The lody of the six-colored piano surrounded the café, like a softly dancing sprite.
"Sister Qingjia, what would you like to drink?"
"I’ll have a Kahlúa, please!"
Yu Qingjia had returned to her usual self. Her cold voice carried its habitual restraint.
"Sister Qingjia, your skin keeps getting better and better. It looks like it’s been well taken care of."
Li Jiaqi’s voice held a teasing tone, though Yu Qingjia’s skin was indeed beautiful.
Today, she wasn’t wearing makeup, but the abundance of collagen still made her face appear exceptionally tender. Her fair skin radiated a subtle blush, tempting others to reach out and touch.
"Jiaqi, is this what you called out here for?"
Yu Qingjia sounded a little annoyed, her eyes turning a shade colder. She didn’t want to grow overly close to Li Jiaqi.
The latter imdiately caught the shift in her expression; she understood Yu Qingjia’s mind.
Just then, the server brought over the coffee, its creamy surface shaped into cat ears, resembling a girl’s heart.
Yu Qingjia took a small sip. The rich aroma was slightly sweet, followed by a faint caral essence spreading across her tongue.
"Sister Qingjia, I really miss you. You know, my only friends are you and Yezi."
Yu Qingjia felt her palm warm as it was gently held. She wanted to pull away, but the warmth emanating from Jiaqi’s hand was like a rope, keeping her tethered.
Outside the window, the radiant golden sunlight spilled into the room, enveloping the two of them in a glowing halo, as if painted into a breathtaking tableau.
Yu Qingjia bowed her head, avoiding Li Jiaqi’s eyes, as if they carried fire and hurt.
"Jiaqi, you know about my relationship with Wang Yiran now."
"Yiran has already left. By the rules of Hanoi, we’re finished."
Li Jiaqi chuckled lightly, her grip tightening as she leaned forward.
"Now you’re on the outside. You’re no longer the Yu Qingjia from the drama stage."
"In that walled-off place, our thinking has already distorted."
"Sister Qingjia, we all need to step outside."
Yu Qingjia felt the warmth in her hand. Her heartbeat drumd like thunder.
She disliked this version of herself. She didn’t want to break Hanoi’s rules and feared soone might see her betraying those rules.
What she wanted was to reach the top of this year’s major elections. To achieve that, she needed a reason for her fans to passionately vote for her. Wang Yiran was the perfect accelerant.
To those around her, Wang Yiran seed to be exploiting her, siphoning away her fa.
Yet Yu Qingjia knew, no matter how much Wang Yiran took, she would never reach the top.
So sacrificing a bit of her own buzz, even so fans, to gain more widespread attention—why not?
"Jiaqi, I’m not like you. You already have decent external assignnts now, but I still have to rely on the company and the fans."
Yu Qingjia trusted that Li Jiaqi could understand the aning behind her words.
Sure enough, Li Jiaqi released her hand, and Qingjia let out a sigh of relief. Yet, an inexplicable sense of loss settled in her heart.
"Sister Qingjia, I understand. I really just wanted to see you in person."
"You know, when I’m working it’s fine, but when I’m not, my mind starts wandering aimlessly."
"I wonder what you guys are up to?"
Yu Qingjia looked at Li Jiaqi’s bitter smile, and her heart ached.
"We always say it’s muddled and stifling, but only after leaving the river and reaching the wide sea do we realize—our little river was indeed clear."
"Jiaqi..."
"It’s nothing. I just wanted to talk about the bitterness in my heart."
Li Jiaqi’s expression dimd, her gaze darkening like a rose withering in the shadow of night.
"Sister Qingjia, thank you for coming."
When she stood to leave, passing by Yu Qingjia, her hand was lightly grasped.
"Jiaqi, if you truly have unresolved knots that need soothing, I can help you—but only this once."
Night
Yu Qingjia returned to her dormitory, fatigued yet fulfilled.
She imdiately changed her clothes and threw them into a basin to soak.
After finishing, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Yu Qingjia, you’re in a very wrong state right now. You need to calm down."
She turned on the faucet and washed her face with cold water before leaving the bathroom.
"Phew! Yiran, when did you get back? Why didn’t you say anything?"
Under the light, Wang Yiran sat upright on a chair, her sleek black hair ticulously tied into a ponytail.
Her posture was impeccably straight, and her thin yet alluring lips curved into a small smile.
"What, did I scare you?"
Wang Yiran’s smile looked beautiful, but beneath the long lashes, her eyes held a trace of sothing uncanny.
"Of course not!" Yu Qingjia smiled as she walked over, picking up a cup to pour herself so water.
But unexpectedly, Wang Yiran moved behind her, gently stroking her hair.
"Sister Qingjia, you have such a unique scent right now! And you’ve beco so much more delicate."
Wang Yiran’s voice was soft, like a kitten’s playful purr.
Every ti she did this, Yu Qingjia’s heart would itch as if scratched by fluffy little claws.
But now, Yu Qingjia jolted away as if allergic.
"What’s wrong? Fed up with already?"
"No, Yiran, I’m just a bit tired."
Yu Qingjia kept her back turned, restless and uneasy, not daring to et her CP partner’s gaze.
Night winds blew in through the window, rustling the books and papers on the desk with a shuffling sound.
She felt as though a furious beast was glaring at her from behind.
"Tell —who was it?"
"...Yiran, you..."
"I’ll ask one last ti. Who was it?"
Wang Yiran suppressed her voice, her eyes blazing as she stared at Yu Qingjia, like soone seeking vengeance against a deadly foe.
Yu Qingjia lowered her head and slowly answered, "It was Jiaqi!"
At her words, Wang Yiran’s body jolted violently, and her face twisted with unbearable anguish before her gaze turned icy. Her thin lips curved into a cold smile. "Why?"
Her voice was terrifying, tightening every muscle in Yu Qingjia’s chest: Because Jiaqi was lonely and isolated, and needed companionship.
Before she could finish, Wang Yiran surged forward, pinning Yu Qingjia onto the bed.
Yu Qingjia didn’t resist; she just closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, her pale face void of expression.
"...You’ve been photographed. Take a look at this," Wang Yiran handed her phone over.
Yu Qingjia, who lay stiffly monts ago, began trembling all over.
She took the phone and saw: Wang Yiran, so you two are all industrial saccharine.
Beneath those words were two photos—one of her and Li Jiaqi walking arm-in-arm, and another of them outside Jiaqi’s rented apartnt.
Yu Qingjia broke out in a cold sweat, her face filled with dread. She hadn’t expected to be photographed despite her cautiousness.
"Yiran..." Yu Qingjia felt an icy chill pierce her.
If fans seized upon this, it would be disastrous for her.
"I’ve already figured out what to say if fans release these shots. I’ll say that Li Jiaqi invited us to dinner, I couldn’t make it due to other commitnts, and you went alone."
"Thank you, Yiran!"
Yu Qingjia gazed at her, heart aching deeply. In every relationship, she genuinely gave herself, wholeheartedly.
But fate played cruel tricks on her. Many were destined to be re fleeting connections in life.
"Yu Qingjia, this is the first and last ti."
Wang Yiran furrowed her brows, lying down beside Yu Qingjia. A scent she was deeply attached to lingered around her, invisible shackles pulling her further in.
"Yiran, it won’t happen again. I’ve already made things clear with her..."
Outside the window, moonlight washed over everything. The wind brushed against an ancient pear tree in bloom, creating a soothing rustle. A rich fragrance drifted across the courtyard like a dream.
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