Sun Lin walked in huffing and puffing, carrying two large bags of crayfish in each hand. After placing them on the dining table, she collapsed into a chair and massaged her wrists.
“Why did you buy so many crayfish?” Fang Yize peeked into the bags; it was far more than two people could ever finish.
“I figured you probably hadn’t eaten yet, so I picked them up on the way.” Sun Lin glanced at Fang Yize’s lit phone screen, which was still stuck on a shop page in the Meituan app.
Sun Lin cheerfully handed a pair of disposable gloves to Fang Yize and asked, “Yiyi, have you made any progress with your crush lately?”
As she peeled a crayfish, Fang Yize replied, “I confessed.”
Sun Lin, who was currently sucking on a crayfish tail, was instantly choked by the spicy broth. Coughing violently, she said in disbelief, “You—what did you say? To Jiang Xule? You confessed?!”
“She knows you like her now?”
“Mm-hmm.” Fang Yize calmly ate her crayfish and asked, “Where did you buy these? The flavor is quite good, the meat is plump, and they’re very fresh.”
Sun Lin immediately pressed down on the hand she was using to peel the shrimp. “Don’t just eat! Tell me exactly what happened.”
Fang Yize was truly starving. It was nearly nine o’clock before she finally got to eat, so she unceremoniously shook off Sun Lin’s hand and snapped, “What do you mean ‘what happened’? It happened how it happened. You’re the one who urged me to go for it, yet you’re surprised now that I did? Do you want me to confess or not?”
“It’s just that you two only recently reunited. Aside from that class reunion, have you even had any contact? Don’t tell me you ran into her on the street and confessed right then and there.”
Fang Yize knit her brows in thought. “I’m not that reckless. It was at the school.”
Sun Lin narrowed her eyes suspiciously, rubbing her chin with two fingers after removing her gloves. “Meaning, in the week you haven’t contacted me, you’ve been with Jiang Xule the whole time?”
“No, I haven’t seen her today. She never takes the initiative to contact me either.” Fang Yize shrugged.
“Oh~ why does your expression look a bit regretful then?” Sun Lin asked tentatively, “How about… calling her over to eat together?”
Fang Yize immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling like stars. “Can I?”
Sun Lin’s mouth twitched, and she let out a cold snort. “No!”
“It’s late at night and you want to call her over for crayfish? Given that she already knows you have ‘ulterior motives,’ and then you invite her to your house late at night—do you think she’ll believe your intentions are pure? Huh?”
Sun Lin snatched a piece of peeled meat from Fang Yize’s hand and stuffed it into her own mouth, adding, “As if I haven’t eaten crayfish before.”
Fang Yize gave Sun Lin a dark glare, grabbed another one from the bowl, and began peeling again, pouting crossly and falling silent.
Seeing her like this, Sun Lin only chuckled. She took off the other glove, stood up, straightened her clothes, and picked up her bag to leave.
“What are you doing?” Fang Yize asked, puzzled.
“My ancestor, I escaped from the clutches of a dozen people to get here. They’re still waiting for me to go back. If I’m any later, don’t expect me to walk out of that bar sober tonight!”
Hearing this, Fang Yize began taking off her gloves too. “Should I go with you?”
“My lady, don’t bother! Look at those dark circles under your eyes—what happened to you?” Sun Lin pulled a black jar from her bag and set it on the table. “A new eye cream that hasn’t hit the market yet. I looked around and figured you’re the best candidate to use it. Give me some feedback later. I’m off.”
“Don’t stay out too late, don’t drink and drive, and remember to let me know you’re safe.”
“I know, I know. It’s the same few lines every time.”
Fang Yize watched Sun Lin disappear from her sight, followed by the “thud” of the door closing. The house returned to silence.
She looked around the room blankly. In this vast space, there was only a tiny version of herself sitting in a chair. Aside from the wind blowing through the balcony window and rustling the curtains, there was no sign of life.
She had thought about getting a pet to keep her company, but she couldn’t even take care of herself—how would she dare raise an animal? She clearly had many friends, yet she often felt lonely.
Withdrawing her gaze, Fang Yize sighed softly and put her gloves back on to finish the crayfish. Since she couldn’t change the current reality, she decided to turn her low mood into an appetite. If she filled her stomach, she wouldn’t have the energy to overthink.
For the rest of the meal, she didn’t eat a single piece as she went. Instead, she peeled all the meat from several bowls and set it aside. At the very end, she stuffed a huge handful into her mouth. The firm texture made her jaw muscles ache; it was her first time learning that you could actually get tired from eating.
Once full, she took a photo of the table covered in shells and posted it to her WeChat Moments with the caption: I am simply a master at peeling shrimp, ding! (Thumb emoji)
The moment it was posted, likes started rolling in. Blue names piled up one after another, and comments followed, all praising her for being capable and skilled.
Today, her older sister, Fang Xize, actually had some free time. She not only liked the post but also commented: How hungry were you? You finished all that by yourself?
Fang Yize’s brows furrowed. Just as she was about to snap back, a notification from Fang Xize popped up at the top of her screen.
Fang Xize: [No classes tomorrow since it’s the weekend, right?]
Fang Yize: [I didn’t finish the crayfish. The leftovers are in the freezer.]
Fang Xize: [Who asked you about that? I’m picking you up to go home tomorrow. If you dare refuse, you’re dead.]
Thus, Fang Yize quickly cleared the table, jogged to the bathroom to shower and wash her hair, and then applied a thick layer of the eye cream Sun Lin gave her, gently massaging it with a roller.
While makeup could hide the dark circles, she couldn’t wear makeup twenty-four hours a day at home. If her family found out she had exhausted herself like this for work, they would definitely make her quit.
She went to bed immediately after her skincare routine. Sleeping early would ensure she looked better the next day.
However, Fang Xize arrived much earlier than she anticipated.
At eight in the morning, Fang Xize was already ringing the doorbell. After several failed attempts to get an answer, she called Fang Yize’s phone.
Wearing her sleep mask, Fang Yize groroped for her slippers with her feet. She flipped the mask up onto her head, grabbed her phone, and jogged to the door with squinted eyes.
Fang Xize’s temper flared the moment she saw her sister’s “bird’s nest” hair.
“Look at how bloated your face is,” Fang Xize said, glancing at her with disdain as she walked inside without changing her shoes.
Fang Yize caught a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror. The dark circles were indeed a bit lighter than yesterday, but because she was so thirsty after the salty crayfish last night, she had chugged a large bottle of iced mineral water before bed. She woke up with severe water retention.
“Why are you here so early?” Fang Yize’s feet barely lifted off the ground as she shuffled along, placing her phone on the coffee table.
She soon heard a very dissatisfied “tsk” from Fang Xize, which startled her into full alertness. She hurriedly scanned her living room—it was tidy, no trash, no clothes strewn about.
So?
“Are you sick?”
Fang Yize’s nasal congestion was much heavier today than yesterday. Having eaten so much spicy crayfish, she had a bit of “internal heat”; her throat was dry, it hurt to swallow, and her voice sounded more like Donald Duck.
Relieved, Fang Yize replied, “I don’t think so.”
Fang Xize sat on the sofa helplessly and said, “You don’t need to explain to me. Just make sure you have an excuse ready when Mom and Dad ask.”
She turned to look toward the kitchen. Seeing that the ingredients she needed were there, she stood up and walked over, reminding Fang Yize: “I’m only giving you thirty minutes.”
Fang Yize immediately dashed back to her room and closed the door to get ready.
Fang Xize usually pampered her, but Fang Yize was still a bit afraid of her. It was likely a “bloodline suppression”—she didn’t dare disobey. If her sister said “east,” she would never go “west.”
In thirty minutes, there was no time for makeup. She washed her face thoroughly and changed her clothes.
Even without makeup, her natural face was quite stunning. Her skin was smooth and almost flawless, save for a small mole on her cheekbone and the slightly distracting blue tint of her dark circles. She applied a moisturizing nude lipstick to improve her complexion and walked out of the room.
Fang Xize glanced at her and placed a plate with a sandwich—made of two fried eggs and toast—on the dining table. In her other hand, she held an iced Americano.
Fang Yize sat down naturally. She had already picked up her knife and fork when she asked the obvious: “For me?”
“Iced Americano to reduce the swelling.” Fang Xize pushed the coffee toward her.
“Thanks, Sis!”
Although Fang Yize lived alone, Fang Xize was much more independent and a far better cook—at least Fang Xize’s fried eggs weren’t burnt.
Fang Yize was eating happily when she heard Fang Xize ask: “Do you have someone you like?”
“?” Fang Yize looked up abruptly, a piece of fried egg hanging from her mouth. She gave a couple of silly, confused laughs, the egg falling back onto the plate. “What do you mean?”
“Your phone was sitting there. Someone named ‘Kissy Baby’ sent you a message and then retracted it.”
Guiltily, Fang Yize swallowed hard.
This “Kissy Baby” was none other than a certain Jiang Xule. Fang Yize had taken it upon herself to give her that intimate nickname.
However, her entire focus was on the fact that Jiang Xule had actually initiated a message. Her heart raced with the urge to grab the phone from the coffee table and investigate.
“Eat first.”
“Oh.” She took a bite of the sandwich.
“You’re almost twenty-four. If you’re dating, you’re dating. What’s there to hide? Is the guy that embarrassing to show off?”
Fang Yize choked again. Before she could even swallow the sandwich, she tried to explain: “It’s… mmph… not like that.”
Fang Xize looked at her with disgust. “Swallow your food before you talk.”
She chewed quickly and used the iced Americano to wash everything down. “I’m not dating… and it’s not a guy…”
Fang Xize paused, crossing her arms and leaning back against the chair. “Are you into girls?”