The old building at midnight felt like an adventure.
Voice-activated lights flickered on floor by floor, some coming on, some staying dark. When the lights were on, people’s thoughts ran one way; when they were off, another. Wen Zenian’s high heels clicked softly behind her. From behind a security door on the second floor came a dragging meow.
Then the lights went out on two floors in a row, plunging the hallway outside Meng Ning’s apartment into darkness. Meng Ning let out a soft “Hey,” and finally the lights snapped on. She fished out her keys and scraped them against the rusty security door.
Meng Ning pulled the door open.
She stepped into the entryway and grabbed two pairs of slippers. There was no sound from behind her, so she glanced back. Wen Zenian stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame. “I’m not coming in. Get my bag and suit jacket out for me.”
“The driver’s not here yet, right?”
“He’ll be here soon.”
“Oh.” Meng Ning went inside, fetched Wen Zenian’s suit jacket and bag, and handed them over.
But as Wen Zenian reached for them, she missed and grabbed Meng Ning’s wrist instead.
Before Meng Ning could react, Wen Zenian pulled her forward, stumbling two steps.
Wen Zenian’s forehead came to rest gently against her shoulder.
Truth be told, Meng Ning was a little surprised. She had thought Wen Zenian might hug her, comfort her. But this wasn’t a comforting pose—it was one seeking comfort.
Before Meng Ning could even respond, though, Wen Zenian lifted her head. She smoothly took the suit jacket and bag from Meng Ning’s hands, as if nothing had happened.
Wen Zenian looked effortlessly sharp with her bag in one hand and the jacket draped over her arm. She glanced at Meng Ning. “I’ll head out then.”
Meng Ning nodded. “Drive safe.”
“Good night,” Wen Zenian said.
This time, she didn’t say “Goodnight.” It wasn’t a cute kind of night.
But still, she wished her fragile lover peace on this night after the tears.
The next morning, Qi Xiao video-called Meng Ning. “I can’t find a pair of socks! Did I forget them or lose them?”
“A pair of socks?” Meng Ning was a bit bewildered. Qi Xiao’s tone made it sound like she’d lost Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
“Yeah! White ones, with two little cherries on the cuffs. My favorites!” Qi Xiao suddenly noticed something. “Hey, why are your eyes so puffy?”
Meng Ning grumbled inwardly: Phone cameras these days were way too high-res.
“I got double-eyelid surgery yesterday.”
“Really?” Qi Xiao blinked. “But you already have double eyelids. Do it again and you’ll have triple ones. Is that the trend now? Should I…”
Meng Ning snorted with laughter, covering her mouth.
Qi Xiao huffed. “You think I’m that dumb? Sis is just goofing around with you. What happened? Did you two fight? You’re so soft—you clearly didn’t win.”
“No.” Meng Ning shook her head. “I just drank too much water.”
“Go check my room for me.” Qi Xiao was sitting near the island counter in the beach control room, clearly off-duty. “I’ll tell you where to look.”
Meng Ning went to search for her. “Nope, not there. Really not.”
“No way.” Qi Xiao looked heartbroken.
“Um, did she have a meeting this morning?”
“You said you didn’t fight. Why ask me instead of her? I’m just a lowly peon, you know.”
“Come on, everyone knows about your gossip group.” Meng Ning smirked. “I don’t want to seem too clingy, that’s all.”
“Fine, fine. No meeting. I saw her in the staff cafeteria this morning.”
“Looking good?”
“Meng Ning, too much.” Qi Xiao raised her voice a notch, then remembered she was in the control room and lowered it. “Flaunting it in my face first thing.”
Meng Ning grinned. “Hanging up then.”
“Go ahead.” Qi Xiao sighed. “I’ll mourn my lost socks in peace.”
After the call ended, Qi Xiao sat there, lost in thought for a moment.
Meng Ning’s situation had really given her food for thought. You walk down the street every day, passing countless people who seem young, cheerful, full of life. You have no way of knowing which flawless facades hide shattered souls beneath.
She’d known Meng Ning for over two years and never noticed. Even after that incident, hanging out with her, Qi Xiao still hadn’t seen it.
You had to listen very, very carefully—whether amid the clamor of a crowded street or under a silent sunset—to hear the faint clink of those soul fragments against the perfect skin. Then, at just the right moment, give a gentle pull, so she wouldn’t go gentle into that good night, never to return to the real world.
It wasn’t easy, Qi Xiao thought.
And now, with things at this point, what were Meng Ning and Wen Zenian going to do? She was seriously worried for them.
After tidying up the apartment, Meng Ning received a food delivery.
Luxury-level stuff—not some orange-uniformed rider, but same-city premium service. The polite delivery guy asked, “Are you Miss Meng?”
Meng Ning glanced at the exquisitely packaged bag in his hands and knew she was in trouble.
She gave him the pickup code, took the delivery, and headed back to her room. Sitting at her desk, she opened the bag.
Inside were two small tubs of premium-packaged ice cream. Meng Ning eyed the brand, pulled up the Orange App on her phone, and checked the price. She sucked in a sharp breath.
No, she didn’t need the ice cream anymore—her heart was already frozen solid.
With a sigh, she resignedly lifted the two tubs and pressed them against her eyes.
She’d cried pretty embarrassingly last night. She knew this was Wen Zenian ordering them to soothe her puffy eyes. But any ice would do for that, right? Even Green Mood?
Why get such expensive ice cream?! Should she log this expense or not?! Did she need to pay Wen Zenian back?!
Holding the two tubs up to her eyes like that, staring out the window, she looked pretty silly. Meng Ning swore the chattering bird outside was laughing at her.
Still, her swollen eyelids did feel a bit better. Was this the magic of high-end ice cream?
She wondered if Green Mood, at a buck fifty a pop, had the same effect.
Meng Ning let her mind wander for a bit, then pulled a small spoon from the bag. She popped open a lid and started digging into the half-melted ice cream.
She definitely had to pay Wen Zenian back for this—no sense wasting it, not a single bite.
The dark chocolate flavor wasn’t overly sweet at all; as ice cream, it went down smooth. Spoonful by spoonful, Meng Ning ate while reflecting on her video call with Qi Xiao. It confirmed one thing: Wen Zenian hadn’t had a meeting that morning.
She’d guessed as much because she felt Wen Zenian had decided to leave on a whim last night.
Otherwise, someone as meticulous as Wen Zenian would’ve grabbed her bag and jacket on the way downstairs.
Meng Ning had waited three days. She’d cooked, cleaned, volunteered at the stray cat shelter—no word from Wen Zenian.
She messaged her: “When are you coming back to the city?”
No reply for twenty minutes. Then: “Super busy lately.”
She felt like Wen Zenian was avoiding her.
Two more days passed without contact.
That day, Qi Xiao was on her day off. Meng Ning asked, “Has she been really busy lately?”
“Seems like it. Feet never touch the ground.”
“Then I’ll come to the island with you.”
“Never pegged you for the clingy type, Ning.” Qi Xiao gave her an up-and-down look. “You wouldn’t happen to be brewing some soup to bring her, would you?”
Meng Ning nodded. “Good idea.”
She messaged Wen Zenian: “Qi Xiao’s heading back to the island tomorrow. Can I come with her?”
The implication: I want to see you.
Wen Zenian took a long time to reply.
Just as Meng Ning thought she’d say no, the message came: “I left a temp pass and room key at the pier duty station.”
Meng Ning almost suggested it wasn’t safe there—word could spread, bad for Wen Zenian.
But was there anything Wen Zenian couldn’t handle?
Worried she’d overthink if Meng Ning mentioned it, she said nothing.
The next day, she went to the island with Qi Xiao.
At the helm of the speedboat was Xiao Zhang, whom they both knew. “Meng Ning-jie? Long time no see.”
Qi Xiao slung an arm around Meng Ning’s shoulders. “She’s been busy since quitting—drawing admirers left and right.”
Qi Xiao figured it wasn’t a lie, if you counted the stares from all those stray cats. Right?
Oh yeah, and the resentful glares from the ones who’d been fixed.
Xiao Zhang let his imagination run wild. “Meng Ning-jie, did you become an influencer? Makes sense—you’re so pretty. What’s your handle? I’ll follow.”
“Hahaha, can’t just share that. There’s a barrier between 2D and 3D.” Qi Xiao deflected for her, and Meng Ning smiled.
Qi Xiao felt a twinge of regret.
Was she overdoing it? Making Meng Ning seem fragile, like she couldn’t handle chit-chat herself.
Sigh. Knowing the truth made things tricky—not just for sensitive Meng Ning, but for her too.
If she felt this way, things between Wen Zenian and Meng Ning must be even harder.
She glanced sidelong at Meng Ning. Meng Ning hadn’t brought soup, but she held a thermos of monk fruit tea, gazing at the churning waves.
Change of seasons, huh. Wen Zenian wasn’t big on booze or smokes. This would soothe her throat.
Not like they’d fought. Sigh. No figuring it out.
Qi Xiao’s body rose and fell with the speedboat, her heart doing the same.
Another sidelong glance at Meng Ning. As C Sea Island drew nearer, the knuckles on her hand gripping the thermos seemed to whiten just a bit more.
Qi Xiao felt bad for her.
Meng Ning had spent five years here. In those five years, she’d struggled, strived, tried countless times to pull herself from the past’s quicksand. But she’d failed.
This was a battlefield of total defeat. If Qi Xiao were Meng Ning, she’d never want to come back.
But here Meng Ning was, clutching a thermos.
If it really was a fight, Qi Xiao thought, maybe Wen Zenian could stand to feel just a little more sorry for her.
The speedboat finally docked. Meng Ning and Qi Xiao stepped onto the pier. Meng Ning went first to pick up the temp pass and room key. The duty staff grinned at her. “Where you working these days? Here to feed intel to Gwyneth?”
Meng Ning tugged at her lips in a half-smile.
“I get it, top secret.” The colleague asked again, “But do you know how much longer Gwyneth’s sticking around? She’s here, so we’re all busier.”
Meng Ning shook her head. “No idea.”
Not even her coworkers linked her with Wen Zenian.
Maybe that was for the best.
They left the pier. Qi Xiao asked, “Wanna chill in the dorm first? She’s been swamped—still a while till shift end.”
“Sure.”
