Chapter 42: The Serpent’s Smile

There was a hint of a rhetorical question, but Ji Yushu remained unconcerned.

They lacked the prerequisites for harmonious coexistence, and their current polite exchange was merely the result of Susu’s mediation.

Ji Yushu was certain that she embraced a greater part of Susu.

In the racing arena of contention, no one could surpass the dark horse named Ji Yushu; not even the most exceptional new steed could prevail, and standing as a spectator, she already knew the outcome.

“Don’t be so hasty. Don’t you want to see Qian Surou’s room? This is your first time in this house too, isn’t it?” Jin Xiaoyue said.

The latter half of the sentence, ‘first time,’ pricked Ji Yushu’s nerves, yet she slowly shook her head, without betraying any trace of impatience, knowing that Susu would invite her in of her own accord.

“Really? The current situation is quite different from when she might have invited you in herself, wouldn’t you say?

Speaking of which, I saw a kiss mark on Qian Surou’s neck—though she herself insisted they were mosquito bites. Could it be that you left them?”

‘What?’

Her voice, cutting through the haze of her consciousness, burst forth uncontrollably.

Slowly, she lifted her head, to see Jin Xiaoyue’s smile widen even further. That smile seemed to say: ‘Oh, so you weren’t the one who left the kiss marks after all!’

Her thoughts had been seen through, and cold sweat beaded on her clammy skin. Recalling their journey, distracted, she had utterly failed to notice this detail.

‘Was Jin Xiaoyue bluffing her? No. There was indeed a hint of schadenfreude hidden in that smile.’

“How about we go in together? Then we can keep each other’s secrets. With the supervision of such a close friend as you, there’s no need to worry about me harboring ulterior motives, right?”

The rope of her composure was severed with a single cut, and turmoil plunged into her heart. ‘Well, what do you say?’ Jin Xiaoyue’s soft, silken voice was like a witch’s spell, captivating mortals.

Ji Yushu drew a deep breath, her hands clasped before her chest.

A biblical parable, expanded upon by her studies in theology, played out in her mind: the tempting serpent was right before her, utterly unperturbed.

Craftily, Jin Xiaoyue delegated the choice to Ji Yushu, yet herself maintained an air of nonchalance, despite harboring the very same intention.

It must be because she knew Susu was more benevolent than God, that there would be no punishment if discovered, and perhaps, they wouldn’t even be discovered at all.

For Susu had not yet come to know the twisted depths of human nature beyond good and evil.

“Your face is still quite pure and lovely.”

‘Yet inside, you’re a succubus.’

“Oh, thank you for the compliment. So, that means you agree, right?”

To merely glance inside, it was highly probable nothing would be found. However, the other party had deliberately made this suggestion, implying they might have already discovered something.

Ji Yushu could not definitively say that Jin Xiaoyue hadn’t already entered without permission.

For both her face and hands, any trace of water had long since vanished.

“Let’s go, Miss Ji Yushu,” Jin Xiaoyue said.

This formal address by her full name prompted a peculiar flight of fancy in Ji Yushu. ‘Ji Yushu?’ Yet she swiftly dismissed the strange thought; if Susu herself couldn’t distinguish between them, there was no reason an outsider would know.

Upon entering the room, her gaze immediately fell upon a silver photo frame resting on the desk.

Though their father was absent from the three-person group photo, it was inconsequential; Susu’s joyous smile was, as always, the focal point, even within the frame.

The room’s layout was rather minimalist, with a bed, wardrobe, and desk forming its core.

A modular, five-tiered shelf stood, its levels, from bottom to top, housing skill books, textbooks, novels, a medicine cabinet, and cosmetics.

The desk was meticulously tidy, a laptop closed on its surface, with only a notebook resting quietly to one side. The bedroom, though small, felt uncrowded, indicating that Susu hadn’t brought many personal belongings.

Before she even knew where to begin looking, Jin Xiaoyue had already opened Susu’s wardrobe. Her exaggerated inhale seemed to drink in Susu’s very essence, a sight Ji Yushu found utterly grating.

Her eyes followed, noting that few familiar everyday clothes were visible; instead, inexpensive garments usurped the space once reserved for fur stoles, custom wool coats, and high-priced dresses.

For a moment, the thought that Susu might be facing financial hardship crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Only a few days prior, she had seen economic news about the Qianjia Resort Group’s ongoing construction of a new resort and underwater hotel, where the article’s author mentioned a rising influx of foreign tourists, stating that the core clientele comprised wealthy international guests.

Jin Xiaoyue did not rummage indiscriminately, but retrieved a leather briefcase from a lower shelf. She placed the briefcase on the ground, but paused, unsure of the password.

“Nine-zero-seven,” Ji Yushu stated. “That’s her birthday.”

As expected, the briefcase clicked open.

Its contents were remarkably sparse, to a degree that everything was immediately apparent: an empty photo frame, a medical record pouch, a locked diary, and a grubby koala plushie.

The diary was dusty, clearly unrelated to recent events. In Ji Yushu’s memory, Qian Surou had not kept a diary throughout her three years of high school.

Beneath a false bottom in the case lay an old cookie tin; upon opening it, they found it filled with paper stars.

Even she, despite her proximity to Susu, had never seen the contents before. Yet it wasn’t that Susu was hiding secrets from her; rather, the secrets themselves had been forgotten by Susu.

The reason for their storage in this dark, forgotten place was likely an inability to let go of an unknown past. Enduring affection was both Susu’s virtue and her fatal flaw.

It felt as though a cat were sharpening its claws on her back; just gazing at these items filled her with a restless anxiety, even sparking the base urge to destroy them. Yet, as always, she remained rooted to the spot.

The items were both private and unrelated to the kiss mark; Ji Yushu did not want Jin Xiaoyue to touch them.

“Put them back.”

“Mm…”

Jin Xiaoyue squatted on the ground. Ji Yushu couldn’t see her expression, but her voice no longer carried the air of complete control it had before.

A tremor, perhaps? Ji Yushu couldn’t be certain. However, the briefcase was carefully returned to its original place, and when Jin Xiaoyue stood up, her expression appeared no different from before.

Their attention shifted to the notebook on the desk. The settings for the drawings: ‘Maiden,’ ‘Promise,’ ‘Bride.’ The sequence of events seemed to gain a measure of explanation.

What Ji Yushu knew began to merge with these conceptual settings.

‘Assuming the real Ji Yushu were to appear, would that signify Susu falling in love?

Eavesdropping was a disliked transgression, but Susu’s encounter with the real Ji Yushu would be an event that would utterly overturn their daily lives, meaning the impostor would be held accountable.

Her shoulders hunched, her neck retracted, as fear seeped insidiously into her very bones. She should have anticipated this day would come.

Crucially, she had never intended to impersonate the other person, so at least she could still—’

‘Huh?’

‘Could still what?’

‘Continue to be friends? With a deceiver? Even if she were forgiven, even if Susu understood why she hadn’t revealed the truth, could she truly remain by Susu’s side as if nothing had ever happened?’

She closed the notebook, no longer dwelling on the matter. The woman beside her must have noticed her agitation, and was likely already forming all sorts of conjectures.

But Ji Yushu had no intention of offering any explanations; in this endeavor, there were no enemies or allies, only a base agreement.

Moreover, Ji Yushu always felt that what truly mattered was not the truth, but the long-standing affection that had accumulated between them. She believed that even if the real Ji Yushu returned, it would merely be a fresh start.

Judging by Susu’s reaction today, she clearly didn’t recall the nine-year-old Ji Yushu, implying the same would be true for the real Ji Yushu.

Fuzzy memories arrived no clearer than dreams.

Even with a narrator present, the recounted content would deviate from the true story, and such a discrepancy would be fatal to the person involved—for the ghost’s story consisted of only a few sparse words.

“Did you think of anything?”

“No.”

“It seems you don’t want to say. Well, no matter… even she herself insisted adamantly that she didn’t know. In my opinion, Qian Surou isn’t lying.

There are only a few people capable of secretly doing such a thing, so the answer is obvious, or perhaps it truly was caused by insects after all, given the environment here, as you’ve seen.

Anyway, I just wanted to see her room… This is my first time making a friend, thank you for bringing me in.”

“Your feelings for Susu are…”

Jin Xiaoyue suddenly covered Ji Yushu’s lips with her hand: “Shh, we’ll be discovered.”

Her smile remained.

The next moment, Jin Xiaoyue executed a swift pirouette, like a dancer, then walked away without a backward glance, utterly heedless of Ji Yushu’s gaze.

****

Outside the door, Jin Xiaoyue stretched languidly.

Her unspoken objective had been achieved.

She would soon announce her return.

This was merely a small prelude; if fear gripped them, they were welcome to flee in ignominy. For Jin Xiaoyue, consumed by jealousy, this barely qualified as a challenge.

Nonetheless, the other person had provided her with something familiar, bringing her a measure of solace, and thus, she had shown a modicum of deference.

Her mood was exceptionally buoyant.

Returning to the living room as if nothing had transpired, she feigned never having encountered Ji Yushu.

Jin Xiaoyue tiptoed into the heart of the kitchen, slipping through the glass door like a phantom, veiled by the sizzling of bursting oil bubbles.

She yearned for the desolate park at dusk, for her secret hideout with its paneled basement. She longed for the hidden staircase, where a French-labeled tin held shortbread cookies and foil-wrapped, plywood-shaped chocolates.

For Jin Xiaoyue cherished the self she once was, devoid of everything; only those who had found love amidst such emptiness could truly understand.

She yearned to embrace Qian Surou from behind, yet feared startling her. Ultimately, as Qian Surou reached for cutlery, Jin Xiaoyue merely hooked a small meatball, like a mischievous kitten.

Then, a gentle tap landed on her paw.

The price of her overwhelming comfort was a loss of vigilance.

“I, the cook, haven’t even snuck a bite yet.”

“What does it matter? Qian Surou was only going to entertain me, wasn’t she?”

“You’re the one who invited Ji Yushu and the others, so I can only assume you’ve changed your mind, and therefore, the special treatment is revoked.”

“How could you? Can I take it back?”

“Don’t even think about it!”

“Since I can’t enjoy Qian Surou’s cooking all to myself, I might as well just devour Qian Surou herself.”

Qian Surou was already on guard. When Jin Xiaoyue displayed that slightly wicked expression, indulgence was out of the question, lest it provoke another one of her over-the-top antics, just like last time.

She somewhat forcefully pressed a plate into Jin Xiaoyue’s hands, assigning her the role of server. The meatballs, being unaffected by cooling, were the first dish served.

‘The root of her mischief must be idleness,’ Qian Surou mused, deciding to give Jin Xiaoyue something to do. No sooner had she instructed Jin Xiaoyue to prepare juice and wash the water spinach than the glass door slid open once more.

‘Ji Yushu?’

Qian Surou narrowed her eyes at the two people who entered, and with a tone of utter disdain, she said:

“All of you, get out! It’s incredibly cramped with three people standing here! And you, over there, stop feigning pitifulness! I don’t need your help anymore! If you linger any longer, I’ll touch your face with the hand I just used to cut chili peppers!”