After the call ended, Chen Jiahao still felt somewhat dazed.
Just like that… her job issue was resolved?
She looked deeply at Yu Huan, who sat across from her.
More strikingly beautiful than in childhood, with skin so smooth it seemed poreless, slender fingers, casually matched yet clearly expensive clothes, and a gold longevity pendant around her neck inlaid with diamonds she couldn’t even recognize.
Everything about her spoke of a girl raised in love.
Beautiful, wealthy, and cherished.
Just those qualities alone were enough to make people jealous.
Yet Chen Jiahao found that she couldn’t summon any jealousy at all.
This willful girl, this girl who had always seemed self-centered in her memory—
when Chen Jiahao had been battered by life and family to the point of collapse, had given her a lifeline, preventing her from being swallowed whole by despair.
Chen Jiahao nearly burst into tears. She forced herself to hold it in, her voice trembling.
“Thank you… thank you, Little Huan.”
Thank you for giving me a reason to keep going.
Yu Huan was completely uncomfortable with such an emotional scene.
Chen Jiahao’s heartfelt gratitude made goosebumps rise on her arms.
“If you keep this up, I’m leaving.”
Chen Jiahao hurriedly adjusted her emotions, forcing her tears back, though her eyes were still a little red.
Seeing her return to normal, Yu Huan let out a breath.
“Since you asked me for help, then you have to succeed. If you don’t pass the interview, the one losing face will be me.”
Chen Jiahao nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”
Before making that call, Yu Huan had actually hesitated for a moment.
Should she really follow the so-called storyline?
But she immediately threw that thought aside.
Setting everything else aside, in that “original plot,” even when Chen Jiahao was about to go to prison, she still tried to send her money. With that kind of loyalty, if Yu Huan hesitated, she wouldn’t be human.
Besides, the plot could develop however it wanted.
She, Yu Huan, was a living person.
There was no way she would be controlled by some ridiculous storyline, like the version of herself in that dream who committed all sorts of wrongdoing.
If she really refused Chen Jiahao out of fear of the plot…
Yu Huan glanced at Chen Jiahao, who still looked uneasy after speaking. She was afraid the girl might go home and hang herself on the spot.
After finishing her cup of mocha, the sky—which had been clear and blazing with sun—suddenly changed. Dark clouds aggressively swallowed the sky, and the air turned stifling.
In an instant, heavy raindrops came crashing down, soaking the once-dry ground.
Leaves that had been baked lifeless by the heat couldn’t withstand the assault of the rain. They tore away from the branches and were smashed into the mud.
“The weather forecast didn’t say anything about rain—ugh, I didn’t bring an umbrella!”
“Summer weather changes faster than my mom’s mood!”
Inside the coffee shop, complaints rose one after another.
Yu Huan had an umbrella, but her mood was still bad.
She was wearing light-colored shoes today—any bit of dirt would show clearly. With rain this heavy, they’d be completely ruined.
She really liked this pair of shoes. They had been pre-ordered, and she had waited nearly half a month for them to arrive.
When Zhu Heqing packed her things, she had specifically asked him to include this pair.
The torrential rain wasn’t stopping anytime soon, and she didn’t want to just sit idly in the coffee shop.
Across from her, Chen Jiahao watched as Yu Huan’s expression grew worse and worse, the irritation and disgust in her brows deepening. Just as she was about to say something, Yu Huan’s phone rang.
The phone lay on the table. Chen Jiahao glanced at it subconsciously, then quickly averted her eyes.
Yu Huan answered the call with a sour expression.
The table wasn’t big, and even without speakerphone, Chen Jiahao could vaguely hear the voice on the other end—it was Yu Huan’s boyfriend.
“Baby, it’s raining over there. Did you bring an umbrella when you went out?”
Yu Huan’s home and Zhu Heqing’s were in different districts. After they started dating, Zhu Heqing had added the weather forecast for her area to his phone.
When Yu Huan called, he had checked her location on the app. It showed she was at a coffee shop.
It should be that Chen Jiahao person who had invited her out.
“What’s the use of bringing one? The rain is so heavy—my shoes are definitely going to get dirty.” Yu Huan’s tone was clearly displeased. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have come out. I’ve only worn these shoes once. Even if the rain stops, they’ll still get dirty on the way back.”
Her complaints were obvious, but to Zhu Heqing, they sounded adorable.
It should be like this.
There were already enough people in the world who had to be sensible. There was no need for one more.
Yu Huan could throw tantrums, speak however she liked, without worrying about consequences—because he would always be there to support her and handle everything afterward.
“He Zhiheng is nearby. I’ll have him come pick you up,” Zhu Heqing said patiently. “Don’t worry about your shoes getting dirty. I already bought all the other pairs in the same series. I was planning to surprise you, but telling you now should count as a small surprise.”
“Then tell him to hurry up. I don’t like waiting.”
“Alright. I won’t keep you waiting long.”
Yu Huan listened as Zhu Heqing said a few more things, mainly reminding her not to drink too much coffee or she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
Chen Jiahao felt a bit annoyed with herself.
She should have checked the weather before going out. But at the time, all her thoughts had been focused on how to ask Yu Huan for help, and she hadn’t considered that the weather would change so suddenly.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Yu Huan’s phone rang again, cutting her off.
This time it was Zhang Ya, asking where Yu Huan was and whether she needed to be picked up. Yu Hezhang’s voice could also be heard in the background.
Yu Huan told them that Zhu Heqing had already arranged for someone to pick her up and told them not to come.
Only then did the couple relax a little. They also casually asked about Chen Jiahao’s situation. Yu Huan couldn’t be bothered to answer and directly handed the phone to Chen Jiahao.
“You answer yourself.”
Flustered, Chen Jiahao took the phone and awkwardly responded to Zhang Ya and Yu Hezhang’s concern.
“Aunt Zhang, Uncle Yu, I’m with Little Huan… Yes, we’re still at the coffee shop. We didn’t get wet… No need to bring an umbrella, I can go back on my own… Okay, goodbye.”
Yu Huan absentmindedly stirred her mocha with a spoon. Her gaze drifted outside the window—and she saw a black Mercedes G-Class speeding down the road before coming to a steady stop at the entrance of the coffee shop.
He Zhiheng stepped out of the car, dressed in a sharply tailored black trench coat, holding a long black umbrella.
Unlike Zhu Heqing’s gentle and refined demeanor, He Zhiheng exuded the aura of a carefree playboy. His peach blossom eyes seemed affectionate no matter who he looked at.
The moment he entered the coffee shop, he drew countless glances.
Closing his umbrella, he didn’t need to search—he immediately locked onto Yu Huan’s location.
A smile curled on his lips as he waved at her, walked over, and asked:
“How is it? Didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”