Xu Youzhi went out with Li Wuyi as planned. Previously, she was always extremely lively whenever she was with him, but now she seemed preoccupied. Her mind kept drifting toward what she should wear for her outing with Jiang Ruoxun the next day, making her conversation with Li Wuyi feel half-hearted.
“How about we go out for shopping and dinner on Sunday?” Li Qingshuang started a video call with the two of them in their three-person group chat.
The other girl, who spoke with a gentle tone, was named Kuang Yuan. These three were among the few female students in the Philosophy Department.
“Count me out, I’m going out with my boyfriend,” Kuang Yuan said.
Hearing her mention her boyfriend again, Li Qingshuang couldn’t help but turn aggressive: “Why are you always with that boyfriend of yours!”
Xu Youzhi stared at her phone while glancing at WeChat on her laptop, her mind elsewhere. She didn’t hear a word of their bickering. Right before getting out of bed, she had specially sent a message to Jiang Ruoxun.
— Sister, are you awake?
She wasn’t usually social and never took the initiative to chat with people. Even after adding Jiang Ruoxun on WeChat last time, things had remained calm. But over the past two days, Jiang Ruoxun had been the one reaching out to her. It was as if a floodgate had opened, and Xu Youzhi had finally learned how to start a conversation.
She was as lively as a naive rabbit; clearly knowing she shouldn’t be over-eager, she still feigned a tone of casual concern to “strike up a conversation” with the Film Queen. At the same time, she warned herself to be cautious, fearing her words might displease the other woman.
As luck would have it, she finally received a reply.
Mmhmm, I’m awake. — Didn’t we agree on the afternoon? Is Zhizhi calling for me so soon?
Jiang Ruoxun had actually seen the message long ago. However, she didn’t reply immediately. She took her time soaking her feet and applying a facial mask. Only when she remembered there was someone “waiting to be fed” did she slowly type back.
The more someone ignores you, the more curious you become.
Having finally received a reply, Xu Youzhi followed up eagerly.
I thought Sister had forgotten… How could I forget? After all, how could I break a promise to a little friend?
Xu Youzhi’s hand paused.
Then I’ll go get ready. Can I come call for you in a bit? Mmhmm, I’ll wait for you.
Jiang Ruoxun put away her phone, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
Xu Youzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She had intended to tell her friends about her plans, only to find the two of them halfway through a heated argument. Li Qingshuang was usually easygoing, and Kuang Yuan was gentle and virtuous, but whenever Xiao Yang was mentioned, their fights became endless.
Li Qingshuang gave a cold laugh: “Just don’t go giving the money from the part-time job I found you to your boyfriend!” With that, she hung up the video call.
Kuang Yuan couldn’t stop her tears and disconnected as well, leaving only a bewildered Xu Youzhi behind.
For a long time, Jiang Ruoxun didn’t receive another response from Xu Youzhi, but she felt it beneath her to ask. Finally, the doorbell rang. Jiang Ruoxun went to open it.
“Zhizhi?”
Jiang Ruoxun was wearing a light-yellow loungewear robe over a white, tight-fitting camisole. It was different from her usual style—more relaxed and languid.
Xu Youzhi stared blankly, her gaze drifting. She hadn’t realized the Film Queen was so… well-endowed.
“Oh, my friends were fighting so I went to comfort them. Sister, aren’t you changed yet?” Xu Youzhi froze as she looked at her face.
The chilly/elegant face was already touched with a bit of rouge. Her lips were a vivid, enchanting red, making her cold beauty seem even more frost-like—the image of a great beauty who becomes whiter when met with snow and colder when met with frost.
“Come in and sit for a bit,” Jiang Ruoxun took her hand. Xu Youzhi stood there, stunned.
Jiang Ruoxun teased, “Is Zhizhi unwilling? I thought we were chatting quite well.”
In truth, they hadn’t chatted much; Jiang Ruoxun had been intentionally slow to respond. She just wanted to see if Xu Youzhi had a good temper. To put it bluntly, she wanted to see if she was “stupidly nice.”
“Uh, no…” Xu Youzhi’s heart hammered. I just got dazed looking at your face.
Jiang Ruoxun led her to a seat and poured her a glass of water. Her long, slightly curled hair fell forward, gently softening the sharp lines of her profile.
“Wait for a moment, I’ll go change.” With that, she returned to the bedroom.
Xu Youzhi looked at the hand Jiang Ruoxun had held. She felt like her palms were sweating and worried she might have “polluted” the Film Queen. After all, everything about the woman—from her hair to her robe—carried an impeccable fragrance.
Soon, Jiang Ruoxun emerged in a black suit jacket over a black velvet maxi dress. It accentuated her smooth waistline and curves. Her fans loved her in suits, often calling her a “Royal Sister” (Yu Jie/Mature Queen).
But a “Royal Sister” isn’t just about being cold; she needs different layers. She can be intellectual, gentle, or seductive. At this moment, Jiang Ruoxun was all three.
When she put on glasses, she was the intellectual beauty. When she took them off, she was the gentle beauty. When she smiled, she was purely enchanting—so striking that one could never forget her, yet never dare to desecrate her.
Xu Youzhi swallowed. People always said she was as cold as frost, but she was far more than just a “Cold Goddess.”
“Let’s go,” Jiang Ruoxun took her arm.
Before she knew it, Xu Youzhi was in the car. The Film Queen’s car had a faint, cold fragrance that felt incredibly pleasant.
“Sister, will it be bad if we get photographed?” Xu Youzhi asked, blushing as she watched Jiang Ruoxun put on sunglasses.
Jiang Ruoxun curled her lips into a smile: “It’s fine. Paparazzi never bother with two people of the same gender.”
Xu Youzhi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
“I haven’t asked yet—what is your major, Zhizhi?” Jiang Ruoxun asked casually.
“Philosophy.”
“Philosophy?” Jiang Ruoxun frowned slightly in confusion, then chuckled. “The Philosophy department at Zheda University is indeed excellent, but it’s very hard to find a job after graduation.”
Xu Youzhi recalled that Jiang Ruoxun’s major had been Law, which was indeed a popular and practical field.
“Yeah, there are only five girls in our class… but I like reading Socrates and other philosophers, so I chose it without a second thought.”
Her parents didn’t mind anyway; her family was wealthy.
Noticing the road looked familiar, Xu Youzhi asked, “Sister, where are we going?”
“Datong Cave,” Jiang Ruoxun said, smiling as if giving a surprise.
Xu Youzhi, who had just gone to Datong Cave with Li Wuyi the day before, was stunned. “Da… Datong Cave?”
Jiang Ruoxun nodded. “What’s wrong? Does Zhizhi go there often?”
“No, no.” Xu Youzhi shook her head quickly. Since she had rejected Jiang Ruoxun the day before, she felt guilty and wouldn’t dare say she’d already been. She just hadn’t expected such a coincidence.
While Xu Youzhi worried about making a mistake and upsetting the star, Jiang Ruoxun took great care of her.
Datong Cave wasn’t crowded. Since Jiang Ruoxun only wore sunglasses and hadn’t heavily disguised herself, no one recognized her. The trip was peaceful. Datong Cave was essentially a large marine life museum, filled with sea creatures and ancient oceanic remains.
Using her own knowledge, Jiang Ruoxun explained many facts about ancient marine life to Xu Youzhi. As she listened, Xu Youzhi’s admiration grew. When she was with Li Wuyi, they just looked at the plaques and took photos. But Jiang Ruoxun told her detailed stories about the creatures. Between the two, Xu Youzhi found Jiang Ruoxun much more interesting.
“Zhizhi, do you want ice cream?” Jiang Ruoxun asked suddenly.
Before Xu Youzhi could worry about being a bother, Jiang Ruoxun had already bought one and held it out to her. “I saw you looking at the stand several times. This is for you.”
Xu Youzhi blushed. “But I feel bad taking it.”
Jiang Ruoxun feigned annoyance. “This is from your Big Sister. Take it.”
“Thank you, Sister… aren’t you having any?”
Jiang Ruoxun smiled. “I’m on a diet.”
Xu Youzhi looked at the ice cream and then held it up to Jiang Ruoxun’s lips, saying coquettishly, “Sister, at least have a few bites.”
Jiang Ruoxun let out a soft laugh and didn’t refuse. She took a bite. The cotton-like shaved ice bloomed on her tongue, just like the sweet smile of the girl in front of her.
“Hmm?” During a break, Jiang Ruoxun checked her phone. “My manager wants me to take some photos for Weibo.”
Posting selfies on Weibo was a standard perk for fans. Jiang Ruoxun never neglected them; no matter how busy she was, she would post. She had simply been enjoying her leisure time so much she had forgotten.
“Go ahead and take them, Sister. I won’t disturb you,” Xu Youzhi said obediently.
Jiang Ruoxun took a few selfies, but the fans were demanding more. She looked at Xu Youzhi and asked, “Zhizhi, do you want to take them for me?”
“Huh?” Xu Youzhi looked up blankly.
“I bet the photos Zhizhi takes will be beautiful.”
Xu Youzhi had taken many photos for Li Qingshuang and Kuang Yuan; her skills had been sharpened by their picky demands.
“Okay,” she agreed readily.
Jiang Ruoxun found an empty area and sat on a stone bench while Xu Youzhi held the phone. Looking through the lens, Xu Youzhi suddenly realized that Jiang Ruoxun in the camera wasn’t even as beautiful as she was in real life.
Jiang Ruoxun leaned on one hand while the other hand tugged at her collar. She didn’t actually need to move that much; she was doing it entirely for Xu Youzhi’s benefit.
Xu Youzhi worked hard, adjusting angles and offering praise. The photos were exquisite. While she was focused on the “work,” she didn’t realize what the other woman was thinking—until she saw that Jiang Ruoxun’s gaze had become incredibly sultry. With one hand supporting her head and the other on her shoulder, the suit jacket seemed to slip down, revealing a patch of porcelain-white shoulder.
Xu Youzhi froze for a moment; her movements became stiff.
Jiang Ruoxun continued to toy with the camisole strap under the suit, letting her elegant, snow-white collarbone jump into Xu Youzhi’s line of sight.
Xu Youzhi couldn’t help but swallow, averting her eyes. “Sister, your clothes seem a bit loose.”
Jiang Ruoxun feigned surprise and pulled the jacket up, a smile dancing in her eyes. She looked like a seductive fox; with one blink, all living things would be infatuated. She then brushed her long hair to the back, leaving her white collarbone and neck fully exposed again.
Xu Youzhi didn’t dare look; her heart was thumping. No wonder the fans loved her photos so much. Who wouldn’t be dazed by this? But she had seen Jiang Ruoxun’s Weibo before—usually, she was quite proper.
“Is your face red?” The Film Queen’s voice drifted over like a silken thread, ethereal and alluring. Every word seemed to wrap Xu Youzhi in a hazy, romantic atmosphere.
“Ah?” Xu Youzhi touched her face; it was indeed burning.
She heard the other woman’s clear, crisp laughter. Jiang Ruoxun sat up straight and smiled. “I’ll change my posture.”
She felt a slight pang of disappointment—conquering such a simple “younger sister” almost made her feel guilty.
By 6:00 PM, they had taken dozens of photos. Jiang Ruoxun picked through them to post. Xu Youzhi sat quietly by her side. Her hands had been shaking the whole time she was shooting. As for why they were shaking, even Xu Youzhi didn’t quite know. Her thoughts were like feathers, tossed up and down by everything around her, unclear and confused.
“So beautiful. Zhizhi, your skills are amazing,” Jiang Ruoxun praised gently.
“It’s mostly because Sister is beautiful,” Xu Youzhi smiled shyly.
After reviewing the final photos, Jiang Ruoxun suddenly hugged Xu Youzhi. she lightly tapped the girl’s nose, her voice as soft as water as she whispered in her ear: “I really want you to be the one taking photos for me from now on.”
The mature fragrance of the woman made Xu Youzhi feel even more bashful. Her whole body felt numb, and her face turned even redder than before. She wasn’t a talker, but she got along well with others—especially other girls, who often told her they loved her company.
She had always thought her “affinity with the same gender” was just a normal friendship thing. But now, she had never felt her face burn like this before.
“What does Zhizhi want to eat tonight?” Jiang Ruoxun asked with a smile.
“I want to eat Bullfrog Pot.”
Jiang Ruoxun took her hand. Of course, she wouldn’t refuse whatever the “puppy” wanted to eat. During dinner, Jiang Ruoxun frequently put food into the girl’s bowl, leaving Xu Youzhi feeling overwhelmed by the favor.
After dinner, Jiang Ruoxun took her to the movies. Xu Youzhi felt bad letting Jiang Ruoxun pay for everything, especially since she had paid for the Datong Cave tickets and dinner. She volunteered to pay for the movies.
But Jiang Ruoxun had already bought them. She smiled and said, “Your Sister isn’t short of money. Letting me treat you a few times won’t break the bank.”
Despite this, Xu Youzhi’s personality couldn’t stand it. She vowed in her heart that whenever there was something good to eat or play in the future, she must treat her Sister back!
However, Xu Youzhi never expected that she would run into Li Wuyi at the cinema.