Chapter 23

This was a new-style Chinese restaurant. Just inside the entrance, on the left, was the bar, where a guy wearing silver earrings was mixing drinks. A few young people sat at the counter, chatting over their drinks.

Her right arm was in a cast and hung around her neck, making her impossible to miss. The moment she stepped inside, someone glanced over. Yan Can quickly scanned the restaurant. It wasn’t mealtime yet, so there weren’t many people, and she didn’t spot her target at first glance.

Maybe she was in a private room; maybe she was somewhere outside her line of sight.

A server in black, just finished with a table, spotted her and came over warmly. “Hello, how many people? Do you have a reservation?”

“No. Just one.” Yan Can spoke as she walked farther in. There weren’t many customers right now, so the server followed politely behind her and let her choose her own seat.

After looking around, she found there were no private rooms here. The place wasn’t big; apart from the areas customers couldn’t enter, she’d checked everywhere and still hadn’t found anyone. In the end, she sat down by the window at random.

“Do you have any recommended dishes?”

“Yes.” The server handed her a menu. After recommending a few signature dishes, he told her she could just scan the code to order. He also asked whether she had any dietary restrictions. After she said no, he poured her a cup of hot tea and took a glass hourglass from a drawer, setting it on the table.

“Our restaurant keeps serving time within fifteen minutes. If we go over, we’ll add an exquisite snack as compensation.”

Yan Can was focused on the location on her phone and only nodded absently.

The pin on the map hadn’t moved at all; Su Ci was definitely still here.

But she had already walked around the entire restaurant and still hadn’t seen anyone. The location couldn’t be wrong, could it? Could the doll not be on Su Ci? If it wasn’t on her, why would it show up here?

It couldn’t have been given to someone else, could it?

The thought had barely surfaced before she dismissed it herself.

Even if Su Ci didn’t like the gift, given her manners, she wouldn’t throw away someone else’s present or pass it on.

So what was going on?

Unable to make sense of it, Yan Can decided not to think about it anymore. Since she was already here, she might as well eat first and then go back.

Her arm had been hanging there the whole time, and her neck was starting to ache. Yan Can took off the sling, rolled her shoulder and elbow a little, rested her arm on her leg, set her phone on the table, and buried herself in a game of Candy Crush.

Just as the hourglass countdown was about to run out, the first dish arrived.

“Hello, your almond milk paste.”

That familiar, cool voice rang out; Yan Can looked up sharply.

It was probably the first time she’d seen Su Ci dressed in black, because she almost didn’t recognize her.

Like the other servers here, Su Ci was wearing a fitted black shirt, buttoned neatly all the way to the top, right up against the prominent bone of her throat. Her sleeves had been rolled to just below her elbows, likely for convenience while working, revealing a pale, slender stretch of arm. Her thick black hair had been pinned up, leaving only two strands by her ears, damp with a thin sheen of sweat and clinging to her smooth, wrinkle-free swanlike neck.

There was something indescribably restrained about her.

So this was the allure of a uniform.

Maybe because of work requirements, her face, which was naturally as fresh and clean as a flower by clear water even without makeup, now had a light touch of cosmetics; dark brows, red lips, and just the right little mole on the bridge of her nose, making her so beautiful it left one speechless.

“You...” Yan Can blinked twice, then came back to herself. “You’re working part-time here?”

So the location really wasn’t wrong.

She was working here, not out on a date.

A burst of delight rose in Yan Can’s chest, but her happiness didn’t last long. When she met that icy gaze, the little bit of joy in her heart vanished instantly.

“Guest, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll be going.” Su Ci set down the dessert and was about to leave with the empty tray in both hands when Yan Can stopped her. “Wait—”

Su Ci turned and looked at her coolly.

So cold.

She was already a very cold person to begin with; add this all-black outfit and the expressionless face she wore now, and she looked even colder.

“You look better in bright colors,” Yan Can said softly.

“What?” Su Ci frowned, clearly not having heard her, or perhaps having heard her and choosing to pretend she hadn’t.

“What time do you get off?” Knowing she was working part-time, Yan Can got straight to the point. “Don’t forget it’s Zhang Ru’s birthday today. You promised you’d go; you can’t break your word.”

“I won’t break my word.” Her tone remained light. “May I ask if you need anything else?”

She looked exactly like someone saying: if there’s nothing else, don’t bother me.

So what if there’s nothing? Can’t I still look for you? Yan Can pouted. “I’ll wait for you to get off work.”

Su Ci said nothing, gave her an extremely cool look, and left.

Yan Can...

The restaurant served dishes quickly; in less than half an hour, everything was on the table.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it felt like Su Ci was deliberately avoiding her, because apart from that first dish, which Su Ci herself had brought over, the rest were all served by other staff.

After seeing Su Ci that one time, Yan Can never saw her pass by again.

Yan Can suspected the girl simply didn’t want to talk to her.

Why? Because it was work hours and she was afraid someone might see and complain?

Still, whatever the reason, Yan Can was happy just seeing Su Ci.

No matter how slowly one ate alone, an hour was enough to finish. Yan Can glanced at the time; it wasn’t even noon yet.

She didn’t know how long she’d have to wait, and it wasn’t right to keep occupying a table forever, so she simply changed battlefields, went to the bar, ordered a drink at random, and sat there waiting.

On the other side, Su Ci had just finished work and come back, only to see Yan Can sitting at the bar drinking.

She asked a coworker to keep an eye on Area A and immediately headed toward the bar.

Before she’d taken a few steps, her beautiful brows had already drawn together.

“Pretty girl, are you alone too?” asked the girl sitting next to Yan Can, who was wearing a camisole dress and delicate makeup.

She had noticed Yan Can earlier. Although the other girl was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and black pants, the refined air money had given her over the years was impossible to hide. A beautiful young lady with money; she liked that.

Seeing that Yan Can seemed to be alone, she said a few words to the person beside her and came over to strike up a conversation. “What happened to your hand and forehead? That must hurt a lot, right~”

Yan Can had always been very tolerant toward girls. Seeing that the other person was also alone, she started chatting.

“It’s a long story, I—”

She’d only gotten halfway through when a long, slender hand reached in from behind and took the glass of alcohol away from in front of her.

Before Yan Can could react, that cool voice dropped in: “Drinking while you’re on an IV—do you want to end up in the emergency room again?”

“Su Ci?” Yan Can turned around in delight. “You’re off work?”

Su Ci didn’t answer. Her cool gaze swept over Yan Can, then over the girl who had just spoken to her, and finally landed on the bartender boy watching the whole thing from the side.

“Awen, don’t make her any more drinks.”

Seeing that they seemed to know each other, the girl in the camisole sensibly turned away and went back to drinking with the woman next to her.

The boy called Awen looked at them with a smile. “A Ci, this your friend?”

A Ci?

Yan Can frowned. So affectionate. “You two are close?”

The boy smiled and looked at Su Ci, but answered Yan Can instead: “You’ll have to ask A Ci about that.”

Then he went back to washing glasses and mixing drinks, busying himself.

Yan Can turned to look at Su Ci, her brows faintly drawn, a little unhappy. “Su Ci, you’re close with him?”

Su Ci didn’t answer. Her gaze dropped to the glass in her hand. Noticing it, Yan Can smiled and said, “Don’t worry; it’s not alcohol, it’s Sprite.”

Seeing that her expression had eased a little, she repeated the question from before. “Are you close with that bartender?”

Su Ci was just about to speak when an anxious voice came through the earbud in her right ear, saying they were a little short-handed. Su Ci frowned, raised her right hand, pressed and held the earbud, and said in a low voice, “Coming now.” Then she looked at Yan Can, who was clearly unhappy, and said flatly, “I get off at two.” After that, she turned and left.

“Hey? You still haven’t answered me! What’s your relationship with him?”

Yan Can’s voice wasn’t loud, but it reached Su Ci clearly. The corners of her mouth curved up silently, and a hidden sense of pleasure rose in her heart.

It was dinner time, so the restaurant was busier than before. Yan Can held the unfinished drink and watched Su Ci weave through the crowd with a tray in hand.

There were fewer people at the bar now, so the bartender boy had less to do too.

Thinking that Yan Can was probably Su Ci’s friend, and acting on the principle of taking care of a friend, he mixed her another drink. “Beauty, this one’s on the house.”

Yan Can glanced at him and didn’t take it.

The bartender boy...

He wanted to keep her company and chat a little to help pass the time; after all, Su Ci would be busy for a while, and he didn’t want to leave Su Ci’s friend ignored. He tried to make conversation, but the person who had been saying “thank you” so politely a moment ago now acted like a completely different person and didn’t even look at him properly.

...

Yan Can waited at the bar until three o’clock before Su Ci finally changed out of her work clothes, put on her backpack, and came out.

After greeting the bartender boy, she glanced at Yan Can, whose arm was still in a sling, and the two of them walked out of the restaurant one after the other.

In the elevator, Yan Can pressed the button for B1.

Su Ci glanced at her, as if she didn’t understand what she was planning to do. Yan Can said, “I said I’d pick you up and go to Zhang Ru’s place together.”

Su Ci didn’t say anything else. Yan Can looked at her backpack; it was a little worn, probably from being washed many times, the fabric even starting to fuzz.

“I remember the school gives scholarship students a stipend every month,” Yan Can said from behind her. “Six thousand a month; you probably don’t need to come out and work part-time.”

Su Ci said nothing.

“Are you that short on money?” Yan Can said. “Instead of doing this kind of physical work, why not—”

“Yan Can—” Su Ci turned around. Her gaze swept over Yan Can’s forehead and landed on the arm in her sling. Her tone was very light. “This is my own business. I know what I should do.”

Yan Can fell silent.

She was right; it was her own business. Someone like Su Ci, with her cold, proud personality, always wanted to solve things on her own.

After figuring that out, Yan Can smiled. She didn’t look angry at all, nor did she seem uncomfortable. “Okay. Sorry. I apologize to you; I overstepped. From now on, I won’t judge anything you do.”

Probably not expecting her to apologize so seriously, surprise flashed in Su Ci’s eyes. She lowered her lashes. Yan Can didn’t know what she was thinking, and both of them fell silent again.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

When they got out of the elevator, Chen Shu, who had been waiting in the car for half an hour, saw them and honked once. The two of them got in one after the other.

Halfway there, Yan Can turned her head and said, “I can’t go back too late. If you’re not used to that kind of environment, you don’t have to stay until the party ends. Just tell Zhang Ru you’re leaving early; she won’t say anything.”

Su Ci gave a faint mm, her gaze falling on Yan Can’s sling. “How long do you have to stay in the hospital this time?”

Hearing concern from her for once, Yan Can looked at her in surprise. Blinking, she suppressed her delight and said, “A week.” As expected, Su Ci still cared about her.

They arrived too early; the party hadn’t officially started yet. Zhang Ru was playing mahjong with a few friends, and when the servant reported that Yan Can had arrived, she immediately stood up and gave her seat to someone else.

“Yan Can, didn’t you say you weren’t coming?” If not for her arm being in a sling, Zhang Ru definitely would have pounced on her. Seeing Su Ci beside her, she smiled warmly. “Come in and sit.”

They crossed the pool and arrived at the first-floor hall, where many people looked over.

There was no helping it; Yan Can’s brave-in-spite-of-disability look was simply too eye-catching.

They were all from the same circle, and many of them knew Yan Can or had family connections with the Yan family. Seeing her like that, they all came over to express concern.

Yan Can smiled politely, brushed them off perfunctorily, and said a few words to Zhang Ru before preparing to leave.

Zhang Ru was a little reluctant. “Don’t go yet; Yu Ting hasn’t arrived. Stay until she gets here?”

Yan Can shook her head very lightly. “Forget it. My head’s a little dizzy, so I’m heading back first.” As she spoke, she really did look unwell, rubbing her temples.

Su Ci glanced at her. She did seem to be in rather bad shape; probably she had come out before her injury had healed properly.

Since she’d said so much, Zhang Ru stopped trying to persuade her and looked at Su Ci beside her.

“She’s going with me.” Seeing that, Yan Can immediately added.

Su Ci raised her eyes to look at her, her gaze unreadable.

After wishing Zhang Ru a happy birthday and telling her to eat and have fun, the two of them crossed the pool and headed toward the parking area.

They hadn’t gone far when they suddenly heard suggestive sounds coming from the shrubs nearby.

Yan Can froze, instinctively looked over, and then saw an utterly blush-inducing, heart-racing scene.

A young couple was sitting on a wooden bench hidden by the shrubs, kissing fiercely.

From her angle, she could see everything clearly.

Seeing her look over, the two lovers didn’t react much at all, as if to say, look if you want.

Yan Can couldn’t take it and averted her eyes, hurrying away as if fleeing for her life.

Even after getting into the car, she still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

She suddenly became curious; was kissing really that fun?

Thinking of the silver thread she’d just seen between the two of them, Yan Can felt like they were treating each other’s mouths like candy.

As she let her imagination run wild, she turned and found Su Ci looking at her with her usual indifference.

“W-what is it?” Yan Can felt strangely guilty.

Su Ci said, “Your face is a little red. Are you running a fever?”

Yan Can...

The driver in front heard their conversation and went pale with fright, saying anxiously, “I’ll speed up and get you back to the hospital.”

“Don’t!” Yan Can was so startled she almost went numb. “Chen Shu, drive safely. I’m fine.”

Then she looked at Su Ci and said quietly, “My face isn’t red because of that...”

Su Ci...

Perhaps she had thought of something; Su Ci’s eyes trembled slightly, and she turned her face away to look out the window.

The car moved through patches of light and shadow; Su Ci’s face alternated between bright and dim.

Yan Can looked at her pale profile and her ever-cool expression, then thought of the boy at the restaurant who had called her A Ci, and suddenly a scene popped into her head.

Su Ci and someone else...

Wait, why was she picturing him? He looked so clumsy; he didn’t deserve Su Ci at all!

Besides, with how good a student Su Ci was, she probably wouldn’t start dating so early, would she?

Maybe that boy was just a normal friend.

Thinking that, Yan Can felt much better.

She really couldn’t imagine someone like Su Ci falling in love or kissing someone.

What would Su Ci be like then?

“Hey, Su Ci—” Yan Can moved a little closer and asked softly, “Have you ever kissed anyone?”

TL Note:

special-admission students (特招生) = students admitted on a special track, often for talent, and may receive a monthly stipend from the school.