Chapter 71 Part 2

Then a pair of straight, slender legs stopped right in front of her. Someone gently pressed a towel to her sweat-drenched cheek, wiping away the sweat from her face and the glistening drops clinging to her eyelashes. Her world came back into focus.

“Wipe yourself off.”

After cleaning her face, Nan Qi tossed the towel to her.

At the same time, she unscrewed the cap of a bottle of Moudong drink. Knowing Bo Ranying’s racket hand was too weak to lift, she held the bottle to her lips, letting her drink straight from it to replenish her strength.

The parched fish had found a clean water source. She drank greedily, cherishing every drop with all her might.

Seeing this long-lost concern from Nan Qi made Bo Ranying’s eyes light up instantly. The dark cloud in her heart parted, letting sunlight pour in.

All the grievances and frustration from her match with Tang Lian were swept away by this simple act of offering water. Now, she felt nothing but joy.

She was so exhausted that she drained the entire bottle.

“Want more?” Nan Qi asked.

Bo Ranying shook her head. The intense dehydration that had gripped her body was gone.

“Don’t push yourself so hard next time.” Nan Qi looked at her disapprovingly.

A warmth bloomed in Bo Ranying’s heart. She was about to promise she wouldn’t do it again when a sweet, syrupy voice drifted from across the court. “Thanks for the water, Big Sister Nan Qi. It’s so sweet!”

It turned out Nan Qi had given a bottle to Tang Lian first, then come to her.

Bo Ranying’s lips pressed into a tight line. Her good mood evaporated in an instant.

Ever since Nan Qi and Bo Ranying had agreed to revert to being ordinary friends, Bo Ranying had strictly abided by that boundary in the days that followed. She restrained her feelings with ironclad self-control, carefully lowering Nan Qi’s guard so they could interact without suspicion.

Her efforts paid off handsomely.

Nan Qi never suspected her intentions. Their hangouts felt natural, neither too frequent nor too sparse.

Bo Ranying even had free rein to visit Nan Qi’s home. Nan Qi hadn’t offered her slippers, but Bo Ranying had brought her own pair and left them there. Nan Qi said nothing about it—a tacit approval.

While chatting idly at a tea shop one day, Bo Ranying brought up Xie Tong.

“Little Qi, do you remember our high school classmate Xie Tong?”

She added a gentle hint. “The one who had a girlfriend.”

Nan Qi paused, her gaze deepening as she thought it over. Then she nodded.

How could she forget? She remembered everyone connected to Bo Ranying—and especially during high school, when she’d been hyper-vigilant about anyone approaching her. Xie Tong had stood out the most back then, setting off all her alarms.

Whenever she saw Xie Tong seeking out Bo Ranying to talk, her heart would skip a beat. She’d drop everything to watch them closely, scrutinizing their every interaction.

Bo Ranying couldn’t help recalling their reunion, when Xie Tong had called Nan Qi her “little tail”—and how worried Xie Tong had seemed about them getting too close, always hovering nearby on guard.

She watched Nan Qi’s expression carefully, but it remained perfectly calm, undisturbed. A pang of disappointment settled in her heart.

Masking it, Bo Ranying got to the point, testing the waters. “I reconnected with her recently. She’s bringing her girlfriend home to hold a wedding in their hometown and invited us. I think it’d be nice to witness a high school classmate’s happiness. What do you think?”

She skimmed over the details, leaving out key parts.

Truth be told, Xie Tong and Luo Yuqian hadn’t just invited her as a regular guest. They’d asked her to be a bridesmaid—and only her. They hadn’t counted on Nan Qi, with whom she had zero rapport, showing up.

Bo Ranying had accepted the bridesmaid role. She’d casually asked the happy couple, “If Nan Qi comes along, would you welcome her?”

If Nan Qi chased after her like that, it would prove she still cared—still felt possessive. She wouldn’t want Bo Ranying getting too chummy with Xie Tong.

Xie Tong had laughed heartily. “Of course! If Nan Qi comes as the bridesmaid’s family, that’s a whole different story!”

She might have no bond with Nan Qi, but she was tight with Bo Ranying’s girlfriend.

A shift in status could foster new friendships.

Bo Ranying’s lashes had fluttered nervously as she waited.

After a moment, Nan Qi turned the question back on her. “You want to go?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Nan Qi asked for the wedding date, and Bo Ranying gave it.

She pondered briefly, then refused gently. “I’ve got a packed work schedule then. I won’t make it, Ranran. When you go, take my gift and well-wishes for me.”

She hadn’t agreed…

No trace of jealousy or worry on her face at letting Bo Ranying attend alone.

The excuse wasn’t even clever, but the message was crystal clear.

Bo Ranying swallowed the bitter reality.

“Got it.”

Her voice was low as she acquiesced, without pressing further.

The day before the wedding, Bo Ranying booked an early flight back to Daicheng. She stopped by to see her parents and spent the night at home.

She woke to her alarm at four or five in the morning and hurried to Xie Tong’s place. She changed into her bridesmaid dress, got her makeup and hair done, and helped the bride prepare.

Xie Tong had two bridesmaids: Bo Ranying and her own sister.

The makeup and styling took time, so they passed it chatting lazily.

Xie Tong had received the red packet Bo Ranying had brought for Nan Qi on her behalf. She knew Bo Ranying had come alone—her invitation hadn’t worked.

Eager for gossip, she probed. “Still not reconciled with Nan Qi?”

Bo Ranying had previously mentioned how their argument over Tang Lian had blown up, prompting Nan Qi to move out of the apartment they’d shared for years.

“Sort of… we have.”

“What do you mean ‘sort of’?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Perfect. I’ve got nothing but time. Maybe I can offer some advice—as someone who’s made it work, a real success story?”

Moved by her words, Bo Ranying gave Xie Tong a simplified rundown of recent events.

She had long since reached a clear conclusion about her past confusion.

“I’ve been in love with Nan Qi for ages. But my cowardice and avoidance kept me from facing it. I never dared imagine us together, leaving her hurt all those years. It was my fault. I was such an idiot, blind to my own heart.”

Regret filled her expression.

When she got to how Nan Qi and Tang Lian were growing closer—and how imitating Tang Lian’s style had sparked Nan Qi’s fury, nearly getting her kicked out—her voice grew thick with bitterness.

She felt regretful and helpless, like a total novice tumbling headlong into love for the first time.

And truthfully, that was exactly it. She’d never properly loved anyone before. Her one prior relationship had been pure Plato—zero real experience.

“It’s all my fault for being so full of myself and losing Little Qi. She won’t even give me a chance to pursue her anymore, and she hates it when I try to imitate Tang Lian. Chasing someone is so damn hard—I’ve screwed everything up.” Bo Ranying muttered under her breath, instinctively tugging at her hair. But the moment her fingers brushed the tips, the stylist smacked her hand away. She let out a soft whimper of pain and yanked it back.

Xie Tong let out a long sigh, genuinely touched by the rollercoaster of Bo Ranying and Nan Qi’s story. Even as a mere listener, she found Bo Ranying’s antics downright bizarre.

“You two were perfect back in high school. I could tell even then that you’d be the couple everyone envied. Who would’ve thought things would turn out like this afterward…”

She trailed off, but Bo Ranying could finish the thought herself.

Her eyelashes fluttered down. “It was my fault for not cherishing it.”

“That explains why Nan Qi refusing your pursuit makes perfect sense.”

“You’re like two parallel lines that can never meet. When Nan Qi was chasing you, you didn’t like her and saw her only as a friend. But by the time you fell for her, she’d already moved on—and was making great progress with someone else. Why do you two keep missing each other?”

Bo Ranying replied, “Maybe it’s karma. I planted the seed, so now I have to reap what I sowed.”

She grumbled in protest, “But come on, don’t throw cold water on me like that! You should be on my side!”

Xie Tong laughed. “Hahaha! I’ll toss the bouquet your way later and share all the good luck between me and Qianqian with you too.”

Xie Tong threw up her hands in surrender. She analyzed Bo Ranying’s current situation and offered a few strategies for winning over Nan Qi. Bo Ranying listened with rapt attention, putting in the same effort she used when memorizing dance routines, quietly taking the advice to heart.

Finally, Bo Ranying gazed out through the glass window into the distance, her expression resolute. “I could never just stand idly by and watch Little Qi fall into someone else’s arms.”

As the two women chatted, the overcast sky gradually brightened. It was almost time for the bridal pickup.

Xie Tong had to head out to fetch her new bride.

Bo Ranying and Xie Tong’s sister tagged along, forming part of the pickup entourage. They rode in the car right behind the bride’s, ready to witness Xie Tong’s big moment.

They arrived at the Luo family home right on schedule.

On the wedding day, though, crossing the Luo threshold wasn’t going to be easy.

Xie Tong and her bridesmaids had to solve every riddle the bride had devised and overcome a gauntlet of challenges before they could enter Luo Yuqian’s room and lay eyes on their gorgeously attired bride-to-be.

The atmosphere was electric with excitement.

Bo Ranying threw herself into the festivities, laughing and joking along with the crowd as she took in every detail of the wedding.

She watched Xie Tong hand out red packet after red packet, enduring endless teasing and trials, until she finally earned her ticket into the room and claimed the Luo Yuqian she’d been dreaming of.

Both women wore stunning, elegant wedding gowns, their faces radiant with matching smiles of bliss. They were the stars of the show, strolling hand in hand down the long red carpet amid cheers and whoops from the guests. They shared a kiss, exchanged rings, offered tea to the family… and the ceremony was complete.

Bo Ranying, standing amid the throng of guests, successfully caught the bouquet Luo Yuqian tossed her way.

“Pass our happiness on!” Luo Yuqian called out.

Legend had it that whoever caught the bride’s bouquet would soon find happiness of their own.

Bo Ranying clutched the bouquet tightly, her eyes brimming with joyful tears for the newlyweds. She smiled through them as the crowd swirled around her.

She couldn’t help but dream: if only she and Little Qi could end up like Xie Tong and her wife, tying the knot at last.

Nan Qi would be the most beautiful bride in the world.