A Friend I've Loved for a Long Time - Chapter 24

Yu Mingxia raised her eyes slightly, meeting Yun Zhi’s gaze. Because of that playful judgment just now, the smile in the corners of Yun Zhi’s eyes held a touch of teasing. The sunlight from the window spilled in around her, as if coating her in a layer of warm, golden light.

Yu Mingxia was momentarily dazed, reminded of an afternoon many years ago.

It was a PE class during their senior year of high school. She had felt unwell and stayed in the classroom on sick leave.

The afternoon sun was thick and warm. When she woke from her nap, she happened to see Yun Zhi leaning over the desk diagonally in front of her, tucking a piece of letter paper under a book on Zhu Qingmeng’s desk.

Having succeeded, Yun Zhi clapped her hands lightly and muttered with a smile, “Done.”

The sunlight back then had been just as gentle. Yun Zhi stood with her back to the light. Yu Mingxia, still bleary-eyed from sleep, felt her heart skip a beat when she realized it was her.

Yun Zhi, acting as if she were simply completing a task, cast a casual glance around the room after placing the letter. In Yu Mingxia’s memory, their eyes met for a brief few seconds.

Just as Yu Mingxia felt her nerves peak and wanted to take the initiative to speak, a voice called Yun Zhi’s name from outside the window. Yun Zhi answered and walked out of the classroom.

Watching her leave, Yu Mingxia’s heart suddenly felt hollow. She stood up, wanting to call her back, but saw the letter on the desk get blown off by the wind. A cool breeze drifted in through the ajar window, and the fluttering paper pulled her thoughts away.

She watched the paper fall to her feet. Outside the window, Yun Zhi had already reunited with her friends.

On the paper, a short sentence was written:

Meet me at the snacks shop entrance after school. — Jiang Yan’an

So, she was just delivering a message for Jiang Yan’an.

Yu Mingxia felt a sense of relief, but also thought that perhaps Zhu Qingmeng’s relationship with Yun Zhi was quite good. She picked up the fallen paper, placed it back on the desk, and weighted it down with a Chinese literature textbook.

The past felt as vivid as yesterday.

Yu Mingxia lowered her eyes. Recalling Yu Chuxue’s words, she asked Yun Zhi, “Have you ever thought about… giving up on the person you like now?”

Upon hearing the question, the smile on Yun Zhi’s lips froze. She wasn’t sure why the topic had shifted so abruptly, nor why Yu Mingxia would ask such a thing. The question left Yun Zhi hesitant for a long time, unsure of how to answer.

Just then, a phone ringtone interrupted them.

A minute later, Yun Zhi hung up. The call had also brought Yu Mingxia back to her senses; she realized what she had just asked. If Yun Zhi thought about it too deeply, she might expose herself.

“Why ask that all of a sudden?” Yun Zhi asked.

“Just a random thought. I wanted to check in on you,” Yu Mingxia raised her eyes, her expression as calm as usual.

Yun Zhi nodded. Seeing that Yu Mingxia was still looking at her, she asked back, “What about you? Have you thought about it?”

Seeing that Yun Zhi didn’t particularly want to discuss the topic, Yu Mingxia simply shook her head and changed the subject. “Tomorrow is Saturday. Any plans?”

“Ah, I bought tickets. I’m going to a concert.” Yun Zhi’s attention was successfully diverted by the question.

Noticing her smile broaden, Yu Mingxia understood. What made her so happy likely wasn’t the concert itself, but who she was going with. Recalling Yun Zhi’s avoidance of the previous question, Yu Mingxia’s heart sank.

Then she heard Yun Zhi say, “I’m going to find my colleagues. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Only after Yun Zhi turned around did Yu Mingxia look up at her silhouette again. Just like that afternoon, she left without looking back.

On Saturday morning, Yun Zhi woke up early. Taking advantage of the good weather, she invited Xiao Bai to the park. The concert was set to begin at 8:00 PM. Yun Zhi and Nan Qiao had agreed to meet outside the Sports Center at 7:00 PM. This time, Nan Qiao had promised repeatedly that she would definitely be on time.

The park was lush with greenery. Since Yun Zhi was currently working on a collection of “Four Seasons” photos, the two spent the entire morning there. It wasn’t until 4:00 PM, while they were eating at a restaurant, that Xiao Bai received a call and had to leave early.

With three hours left until her meeting with Nan Qiao, Yun Zhi decided to head home to freshen up before going to the Sports Center.

She left the restaurant. However, while passing the commercial district, she was drawn in by a lively scene. Out of professional habit, she began snapping photos. Since she had handed her professional camera to Xiao Bai earlier, she had to use her phone. Fortunately, her skills were solid; as long as the angles were right, phone photos turned out well too.

Ahead was a newly opened arcade. There were many entertainment options, and they even had a goldfish catching pond set up outside. However, this kind of game seemed to be a favorite mostly for young couples and children.

Pairs of lovers crowded around the pond, along with children pestering their parents to play. One child in particular was crying and pulling at his mother’s arm, insisting on playing.

Quite a bit of water had splashed out of the pond, wetting a patch of the ground. The sunlight reflected perfectly off the water’s surface, mirroring the surroundings. Yun Zhi snapped a photo and saved it, intending to check the composition.

But the moment she saw the image clearly, she froze. She looked up from the same angle as the photo.

There, she saw a familiar person squatting by the pond. Beside her was a stranger, a girl; the two were leaning close to each other intimately. The girl held a net, and the familiar person was holding the girl’s hand.

The area was crowded, but in that moment, she could clearly hear the girl’s spoiled voice—

“Qiaoqiao, I want that goldfish.”

Then came Nan Qiao’s doting response. After that, she saw the goldfish land in the net.

It was strange. They weren’t even together. Yet, in this moment, she felt the sting of being cheated on.

The person who had promised to meet her tonight was currently playing an intimate game with another girl. With the schedule so tight, wouldn’t she be tired? Yun Zhi couldn’t tell if her current mood was more cynical or more heartbroken.

After an unknown amount of time, the goldfish wasn’t placed in a jar; it fell straight onto the ground.

Following that was Nan Qiao’s panicked voice:

“Zhizhi, why are you here?”

Yun Zhi looked up at her. In this moment, she felt that the person she had known for over a decade was a complete stranger.

“Is she your friend?” Yun Zhi heard the girl beside Nan Qiao ask.

Nan Qiao hesitated, unable to speak for a long while. Yun Zhi couldn’t tell if she was just stunned or if she simply didn’t want to introduce her. Instead, the girl beside her generously reached out a hand and introduced herself with a bright smile:

“Hello, I’m Nan Qiao’s girlfriend, Qin Rou.”

Yun Zhi saw Nan Qiao stiffen slightly, her mouth opening as if to speak but stopping. Yun Zhi looked down at the hand extended toward her, then snapped back to reality. She pursed her lips and said politely, “Hello, I’m Yun Zhi.”

The situation was so sudden that Nan Qiao likely hadn’t expected her to appear. Not a single word was said regarding their plans.

“Qiaoqiao, can’t you stay with me tonight? What’s so good about a concert? Stay with me, stay with me…” Qin Rou ignored the person in front of her and continued to act spoiled.

“Stop it.” Nan Qiao’s voice turned cold, and Qin Rou actually stopped.

“Can you leave us for a moment?” Nan Qiao suddenly said to Qin Rou. Qin Rou looked confused.

Yun Zhi took a deep breath. She had no experience in handling such things, but she felt unusually calm. Perhaps there had been too much disappointment; it had grown into a habit. She had comforted herself time and time again that Nan Qiao was still Nan Qiao.

“I have something to do tonight, so forget the concert.” Yun Zhi glanced at Qin Rou. She bit her lip, unsure if her words would hurt Qin Rou or serve as a warning.

After hesitating, Yun Zhi added, “Since you have a girlfriend, you shouldn’t be acting ambiguous with others, right?”

Nan Qiao was stunned. “I…” She wanted to explain, but seemed hindered by Qin Rou’s presence. Finally, she could only force a smile and say quietly, “But we are best friends.”

Best friends.

Perhaps because the initial shock had been too great, she hadn’t felt sad then. But now, hearing the words “best friends,” she felt a pang of bitterness. Yun Zhi didn’t want to engage in pointless entanglements anymore.

Anything she said now would be wrong. If she continued, it would only make Qin Rou think she was trying to sabotage their relationship. Let it be her own sentimentality then. Let it be her own humiliation.

“I have to go. I hope you two have a good time.” Yun Zhi didn’t engage further, she just left it at that.

Nan Qiao didn’t dare to look her in the eye. She whispered, “But I want to go to the concert.”

“Sister Yun Zhi, I have two movie tickets for the couples’ seats here. Do you want to go see it with the person you like?” Qin Rou’s words drowned out Nan Qiao’s.

Yun Zhi looked at Qin Rou and realized that perhaps she shouldn’t have said what she did earlier. Now, Qin Rou was treating her like an enemy to be guarded against.

“I’ll wait until I find someone I like. Thank you.” Yun Zhi declined with a smile.

To Qin Rou, this sounded like a guarantee. But to Nan Qiao, it held a different meaning.

“Zhizhi…” Nan Qiao didn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Then I wish Sister Yun Zhi finds someone she likes soon!” Once she felt certain Yun Zhi had no designs on Nan Qiao, the smile on Qin Rou’s face widened. She leaned into Nan Qiao and gave her a gentle nudge. “Right, Qiaoqiao?”

Nan Qiao snapped out of her daze. She subtly avoided the touch, but when she met Yun Zhi’s calm eyes, she gave an “Mm.” She had essentially agreed with Qin Rou’s words.

“Then I wish you find someone you like soon,” Nan Qiao repeated, staring at her.

Perhaps Yun Zhi was overthinking. She felt as though Nan Qiao’s words were spoken out of spite, or perhaps it was her usual way of testing her. Yun Zhi sighed in her heart. Let it be her imagination.

She never wanted to think the worst of Nan Qiao, but the facts were there, and she didn’t want to continue like this. Everything was over. From the past until now, all her feelings for Nan Qiao were finished.

On a road through the woods, Yu Chuxue was sitting in the passenger seat of a car, feeling utterly speechless. She didn’t understand what had gotten into Yu Mingxia, who suddenly said she wanted to thank her by inviting her to a concert. Chuxue had no interest in concerts, but despite her repeated refusals, Yu Mingxia had dragged her along anyway.

“It’s 7:30. It starts in half an hour,” Yu Chuxue reminded her, propping her head up with an elbow against the window.

“Mm,” Yu Mingxia’s voice was flat.

“Why do you suddenly like concerts? Have you even heard of this band?” Yu Chuxue was genuinely curious; she had never seen Yu Mingxia show interest in such things.

“Not everyone is as ignorant as you.”

Yu Chuxue, suddenly attacked: “?”

“Wait, your attitude was so good when you invited me just now. Why the sudden change? You’re being so sharp.”

Yu Mingxia stared straight ahead and didn’t answer.

“I can’t mention Yun Zhi, and now I can’t even say the band isn’t great? What, is this band…” Before she could finish, Yu Chuxue realized. “Is it a band Yun Zhi likes?”

Yu Mingxia remained silent, but her expression betrayed her mood. Yu Chuxue felt helpless. She could now guess why Yu Mingxia had suddenly invited her—Yun Zhi was definitely coming. But Yun Zhi wouldn’t be alone; given that expression, she was likely coming with the person she liked. So, Yu Mingxia had dragged her along as backup.

Yu Chuxue was startled by her own deduction, even thinking she might have a talent for being a detective.

“Get out of the car.”

Before Yu Chuxue could finish her self-congratulation, she heard those words. she was dazed. “Is it that serious? I just mentioned Yun Zhi’s name once?”

Yu Chuxue was already suffering; she should never have handed the car keys to Yu Mingxia. It was getting dark now, and the road was only lit by faint streetlights. They were on a rather secluded path.

She heard a ding-dong, followed by a mechanical female voice inside the car: “Your order is being processed.”

Yu Chuxue: “?”

“Sister, I’ve called a car for you. It’ll be here soon. Please get out.” This time, Yu Mingxia’s attitude was much better.

Though confused, Yu Chuxue felt Yu Mingxia wouldn’t do this without a reason. It was very likely related to Yun Zhi. With a guess in mind, Yu Chuxue shook her head. “If you want to invite me out again, I’m not coming.”

She opened the door and got out. Yu Chuxue looked around; at least there were lights here. Further ahead, it was pitch black with no light and no traffic. She had no idea why Yu Mingxia was driving that way.