Have you finally found someone? What kind of man could actually catch your eye?” On this particular day, Xu Ling had invited Jiang Ruoxun out for a beauty treatment.
Even though Jiang Ruoxun was naturally stunning, she knew that as she got older, she had to maintain her skin to stay in peak condition.
Jiang Ruoxun lay on the bed, letting the aesthetician’s slender fingers glide across her face. They had been patrons of this establishment for years; whatever was said within these walls stayed here.
“I can’t tell you that yet,” Jiang Ruoxun replied.
Xu Ling pursed her lips. Why so mysterious?
Among all the female celebrities Xu Ling knew, she had never met a woman as aloof as Jiang Ruoxun. Since her debut, countless wealthy businessmen and second-generation heirs had pursued her—some with a level of devotion that was truly staggering. Yet, this woman wouldn’t give them a second glance; she wouldn’t even bother to remember their names.
“By the way, is that Wei You still chasing you?” Xu Ling continued. He was, after all, the first rich heir Jiang Ruoxun had ever added on WeChat. He surely still had a chance.
Not wanting to discuss him, Jiang Ruoxun simply knit her brows in frustration.
After the treatment, Jiang Ruoxun put on her sunglasses and a face mask.
“Want to grab some barbecue?” Xu Ling asked. “Since you’re off today, a big meal shouldn’t hurt, right?”
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t mind, as long as they stuck to leaner cuts of meat.
It was Friday, and Xu Youzhi only had morning classes. Everyone’s minds had already drifted toward the Himalayas; no one was listening to the lecture. Li Qingshuang was so drowsy she was practically collapsing onto Xu Youzhi.
Xu Youzhi felt irritable. She let out a small “tsk.”
Ever since that trip to the Datong Caves, Jiang Ruoxun hadn’t reached out to her at all. Although Li Wuyi had initiated a few conversations—which Youzhi responded to happily—her mind remained fixed on “Yinghu.”
She had tried to start a few conversations herself, but they were all mundane: Are you awake, Sister? Have you eaten yet?
Jiang Ruoxun would reply with a few words and nothing more. Eventually, Xu Youzhi didn’t dare send any more messages. She felt a wave of self-doubt, wondering if the photos she took were so ugly that the Film Queen was displeased. Or perhaps it was because she had lied about never visiting the caves before?
There was an uncomfortable sensation in her chest, like an itch in her heart that she couldn’t scratch.
Finally, class ended. Li Qingshuang grabbed their arms. “Shall we go get barbecue?”
Since Kuang Yuan had softened her stance recently, the two of them were on much better terms.
Xu Youzhi, wanting to drown her irritation in food, agreed. “Sure.”
Kuang Yuan said apologetically, “My boyfriend doesn’t have class either and wants to spend time with me. Would it be okay if he joined us?”
Just as she spoke, Kuang Yuan’s boyfriend walked over, pulled her into a hug, and said, “Babe, I missed you so much.”
“He’s already here, let’s just go,” Li Qingshuang said expressionlessly. Even though he looked decent enough, she always felt he wasn’t good enough for the gentle and quiet Kuang Yuan. To her, he seemed like a stalk of sugarcane—looks fine on the outside, but rotten and black on the inside.
The four of them arrived at the same barbecue restaurant as Jiang Ruoxun. It was a large, high-end establishment. While ordering, Kuang Yuan’s boyfriend, Xiao Yang, began muttering.
“This doesn’t look good, don’t order it.” “This is too fatty. My Yuanyuan looks better when she’s thin.”
Xu Youzhi noticed he was only vetoing the expensive meats. She let out a small sneer. “We’re splitting the bill.”
Xiao Yang froze. He frowned. “If we’re splitting, maybe we should just order separately. Everyone pays for what they eat.”
Li Qingshuang sighed. “You just want to order the cheap stuff, don’t you?”
“I’m not!” Xiao Yang denied. “Yuanyuan is dieting; she can’t eat greasy food. You guys dragged her here. Otherwise, we would have just gone for Shaxian snacks.”
“You’re so stingy. I heard Yuanyuan got a two-dollar ring for her birthday.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Yuanyuan doesn’t mind, so why are you calling me stingy? At least I give gifts. My roommate doesn’t give his girlfriend anything, and they’re still head over heels.”
Kuang Yuan stepped in to play peacemaker. “Let’s just order separately. Yangyang is right, I really can’t eat that much meat.”
Li Qingshuang clenched her fists. Before Kuang Yuan started dating, she was clear-headed. Now, she was like a puppet controlled by this man. More importantly, whenever Xiao Yang was around, Li Qingshuang felt invisible.
“I’m going to the restroom,” Xu Youzhi stood up.
After washing her hands, she lost her way. After wandering around a bit, she ended up near a secluded corner screened off by a wooden partition.
She locked eyes with a woman wearing sunglasses. Struck by her aura, Youzhi stammered, “Sorry, I’m in the wrong place.”
“Wait.” A familiar voice spoke. Xu Youzhi turned back sharply, realizing the woman was Jiang Ruoxun.
“Sit down,” Jiang Ruoxun said, pulling her over. She smiled at Xu Ling. “You remember this girl, don’t you?”
Xu Youzhi sat down, positioned very close to Jiang Ruoxun.
Xu Ling smiled. “I didn’t realize you two were such close neighbors now.”
Xu Youzhi grinned. “Sister is a very good person.”
Xu Ling was stunned. The rumors about Jiang Ruoxun being difficult weren’t just rumors—otherwise, Xu Ling wouldn’t have been her only manager since her debut. In her experience, Jiang Ruoxun rarely initiated conversation. But from the way Xu Youzhi spoke, was Jiang Ruoxun actually… warm toward her?
And she called her “Sister”? Didn’t Jiang Ruoxun hate that because it made her feel old?
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t comment, simply listening to their exchange.
“Are you eating alone?” Xu Ling asked.
“With my friends, but I lost my way back to the table.” Xu Youzhi moved to check her phone, but Jiang Ruoxun’s hand pressed down on hers.
Her sultry, mature voice whispered, “Eat with us.”
Being invited by the Film Queen herself, and still feeling guilty from before, Xu Youzhi didn’t have the courage to refuse.
Xu Ling, however, was flabbergasted. She took a quick gulp of tea to calm herself. Since when did Jiang Ruoxun invite people to join her meal? She usually detested interruptions.
“You’re so pretty, I assumed you’d be here with a boyfriend,” Xu Ling prodded.
Xu Youzhi paused. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s eyebrows arched slightly, and a secret smile played on her lips. Xu Ling found it baffling. What was so funny?
“Not a single boyfriend?”
“No. People have pursued me, but I turned them all down. My friends say I’m ‘clueless’ about romance,” Xu Youzhi said earnestly.
Xu Ling couldn’t help but laugh. It was hard to believe someone so beautiful was single. Just how “clueless” was she to drive them all away?
Xu Youzhi wasn’t interested in chatting with Xu Ling anymore. She looked at Jiang Ruoxun and whispered, “Sister, were you angry because you didn’t contact me for the last two days?”
“Hmm?” Jiang Ruoxun was surprised by her bluntness. It seemed the girl really cared.
“Is it the photos? Was I too ugly in them? Did you not like them?” Though Youzhi was “clueless,” she was persistent. She wanted a reason for the silence and asked directly.
Jiang Ruoxun couldn’t contain it. A clear, melodic laugh escaped her lips. It was a sound Xu Ling hadn’t heard in a very long time—so unrestrained and genuine.
“What are you laughing at, Sister?” Youzhi asked, confused.
“Nothing. I just think you’re adorable.” Jiang Ruoxun caught her breath, still smiling.
She had intended to wait a week before messaging again. She didn’t want to seem too easy to get to know; she wanted to maintain her mysterious, aloof image to see if the little junior would actually care. It hadn’t even been two days, and the girl was already asking with such a worried face.
“So what was the reason?” Xu Youzhi insisted.
Jiang Ruoxun placed a finger over Youzhi’s lips. Her eyes held a hint of warmth as she shushed her. “Sister was just busy. I forgot to tell you.”
Xu Youzhi blushed. She liked the way Jiang Ruoxun spoke to her.
When the food arrived, Jiang Ruoxun was clearly in a great mood and even ordered an extra side dish for Youzhi. However, the Film Queen wasn’t exactly an expert at grilling; Xu Youzhi had to step in and take over the tongs.
Soon, Xu Youzhi was in full control of the grill.
She placed a piece of perfectly cooked meat in Jiang Ruoxun’s bowl. “Sister, dip it in the sauce first, then a bit of chili powder. Wrap it in a lettuce leaf like this… and eat it all at once.”
Xu Youzhi chewed happily, watching Jiang Ruoxun with a satisfied smile. Surprisingly, Jiang Ruoxun followed the instructions perfectly.
Xu Ling watched the scene, mouth agape. She had a sinking feeling. Could it be… that the “someone” Jiang Ruoxun found was this young girl?
When Jiang Ruoxun stood up, Xu Youzhi immediately asked, “Where are you going, Sister?”
“Just to the restroom.”
Xu Youzhi glanced at Xu Ling. With Jiang Ruoxun gone, she felt a sudden wave of shyness. “I’ll go with you.”
“Alright.”
Xu Ling, still chewing her meat, stared in disbelief. Her suspicions were becoming certainties.
In the restroom, Jiang Ruoxun was cleaning a small spot on her clothes.
“Sister.” Xu Youzhi stood obediently by her side.
“Zhizhi,” Jiang Ruoxun said, suddenly reaching out to ruffle the girl’s hair. “Do you like chatting with me?”
Xu Youzhi nodded.
“Why?”
“Because you’re beautiful, a huge star… it’s an honor to be friends with a Film Queen.”
“Then do you like being with me, or do you prefer that ‘Auntie’?” Jiang Ruoxun asked carefully.
Xu Youzhi didn’t quite understand the comparison, but answered honestly, “You’re both very good to me.”
Jiang Ruoxun wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer, but she didn’t push further.
When they returned to the table, Xu Ling asked, “Aren’t your friends going to mind that you just left them?”
“They’re very easygoing,” Xu Youzhi replied. She knew it was rude to leave, but she simply couldn’t say no to Jiang Ruoxun.
Just as she spoke, Li Qingshuang’s voice rang out from across the restaurant, shouting at Xiao Yang. “You’re full of it! All you do is criticize. You really think you’re an emperor, don’t you? Does everyone have to obey you before you’re satisfied?”
Xu Youzhi turned in shock. She glanced at Jiang Ruoxun. The older woman’s expression was unreadable, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Feeling embarrassed, Xu Youzhi hurried over to hold back Li Qingshuang before a physical fight could break out.
“Qingshuang, calm down!”
“What is wrong with you?” Xiao Yang barked back at her.