Chapter 3 : Su Yubai is here

Jiang Yule blocked Lin Siqiong on all platforms and deleted every public channel she’d used to follow her—WeChat, browser bookmarks, everything.

For days, Lin Siqiong didn’t reach out through other means.
Jiang Yule enjoyed the quiet.

The mentor appreciation banquet fell on a sunny day.

The Jiang and Su families arrived at the banquet hall almost simultaneously.

Both sets of parents were economics scholars, close friends, with aligned plans for their daughters—PhD programs, one in Hong Kong, the other in the UK.
They’d agreed to host this joint banquet before the girls graduated, and now it was happening.

The group settled in the lounge.
Parents sat by the coffee table, sipping tea and chatting.
The younger pair listened quietly on a nearby sofa.

“Heard your Yubai applied for a major social sciences grant.”

It was peak review season after project proposal submissions.
The Social Sciences Fund’s major grants were the talk of economics circles, a hot topic at gatherings.

Jiang Yule stared at her teal ceramic cup, lost in thought.

“You heard too.”
Su’s mother, Song Zhiying, couldn’t hide her pride.
“But it’s not guaranteed. Depends if peers approve her topic.”

“I’d say her chances are solid. Eastern economics is a priority for the authorities right now.”

Su Yingying, bored by the topic, kept watching Jiang Yule.
Her calmness felt too normal, stirring unease.
Leaning close, she whispered, “Saw you deleted your blog collections. You really broke up?”

Jiang Yule’s expression was flat.
“Really did. Should’ve listened to you sooner.”
Her tone carried a hint of self-mockery.

Su Yingying relaxed at her flicker of emotion.
“No worries. The next one’ll be sweeter!”

Jiang Yule didn’t want to dwell on it.
“Is your sister coming?”

That night, Su Yubai was at the same restaurant.
Jiang Yule worried she’d seen her humiliation.
Not that Su Yubai would tell their parents, but the shame lingered—

Maybe because she’d cried too much in front of “big sister Yubai” as a kid.
Facing her now always felt awkward.

After years without contact, meeting over an embarrassing moment was mortifying.

Su Yingying gaped at the question.
“Are you kidding?”

Su Yubai had been fostered out for a decade, returning home at 17.
It didn’t matter much—she left for university soon after, then studied abroad.
Even back in China, teaching, she didn’t live with the family.

Her ties to the Su family were thin, even strained.
Su Yingying was crashing at her place—purely for dating convenience.

Seeing Su Yingying’s reaction, Jiang Yule eased up.

“Why ask about my sis?”
Su Yingying’s tone turned gossipy.

Jiang Yule shot her a look.
“Just curious.”

“You and my sis…”

Su Yingying remembered Jiang Yule and Su Yubai used to be close.
After Su Yubai returned to China, they grew distant, though Jiang Yule had once trailed her like a shadow.

“What?”
Before Su Yingying could answer, a sound came from the door.

That familiar voice, from last night’s nightmare—Lin Siqiong.

Why was she here?
Hadn’t Jiang Yule told her parents not to invite her?

Was her tone too soft, so they didn’t take her seriously?

Jiang Yule’s breathing quickened.
Her fingers tightened on the teacup before setting it down gently.
As everyone’s eyes turned to the door—

Lin Siqiong entered with Jiang Yule’s advisor, Si Qing, followed by Su Yingying’s advisor, Li Han.

The banquet began with the elders taking the lead.
Jiang Yule watched her parents exchange pleasantries with the professors, her ears muffled by a thick fog.

She couldn’t hear—or didn’t want to.

Who’d imagine dining with an ex the day after a breakup?
As a student, no less.

The thought of pretending nothing happened and greeting Lin Siqiong normally filled Jiang Yule with unprecedented irritation and suffocation.

Her stomach churned, nauseous.

“Yueyue, come say hi to Professor Si and Professor Lin.”
Jiang Huazhen, noticing her distraction, raised her voice.

Thunder rumbled, signaling rain.

Jiang Yule forced a smile, looking at Si Qing.
“Hello, Professor Si.”

Next was Lin Siqiong.
Her gaze lingered elsewhere, avoiding her.
Embarrassment, shame, confusion, grievance—emotions swirled within.

The air grew tense.

All eyes were on Jiang Yule.
Su Yingying, feeling for her, tried to change the subject, but a cold female voice cut through from the door—

“I’m late.”

Attention shifted.
Jiang Yule exhaled, following their gazes.
The woman at the door glanced at her briefly through the crowd.

Su Yubai, in a crisp three-piece suit.

Her arrival caught everyone off guard.

“You actually showed up.”
Su’s father, Su Kaihua, spoke first, softening his tone at Song Zhiying’s nudge.
“Good timing. Join us for dinner.”

Su Yubai gave him a glance, then nodded to Jiang Huazhen and Chu Guoan.

She scanned the room.
“Why’s everyone standing? Not all here yet?”
Her voice stayed cool.

Su Kaihua, ignored, bristled, but Song Zhiying intervened.
“She rarely comes back.”

Jiang Huazhen smoothed things over.
“Yubai’s free today! Come, let’s all sit.”

“Yubai, sit by me.”
Song Zhiying reached for her, but Su Yubai sidestepped subtly.

She moved with the crowd toward the table.

“Dean Su, what a coincidence.”
“Professor Su, long time no see.”

Su Yubai fixed Lin Siqiong with a deep look.
“Congrats, Lin. Associate professor.”

Her words held no warmth.

Su Yubai’s rigor was known to Lin Siqiong.
But “congrats” paired with “associate professor” felt pointed, like her promotion was a struggle worth noting.

Lin Siqiong’s smile faltered, then recovered.
“Thanks. I’ll need your guidance, Professor Su.”

Su Yubai, never one for pleasantries, didn’t reply.

Jiang Yule’s mind was a mess.
She didn’t want to sit near Lin Siqiong.
Watching her closely, she saw Lin Siqiong approach Su Yubai with respect in her words and demeanor.

“My sis actually came.”
Su Yingying whispered to Jiang Yule amid the seating shuffle, shocked.

Jiang Yule stayed silent, pulling Su Yingying to stand aside.
Juniors should wait for elders to sit first.

Seeing Lin Siqiong ushered to the head table, Jiang Yule relaxed.

Only two seats remained—between Su Yubai and Song Zhiying.

Jiang Yule aimed for Song Zhiying’s side, but Su Yingying beat her to it.

Now, only the spot between Su Yubai and Su Yingying was free.

“Why aren’t you sitting?”
Su Yubai’s tone was calm, not even glancing her way, but Jiang Yule felt a nervous jolt.
She sat beside her.

As she settled, that familiar tea scent hit her nose, calming her slightly.

Waiters brought dishes.

Most attendees were women, so Jiang Huazhen skipped alcohol.

Su Yingying got the drinks first, pouring NFC orange juice.

Jiang Yule didn’t like orange juice.

“What do you drink?”

Jiang Yule turned, seeing Su Yubai holding coconut water—her second-favorite drink.

“Coconut water. Thanks, Professor Su. I can manage.”

She reached for the bottle, her hand brushing its surface, but Su Yubai didn’t let go.

Confused, Jiang Yule looked up.
Su Yubai’s bare lips parted softly.
“I’ll do it.”

Their skin barely touched for a moment.
Jiang Yule released the bottle, raising her glass as Su Yubai poured.

She noticed the silver quartz watch on Su Yubai’s wrist—oddly familiar.

Su Yubai poured steadily, not spilling a drop.
Jiang Yule watched the glass fill, feeling uneasy.

She ignored the burning gaze from across the table.

Dishes complete, Jiang Huazhen led a toast, glasses clinking against the lazy Susan’s edge.

“Thanks to the professors’ guidance, our girls graduated smoothly. This modest banquet is our gratitude. May the girls keep striving, honoring their mentors’ teachings.”

“Nonsense, we’re reluctant to see them go.”

“Editor Jiang, you’re too kind. I’ve focused on family these years. Without Yueyue, I wouldn’t have published those great papers.”
Si Qing waved a hand, smiling at Jiang Yule.

Jiang Yule smiled back, but her heart sank.
Sure enough—

“Exactly. Yueyue’s smart, diligent, meticulous. Thanks to her.”
Lin Siqiong echoed Si Qing.

Right.
Without Jiang Yule, who’d write her project proposals, her papers, finalize reports, or revise manuscripts endlessly per reviewers’ notes?

Jiang Yule glanced at her parents, oblivious, still exchanging pleasantries.
“No, no, it’s the professors’ guidance.”

Her stomach twisted.
She spoke up.
“Sorry, everyone, I’m feeling unwell. Need the restroom.”

Jiang Yule left the table.

Outside the private room, she could finally breathe.

“Need help, miss?”
The waiter assigned to their room approached.

“Do you have… a vending machine for drinks?”

A dumb question.
Restaurants sold drinks, but ordering would add to the room’s tab—her mom would know.

The waiter didn’t mind, smiling.
“No, but you can check our drink menu.”

“Thanks, no need.”

Light rain seemed to fall outside.
Following the sound, Jiang Yule turned a corner, reaching a long corridor with windows.

The soundproofing was poor.
Muted chatter from nearby rooms drifted through, but it didn’t dampen her mood to watch the rain.

Soon, she snapped out of it.
She just needed air, not some poetic moment.

The ground floor had a square courtyard, trees at each corner, their leaves scattered by the rain.

Jiang Yule looked away, savoring the cool breeze through the window.
Her heart felt lighter, but still heavy—especially as soft footsteps approached.

She turned, ready to warn Lin Siqiong off, but saw a can of cola, a straw, and a hand on the windowsill.

Long fingers, distinct knuckles, neatly trimmed nails, a quartz watch on the wrist.

Not Lin Siqiong.

Jiang Yule spun around.
The woman’s high nose and clear eyes met hers.
Soft light bathed her face, like spring mist under dim lamps.

Su Yubai.