Chapter 75

Over the past few days, Su Yue had hardly seen any in-person customers. Most of her business had shifted to online orders.

When the three of them walked in, the shop door was half-open and the main room was empty. Yu Nianyi glanced around, and Xi Yao’s voice sounded beside her. “Why is nobody here?”

They took a few more steps forward, and not far away, Su Yue was sprawled lazily on a sofa, taking a break.

Yu Nianyi gave a very deliberate cough. Su Yue lazily opened her eyes and spotted the three of them at once. She pushed herself up on one arm and stood. “Happy New Year to the three of you.”

Xi Yao walked over with a grin, first sizing Su Yue up and then looking around the shop. “This is really nice. I like your style.”

Luo Yiran was meeting Su Yue for the first time. Unlike Xi Yao, who had heard about her often through Yu Nianyi and caught the occasional glimpse of her in videos, Luo Yiran only nodded slightly and said, “Happy New Year.”

Su Yue came up to them and winked at Xi Yao. “I like people with taste like you. Take whatever you want; I’ve got plenty of really good stuff here.”

Xi Yao’s eyes lit up. She said without the slightest politeness, “Really? Then I won’t be shy.” As soon as she finished, she wandered off on her own and started browsing from the nearest shelf.

Su Yue stayed where she was, looking at Yu Nianyi, then at Luo Yiran standing silently beside her and occasionally glancing toward Xi Yao. Then she suddenly laughed. “Pretty girl, I’m Su Yue. I’m guessing you’re Xi Yao’s girlfriend?”

Luo Yiran withdrew her gaze and met Su Yue’s eyes. She smiled gently. “Yes. I’m Luo Yiran.”

Su Yue drawled an “oh.” Not far away, Xi Yao looked over at the three of them and said proudly, “Isn’t my girlfriend super pretty?”

Su Yue subconsciously looked her over again. Luo Yiran had a youthful, gentle face; she was the type who made people feel comfortable, and somehow even a little familiar. Su Yue nodded in agreement. “Pretty. You’re both pretty.”

Luo Yiran smiled and thanked her, then turned to head over to Xi Yao.

Although Xi Yao and Su Yue had only met a few times, for some reason their personalities clicked perfectly. Every time they saw each other, there wasn’t the slightest awkwardness. Xi Yao also found plenty of things while browsing, picking up quite a lot from the shop. Of course, Su Yue gave her the same things she had previously recommended to Yu Nianyi, along with a separate gift for Luo Yiran as a first-meeting present.

Once they’d looked around enough, the four of them tidied up and closed the shop before going out for dinner.

“At the very least, I should be the one treating you all,” Xi Yao said with an easy grin. “I’ve taken a lot of things from your shop, and we’ve got our Yu-jie here acting as our guide…”

Yu Nianyi clicked her tongue. “Hey, hey. No need to be polite at a time like this. I was supposed to treat anyway; you and Luo Yiran are just having a meal with Su Yue.”

Xi Yao answered immediately, without even thinking. “Fine.”

Su Yue’s car wasn’t far from the shop entrance; it was only a few steps away, and soon all four of them were seated inside.

Su Yue got into the driver’s seat and drove straight onto the main road. There were still plenty of cars out, and before long they were stuck in traffic.

“The thing I gave you earlier works especially well. If you think it’s good, let me know; I’ll give you some more when the next shipment comes in.” Su Yue glanced at the rearview mirror. Xi Yao and Luo Yiran were sitting in the back.

Xi Yao took out the black gift box, and Luo Yiran looked over with her. Xi Yao said, “This one?”

Su Yue said, “Yes. I gave Yu Nianyi a set too, but she probably hasn’t used hers yet.”

Yu Nianyi crossed her arms and made a hmph sound. “Who said I haven’t used it?”

The car fell silent for a few seconds. Su Yue’s eyes widened in surprise. “You used it?”

Xi Yao leaned forward, resting against the front passenger seat. “With whom? Don’t tell me it was my sister?”

Yu Nianyi nodded, smiling brightly. “Of course. Sister Xi Yu only left this morning.”

Xi Yao let out a wow and slowly leaned back into her seat.

The traffic ahead finally began to ease. Su Yue lightly pressed the accelerator. “When you came back, you said you two were fighting. And now you’re already all sweet and sticky?”

Xi Yao lifted her head again and shook the thing in her hand. “Fighting? What fighting? Did my sister make you unhappy?”

Luo Yiran tugged at Xi Yao’s hand. “Sister Xi Yu is very steady. She probably wouldn’t.”

Yu Nianyi said, “Ah—it wasn’t Sister Xi Yu. It was someone else, but it’s fine. That’s all in the past.”

“What about my stuff? Pretty good, right?” Su Yue asked.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xi Yao and Luo Yiran both turned to look at Yu Nianyi in unison. Yu Nianyi nodded, putting on a serious face. “Not bad.”

Su Yue couldn’t help laughing. “Thank you for the expert review, Master Yu. I’ll keep working hard.”

The restaurant Su Yue had chosen wasn’t far away. They drove only a short while before arriving.

It happened to be the dinner rush, and the place was packed. Yu Nianyi had originally thought they would have to wait for a table, but Su Yue knew the owner and had called ahead to reserve a private room.

“This place only opened recently. Business is great, and the food is really good; it’s the kind of place you can keep coming back to.” Su Yue pushed open the private-room door and glanced sideways at Yu Nianyi. “I think the dishes are on par with Auntie’s.”

Yu Nianyi raised her brows, suddenly interested.

The four of them took their seats. Su Yue ordered very quickly, while a server beside them poured water.

“But why didn’t you stay a few more days? You could’ve shown them around.” Su Yue smiled. “And let me see what your Sister Xi Yu looks like; I’m way too curious.”

Xi Yao waved a hand. “My sister’s personality is a little cold, but her looks are beyond question, and she has this natural presence.”

Yu Nianyi curved her eyes.

Luo Yiran added, “Yes. She’s very attentive and always knows how to keep her distance appropriately.”

The corners of Yu Nianyi’s mouth lifted even higher.

Su Yue glanced around the table, then looked at Yu Nianyi.

Yu Nianyi grinned like she was about to show off a treasure she’d been hiding for a long time. She held up her phone and unlocked it. “I’ve got photos of Sister Xi Yu, and I have a portrait of her too.”

Su Yue gave a soft exclamation and leaned closer as Yu Nianyi tilted the screen toward her. Yu Nianyi said, “Look; isn’t she super, super pretty?”

On the screen was an extremely clear oil painting. The background was dark blue, and the woman in it sat upright on a sofa, hands folded together. Every strand of hair looked carefully arranged, lying neatly in place. Looking closer, her expression was calm and quiet, but the gaze she turned on others carried real weight; even from across a screen, she was impossible to overlook.

Su Yue studied it for a while. “So that’s what she looks like. She really is beautiful.”

Yu Nianyi smiled again and quickly scrolled through the photos, showing Su Yue another picture of Xi Yu taken at a resort.

Su Yue blinked, then exclaimed, “This one has such a strong presence. The first thing you notice isn’t even her face; it’s the overall vibe she gives off. And her skin is so fair, too—her features are incredibly distinctive.”

She looked back at the painting and continued, “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but the one in your painting feels a little gentler.”

Xi Yao and Luo Yiran exchanged a smile. Xi Yao laughed and said, “That was probably when she and my sister were still in the ambiguous stage, so of course there were pink bubbles everywhere.”

Yu Nianyi lowered her head and habitually opened Xi Yu’s chat window. She subconsciously tapped Xi Yu’s avatar once, then locked the phone. “What a pity. We could’ve stayed one more day today, but Sister Xi Yu said something came up at home, so we had to come back first.”

Xi Yao nodded. “I don’t know the details, but my parents rushed back from abroad yesterday. It should’ve been for my sister. Normally, they wouldn’t come back until another week had passed.”

Yu Nianyi sighed and said nothing.

The dishes were served just then. Su Yue had ordered eight dishes and one soup; there were meat dishes and vegetable dishes alike, and everything looked incredibly appetizing.

As expected of someone who had lived in Lincheng for years, Su Yue had excellent taste. Almost every dish suited their preferences, especially Xi Yao and Luo Yiran, who both loved spicy food and were eating with great relish.

Yu Nianyi’s phone rang beside her. She put down her chopsticks and picked it up to look. The screen flashed with a message from Xi Yu, and her eyes lit up instantly. She hurriedly swiped it open.

[Xi Yu: Just finished up.]

[Xi Yu: What are you doing?]

Yu Nianyi gave a couple of happy little laughs and shook her foot again.

[Yu Nianyi: Eating.]

[Yu Nianyi: Xi Yao and Luo Yiran came to find me, so we ended up having a meal with Su Yue.]

[Xi Yu: All right. Want to video call?]

Yu Nianyi glanced at the three people in front of her, who were all talking animatedly. Su Yue was the first to notice and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Nianyi smiled. “I’m going to video call Sister Xi Yu.”

Su Yue and Luo Yiran had no objections. Xi Yao said nothing either; she just adjusted her posture and looked toward Yu Nianyi.

The call connected, and Xi Yu was at home. She was sitting on a black sofa, still in the shirt she had worn during the day. Her expression was calm; only when she met Yu Nianyi’s eyes did she curve her lips slightly.

“What are you eating?” Xi Yu brought the phone a little closer, making the face on the screen seem even nearer.

Yu Nianyi glanced at the table and smiled. “Mapo tofu, boiled fish, spicy crab, stir-fried beef, rib soup, garlic shrimp, mixed spinach, stir-fried winter melon, and braised eggplant.”

Su Yue narrowed her eyes and mouthed to Xi Yao and Luo Yiran, She’s reciting the menu.

The two of them laughed and nodded in agreement.

Xi Yu’s brows curved slightly. “All spicy dishes.”

Yu Nianyi said, “Yeah. But I just looked through the menu, and there were other signature dishes on the lighter side. Next time Sister Xi Yu comes, I’ll take you to try them.”

Xi Yu nodded and said okay.

Xi Yao, who was sitting beside her, dragged her stool over and leaned toward the screen. “Sis.”

Xi Yu answered with a hum and asked directly, “When are you going home?”

Xi Yao glanced at Luo Yiran beside her and said, “Tomorrow. I’ll go back tomorrow.”

“If the timing works out then,” Xi Yao paused and said softly, “I want to go home with Luo Luo to wish Mom and Dad a Happy New Year.”

Luo Yiran also moved closer and greeted Xi Yu.

Xi Yu neither agreed nor disagreed. She only said, “Maybe a little later. Mom and Dad have been busy lately; they may not even be home.”

Xi Yao nodded. “I know. I’ll handle it.”

The private room fell quiet for a moment. Yu Nianyi coughed lightly, turned the camera fully toward herself, and smiled. “Sister Xi Yu, I happen to want to introduce you to Su Yue. She’s my childhood friend, the one I told you about before.”

As she spoke, she pointed the camera at Su Yue. Su Yue said hello and looked at Xi Yu on the screen.

Xi Yu also said hello, and thanked her for the things she’d given before.

Su Yue was a little surprised, but she smiled back politely. “I’m glad you liked them.”

Yu Nianyi took the phone back with a grin. The other three all sat back in tacit understanding and watched her.

“Has Sister Xi Yu eaten yet?” Yu Nianyi asked.

Xi Yu leaned back fully into the sofa. Her eyes and brows lowered as she looked at Yu Nianyi for a while before saying, “I have.”

Yu Nianyi swayed her foot again and pressed her cheek closer to the screen. “You ate so early.”

Xi Yu gave a quiet hum. Resting her face on one hand, her arm draped over the back of the sofa, she gazed at Yu Nianyi. Unlike before, her voice sounded lighter now, softer and more pleasant, as if it had lost a bit of its distance.

“I ate at home with my parents. There were a lot of people, and the food wasn’t good.”

Yu Nianyi blinked, suddenly anxious. “Then should I order takeout and have it sent over to you again? I remember Aunt Wang’s place is open for the New Year.”

Xi Yu curved her eyes and smiled silently. “No need. I don’t have much of an appetite today.”

Yu Nianyi’s head drooped immediately. “If I were next to Sister Xi Yu, I could make something for you.”

Xi Yu rested her arm flat against the sofa again. “Mm. Then I probably would eat a lot.”

“Even if you don’t have an appetite, you still have to remember to eat some fruit,” Yu Nianyi reminded her. She subconsciously glanced at the calendar and sighed. “It’s already the fourth day of the New Year. Should I go to Jiayang early?”

The three people listening in secretly looked at one another; each of them wore the same, full-of-dog-food expression. Su Yue even clicked her tongue twice, quickly took a sip of water, and turned back to her phone.

“Mm, either way is fine. When you come, send me a message in advance, and I’ll pick you up.”

Yu Nianyi didn’t answer right away. Thinking of how Yu Lan had kept saying she should stay home longer this year, that even leaving on the seventh felt too early, she had complained to her for quite a while.

Xi Yu seemed to notice her hesitation and said again, “Maybe spend a little more time with Auntie. Lincheng isn’t far from Jiayang; I’ll keep in touch with you anytime.”

Yu Nianyi nodded. “Okay. Then I’ll go in three days.”

Xi Yu said all right. After another glance at the screen, she suddenly said, “Someone’s calling me. You all eat first.”

Yu Nianyi said okay, and the others also said their goodbyes. Then Xi Yu hung up.

Once the call ended, Su Yue looked up from her phone and said with a wow, “As expected of people in love. So clingy.”

Xi Yao also looked a little dazed. She glanced at Yu Nianyi, and after a moment said, “Why do I feel like the way my sister talks to us and the way she talks to you are completely different? Even when she’s saying ordinary things, it just feels different.”

Yu Nianyi laughed and said, “Jealous? That’s nothing. She’s already being very restrained.”

Su Yue cried out, “You’re the one being restrained.”

Luo Yiran burst out laughing and said, “So sweet.”

Xi Yao pitched her voice up too. “Sweet enough to make my teeth hurt.”

Su Yue joined in immediately. “So sweet it’s making me want to date too.”

TL Note:

dog food (狗粮) = internet slang for being “fed” by other people’s public affection, i.e. feeling secondhand sweetness from a couple.