Chapter 25 Part 1

Sheng Xingran was heavily drunk and overslept until the afternoon the next day before opening her eyes.

“They’ve gone to Paris. Flora said she’ll send the school location and route to your phone. You can rest up and then join everyone. I’ve mostly packed your luggage for you.”

Sheng Xingran’s brain churned slowly as she listened to Miao Zhu’s soft, gentle voice. She vaguely remembered that she had classes to attend this week—Flora had pulled strings with her personal connections to invite a world-renowned professor to lecture the group members.

“I want to sleep a bit more.” Sheng Xingran mumbled, stretching lazily before burrowing back under the covers. But upon smelling the familiar sweet scent of Miao Zhu on the sheets and pillow, she sleepily propped herself up on her elbows.

“…Why am I sleeping in your room?” she asked, puzzled.

“You were drunk, and Flora brought you back.” Miao Zhu didn’t turn around, braiding her hair in front of the vanity mirror, her gaze dropping to the WeChat chat window.

Mu Shanyi had just sent her a photo of Princess and Grace playing in the garden.

Because she’d mentioned these two little ones on the phone last night, had Mu Shanyi gone out of her way to take photos at Ye Yi’s place?

“There were a lot of people playing together last night…” Sheng Xingran said, recalling as she spoke. Her expression shifted subtly at some memory, and then she suddenly heard Miao Zhu add, “Flora also fed you some sober-up medicine.”

“She… she’s just like that, always so thoughtful.” Sheng Xingran offered a stiff summary.

Miao Zhu finished braiding her hair and waited. Apart from the photo, Mu Shanyi hadn’t sent any text. She turned off her phone screen and walked over to the bed, asking Sheng Xingran, “Are you feeling uncomfortable now? Does your head hurt after sobering up?”

“…I’m fine.” Sheng Xingran guiltily scooted back against the headboard. “Longlong, how about you come to class with me this week?”

“You don’t remember?” Miao Zhu looked troubled. “Emma’s coming to see me today. I told you—her flight lands in half an hour.”

Miao Zhu didn’t have many friends, and Emma was one of them. After a moment, Sheng Xingran reluctantly conceded. “Alright.”

Miao Zhu rushed to the airport to pick up Emma. Emma, backpack slung over her shoulders and dressed all in black, spread her arms wide and pounced into a solid hug with Miao Zhu.

“Mia!!”

The two hadn’t seen each other in ages. They hugged for a while before parting, and Miao Zhu took a closer look. “What happened to your face?”

“My face?” Emma carelessly pointed to the bruise on her cheekbone. “This? The mirror kissed me when I was checking myself out.”

Miao Zhu: “…?”

Emma burst out laughing. She had delicate features, a lip ring, and long blue-gray hair. She looked cool when not smiling, but when she did, her nose wrinkled unconsciously, lighting up her whole face with vibrant energy.

The two strolled through the colorful old town. Emma was chatty, gossiping about old classmates, then sharing her work plans for the next few months, and mentioning her newly adopted puppy, Angel.

“Not picky with food, super lively, wakes me up right on time every day.” They found an outdoor café and sat under a parasol. “Oh, right—you’re here on vacation with Sheng Xingran?”

Over a month ago, during Miao Zhu’s flu, she’d told Emma about Sheng Xingran’s confession. Emma hadn’t expressed any pointed opinion at the time; she’d been with Miao Zhu for years and knew it wasn’t good news. Asking now, she assumed there had been new developments between Miao Zhu and Sheng Xingran.

Facing Emma’s bright, clear peach-blossom eyes blinking at her, Miao Zhu didn’t know where to begin.

Should she say she’d secretly become Mu Shanyi’s lover?

Or that Sheng Xingran had kissed Flora?

Seeing Miao Zhu hesitate, Emma glanced around and said, “Wait here.”

Emma ran off to line up at a nearby artisanal ice cream shop. The queue was long, the sunlight making the ground shimmer. A yellow cat sauntered past the line of humans, tail swaying leisurely, before flopping down in the shade of a flower wall.

The line was long but moved quickly enough. Emma returned with ice cream: “Here~ Like you said, sweets brighten the mood.”

Miao Zhu smiled and took it, licking a mouthful. The ice cream was rich and creamy.

“Delicious.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Blended with the milky flavor was an intense, fragrant rose aroma. As it melted in her mouth, that familiar floral scent stirred Miao Zhu’s desire to confide, bit by bit.

“My mood’s been a bit off lately… because of someone.”

“I guess this someone isn’t Sheng Xingran?”

“Not Xingran.” Miao Zhu’s cheeks flushed hot, her braid loosening slightly, stray hairs floating in the breeze. She didn’t notice them brushing her face, lost in her emotions. “It’s really weird. While you were queuing for ice cream, I actually thought…”

Emma: “Hmm?”

“I thought it would’ve been great if she were here. She doesn’t seem to like ice cream much, but she’d probably try it anyway. This place has great flavors—maybe she’d like it too after tasting it?” Miao Zhu felt more off-kilter the more she spoke, her words slowing, voice fading to a whisper.

Emma summed it up succinctly: “You’re thinking about her.”

After a long pause, amid the pounding of her heart, Miao Zhu didn’t deny it.

She was missing Mu Shanyi.

Last night’s call with Mu Shanyi—all that meaningless chit-chat, asking if she could hear the waves, wanting to play with Princess, to walk Grace, saying she could cook… it was all just missing Mu Shanyi. And Mu Shanyi had laughed and said, “Got it,” noticing the secret even before she did.

—It wasn’t so strange to miss Mu Shanyi, was it?

After all, Mu Shanyi was so attentive to her, and before leaving the country, Miao Zhu had felt guilty and sad about the imbalance, crying over it. Even though they’d talked it out, being apart made the emotions linger unresolved.

Miao Zhu’s gaze drifted unconsciously to the Safety Bracelet on her left wrist, which kept reminding her of Mu Shanyi’s presence, over and over.