A Friend I've Loved for a Long Time - Chapter 28

The difference in their height wasn’t large, but because Yun Zhi was currently leaning in with her hands behind her back and her head slightly tilted up, Yu Mingxia had to look down at her.

Due to her posture, the tips of her slightly curled brown hair fell over her chest and shoulders, making her exposed skin look as fair as snow by contrast. She was squinting with a smile, continuing her earlier praise: “Mingxia, you really are good-looking.”

Yu Mingxia shifted her gaze slightly, unable to stop herself from thinking: Exactly who is the good-looking one here?

The way Yun Zhi craned her neck toward her was so obedient and cute, reminding her of a cat stretching its head out waiting to be petted. Yu Mingxia curved her lips and reached out to ruffle her hair. “What’s this? So sudden.”

“It’s nothing, I’m just speaking from the heart.” Yun Zhi smoothed her hair back with her hand, speaking as if it were no big deal, though the smile on her face didn’t fade one bit.

To Yu Mingxia, that smile seemed to hold a hint of something ambiguous. However, seeing that Yun Zhi had already returned to her desk, she felt puzzled but chose to believe her.

While tidying the desk, Yu Mingxia saw the corner of a receipt peeking out from under some files. She suddenly realized the likely reason why Yun Zhi had praised her so abruptly. She looked up and caught Yun Zhi’s gaze.

And her brilliant smile.

Yu Mingxia couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Seeing this, Yun Zhi guessed she understood the reason. She held up both hands in explanation: “I didn’t look on purpose! I just saw it by accident.”

“I know. I’m the one who didn’t put it away properly,” Yu Mingxia said calmly. She had received the receipt today and had just tossed it on the desk.

Chatting with Yu Mingxia was simply too comfortable; there were no interrogations or blame. Most importantly, Yu Mingxia was incredibly tolerant; she believed whatever Yun Zhi said.

“What made you want to donate to this?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Yun Zhi felt it was a bit intrusive, so she added, “I’m just curious, just getting to know you.”

Yu Mingxia stifled a laugh. People who lie often fail to notice how much they’re over-explaining. She placed the receipt on the desk, where the payee clearly read “Jian Zhile Foundation.”

“It’s a foundation that helps underprivileged children return to school,” Yu Mingxia said succinctly.

Even though Yu Mingxia didn’t directly answer the “why,” Yun Zhi figured doing a good deed didn’t necessarily need a specific reason. With that in mind, she stopped prying, but her perception of Yu Mingxia became even clearer. She’s a kind-hearted, wonderful person.

The script had been approved, and the process moved on to filming. Since Yun Zhi was handling the cinematography herself, she became much busier than before.

For the next half month, Yun Zhi was almost entirely occupied with work, moving between various L&Y branches. The early stages mainly involved filming the birth of design pieces—from the sketches to the final products, every step needed to be recorded.

Forget being entangled with Nan Qiao; during these two weeks, Yun Zhi didn’t even have time to think of her name. Nan Qiao hadn’t looked for her either. The two of them had reached a tacit agreement of radio silence for half a month.

L&Y’s attitude toward their partners was excellent, taking care of all “clothing, food, housing, and transportation” as promised, with Yu Mingxia remaining the designated point of contact from the start. Consequently, no matter how busy she was, she saw Yu Mingxia every day—in the morning and again in the evening.

The exhaustion from the non-stop work recently made Yun Zhi prone to falling asleep whenever she found a comfortable environment. Just like before, she fell asleep again on the drive home with Yu Mingxia.

The air conditioning in the car was set to a perfect temperature. There was a faint hum, and the closed windows blocked out the outside noise. Sensing that Yun Zhi was asleep, Yu Mingxia turned off the radio music.

The car pulled into a parking space outside the apartment complex. Yu Mingxia leaned over to look at the deeply sleeping Yun Zhi. She wondered what kind of good dream she was having, as the corners of her mouth remained upturned.

“Yu Mingxia…” Yun Zhi suddenly muttered.

Thinking she was awake, Yu Mingxia instinctively sat up straight and put her hands on the steering wheel, pretending they had just arrived. After a few seconds of silence, she looked back at Yun Zhi and realized she was just talking in her sleep.

Yu Mingxia let out a soft laugh, murmuring to the sleeping face, “Am I in your dreams too?”

When Yun Zhi woke up, she was dazed for a while, her eyes slowly focusing on the streetlamps outside the window.

“Have we been here long? Why didn’t you wake me up?” Having just woken up, Yun Zhi’s voice was soft and weak, which sounded a bit seductive to Yu Mingxia’s ears.

“You looked like you were sleeping so soundly, I wanted to let you rest a bit longer,” Yu Mingxia said with a gentle smile.

Yun Zhi shifted her body toward Yu Mingxia. “I don’t know why, but every time I get into your car, I feel so comfortable that I just fall asleep.”

Yun Zhi usually disliked sleeping in cars; they were bumpy and stuffy, making for a very uncomfortable nap. Usually, she could stay awake no matter how long the journey was. But lately, she had broken that habit in Yu Mingxia’s car, often falling asleep within minutes of getting in.

“Have you considered that it might not be the car?”

“Is it because I’m too tired?”

“Maybe it’s because being by my side makes you feel so at ease.” Yu Mingxia looked at her and smiled, her gaze tender.

When she put it that way, Yun Zhi realized it was true. Lately, no matter what she was doing, she would instinctively look for Yu Mingxia, feeling that as long as she was there, nothing would go wrong. Perhaps this was the “sense of security” people talked about. Some people just have that presence; even if they just stand there doing nothing, they make others feel confident and reliant.

Clearly, Yu Mingxia was that kind of person.

“Do you want to come up and sit for a while?” Yun Zhi asked casually.

Lately, whenever Yu Mingxia dropped her off, Yun Zhi would ask this out of politeness, but the answer had always been “next time.” This time, she also expected a tactful refusal, so when she heard the answer “Okay,” Yun Zhi didn’t react and just opened the car door.

Before her right foot even touched the ground, she froze and looked back. “You said ‘okay’?”

Yu Mingxia nodded. “Mm. I want to drink some lemonade.”

“Okay, then come with me.”

Yun Zhi led Yu Mingxia toward the residential building. On the way, they ran into Jiang Mei, who lived on the same floor.

“Xiao Zhi, bringing a friend home again?” Jiang Mei asked with a smile, eyeing Yu Mingxia.

For some reason, Yun Zhi felt a bit sensitive about that word “again.” She had run into Jiang Mei a few times, and the neighbor always said something similar. Yun Zhi knew she meant no harm, but this time, she felt a tiny prick of guilt. It made it sound like she brought many friends home.

Wait, even if she did bring many friends home, there was nothing wrong with that, was there? Why did it sound so strange now? Yun Zhi gave a polite smile as a response.

The three of them waited for the elevator together. Yun Zhi caught Yu Mingxia’s gaze and, assuming she was curious about Jiang Mei, whispered, “A neighbor on the same floor.”

To her surprise, her “whisper” wasn’t quiet enough, and Jiang Mei heard every word. She took a small step closer and said, “You introduced me to her, why didn’t you introduce her to me?”

Without waiting for Yun Zhi to react, she extended a hand to Yu Mingxia. “Hello, I’m Jiang Mei. I live in 11-4.”

Yu Mingxia pursed her lips and didn’t take the hand, instead looking at Yun Zhi.

“My friend, Yu Mingxia. I’ll shake hands for her.” Yun Zhi laughed and lightly touched Jiang Mei’s fingertips, counting it as a greeting.

Jiang Mei wanted to say more, but Yun Zhi interrupted: “The elevator is here.”

Once inside the elevator, Jiang Mei leaned toward Yun Zhi and whispered, “Does she like men or women? Is she dating?”

But no matter how low one whispers in an elevator, it’s never quite private. Yun Zhi knew Jiang Mei was interested in Yu Mingxia. She hesitated for a moment and threw the question to Yu Mingxia: “Are you dating?”

As soon as she asked, Yun Zhi realized she had made a mistake. She should have bypassed the topic instead of making Yu Mingxia answer. She asked because she truly didn’t know how to respond. Jiang Mei wasn’t bad—she worked in investment banking, had a good background, and was both pretty and personable. If Mingxia happened to like her, Yun Zhi didn’t want to accidentally chase away her potential “peach blossoms” with a wrong answer.

Yu Mingxia glanced at Yun Zhi and gave a soft “Mm” as an answer.

It seemed she wasn’t interested in Jiang Mei. Jiang Mei looked a bit disappointed and let out a sigh, adding, “Well, if you ever experience a breakup, let me know. I’ll come running to you.”

This was incredibly blunt—no different from a direct confession. Yun Zhi had been neighbors with Jiang Mei for two years and knew her personality, but hearing such a direct confession still surprised her, followed by a sense of admiration for her bravery.

Hearing a light chuckle, Yu Mingxia shot her a glance. She’s so happy hearing someone confess to me?

The three of them exited the elevator. Before leaving, Jiang Mei made sure to remind her: “Remember, I’m in line. Call me if you break up. You don’t mind women, I hope?”

Yun Zhi let out a soft laugh and shot a teasing look at Yu Mingxia. Yu Mingxia looked down and pursed her lips, her expression showing a rare trace of impatience.

Yun Zhi opened the door. Since she cleaned every day, the living room was tidy. “Have a seat on the sofa. I’ll get you that lemonade.”

A moment later, Yun Zhi emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of lemonade. Yu Mingxia hadn’t sat down; she was standing in front of the coffee table, facing the wall.

“These are all landscape photos I took. Do they have a good feel?” Yun Zhi placed the glasses on the table, thoughtfully adding mint leaves and straws.

Yu Mingxia didn’t respond to the comment but asked, “Why did you shake hands for me earlier?”

Yun Zhi didn’t think much of it and replied, “Didn’t you hesitate? I remembered you have a slight germaphobia, so I thought you didn’t want to shake hands.”

“You seemed very happy hearing her confession,” Yu Mingxia took a sip of lemonade and asked.

“I wasn’t happy, I was just laughing because she was so direct. Who confesses the very first time they meet?”

“Then how should one confess?”

“At least get to know them for a while first, right? And then plan a strategy.”

“Is that how you handle people you like? A crush for a while and then a confession?”

“Ah, not really,” Yun Zhi thought seriously. “If I like someone, I’ll definitely confess directly.”

After saying that, Yun Zhi went quiet for a few seconds. Wait, then isn’t my behavior no different from Jiang Mei’s?

“So you confessed directly before?” Yu Mingxia took the opportunity to ask.

“No. I was studying in senior year; there was no time for that. I said it after the Gaokao.”

Mentioning these things now, Yun Zhi didn’t feel any sadness. Even the previous melancholy had vanished. Some things really do need time to heal.

Liking someone means a direct confession. Yu Mingxia silently noted this sentence.

“Don’t throw that kind of question to me again next time,” Yu Mingxia said after a long silence.

“What?” Yun Zhi was confused.

“If someone asks if I’m single.”

“Then how should I answer?”

“Just say I’m not,” Yu Mingxia said slowly. “If anyone asks who it is, just say it’s you.”

Yun Zhi was drinking her lemonade and choked on it, coughing uncontrollably. She looked at her in disbelief. Yu Mingxia looked down, her expression appearing a bit lonely. “You know, I can’t like anyone else right now.”

Yun Zhi caught her breath, remembering their agreement. Yu Mingxia had been subtly guiding and helping her through her heartbreak lately. It seemed only right that she had an obligation to help Yu Mingxia out of her own shadow.

“I forgot today. Next time I’ll remember, I won’t make it difficult for you,” Yun Zhi said with absolute certainty. She had only been thinking about not blocking Mingxia’s romantic prospects, but she had forgotten that Mingxia still had someone she couldn’t forget.

Due to the coughing, Yun Zhi’s cheeks were still flushed. She looked particularly serious as she made the promise, her lips still moist from the lemonade.

“Yun Zhi,” Yu Mingxia suddenly called her name.

“Huh?” Yun Zhi looked directly into her eyes.

The surroundings were silent. The ceiling light in the living room had accidentally been turned to a warm, dim mode when she entered. Yu Mingxia’s voice was low, and her lips were moist and glossy, adding a layer of ambiguity to the air.

“Let me get you a refill of lemonade.” Yun Zhi picked up the half-empty glass from the table and headed to the kitchen.

Yu Mingxia watched her leave with a look of confusion.

Yun Zhi entered the kitchen and prepared a glass of lemonade, placing mint leaves inside. She thought of Jiang Mei’s words and then Yu Mingxia’s. It felt a bit like she was being used as a shield.

But, she only noticed today that Yu Mingxia’s lip shape was so beautiful—not just beautiful, but full. She wondered if a bite would taste like a peach…

Yun Zhi suddenly froze. What am I thinking?! What was I just thinking?!

Yun Zhi’s face turned bright red at the thought that had popped into her head. She felt she was being terrible. Bringing someone to her home and then having such “evil” thoughts.

Because of this, Yun Zhi dawdled for a long time before finishing the drink, though the warmth in her cheeks hadn’t faded. Yu Mingxia didn’t know what was happening and wondered why a glass of lemonade took so long.

She saw Yun Zhi come out of the kitchen, looking a bit distracted. Before she could ask, Yun Zhi suddenly stumbled and pitched forward, straight toward her.

Tripping on a flat floor, how embarrassing. Yun Zhi was already coming up with a forced explanation, but she didn’t hear a glass break, nor did she feel any pain.

Because—she had fallen entirely onto Yu Mingxia.

The lemonade spilled onto Mingxia’s clothes, even soaking through and outlining her figure. Yun Zhi’s lips lightly brushed against her neck, feeling her softness. Some people look thin but have small frames, so they are soft all over. This was the first time Yun Zhi had been in such close contact with someone. She thought these scenes only happened in TV dramas; she didn’t expect to experience it herself.

Perhaps because the lemonade was too cold, she heard Yu Mingxia inhale sharply, which scared her into scrambling up.

“I’m so sorry! I was distracted and lost my footing.”

She had not only tackled her but had also dumped a glass of ice-cold water on her.

Yu Mingxia let out a breath, trying to forget the brief sensation on her neck. The “cold” wasn’t from the water on her waist, but the warmth of those lips on her neck. Seeing that Yun Zhi looked ready to cry from anxiety, Yu Mingxia chuckled. “Zhizhi, even if you want me to stay over, you don’t have to go this far.”

Knowing she was being comforted, Yun Zhi bit her lip and whispered, “Then… can you stay? You can change into my clothes.”

They were of similar build, though Yu Mingxia was a few centimeters taller. Yun Zhi had some oversized clothes that would fit. Although she knew she didn’t mean it that way, it didn’t stop Yu Mingxia’s lips from curving up.

I told you my luck was good.

Yun Zhi took her sleeve and led her into the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe and picked out two dresses for her to choose from, then handed her a clean towel and toiletries.

“Take a shower first, it’ll be more comfortable,” Yun Zhi’s voice grew weaker with every word. She realized that what she was saying sounded like she had an ulterior motive, as if she had planned this.

Step one: spill water on her clothes. Step two: make her stay the night. Step three: put her in my clothes… No matter how she looked at it, she felt like a villain.

Yu Mingxia, however, didn’t notice anything unusual, because her eyes were only on the clothes Yun Zhi gave her. They had a clear lime scent—Yun Zhi’s scent.

Yun Zhi led Yu Mingxia toward the bathroom. Once she was inside, Yun Zhi sat alone on the sofa, dazed. She couldn’t help but think of the sensation earlier; Yu Mingxia’s body was so soft. She looked so thin that she thought she’d be all bones, but it turned out her frame was just small.

What about her? Did she poke Yu Mingxia earlier? Yun Zhi pinched her own arm and then patted herself. Her conclusion: Yu Mingxia probably did get poked.

When Yu Mingxia finished her shower and came out, she saw Yun Zhi sitting on the sofa repeatedly hitting her own arm. Yu Mingxia frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Yun Zhi was deep in thought and was startled. “I… I was just thinking about something,” she stammered. As she spoke, she opened the coffee table cabinet, took out a hairdryer, and handed it to her.

Yu Mingxia took it and set it aside without plugging it in, continuing to pat her hair dry with a towel. A hairdryer would make it impossible to hear her talk, so she didn’t plan on using it.

“Thinking about what happened just now?”

Yun Zhi, her thoughts hit dead center, cleared her throat. After a while, seeing Yu Mingxia still staring at her, she asked softly, “Did I poke you earlier?”

Yu Mingxia didn’t hear clearly. “What?”

“Nothing.” Yun Zhi didn’t repeat it, instead getting up to rummage through the TV cabinet.

It took Yu Mingxia a while to realize what she was doing. She suddenly let out a light laugh. “Zhizhi, it’s not like we haven’t hugged before.”

Yun Zhi’s hand paused on the first-aid kit, and she didn’t speak. But her heart was answering: Can it be the same? Can a gentle hug of comfort be the same as a headlong tackle into one’s arms? Yun Zhi didn’t know why she cared so much. She thought maybe she wanted to give Yu Mingxia the same “soft” experience?

Yu Mingxia smiled. Why is she always so cute?

“Give me your hand.” Yun Zhi opened the first-aid kit on the table, finding alcohol and a bandage. She had just noticed that the pinky finger on Yu Mingxia’s right hand had a cut. It must have happened when she accidentally hit the table earlier.

Yu Mingxia lifted her hand, looking at the barely visible scratch. She laughed. “It’s fine, it’ll heal in no time.”

However, Yun Zhi wasn’t negotiating. After being rejected, she didn’t speak; she just looked at her. Yu Mingxia gave in and extended her hand. Only then did Yun Zhi smile, looking down and carefully cleaning the wound with alcohol.

Yu Mingxia looked down at her. Seeing her serious face, she felt it was both funny and heartwarming. The soft touch and the cool breeze made her pinky—which hadn’t felt pain at all—start to feel hot.

“Done.” Yun Zhi looked up with a shallow smile.

Yu Mingxia looked at her finger. The bandage was blue with a panda head in the center. It was very cute, just like its owner.

“I told you, my luck is good,” Yu Mingxia murmured again.

“Good? Hardly,” Yun Zhi pouted, disagreeing. “I’ve made it so you can’t even go home.” It was already late when they returned, and now it was nearly midnight. Yu Mingxia had a car, but Yun Zhi had a spare room; there was no need for her to drive back so late.

“I guess I was right not to bring you to my place before. One visit and I’ve made things so difficult for you.” Yun Zhi was a bit depressed. Why didn’t I trip earlier? I had to trip right in front of her, and right into her.

“Don’t overthink it,” Yu Mingxia comforted her. She couldn’t exactly say she was very satisfied with the result. She had been wondering how to find an excuse to stay the night anyway. Tomorrow was Saturday, the perfect time to ask her out. After accumulating points for so many days, wasn’t it all for this day?

“Actually, I’ve noticed it is a bit painful,” Yu Mingxia lifted her hand, her pinky slightly crooked so Yun Zhi could see.

“See? I told you so! Small wounds are like that—they don’t look like much at first, but then they spread and hurt more and more.” Yun Zhi had a “told-you-so” expression, completely missing Yu Mingxia’s intent.

Yu Mingxia slowly raised her hand and lowered her head, drying her hair with the towel. “Actually, it just hurts a bit when I dry my hair,” she whispered.

Yun Zhi had a realization. she snatched the towel from her hand and said, “Let me do it! If I do it, it won’t hurt.”

“Would that be too much trouble?”

“Not at all.” Yun Zhi held her shoulders and made her sit with her back toward her.

I’m the one who messed up, so I should be the one to do this, she thought.

Yu Mingxia sat with her back to Yun Zhi, whose movements were slow and very gentle. She closed her eyes slightly to feel the pressure.

“Do you not like using a hairdryer?” Yun Zhi asked suddenly.

“No,” Yu Mingxia replied. She had only avoided it because she wanted to talk.

Yun Zhi gave an “Oh.” Yu Mingxia felt the pressure vanish. She opened her eyes just as Yun Zhi spoke: “Then let me dry it with the hairdryer for you. You look tired; let’s get it dry quickly so you can rest.”

Then came the whirring sound of the hairdryer.

Yu Mingxia, who had closed her eyes in comfort earlier: “…”

The trace of drowsiness had vanished completely, leaving only the clear sound of the hairdryer in her ears.