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The party came to an end. Jin Hanshuang and Du Mengying said goodbye to their friends before getting into their car.
Jin Hanshuang sat in the passenger seat with the window wide open, the cool and refreshing night breeze brushing against her face.
She spoke with a hint of regret, “What a pity, not a single girl caught my eyes.”
The wind carried her words to the driver’s seat, where Du Mengying chuckled.
Eyes on the road ahead, Jin Hanshuang’s friend teased, “Oh, so you do know it’s a pity? So many of those girls tried to chat with you, but just look at your reactions.”
“What reactions?”
“Completely disinterested.”
“If I don’t like them, why would I be interested?”
“You’re really something, huh?” Du Mengying said. “But you weren’t very proactive tonight. You didn’t take the initiative at all.” Then she corrected herself, “Oh wait, you did take the initiative once—when you went to find Lu Yunshu.”
“What are you talking about?” Jin Hanshuang laughed. “The poor kid was in a bad mood, so I went to comfort her. It was the right thing to do.”
“Uh-huh, sure, the right thing to do,” Du Mengying said. “And when the kid was leaving, she even made a point to find and say goodbye to you.”
It happened halfway through the party.
Lu Yunshu suddenly came to find Jin Hanshuang.
When their eyes met, Jin Hanshuang stood up and followed her outside the mansion. It wasn’t until much later that Jin Hanshuang reappeared.
Curious, Du Mengying asked, “What did she want from you?”
Jin Hanshuang said calmly, “Nothing, she just wanted to say goodbye.”
Du Mengying: “?”
The car stopped at the intersection, waiting for a traffic light.
Du Mengying couldn’t help but say, “You’re kidding me. When she’s around you, she’s always this…always this polite? Otherwise, why would she go out of her way to say goodbye to her mortal enemy’s stepmother?”
Jin Hanshuang’s eyes curved. “Yunshu’s just a very polite kid.”
To be honest, she hadn’t expected Lu Yunshu to come and say goodbye to her either. But when she saw Lu Yunshu’s composed and scholarly face, she felt that it made sense. This Miss Lu had always been very polite—it was normal.
At the time, Lu Yunshu had even explained, “Something came up, so I have to leave early.”
Jin Hanshuang understood. She asked, “Have you told your friend?”
Lu Yunshu nodded. “I did. Now I’m telling you.”
“Be safe on the road.” Jin Hanshuang said. “Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.”
Lu Yunshu said, “Don’t worry. I have a driver.”
Then the younger woman said, “Give me your hand.”
Jin Hanshuang’s eyes sparkled with amusement. She stretched her palm out as if teasing a child. “What magic trick do you have for me this time?”
Once again, an orange-flavored candy appeared in her palm, just like the one she had eaten earlier.
Lu Yunshu covered Jin Hanshuang’s hand with her palm, slowly closing her hand around the candy. “I didn’t eat mine. I saved it for you. You can have it.”
“Why did you save it for me?”
“I was afraid you’d have too much fun and forget about me, so I decided to remind you.”
Lu Yunshu was smiling, her expression tinged with a hint of cunning. But her eyes were so bright—so open and honest that it was impossible to dislike her actions.
It was also hard to tell if she was joking or being sincere.
Jin Hanshuang laughed. “What? In your mind, is jiejie the kind of person who forgets friendships for the sake of beauty?”
She thought Lu Yunshu would give her face[1] and say, “No.”
But Lu Yunshu replied, “I don’t know.”
Then she said, “Will jiejie give me a chance to know?”
A very cunning sentence.
If it were anyone else, Jin Hanshuang would have thought the person was flirting with her.
But it was Lu Yunshu.
What would it mean if it was Lu Yunshu?
Probably that they had just become friends and Lu Yunshu hadn’t had the chance to fully understand her yet, so she wanted to take her time.
“How can I give you a chance?” Jin Hanshuang asked.
Lu Yunshu said, “Just don’t forget about me tonight.”
Jin Hanshuang accepted the candy.
She smiled. “Alright, go handle your business.”
Lu Yunshu nodded but made no effort to leave. She gazed at Jin Hanshuang for a few more seconds. After a while, she turned and left.
Back in the present, Jin Hanshuang was enjoying the night breeze. She reached into her bag and pulled out the orange candy that Lu Yunshu had given her. After thinking for a moment, she unwrapped it and ate it.
If she ate it, it meant she didn’t forget about the kid.
“I want one too.” Du Mengying suddenly stretched out her hand.
Jin Hanshuang was startled. “What?”
Realizing what Du Mengying meant, she playfully swatted her hand away. “Oh, there’s no more. Yunshu gave it to me. I only had one.”
Catching the key detail, Du Mengying raised her eyebrow.
She withdrew her hand. “Isn’t she being a little too nice to you?”
“Huh?” Jin Hanshuang was taken aback. “Isn’t that natural?”
She grinned. “I’m such a great person. Shouldn’t she be nice to me?”
Du Mengying rolled her eyes. “Get out of here.”
But a moment later, she said, “You two seem close.”
Not long after Lu Yunshu arrived at the party, Jin Hanshuang took the initiative to find her. Even Du Mengying could tell that her friend was concerned for the younger woman. In the past, how could this be? Ever since Jin Hanshuang began helping Lu Yunshu, their relationship must have steadily improved.
Jin Hanshuang didn’t deny it. “She’s a good person.”
“For example?”
“The candy?”
“Hehe.”
“Hahaha.”
Jin Hanshuang took out her phone. At the next red light, she handed it to Du Mengying with a picture of herself. “You’ve seen these earrings before, right? I’ve been wearing it recently.”
Du Mengying immediately recognized the crescent moon tassels. “Ah, yes! Those earrings are very beautiful—I even complimented them once.”
Jin Hanshuang said, “She gave them to me.”
Du Mengying was stunned. “Lu Yunshu?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Ah?”
Jin Hanshuang took her phone back. “It was a thank-you gift for helping her.”
She rested her chin in her hand. “Yunshu’s always so polite and considerate. Whenever I help her, she likes to reward me. Sometimes, she’ll treat me to a meal. Other times, she’ll hand me a cute little thing like a small hair tie…I like everything she gives me.”
Polite little puppy Lu Yunshu—obedient and cute.
Jin Hanshuang hoped she could be with the person she liked. And soon.
After Jin Hanshuang finished speaking, she heard a sharp intake of breath from the person beside her.
Du Mengying said, “I mean…isn’t she pursuing you?”
[1] “给她一个面子” (Gěi tā yīgè miànzi) or “give face” is a Chinese saying that means “uphold a person’s reputation.” The idea of “saving face” is strong in traditional Chinese culture. I would recommend you look it up if you’re interested.
The party came to an end. Jin Hanshuang and Du Mengying said goodbye to their friends before getting into their car.
