Chapter 8
Xi Yu leaned slightly against the back of the brownish-yellow sofa, her gray suit outlining her figure and sharpening the line of her shoulders. The easy air she’d had at the mall was gone without a trace; seeing her again today, she seemed even sterner and more hard-edged.
She sat motionless with her hands folded over her legs. Beneath her silver-rimmed glasses, her gaze was fixed on the man chattering endlessly across from her; she showed no sign of wanting to speak.
Yu Nianyi walked past at an unhurried pace along the round, hollowed-out wall. The woman inside the partition didn’t even move her eyes, as if the noise outside couldn’t affect her in the slightest.
After passing the two of them and taking three more steps, Yu Nianyi stopped and said to Yang Shuyu and the waiter who’d kept walking ahead, “Let’s sit here.”
The two of them turned at her voice, then glanced at the square table to the left, which was still empty. A hanging lantern cast a faint, warm glow through the air, spilling over the rosewood tabletop. The table was beside the floor-to-ceiling window; the streets of Jiayang at night were fully visible, and it was fairly quiet.
Yang Shuyu didn’t object, and the two of them sat down right away.
The waiter smiled and came forward to ask what they wanted.
Yang Shuyu set down her bag and moved the menu toward Yu Nianyi, but Yu Nianyi waved her off. “Just order whatever you usually get. I’ll have the same.”
Her mind was on the movement at the table behind her; she practically wanted to press her ear against the screen partition, and naturally had no interest in what to eat.
“...Do you usually like listening to concerts? The opera house has a pretty good symphony on lately. I happen to have a few tickets; if you have time, I could...” The man’s voice came clearly from next door, and his meaning couldn’t have been more obvious.
This was a blatant date.
Yu Nianyi frowned slightly; even her always-smiling face had tightened.
“What’s wrong, Nianyi?” Yang Shuyu returned the menu to the waiter and looked up to find Yu Nianyi expressionless.
Yu Nianyi gave a small sound of acknowledgment and shifted how she was sitting, resting one elbow on the edge of the sofa back. “Nothing.”
Yang Shuyu’s lips moved. Looking at Yu Nianyi so close at hand, she hesitated for a few seconds before speaking softly, “These past few days... how have you been?”
“—I haven’t had time lately, sorry.”
Yu Nianyi turned her head slightly, and the blankness on her face eased a little. She drew her gaze back from wherever it had wandered and said to Yang Shuyu, “Same as always. Other than painting at home, I’ve just been going out for walks.”
“Are you going out with Xi Yao and the others?”
“Mm, I’m closer with her.”
“Ever since I met you, you’ve always gotten along very well with her. At first I even thought you two were a couple.”
Yang Shuyu pressed her lips together. She tightened her grip on her sleeves slightly and lowered her head, staying silent for a long time.
Yu Nianyi straightened up instinctively. Of course she understood what Yang Shuyu meant, so she leaned forward and carefully studied Yang Shuyu’s face. “Xi Yao’s a sister-con; she likes younger girls. I’m a year older than her, so that was never possible. You know that. It’s not like people have to like each other to get along in this world. We were just compatible, so we became friends.”
“I really did have feelings for you, Yang Shuyu.”
Yang Shuyu lowered her head even further. After a full half minute, she finally looked up with an ugly expression and forced out a smile. “Okay, I understand. Give me some time to process it.”
Yu Nianyi hummed in response and sensibly said nothing more.
In truth, the reasons were something both of them had vaguely understood for a while now; whether it was Yang Shuyu’s personality or Yu Nianyi’s habit of getting bored with feelings after a while, both had only become more and more apparent with time.
The waiter soon brought the dishes over. Yang Shuyu used going to the restroom as an excuse, and the only person left at the table was Yu Nianyi.
Yu Nianyi looked at the brightly colored dishes on the table and still had no appetite at all. Around her, the faint clink of utensils touching each other drifted through the air.
A rustling sound arose, and the man’s voice once again came through clearly.
“...The silk scarf in this store is nice; the texture is smooth, and it’s top-grade mulberry silk. It even has a landscape painting on it; it’s truly elegant!”
Yu Nianyi blinked and looked at the scarf in front of her to the right. She picked it up and held it open for a look; it seemed to be Xi Huai’s Streams and Mountains in Clear Distance, a painting she vaguely recognized, though only a portion had been used.
"Streams and Mountains in Clear Distance."
“The cropping is good, and the weight is appropriate; the blank space has room to breathe.”
Yu Nianyi froze, surprise flickering in her eyes.
The man clearly paused for a few seconds, then laughed heartily. “I didn’t expect Miss Xi to be so professional in this area; that really is a pleasant surprise. Judging by the way the ink spreads on the scarf, it should be printed by spray dyeing. To achieve this level is already quite good.”
Five seconds of silence passed. Yu Nianyi vaguely heard the sound of a cup brushing against the table, and then Xi Yu’s cool voice rang out. “Mm. The water diffusion is ideal.”
Yu Nianyi mulled over Xi Yu’s somewhat hard-to-follow wording and only belatedly realized that this was probably a very good evaluation.
The surroundings were obviously much quieter now; the man was somewhat unable to keep up with Xi Yu’s sharp remarks. It was difficult to continue the conversation, and the two of them fell into deadlock.
So Xi Yu really was this merciless and sharp when dealing with things she didn’t want.
Yu Nianyi clicked her tongue and suddenly thought of her own subtle teasing and flirtation from before.
“...No wonder you graduated in engineering; your way of thinking is different.” After a long while, the man finally spoke again, his tone no longer as bold as it had been at the start.
“Thank you.”
Yang Shuyu walked back from the far end of the hall and sat down again.
By then her hair had all been tied up, and her expression was no longer as ugly as before. She deliberately avoided looking at Yu Nianyi’s face, staring instead at the food on the table. “Why aren’t you eating? You don’t need to wait for me.”
Yu Nianyi sat properly in the chair, then got up again and poured Yang Shuyu another cup of tea, pushing it over.
Yang Shuyu covered her mouth as she chewed, speaking around the food. “Thanks.”
They didn’t end up eating much. The atmosphere made it hard to keep going anyway. There was too much left over, so the two of them asked for takeout bags and packed the food separately.
Yang Shuyu stood up from her seat and made as if to call for someone.
“I’ve already paid, and I called a car too. You go first.” Yu Nianyi kept an ear on the table next door. “I’m waiting for someone else.”
Yang Shuyu froze for a few seconds; her hand reaching for her phone stopped short. She bit her lip. “You said I’d be treating tonight.”
“And it’s already nine o’clock now. Who are you still waiting for?”
As soon as she asked, she realized she shouldn’t be prying into something so private anymore. The air went quiet for a few seconds, and Yang Shuyu said, “I understand. Then be careful on the way. Come back early.”
Yu Nianyi hummed in acknowledgment and watched Yang Shuyu leave.
Only then did someone at the neighboring table finally stand up, and a series of rustling sounds followed. Yu Nianyi heard the crisp click of high heels against the floor.
She followed the sound back and just in time saw Xi Yu coming out, draped in a long, milky-white coat and stepping in sharp black pointed heels, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
The man she had only glimpsed in passing trailed behind her, looking distressed.
The two of them walked quickly toward the entrance. Yu Nianyi stood up and hurried after them.
“I was the one who picked you up from home, so of course I should be the one to take you back.” The man walked in a rush at Xi Yu’s left side, worry showing in his eyes. “After all, this was arranged by our parents. Xi Yu, you should understand what that means, right?”
Xi Yu pressed her thin lips together and stood at the entrance after passing through the sensor doors.
At 9:10 p.m., beneath the pitch-black night sky, neon lights flashed and car shadows streamed past.
Tiny white specks drifted down, swaying gently as they danced through the air. People came and went down the steps; the warmth of their conversation rose into the night and dissolved the falling snowflakes completely.
“Miss Xi? Good evening.” A voice tinged with a smile suddenly sounded at the restaurant entrance, where the two sides were locked in stalemate.
Yu Nianyi strolled over unhurriedly and finally stopped at Xi Yu’s right side.
Xi Yu turned her head. Beneath her silver-rimmed glasses, a small crease appeared between her brows; when she saw Yu Nianyi’s face, it quietly faded away.
“Good evening.”
“You’re eating here too.”
Of course Yu Nianyi had caught the impatience in Xi Yu’s eyes. She looked at Xi Yu with rare curiosity for a moment longer before answering, “Yeah. I thought you looked familiar just now, but I didn’t expect it really was you, Sister Xi. What a coincidence.”
Xi Yu gave a quiet “Mm” and swept her gaze over Yu Nianyi, then asked, “How are you getting home?”
“Wait a moment, Xi Yu... you two know each other?” the man suddenly cut in, lifting his chin slightly toward Yu Nianyi.
Xi Yu: “Mm.”
“Since you know each other, then let’s go together. I’ll have someone drive you both back.” The man smiled and pretended to call the driver.
Yu Nianyi let out an “Ah,” and the man stopped, looking at her suspiciously.
“No need to trouble you. I still have something to discuss with Sister Xi.” Yu Nianyi flashed her signature smile and caught hold of Xi Yu’s sleeve, saying quickly, “Sister Xi and I already made plans. We’ll take our leave first, then.”
The man’s brows shot up. Clearly not believing it yet, he hurriedly blocked Yu Nianyi’s movement and asked Xi Yu, who had remained silent beside them, “Xi Yu, you have another appointment with her? Is that right?”
Xi Yu glanced at Yu Nianyi, who was making faces at her, and nodded.
Yu Nianyi chuckled under her breath, waved to the man, and immediately pulled Xi Yu down the steps and straight toward the roadside. The man was still standing at the restaurant entrance, watching them from afar.
Yu Nianyi hailed a car and got in with Xi Yu.
“Thank you.” Sitting in the car, Xi Yu said to Yu Nianyi, who was looking around at the window beside her.
Yu Nianyi waved it off. “Don’t be so polite with me, Sister Xi. It was just a coincidence that I ran into you. You looked like you weren’t very willing, so I took the liberty of speaking up. Luckily, I guessed right.”
Xi Yu looked over Yu Nianyi’s outfit, then at the takeout bags in her hands. “You came here to eat alone?”
Yu Nianyi paused briefly, suddenly feeling a little awkward. Dining with an ex and running into the person she was currently interested in was awkward no matter how she looked at it; it almost felt like she’d done something wrong.
She stammered for a bit before finally nodding solemnly. “I was eating with a friend. I let her leave first.”
“Alright.” Xi Yu didn’t ask further. She lowered her head to look at her phone, let her gaze linger on the screen for a moment, then turned it off. “Do you have time later?”