Xu Yumo froze, her mind buzzing. Only then did she remember that the underwear she'd casually changed out of after her shower was still piled at the foot of the bed.
She slammed her phone face-down onto the mattress and frantically stuffed the awkward scraps of fabric under the blanket.
Nian'gao startled at the commotion, lifting its sleepy little head and letting out a confused "meow." Seeing that nothing was wrong, it lazily rested its chin back on its paws and resumed its soft snoring.
After completing this futile act of self-deception, Xu Yumo pressed down on her racing heart, picked up the phone again, and aimed the screen at Nian'gao lying beside her, forcing herself to sound calm: "N-now can you see it?"
"Can't see clearly—it's a bit out of focus." He Linxi's low, husky voice came through the phone, carrying a hint of unhurried teasing. "Why don't you switch to the rear camera? Wouldn't that show it more clearly?"
"…"
Xu Yumo was left speechless.
She couldn't very well admit that she'd flipped the camera in a panic because she hadn't dared to look directly at him in his bathrobe.
She bit her lower lip and steeled herself to tap the screen, switching to the rear camera.
The moment the screen flipped, her reddened ear flashed past—like a ripe apple.
The corner of He Linxi's lips curved up almost imperceptibly.
He didn't continue teasing her. He casually adjusted the collar of his half-open bathrobe, briefly went over Nian'gao's cat food portions and habits, and then ended the video call.
The moment the screen went dark, Xu Yumo let out a long breath, her whole body sinking into the soft pillow as if all her strength had drained away.
The room returned to stillness, leaving only Nian'gao's steady purring.
Xu Yumo closed her eyes, but she couldn't settle down no matter what.
He Linxi's casual, indifferent face, and the faint glimpse of pale, cool-toned skin beneath his bathrobe collar—these images surfaced in her mind uncontrollably, keeping her inexplicably awake.
She tossed and turned until the wee hours before finally drifting off into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Xu Yumo sat at her desk, clearly looking worse for wear.
At noon, just as she was about to lay her head down for a quick nap, her phone on the desk buzzed twice.
She unlocked the screen—it was a WeChat message from Li Man.
Li Man had been her deskmate in high school. For the past six months or so, she'd been posted abroad by her company, working on a landmark project, keeping odd hours day and night. Only recently had the project wrapped up, and she was finally coming back to the country.
Li Man: [I'm landing on Saturday. I'm putting together a high school reunion dinner that night—can you make it?]
Xu Yumo yawned: [Don't you want to go home and rest a day first? Get over the jet lag?]
Li Man: [No need. Jet lag isn't more important than drinking with you guys!]
Xu Yumo looked at the screen and smiled helplessly.
Unlike her own quiet, reserved nature, Li Man's personality was very much like Zhou Shiye's—outgoing and talkative, with a wide social circle. Wherever she went, she was the center of attention, and she had a ton of friends.
So, for this kind of welcome-back gathering, Zhou Shiye would definitely be on the guest list.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating for a moment.
She didn't particularly want to see him, but if she deliberately avoided him because of that, it would only make it seem like she still had lingering feelings and hadn't moved on.
Better to be straightforward about it. There would be plenty of people there anyway—she could just quietly blend into the background.
With that thought, she typed: [Okay, see you Saturday]
Saturday.
Xu Yumo stood in front of the mirror, feeling a bit troubled.
She'd been staying at Yunxi this whole time, and the only clothes she'd brought over were a few sets of fairly formal work outfits. Though the tailoring was sharp, wearing them to that kind of lively, indulgent social gathering would inevitably come across as too stiff and dull.
Especially since Li Man's gatherings were always lively, and Jiang Yao would very likely show up too.
Remembering the ambiguous look Jiang Yao had given her simple sweater-and-jeans outfit at the izakaya last time, she still felt a bit uncomfortable.
Just as she was hesitating over whether to make a trip back to her rental to pick up some clothes, her phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a message from He Linxi.
H: [My work in Nancheng wrapped up early. I'm heading back to Beijing this afternoon]
H: [Are you free tonight? Let me take you out to dinner—consider it thanks for helping take care of Nian'gao these past few days]
Seeing this message, Xu Yumo breathed a sigh of relief.
Since he was coming back, she could move back home, and she wouldn't have to agonize over going back to get clothes.
She typed back: [No need to be polite—I enjoyed taking care of Nian'gao. And I already have plans with a friend tonight]
H: [Zhou Shiye?]
Her fingers paused.
Though the gathering was organized by Li Man, Zhou Shiye would most likely be there. She didn't feel like explaining, so she simply replied: [Mm]
There was a moment of silence on the other end before a new message popped up.
H: [What time, and where?]
H: [It's inconvenient for you to carry your luggage around. I'll have the driver take you]
Xu Yumo politely declined: [It's at V-plus, but I plan to stop by home first. No need to trouble your driver]
H: [You're the one who did me the favor this week. Let the driver take you home first]
Since he'd put it that way, there was no need for her to keep refusing. She politely replied: [Okay, thank you]
Back at the rental apartment, the sky had already begun to darken.
Xu Yumo changed out of her work clothes, picking a fitted grey cashmere long dress, layering it with a camel-colored wool coat. Her long hair was loosely pinned up with a claw clip, a few strands falling naturally, accentuating the clean, slender line of her neck.
She checked herself in the mirror, applied a light touch of makeup, and put on a pair of white pearl earrings before grabbing her bag and stepping out in lambskin high heels.
By the time she arrived at V-Plus, the private room was already buzzing.
As she pushed open the heavy soundproof door, shifting lights and shadows flickered before her. The scent of alcohol and high-end perfume intermingled, blending into a slightly tipsy atmosphere.
Xu Yumo walked in and quickly scanned the room. Not seeing the familiar figure, the string that had unconsciously tightened in her chest quietly loosened.
"Mo Mo! Over here!"
Li Man, in a striking red dress, hurried through the crowd to greet her.
She gave Xu Yumo an appraising look, a flicker of admiration passing through her eyes, then took her hand and chatted warmly: "Haven't seen you in over half a year—you've gotten even slimmer and prettier! Have you been working out?"
"No, maybe I just lost weight from being busy." Xu Yumo smiled.
"What! Why do I gain weight when I'm busy? Look at my face—hasn't it gotten a whole rounder?"
Xu Yumo glanced at her: "It's fine, I think you look better with a slightly rounder face."
"You're just humoring me!" Li Man sighed, then suddenly remembered something. "Hey, where's Zhou Shiye? Why didn't you two come together?"
Xu Yumo lowered her gaze, taking a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray, her tone calm: "I don't live at home anymore. I moved out, so we weren't heading the same way."
Li Man froze for two seconds, then lowered her voice in surprise: "Moved out? What's going on—did you completely fall out with your dad?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you the details another time." Xu Yumo didn't want to air her family's dirty laundry in a place with so many eyes and ears.
"Alright." Li Man patted her shoulder. "Let's meet up just the two of us next time."
Xu Yumo nodded, took her champagne, and found a corner booth in dimmer lighting to sit down.
Not far away, Jiang Yao was huddled with a few girls from their old class. Her gaze kept drifting toward Xu Yumo, accompanied by hushed whispers and a smile with an unreadable meaning.
Xu Yumo pretended not to notice, quietly leaning back on the sofa and sipping her drink.
Time blurred amid the music and chatter. Before long, the door to the private room opened again.
Zhou Shiye arrived late, carrying the chill of deep winter. He wore a black motorcycle leather jacket, his brows and eyes still carrying that habitual air of arrogance and nonchalance.
The already lively room grew even more animated as everyone rose to greet him.
Xu Yumo sat in the corner, her gaze fixed on the gently swirling bubbles in her glass, as if she hadn't noticed the commotion at the door at all—except that her fingers around the glass tightened slightly.
Zhou Shiye's gaze swept past the crowd, lingering on Xu Yumo for a brief moment. Seeing her deliberately avoidant posture, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly—whether from irritation or something else, it was hard to tell.
The next second, he turned directly and pulled out a chair to sit in the empty seat beside Jiang Yao.
Jiang Yao's laughter became noticeably brighter.
She leaned toward him naturally, her shoulder nearly brushing his arm, speaking in a light, cheerful tone. Zhou Shiye turned his head to listen, occasionally responding with a word or two, his expression lazy.
The distance between them, framed by the lights and the crowd, looked especially intimate.
Like a familiarity that needed no effort to maintain.
Xu Yumo stared at the glass in her hand.
Even though she had already given up on liking Zhou Shiye, seeing this scene, a fine, dense ache still rose uncontrollably in her chest.
She took a deep breath, drained the champagne in her glass, and simply looked down at her phone.
The cold white light fell across her face, flattening all her emotions into stillness.
Halfway through the gathering, the air in the room grew stuffy and warm.
The music stacked higher and higher, voices mingling, even her breath carrying the warmth of alcohol.
Xu Yumo felt she couldn't breathe, so she got up and went to the restroom.
She had just adjusted her dress in the stall and hadn't yet pushed the door open when the clatter of high heels reached the sinks outside, accompanied by a few meaningful snickers.
"I think Xu Yumo really has fallen out with Zhou Shiye this time. She sat there the whole night, and the two of them didn't even say a word to each other."
"I heard about it earlier. Last month on Zhou Shiye's birthday, she just picked up her cake and walked out without giving him any face at all. That scene was something else."
"Really? Didn't she used to follow Zhou Shiye around devotedly?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. I'm guessing it's because of Jiang Yao. Look at how chummy those two were tonight—feels like they're about to rekindle something any moment."
"Jiang Yao isn't exactly secure either. Last week she was complaining to me that Zhou Shiye went skiing without even inviting her—his social feed was all new faces. That guy Zhou Shiye is wild to the bone. Who could ever really make him settle down?"
"True. But he does have the capital to squander it."
The chatter paused for a moment, then a light scoff tinged with pity rang out:
"If you ask me, Xu Yumo is the most pitiful one. She's been the backup for so many years, and in the end, she never even got a proper title. She's not as good as Jiang Yao—at least she had a real relationship, so it wasn't a total loss."
…
The sound of high heels faded away along with the laughter and conversation, until the restroom fell back into dead silence.
Xu Yumo stood frozen in the stall, her hand gripping the cold metal door handle tightly, her chest aching with a dull, suffocating pain.
It took her a while before she slowly pushed the door open and walked to the sink.
The person in the mirror had a somewhat pale complexion, and her lips were a shade lighter too.
She reached up to tidy her hair, barely forcing the traces of discomposure back down.
After returning to the private room, she made up some excuse about not feeling well and planned to leave early.
Seeing that her face really did look a bit pale, Li Man didn't try to persuade her to stay, only reminding her to send a WeChat message to let her know she'd arrived home safely.
Xu Yumo nodded, picked up her coat and bag, and left in a hurry without saying goodbye to the others she knew.
But just as she reached the elevator lobby, a voice she knew all too well suddenly came from behind.
"Momomo."
Xu Yumo's steps faltered slightly, but she didn't turn around.
Zhou Shiye strode over to stand in front of her, his brows furrowed as he studied her face under the dim wall sconces. "Where do you feel unwell? Want me to take you to the hospital?"
"Just a bit of a headache. No need to trouble yourself." Her tone was flat as she moved to sidestep around him, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Can you just talk to me properly?" Zhou Shiye's fingers tightened, the warmth of his palm searing, his voice dropping a notch. "I'm just concerned about you as a friend. That's not overstepping, is it?"
"Friend?" Xu Yumo let out a scoff, as if she'd heard something absurd.
She lifted her eyes, a hint of coldness in them, but her voice was soft. "Would a friend grab and pull at you like this in public?"
Zhou Shiye's fingers stiffened, clearly caught off guard. His brows knitted even tighter, and a note of irritation crept into his voice. "Then I'll let go. Can you talk to me properly now?"
Xu Yumo's chest tightened. The gossip she'd overheard in the restroom was still echoing in her ears, like dull blades cutting into her.
She'd thought she no longer cared, but at this moment, her eyes still uncontrollably welled up with a stinging sensation.
She turned her face away awkwardly, not wanting him to see her losing composure.
But in the instant she turned, she caught sight of a few people walking out of the elevator, chatting and laughing.
The man in the center, surrounded by the group, wore a long black coat, with a dark gray turtleneck sweater covering the lower half of his bobbing Adam's apple.
He had a straight posture and long legs. Even in this upscale club packed with wealthy young heirs, his refined, noble aura still stood out.
It was He Linxi.
He was tilting his head, listening to a friend beside him speak, a lazy, faint smile curving at the corner of his lips.
As if sensing the commotion over here, his slightly lowered lashes lifted, and his gaze swept over.
His originally casual expression faltered for a brief moment the instant it met Xu Yumo's.
The next second, his dark, deep gaze slowly drifted downward, landing on her wrist, which Zhou Shiye was still firmly gripping.