Li Zhen took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the blaze of anger in her chest. She snatched up a pillow and stormed out, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang.
Seeing that the annoying presence had finally left, Li Beimou let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed onto the bed, scrolling through his social feed in sheer boredom.
The very next second, his hand trembled violently.
Thud.
His phone slipped from his grasp, striking his chin on its way down.
Did his eyes deceive him just now?
A senior who barely posted once every six months had, quite miraculously, shared something!
Ignoring the pain throbbing beneath his jaw, Li Beimou flipped over in a frenzy, fumbling to retrieve his phone.
Su Wanwan had posted a photo of a glass of milk, accompanied by a single line of text:
"Uh… I slept straight through to nightfall. My internal clock is completely reversed now."
Lanlan's Sky commented:
"Hahaha! Now that you're up, get downstairs already! Let's watch horror movies together!"
Li Beimou's gaze sharpened.
These two were… together?
It was through Xia Kelan's casually created group chat that he had even come to know Su Wanwan. By some serendipitous accident, Su had been dragged into it.
He'd once tried subtly probing Xia Kelan about Su Wanwan, but she would always say they lived in different cities—clearly reluctant to say more.
Li Beimou swiftly opened Xia Kelan's chat window.
"You're with her right now?"
Xia Kelan, juggling two oversized bags of popcorn, glanced at her phone.
"Yep! I came to her city. Now I get to see her every single day!"
There was a distinct air of smugness in her tone.
Li Beimou's fingers slowly curled around his phone, the stirrings of envy and longing coiling within his chest.
"I have a competition coming up. I wanted to invite her over, thought maybe we could finally meet…"
Even the message brimmed with a silent grievance.
Xia Kelan tossed a popcorn into her mouth, letting out a gloating laugh.
"Oh no, what a shame! I also have a competition coming up."
Li Beimou:
"…"
So Su Wanwan hadn't come to see him… because she was staying to accompany her?
When no reply came from him, Xia Kelan tossed her phone aside and immersed herself in hunting for a horror movie.
Despite knowing Li Beimou for several years, their bond remained no more than that of ordinary net friends. They never chatted outside of work-related matters, and after all these years, neither even knew the other's real name.
Footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Su Wanwan descended slowly, rubbing her empty, rumbling stomach.
"I'm a little hungry."
Xia Kelan spread out a pile of snacks across the coffee table and raised the drink in her hand.
"Have some chips and popcorn, drink a bit more—your stomach will feel full in no time!"
Su Wanwan silently picked up her phone and ordered takeout.
As she nestled into the couch, Xia Kelan scooted over, grinning as she leaned against Wanwan's fragrant shoulder.
"It's been years since we've been like this… We used to share the same blanket."
"After you left the States, it was just me. All alone."
"The quilt was so cold… no warmth at all."
Su Wanwan replied blandly,
"Did you forget to turn on the electric blanket?"
Xia Kelan paused in thought, then burst out laughing.
"You're right—I really did!"
Su Wanwan ruffled her hair vigorously.
The horror movie soon began. Neither of them flinched at the frightful scenes, remaining serenely composed.
Su Wanwan paused midway to collect her food, eating quietly at the coffee table.
Xia Kelan clung to her like a human sticker, unwilling to part for even a second.
"Wanwan, will we always be like this?"
"Of course." Su Wanwan replied with firm certainty.
Xia Kelan nodded, eyes sparkling like scattered starlight.
She giggled.
"I'm starting driving lessons tomorrow. I've got a competition soon—I can't embarrass you now, can I?"
"You were the one who trained me, after all!"
"I heard the prize for first place is huge, with tons of extra gifts too!"
Su Wanwan gave her a sidelong glance.
"You sound like you're short on money?"
Xia Kelan nodded furiously, counting on her fingers.
"Of course! I have so many cute guys to take care of—money just slips through my fingers like water!"
"What about your card?"
Xia Kelan's eyes darted nervously.
"The head of the family froze all of them…"
"Just because you came to find me?"
Su Wanwan's brows furrowed, a storm simmering in her gaze.
Xia Kelan didn't want her to overthink it.
"It's not your fault! I've always been a bit dim… I'm terrible at everything."
"Unlike your amazing brothers. And you—you're just a monster genius. Crazy high IQ, though emotionally clueless…"
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have anything I have now."
"So I'm already grateful."
Su Wanwan pulled out a card from her wallet.
"Take it."
Xia Kelan looked at her with suspicion.
"Is this really okay? What if Fu Liangmu finds out? I might not survive long enough to spend it…"
"Enough, let's watch the movie."
No one knew how much time passed.
Su Wanwan's shoulder sank slightly.
She turned her head to see Xia Kelan fast asleep against her, resting sweetly.
Su Wanwan gently laid her flat on the couch, covered her with a light blanket, and raised the air conditioner's temperature—just enough to keep her from getting chilled.
Having done all that, she turned to leave.
But Xia Kelan murmured in her sleep,
"Wanwan… don't leave me…"
Su Wanwan stroked her hair gently, patting her back in slow rhythm—just like she used to when coaxing her to sleep as a child.
The tension in Xia Kelan's furrowed brow gradually melted away.
—
The next morning, Su Wanwan awoke on the couch.
In her arms lay a tousle-haired young woman, clinging to her like an octopus.
It took her over ten minutes to wriggle free.
After freshening up, she stepped outside.
There, parked before her, was a familiar car.
The driver quickly stepped out, bowing respectfully.
"Madam, the young master has been waiting in the car for quite some time."
Su Wanwan's voice was indifferent.
"How long?"
"Half an hour."
"Oh." She walked to the car.
The driver opened the door and placed his hand on the frame.
Su Wanwan entered.
From the front seat, Fu Ziyang turned around, his face gloomier than a rainstorm.
He forced a smile more painful than tears.
"Good morning…"
"Morning."
Fu Liangmu handed her a paper bag. His long fingers graceful and calm.
"Any later, and it would've gone completely cold."
Su Wanwan touched the bag—it was still warm.
She murmured a word of thanks, her gaze drifting to the road ahead.
"Are we heading to headquarters now?"
Fu Liangmu nodded and passed her a tablet.
"Take a look."
She bit into her burger and casually scrolled.
"This is…"
The previously sulky Fu Ziyang suddenly lit up.
"Grandpa told us you want to compete fairly with Brother Jinghan for the Creative Director position!"
"The news is already out—Jinghan made sure of that. The entire company is in an uproar!"
"Even the board is involved. They're all just waiting to discuss how the two of you will compete!"
"Driver, speed up! I can't wait to see Wanwan embarrass herself! It's the only way to make up for everything I lost yesterday! Hahahahaha!"