Jin Hanshuang’s love lives. She only asked that they never bring their respective partners to irritate her.

Even back then, the teenage Shen Wenxin only said:

Date whoever you want, just don’t bring them home.

At the time, Jin Hanshuang thought, This kid is pretty cool and accepting.

“So…did Shen Minghai also know?”

It was a very knowing question.

The answer was an open secret among those who knew the Shen family, the kind of secret that everyone was aware of but never said out loud.

But Lu Yunshu couldn’t help herself.

She couldn’t stop herself from asking, from wanting to know why—why Jin Hanshuang chose Shen Minghai and why Jin Hanshuang didn’t get a divorce.

Her feelings had been frozen solid for a long time because of Shen Minghai’s presence.

Jin Hanshuang curved her lips but didn’t answer.

Everything was implied without words.

Lu Yunshu couldn’t help but push further. “Why did you get married in the first place?”

Hearing this, Jin Hanshuang smiled briefly.

She finally said, “President Lu, we are talking a little too deeply.”

Silence.

After a moment, Lu Yunshu lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

What could she do?

They weren’t even familiar enough to speak freely with each other.

Lu Yunshu returned home with a heart that had been forbidden to cross an invisible line.

She lay in bed, silently looking at the black hair tie on her wrist.

It was Jin Hanshuang’s hair tie.

She had forgotten to return it when she left.

Jin Hanshuang hadn’t asked for it either, as if she’d forgotten about it as well.

Her phone kept buzzing with message notifications.

It was from her group chat with her friends. They were all talking about her and Jin Hanshuang, mainly about the question of boundaries.

[Fan Jia]: It’s not abnormal when you consider everything. After all, the two of you weren’t close before. You couldn’t even call each other friends.

[Le You]: But she accepted the gift, which is very promising. It shows that she’s not rejecting your approach.

[Fan Jia]: Right, today she accepted a gift, tomorrow you will become friends.

[Fan Jia]: And after that, girlfriends!

[Fan Jia]: Finally, tie the knot!

[Xiao Fanfan]: Marriage!!!

[Le You]: Marriage!!!

Lu Yunshu: “…”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

These three have had even less sense of boundaries than she did.

[Xiao Fanfan]: Stop sulking, get married @Lu Yunshu

[Le You]: Stop sulking, get married @Lu Yunshu

[Fan Jia]: Stop sulking, get married @Lu Yunshu

[Lu Yunshu]: Be serious.

[Lu Yunshu]: Can’t get a marriage certificate.

[Xiao Fanfan]: She’s only saying that same-sex couples can’t get a certificate.

[Le You]: She’s so in love.

[Fan Jia]: I bet she already thought of the wedding venue.

[Le You]: And figured out where to go for the honeymoon.

[Xiao Fanfan]: But has she thought about getting Shen Wenxin to call her ‘mom’?”

[Fan Jia]: Hahahahahahahaha Shen Wenxin is going to call the police!

Lu Yunshu couldn’t win against them, so she set down her phone with an amused smile.

After her friends’ playful teasing, the gloom that had hung over her seemed to lift, and she had a new goal: Since she couldn’t become Jin Hanshuang’s girlfriend right away, she would start by becoming friends.

A friend who she could talk to more deeply.

A friend who she could talk to about everything.

Slowly and surely, step by step.

Now that the gift had been given, what should she do next?

Lu Yunshu picked up Jin Hanshuang’s black hair tie again, staring at it in silence.

After a while, she set down the hair tie. Picking up her phone, she opened her rear-view camera and took a picture of the accessory.

Then she opened Jin Hanshuang’s WeChat and sent the picture.

[Sorry, I accidentally took it with me.]

She waited until Jin Hanshuang’s status changed to: Typing…

[Jin Hanshuang]: You can keep it.

[Jin Hanshuang]: Just consider it something I’m exchanging with President Lu.

[Lu Yunshu]: Exchanging for what?

There was another pause.

[Jin Hanshuang]: This.

[Jin Hanshuang]: Sent Image.

It was a selfie.

She sat poised before the vanity, her reflection captured in the mirror’s polished glass. The black halter-neck gown she wore clung to her form, its pearl accessories catching the light. Soft, voluminous curls cascaded over her shoulders like a dark waterfall, a single crescent tassel dangling from her exposed ear.

In the mirror, her eyebrows lifted in a lazy, almost teasing smile, and her eyes gleamed brightly, full of warmth and hidden laughter.

Jin Hanshuang had specifically chosen an outfit to match her earrings. When Lu Yunshu texted, she was already happily admiring herself in the mirror. On a whim, she shared the picture with Lu Yunshu, seeking confirmation of her aesthetic taste.

Lu Yunshu stared at the selfie for a long time without moving. After a while, she stretched out her finger and cautiously saved the image. Then she pressed on the voice message function and parted her lips.

Jin Hanshuang saw the voice message appear.

She casually pressed on it.

“You are very beautiful.”

Jin Hanshuang was stunned.

It was a very simple compliment, just four words long.

But it was said in an incredibly gentle tone, with the hint of a smile.

And coupled with Lu Yunshu’s inherently mature and pleasant voice…

Tsk, tsk.

[Jin Hanshuang]: I like your voice.

[Jin Hanshuang]: Send more—

She had typed too quickly, accidentally sending the message before she could finish.

She continued to type but was interrupted by three voice messages in a row.

“Really?”

“Then I’ll use the voice option more often.”

“Is this okay?”

After listening to these three equally pleasant voice messages, Jin Hanshuang couldn’t help but laugh. With a smile, she finished typing her previous message:

[Send more voice messages to the person you like.]

Wouldn’t such a beautiful voice go to waste if it was not used to flirt with someone?

But then again, Jin Hanshuang never expected this kid to be so honest. She asked for more, and Lu Yunshu really did send her more. What a good girl, this Lu Yunshu.

Lu Yunshu had sent another voice message: “Understood. I will use this voice functionality more often with her in the future.”

Then: “Thank you for your advice, jiejie.”

Jin Hanshuang replayed that last message.

Jiejie.

Her eyes curved.

Such a good girl, this Lu Yunshu.

[I wish President Lu her sweet love soon.]

Lu Yunshu gazed down at the message, staring at her title of address.

President Lu…

She didn’t want to hear Jin Hanshuang call her President Lu.

The translator (AmEricaNo) has something to say:

Thank you so much to all my Ko-fi supporters for the bonus chapter! 🎉🎉