Bai Yan’er was asking about the friends close to Yan Yu.
‘This question sounds a bit odd.
If she wants to know the answer, why not just ask Yan Yu herself?’
Despite her confusion, Ruo Xiaozhen bit her lip and thought for a moment.
“The closest one in class… is Bai Yan’er.”
“The closest one outside class…”
Seems like it’s just her.
Yan Yu’s social circle at school was pitifully small, so Ruo Xiaozhen had always felt that she was the one closest to Yan Yu.
If Yan Yu had made plans for the weekend, and the person wasn’t Bai Yan’er or her—
‘Then who is it?’
Suddenly, Ruo Xiaozhen felt something stuck in her chest.
She couldn’t quite describe the feeling.
It wasn’t anger, nor was it grievance.
It was more like… a sense of panic from someone quietly crossing a line she hadn’t noticed.
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Um… Should I go ask her?]
Before she could finish typing, a message came in from Bai Yan’er.
[Bai Yan’er: Don’t.]
Two words, plus a period.
Clean and decisive.
Ruo Xiaozhen’s fingers stopped.
[Ruo Xiaozhen: What’s wrong?]
[Bai Yan’er: I don’t want my sister to know I’ve been inquiring about her matters.]
Ruo Xiaozhen stared at the line for a few seconds.
She had been about to ask “why,” but then thought that since Bai Yan’er said so, she must have her reasons.
[Bai Yan’er: Mm, thank you.]
[Ruo Xiaozhen: If there’s any news, I’ll let you know.]
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Alright, I understand.]
Three words, polite and distant.
The conversation ended there.
Ruo Xiaozhen put her phone next to her pillow, turned over, and stared at the small patch of moonlight filtering through the curtain gap.
She couldn’t tell what she was feeling right now.
Bai Yan’er’s words were like a small pebble dropped into the originally calm water of her heart.
The ripples weren’t big, but they spread out in circles, refusing to stop.
She suddenly recalled the question Bai Yan’er had asked earlier—
“Who are the close friends around my sister?”
At that moment, she had thought there was no one.
But now she suddenly wasn’t sure.
She and Yan Yu were inseparable every day—eating together, studying together, binge-watching shows together.
If Yan Yu had someone else around her, she should have been the first to know.
But Yan Yu had never mentioned having weekend plans.
‘Who is that person?
Why can’t she let me know?’
The more Ruo Xiaozhen thought about it, the harder it was to fall asleep, and the messier her mind became.
She tossed and turned, hugging her pillow over and over.
By a little past five in the morning, the sky outside had changed from pitch black to deep blue, and the faint sound of street sweeping drifted from afar.
Only then did she finally close her eyes in a daze, but the question was still spinning in her head.
Weekend.
The weather was fine.
Yan Yu woke up early.
She slowly sat up, bracing herself on the edge of the bed, leaning against the pillow.
She closed her eyes and went over today’s plan in her mind.
She had agreed to meet Su Qinghan at ten o’clock at the aquarium entrance.
It was now 7:30 AM, giving her two and a half hours to prepare—more than enough for an ordinary person, but just right for her.
After all, she moved slowly.
She first stood up holding the armrest, then shuffled into the bathroom while steadying herself on the wall.
After freshening up, she returned to the bedroom, opened the wardrobe door, and scanned the row of hanging clothes.
‘What to wear?’
It seemed like a simple question, but for Yan Yu, it was a decision that required careful thought.
She closed her eyes and recalled Su Qinghan’s aesthetic preferences over the past three years.
What kind of clothes did Su Qinghan like?
Or rather—what kind of clothes did Su Qinghan like to see Jiang Muyun wear?
The answer was clear: clean, simple, with a cool-toned style.
White, beige, light gray.
Clean cuts, not too flashy.
Jiang Muyun’s wardrobe was almost entirely made up of such clothes.
Every time Su Qinghan saw Jiang Muyun in those clothes, her gaze would unconsciously linger for a few extra seconds.
Logically, Yan Yu’s best choice was to stick to the old path—imitating Jiang Muyun.
But Yan Yu hesitated.
Su Qinghan and Jiang Muyun were in a cold war.
If she dressed like Jiang Muyun today, would Su Qinghan’s first reaction be to remember the person who had a falling out with her, who gave her a cold shoulder in public, and who still hadn’t contacted her on her own?
Yan Yu wasn’t sure.
Making Su Qinghan think of an unhappy person probably wasn’t a good choice.
In that case.
Then for once, she would wear her own style.
Not trying to imitate anyone, not trying to please anyone.
Just being herself.
Yan Yu’s fingers lightly brushed over the hangers and finally stopped on a dress she rarely wore.
It was a light blue floral-print dress, made of soft chiffon.
The skirt fell to mid-calf, and there was a belt at the waist that could be tied into a bow.
The neckline was square, revealing her collarbones and a little bit of her chest.
The overall color tone was warm, carrying a gentle spring-like warmth.
She rarely wore this dress because she thought the color was too bright.
But today, looking at that shade of light blue, she suddenly felt—’Let’s give it a try.’
She took out two thin braided hair accessories from the drawer and tied them in.
The person in the mirror instantly seemed like someone else.
Yan Yu studied herself in the mirror for a moment, gently combed a few stray strands of hair from her forehead, and revealed a smooth brow.
Last step: a simple light makeup.
Since she didn’t have much experience as a girl, she didn’t challenge herself with a complicated technique—that wasn’t her forte.
She chose the lightest foundation, dipping the damp makeup sponge and patting it on bit by bit.
Then, she used brow powder to lightly fill in the tail of her brows, stroking along the direction of hair growth, stroke by stroke.
Next, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, lipstick…
Finally, she picked up the bottle of Xinyu Perfume, pressed the nozzle twice gently on her inner wrist, then lightly rubbed her wrist behind her ears.
A light fragrance spread.
Yan Yu put down the perfume and looked back at the mirror.
The person in the mirror tilted her head slightly, the corners of her mouth curving into a shallow arc.
Even she herself felt a little surprised.
So she could become like this too.
Not the silent Yan Yu, but another vivid, bright version of herself.
Satisfied.
She took a pair of shallow-mouthed flat shoes from the wardrobe, sat down on the wall, and slowly put them on.
Then she picked up her light-colored canvas shoulder bag.
“I’m going out.”
She said softly to Ruo Xiaozhen’s closed bedroom door.
There was no response from inside.
Ruo Xiaozhen had been binge-watching a show until early morning; she should still be catching up on sleep.
Yan Yu didn’t wake her.
She gently pushed open the apartment door, wheeled her chair into the hallway, and then closed the door behind her.
The elevator descended slowly.
When it reached the first floor, the door slid open.
Yan Yu wheeled her chair across the lobby and out through the apartment building’s main entrance.