Sitting across from her, Shao Yihan just wanted to lower her presence. Holding her coffee with both hands, her face almost buried in the small cup rim, she wanted to remind Yan Nianyi, but the moment she raised her head, she locked eyes with the woman who had stood up.
“Why not add some sugar if it’s so bitter?” Yueyi’s gentle voice flowed softly.
That voice was far too close; the airflow generated as she spoke brushed against her cheek. Yan Nianyi’s body stiffened slightly. She turned her head, coming face-to-face with Yueyi’s dignified and gentle expression.
“Sister,” Yan Nianyi called out softly. The index and middle fingers wrapped around the cup handle loosened a bit, causing the cup to tilt to one side.
Yueyi pressed down on her hand, picked up a small packet of sugar from the box at the corner of the table, tore it open, and poured in half the sugar.
“I remember you don’t like drinking these.” Yueyi pinched the spoon and stirred, the white sugar powder blending into the dark brown liquid.
“Taste it. If it’s still bitter, add a bit more sugar powder.” Yueyi withdrew her hand.
Yan Nianyi was stunned. She let out an ah, and under Yueyi’s gaze, took a sip from the rim: “Still a little bit.”
Yueyi smiled, poured the rest of the sugar powder from the packet, stirred it well, and handed it over.
Half-bending over, she propped one hand on the table: “Are you two out shopping around here?”
As she spoke, she lifted her eyes to look at Shao Yihan sitting opposite, then shifted her gaze back to Yan Nianyi beside her. Her light and slow tone sounded like a string of musical notes: “If you don’t like bitter drinks, why did you order a cup of bitter coffee?”
“Wanted to try it.” Yan Nianyi put down the cup and spread her palms flat on the table.
Yueyi stared at her intently and suddenly placed her cell phone in front of Yan Nianyi.
The moment Yan Nianyi saw that phone, her heart abruptly leaped into her throat. That illusion of being seen right through washed over her once again.
Her pupils shrank uncontrollably.
“Wait for me a moment.” Yueyi patted her shoulder, turned around, and spoke a few words to the young man sharing her table.
The man listened quietly, and after a moment, he got up and walked over to Yan Nianyi’s table.
“This is Xu Hao, my classmate,” Yueyi introduced.
“This is Yan Nianyi.” After finishing, Yueyi looked toward the other side, who was still trying to remain hidden, “And this is Shao Yihan.”
“Hello, you two,” the man greeted them cheerfully.
“Hello,” Yan Nianyi replied politely with a poker face.
“Yueyi just said she saw two acquaintances, but I didn’t expect we’d run into each other so soon.” Faced with Yan Nianyi’s coldness, the man still tried to strike up a conversation.
Hearing this, Yan Nianyi cast an inconspicuous glance at Yueyi, only to find herself facing the woman’s calm and serene gaze head-on.
Panic flared in her heart, and she averted her eyes: “Is that so?”
“Yeah,” Xu Hao laughed. “Yueyi even pointed you out to me specifically when you had just walked out into the plaza outside.”
Yan Nianyi’s pupils flickered. Just walked out into the plaza outside. That meant Yueyi had noticed her even earlier and had watched her walk into the cafe all along.
“Alright, sit down and talk,” Yueyi gently touched Yan Nianyi, signaling her to slide inward a bit, and sat down right beside her.
Shao Yihan consciously shifted her position, and Xu Hao sat next to her.
Shortly after, a waiter moved the items from their original table over to this one.
“Thank you,” Yueyi expressed her gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” the waiter replied.
“Have you already finalized the date?” Yueyi asked, looking toward Xu Hao.
Yan Nianyi blinked in confusion.
“Yeah, the tenth of next month. It happens to be her birthday. Choosing to get engaged on that day should make her very happy.” Xu Hao touched the ring in his hand and smiled happily. “I’ve already proposed, but she doesn’t know about the engagement yet. I want to give her a surprise.”
“She’ll be happy,” Yueyi said sincerely.
The cafe door was pushed open once more. A bold and glamorous young woman walked in carrying three cups of milk tea, her gaze sweeping across the cafe.
She seemed to be looking for someone.
Yueyi raised a hand to wave. Upon seeing her, the girl hurried over.
Yan Nianyi’s eyebrows tightened.
“That’s her fiancée, and also my classmate,” Yueyi whispered.
Yan Nianyi’s brow relaxed. She lowered her head and took a sip of the coffee; the bitterness had been largely diluted by the sugar powder, leaving a rich, mellow fragrance lingering between her teeth.
“A-Yi, I bought three cups of milk tea.” Only when the girl approached did she notice there were two extra people. Her action of holding up the milk tea paused. “Huh, who are these two?”
“I said, my sister, and the one opposite is her friend.” Yueyi glanced at the person beside her, the words spinning on the tip of her tongue.
Yueyi gave a brief introduction.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You only bought three cups of milk tea, how are we supposed to split this?” The glamorous-looking girl used her elbow to nudge the sitting male.
“It’s fine, I won’t drink any,” Xu Hao said dotingly. He stood up, making space for the girl at the table, which could only seat four.
“Well alright then, I’ll buy you another cup on the way back.” The girl smiled brightly, placed the milk tea on the table, and told the other three, “Have some.”
“I’m fine,” Yueyi shook her head. She picked up a cup and handed it to Yan Nianyi, speaking to the girl, “Didn’t you go buy this because you couldn’t get used to drinking coffee?”
The girl embarrassedly touched the back of her head, grabbed a cup, and poked a straw into it.
“The place was chosen by Xu Hao. Every time they go out, they like finding a cafe where one drinks coffee and the other drinks milk tea.” Yueyi turned her head, leaning close to Yan Nianyi’s ear to explain in a low voice.
Yan Nianyi nodded understandingly. So, it was the same this time, but because Yueyi happened to be here, the girl had bought three cups of milk tea, simply not expecting two more people to suddenly join them.
After finishing, Yueyi leaned back.
Holding the milk tea, the shadow in the depths of Yan Nianyi’s eyes completely dissipated. A couple about to get engaged posed no threat to her whatsoever, so naturally, she wouldn’t take them to heart anymore.
Sipping the milk tea in her mouth and listening to the conversation between Yueyi and the other two, her attention remained entirely fixed on the woman beside her.
Tilting her head, her gaze, devoid of any concealment, finally attracted the attention of the speaker.
Yueyi glanced sideways, offering Yan Nianyi a gentle, playful curve of her lips. She pulled the younger woman’s hand onto her lap and patted it, then turned back to converse with Xu Hao and the others.
Sister is comforting my emotions.
For some reason, this thought popped into Yan Nianyi’s mind. She lowered her head, her gaze falling upon the back of her own hand.
By the time she snapped back to reality, Yueyi was already saying her goodbyes to Xu Hao and the others.
“Didn’t we agree to have dinner together tonight?” Xu Hao complained, unsatisfied.
“Next time. I’ll treat you next time,” Yueyi smiled faintly.
“Next time is fine too, but it’s settled then, next time we’re treating,” the girl beside Xu Hao laughed.
“Okay.” Yueyi didn’t bother arguing further.
“See you next time.”
“See you next time.”
The group walked out of the cafe and said their goodbyes at the entrance.
Watching the two figures walk away into the distance, Yan Nianyi gave a small tug on Yueyi’s sleeve: “Does Sister have something else to do tonight?”
“Yeah, I need to head back to the company,” Yueyi said.
“Then I’ll go too,” Yan Nianyi said.
“No need, I’m just going to pick up some clothes,” Yueyi replied. “My clothes got accidentally wet today, and the change of clothes needs to be taken home to wash.”
Yueyi never delegated such personal matters to others.
“And then what will Sister do?” Yan Nianyi asked.
“Go home,” said Yueyi.
“Oh.” Yan Nianyi no longer had any reason to tag along.
“You two have fun. I’m leaving first, bye-bye.” Yueyi said.
“Goodbye, Sister,” Yan Nianyi said.
Watching the black Bentley engine start up and then vanish from sight, Yan Nianyi lost all desire to continue shopping. She tossed the car keys to Shao Yihan, who had maintained an utter lack of presence all this time, and got into the passenger seat.
“I really am a sucker,” Shao Yihan repeated.
“Didn’t you get a free cup of coffee and milk tea?” Resting her elbow on the car window glass and glancing casually at the shops outside, Yan Nianyi dropped a light sentence, “Let’s go, time to head back.”
“You’re treating me like your chauffeur?” Shao Yihan pointed at herself in disbelief. “Two drinks and you’re brushing me off like that?”
“Then, thank you for your company, Miss Shao. I am deeply grateful,” Yan Nianyi forced out a smile.
“That’s more like it,” Shao Yihan was satisfied. “Put on your seatbelt. Drop by my place first, and then you can drive your car back yourself.”
“Mn,” Yan Nianyi nodded.
On the other side, Yueyi parked her car in front of a mobile phone store. She glanced at the phone placed in the mount, picked it up to unlock it, slid her fingers across the screen a few times, and after looking at it for a moment, placed the phone back into the slot.
Driving the car forward a hundred meters, Yueyi pulled a bank card from her wallet, pushed open the car door, and walked back.
“Hello, how can I help you?” A staff member in uniform flashed a signature smile and warmly greeted her.