Chapter 40: An Unexpected Encounter and Shifting Tides

Without warning, Ji Yushu appeared, pushing Xiao Yuqin, in front of the mall entrance, which was closely connected to a Western fast-food restaurant.

This location was a considerable distance from the villa district.

While the physical mall was popular, it served primarily as a hub for local residents, selling mostly affordable goods, and was not a destination worth traveling a long distance for.

Qian Surou wanted to greet them, but both her hands were occupied with plastic bags.

She cast a pleading glance at Xiaowan, but at that precise moment, Xiaowan seemed oblivious, remaining utterly still. Qian Surou could only maintain her current posture, forcing a smile as she greeted Ji Yushu.

Inevitably, the ambiguous scene of two people each holding one side of a shopping bag was laid bare before Ji Yushu’s eyes.

Though immune to the scrutiny of strangers, in front of Ji Yushu, Qian Surou found herself unable to easily dismiss the current situation with a simple explanation.

Saliva rapidly pooled in Qian Surou’s mouth, a tell-tale sign of a lie about to be born.

Her stomach twisted into a painful knot from anxiety, and her skin began to itch merely from being exposed to the open air, as if Ji Yushu’s probing gaze were a severe form of radiation.

She had no idea how to explain herself. Should she begin by saying she was on a date for money? No, absolutely not. Above all, she didn’t want Ji Yushu to know.

This thought coursed through her like an electric current, spreading to the tips of her fingers.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze in an awkward stalemate; though it felt as if the silence had stretched on for an eternity, it had, in reality, lasted only a fleeting moment.

Just as Qian Surou found herself at a loss, Jin Xiaoyue subtly rose onto her tiptoes, bringing her lips close to Qian Surou’s ear—

“Don’t worry, Xiao Qian, I’ll cover for you.”

As if making a silent declaration, smooth fingers deftly took hold of the other end of the shopping bag.

The next instant, Qian Surou glimpsed Jin Xiaoyue’s hands gripping the heavy shopping bag, her arms hanging heavy by her thighs, and the red marks pressed into her delicate palms.

It made one worry if she might collapse under the weight of the bags.

Gratitude and guilt mingled within her. Feeling somewhat liberated, Qian Surou finally composed herself and looked up at Ji Yushu.

Ji Yushu today was wearing a brand-new wide-brimmed straw hat, a V-neck linen blouse, and washed denim jeans. She exuded a simple, elegant style, as if preparing in advance for the chaotic rush of orientation day.

Her slender figure perfectly carried the outfit, and the soft, golden light added a subtle artistic touch, illuminating the side of her face revealed as she tilted her hat brim.

A thought couldn’t help but cross Qian Surou’s mind: ‘This truly suits her.’

Perhaps the encounter was too sudden, for Ji Yushu also seemed to have something on her mind, hesitating to speak.

The topic likely wavered between Xiaowan and their unexpected meeting. Qian Surou knew she should take the initiative.

Just as she was about to introduce Jin Xiaoyue to the Ji sisters, Ji Yuqin’s hesitant voice cut through the air—

“Sister Qian, aren’t you dating my sister? Who is she?”

That single sentence instantly threw all three women into disarray.

The premise itself was incorrect, and the implications of the subsequent question were equally wrong. For a moment, Qian Surou didn’t know which point to refute first.

It was Ji Yushu who reacted first, her brows furrowing as she swallowed before stating, “We are not dating right now.”

‘—Right.’

Qian Surou responded with a bitter assent.

She was the one who should have said those words.

Hearing it from Ji Yushu, however, brought with it the arid sensation of being rejected all over again.

To remain silent now would be to fall right into Xiao Yuqin’s trap.

It would lead Ji Yushu to misunderstand that she was dating Xiaowan, and Xiaowan to misunderstand that something was going on between her and Ji Yushu, ultimately souring their relationships and entangling them in a web of interpersonal difficulties.

Xiao Yuqin could not be allowed to succeed.

Why did everything have to be tied to romance? Whether it was Ji Yushu or Xiaowan, Qian Surou only wished to be friends with them.

Placing a palm on the back of her head, Qian Surou offered a smile filled with helplessness and sorrow, revealing—

“—I was rejected, you see. But Ji Yushu and I are still the best of friends! Don’t worry, Xiao Yuqin, your Sister Qian will still dote on you wonderfully!”

Harboring a subtle thought of retaliation, she crouched before the wheelchair like an overly enthusiastic woman utterly captivated by something adorable, embracing Xiao Yuqin.

With her ‘sinful’ hands, she stroked the soft, light golden hair, muttering ‘satisfaction, satisfaction’ under her breath.

Unlike Ji Yushu, Xiao Yuqin wore a puff-sleeved dress, so endearing that she could have been mistaken for a life-sized doll if placed among a pile of toys.

With an unparalleled smile, Qian Surou made her escape, standing behind Jin Xiaoyue and placing her hands on her shoulders—

“This is Jin Xiaoyue, also my friend. Jin, as in ‘golden branch, jade leaf.’ ‘Tonight’s moon still shines on the sorrow of parting’—it’s a beautiful name, isn’t it?”

“So I’m just ‘a friend’ to you? Forget ‘bosom buddies,’ couldn’t you at least add ‘good’ in front of it?”

“There’ll be opportunities to add it later, won’t there?” Qian Surou replied artfully. It was irresponsible to use overly intimate titles when they had only known each other for a short time.

Seeing Ji Yushu’s brows relax, Qian Surou felt a strange sensation. Could it be that Ji Yushu actually harbored feelings for her? Upon reflection, it was a foolish question.

If so, why had Ji Yushu rejected her? It simply meant she couldn’t envision a romantic relationship with Qian Surou, yet couldn’t bear to lose her as a close friend, didn’t it?

“—Hello, everyone. I am Jin Xiaoyue.”

Unlike when she was with Qian Surou, Jin Xiaoyue appeared remarkably restrained and courteous, even displaying an apologetic expression for being unable to offer a handshake.

“I am Ji Yushu. Ji, as in ‘discipline,’ Yu, as in ‘precious jade,’ Shu, as in ‘comfortable.'” As Ji Yushu introduced herself, she included her sister,

“This is my younger sister, Ji Yuqin. Qin, as in ‘celery.’ As you can see, she has some mobility issues. As for what she just said… Susu and I are childhood friends, and we’re very close, so my sister simply assumed we must be dating.”

‘What was that supposed to be?’

‘A boast?’

Jin Xiaoyue felt her smile beginning to crack. ‘What was that ‘right now’ in her statement about?’ ‘Are you implying you’ll date my Xiao Qian in the future?’

‘Die, die, die, die, die.’

‘An impostor like you should know your place and be relegated to the garbage disposal plant where you belong.’

‘Hold it in! This is not the time to get angry.’

‘Currently, she and Xiao Qian were still just ordinary friends.’ Jin Xiaoyue struggled to compose herself. ‘A fool who can’t control their emotions is destined to be a loser.

Exhibit the composure of the rightful wife, keep smiling; after all, the other party doesn’t stand a chance.’ ‘I must win, absolutely.’ Jin Xiaoyue once again displayed a smile that suggested she had everything under control.

The shopping bags she held rose slightly, as Jin Xiaoyue straightened her posture and met Ji Yushu’s gaze directly.

“Since you’re Xiao Qian’s close friend, then you’re my friend too. We’re actually heading to Xiao Qian’s place now… Xiao Qian said she’d cook for me. If you don’t mind, why don’t you both come along?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Xiao Qian’s expression seemed to say, ‘You’re the one who insisted I cook for you,’ and her subsequent sidelong glance seemed to ask, ‘Is that alright?’

“Alright!” Ji Yuqin responded on their behalf, then looked at Qian Surou. “I’m sorry, Sister Qian. Last time when I asked my sister, she was so evasive, so I thought you two must have been secretly dating behind my back.

Even today, my sister clearly wanted to find you but kept hesitating to send a message, dragging it out until now.”

Ji Yushu felt her face flush—

“I did not!”

“There you go again! Who comes all the way to a mall seven kilometers away just to buy school supplies? Then, when it’s time to choose, you’re distracted, constantly checking your watch.

The day before yesterday, you were excitedly talking to yourself, muttering about Sister Qian telling you her new address.”

Ji Yuqin mercilessly exposed her. Under her sister’s revelations, Ji Yushu flushed crimson and complained, calling out her sister’s name.

Jin Xiaoyue noticed Qian Surou’s gaze fixed on Ji Yushu. Her chest felt as if a hole had been torn through it, yet precisely because of this, her mind could plunge into a deep, cold abyss of calm.

‘All this time, it hasn’t been me by her side.’ ‘If only I could fully grasp that, then perhaps the current situation wouldn’t be so unacceptable.’

‘However, ‘having to’ and ‘not wanting to’ were two different things.’ The theory of the latecomer surpassing the pioneer found its proof in the person before her—’She is my latecomer, so I can also become her latecomer.’

But merely being a companion, even shedding the label of ‘ordinary friend,’ would be a struggle.

Obstacles would then emerge one after another, like bothersome flies.

In that case—

‘Then let’s just ruin everything first.’

Ji Yushu seemed about to say something else, but Xiao Qian had already invited them along, so Ji Yushu could only nod. Since she was the one who extended the invitation, she naturally couldn’t appear reluctant.

Moreover, this wasn’t merely a stopgap measure. ‘I helped Xiao Qian keep her secret; there’s no way I won’t exact some price.’ In other words, Ji Yushu’s presence was actually helping them foster their relationship, so it was tolerable.

Thus, the group moving forward became a quartet, watched by about ten passersby who eyed the slightly peculiar combination.

Qian Surou handed the smaller bag to Jin Xiaoyue, insisting on carrying the larger one herself. This small gesture made a fraction of Jin Xiaoyue’s accumulated jealousy dissipate, as Ji Yushu still had to carry a heavy bag by herself.

Even though she understood it was due to Ji Yushu’s slender build and Xiao Qian’s thoughtfulness, Jin Xiaoyue still felt a surge of smug satisfaction.

Although the journey was less than ten minutes long, it was impossible to walk in silence. Seeing Xiao Qian and Ji Yushu begin to discuss school, Jin Xiaoyue feigned a lack of understanding and moved closer to the less enthusiastic Ji Yuqin.

“—By the way, what school are they talking about?”

“Douyou.”

“If they’re talking about orientation, then they must be new students. Their bond is truly strong, to even attend the same school.”

Her remark was merely an afterthought. Jin Xiaoyue understood Ji Yuqin’s attitude towards Qian Surou. Currently, Ji Yuqin likely wished to push Xiao Qian towards her, and was therefore happy to divulge more information. At the same time, their conversation wasn’t deliberately avoiding the other two.

“What about you, Sister Jin?”

“You can call me Sister Wanwan. As for that, it’s a secret for now.”

Qian Surou, who had been eavesdropping, showed a hint of disappointment.

The topic of orientation day continued for a while. The design department and the performance department were naturally in different locations, but both were within the same campus, so the distance was not as far as imagined.

The only ones treated differently were those in engineering, who were assigned a separate campus.

This led to a common online sentiment: attending engineering at Douyou was essentially equivalent to enrolling in the local industrial university.

The reason given was the low number of female students, and the admission scores differed by only a few dozen points, meaning there was virtually no difference apart from the prestigious name.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the residential complex, their eyes met a low wall with embedded characters, resembling a primary school gate.

Rust stains floated on the originally golden characters, and the surface of the residential buildings, roughly twice a person’s age, had a faint yellow tint, indistinguishable from grease stains or simple aging.

While this was where most people lived, for Ji Yushu, who knew Qian Surou’s background, the difference from what she had imagined was unusually stark.

“Susu, why choose to live here? Isn’t it a bit too humble?”