Chapter 23

Yu Nianyi slept especially well that night. There was no construction noise to disturb her rest, and no morning bustle from students and cars outside. It wasn’t until ten in the morning that she finally woke, drowsy and unhurried.

She rolled over, swept a hand across the bed, buried her face in the blanket, and let out a satisfied sigh.

A faint fragrance drifted into her nose; it was crisp, distinctive, and unfamiliar in a way that still felt oddly familiar. Yu Nianyi’s eyes flew open, the last trace of sleep gone at once. She sat up abruptly and looked around.

The furnishings and layout were somewhat familiar. It should have been the bedroom with the balcony, but now everything seemed different; the room was smaller, and a pair of glasses sat lonely on the table, both strange and familiar.

Yu Nianyi stared at them for a while, then lowered her eyes to the blanket over herself.

She froze for a long moment, then suddenly grabbed the edge of the quilt and pulled it over her face before flinging herself backward onto the bed. The pure white bedding covered Yu Nianyi’s face completely. The room was quiet for a few seconds, and then a bright, delighted laugh rang out.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes curved as her smile widened, her gaze especially vivid.

She laughed for a long time before finally pulling the blanket down to her shoulders.

Honestly, it had been her own habit of getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night that had helped her. And it was only because the room door could be locked so easily that she’d had the chance to sleep in Xi Yu’s bed.

Yu Nianyi reached a hand to the other side of the bed; it was cold, as if from beginning to end, she had been the only one there.

It wasn’t a big deal for two women to share a bed; it had only been borrowing a place to sleep for one night, and Xi Yu had been far too polite about it. If anything, that only made Yu Nianyi more curious whether Xi Yu was a neat freak or if there was some other reason.

Yu Nianyi got out of bed, picked up the glasses from the table, and pushed the door open to leave.

The living room was empty. Xi Yu’s laptop was still on the table; besides that, there was no trace that she had ever been there.

The smile on Yu Nianyi’s face faded a little. She set the glasses beside the laptop. Noticing that the bedroom door next to her—one she remembered should have been closed—was now wide open, she saw warm sunlight pouring in. On the white, smooth bedspread, a wash of gold had settled into the fabric; beneath the layered mountains beyond the window, it looked like a beautiful painting.

Yu Nianyi walked in, took off her pajamas, and changed into her own clothes.

It was only after she had finished washing up that the sound of the entrance door opening came from outside. Light, measured footsteps approached from far away and stopped at the door to her room.

Yu Nianyi turned around and saw Xi Yu standing straight, no glasses on her nose, her features clear and composed.

“There’s breakfast on the table. Remember to eat,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi pushed off the table and stood up, then hurried over to Xi Yu. Seeing how quickly she came, Xi Yu stopped in her tracks and looked at her questioningly.

Yu Nianyi’s blond hair cascaded down; the wind from her run seemed to still carry its faint, clean scent. She leaned in with a bright smile, her eyes fixed on Xi Yu’s dark, steady gaze. “Thanks for taking care of me last night, Xi Yu-jie. I must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?”

“It’s fine.”

“How could it be fine?” Yu Nianyi frowned in mock complaint and sighed. “How can the host be the one sleeping outside?! I took up half your place, then stole the spot where you sleep, too, and left you nowhere to rest. How could I possibly not feel embarrassed?”

Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked at Yu Nianyi’s animated face and her nonstop chatter, but said nothing.

“Xi Yu-jie is really thoughtful. Next time, we can just sleep together from the start,” Yu Nianyi said with a sweet smile. “I sleep very well.”

The image of Yu Nianyi’s sleeping posture from last night suddenly flashed through Xi Yu’s mind. She lifted her brows slightly but did not refute it.

Her sleeping posture had been bold and unrestrained; her movements casual, even a little too daring.

Xi Yu gathered the expression from her eyes and pushed the image of Yu Nianyi aside.

“Where did Xi Yu-jie sleep last night?” Yu Nianyi asked, tilting her head.

“The sofa.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened slightly, a hint of awkwardness slipping into them. “The sofa must not have been as comfortable as a bed. No matter what, thank you for the trouble, Xi Yu-jie.”

“You’re too polite. They were both about the same; there wasn’t much difference.”

Xi Yu glanced at her phone, which had suddenly lit up in her hand, then said, “I have some work to handle. I’ll have to head back soon. You can use this room with peace of mind; in the evening, go back to the city with Xi Yao and the others.”

Yu Nianyi paused. “What time are you leaving, Xi Yu-jie?”

“Eleven.”

Yu Nianyi gave a soft mm. “Then I’ll go too, okay? Would it be convenient for Xi Yu-jie to give me a ride back to the city?”

Xi Yu lifted her eyelids and gave Yu Nianyi a look. “Do you have something urgent?”

“No. It’s just that once you leave, it won’t be very interesting anymore.”

Xi Yu put her phone back into the side pocket of her pants, resting her fingers lightly against the screen.

The bedroom suddenly fell quiet. The floor-to-ceiling window let in the occasional cold breeze; it brushed over Yu Nianyi’s back in passing, lifting her soft blond hair in waves until it drifted against Xi Yu’s sleeve.

Xi Yu pressed her lips together. Only after the golden strands slowly floated down again did she speak. “Then get ready. We’ll leave at eleven.”

Yu Nianyi leaned against the edge of the doorway, watching Xi Yu’s tall, slender figure leave at an unhurried pace. Her eyes curved, and the smile in them deepened.

-

As for Xi Yu’s departure, Chen Shuo didn’t try to keep her around. Knowing it was work at the company, he only said he’d stay with Chen Ming and play in the resort a little longer, and that Xi Yu should send him a message when she got back.

Xi Yao and Luo Yiran also said they wanted to stay a bit longer; Xi Yao even wanted to take leave and stay one more day while Luo Yiran had no classes on Monday.

Yu Nianyi said she wasn’t surprised. After a quick goodbye, the two of them set off on the road back.

Xi Yu was already someone who didn’t talk much. Now that she was driving, she seemed to talk even less.

Yu Nianyi stared at Xi Yu’s serious, unsmiling side profile and asked, “Xi Yu-jie, sometimes you wear glasses and sometimes you don’t. Are they just plain lenses, or do you only wear them when you need to?”

“They’re prescription glasses. My prescription isn’t high.”

“Oh?”

Yu Nianyi nodded; when she noticed Xi Yu’s gaze, she continued, “Nothing much. I just saw your glasses left on the table when I woke up this morning, and I was wondering if it would be inconvenient for you without them. Hearing that just now, I feel relieved.”

“Mm.”

The resort was still a fair distance from the city. It was noon, and there weren’t many cars on the road.

Through the window, Yu Nianyi could see the mountains growing farther and farther away; beyond the shifting outlines, the corners of a few tall buildings emerged. Every so often, a car would speed past them and then vanish at the end of the main road.

Yu Nianyi said, “It’s such a pity. If I had the time, I should have treated Xi Yu-jie to a meal. You took care of me so much before, especially the time I got drunk, and then last night too; I should have been the one thanking you.”

Xi Yu kept her eyes on the road ahead, her lips parting slightly as she said calmly, “You helped me out before. It’s only reciprocity.”

Yu Nianyi’s face brightened. “Then that means our relationship is closer now. I hope you won’t be too polite with me from now on, Xi Yu-jie.”

Xi Yu looked over. “You too.”

Yu Nianyi gave a puzzled mm, then belatedly remembered what she had just said about inviting her to dinner under the guise of gratitude. She pressed her lips together in a smile, her eyes clear and bright. “My politeness isn’t that kind of politeness. I really do want to have a meal with Xi Yu-jie.”

“It’s involuntary.”

Xi Yu’s fingers moved on the steering wheel. Her neat, clean nails tapped out a steady rhythm, and the quiet car carried the sound of those measured knocks. After a long while, she opened her lips and repeated the four words: “Involuntary?”

Yu Nianyi’s attention had been drawn entirely to those hands on the steering wheel. When she came back to herself, she studied Xi Yu’s expression.

“Meals between friends, or even between sisters, can be eaten anytime; they don’t have to be remembered all the time. But with Xi Yu-jie, I always think of it. I keep wanting to see you again, wanting more time to spend together.” Yu Nianyi leaned toward the driver’s seat and tilted her head playfully to watch Xi Yu’s reaction. “That’s the involuntary feeling I mean.”

“I don’t know if it’s the same thing you mean, Xi Yu-jie.”

Traffic began to pick up on the road. Every few seconds, a vehicle shot past at high speed. Xi Yu overtook the car ahead and kept a proper distance behind it.

Yu Nianyi unconsciously sat up straight. With the support at her back gone, she felt strangely tense, her whole focus fixed on Xi Yu. In the unusually quiet cabin, her heartbeat grew clearer and clearer.

Xi Yu never once looked at Yu Nianyi in the passenger seat. She simply lifted her left hand and adjusted the collar of her black shirt. Yu Nianyi’s gaze followed along; she saw those long fingers pinch the black fabric, the fingertips brushing over the black-and-gold embroidery on the material before the hand returned swiftly to the other side of the steering wheel.

“There’s a slight difference,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi froze, her body stiff in the seat, her eyes locked on Xi Yu’s side profile.

“People are different; naturally, their views are different.” The car slowed a little more; Xi Yu turned the wheel slightly and followed behind the car in front at a measured pace. They would reach their destination soon.

Yu Nianyi didn’t speak. The teasing in her eyes faded some.

So Xi Yu was indirectly refusing her?

“I have something to do today. We’ll eat another time,” Xi Yu said.

Her voice, neither high nor low, echoed through the car. Outside, the noisy blare of horns rose and fell in dull bursts, disturbing the odd atmosphere inside.

The corners of Yu Nianyi’s mouth rose again, uncontrollably this time. Her eyes shone brilliantly, and her smile was vivid. “Okay, then I’ll look forward to next time.”

The car soon reached Xiangyang Community. Xi Yu parked, got out first, then took a gray paper bag with upscale packaging from the back seat and handed it to Yu Nianyi.

Yu Nianyi looked down and saw a black-and-white plaid scarf.

“A return gift for last time.”

Yu Nianyi blinked, gradually remembering the scarf she had deliberately brought more of the first time they met, just to make an opening to approach her. That scarf had been bought casually from a store; the one Xi Yu gave her now looked like a luxury item no matter how she looked at it, and it definitely hadn’t been cheap.

She took it with a slightly awkward motion of both hands, looked at it for a moment, then smiled. “I like the one Xi Yu-jie picked with so much care. Thank you, Xi Yu-jie.”

“You’re welcome.”

“After accepting so many things from Xi Yu-jie, shouldn’t it be my turn next time?”

Xi Yu stood in front of Yu Nianyi, looking at her pale winter face under the bright sun. Her blond hair fluttered in the air, dazzling and captivating, her smile sly yet radiant.

“Goodbye.”