By the time the dinner gathering wrapped up, it was already nine in the evening. The group filed out of the private dining room together.
Yanjing at night was even more bustling and prosperous than it was during the day. Traffic flowed like an endless stream, and a myriad of lights illuminated the city. Under the neon glow, the shadows of the six girls leaped and shifted, melting into the vast ocean of nightlife.
Out of habit, Ning Che slipped out her phone to check it.
Still no reply.
Xu Fan, Liu Xinxin, Ling Shiya, and Fang Lin walked together ahead, laughing and chatting among themselves. Shen Qingzhi followed quietly from behind, looking solitary and desolate.
Throughout the entire gathering, she had spoken the least. Aside from Ning Che and Xu Fan, practically no one else had conversed with her. She knew that trying to interject would only result in awkward rebuffs, so she had ultimately chosen silence.
Ning Che trailed at the very back of the group.
Shen Qingzhi couldn’t help but look back. She saw Ning Che keeping her head down, staring at her phone, the glow of the screen reflecting onto her clear, fair face.
Her face was completely crestfallen.
Shen Qingzhi blinked, confirming she wasn’t misseeing things. A sudden thought popped into her mind: Did Ning Che and Xie Yuqi fall out?
She quickly stepped back and asked with concern, “Ning Che, are you okay?”
Ning Che snapped her head up and hurriedly shoved her phone into her pants pocket. “I’m fine.”
“How are you getting back?” Ning Che’s gaze swept over the four people walking ahead, and she immediately understood Shen Qingzhi’s predicament. She couldn’t help but add, “There are shared bikes up ahead. I’ll go with you.”
Shen Qingzhi nodded gratefully.
Xu Fan had driven, while Liu Xinxin had ridden her own bicycle here, which was parked right outside the restaurant entrance. Hopping onto her bike, Liu Xinxin tossed a thank you to Ning Che before cycling away in a dashing manner.
Xu Fan idled his car by the roadside with Ling Shiya and Fang Lin already inside. He rolled down the window. “Why are you two still riding bikes? Get in, I’ll give you a ride.”
Shen Qingzhi was tempted. She looked toward Ning Che, but Ning Che shook her head. “I ate too much and want to walk a bit. It’s not far anyway. Take Shen Qingzhi with you.”
Seizing the opportunity, Shen Qingzhi got into the car.
As Ning Che watched the car drive off into the distance, she suddenly remembered that Xie Yuqi had once wanted to buy her a car. But she had resolutely refused, and Xie Yuqi hadn’t insisted.
She had no idea why she was suddenly thinking about this.
Shaking her head, Ning Che started walking along the road toward the apartment.
This particular road looped around Federal University. Tall maple trees lined one side of the perimeter wall, with lush shrubs and ornamental flowers growing beneath them. The streetlights on the sidewalk were old and cast a dim, amber glow. However, because it bordered the university, countless couples could be seen strolling hand in hand.
Some were laughing and chatting with linked fingers, some were embracing and kissing under the maple trees as if no one else existed, and others were kicking at fallen leaves while chatting away on their phones.
Watching and listening to them, Ning Che suddenly realized that she and Xie Yuqi had never walked down a street hand in hand like this.
She had always really wanted to, but Xie Yuqi was never willing. Xie Yuqi wouldn’t even agree to simple dates or meals together outside the campus.
It had been four years now.
Surely, there would be opportunities in the future.
Ning Che couldn’t resist opening her phone again. She snapped a photo of the sidewalk.
“I just finished the dinner gathering and I’m walking along the sidewalk outside the campus alone. As I walk, I keep thinking of you. There are so many couples on the road. I really hope that one day, I can take a stroll with you like this too.”
After sending the text along with the photo, she immediately locked her phone and continued her stroll. She was afraid of not receiving a reply, so she simply chose not to look.
Yuqi must be busy with family matters, right? It’s a pity I can’t share any of her burdens.
Her mind drifting aimlessly with scattered thoughts, Ning Che returned to the apartment, took a quick shower, and crawled into bed.
She took a deep breath, but disappointment washed over her instantly. The sheets and duvet covers had been changed by the housekeeper, now, the bedding smelled of nothing but a crisp, clean scent.
Flipping the blanket aside, she began sniffing around the room. Finally, she managed to catch a lingering trace of a delicate fragrance in the air, it was Xie Yuqi’s body scent. It was faint, yet it smelled better than any perfume.
Meanwhile, the small gathering at the villa was still underway.
All three of them were a little tipsy by now. Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng began gossiping about scandals within the wealthy social circles, while Xie Yuqi listened half-heartedly.
She was still troubled by the marriage arrangement. Her splendid life had only just begun, yet she was being reduced to a sacrificial pawn for family interests.
The more she drank, the worse her mood became. She unlocked her phone and saw the new message and photo sent by Ning Che.
She glanced over it casually, her heart completely untroubled by any waves.
Walking hand-in-hand down the street? Only children do that.
Suddenly, a notification popped up from her surveillance app. Ning Che had returned to the apartment.
Distracted, Xie Yuqi opened the live camera feed and saw Ning Che lying on the bed in the master bedroom.
Is she asleep? Must be nice to have no worries.
An unprompted sigh escaped her, she felt annoyed, yet a bit envious.
To be honest, there were times when she genuinely envied Ning Che. Ning Che had a pure heart, a simple life, a straightforward family background, and a simple future ahead of her.
But Xie Yuqi couldn’t have that. She was the sole heir of the Xie family, bearing the future of the entire clan on her shoulders. She had to consider the family’s interests, heed her parents’ thoughts, respect the opinions of her various uncles and aunts, and balance the relationships with all the factions allied with the Xie family…
Just then, there was movement on the surveillance screen.
Ning Che stirred slightly, then wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and rolled over on the bed.
The corner of Xie Yuqi’s lips curved upward slightly. Childish.
Just as she was about to close the app, Ning Che suddenly threw off the quilt and sat up. Curious, Xie Yuqi wanted to see what she was up to.
Ning Che got out of bed and walked straight to the dressing room, picking up a picture frame from the vanity table. She sat down on the stool, gently wiping the surface of the frame with her hand. Once finished, she carried the frame back to bed.
After lying back down, she kept staring at the frame. After a brief moment, she suddenly leaned down and kissed the photograph.
Xie Yuqi froze. Only then did she remember that the picture frame had been handmade by Ning Che, and the photo inside had been taken by Ning Che as well.
At the time, Xie Yuqi had been a bit displeased because she disliked having her photos casually displayed. But Ning Che had pleaded, saying that whenever Xie Yuqi wasn’t home, she could look at her photo whenever she missed her.
So, she had let it stay. In the entire apartment, this was the only picture frame.
Ning Che fell asleep hugging the frame.
Xie Yuqi’s expression turned complex. The apartment’s surveillance system had always been linked to her phone, giving her absolute control. Ning Che was completely unaware of this, she didn’t even know there were cameras in the rooms.
Xie Yuqi watched for a moment longer before shutting off the feed.
Being with Ning Che had come about due to specific circumstances, she had never taken it seriously. Even after four years of companionship, she hadn’t developed any other intentions.
But right now, she knitted her brows, her expression turning cold and stern.
Ning Che cared about her far too much.
Instead of feeling even a shred of joy, she felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. It was never a good thing when someone poured too much emotion into you. She refused to be held back by anyone or anything.
Even by someone who loved her.
It seemed she needed to find an opportunity to make things clear to Ning Che.
Between them, it was utterly impossible.