Chapter 73: A Strange Gathering

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Daily Life Arc

007

—A Strange Gathering—

After Chen Yi and Xu Yan started dating, Xu Yan’s first birthday fell during the hectic end-of-year rush at work, so the two of them had only a quiet celebration at home.

The next year, Xu Yan switched roles and got promoted. She no longer had to oversee the year-end galas and fashion events like before. She could hand those off to her team and finally catch her breath.

Because of that, she took time off well in advance this year, tacking it onto New Year’s Day for a full five-day break to spend with Chen Yi.

Chen Yi had been plotting Xu Yan’s birthday surprise for ages. She’d secretly brainstormed countless ideas with Su Dai and Xu Yixiao, but none of them panned out.

Worst of all, Xu Yan found out about it.

The surprise burst like a bubble, leaving Chen Yi uncharacteristically downcast.

To cheer up her girlfriend, Xu Yan took the rare initiative. “How about I throw a little get-together? We can invite some friends from both our circles and head out for a day or two.”

This was a big deal for Xu Yan.

In all her years, unless work demanded it, she’d always ghosted social gatherings. Birthdays weren’t a thing for her—no cakes growing up, no celebrations. To her, the day she’d been born wasn’t worth marking. After all, she hadn’t arrived as anyone’s eagerly awaited child.

But as she approached her thirties, she’d decided to change.

Chen Yi was thrilled, of course, but she also fretted that Xu Yan might not actually want to host something like this.

“Silly,” Xu Yan said, reaching out to gently pinch Chen Yi’s plump cheek. “Like you said, baby, birthdays might not be special in themselves. But for the people who love us, it’s a perfect excuse to show it. So I think inviting close friends once in a while is nice.”

She understood why Chen Yi wanted to make it special.

And just like that, it was settled.

Xu Yan checked with her friends, and only Xia Zhiyan was free around the holidays.

These days, Xia Zhiyan had stepped back from the spotlight to focus on developing scripts she’d bought herself. She didn’t just want to act; she aimed to lead the industry—as a director, producer, someone with real say over the work.

A party for just three felt awkward, so Xu Yan invited Zhouyu too. Over the past year, thanks to Su Dai, she and Zhouyu had gotten to know each other better.

Zhouyu agreed right away, but her first words were, “Is she coming?”

“I’m not sure,” Xu Yan replied. “Little Yi is handling the invites.”

Xu Yan couldn’t help being curious. “From the sound of it, do you want her there or not?”

Zhouyu pressed her lips together and stayed silent. After a moment, she hung up.

Meanwhile, Chen Yi quickly looped in Su Dai and mentioned Zhouyu.

Su Dai huffed. “Whatever, I don’t care about her. I’m coming for Sister Xu’s birthday. She’s got nothing to do with it.”

“You two fighting again?” Chen Yi asked.

Su Dai snorted. “Nah, she just keeps nagging me to ‘get back on track’ and find a boyfriend. She’s only looking out for me.”

Chen Yi’s head throbbed at that.

Su Dai and Zhouyu had been tangled up for so long, but their relationship hadn’t progressed an inch. They’d even jumped ahead of Chen Yi and Xu Yan, blazing the trail first. Yet while Chen Yi and Xu Yan had sorted everything out and settled into a steady romance, Su Dai and Zhouyu were still speeding along the highway. Every now and then, they’d veer off into weird detours.

All in all, they maintained this delicate status quo. They called each other friends, but they’d done pretty much every couple-y thing under the sun.

Chen Yi had nothing to say to that.

Once Su Dai confirmed she’d come, Xu Yan tallied up the headcount and was about to book rooms at the Snow Mountain Hot Spring Hotel when Xia Zhiyan texted: Sorry, my little one wants to tag along. You mind?

Xu Yan didn’t mind at all.

And so their outing ballooned into a six-person gathering.

Chen Yi had long known Xu Yan and Xia Zhiyan were close. Back when Xu Yan was just an editor at the magazine, she’d been sent to interview Xia Zhiyan, and they’d hit it off right away, becoming friends.

But Chen Yi never followed entertainment news, so she blinked in surprise at the girl trailing behind Xia Zhiyan.

“Honey, who’s that?” Chen Yi whispered. Something about her seemed familiar.

“You forgot? She did a cover shoot when you were interning,” Xu Yan said, tilting her head.

Chen Yi nodded. “Vaguely.”

“So… who is she?”

Xu Yan sighed, about to explain, when Su Dai jumped in eagerly. “You don’t even recognize her?”

“Jiang Nanxi! Top pick from that big talent show back in the day!”

“I don’t follow idols.”

“You haven’t heard about her and Xia Zhiyan? I swear I told you. No way! Nanxi was basically raised by Xia Zhiyan, and there’s something between them…”

“Something like what?” Chen Yi drew a blank.

Su Dai was about to spill when Xia Zhiyan and Jiang Nanxi approached. Xia Zhiyan was her usual warm, gracious self—fresh-faced, with faint lines at the corners of her eyes. These past couple years behind the scenes had dimmed her actress glow but added a layer of steady poise. Beside her, Jiang Nanxi looked fresh and sweet in a white puffer jacket, her long hair tied back, the picture of youthful innocence.

Chen Yi pegged her as the little-sister type.

“Long time no see.” Xia Zhiyan’s first move upon reaching them was to hug Xu Yan.

Chen Yi stepped back politely to give them space.

Jiang Nanxi hung back behind Xia Zhiyan, a polite smile on her lips.

Things started off normal enough.

Until the hug stretched on, nearly a full minute.

Chen Yi was starting to think it odd when Jiang Nanxi stepped up and possessively pulled Xia Zhiyan into her own arms.

“Sis, what did I tell you before we left?”

Xia Zhiyan laughed sheepishly. “Oops—forgot, forgot. I got too excited seeing Little Xu.”

They’d all been so busy lately; their catch-ups were few and far between.

Xia Zhiyan had missed Xu Yan fiercely, and in the moment, she’d clung extra tight. Her skin hunger rarely flared up with outsiders, but as old friends, Xu Yan didn’t count. Jiang Nanxi knew about it too, which was why she’d reminded her before they set out.

Chen Yi blinked, and in that instant, it clicked—the nature of Xia Zhiyan and Jiang Nanxi’s relationship.

Wait—

Wasn’t Nanxi supposed to be raised by Xia Zhiyan?!

What?!

Chen Yi’s mind spun wild scenarios.

Xu Yan took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, pulling her back to reality.

“Chen Yi,” she said, introducing her to Xia Zhiyan. “I’ve mentioned her to you.”

“Hi, Little Yi.” Xia Zhiyan had zero Shadow Queen airs, greeting her warmly.

“Nan Nan, come say hello.”

Jiang Nanxi stepped forward, calling Xu Yan “Sis” before fixing her gaze on Chen Yi.

Chen Yi caught the vibe in that look and softly stated her age.

Jiang Nanxi sighed. “Chen Yi-jie.”

Why was she still the baby of the group?

Chen Yi smiled. “Just Chen Yi is fine.”

Jiang Nanxi grinned. “Perfect.”

“And these two?” she asked.

Chen Yi hurried to introduce Su Dai and Zhouyu.

At Su Dai’s name, Jiang Nanxi lit up. “What a coincidence. I have a friend with a name just like yours.”

Her eyes flicked to Zhouyu. “Actually, kinda like both of yours.”

Su Dai and Zhouyu didn’t catch the hint yet.

Not until they’d hung out all day and were having drinks with dinner that evening, when Jiang Nanxi’s friend called and it all became clear.

“Nan Nan! Where are you and Sis Xia hanging out?” Shen Dai’s face popped up on the screen.

Jiang Nanxi replied, “Celebrating a friend’s birthday. Hey, let me introduce you to someone.”

Su Dai, never one to shy from the spotlight, leaned in and waved at the camera. “Hey! Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Su Dai.”

Shen Dai’s eyes went wide. “Whoa! Sis! Our names are so alike!”

Jiang Nanxi handed the phone to Su Dai, letting them chat off to the side.

The two Dais hit it off instantly, bonding over more than just names. They swapped WeChat and kept going.

As Su Dai and Shen Dai got deeper into it—talking relationships—Su Dai finally got Jiang Nanxi’s earlier comment.

Shen Dai’s girlfriend was Lu Wan.

Put together with Zhouyu’s name, it evoked that classic phrase: the fishing boat sings late.

Riding that coincidence, Su Dai dug further and was floored.

“Were you straight before too?” she whispered, glancing at Shen Dai huddled in the corner.

Shen Dai giggled. “Kinda? Puberty was all exploration, you know? Then my girl kept chasing me, and we made it official. What about you and Teacher Zhou?”

“Nah.” Su Dai groaned. “She just thinks I’m unreliable. Her ex ditched her for someone else—doesn’t mean I will.”

Shen Dai perked up. “Ex? Spill!”

The two Dais chattered away.

Meanwhile, Zhouyu, Xu Yan, and Xia Zhiyan were deep in talk about next spring-summer haute couture.

~~~

Chen Yi and Jiang Nanxi sat off to one side, unable to get a word in edgewise. Once the other three were chatting animatedly, having downed some alcohol and huddling together inseparably, Chen Yi and Jiang Nanxi exchanged helpless glances.

“I want to turn in early,” Jiang Nanxi said with a smile, glancing at Chen Yi. “What do you think, Sister Chen Yi?”

Chen Yi didn’t really feel like resting. She was just worried that Xu Yan’s stomach had always been delicate, and more drinking might spell trouble. She stood up, walked over to Xu Yan’s side, bent down, and murmured to her, “Wife, why don’t you stop drinking now?”

Meanwhile, Jiang Nanxi beat her to the punch. She swiftly snatched away the wine glass Xia Zhiyan had just lifted.

“Sister,” Jiang Nanxi said, flashing a dangerous smile, “if you still want to drink, I’ll keep you company back in the room, okay?”

Xia Zhiyan blinked in a daze, but the moment she spotted Jiang Nanxi, all her initial poise and elegance vanished. She reached out, looping her arms around Jiang Nanxi’s neck. “Sounds good. Nan Nan will drink with me.”

Jiang Nanxi smoothly wrapped an arm around her waist and led her away, her innocent-looking face delivering words laced with dominance.

“I’ll take her back to the room first. You all keep having fun without us.”

The sheer boldness of it left Chen Yi dumbfounded.

Xu Yan reached out and gently nudged Chen Yi’s cheek, guiding her head back toward herself. The corners of her eyes curved upward, her pupils hazy from the touch of intoxication.

“Little Yi, what are you looking at?”

Xu Yan’s voice was soft and gentle, laced with a subtle seductive charm.

“Keep staring like that, and I might just get jealous.”