Neither of them had much of an appetite for this meal. Wen Xi took only a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.
Yu Qiao’s heart tightened, but she didn’t know what to say. “Should I take you home first?”
“Yeah.” Wen Xi didn’t refuse.
Yu Qiao hesitated to speak, eventually settling for a change of subject. “How has your hand been these past few days?”
“Same as always,” Wen Xi replied, not in the mood for small talk, her tone flat. “It hurts when it’s tired, and once the pain passes, it’s fine.”
Yu Qiao’s fingertips curled slightly.
Wen Xi wanted to comfort her, but at this moment, she really couldn’t bring herself to smile. “It’s really fine. No need for a follow-up. I use the medicine every day, and I know how to control my work hours.”
“Okay,” Yu Qiao said. “If it hurts too much, tell me. Even if we don’t do a check-up, we can go for physical therapy.”
“I know.” Wen Xi felt a bit exhausted and wanted to go home and rest. She stood up. “Take me back.”
“Don’t overthink things,” Yu Qiao said as she followed Wen Xi out, walking beside her. “I’m still here.”
“I know. I’m not overthinking.” Wen Xi walked with one hand in her pocket, her head down.
“…Okay.” Yu Qiao nodded reluctantly.
The two were silent again for the rest of the way. This was common between them; it wasn’t that they had nothing to say, but rather that after experiencing so much, being in each other’s presence provided a peaceful environment for the soul.
However, this time was different. Wen Xi’s heart was a tangled mess.
In a flash, they arrived at the entrance of Wen Xi’s new residential complex. Yu Qiao’s car wasn’t registered, so she didn’t drive in.
Before getting out of the car, Wen Xi spoke softly. “You’ll be thirty-one after the New Year.”
Yu Qiao replied indifferently, “Yeah, in a few more years, I’ll be pushing forty.”
“Sister, you don’t owe me anything anymore,” Wen Xi said with her head down, her voice raspy. “You haven’t had anyone by your side all these years. What’s the point of wasting your time on me?”
After saying this, Wen Xi unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. “I’m going now. See you next time.”
She left Yu Qiao sitting stunned in the car, though because the car was only temporarily stopped, she was forced to drive away.
Yu Qiao found a parking spot outside, sat in the car, and took out a pack of cigarettes, but after a moment’s thought, she put them back down.
Forget it, I’ll listen to her and smoke less.
In recent years, Wen Xi had rarely accepted her help. Although Yu Qiao held shares in the studio, the dividends settled every month were transferred to her card on time.
Yu Qiao knew that Wen Xi was doing this to preserve her dignity.
She had indeed overstepped, she had overstepped as early as four years ago.
Back then, her company had officially stabilized, and Yu Qiao felt that because of this, she could let Wen Xi gradually take on fewer commissions to let her hand rest.
She hadn’t expected Wen Xi to reject her outright.
Wen Xi had tilted her head slightly, asking with blunt confusion, “Why should I rely on you to support me?”
Hearing Wen Xi ask this, Yu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She was equally confused: “Why not? Your hand…”
“There’s nothing wrong with my hand anymore,” Wen Xi, who hadn’t opened her studio yet and would retouch photos at home when not out on shoots, said, “I can support myself now. We agreed a long time ago that we don’t owe each other anything. There’s no reason for me to keep spending your money.”
Yu Qiao frowned, explaining, “I know. I’m just worried your hand can’t handle a high-intensity workload.”
Wen Xi shook her head. “Really, it’s not necessary.”
Looking at Wen Xi like this, Yu Qiao didn’t know what to say for a moment.
She stood in front of Wen Xi while Wen Xi sat on the sofa, retouching photos without even looking up.
Yu Qiao sighed and gave in, crouching down.
She said softly, “You guessed my feelings a long time ago.”
Wen Xi’s movements paused. she lifted her hands and moved the laptop aside.
At that time, Wen Xi’s state was quite poor; she didn’t talk much and only had Pu Tao as her assistant.
Wen Xi’s expression was very flat. “If you don’t say it, I can actually pretend I don’t know anything.”
Yu Qiao let out a light laugh.
She used to be a boxer abroad, and the aura of violence hadn’t completely dissipated even after all this time; she usually appeared stern and unsmiling to the outside world. However, this smile neutralized that faint aura, giving her a unique charm.
But only Wen Xi could see this side of her.
Yu Qiao said softly, “Why shouldn’t I say it? Wen Xi, I never thought there would come a day where I would like someone, but I feel that if I were with you, it would be quite nice. Now that our lives are gradually getting back on track, can’t you try to…”
“Yu Qiao,” Wen Xi looked at her calmly. “Do you really like me? You just associated me with your younger sister, which is why you have a good impression of me.”
“Weren’t those your original words?”
These were the words Yu Qiao had said to her when they first met. At that time, Wen Xi was full of wariness toward Yu Qiao; she hadn’t expected Wen Xi to remember that sentence for so long.
“They were my original words, but a person’s feelings can change,” Yu Qiao said patiently.
Wen Xi closed her eyes. “Right now, I’m in no mood for love and romance. Besides, my heart hasn’t been with me for a long time.”
“Do you really like her that much? How much have you suffered because of her? She doesn’t know anything, and she’s probably secretly cursing you somewhere.” Yu Qiao didn’t understand. “You aren’t willing to tell her, so why can’t you… think about your own future.”
“Sister, she was exceptionally good to me,” Wen Xi gave a forced smile. “I can’t leave her. I can’t forget her.”
Wen Xi wasn’t very angry. She actually rarely talked to Yu Qiao about Shen Yu, so it was natural that Yu Qiao didn’t understand her.
Four years ago, Shen Yu was already somewhat famous, which was within Wen Xi’s expectations, someone as good as Shen Yu deserved to be popular.
Wen Xi had lost both parents at a young age and remained helpless despite being passed around multiple families, while Shen Yu had been her only safe harbor for many years.
Every time she thought about it, she found it funny why Shen Yu always saw her at her most pathetic, yet she also felt it was because they were fated, which was why Shen Yu could always pull her back in time.
After experiencing an unforgettable first love, even the most turbulent waves afterwards couldn’t stir the chords of Wen Xi’s heart.
Yu Qiao really wanted to ask her, Am I not good to you?
But on second thought, wasn’t Wen Xi’s current situation caused by her own hands?
How was that “good”…
Wen Xi looked down at Yu Qiao. “You need to calm down. I’ve said it before, we are even. You don’t need to give me any more compensation. We…”
“I’ll calm down. Let’s pretend today never happened, okay?” Yu Qiao’s hand hanging by her side trembled slightly. Today, she hadn’t thought things through; she had been too reckless.
She had lived abroad since childhood and had seen much of the free and romantic passion of the West, but she had forgotten that this wasn’t abroad. Relationships here were reserved and subtle, valuing a slow and steady approach.
But compared to Wen Xi rejecting her confession, she found it even harder to accept Wen Xi wanting to cut ties with her.
The tension in Wen Xi’s brow relaxed. She had actually been about to suggest they stay apart for a while, but this was fine too.
“Okay, I’ll also pretend today never happened.”
To a certain extent, Wen Xi and Yu Qiao were quite similar, no relatives, no one to rely on.
Both were like floating leaves on a river, drifting with the current, not knowing where they were going, only knowing to work hard to survive.
Recalling that unpleasant scene from the past, Yu Qiao’s head ached so much she rested her forehead on her hands against the steering wheel.
Wen Xi had noticed something was off with her tonight and was reminding her again.
Wen Xi wanted Yu Qiao to move on early. She couldn’t reciprocate Yu Qiao’s feelings and didn’t want to keep stringing her along.
Even if she hadn’t reunited with Shen Yu, she had no intention of being with anyone else.
Not to mention that she had reunited with Shen Yu now… her heart was once again full of her.
Wen Xi walked slowly back home, her heavy mood already affecting her restless stomach.
She hurriedly stuffed a few bites of bread into her mouth and took painkillers and stomach medicine with warm water.
She rested for a while and went to the bathroom with her pajamas. By the time she came out, cold sweat was already beads on her forehead.
She leaned against the wall and collapsed onto the bed, curling into a ball from the pain, her hand pressing hard against her stomach.
Actually, skipping one meal shouldn’t have such a big impact, but hearing such news from Yu Qiao had caused her mood to become heavy and her mind to be consumed by anxiety and chaos.
Wen Xi kept her eyes open, looking at the moonlight faintly visible through the curtains, resentfully whispering a person’s name.
That night, Wen Xi didn’t sleep soundly. One moment it was the sharp pain in her stomach, the next she was dreaming of her bloody, mangled palms.
When she woke up the next morning, the sky was barely grey.
Because her dreams were unsettled, Wen Xi was covered in a cold sweat.
Since she had gone to sleep early the night before, she woke up quite a while before work started.
With a look of displeasure, Wen Xi took her clothes into the bathroom.
When she came out, she dutifully toasted a few slices of bread to eat.
Stomach problems were too torturous; experiencing it once in a while was more than enough.
Wen Xi hadn’t looked at her phone at all since returning last night before falling asleep, so there were a pile of messages to handle.
Her Moments feed surprisingly had a few red notification dots meant for her.
【Aaa Beautiful to Death: Oh, Twilight actually takes pictures of cakes? I thought you only shot people.】
【Aaaa Beautiful Beyond Heaven replied to Aaa Beautiful to Death: If you don’t know, go learn more. My Twilight can shoot scenery too, okay? Unlike some people who take ugly pictures of everything.】
【Tao Tao Tao: Boss is the best!】
The first two were a pair of famous “frenemy” sisters in the entertainment industry.
Wen Xi had received help from them before, and their relationship was quite good.
Wen Xi replied simply to the comments and stretched slowly.
Fine, life goes on.
Released from prison in five months… she would deal with that in five months.
The reason Wen Xi had been able to adjust her state over the years was entirely due to a “let it be” mentality.
If she could avoid thinking about something, she wouldn’t.
By the time she clocked in and arrived at the office, Pu Tao was already sitting on the sofa waiting for her.
Wen Xi put her bag on the desk and asked, “What is it? Waiting for me so early in the morning?”
Pu Tao moved closer mysteriously. “Boss, who gave you that cake?”
Wen Xi smiled. “I can’t buy it myself?”
“Then it seems someone else did give it to you,” Pu Tao nodded knowingly, handing her phone screen to Wen Xi. “Look, Boss, this cake shop is incredibly popular! Great aesthetics, great taste! Most importantly, this shop only accepts in-store purchases. Because it’s so popular, you have to queue up, usually for several hours!”
Pu Tao winked at her. “Ahem, so, who gave it to you?”
Looking at Pu Tao’s phone, the corners of Wen Xi’s lips couldn’t help but lift.
She knew the cake definitely wasn’t something Shen Yu bought herself, but her heart still felt as if it were soaking in honey.
Shen Yu was always like this.
Shen Yu always felt that the things she did for Wen Xi were small matters not worth taking credit for.
So no matter what she did for Wen Xi, she felt it wasn’t worth mentioning. If Wen Xi didn’t ask, Shen Yu wouldn’t say. If Wen Xi did ask, Shen Yu would instead ask back in surprise, “Wait, I did that? Really?”
And yet, by some twist of fate, it poked right into Wen Xi’s heart.