A Friend I've Loved for a Long Time - Chapter 18

The sound of crying over the phone pulled Yun Zhi’s thoughts back completely. She frowned, her voice laced with worry. “An’an, what happened?”

“I… sob… Zhizhi…” Jiang Yan’an could only cry, her sobs making it impossible for her to speak clearly.

Hearing her like this made Yun Zhi even more anxious. She pressed, “Where are you? I’m coming to find you.”

As Yu Mingxia walked out of the coffee shop, she overheard this sentence. She looked at Yun Zhi, whose face was filled with urgent concern.

Yu Mingxia silently lowered her gaze.

Under Yun Zhi’s repeated questioning, Jiang Yan’an finally choked out her location. Hearing that she was at the hospital made Yun Zhi’s heart sink further. Without even hanging up the phone, she waved down a passing taxi.

On the other end, Jiang Yan’an was still pleading with her not to tell Zhu Qingmeng.

Yun Zhi guessed that the two must have had another falling out. Seeing that Jiang Yan’an was in a bad state, she went along with her, gently soothing her: “Okay, okay, I understand. I’m coming right now.”

As she hung up, the taxi pulled up right in front of her. It was only as she opened the car door that Yun Zhi realized she hadn’t said anything to Yu Mingxia. She turned around to see Yu Mingxia standing there with her eyes downcast, staring at the ground. Yun Zhi called her name.

Yu Mingxia looked up. “Ah?”

If Yun Zhi wasn’t mistaken, she thought she saw a flash of surprise in Yu Mingxia’s eyes—as if… she hadn’t expected Yun Zhi to call out to her suddenly.

“Something has come up and I need to find my friend, so I won’t be heading back to the office for now,” Yun Zhi told her.

Realizing she had no right to pry, Yu Mingxia simply nodded. “Drive safely.”

They were only in a collaborative relationship; Yun Zhi’s time was her own and not restricted by L&Y. Her presence at the office thus far had been purely out of her own sense of professional responsibility.

It was a long time after the taxi disappeared before Yu Mingxia finally left.

The office suddenly felt quiet, and Yu Mingxia found herself unaccustomed to it. In just three days, she had already grown used to Yun Zhi’s presence. Yun Zhi was serious about her work; she would consult Yu Mingxia on every company matter, big or small, and they would exchange ideas constantly.

Sometimes, even when they didn’t speak, Yu Mingxia only had to look up to see Yun Zhi. Her quiet profile as she focused on work and the subtle sound of her flipping through pages were enough to leave Yu Mingxia mesmerized.

Perhaps… she was going crazy. After being apart for only a short while, she had already begun to miss her.

Yu Mingxia looked at the seat where Yun Zhi had been sitting and let out a self-deprecating smile. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her smile froze as she slowly lowered her eyes.

She hadn’t heard the entire phone conversation, only the patient and gentle way Yun Zhi had comforted the person on the other end. There were only a few people who could make her that anxious and tender.

Yu Mingxia pursed her lips and looked out the window at the sky, which was gradually darkening. It was nearly evening; Yun Zhi probably wouldn’t be coming back today.

As Yu Mingxia walked out of the company entrance, she received a dinner invitation from Yu Chuxue. By then, she had already reached the intersection outside the office building.

“I’ve already booked the restaurant. You go first, I’ll be there soon,” Yu Chuxue’s voice continued through the receiver.

Hearing this, Yu Mingxia looked up indifferently at the traffic light opposite her. Just as she was about to agree, she spotted a familiar figure.

During her high school days, Yu Mingxia didn’t have many close friends. Aside from Yu Chuxue, the only person she could arguably call a confidante was Zhu Qingmeng, her seatmate for a single month.

Zhu Qingmeng noticed that Yu Mingxia had seen her and smiled, waving her hand. It looked as though she had been waiting for her specifically.

Yu Mingxia was silent for a moment before saying into the phone, “Go with Qu Lan instead. I have something to do.” She hung up, ignoring Yu Chuxue’s attempts to stop her.

In the time it took for Yu Mingxia to hang up, the light had turned green. Zhu Qingmeng walked toward her across the pedestrian crossing.

Under Yu Mingxia’s calm gaze, Zhu Qingmeng reached her side and smiled. “Long time no see.”

Though puzzled as to why she was here, Yu Mingxia replied politely, “Long time no see.”

Yu Mingxia didn’t have many memories of Zhu Qingmeng left, only that she loved Jiang Yan’an, who was Yun Zhi’s best friend—and that Zhu Qingmeng and Yun Zhi were friends as well.

And… of course, that one experience in the basketball gym.

“Are you free? Let’s have dinner together,” Zhu Qingmeng invited.

Yu Mingxia pursed her lips, not understanding the purpose of Zhu Qingmeng’s visit. Although they had been seatmates before, many years had passed, and that sliver of friendship should have faded. However, she was Yun Zhi’s friend, and she was someone who knew about her feelings for Yun Zhi.

The two went to a nearby restaurant with elegant decor and a quiet environment. At this hour, it wasn’t very crowded.

“I happened to pass by here a few days ago and saw you and Yun Zhi together.” With one sentence, she made her reason for coming clear.

Yu Mingxia listened quietly as the waiter poured tea for them.

“Do you still like her?” Zhu Qingmeng asked hesitantly. Over the past few days, she had researched Yu Mingxia’s background; it was highly likely that the two were in a simple professional partnership.

Yu Mingxia took a sip of tea and didn’t answer. But silence was the best answer—just as it had been in high school.

“Then… does she know?” Zhu Qingmeng asked tentatively.

Just as Nan Qiao had said the other day, Yun Zhi did not act ambiguously with those who liked her. Cutting through the mess quickly was her way of handling confessions.

“She doesn’t know me.”

Yu Mingxia’s tone was flat and devoid of emotion; she was merely stating a fact.

Zhu Qingmeng felt a pang of heartache at those words. To love a girl for so long only for her not even to “know” her—she could imagine how much it must have hurt. Whether it was Yun Zhi’s repulsion back then or her status as a stranger now, for Yu Mingxia, it was all a knife to the heart.

Even if her demeanor and tone were nonchalant now, Zhu Qingmeng still remembered the Yu Mingxia who had cried through an entire evening of self-study.

“So what do you plan to do?” Zhu Qingmeng finally asked after a long pause.

The Yu Mingxia of today was no longer that quiet, introverted girl. Compared to high school, she now possessed the ability and courage to pursue happiness.

Yu Mingxia set down her teacup. Instead of answering the question, she asked, “Did you come find me today specifically for this?”

Since the start of their meeting, Yu Mingxia’s attitude toward Zhu Qingmeng hadn’t exactly been warm. Zhu Qingmeng understood; perhaps in Yu Mingxia’s eyes, her only title was “Yun Zhi’s friend.”

Zhu Qingmeng let out a light laugh. “Mm. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help you.”

Yu Mingxia’s fingertip lightly traced the rim of her cup, her expression thoughtful. “Help me? Not help ‘the other person’?”

Who that “other person” was, both of them knew clearly.

Zhu Qingmeng nodded.

Yu Mingxia looked at her and suddenly smiled. “Then tonight is my treat, as a thanks in advance.”

Zhu Qingmeng raised an eyebrow. This version of Yu Mingxia was a far cry from the one moments ago. The sudden shift in attitude was clearly because Zhu Qingmeng had just “taken a side.”

“What I said back then still stands.”

Zhu Qingmeng’s offer to help was a mix of childhood guilt and the hope for a friend’s happiness. Even now, she could clearly hear Jiang Yan’an’s constant murmuring—I just want Yun Zhi to be happy.

Compared to Nan Qiao, Zhu Qingmeng believed the person in front of her was much more capable of making Yun Zhi happy.

Yu Mingxia also remembered that evening during their senior year. Out of guilt, Zhu Qingmeng had promised her that if she ever wanted to pursue Yun Zhi, she would definitely help. At the time, Yu Mingxia had only asked her to never mention her name to Yun Zhi again.

In truth, they both knew it had been an accident. Zhu Qingmeng hadn’t known Yun Zhi would be repulsed by Yu Mingxia; she had only wanted to help Yu Mingxia get closer. She also hadn’t known that Yu Mingxia would coincidentally be in the basketball gym to hear those words. Even Yun Zhi, when she brushed past Yu Mingxia after saying those things, probably didn’t know that the person she was “repulsed” by was right in front of her.

That was why Zhu Qingmeng found it so strange. Why would Yun Zhi take a groundless dislike to a total stranger?

“The things from the past—don’t tell her.”

Yu Mingxia’s words pulled Zhu Qingmeng back to the present. She was confused. “Including the fact that you like her?”

Yu Mingxia gave a soft “Mm.” “If she knew, she would probably draw a clear line immediately.”

“Based on my understanding of her, that is indeed the case,” Zhu Qingmeng recalled. “She doesn’t want to waste anyone’s time, so she rejects every confession directly.”

Yu Mingxia smiled faintly. “So… how lucky one must be to be loved by her.”

Hearing this, Zhu Qingmeng thought of Nan Qiao. She lowered her eyes and opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. She swallowed what she wanted to say; she didn’t want to voice groundless theories.

After a moment, Zhu Qingmeng replied with a smile: “That day will come.”