On the other side of the city, the night was deep.
In the most expensive district of the downtown area, luxury cars were quietly lined up outside an exclusive, members-only high-end nightclub.
Uniformed attendants politely opened car doors, and well-dressed men and women stepped onto the polished marble steps.
As the soundproofed main doors opened, deafening music flooded out like a tidal wave.
The lights were hazy and flickering, shifting between dazzling spots of purple, red, and blue, cutting through the gyrating crowd on the dance floor.
The air was a mix of high-end perfume, alcohol, and a faint, elusive hint of tobacco—opulent and ambiguous.
The VIP booth on the second floor offered an excellent view, taking in the entire dance floor while maintaining a perfect distance.
Su Qinghan leaned back in the soft velvet sofa, holding a half-full glass of whiskey.
Ice cubes slowly rotated in the amber liquid, clinking softly against the glass.
She had changed her clothes.
Earrings adorned her ears, and she wore a simple, black silk blouse with a tight skirt. Her short hair was casually styled with gel, shedding the strictness of the daytime and adding a touch of laziness.
Yet, her face remained expressionless.
Cold and detached, as if separated from the surrounding noise by an invisible pane of glass.
“Qinghan, what are you spacing out about?”
Dai Feng, sitting across from her, leaned in with a smile and gently clinked her glass against Su Qinghan’s.
Dai Feng was a childhood friend of Su Qinghan’s. Her family was in the real estate business, and her personality was flamboyant and outgoing—a stark contrast to Su Qinghan’s coldness.
Su Qinghan didn’t answer, just took a sip of her drink.
The spicy liquid slid down her throat, bringing a burning warmth.
But somewhere deep in her heart, it still felt hollow, as if there was a hole letting cold wind whistle through.
She didn’t know what was bothering her either.
She had dinner with Muyun in the evening, at a Michelin three-star restaurant. Muyun was very happy, smiling the whole time, her eyes curved just like when she was a child.
She talked about interesting things from studying abroad, her plans for the future, and… wanting to stay by her side forever.
Everything was perfect.
Muyun was back, right within her reach. The person she had been searching for over a decade was finally found.
She should be happy.
So why couldn’t she shake off this inexplicable restlessness?
“Hey, looking at your phone?” Dai Feng, sharp-eyed, noticed her phone screen lighting up and leaned in closer with a grin. “Let me guess… did that little Substitute send you another message?”
Su Qinghan’s fingers paused, then she expressionlessly turned off the screen.
“No,” she said, her voice flat.
“Come on, I know you,” Dai Feng scoffed, crossing her legs and swirling her glass. “Even during dinner, I could see you were distracted, glancing at your phone every time it buzzed. Besides her, who else could make the great Miss Su so attentive?”
Su Qinghan didn’t respond, just took another sip of her drink.
Her gaze, however, involuntarily drifted toward the dance floor.
Jiang Muyun was chatting with a few newly acquainted sisters by the edge of the dance floor.
She wore a silver sequined slip dress today, her long hair slightly curled. Under the shifting lights, she seemed to glow.
She was smiling happily, her profile soft, a kind of non-threatening, heartwarming beauty.
Many people around were intentionally or unintentionally glancing her way.
Watching her, the inexplicable restlessness in Su Qinghan’s heart seemed to settle a bit.
Yes, this was the person she should care about.
Muyun.
A girl as gentle and pure as moonlight, the one who had given her the only warmth during her darkest, most helpless times.
As for Yan Yu…
Su Qinghan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
That name was like a tiny thorn, inadvertently pricking her heart.
She remembered the scene she saw in the square this afternoon.
A thin, small girl sitting in a wheelchair, her face pale as paper, looking up at her with timid eyes, as if using all her strength just to call out that “Qinghan.”
And then, being completely ignored by her.
What had she felt at that time?
It seemed like… impatience.
Feeling disturbed, feeling she didn’t know her place, feeling she was… pitiful.
But besides that?
There seemed to be something else. Something she didn’t want to examine deeply or admit.
“Seriously, Qinghan,” Dai Feng’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts, her tone unusually serious. “I think… that Yan Yu’s feelings for you are real.”
Su Qinghan abruptly turned her head to look at her.
Her eyes were cold.
“What nonsense are you talking?”
“I’m not talking nonsense,” Dai Feng shrugged, daring to continue. “I haven’t interacted with her much, but I’ve seen her a few times. The way she looks at you… you can’t fake that.
“That little junior, her heart and eyes are full of you. If you tell her to go east, she’d never dare go west. Give her a little kindness, and she’d be happy for days. If you’re cold to her, she hides away and cries by herself… That kind of emotion can’t be faked.”
She paused, looking at Su Qinghan’s increasingly cold expression, but still spoke the rest.
“Besides, in her current state… her health is ruined, she can’t walk, you dumped her, and she’s almost lost her place to live.
“Even like this, she still thinks of you, still greeted you this afternoon. If that’s not real feelings, then what is?”
Su Qinghan’s fingers holding the glass slowly tightened.
Her knuckles turned white from the force.
Real feelings?
Yan Yu’s feelings for her were real?
She found it laughable.
“What I had with her was just a transaction,” Su Qinghan spoke, her voice cold as ice, each word enunciated clearly. “From start to finish, she needed money, I needed a companion, and she happened to fit. She looked like Muyun, was obedient, didn’t cause trouble, and wasn’t embarrassing to be seen with. That’s all.”
“A transaction?” Dai Feng raised an eyebrow. “A three-year transaction?”
“Three years is short,” Su Qinghan looked away, toward Jiang Muyun’s bright smile on the dance floor, her voice lowering but carrying an undeniable certainty. “The person I truly like is Muyun. It’s always been her.”
“Is that so?” Dai Feng suddenly smiled, a meaningful glint in her smile. “But why do I feel that Jiang Muyun… isn’t as good as you think?”
Su Qinghan sharply turned her head back, her gaze sharp as a knife.
“Dai Feng,” she called her name, a warning in her voice. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“I’m not talking nonsense.” Dai Feng put away her smile, her expression serious. “Qinghan, how many years have we known each other? When have I ever said a single bad word about Muyun in front of you? But some things… an outsider sees clearly. Don’t you think Jiang Muyun has changed since she came back?”
“People change.” Su Qinghan said coldly. “She’s been abroad for so long, some changes are normal.”
“It’s not just changes.” Dai Feng shook her head, lowering her voice. “I heard… she had quite a wild time abroad. Had other girlfriends, more than you can count on one hand. And…”
She paused, as if weighing her words. “Her being so enthusiastic toward you since coming back… don’t you think it’s a bit… too eager? Almost like…”
“Like what?” Su Qinghan interrupted, her eyes even colder.
Dai Feng looked at her for several seconds, then finally sighed and waved her hand. “Forget it, forget it. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Believe what you want.”
She tilted her head back and finished the drink in her glass, setting it down heavily with a soft thud.