The instant Ge Yinling finished biting out the last syllable, Long Qi’s wrist loosened its force, and the vicious energy filling her eyes also slackened. Around them arose intense commotion. Fu Yu’ao frowned: “Yinling, what nonsense are you talking?”

“Nonsense?!” Ge Yinling’s reaction was strong. She laughed coldly while looking at him. “Did you forget who my uncle is? What Long Qi did on that yacht three months ago, the disease she caught—it’s already spread throughout the circle, everyone knows! Otherwise why would I divide everything in the dorm so clearly!”

That last sentence, Ge Yinling turned her head back and said directly to Long Qi, with an expression of “look at the good deed I’ve done.” Wu Yishan’s cup fell from her hand, shattering on the floor with a bang, appearing extremely panicked.

That was the herbal tea cup Long Qi had just drunk from.

The overhead lights burned her entire body hot. She slowly released Ge Yinling’s collar. She hadn’t expected Ge Yinling to know, that Ge Yinling—someone half in the industry—would know. She also heard those four words “everyone knows” in the previous sentence. Her fingers trembled slightly. Ge Yinling took a step closer to her: “Now do you understand why I asked if you slept with Fu Yu’ao?”

“Yinling,” Fu Yu’ao looked at Long Qi’s current state, his chest rising and falling more and more obviously. “Don’t keep talking nonsense.”

“Scared now?” Ge Yinling wiped the tear tracks from her face, with an expression of successful revenge, painful yet satisfying. “Then ask her why her boyfriend left her to study in England and never came back?”

“Hm?” She turned her head back again, looking at Long Qi as if wanting her to respond personally, then suddenly pushed her again. “Because he’s afraid your dirty disease will get on him! I’m afraid too!”

As she was pushed backward, the people around immediately scattered nervously to the sides. Not one of them touched her, not one helped steady her. She braced herself against a table. The people at that table also immediately stood up, all with expressions of horrified unwillingness to be contaminated on their faces. That moment was the true mental torture for her. She’d thought this moment would come sooner or later, but hadn’t expected it to come so quickly and so viciously. Her confidence stripped away, she had no way to deal with Ge Yinling’s intensifying questioning and accusations.

Then, after five or six seconds of nearly suffocating silence, under the direct lights, under everyone’s gazes, she bent down to pick up the phone she’d just dropped.

Without a word.

Only one person walked toward her—Fu Yu’ao. He was preparing to speak, but before he could open his mouth, Long Qi slapped him across the face. Smack—very loud. Fu Yu’ao’s head jerked to the side, his steps also retreating one step, his face full of shock. Ge Yinling stared at her.

The surrounding people muttered and whispered. The atmosphere was oppressive. Long Qi’s hair and the cold sweat at her neck stuck together. Halos, tinnitus, sweating.

“Once, someone ruined my high school years, made me live for three whole years in other people’s gossip,” she said lowly. “Now you’re the second one, Fu Yu’ao, with your self-righteous love.”

She turned to leave, her shoulder heavily brushing against Ge Yinling’s. The surrounding people hurriedly made way for her. Halfway there, she stopped again, standing in the light, steadying her breathing, her chest rising and falling, everyone staring at her.

She pulled a card from her bag: “Server, I’m paying.”

She left the lounge bar, hailed a taxi, went back to the dorm, packed her luggage.

The whole time holding back, packing silently without a word, collecting all her things completely. When the luggage was all packed and she was preparing to leave the dorm, the phone in her pocket rang.

It was Jin Yiken.

After the video call earlier hadn’t connected, this was already the third call in a row he’d made. In this moment, leaning against the dorm door, her eyes painfully red, but forcing herself to hold it in, not letting tears fall, also forcefully suppressing that intense suffocating feeling in her chest. After two dry sobs to completely vent, she steadied her breathing, suppressed her breath, and answered the call.

Holding it to her ear.

“What were you doing earlier?” His voice was low, lazy and light.

“My phone was charging… I didn’t see it.”

“What’s wrong with your voice?”

“It’s the change of seasons these couple days, a bit cold. I caught a cold.”

“Did you take medicine? Want to video call?”

“I took some. Later maybe. I just got home and need to talk to my mom about something. Wasn’t I having a conflict with her before? I’m trying to coax her.”

“…” He considered for a moment. “Alright then. Did you eat dinner?”

“I ate.”

“Good. As long as you’re not going hungry, I’m relieved. If you can’t handle it, call me and I’ll talk to Auntie.” At this point he laughed. “I think Auntie still likes me.”

“Mm. I’m hanging up then. My mom’s calling me—there’s going to be another wave.”

“Alright.”

“Bye.”

After Jin Yiken also said “bye,” she hung up the phone. At the same time, tears fell, but without sound. Just leaning against the door crying silently like this for five or six minutes, then she wiped her tears.

She sniffled once, used her phone to call a taxi, threw the dorm room key into the trash can by the desk, and pushed the door open to leave.

But when getting into the taxi, she ran into that damned Fu Yu’ao again.

He’d rushed back by car and just happened to see her opening the door with her luggage. He immediately pressed down the car door she’d just pulled open and grabbed Long Qi’s arm: “Your boyfriend left you in the country because of that reason?”

“Do you not remember being hit or not remember being cursed at? Get away from me!”

She fiercely shook off his arm, but the car door she’d opened was blocked again by Fu Yu’ao’s hand: “If it’s for this reason, I can’t just ignore you.”

“What business is it of yours!”

“Yes! It is my business! This is exactly what I’ve been regretting all these years. If I don’t get things clear today, I won’t let you go!”

“It’s not!” Long Qi’s anger made the veins at her forehead bulge. She pushed Fu Yu’ao away and answered his first question. “He went to England to study! And just a few days ago he wanted to come back to beat you up! I’m the one who talked him out of it! So watch yourself, Fu Yu’ao. My brain must have been waterlogged to let the middle school you kiss me! A karmic debt!”

Her words all landed harshly. She opened the door and got in the car. Bang—the car door slammed shut with a loud sound. She screamed: “Drive! Now!”

Exploding with anger.

But her head was still fairly clear. She knew returning to Long Ziyi’s place in this state would be too humiliating. She had the driver take her to the residential complex where Long Xinyi’s home was. Wearing a low-brimmed hat, alone, pulling her luggage up to the sixth floor.

Her keychain still had the key to this home. Calculating, her aunt should be working the night shift today. If Long Xinyi had come back from school, he should be the only one home.

After opening the door and entering, she smelled the accumulated takeout odor from the day and almost vomited. She closed the door with her foot, turned on the living room light, and let the suitcase slide on the floor. Seeing light from under the door crack of what used to be her small room, her first instinct was that Long Xinyi had secretly brought someone to tour her room again. He’d hit her sore spot. She opened the door: “Long Xinyi!”

But what hit her face-on was the scent of body wash from a girl who’d just showered. Under the orange-yellow light, the girl was at the bedside reaching behind herself to fasten her bra. The instant Long Qi saw the bare back, she was stunned. The girl called out without turning her head and immediately dove under the blanket by the bed.

“Who! Who!” From the other side, the large south-facing bedroom, Long Xinyi rushed out wearing a short-sleeved shirt and big shorts. “What’s happening!”

Damn.

Ten minutes later, in the hallway outside the apartment door, the motion-sensor light above went dark every minute, and only when her boot knocked against the suitcase body would it light up again with the sound. Long Qi sat idly on her suitcase like this. When the motion-sensor light dimmed for the eleventh time, the door opened. She turned her head. Long Xinyi didn’t open the second security door though. His hands gripped the iron door’s bars as he spoke from inside: “Hey, she’s dressed. Want to come in and sit for a bit?”

“Could you be any more fake-polite?”

Following the direction of her chin, Long Xinyi looked at the unopened security door, then grinned: “No, but how did you suddenly come back? I finally got a chance when my mom’s working night shift. If you were coming back, you should’ve told your brother a few days in advance so I could properly welcome you.”

“First time bringing her home?” She didn’t engage with all that nonsense.

He nodded.

“Girlfriend?”

“No,” he shook his head. “She’s in the middle of breaking up with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend’s a control freak, constantly staking out her dorm. So she’s temporarily hiding out at my place for a while.”

Before Long Qi could react, he immediately added: “Oh right, you two know each other! You saw her back in high school—the one who ran away from home.”

She let out a laugh.

“So from senior year to sophomore year, you chased her for two years, chased until she got a boyfriend, and then after this girl fights with her boyfriend, she comes to stay at your place.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know what that’s called?” Long Qi didn’t wait for Long Xinyi to respond, immediately answering: “A spare tire—the Michelin kind, covered in rolls.”

“The way you put it—can’t men and women have some pure friendship?”

“Pure my ass. If it was pure, why would you bring her home to stay when Auntie’s working night shift?”

This person Long Xinyi didn’t pretend either. He had that gleeful expression of being exposed: “It’s not night shift. My mom’s company organized a trip. She’s gone for a week.”

“I want to talk to that girl.”

She stood up. Long Xinyi immediately exploded like a startled cat, holding the security door: “Let me tell you, Long Qi, last time it was because you screwed things up that I didn’t end up pursuing her. Saying things like if she followed me her life would be ruined. You just love labeling people, don’t you? Just because I’m a bad person means I can’t have the right to pursue true love or what? Acting like such a know-it-all. You’re so great! You’re so great, why doesn’t that Jin Yiken of yours come back to the country to be with you!”

Just like that, ten sentences hammered at her in return. She’d listened to the first few sentences and even felt she might really have been too harsh on Long Xinyi. Hearing the last sentence, anger suddenly flared. She kicked the security door: “Are you insane?! Watch out for her boyfriend coming to beat you up!”

“Hey, this body of meat I have wasn’t gained from just eating. Thanks for your concern. I think you should handle your own business first. Otherwise you wouldn’t be running here. I, Long Xinyi, am the lowest option in your life.”

“If you’re really as tough as you say, then don’t rely on me to make extra money. Don’t come to me when you’re short on cash, don’t come to me when you cause trouble, and don’t bring girls back to sleep in my bed!”

She kicked the security door hard again. She pulled her luggage and left. Long Xinyi had a tough mouth but a cowardly heart. Gripping the security door bars, he shouted: “This house is mine, not yours!”

This provoked Long Qi to turn back and kick the security door a third time: “My mom pays the monthly mortgage!”

After fighting her second battle of the night, her whole body was burning hot.

She went to the convenience store downstairs and bought a bottle of mineral water. At the counter, after paying, she opened it and drank. There was sweat at her collarbone, hair stuck to the side of her neck. Glug glug—she drank the entire bottle. She put the empty bottle back on the counter. After swallowing the last gulp, her whole person finally felt refreshed. Propping herself against the counter edge, she let out a breath. The employee behind the counter stared at her in a daze.

It was no longer the female employee who’d argued with her before about the air conditioning.

After leaving the convenience store, she hailed a car. She told the driver: “Yiming Bay.”

Si Bolin’s apartment had passed its rental period, but her personal belongings and access card were still there. She’d never had time to collect them.

During the elevator’s ascent, she’d considered staying at Jin Yiken’s apartment instead, but thinking about it, she realized that wouldn’t work. That would require explaining to him why she’d moved out of Long Ziyi’s home. In the midst of this thought process, she reached Si Bolin’s floor. She pulled her suitcase out.

At the door, she pressed the door lock password.

Beep beep.

Arms crossed, waiting for the door to open, but it beeped twice, indicating an incorrect password. She bent down and pressed the password again.

Beep beep.

Still wrong.

She figured Si Bolin was too efficient—her things hadn’t been collected yet but he’d already changed the password. Sighing, Long Qi pulled out keys from her bag and inserted them into the lock. But just as she twisted, click—the door suddenly opened, twisted open from inside by someone.

She froze for a moment.

Looking up, she met the gaze of the person inside perfectly. The door opened at an angle. A pale wrist rested on the doorframe edge. The woman wore silk loungewear, tall and slender. Black, soft hair hung at her shoulders. She also wore a slightly puzzled expression. When their eyes met, Long Qi’s legs nearly went weak. She steadied herself against the suitcase. Yan Wenjing was beautiful as a deity. The puzzlement in her eyes transformed into a light smile like seeing an old friend. She spoke her name: “Long Qi?”

God

Damn

That

Si

Bolin

The movie goddess she’d watched and admired since middle school, whose artistic photo backgrounds and angles she’d studied, and later, because of Jin Yiken’s connection, she’d learned a series of view-shattering things. Now the real person stood before her like this, still impacting her with her presence—so intense it felt somewhat unreal. But Long Qi held it together. Mount Tai could crumble before her and her expression wouldn’t change. She just steadied herself at the waist, retreating half a step back: “Hello… sister…”

“Hello, Long Qi.”

Her light smile, upon hearing the word “sister,” transformed into a warm smile like seeing a biological younger sister. She spoke her name again.

This was actually the physique and temperament of a woman who’d just given birth.

The back of Long Qi’s neck was about to go numb, but then stiffened again remembering Jin Yiken. Awkward, nervous, not knowing whether to release her middle school self or stand in united opposition with Jin Yiken. Conflicted to the point her tongue was nearly tied, when from the entrance hall came the sound of high heels, unhurriedly walking from the living room. Through Yan Wenjing’s shoulder, she looked over and saw… Lian Shaozi.

Jin Yiken’s biological mother, Ms. Lian Shaozi, who compared to the tea meeting three months ago, appeared even more heroically elegant.

…

No need to think to know why they’d gathered together.

This was complete disaster. Two women’s negotiation had been crashed by her, a little brat. She felt she’d rushed to the mouth of a volcano. It was even more awkward than not knowing how to position her attitude earlier. The back of her neck stiffened even more severely.

Yan Wenjing wore soft slippers, so as Ms. Lian Shaozi slowly approached, the sound of high heels touching the marble floor was especially crisp, especially enlightening, like gentle war drums. The complete gray high-quality suit dress she wore, the hem just past her knees. As she walked, the fabric’s lines flowed between her knees—comfortable, orderly. Yan Wenjing stepped aside, turned her head back. Long Qi pulled her suitcase and imperceptibly edged toward the wall.

“You came? Long Qi.”

Just like it had been arranged in advance to visit, an elder’s cordial greeting to a relative’s child.

“Hello, Auntie…”

The difference between calling one “sister” and the other “auntie” was a bit awkward, but the atmosphere on the surface didn’t change. Lian Shaozi nodded slightly. Long Qi immediately said: “I previously rented this apartment from Si Bolin. I lived here for a period. I came today to collect my personal belongings.”

“But,” she immediately added, “I just received news from the production team that I need to rush back immediately for a supplementary scene, so…”

“It’s fine. I’ll be here for a month. You can come anytime, Long Qi.” Yan Wenjing interrupted her.

“…Alright. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d already returned. Si Bolin didn’t notify me.”

After speaking, she glanced at Lian Shaozi again, constantly observing expressions. Lian Shaozi was raising her hand to check the time on her wristwatch. Yan Wenjing smiled, her soft fingers gripping Long Qi’s arm: “It’s fine. Being able to see you, I’m both surprised and happy. Xipu mentioned you to me before. I also watched your ‘Cold Cicada’ recently. Very excellent. When we have a chance, let’s have a good chat.”

When Yan Wenjing said this, the smile at the corner of her mouth didn’t fade. She turned her head to look at Lian Shaozi: “She’s really very good.”

Lian Shaozi smiled lightly.

Their relationship was like close friends transcending age limits.

“I have a business meeting at ten.” Lian Shaozi mentioned.

“Alright, then I won’t keep you. Let’s arrange another time.”

Lian Shaozi nodded slightly. The red-soled high heels stepped over the threshold with a crisp sound. Long Qi followed: “I also need to get back to the production team. The car I scheduled has arrived.”

“Long Qi.”

She was called back by Yan Wenjing.

Lian Shaozi was already walking toward the elevator without looking back. Long Qi stopped and turned to look. Yan Wenjing held the door, her forehead lightly touching the doorframe: “Previously, when my child was born, because I couldn’t acknowledge it, I made you bear some rumors on my behalf. I’m very sorry. I’ve always felt I owe you.”

Yan Wenjing actually knew that she knew.

Looking at it this way, the current situation became even more inexplicable. Long Qi paused two seconds before replying: “…It’s fine. It’s all in the past now.”

“Leave contact information? In the future, if there’s anything you need that I can help with, feel free to find me.”

“…”

The elevator was coming up.

“Bolin mentioned something to me before, saying you found something of mine here but hadn’t had time to give it to him yet.” During the process of leaving contact information, Yan Wenjing brought it up. “What was it?”

Long Qi turned her head.

The elevator had almost reached this floor. Ms. Lian Shaozi stood there, the bag hanging on her arm resting motionlessly against her waist. On her finger was a blue zoisite ring. Her middle finger and thumb pads were slowly, methodically rubbing together.

Jin Yiken had said that Yan Wenjing had a blue zoisite ring, and his mother had one too.

So, turning back to look at Yan Wenjing: “Nothing. Actually it was something I left behind, a prop from the production team. I got confused.”

Yan Wenjing nodded.

The elevator opened. Lian Shaozi entered.

…

After leaving contact information, Long Qi was about to leave. After Yan Wenjing waved goodbye to her, she called her name once more.

Her steps paused again. Looking at Yan Wenjing, Yan Wenjing had her arms crossed, smoothing several strands of hair that had fallen at her forehead: “The Jin family’s little daughter… have you gone to see her?”

Long Qi gently shook her head: “Not yet.”

“I see.”

“But I selected gifts for her—a small dress and an early education book. The dress is powder blue.”

Yan Wenjing nodded: “Thank you.”

The Yan Wenjing at this moment was slightly different from the Yan Wenjing of the moment before. Still gentle, still elegant, yet from her eyes, from her wrist movements, one could perceive a trace of sorrow, a trace of deeply hidden inferiority, fleeting in an instant. Long Qi said: “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Long Qi.”

Tonight’s third lodging plan: failed.

Taking the elevator to the underground parking garage, she sighed exhaustedly, beginning to regret having used the money for buying a house to buy a car instead. Now all she had left was this Lamborghini gathering dust in the parking lot. She slowly pulled her luggage toward the parking space, using her phone to search for nearby hotel rooms as she walked.

At the west corridor, a car was slowly driving toward the exit. Passing by her location, the car’s headlights illuminated her figure.

She was focused on comparing the environments of nearby hotel rooms.

Beep—

A car horn sounded.

She turned her head toward the sound. It was a Porsche. The passenger window facing her slowly lowered. Long Qi bent slightly and saw Lian Shaozi in the driver’s seat.

She froze.

“Have you been drinking?”

Lian Shaozi asked her.

“…No.”

“Do you have a driver’s license?”

“Yes.”

Lian Shaozi’s forehead tilted slightly, indicating she should get in the car: “I’ve been drinking. I’ll trouble you to be my little driver.”

“Auntie, I…” Remembering the lie she’d told earlier about going to the production team, she wanted to speak, but Lian Shaozi had already opened the door and gotten out, walking around the front of the car toward the passenger side. The sound of high heels in the parking garage was crisp and alluring.

“Among the hotels in this area, not one has a bed that’s comfortable to sleep in.” She gestured with her chin toward the page on Long Qi’s phone screen, bending to sit in the passenger seat. “My son’s room is empty. That bed was chosen by me—very comfortable.”

The car door closed. Lian Shaozi’s arm rested on the car window as she looked at Long Qi, her middle finger and thumb pads rubbing delicately: “Langzhu Manor Villa Number 68. You don’t need me to turn on the navigation, do you?”

…

…

…

“No need,” three seconds later, Long Qi finally replied. “I know it, Auntie.”