Chapter 36: Heart Moves: Day 16

“You weren’t picking up your phone, and I couldn’t find you anywhere. I asked Qu Tao and the others, but no one knew where you’d gone. What’s this, playing hide-and-seek?”

Cen Jin planted her feet, hands shoved in her pockets as she eyed the girl in front of her, her tone sharp and accusatory.

“My phone’s smashed. Haven’t had a chance to get a new one yet.” Bei Huai rubbed her brow, looking utterly drained.

Cen Jin let out a scoff.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, and without fail, it was always because of some mess with Bei Huai’s parents.

So when Jiang Wan had come asking, she hadn’t panicked. Instead, she’d simply tracked Yun Manzhu’s phone location.

The hospital.

A result that was both surprising and entirely predictable.

She knew her friend’s personality all too well. Bei Huai might seem cold and detached, but she could never quite harden her heart when it mattered. Otherwise, she wouldn’t still be trapped in the pain of her dysfunctional family, unable to break free.

Sure enough, she’d found Bei Huai the moment she arrived at the hospital.

Cen Jin tilted her chin up. “Spill it. What’d she do this time?”

They both knew exactly who “she” meant—Yun Manzhu.

“Slit her wrists. The neighbors found her and rushed her to the hospital.” Bei Huai paused, her voice flat.

“Neighbors?” Cen Jin arched a brow.

She couldn’t imagine someone with Yun Manzhu’s personality having friendly neighbors, let alone ones dropping by for a visit. And for them to discover her suicide attempt at just the right moment? Something smelled fishy. Cen Jin’s mind raced, piecing together the likely truth in an instant. But since it was Bei Huai’s own mother, she held her tongue rather than badmouth the woman to her face.

“Bei Rong refuses to see her.” As if reading Cen Jin’s thoughts, Bei Huai lifted her gaze, meeting her eyes without evasion. She laid it all out plainly.

That one short sentence explained everything.

“So?” Cen Jin prompted meaningfully.

Bei Huai let out a mirthless chuckle, her eyes brimming with icy scorn. “Bei Rong and his family of three left the country for a vacation ages ago.”

“Ha, well, isn’t that just…” Cen Jin couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course. All that scheming and drama, and it turns out they weren’t even in the country.

“How’s she doing now? What’s your plan?”

At the question, Bei Huai’s expression darkened, as if some grim thought had crossed her mind. “Not great. She’s emotionally unstable and needs to stay for observation a few more days.”

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you need anything, just say the word.” Cen Jin sighed and gave the girl’s shoulder a reassuring pat.

How could she miss the dark circles under Bei Huai’s eyes? These past couple of days must have been hell for her.

“Don’t tell Jiang Wan about… this.” After a moment of silence, Bei Huai spoke up abruptly.

“Those junior schoolgirls are losing their minds with worry, checking in with me every five minutes for updates. How can you be so heartless? At least give them some peace of mind.” Cen Jin cocked her head, slipping back into her usual teasing mode.

Bei Huai fixed her with a steady stare, her dark eyes brooking no argument. “You know what I mean.”

Pinned by that gaze, even Cen Jin softened, throwing up her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, my lips are sealed.”

“Thanks.” Bei Huai pressed her lips together, murmuring softly.

Cen Jin pulled a face of mock disgust. “Oh, come on. It’s not a big deal. No need to get all mushy.”

“…Ungrateful.”

Cen Jin’s lips curved into a smile at Bei Huai’s deadpan expression.

Plenty of people didn’t get why she stuck so close to Bei Huai. On the surface, they were total opposites—hardly the picture of friendship.

Some even whispered warnings behind her back, telling her to steer clear. Someone as “outstanding” as her shouldn’t hang around a slacker like Bei Huai. She’d only get dragged down.

Ha. Hilarious.

Her? Outstanding?

Dragged down by Bei Huai?

That had to be the funniest joke she’d ever heard.

What they saw was just her facade.

Peel away that glossy exterior, and she was nothing.

The truly outstanding one was Bei Huai.

When had they met?

Junior high.

Back then, Bei Huai had been the perfect student—obedient, bright, outgoing, top of her class. She played instruments, had talents galore. Teachers adored her; students idolized her. She was the shining star, dazzling and untouchable.

Meanwhile, Cen Jin had been a nobody. An insignificant speck, overlooked and ignored.

She’d drifted through those days in a haze, every one feeling like an insurmountable ordeal.

Abandoned by her mother, neglected by her father, tormented by her stepmother, shunned by her classmates. To her young self, those were mountains too high to climb.

She felt her courage had run dry. There was no way she could scale that wall.

Why bother living? It was all so painful—why keep going?

She’d asked herself that question a thousand times.

Later, it was Bei Huai who told her.

The girl looked at her with unusually resolute eyes. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a fearless, dauntless courage.

“We’re all just bugs crawling in the gutters, but somebody’s got to look up at the stars. Don’t you think?”

The words echoed across the empty rooftop, slamming into her heart like a thunderbolt.

During her own darkest days, it had been Bei Huai who held her up and urged her not to give up.

Now it was Bei Huai’s turn. How could she possibly back down?

No matter how much misunderstanding or malice the world hurled at Bei Huai, all she had to do was stand firmly by her side.

Fearless. Unafraid.

“Alright, you’ve seen her now. If there’s nothing else, you should head out,” Bei Huai said, glancing up at the electronic clock mounted on the wall ahead as she started shooing her away.

“Fine, I get it—you’re sick of me already.” Cen Jin pouted.

“I’ll be going then. Don’t try to tough it out alone if something comes up.”

Jiang Wan watched as Bei Huai disappeared into the hospital room before finally tearing her gaze away. A whirlwind of thoughts churned in her mind as she leaned against the cold wall, her lashes lowered.

Until a pair of long boots stepped into her line of sight.

Jiang Wan snapped her head up.

A tall girl stood there with her arms crossed, watching her with a smirk that wasn’t quite a smile.

“You…”

“What, did you think I wouldn’t notice you tailing me?” Cen Jin cut her off.

Jiang Wan fell silent.

She’d never stalked anyone from childhood right up to now, so it wasn’t surprising that the ever-cautious and sharp Cen Jin had spotted her.

“You followed her all the way here—aren’t you going in to see her?” Cen Jin jerked her chin toward the room.

Bei Huai had told her not to breathe a word to Jiang Wan, and she’d promised she wouldn’t.

But… Jiang Wan had figured it out on her own. She hadn’t spilled a thing.

“No need.” Jiang Wan shook her head with a faint smile.

“Knowing she’s okay is enough for me. If she doesn’t want me to know, then I’ll respect her wishes.”

She figured someone as proud as Little Bei wouldn’t want her seeing her in a vulnerable state anyway.

“You two…” Cen Jin shrugged, as if she wanted to say more but thought better of it.

~~~

It wasn’t until that evening that Jiang Wan got a message from Bei Huai.

Tsundere Ghost: My phone broke, so I didn’t see your messages. I’m fine.

Good Night: Glad to hear it.

It took the other side a good while to reply.

—I skipped an exam. Aren’t you… going to ask why?

Good Night: I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working lately. I figure it must’ve been something important for you to skip. If you want to talk about it, I’m all ears. If not, that’s okay too.

In the hospital corridor, Bei Huai sat in a chair, her eyes glued to the phone screen without blinking.

The girl’s words were so earnest, so gentle.

As she read them over and over, the gloom that had weighed on her all day began to lift. The furrow in her brow eased bit by bit.

Jiang Wan was always like this—thoughtful, tolerant of all her hidden pains and reluctant words.

How could she not fall for a girl like that?

Unfortunately, the good mood didn’t last. Two days later, the exam results came out.

Bei Huai’s scores had skyrocketed compared to before, but missing that one English exam had tanked her overall rank.

She hadn’t even climbed 200 spots, let alone 300.

She closed the results page one moment; the next, her phone buzzed with Jiang Wan’s call.

Bei Huai took a deep breath, walked over to the window, and hit accept.

“Hello.”

“Little Bei, the scores are out today. Have you seen them?” The girl’s voice came through bright and crisp, brimming with energy and life.

“Yeah.”

“Little Bei, come downstairs. I’ve got a gift for you.”

“Yeah… what?!” Bei Huai blurted, caught off guard.

“I said come downstairs. I’ve got a gift for you.” The girl repeated patiently, good-natured as ever.

“You…” Bei Huai glanced out the window on instinct, but she quickly realized this angle wouldn’t let her see the ground below the inpatient building.

She felt a little dazed, like a slice of pie had fallen from the sky—but the overwhelming feeling was one of pure, uncontainable delight.

Her fingers tightened around the phone, then relaxed. She licked her lips. “Wait for me.”

With that, she bolted for the stairs.

Her heart thumped wildly.

An inexplicable mix of fluster and nerves.

Just before stepping out of the first-floor lobby, Bei Huai remembered something. She whipped out her phone for a quick selfie, fussing with her hair and straightening her clothes in the screen. But no matter what she did, something still looked off—the dark circles under her eyes were too prominent, her skin too dull.

Why did she look so awful today of all days!

Bei Huai snapped the camera shut in frustration.

She wanted to run back and fix herself up properly, but she didn’t want to keep the girl waiting, so she steeled herself and stepped outside.

It was only seven or eight in the evening—not too late. The street bustled with people coming and going. Bei Huai spotted Jiang Wan right away.

How could she miss her? That red cotton jacket stood out like a beacon.

It wasn’t tacky or vulgar at all. In fact, it came off as rather cute.

Perhaps afraid of the cold, the girl had her scarf pulled up over most of her face, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes.

When she spotted Bei Huai, her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and she hurried over with small steps.

“Little Bei, it’s been ages!” Jiang Wan tugged her scarf down a bit, her smile radiant and warm.

She gazed at the girl before her, dressed head to toe in black, her features weary and her aura subdued. Even her usually vibrant red hair had lost its luster. It had only been a few days, yet Little Bei looked like she’d lost a ton of weight.

A sharp pang twisted in Jiang Wan’s chest, dense and aching.

“How did you know I was here?” Bei Huai’s brows furrowed slightly as she paused before asking.

Though she phrased it as a question, she already had her suspicions.

Jiang Wan blinked. “It’s a secret.”

She didn’t dwell on it. Instead, Bei Huai asked, “Why the sudden gift?”

“Didn’t I tell you before the exam? I’d give you a present.”

Bei Huai blinked in surprise. “But I didn’t make it two hundred spots higher in the rankings.”

“I know.” The girl nodded.

“But in my heart, you did.” Jiang Wan broke into a grin, her eyes curving into delighted crescents, bright and beautiful. Even with her nose tip flushed red from the cold, it couldn’t dim her charm in that moment.

Bei Huai watched her, and something lightly bumped against her heart—not painful, but leaving an itch that was impossible to ignore.

“Besides, if you hadn’t missed that English exam, two hundred spots would’ve been a breeze.” Jiang Wan rubbed her nose and fished something out of her pocket.

She commanded, “Hold out your hand.”

Bei Huai glanced down and obediently extended her hand. Then she watched as the girl carefully tied something around her wrist.

“There. All done.”

Once Jiang Wan finished, Bei Huai saw that a bracelet now adorned her right wrist, with a silver bead strung in the center.

“I made it myself. It’s my first try, so it’s not perfect. I hope you don’t mind.” The girl sounded a little shy.

“Oh, and I engraved something on it.”

Bei Huai fiddled with the silver bead and sure enough, there was a tiny character etched into it—so small it was easy to miss if you weren’t looking closely.

It was a “Bei.”

A bracelet… made just for her.

“Thank you.” Bei Huai touched the bracelet, lifting her gaze to meet Jiang Wan’s. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly. “I really like it.”

Even without a gift, just seeing Jiang Wan had already filled her with joy. She wouldn’t ask for more.

Though she’d asked Cen Jin to keep her away from Jiang Wan, that didn’t mean she didn’t want to see her.

Thank you for coming, Wanwan.