Chapter 2 : Mutual Dislike

El’s private party was held in his own restaurant and bar.

The place wasn’t large, just two floors. Downstairs housed the bar and a small dining area, decorated with dark wood and dimly lit. Green plants hung on the walls, and potted flora shielded the gaps between booths, creating a private and atmospheric setting.

The entire upper floor was a viewing area, with a large sofa wrapping around a wall-sized projection screen. A liquor cabinet and board games were tucked into a corner, and opposite was a floor-to-ceiling window leading to a small balcony with a view of the city nightscape.

Jiang Yanlin stood on the balcony, feeling the breeze and observing the street below.

Not many people had been invited to the private gathering, and not everyone had arrived yet. El had led her upstairs, but before he could make proper introductions, he had rushed back down to greet other friends.

That left just her and one other person on the second floor.
—That haughty young miss.

Ten minutes ago, for the first time in her life, Jiang Yanlin had experienced being mistaken for someone else.

She didn’t consider herself to have a generic face, and she’d never had any cosmetic surgery. She had looked this way since birth and had never been told she resembled anyone.
So, this novel experience was quite refreshing for her.

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Yanlin was adept at handling social situations. Her social performance depended on whether she wanted to make a good impression, not whether she could.
Like right now. Of course, she knew that proper social etiquette did not involve standing alone on a balcony, treating the young miss inside as if she were thin air.
But she didn’t care.
And she was sure the feeling was mutual.

By the time El returned, the rest of the guests had arrived and were chatting downstairs.
Aside from the young miss who had arrived first, there were four new people.
A tall, curly-haired Frenchman with a gentle, shy demeanor.
The other three were Chinese, but it was easy to tell who was a native and who was of Chinese descent.
Jiang Yanlin was likely the only new face present. El introduced her to the group.
Her expression betrayed none of her earlier feelings. She handled the introductions with ease—not overly enthusiastic, but perfectly polite.

The food was served buffet-style. El had prepared a spread of cold dishes and desserts, which paired well with both wine and tea.

The young miss was clearly the center of the party. She opened a bottle of red wine and ordered someone to go upstairs to pick out champagne and whiskey. The person she called on rose with a resigned sigh, ready to do her bidding.
This group was obviously close. The atmosphere was comfortable and lively, with conversations meandering from personal gossip to complaints about public policy.

After getting everything settled, El finally had a moment to rest, hiding next to Jiang Yanlin with a drink.
He knew she was abstaining from alcohol and had already prepared a cup of hot lemon water for her.
The two of them sat and chatted, just like the first day they met.

“Sorry, Mavis mistook you for someone else earlier. She’s not usually like that. I hope you don’t mind.”
El was a considerate person, still remembering the incident.

Jiang Yanlin showed no sign of being offended and asked with feigned curiosity:
“So, how much do I look like this Mia?”

El laughed. “Actually, not at all. You’re very beautiful, very unique.”

Jiang Yanlin focused on the first part of his sentence, waiting for him to finish.
El had no choice but to give a brief summary of the story.

“Mavis probably got you confused because she’s only met Mia once and doesn’t have a strong impression of her. Plus, Mia’s style of dress is similar to what you’re wearing today. I guess that’s another reason.”
El’s Chinese wasn’t good enough for a detailed explanation, so he switched to English, occasionally dropping back into Chinese.

Jiang Yanlin listened intently, not noticing a pair of eyes glancing her way from a distance.

El recalled for a moment before continuing:
“Mia’s boyfriend at the time was always hitting on other girls. One time, when we were all out for dinner, he hit on Mavis. After that, Mia stopped talking to Mavis.”

Jiang Yanlin hadn’t expected such a dramatic story and almost burst out laughing.
“Mia later spread some nasty rumors about Mavis, very serious accusations,” El added in a low voice.

Jiang Yanlin paused, her amusement fading.
Her interest in the gossip vanished completely, and she was about to change the subject.
But El was still caught up in it, sighing as he said:
“It’s a shame. Mia didn’t know that Mavis isn’t even into men.”

After the meal, the group moved upstairs to watch a movie.
El’s liquor cabinet was raided. The drinkers picked out the best bottles, opening one after another until he rushed over, clinging to a bottle for dear life, his native Portuguese spilling out in desperation.
Unfortunately, aside from the shy French guy, no one showed him any mercy, treating it as an open-bar party.
Jiang Yanlin sat on a sofa in the corner, watching the noisy crowd, not finding it boring at all.
She never felt lonely in a group because she didn’t need to find a sense of belonging in one.
Being an observer was sometimes more relaxing.

Once the drinking started, no one cared what was playing on the screen.
The first to get drunk was the only other woman there, a straightforward girl with a northern accent.
She started pestering a tall guy named A Qiu, who looked helpless but couldn’t do anything about it, having to carefully make sure she didn’t fall.
Watching her stagger around made Jiang Yanlin frown.

“Xiao Nuo is always like this. Don’t worry about her.”
The Chinese man who had been drinking with the French guy came over and sat next to Jiang Yanlin.
His long hair was tied back, and he spoke in a calm, measured tone with perfect enunciation.
Jiang Yanlin remembered his profession: a pianist.
She looked at his profile and asked:
“Has anyone ever told you that you look a bit like Lang Lang?”

Lu Sien laughed. “You’re not the first to say that.”
“I can vouch for that. Someone really has said it before,” El added, joining the conversation and sitting on Jiang Yanlin’s other side.

When someone genuinely extended a hand of friendship, conversation was never a problem.
Jiang Yanlin could tell that Lu Sien was a considerate person, striking up a conversation because he was afraid she might feel left out.
So, even though she hadn’t felt uncomfortable, she put on a bit of her social persona to respond.
Soon, their corner became the only spot where people were still talking.

The second floor was divided into three zones: some were quietly watching the movie, some were chatting, and some were acting drunk.
Jiang Yanlin casually lifted her gaze and glanced at the sofa diagonally across from her.
The only person sitting alone was playing on her phone.
Jiang Yanlin smiled, looked away, and effortlessly rejoined the conversation.

Sometimes, a silent understanding is a form of chemistry.
An aura is an invisible yet tangible thing.
Even if no one else noticed the subtle tension throughout the evening, both Jiang Yanlin and the other woman were keenly aware of it.
If you were to translate it into simple terms, it would be—
“I don’t like you.”
“Same here.”
And so, having reached a consensus, the two of them had not exchanged a single word all night.

However, the turning point came without warning.
When Jiang Yanlin came out of the restroom and was about to step onto the balcony to enjoy the night view, two figures below caught her eye.
The balcony was directly above the bar’s entrance, offering a view of the entire street and the streetlight by the door.
The light stretched their shadows long. Their voices were low, with only fragments floating up to the second-floor balcony.
The red custom motorcycle was still parked where it had been left. Its owner leaned against it, black hair falling over her shoulders, her features softened by the light.
Another figure stood before her, gentle and refined, smiling as he spoke in a low voice.
Jiang Yanlin watched them for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
—And here I was thinking this party was too tame and boring. Look, the fun has just arrived.

The newcomer was not on the guest list, but half the people there knew him and welcomed his arrival.
Jiang Yanlin stood on the balcony, feeling the breeze, humming a tune in a good mood.
Behind her, the chatter grew more lively. It seemed the new arrival was popular and had quickly blended in.
Jiang Yanlin didn’t need to look to know what a smooth operator he was, but this kind of drama still amused her.

El came out to the balcony to find her. Seeing how much she enjoyed the view, he stayed to chat with her.
“Another friend of Mavis and I came. He just got back to the country. I didn’t even know he was here. He only came because he saw my post.”
El loved sharing his life. All his social media accounts were filled with detailed updates of his daily routine, public for all his friends to see.
Jiang Yanlin caught the key phrase and asked with a light smile:
“No one invited him?”
El scratched his head. “He probably had something to discuss with Mavis. He comforted her a lot when she broke up a while ago. Maybe this is what you Chinese call a ‘warm guy’.”

It took considerable effort for Jiang Yanlin to hold back her laughter.
But she couldn’t blame El; simple-minded people rarely suspected much.
Jiang Yanlin beckoned to him with her finger, signaling him to come closer.
El was confused but leaned in anyway.
Jiang Yanlin lowered her voice.
“I’ll tell you a secret.”
“What?” he asked.
With a mischievous smile, she said slowly:
“This friend you’re talking about, I saw him just a month ago.”

El’s eyes widened, and he asked instinctively:
“In Boston?”
Jiang Yanlin looked out at the night view, her tone light.
“No, at another party. Over in the west side of the city.”
El was getting confused. “He came back that long ago?”
Jiang Yanlin didn’t answer, just smiled and continued:
“That day, he got into a fight with a Chinese-American guy at the party, and his date was trying to break it up. It ended with all three of them arguing.”
El was completely hooked by the gossip. “Why?” he asked immediately.

Jiang Yanlin heard footsteps behind her but her tone didn’t change.
“Because his date was the Chinese-American guy’s ex-girlfriend. And the Chinese-American guy was his best friend.”
After hearing this, El’s mouth hung open for a long time, speechless.
—Getting with your best friend’s ex behind his back? This completely overturned El’s perception of his male friend. It took him a few seconds to process.
“So when he came to comfort Mavis after her breakup, it was because he wanted to hit on her?”
Jiang Yanlin blinked and retorted:
“He knew Mavis broke up, but did he know Mavis’s sexual orientation?”

Before El could answer, a cool voice sounded from behind them:
“He didn’t know.”
El jumped, startled. Jiang Yanlin, however, showed no embarrassment at being caught gossiping, turning around calmly to face the woman standing before her.
She had taken off her motorcycle jacket at some point and was wearing only a light gray tank top. Her long, glossy black hair was draped casually over her shoulders.
Jiang Yanlin’s gaze lingered on her, longer than was polite.
And she looked back at Jiang Yanlin, her face revealing no emotion.

The silent stare-down lasted only a moment.
“Is that so? Well then, you’d better be careful.”
Jiang Yanlin finished with a light laugh.
The other woman raised an eyebrow and replied nonchalantly:
“Thanks for your concern.”
Someone from inside called her name. She turned to go back but paused.
“By the way.”
The haughty young miss turned back, introducing herself to Jiang Yanlin for the first time.
“You can call me by my Chinese name, Péi Wanyi.”