Chapter 61

This was Yu Nianyi’s second time meeting Lin Yan. Lin Yan felt completely different from Xi Yu—easygoing, sharp-eyed, and somehow a little more formidable.

The moment she walked in, her gaze went straight to Yu Nianyi. Yu Nianyi kept her expression unchanged and came in shoulder to shoulder with Xi Yu.

“Long time no see, Nianyi,” Lin Yan said with a smile as she stood and strode over, familiarly taking Yu Nianyi’s hand and leading her farther inside. “Xi Yu just said she was bringing someone over. I thought it over for quite a while, and my gut told me it had to be you.”

Yu Nianyi was guided to sit down. When she looked back at Xi Yu, Xi Yu had already followed and sat down beside her.

“Long time no see, Sister Lin Yan,” Yu Nianyi said.

Lin Yan lifted her brows with a grin and handed the menu to Yu Nianyi. “Take a look and see what you want. Order whatever you like.”

Yu Nianyi took it. The menu was surprisingly heavy, almost like a book.

She lowered her head and flipped through it page by page, hearing Lin Yan ask Xi Yu, “What have you been busy with these past two days? I called you yesterday and you didn’t come out.”

“At home.”

“What can you possibly do at home? I thought you were with Uncle and Auntie.”

“Xi Yao ran off to play, and they’re upset. If I go back at a time like this, who knows when I’d be able to leave again.”

Yu Nianyi had just turned a page when she heard Xi Yu’s words. She subconsciously looked up and, without warning, met Xi Yu’s eyes.

She blinked. “What’s wrong?” Xi Yu asked.

“So Sister Xi Yu already knew,” Yu Nianyi said, pouting a little. Even she hadn’t realized how sweet her tone had gone.

“Mm.” Xi Yu looked at her for a moment, then suddenly raised a hand and touched her ear.

Yu Nianyi stiffened. The dense, ticklish sensation on her ear, together with the searing warmth from Xi Yu’s fingertips, seeped in thread by thread. She looked at Xi Yu and saw that her face held no obvious expression—calm, almost placid.

Following the movement, Lin Yan glanced over and watched for a while without saying anything.

“As long as Xi Yao has a falling-out with the family, the thing she’s liked doing most since she was little is running away from home,” Xi Yu said, her arm resting on the table as she leaned slightly toward Yu Nianyi, though her eyes were on Lin Yan.

Lin Yan pressed her lips together in a smile. “Right, right. Now that you mention it, I remember. Uncle and Auntie have always liked bringing her up whenever they get the chance.”

As soon as she finished, she looked toward Yu Nianyi. “What do you want? Anything you like?”

Yu Nianyi nodded and named two or three dishes. The manager at the door wrote them down one by one.

“But hiding out like this all the time isn’t a solution. Every time there’s a fight, she runs away; that won’t solve the problem either.” Lin Yan took a black case from her pocket and, with practiced ease, pulled out a cigarette and put it to her lips. Just as she was about to light it, she stopped and looked at Yu Nianyi. “Nianyi, do you mind if I smoke here?”

The private room was very spacious, almost empty. The window in the corner had been cracked open, and cold air occasionally slipped in.

Yu Nianyi waved a hand and said it was fine.

Only then did Lin Yan light it, narrowing her eyes as she went on. “At first I thought Xi Yao just liked to mess around. Who would’ve thought that even now, she still hasn’t changed? Turns out she was serious.”

As she spoke, she suddenly looked at Xi Yu, her expression carrying something ambiguous. “You really are a decent older sister. Knowing she hates trouble, you helped her handle it first.”

Yu Nianyi froze. Across from her, Lin Yan leaned back in her chair, cigarette smoke curling in front of her.

“She’s she; I’m me,” Xi Yu said lightly, the corner of her mouth lifting while her gaze remained steady. “Don’t twist it.”

Lin Yan studied Xi Yu for a moment, then stubbed out the cigarette in her hand and suddenly looked at Yu Nianyi. “Dating really does make a difference. You never used to be like this.” As she spoke, she even clicked her tongue. “Showing off in front of me, no less. Honestly... I can’t even look at it... Next time I’ll bring someone too.”

Lin Yan’s stare was far too direct. When Yu Nianyi met her eyes for a moment, it felt as if Lin Yan were talking about her.

“Nianyi really is amazing,” Lin Yan said with a smile. “I can’t even imagine what Xi Yu would look like in a relationship. I was already wondering about it before, and now that I’m seeing her for the second time, everything’s clear.”

Yu Nianyi made a questioning sound and unconsciously looked at Xi Yu, who had been quiet for a while. “Is it that obvious?”

Xi Yu curved her eyes and leaned a little closer to her.

Lin Yan waved it off. “Too obvious. Mostly because I’ve known Xi Yu for so many years, and today’s Xi Yu is just way too obvious.”

Yu Nianyi laughed, her eyes bright.

“Oh my,” Lin Yan cried, instinctively leaning back. “Now that I know you two are dating, at least rein it in a little...”

Xi Yu tilted her head slightly and looked at the menu in front of Yu Nianyi. Yu Nianyi subconsciously wanted to pass it over, but then she heard Xi Yu say, “Their pastries are pretty good. The Napoleon and the soufflé both sell well.”

Following Xi Yu’s cue, Yu Nianyi lowered her head to look. The page had turned to the end, revealing vividly colored, delicately shaped desserts. Her eyes lit up. She had been listening to the two of them talk and hadn’t even looked at the back.

Lin Yan folded her arms and idly played with the lighter in her hand. Across from her, Xi Yu had her head slightly lowered, her eyes never leaving Yu Nianyi beside her. Seeing how interested she was, she immediately raised a hand, and the manager came over on cue.

“I’ll have those two, and another caramel pudding.” Yu Nianyi looked up. “Sister Xi Yu and Sister Lin Yan, do you want some?”

“You eat it,” Xi Yu said.

Lin Yan sighed. “I’ll pass. I can’t handle anything too rich.”

Yu Nianyi gave a sound of acknowledgment, thanked the manager, and handed the menu back.

The manager replied and left.

“So Nianyi likes desserts?” Lin Yan said. “I know quite a few pastry chef friends. They’re no worse than the French chef here. I’ll take you to eat there sometime.”

Yu Nianyi raised a brow; hearing that, she became noticeably more interested. “That would be great. Thanks in advance, Sister Lin Yan.”

Lin Yan smiled smugly and even shot Xi Yu a glance. “Just the two of us, so don’t drag Xi Yu along.”

Xi Yu pressed her lips together, the smile on her face not yet fading as she looked at Lin Yan.

Yu Nianyi also nodded along and answered with a cooperative smile.

The pastries came quickly. Their shapes were distinctive, and the moment they were set down, a rich aroma rose up, tempting enough to make her mouth water.

Yu Nianyi let out a soft exclamation and immediately leaned toward the soufflé, scooping up a bite. She subconsciously glanced at Xi Yu, then was about to extend her arm over when she noticed Lin Yan beside them and awkwardly pulled back.

Xi Yu leaned down first, one hand resting on the back of Yu Nianyi’s chair, and took a bite from the spoon.

“Not bad,” Xi Yu said after swallowing.

Yu Nianyi laughed and went on eating by herself.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Yan talked more about things at home and mentioned that she had to go on a business trip to Shencheng in a couple of days; this time, she’d probably be spending New Year’s there.

Yu Nianyi didn’t say much; she was mostly focused on eating. By the time she was full and her stomach felt pleasantly rounded, it was about time to go.

When they left, Lin Yan hugged Yu Nianyi, then pushed her into the front passenger seat. “Nianyi, be careful on the way back. We already added each other, right? If anything comes up, just message me anytime. If Xi Yu makes you unhappy, tell me too...”

As she spoke, she suddenly looked at Xi Yu with a wicked grin. “I’ll find you someone prettier and better than Xi Yu...”

Yu Nianyi blinked and smiled as she refused. “Thanks, Sister Lin Yan, but no need.”

Xi Yu rested one arm on the steering wheel and watched Lin Yan joke around.

The window slowly rolled up. Outside the car, Lin Yan was still waving goodbye, and Xi Yu had already stepped on the gas and driven off.

Sitting in the car, Yu Nianyi still found it novel. “I didn’t expect Sister Lin Yan to like joking around so much. At first I thought she...”

“You’ll get used to it,” Xi Yu said, clearly accustomed to it. “She always talks like that.”

Yu Nianyi nodded and touched her stomach, letting out a comfortable sigh. “The food was delicious, but it was really sweet.”

Xi Yu glanced at her. “Their desserts are a little different from what we usually like. When we get home, I’ll make you some Pu’er tea to cut the richness.”

Yu Nianyi made an “oh” sound and tilted her head at Xi Yu. “Which home is Sister talking about? My place doesn’t have Pu’er.”

Xi Yu looked ahead and answered with a soft “mm.” “My place.”

“It’s your home too.”

Yu Nianyi grinned and casually rested a hand on Xi Yu’s thigh, poking it with one finger. “Why do I feel like Sister Xi Yu is even better at teasing people than before...”

Xi Yu’s hand on the steering wheel tightened slightly. She lowered her head and glanced at the restless hand on her leg. After a brief pause, she said, “Am I?”

Yu Nianyi nodded and kept poking her leg for fun. “Yeah. Just one casual line and my heartbeat speeds up.”

She smiled, her expression sly. “What if I like you even more because of it?”

Xi Yu turned her head to look at Yu Nianyi. The intermittent neon lights along the roadside spilled across her face, making her pale eyes look even brighter and more dazzling; her lips were red, soft, and glossy. After looking for a few seconds, Xi Yu said, “You’re the one who’s better at teasing.”

Yu Nianyi kept chasing the look in Xi Yu’s eyes as it withdrew, lingering on her seemingly calm profile. “How so? Why can’t I tell that Sister Xi Yu was teased by me at all?”

Yu Nianyi pouted. At times like this, she rather disliked how composed Xi Yu was; happy or unhappy, she always looked the same, and sometimes it was impossible to see any change at all.

The car passed through a traffic light. Xi Yu turned on the signal, changed lanes, and pulled steadily into a parking space by the roadside.

Yu Nianyi froze for a few seconds and looked around. When she came to herself, she saw that Xi Yu had turned off the engine and was bracing herself on the seat, leaning her upper body toward her.

Then came Xi Yu’s face, magnified; the glasses on the bridge of her nose were long gone. Yu Nianyi could see the deep color in her eyes, as well as her own reflection.

The first thing to land on her lips was a cool, soft touch; the next second, something wet and warm surged in, carrying a scorching heat as it chased and tangled around her again and again.

Heat rushed to her face in an instant, and the dampness between lips and tongues was especially clear. She drew in a breath, and then Xi Yu tilted her head and kissed her again.

Xi Yu had changed so much from the way she kissed at the beginning. Yu Nianyi still remembered how passive and awkward Xi Yu had been the first time; the difference between that and the way she now chased after her without letting up was far too great.

Xi Yu pulled back slightly, lowered her eyes, and stared at Yu Nianyi’s face. The tip of her nose was still pressed close to Yu Nianyi’s; after a brief pause, she asked, “How was it?”

Yu Nianyi had been kissed until her lips were faintly pink, soft with heat. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Xi Yu’s mouth, making a soft smack. “Mm.”

She hugged Xi Yu, her nose brushing the curve of Xi Yu’s neck. “I really like it.”

Xi Yu curved her eyes and smiled with her lips pressed together.