“I really didn’t expect him to have such a scandal.”
“Haha, weren’t you the one who liked watching? Why are you gloating now?”
“I’m just watching it as entertainment while I eat.”
In a small Private Room of a restaurant, four girls sat together, their youthful and energetic voices rising and falling.
“Zhao Yue.”
“Chen Zhaoyue—”
Tang Chaoyun cupped her hands like a megaphone.
“What is it?” Chen Zhaoyue reached out a hand to push her face away, her eyes still fixed on the Smartphone Screen.
“Whatcha lookin’ at? You’re totally ignoring me.” Tang Chaoyun’s face was pressed out of shape like a bun, yet she kept leaning toward Chen Zhaoyue’s hand.
Her eyebrows lifted as her gaze jumped to Chen Zhaoyue’s Smartphone.
“The kid’s… Mama?”
She saw the contact name on the chat box, and her face, which had been squeezing inward, froze.
Chen Zhaoyue glanced at her, let go, and clicked on the file Lin Yiren had sent her.
She hadn’t expected Yiren to remember just because she mentioned the seaside a few times at the dinner table. She had been to Xicheng a few times herself; it was a good place.
Chen Zhaoyue’s lustrous lips curved slightly, like a budding flower in bloom.
Oh? Tang Chaoyun was surprised to see her looking so radiant. Although the Eldest Miss wasn’t the type who never smiled, this kind of tenderness overflowing from the corners of her eyes and that blossoming smile were rare.
Or rather, she had never seen it before.
Tang Chaoyun’s bright black eyes darted around with deep curiosity.
“You’re going to Xicheng to play? Who are you going with?” she asked in a casual tone.
“Mhm,” Chen Zhaoyue’s voice carried a hint of a smile, “Yiren and Xing Yao.”
As expected, that contact name could only be Lin Yiren.
Tang Chaoyun watched her best friend continue scrolling through her phone without looking up, and a guess slowly formed in her heart. She swallowed. Previously, she had joked that Chen Zhaoyue was “prioritizing romance over friends,” but now—
“Zhao Yue, how have things been between you and Lin Yiren lately? You know, that… life of raising a child?” Tang Chaoyun chose her words carefully and whispered in Chen Zhaoyue’s ear.
“Mhm, it’s quite good.” There was no ripple on Chen Zhaoyue’s face as she compared the travel guide with her own memories, considering where to take them.
Did you not hear the gossip in my tone?
Tang Chaoyun pouted. Relying on the tacit understanding between best friends wasn’t working. Whatever, since she didn’t like beating around the bush, she’d just be direct!
“What are you doing?” Chen Zhaoyue suddenly turned her head, startling Tang Chaoyun, who was just working up her resolve.
Chen Zhaoyue really couldn’t understand why this person was leaning in and making faces next to her. Just as she was about to turn back, she saw the girl take a deep breath and slowly move toward her face.
Holy crap! Chen Zhaoyue shuddered. At this distance, they were either going to fight or kiss. Was Tang Chaoyun that desperate?
She flexed her muscles, preparing to give her friend a smack to wake her up.
But Tang Chaoyun stopped, her whisper like a thunderclap in her ear.
“Do you like Lin Yiren?”
Time seemed to freeze on Chen Zhaoyue’s face for a moment. Then, while her lips remained stiffly pursed, emotions exploded in her eyes like fireworks.
A few seconds later, she finally returned to reality.
Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something.
Forget it, what was there to say?
“Yes,” she said. Her tone sounded helpless, but joy radiated from her eyes, and her heart was already sketching that person’s image.
It was like a flower petal landing on her shoulder; when she looked up, the whole tree was in bloom. It turned out that spring had arrived long ago.
“I knew it… Wait, what?!” Tang Chaoyun’s eyes widened like brass bells. She hadn’t expected Chen Zhaoyue to admit it just like that.
And that expression, that tone—how could they belong to Chen Zhaoyue?
“What do you mean ‘what’?” Chen Zhaoyue looked speechless. “Didn’t you ask?”
“I didn’t think you’d just say it.” Tang Chaoyun slumped back into her chair. She wished she could send a message to Luo Qing right this second.
Chen Zhaoyue is going to be in a relationship!
“Then what about her? How does she feel about you?” Tang Chaoyun said excitedly.
“Maybe… a bit conflicted.” Chen Zhaoyue had some idea in her heart, but she couldn’t be certain.
“Conflicted?”
“Mhm. But she won’t get away.” The Eldest Miss didn’t explain much, a brilliant yet dangerous smile appearing on her face.
How terrifying. Is this the confidence of having the child first and falling in love later? Tang Chaoyun shivered.
“But, Zhao Yue, don’t you mind that? You know, that.”
“Which one?”
Tang Chaoyun’s face turned slightly red. She looked at the table for a moment and saw a fruit platter. She picked up a banana from the platter, waved it in front of Chen Zhaoyue, then made a chopping motion with her hand. The banana fell, and what rose in its place was a honey peach.
“Cough, cough.” Chen Zhaoyue choked.
Wasn’t this referring to Lin Yiren’s previous identity?
“Why don’t you look at how you’ve been acting?” Chen Zhaoyue pressed her hand to her forehead.
When Tang Chaoyun met Lin Yiren, she was incredibly enthusiastic, saying “so cute” one moment and “so beautiful” the next.
“Well, she really is cute.” Tang Chaoyun scratched her head sheepishly. Especially the Lin Yiren she saw at the Dance that day; she was simply breathtaking.
“Chaoyun, you’ve already started eating the fruit.” The two girls opposite them, who had been huddled over a small Screen following the big online scandal, finally looked up.
“No, I’m the one who wants to eat it.” Chen Zhaoyue took the honey peach from Tang Chaoyun’s hand.
The washed honey peach was fresh and plump, with crystalline water droplets sliding down its pink-and-white surface.
Chen Zhaoyue took a bite. The peach fragrance overflowed, refreshing her soul.
“No matter what, it’s a honey peach now,” she said to Tang Chaoyun.
***
The meal ended, and the group went their separate ways.
“You can tell me about any new progress later! I’ll give you tons of strategies.”
“Go away. Where would you get experience from?”
Chen Zhaoyue rejected Tang Chaoyun’s request to be her “military advisor” and walked along the sidewalk. A few electric scooters whizzed past her. On the last one was a couple, the girl hugging the boy’s waist.
Chen Zhaoyue’s finger hovered over Xu Shu’s phone number for two seconds before she exited and swiped to her chat with Lin Yiren.
[Are you done over there?]
Not long after, a message came through.
[Mhm, just finished eating.]
Chen Zhaoyue pondered for a moment, her fingers quickly tapping on the Screen.
[Wait there for a bit. I’m coming over.]
[Okay.]
Chen Zhaoyue chuckled and sent a head-patting emoji.
In response, the other party sent a panda emoji.
Chen Zhaoyue didn’t make Xu Shu make another trip; she hailed a taxi to the Mall where Lin Yiren was.
***
She followed the GPS route through the Mall’s revolving doors and immediately spotted the girl sitting on a bench.
The girl was facing away from her. Her long hair fell softly to her waist, and her side profile was fair and beautiful. She was smiling and saying something to someone, revealing her sharp canine teeth.
“Mummy is here!”
Lin Xingyao was leaning on Yiren’s lap. Facing Chen Zhaoyue’s direction, she saw the young woman walking quickly toward them.
Lin Yiren also turned around and waved at Chen Zhaoyue.
Only then did Chen Zhaoyue notice she was holding a string—it was a cat balloon floating in the air.
“Then we’ll be heading out first.” Lin Yiren took Xing Yao’s hand and spoke to Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded.
“Don’t forget the stuff I sent you.” Before the girl in the short skirt and gray socks left, she gave Lin Yiren a “fighting” gesture.
“What stuff?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Lin Yiren lowered her head to brush aside a few strands of long hair and led Xing Yao forward.
Chen Zhaoyue glanced at the pink tips of the ears hidden among the hair and naturally took Xing Yao’s other hand.
“Why are we walking this way?”
“The car is in the underground garage.”
“The balloon is quite cute.”
“Xing Yao wanted to buy it.”
“Mama, let me hold the balloon.”