Chapter 14

Kong Jian shot back, “Would you really show genuine kindness to your love rival?”

“I’d be doing well not to rip her hair out. Show her kindness? Do I look crazy to you?”

She nodded. “Exactly. She’s smarter than I am, so she’s not crazy either.”

It was the first time Xi Yunyun had encountered such a tangled mess. She scratched her head irritably. “It’s all your fault. You made that woman sound so perfect—taking you home for the National Day holiday, helping out your grandpa and everything. That’s why I started thinking along these lines.”

Kong Jian was at a loss for words. It wasn’t bias on her part; those were simply the facts. She’d harbored the same suspicions as Xi Yunyun at one point.

But reason had swiftly dispelled the notion, for precisely the reason she’d just thrown back at Xi Yunyun: Ning Yan wasn’t crazy, so why on earth would she befriend a rival?

Xi Yunyun’s eyes suddenly widened as a realization struck her. Her expression grew deadly serious. “I suggest you cut ties with that woman right now. Her scheming runs way too deep! She’s clearly trying to infiltrate the enemy camp, break down their defenses, play both sides against the middle, and once she’s maneuvered the real girlfriend out of the picture, step into her place. Too bad for her, she never saw Chen Yan’s little side piece coming. Serves the scum right!”

As expected of her best friend—their thought processes were eerily similar.

At last, with a solution in hand, Xi Yunyun let out a long breath, the tension easing from her chest. She clapped Kong Jian on the shoulder. “Listen to me. Stay out of their drama entirely. Let the mistress and the side chick tear each other apart. No need to force a breakup now. Whichever one comes out on top will slink back to you eventually to lay their cards on the table. Call me when that happens—I’ll sneak a video from the sidelines and blast it all over the School Forum. Let them die of public embarrassment all over again! Scum like that—pah!”

“Do we really need to go that far?”

Kong Jian simply thought it sounded exhausting.

Xi Yunyun gazed at her with a mix of affection and frustration. “You’re about to get completely played, and you’re still this naive? You didn’t do anything wrong. If they’re shameless enough to play homewrecker, they should’ve known justice would come knocking. I’ll handle everything. When the time comes, just play it cool and accept Chen Yan’s breakup request from whichever one wins out. If they dare mouth off at you, I’ll tear into them just like I did that idiot senior in high school—roast them until they’re stripped bare and begging for mercy!”

The infamous scene of that senior crumbling under Xi Yunyun’s onslaught, dissolving into public tears, was still making the rounds among the underclassmen, each retelling more embellished than the last.

Kong Jian couldn’t help but smile. Knowing her friend only had her best interests at heart, she stopped protesting.

“Look, you’ve got to get better at judging people. I messed up with Chen Yan too—should’ve wiped the lard from my eyes back then, or you wouldn’t be stuck as the star of this trashy soap opera now. But hanging around that scheming mistress? That was on you. Nobody befriends the other woman. Sure, your situation’s a little unusual, but you can’t just ignore the red flags of bad intentions!”

“Yes, yes, my bad. Sorry—it won’t happen again.”

Xi Yunyun melted every time at that soft apology. Even as a straight woman, it always set her heart aflutter, dousing whatever anger still lingered.

All her fire fizzled out, leaving her as placid as a cat that had been thoroughly petted and soothed. She grumbled playfully, “From now on, anyone you befriend—guy or girl—bring ’em to me first for vetting! Can’t have you getting duped again with nowhere to turn. Oh, and speaking of friends, that junior of yours seems solid. She’s got that sweet little fairy vibe, pure heart and all. But even without that, just for figuring out how to get you eating breakfast again? She’s a keeper—I approve!”

Kong Jian: “…”

Thank goodness Xi Yunyun had no idea that the “fairy junior” in her glowing endorsement was the very same “woman” she’d just lambasted as a villainous mistress mere seconds earlier.

It was proof enough that Xi Yunyun’s people-reading skills left something to be desired.

~~~

Xi Yunyun finished unloading on the other three players in this farce. Once she headed downstairs to meet her boyfriend—her first love, no less—Kong Jian realized she still hadn’t voiced her own dilemma.

Should she tell Ning Yan about Chen Yan’s side chick?

If she did, she could guess Ning Yan wouldn’t come around anymore.

After all, there was now someone even more in need of her intervention—and far closer to Chen Yan at that.

Zhao Lin went to B University too.

If she kept quiet, Ning Yan might waste away in pointless back-and-forth with her even after Zhao Lin had fully claimed her prize.

Kong Jian hadn’t puzzled it out when her phone rang, shattering her train of thought. It was Ning Yan.

“Senior, I’m right downstairs from your dorm. There’s a new Japanese place nearby—I’d love to treat you. Ten minutes okay?”

She decided to throw the question back at its source.

Straight to the point, she asked, “We’re friends, right?”

Ning Yan’s answer would be the deciding factor in her choice.

If Ning Yan was willing to keep deceiving her, then she would lay everything she knew out on the table.

As for what happened to the three of them afterward, it would no longer be her concern.

Once she had done everything she needed to, the weight on her mind would naturally lift.

In the end, she had still clung to this false bond of friendship.

She had found herself a perfectly good excuse. She couldn’t be blamed for hesitating like this now.

——Who could blame her? Ning Yan was just too good to her.

If she had known she would end up this conflicted over Ning Yan’s calculated kindness, back on that sweltering afternoon, she should have told the person beside her: I don’t like Chen Yan. If you do, I’ll sincerely wish you two the best.

Ning Yan had turned holding her hand into a habit. She pulled Kong Jian along as they walked forward, the evening light smearing the sky into a gradient oil painting of warm hues.

On the ground, the two strolled hand in hand, their slender shadows stretching ever longer behind them, slowly, slowly merging into one.

Kong Jian heard no reply. Her already heavy mood sank even further, but this time, she was determined to get an answer. “Ning Yan, answer me.”

She yanked her hand to her side and halted her steps.

Ning Yan, who had taken one extra stride, stopped as well.

She didn’t turn around, presenting only her back to Kong Jian.

A light breeze toyed with the hem of her skirt. Some people were so beautiful that even an unseen face and a mere silhouette made for a painting worthy of endless admiration.

Kong Jian sighed to herself. So, she’d gone to see Chen Yan again today.

“Senior really wants to hear my answer that badly?”

Her fingers clenched unconsciously into a fist. “Yes.”

“Then does Senior want the truth… or a pretty lie?”

Her neatly trimmed, rounded nails dug into soft flesh, tight enough to sting. “The truth.”

Ning Yan turned. Those ink-black eyes seemed to hold a flowing dark river within, so profound that not a single emotion could be read.

—This Ning Yan looked even more frightening.

“My answer is this—from beginning to end—”

Her lips curved. Her voice was low and heavy. “I’ve never planned to be your friend, Senior.”

Kong Jian had no idea how she made it back to the dorm.

After Ning Yan spoke those words, she realized she couldn’t hold onto the cool composure she’d imagined. She had only taken two steps back when she was caught and gripped tightly. At that moment, Kong Jian realized she could still be perfectly calm.

She ordered Ning Yan to let go. The other girl refused. After a silent tussle, Ning Yan finally released her hand. Kong Jian didn’t bother checking her expression. She turned and climbed the stairs without a backward glance.

She sat at her desk, her mind blank, staring into space for what felt like ages. A ringing phone finally snapped her back to reality.

Xi Yunyun’s voice came through. “Jian, there’s a new Japanese place by school. What do you want? I’ll grab it for you! Got dinner plans with your junior tonight? If you do, don’t stuff yourself—their food is amazing! You’d love it!”

Her own voice sounded perfectly normal. “Next time. I’m not that hungry today.”

“Alright, then I’ll drag you there next time and make my boyfriend foot the bill. Order whatever you want!”

The call ended. Kong Jian stared at the chat window for two seconds, then slapped her cheeks as if jolted awake from a dream.

They had been so ruthless. Why should she waste her energy moping?

Kong Jian had never sworn in her life. She’d barely ever gotten angry, and even then, she wouldn’t resort to something as crude as “fuck.”

That record shattered today.

First, she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for herself: “Fuck that.”

Then a bit louder: “Fuck that.”

Finally, in her mildest tone, she bellowed through the room: “Fuck that!”

Cloudy skies turned to sunshine. Kong Jian booted up her computer and opened her video app. Spotting Ning Yan’s WeChat avatar in the top right corner, she logged out in a huff.

From this day forward, she wanted nothing more to do with that infuriating girl—not a single connection!

She resumed the movie she’d paused midway through days ago. Before she could go full screen, the message hit: “Free trial ended. Subscribe to VIP or purchase to continue watching.”

Without Ning Yan’s shared yearly membership, she couldn’t watch a thing.

Anger and grievance twisted inside her until her stomach let out a timely rumble of protest.

Regret washed over her. She should have waited until after dinner to ask—at the very least, she could have bled that girl dry for one last extravagant meal!

After starting her sophomore year, Kong Jian hadn’t ordered takeout even once. After such a long break, the moment she tapped into the mini-program, the platform generously gifted her a ten-yuan coupon with no minimum order.

She scrolled through the list from top to bottom but couldn’t spot a single restaurant that tempted her. Recalling Xi Yunyun’s earlier mention of Japanese food, she couldn’t resist opening WeChat Moments.

The top post was a fresh set of photos Xi Yunyun had uploaded just two minutes earlier.

Every single one featured dishes from that very restaurant. The images alone made her mouth water, as if she could already taste their divine flavors.

On a whim, Kong Jian dialed Xi Yunyun back—only to get hung up on without mercy.

A text pinged back almost immediately.

【Yunyun: We’re on our way to the movies. Unless it’s urgent, mind if I call you back after?】

【No need. It’s nothing important.】

Kong Jian tossed her phone onto the desk and flopped face-first onto the surface with a sulky thud.

Knock knock—

She dragged herself up and cracked open the door. Through the narrow gap, she spotted her visitor right away.

Her first instinct was to slam it shut, but she was a beat too slow. Ning Yan’s hand wedged in first, and with a gentle nudge, she swung the door wide open.

Kong Jian had zero interest in dealing with her. She backed up a step, aiming straight for the balcony.

It was a solid plan in theory—but Ning Yan wasn’t about to let her get away with it.

With a soft tug, she reeled Kong Jian in, snuffing out any hope of escape.

“Senior Sister, are you really planning to ignore me for the rest of your life?”

~~~