The ceiling of the second bedroom had long been fixed, but Xiang Yu never slept there again. She only opened that closed door when she occasionally needed to grab clothes, and after taking what she needed, she closed it again on her way out.
Ren Sanliu didn’t know if it was Xiang Yu’s words about being “family” that gave her a reason to temporarily avoid facing herself, or if it was the deliberate hugs she pulled her into every night after turning off the lights that made her heart waver. Either way, the reason was unclear, but the result was satisfying—at least she no longer had to guard an empty bed alone.
—
“You’re inviting me for a drink, and it’s at your place?”
It wasn’t Nan Jia’s first time at Wei Zhi’s home. Last time at the bar, this woman had only a few drinks before she couldn’t hold it anymore. When leaving, her feet couldn’t even step straight, and in the end… Nan Jia had sent her back.
That night, Wei Zhi let Nan Jia stay over and even proactively gave up her large master bedroom with the attached bathroom, calling it thanks for sending her home.
Nan Jia had thought then that the woman was pretending. She kept saying she was drunk, but once home… she was perfectly sober, walking steadily without a hint of dizziness.
Truth be told, Nan Jia didn’t know what schemes brewed in this woman’s head. In any case… she didn’t believe Wei Zhi was that innocent.
At that moment, she fiddled with the lighter in her hand—click, it ignited with a spark, then click, the lid closed and extinguished it. The blue flame hissed intermittently.
A semi-transparent glass partition separated the dining area from the living room. The woman’s graceful silhouette faintly showed through the frosted glass. Wei Zhi made an iced latte with the coffee machine, then brought it out and handed it to the person lounging sideways on the living room sofa.
Nan Jia sipped the latte with one hand while fiddling with the lighter with the other.
Wei Zhi spotted at a glance that Nan Jia’s lighter was no ordinary one—Roman lettering engraved in the bottom right corner. It was clearly a gift from someone close.
“You don’t smoke, yet you carry a lighter around.”
“Mind your own business~” Nan Jia shot her a slanted, teasing glance and kept playing.
Actually, Wei Zhi had been truly drunk that day, but her tolerance was good. Once she got past the initial discomfort, she was fine. The reason she had Nan Jia send her home and stay over was that it was simply too late. Even if they went back to school, the dorms would be locked, and besides, this pretty girl dressed so lightly—Wei Zhi couldn’t rest easy letting her go alone in the dead of night.
But that was only part of it. Most importantly, Wei Zhi did have some special feelings for Nan Jia, and she could tell Nan Jia felt the same.
If it were her in her early twenties, Wei Zhi would’ve sealed the deal that night no matter what. But now, older and with less emotional resilience, she feared Nan Jia’s feelings were fickle. If it was just a game, she’d be devastated. Plus… Nan Jia was Ren Sanliu’s little sister. As Xiang Yu had said, if things went south, there’d be no way to clean up the mess.
“Have you kept a few little foxes before?” Nan Jia suddenly tossed out.
Wei Zhi tilted her head to look at her, remembering… She’d said that to her. The girl had been prying into her romantic history that night, inside and out, so Wei Zhi had made it up on the spot to tease her. She hadn’t expected her to remember.
“What do you think?”
“Definitely a few.”
“Why?”
“Because you look like a total player.”
They hadn’t seen each other much, and Wei Zhi didn’t know how Nan Jia reached that conclusion. But she wasn’t one to indulge her. Arching a brow, she drawled back—
“Yeah, and you look so pure. A straight girl friend gives you a lighter, and you treasure it to this day.”
“How did you know?!” Nan Jia shot up from the sofa.
Wei Zhi kept her leisurely expression, glancing over again—
“It’s written on your lighter: ‘Long Live Friendship.'”
Nan Jia was a powder keg, igniting at a spark. Instantly provoked by Wei Zhi’s light tone, she swung without thinking. Wei Zhi hadn’t expected her to actually hit, so she hurriedly raised her arm to block. In the scuffle, they were so close and the sofa so big that both tumbled onto it, sinking in.
Just as Nan Jia kept at it, aiming to scratch her neck, Wei Zhi’s phone rang.
“Stop messing around—it’s your sister.”
Wei Zhi was quick. One hand clamped Nan Jia’s waist as she lay on top of her, the other grabbed the phone and answered.
Nan Jia froze instantly, tilting her head up. Her big, grape-like round eyes darted around, ears perked as she leaned toward the phone.
She heard Ren Sanliu’s clear voice from the receiver: “Do you have time right now?”
“Yes.”
Wei Zhi answered while staring at the fluffy little head nuzzling under her chin. Nan Jia had her hair in a bun, and from this angle, the little bun bobbed elf-like.
Ren Sanliu’s voice came again from the receiver, saying she wanted to meet Wei Zhi and had something to ask.
Nan Jia immediately lifted her head, clearly wanting to speak, but she didn’t dare make a sound, afraid Ren Sanliu would hear.
Wei Zhi smiled. The hand that had been around Nan Jia’s lower back loosened. Her fingertip brushed Nan Jia’s lashes—impossibly soft—then touched her cheek before pinching her small chin. Index finger tugged the tip, thumb pressing above, rubbing up and down.
After a few pinches, Nan Jia’s face flushed from her neck up.
When the call ended, Wei Zhi’s hand still lingered, caressing.
Nan Jia no longer resembled her explosive self, meek as a cat.
“What does my sister want with you?” Nan Jia pressed on Wei Zhi’s shoulder and got off her.
“Probably to ask about Xiang Yu.”
Wei Zhi sat up too, straightening her wrinkled collar.
“My sister must’ve owed her in her past life!”
Nan Jia frowned, muttering.
Wei Zhi didn’t respond, only saying, “Stay home obediently. I’ll go and come right back.”
As she was about to leave, Wei Zhi turned and saw Nan Jia’s flushed ears. Heat flickered in her eyes, and she hooked her lips—
Little one, so sensitive.
—
At noon, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows like a dazzling gem. In the bright, shattered light, everything gleamed transparent and clear.
Ren Sanliu sat in that clear light, waiting for Wei Zhi.
As soon as she arrived, after a couple of polite greetings, Ren Sanliu cut to the chase.
“I know one person won’t wait forever in place for another, but since we’ve met again… it means there’s still a chance. I can feel Xiang Yu still has feelings for me, but I don’t understand… why does she always hold back? Why does it always stop short right when it should flow naturally?”
“For example?” Wei Zhi asked.
Ren Sanliu’s hand rested on her iced drink, brows furrowing—
“She said she wants to be family with me.”
Wei Zhi wasn’t too surprised by the answer and advised—
“That doesn’t seem like a problem. After all, all love eventually turns into family affection.”
Ren Sanliu laughed—a laugh of piercing insight but total rejection—
“So, hugging, kissing, making love with family is fine too?”
Wei Zhi sharply inhaled. She hadn’t expected Ren Sanliu to be so direct, without any evasion. But on second thought, it wasn’t surprising—after all, Ren Sanliu coming to her today meant she was all in.
And Ren Sanliu had always been one to go all out when pushed to that point.
It seemed Xiang Yu had really driven her to desperation.
“You two…” Wei Zhi started, then swallowed her words.
Seeing her hesitate, Ren Sanliu pushed away her iced drink, gaze locking straight on—
“I know you never had a good impression of me, but I’m serious this time. I hope you can help. You grew up with Xiang Yu and have been friends for so many years—you must know her best. And since you advised her to get back together with me, you must want us to have a good ending too.”
“I don’t have a bad impression of you. On the contrary… I think you’re strong. Who doesn’t have tough times? And I’m not the type to take sides just because Xiang Yu’s my friend—I always say it like it is.” Wei Zhi paused for a long moment before speaking. “But… are you sure you’ve thought this through? You know… if it happens again, Xiang Yu really will break.”
“I’ve thought it through clearly. I already made one mistake; I can’t make a second. You might not believe me, but it’s true. Before reuniting with Xiang Yu, I was prepared to stay single for life.”
Wei Zhi was stunned for an instant. If it weren’t Ren Sanliu saying it, she’d think it was nonsense—who could guarantee that in such a long life? But it was Ren Sanliu. Some people talked love endlessly, wearing emotions on their sleeves, yet discarded them easily when push came to shove. Others never uttered the word love, cold as ice, but at crucial moments, resolutely committed without hesitation.
“Xiang Yu… she’s afraid…”
“Afraid of what?”
“What else… afraid one day it’ll be like her parents, or like Zhao Yu.” Wei Zhi paused there. “You know Zhao Yu, right? Her little aunt’s girlfriend…”
“I know. Zhao Yu, she…”
“She disappeared. Seven years gone, no trace of life or death. These years… Xiang Yu never stopped searching, but deep down, we all know Zhao Yu was an undercover narcotics officer. If she were alive, how could there be no news in seven years…”
Wei Zhi sighed deeply and continued—
“Her little aunt attempted suicide three times, got severe depression, and has been in treatment all these years, breaking down over and over. I don’t know how Xiang Yu held it together, but I know… a person’s limits exist. Don’t let her carefree attitude fool you—she’s holding on. If even she collapses, it’ll really be over.”
Ren Sanliu fell silent, but the clear gleam in her eyes, bathed in the bright sunlight, vanished. Her brows knit tight, the little black mole at the corner of her left eye seeming to twitch. In that moment… it was like she was back in the pain of those old days.
Seven years ago… seven years ago, Ren Sanliu had been immersed in her own suffering, striving for her future with no time to think of Xiang Yu amid the busyness. But she’d thought Xiang Yu was doing well because Xiang Yu had said… she wouldn’t become a cop.
Wei Zhi saw the suppressed tears swirling in Ren Dongliu’s eyes, trembling.
She didn’t want to dredge up the past or poke at wounds. If possible… whether Ren Sanliu or Xiang Yu, she hoped they could forget all those old pains completely.
But reality lay right before her eyes. If she didn’t drag those past events back out one by one and let them fester forever in some dark, unseen crevice, how could she move forward on the road ahead?
Pain was like damp, swollen deadwood branches—one day without drying them in the sun, and they would never truly dissipate.
“Ren Sanliu… just hold on a little longer. No matter what nonsense Xiang Yu spouts, don’t believe it.”
By now, Ren Sanliu had already composed herself. She slowly pursed her lips—
“I won’t.”
—
That evening, Ren Sanliu returned home early.
Xiang Yu had no idea she’d met with Wei Zhi, let alone that they’d discussed those old matters. She just thought Ren Sanliu’s gaze was strange, as if it were peering right through her, seeing her inside and out.
Now, Xiang Yu lay on the bed with her back turned, the back of her head burning hot under that intense stare.
Finally unable to take it, Xiang Yu rolled over and asked—
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” Ren Sanliu’s fingers turned a page in her book.
No? Then why are you staring at me like that?
Xiang Yu widened her eyes.
Nothing. I just want to degenerate.
