A Friend I've Loved for a Long Time - Chapter 27

“Then I’ll just compensate you with myself?” Yu Mingxia leaned against the doorframe, the corners of her lips turning up.

If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t let her joy be too obvious, she wouldn’t be smiling so lightly right now.

Yun Zhi let out a scoff and looked away. Whether it was her imagination or not, Yu Mingxia’s smile was just too gentle—it was like she was drowning in it.

She couldn’t help but look at the wedding dress hanging nearby and asked softly, “How long have you liked that person?”

“Eighth or ninth grade, I can’t quite remember.” Yu Mingxia stepped back, gesturing for Yun Zhi to come in.

Yun Zhi froze. “Eighth or ninth grade?” she repeated in disbelief. “You were such a precocious child.”

That would make it at least twelve or thirteen years. Yun Zhi wasn’t just shocked; she was curious. She circled around her and asked, “Could you really understand what love was at thirteen? My god, Yu Mingxia, you’re far more impressive than me.”

Yun Zhi’s sudden proximity caught Yu Mingxia off guard. The hidden room was small; being close made it feel cramped.

“I didn’t understand. I just wanted to see her, and I wanted her to be happy,” Yu Mingxia answered honestly, watching Yun Zhi’s movements carefully for fear she might bump into something.

Yun Zhi didn’t know how to describe her feelings. Once the initial shock and curiosity faded, all that remained was heartache.

Yu Mingxia saw her eyes darting around and guessed her mind was a mess.

“Don’t be sad. Your sister will love you from now on.” Yun Zhi reached out and patted her head, naturally tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice held a tenderness she hadn’t even noticed herself.

The atmosphere was also tinged with an ambiguity she didn’t sense.

Yu Mingxia looked directly into her eyes, seeing them shift from shock to heartache. As Yun Zhi’s tone grew gentler, a string in Mingxia’s heart suddenly snapped. Even knowing Yun Zhi only felt heartache from a friend’s perspective, she felt satisfied—and shamelessly wanted more.

Yu Mingxia looked down and murmured softly, “Sister loves me.”

Yun Zhi was still immersed in the previous topic and didn’t notice anything unusual. She simply nodded in agreement. “Right. Whenever you miss her, come find me. Sister loves you. We’re both not looking back.”

“Come, let me give you a hug.” Yun Zhi felt that the current Yu Mingxia was very fragile. Without thinking, she pulled her into a hug, lightly patting her back just as Mingxia had comforted her the day before. “Cry if you want to. Don’t be sad.”

If she had tilted her head, she would have seen the upward curve of Yu Mingxia’s lips.

But after a few seconds, Mingxia’s expression flattened, and she pursed her lips.

She was too easily moved. Being kind wasn’t Yun Zhi’s fault; the fault lay in those who took advantage of kind people. Nan Qiao was one, and perhaps she was another.

After a moment of silence, Yun Zhi let go and asked softly, “Do you feel better now?”

Yu Mingxia didn’t push her luck and nodded. “Thank you.”

“I suddenly think your suggestion is actually quite good. But thinking about it, maybe we shouldn’t call it a ‘fake relationship.’ It’s more like the mutual help and supervision we had back in school, right? If you’re sad or missing her, you find me, and vice-versa. That’s the idea, isn’t it?”

Yu Mingxia: “…”

“You should have explained it that way sooner. Forget ‘dating’ or whatever,” the “brilliant” Yun Zhi said with a laugh.

Yu Mingxia was speechless. Could I tell her that my whole point was the word ‘dating’?

“Could you try on this wedding dress?” Yu Mingxia asked, pointing to the dress to prevent her from drawing any more “clear lines.”

Although it was the second time she’d seen it, the dress still made Yun Zhi’s heart skip. Now that she understood Yu Mingxia’s feelings better, her perspective had shifted. Yu Mingxia had poured far more love into this dress than she’d originally thought.

“Are you thinking of her?” “Mm.”

Perhaps she just wanted to fulfill a wish.

Yun Zhi sighed. She reached out to take the dress off the mannequin, moving cautiously for fear of damaging it. Her fair fingertips brushed past Mingxia’s, lightly skimming the back of her hand.

Yun Zhi stopped as she watched Yu Mingxia slowly stroke the fabric. Looking at Mingxia’s profile, she suddenly felt a surge of curiosity about that person. She wondered what kind of person was worthy of being loved by Yu Mingxia for so many years—someone she treated with such gentleness in every detail.

As Yu Mingxia took the dress down, she met Yun Zhi’s complex, conflicted gaze. Holding the dress, she whispered, “Do you need me to help you change?”

Yun Zhi snapped out of it. Looking at the exquisite dress, she shook her head and then asked quietly, “Are you truly planning to let go? If I try this on now, it means you might never be able to give it to her.”

A dress meant to represent one’s heart wouldn’t feel sincere if it had been worn by someone else. In Yun Zhi’s eyes, Yu Mingxia was asking her to help make a clean break. It was both a way to ease the longing and a way to end the obsession.

“It is its honor, and my honor,” Yu Mingxia replied warmly.

Since Yu Mingxia said so, Yun Zhi stopped being hesitant. She took the dress and turned around. But she immediately turned back and tilted her head toward the door, giving her a hint.

Yu Mingxia didn’t react at first, simply tilting her head back at her.

Yun Zhi let out a “Pfft!” “Get out!”

There was no changing room in the room; she had to make Yu Mingxia leave. Realizing what she meant, Yu Mingxia’s ears turned red, and she hurried out.

Seeing those familiar red ears, Yun Zhi felt at ease. She had thought something about Mingxia had changed yesterday, but it seemed she was the same as ever.

The dress design wasn’t complex; it was simple and elegant, exactly the style Yun Zhi liked. As she finished the final steps, a strange sense of nervousness grew in her heart. She didn’t know what she was nervous about—it felt like expectation and worry mixed together.

She realized she was trying on a wedding dress for Yu Mingxia. She had accompanied others to try on dresses before, and when they spoke of how nervous they were, she’d assumed they were exaggerating. Now, she realized they weren’t.

Even if the person waiting outside wasn’t her lover—even if they were just friends or partners—the thought of showing her this dress made her heart race uncontrollably. In the end, she chalked it up to the “mission”: she was trying on the dress with the weight of the expectations Mingxia had for the girl she loved. It was a sense of duty and responsibility.

After a brief internal struggle, Yun Zhi knocked on the door from the inside. Worried Mingxia wasn’t right by the door, she whispered, “I’m changed—”

Before she could finish, Yu Mingxia opened the door.

Both of them froze.

Yun Zhi felt so awkward she didn’t know where to put her hands. She clutched the skirt of the dress and looked up, forcing a smile. “Well? Did it help ease your longing at all?”

There was no immediate answer. Just as Yun Zhi began to think the dress didn’t look right on her, she was stunned.

The woman before her, usually so gentle and strong, had red eyes and was biting her lip hard, as if suppressing a flood of emotion. Her face held a vulnerability and deep affection Yun Zhi had never seen.

She watched as Yu Mingxia’s hand lightly caressed her cheek, her eyes full of devotion. Then came her voice, gentle yet trembling:

“Thank you. You’ve fulfilled my beautiful dream.”

In that moment, Yun Zhi thought she heard something shatter. She couldn’t tell if it was Yu Mingxia’s heart… or her own.

Vibrate, vibrate—

A phone buzz sounded. Yun Zhi, who had been napping at her desk, frowned but didn’t want to open her eyes. She was having a dream. A beautiful dream—so beautiful she didn’t want to wake up.

A moment later, she snapped her eyes open and instinctively looked toward Yu Mingxia’s desk. It was empty. She touched her heart.

So guilty.

Perhaps because she had tried on the wedding dress that morning, her nap had been filled with dreams of her getting married in that very dress. And the person she was marrying… was Yu Mingxia.

Post-nap Yun Zhi: “…”

She rubbed her temples, trying to forget everything that had happened in the dream. Her dreams lately were too strange; Yu Mingxia’s appearance rate was far too high.

Once she calmed down, she remembered the buzzing she’d heard. Someone had sent her a message. She unlocked her phone to see Jiang Yan’an’s name.

Jiang Yan’an: ZHIZHI!! Nan Qiao is in a relationship again! That bastard!! Jiang Yan’an: I’m so mad, I’m so mad. How could she just go and date someone else? Jiang Yan’an: Oh, Zhizhi, I’m going to break off our friendship with her. Jiang Yan’an: I’m going to recommend eight hundred girls to you right now. Do you like dancers or musicians? Or even doctors!

True to her word, Jiang Yan’an began pushing contact cards to her without waiting for a reply. She even started sending photos and descriptions for each one.

Yun Zhi watched the messages stack up in silence. Seeing the “typing…” indicator repeatedly appear under An’an’s name, she finally typed to stop her:

Yun Zhi: Stop. Yun Zhi: I saw it yesterday. Yun Zhi: I’m not sad. I’ve already let go, so don’t worry.

Whether it was because she’d been through this before or because of Yu Mingxia’s comfort, Yun Zhi really didn’t feel that sad this time.

Jiang Yan’an: Good, good. Jiang Yan’an: So… can I push some more girls to you?

Yun Zhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Yun Zhi: No need. I have no plans to date for now.

A moment later, another message arrived:

Jiang Yan’an: I wasn’t thinking clearly. Don’t you have Yu Mingxia right there? Zhizhi, can’t you just ‘take’ her? She is really, really too beautiful, and so gentle. She’s on par with my Mengmeng, really, really.

Yun Zhi knew that comparing someone to Zhu Qingmeng was the highest praise Jiang Yan’an could give. She suspected it was because Yu Mingxia and Zhu Qingmeng shared a similar temperament. Because of this, Yun Zhi decided to keep her agreement with Yu Mingxia a secret. If their goal was just to help each other, the fewer people who knew, the better. It would make things easier when it eventually ended.

Jiang Yan’an: Nan Qiao isn’t even fit to carry Yu Mingxia’s shoes!!! Jiang Yan’an: Nan Qiao doesn’t deserve her!!!

Yun Zhi could see the fury in her friend’s words. Strangely, two years ago, she would have been devastated and dazed by such a situation. This time, she could soothe her friend with total composure.

Yun Zhi: Alright, alright, don’t be mad. This is a good thing, An’an.

Perhaps she could tell herself that the version of her that loved Nan Qiao most had already left two years ago; these last two years were just her obsession acting up. She didn’t love Nan Qiao as much as she thought.

Yun Zhi sighed. She didn’t want to dwell on it. Whatever her feelings were, they were in the past. Jiang Yan’an’s messages continued, mostly cursing Nan Qiao. Yun Zhi knew her friend was genuinely livid. Among all her friends, Jiang Yan’an had the most impulsive and fiery temper. She’d suffered for it in the past until Zhu Qingmeng started managing her—at which point all her fire was directed at Qingmeng instead of strangers.

And given her personality, those messages probably hadn’t just been sent to Yun Zhi. Sure enough:

Jiang Yan’an: Don’t worry, I’m not the type to talk behind someone’s back. I curse them to their face too.

Then came a series of screenshots. Every word she’d said about Nan Qiao to Yun Zhi had been sent directly to Nan Qiao as well. By comparison, the messages to Yun Zhi were quite polite.

Jiang Yan’an: She actually blocked me? She actually blocked me? What right does she have to block me?!

Yun Zhi’s eyes stopped on the screenshot. Nan Qiao hadn’t replied to a single one of the insults. In front of Jiang Yan’an’s last message was a red exclamation mark. Below was a small row of text: Message sent, but rejected by the recipient.

She had blocked Jiang Yan’an.

Jiang Yan’an: SHE! IS! DEFENSIVE!

Yun Zhi remembered she was still recovering and didn’t want her to get too worked up.

Yun Zhi: Okay An’an, let’s just ignore this. Let it go.

She didn’t know if Jiang Yan’an eventually listened; the screenshots stopped, and she began asking about Yun Zhi’s life instead.

Having sat for a while, Yun Zhi felt a bit stiff and stood up to stretch. She’d been awake for ten minutes, yet Yu Mingxia hadn’t returned. She didn’t know where she’d gone. Yu Mingxia’s expression from that morning drifted back into her mind.

She looked at Mingxia’s desk. It was clean, with files stacked neatly to the side. As she mused, her phone vibrated again. Thinking it was Jiang Yan’an, she opened it, only to find a message from Nan Qiao.

Nan Qiao: Zhizhi, are you mad? Nan Qiao: I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to know.

Didn’t want me to know? So she could keep acting ambiguous? Yun Zhi couldn’t understand. She began to wonder if Nan Qiao had always been like this or if it was a new development. She typed “mad” and “sorry” into the chat history search bar. Most of the results were related to Nan Qiao standing her up.

She remembered what Yu Mingxia told her that morning: “We should both be more rational. When the other person apologizes and seeks forgiveness—or even when we feel soft-hearted and want to look back—we should set our feelings aside, analyze their intentions properly, and see if it’s worth it.”

Hearing the logic she already knew from Yu Mingxia’s mouth gave her a sense of resolve. So this was what it felt like to have someone by your side.

Nan Qiao: Zhizhi, good Zhizhi, I’m sorry. I’ll break up with her right now, okay?

I’ll break up with her right now, okay? Why ask for her opinion?

—Analyze their intentions properly, and see if it’s worth it.

Pure intentions were absent; it wasn’t worth it. Yun Zhi didn’t feel sad anymore; she felt a sense of desolation. Like a red apple she’d guarded for a long time, only to find it was hollowed out by worms. The feelings she’d poured in couldn’t be taken back, leaving her feeling wasted and bleak.

Nan Qiao: Zhizhi, can you tell Jiang Yan’an to stop? She’s cursing at me.

Another screenshot. This time, Yun Zhi didn’t ignore it. She replied:

Yun Zhi: Was she wrong to?

Yun Zhi took a deep breath. As if making a major decision, she clicked on Nan Qiao’s profile.

Blocked.

Just as Nan Qiao had done to Jiang Yan’an.

The phone finally went quiet. For a moment, she felt lost, that hollow feeling returning. She was never a decisive person—she was prone to hesitation and even choice paralysis. She magnified every bit of kindness others showed her but could never remember the bad. She didn’t understand why Nan Qiao treated her this way. But the facts were before her; there was no point in self-deception.

After finishing, Yun Zhi prepared to leave the office. But as she turned, she saw a receipt tucked under some files on the desk. When she saw the information on it, she froze. Thinking about it, it seemed perfectly in character for Yu Mingxia. But still… from that perspective, they really did share a kind of fate.

Nan Qiao stared at the red exclamation mark on her screen, unable to snap out of it. It wasn’t until a colleague called her name that she suddenly came to.

Yun Zhi was angry. angrier than ever before. In the past, no matter how mad she got, she had never blocked her. Nan Qiao scrambled to scroll through their messages, wondering if she’d said something wrong. But after several reviews, she couldn’t find a mistake.

In the past, one bit of acting spoiled and Yun Zhi would soften. But this time, Yun Zhi hadn’t responded at all—she’d simply blocked her. The only reply she’d given was telling her that Jiang Yan’an was right.

Nan Qiao thought of Jiang Yan’an and wondered if it was because of her. She unblocked An’an. She had only blocked her because she didn’t want to reply, so it was meant to be temporary.

Jiang Yan’an: NAN QIAO! Jiang Yan’an: ? You block me and then unblock me? Are you sick?

Jiang Yan’an clearly hadn’t finished her rant. Finding herself unblocked, she continued.

Nan Qiao: How old are you, still running to tell tales? Jiang Yan’an: Who cares how old I am? What ‘telling tales’? Jiang Yan’an: Oh, I see. Zhizhi scolded you, didn’t she? Serves you right!

Jiang Yan’an was bored in her hospital bed; Nan Qiao had walked right into her line of fire. Nan Qiao sighed and stopped engaging. Since high school, she knew Jiang Yan’an was temperamental and dramatic; only Zhu Qingmeng was fooled by her act.

Nan Qiao: Can you be rational?

The message wouldn’t send. A red exclamation mark was prominent on the screen. It seemed everyone was on Yun Zhi’s side, regardless of the reason or the process.

—You upset Yun Zhi again? Why do you have to upset her? —Could you help me give this to Yun Zhi? —Are you close to Yun Zhi? Let’s be friends.

Everyone who approached her seemed to do so only for Yun Zhi. So many people told her she didn’t deserve to be by Yun Zhi’s side. Even when she first approached Yun Zhi, Yun Zhi had been indifferent. But then, everything she had came from Yun Zhi.

But… Nan Qiao snapped back and searched for Yun Zhi’s number. Just as she was about to call, a colleague’s voice came from the door: “Nan Qiao, your girlfriend is here to see you.”

A flash of disgust crossed Nan Qiao’s face. The hand about to dial paused. She put the phone away and walked out.

Yu Mingxia didn’t know that Yun Zhi was awake. Currently, she was at the President’s office watching a scene unfold. On the desk was a thermos containing stewed black-boned chicken soup. Qu Lan and Yu Chuxue were staring each other down.

Finally, Yu Chuxue gave in. “I don’t have a cold. I really don’t need it.” As she spoke, she let out a cough.

“Oh, don’t be stubborn. If you hadn’t accompanied me to that concert last night, would you have caught a cold? Consider this soup my compensation.” Qu Lan pushed the thermos toward her.

Yu Mingxia leaned against the wall, munching on an apple and watching with a slight smile. Yu Chuxue was full of questions. She really didn’t have a cold, but Qu Lan refused to believe her and insisted she drink the soup. If it were anything else, she might have. But Qu Lan’s cooking was… well, perhaps Chuxue had given too many insincere compliments in the past, because Qu Lan was now very confident.

“I think Mingxia wants some. Why not give her a bowl?” Yu Chuxue tested.

Yu Mingxia laughed and waved her apple. “Thanks, but I’m full.”

From one look at her expression, Yu Chuxue could tell Mingxia was in a great mood—idle enough to come and watch them. She was a different person from the one she’d seen that morning. Qu Lan turned her gaze back to Yu Chuxue.

Seeing Mingxia was in a good mood, she helped her out after finishing her apple. “Qu Lan, just say what you want to say. Don’t scare Chuxue.”

Yu Chuxue nodded in agreement. “You’re scaring me. Just be direct.”

Qu Lan sighed and stopped pushing the soup. She said plainly, “Date me.”

Yu Chuxue: “…” After knowing each other for so many years, Yu Chuxue really didn’t think their “revolutionary friendship” had any chance of turning into anything else. After a moment, she asked, “Forced marriage?”

Suddenly, Qu Lan wailed. “Yes! I’m going crazy. My grandfather told me he doesn’t care if it’s a man or a woman—as long as it’s a living thing, I have to bring them back. Even a dead one would do! If I’m willing, but how could I be willing? And you’re the only living person by my side!”

Yu Chuxue was speechless for a few seconds. She had guessed as much. Just as she was about to speak, her gaze accidentally brushed past Yu Mingxia, only to see her turn away.

“Zhizhi should be awake. I’m off,” Mingxia murmured.

Yu Chuxue, who was about to pass the buck to Mingxia: “…”

But it was the first time she’d heard Mingxia speak so directly like that. Ever since the morning, she seemed very happy. Chuxue was happy for her, so she didn’t stop her. She watched her walk out and heard the door click shut.

Yu Chuxue: “…”

When Yu Mingxia returned to the office, she saw Yun Zhi’s back. She seemed to be dazing at Mingxia’s desk.

“Are you awake?” Yu Mingxia walked in. “Next time you want a nap, go to the rest area. It’ll be more comfortable.”

Yun Zhi snapped back and gave an “Mm.” She turned around and followed Yu Mingxia with her eyes until she was standing right in front of her. Yu Mingxia saw the intensity in her gaze and was about to ask what happened. Then came Yun Zhi’s enthusiastic and sincere words—

“Mingxia, you are so beautiful!” “You are one of the top ten most beautiful people in the world in my heart!”

Yu Mingxia, suddenly praised by her crush and feeling very happy but completely confused: “?”

What on earth happened in the last hour?