All the conflicts and ailments between her and Meng Yuan had never been caused by any one person.
“Shang Li, sis.” Yu Sheng sat in the seat that should have been hers, calling out in a clear, sweet voice.
Shang Li’s gaze swept past her, landing directly on Meng Yuan.
Meng Yuan was reclining against the back of her seat. Sensing Shang Li’s stare, she glanced over sideways, a faint trace of helplessness in her eyes. Her beautiful, rosy lips seemed to carry a barely perceptible sigh. “Get in first.”
“Yeah, Shang Li, sis, hurry and get in,” Yu Sheng chimed in, stepping out of the car to make way for the back seat.
Shang Li shot her an expressionless glance, responding with a cold “Mm,” but didn’t move.
Yu Sheng’s bag was still lying on the seat, an eyesore that grated on her nerves.
The anger simmering inside her mirrored the oppressive, stifling heat of the humid air heavy and suffocating.
Shang Li took a deep breath, raised her hand, and, following the impulse in her mind, was about to grab the bag and toss it into the back seat.
But two slender, pale fingers reached out first, hooking the bag’s strap and lifting it backward.
Kou Jia, who had been huddled in the back seat, quickly reached out to catch it and placed it on the seat beside her.
Shang Li turned her head to look at Yu Sheng, her hostility slightly eased, and offered a faint smile. “You get in first.”
Having witnessed the entire scene, Yu Sheng’s smile now carried a hint of awkwardness. “Alright. Oh, and Shang Li, sis, don’t misunderstand, I’m also going to the charity gala, so I just hitched a ride with Senior Sister.”
Shang Li gave another “Mm,” indicating she understood.
After getting into the car and fastening her seatbelt, Shang Li turned to look out the window.
A few vibrations came from her handbag. She took out her phone and saw a message from Kou Jia.
【Shang Li, sis, we only ran into Yu Sheng later. Her car broke down halfway, so we had to give her a lift.】
Shang Li replied with “Got it,” thought for a moment, then added a sticker before turning off her phone and resuming her previous posture.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Meng Yuan typing on her phone, the motion stirring the air with a restless energy that seemed to blow directly toward her.
Shang Li closed her eyes, her fingertips rubbing against the peace charm in her palm, her mind in turmoil.
Unbeknownst to her, every move the two made was being watched by Yu Sheng in the back seat, which slightly eased the frustration in Yu Sheng’s heart. When she spoke again, her voice had regained its earlier clarity and cheerfulness.
“Senior Sister, your new drama starts filming tomorrow. Why are you still attending the gala tonight?”
“Had no choice, I was forced,” Meng Yuan replied, her tone laced with unmistakable irritation.
Yu Sheng continued with a bright smile, “Who could possibly force you? Oh, it must be Wen Tang, right? A charity gala really is a great opportunity to boost your image and gain some goodwill.”
“Such a performance,” Meng Yuan scoffed. “Might as well donate more money that’s more practical.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Trading real money for a good reputation is a win-win situation, isn’t it?”
The two chatted intermittently, Yu Sheng talking animatedly with an endless stream of topics, while Meng Yuan occasionally responded with a brief remark. The atmosphere remained relatively harmonious.
The stretch Lincoln glided smoothly along the road, its interior spacious and comfortable. Yet Shang Li, leaning in one corner, suddenly felt confined and isolated, as if separated by an invisible boundary.
She wanted to shut out all the noise and chatter, but the sounds pierced through her eardrums like sharp, cutting blades.
“Oh, by the way, Shang Li, sis, it seems we haven’t exchanged contact info yet.”
The mention of her own name broke through that invisible barrier.
A pale, smooth arm reached out from behind, and the QR code on the screen appeared before her eyes. Shang Li was momentarily stunned, lifting her gaze to the person holding the phone.
Yu Sheng was also looking at her, smiling brightly, with two deep dimples on her cheeks and eyes that sparkled with radiance.
For a second, Shang Li’s mind went blank, her thoughts drifting. She couldn’t help but imagine that if she were in someone else’s shoes, she too would prefer talking and confiding in someone like Yu Sheng someone as warm and comforting as the spring sun, capable of drying up all the gloom and murkiness.
But she herself was like a cloudy, overcast day dim, gloomy, and stifling.
A wave of embarrassment washed over her, making it hard to breathe. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag, her entire body stiffening as she forgot how to move.
“Shang Li?” Yu Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
With a strained hum, Shang Li took out her phone, aimed it at the QR code, and with a beep, scanned, added, and completed the process.
As they neared their destination, Shang Li’s heart began to race with unease. Just then, a black car slowly approached from behind, it was Shi Jing’s.
Seizing the excuse to get out, Shang Li let out a soft sigh of relief, unbuckled her seatbelt, and said, “Stop here. I need to talk to Shi Jing about something.”
Shi Jing had naturally spotted her and immediately stopped the car, opening the door and waving her over. “It’s drizzling get in quickly.”
The rain fell softly and gently, harmless against her skin, yet it steadily stirred up the heat rising from the ground. Shang Li raised a hand to shield her head and quickly slipped into Shi Jing’s car.
The scent of citrus filled her nostrils, instantly overpowering the earthy smell in the air and bringing immense comfort to her soul.
If only she had ridden with Shi Jing from the start.
“You brat, how dare you stand me up?” Shi Jing grabbed a tissue to wipe the misty droplets from Shang Li’s hair, lightly tapping her in reproach. “We agreed to come together, but you ran off at the last minute. Abandoning your friend for a crush!”
“I didn’t expect Meng Yuan to come back for me,” Shang Li replied flatly, her tone devoid of any joy.
Shi Jing grumbled, “Then why didn’t you go with her? Why get in my car?”
“There are reporters up ahead. I need to avoid suspicion,” Shang Li explained, offering a grateful smile that held a rare hint of dependence. “Luckily, I ran into you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
“Hmph.” Shi Jing smirked proudly, but her expression softened almost instantly as she cheerfully added, “Now you see? In critical moments, it’s your good friends who have your back.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
As they spoke, the car gradually came to a stop.
Through the window, Shang Li saw Meng Yuan stepping out of a car not far ahead, with Yu Sheng following closely behind. The two shared a transparent umbrella, their long dresses sheltered beneath it, creating an intimate space that seemed to belong only to them.
Before they even reached the ground, cameras were already trained on them, flashbulbs popping incessantly, the sound of shutters nearly drowning out the surrounding noise.
“What on earth is going on?!” Shi Jing’s voice rose sharply with anger.
Shang Li withdrew her gaze and quietly explained the situation to her.
“Excuses, all excuses! I don’t want to hear it.” Shi Jing covered her ears and shook her head repeatedly, fuming. “Just hitching a ride? Then why didn’t she drop the person off earlier? You’re worried about avoiding suspicion, but is she? You’re always thinking about her has she ever considered you even once? Has she ever tried to lend you a hand?”
“…”
“Any outsider can openly stand by her side, so why is it that you alone cannot? Given her current status and position, I don’t believe she’s incapable of it!”
“Shi Jing, this matter isn’t as serious as you think. Besides, I don’t care, nor do I mind these things.”
It wasn’t an excuse made for Meng Yuan, nor was it self-deception or self-comfort.
It’s just that when hearts grow distant, does it really matter where one stands?
She knew that Yu Sheng wasn’t the root cause of the troubles in their relationship. All the conflicts and issues between her and Meng Yuan had never been brought about by any particular person.
If it weren’t Yu Sheng, it would have been Zhou Sheng or Wang Sheng.
In fact, “Zhou Sheng or Wang Sheng” didn’t even have to be a person at all.
But occasionally, she couldn’t help but wonder, “Shi Jing, tell me, would life be more, if I were with someone like Yu Sheng young, beautiful, full of vitality, and interesting?”
A light flick on the head came immediately.
Shi Jing scoffed, “What? Starting to dislike yourself now?”
Shang Li shook her head, “I was just imagining.”
“Here, take a look at this person.”
A small, smooth mirror was suddenly held up before her. After locking eyes with the reflection for a second, Shang Li instinctively averted her gaze, unwilling to look any longer.
But Shi Jing was relentless, forcing her to face the mirror directly. “Hurry up, tell me what you think of this person!”
Shang Li frowned, staring blankly at the other version of herself, and honestly uttered a few words.
Decadent, lifeless, ugly.
“Hmm, indeed, unattractive, truly unattractive!” Shi Jing nodded emphatically in agreement, her tone firm. But in the next moment, she shifted her stance, “However, the person in this mirror isn’t you, it’s Meng Yuan.”