The voice on the other end was one An Yin had never heard before. She suppressed her shock and murmured, "Who are you?"
"?" The other person laughed openly, with a hint of mystery in their tone, "Wait for Keke to wake up and let her tell you in person."
An Yin fell silent, and the caller quickly hung up.
Although An Yin had never been in a relationship, it was not hard to discern the ambiguity in the man’s tone. An Yin recalled the scene she had witnessed last ti at the hotel: Jiang Keke going to a room with a stranger. She hadn’t seen the man’s face clearly then, but their intimate mannerisms suggested an unusual relationship.
So, was the man who answered the phone just now the sa one she encountered at the hotel that day?
Until she was about to sleep, An Yin was still pondering this question.
The next morning, when An Yin went to freshen up, she noticed the deep bags under her eyes.
Yet, she wasn’t in the mood to care about it at the mont. She eagerly picked up her phone and glanced at the ti. It was 8:30 in the morning; Jiang Keke should be awake by now. After much hesitation, she decided to call.
The call connected after just two rings.
"Hello?"
Jiang Keke’s voice was hoarse.
Having lived in the sa dormitory for so long, An Yin could tell that Keke was still in bed. Realizing that she had disturbed Keke’s rest, An Yin suddenly felt timid and didn’t know how to speak up.
"Yinyin, I heard you called last night. Is there sothing you needed?" Jiang Keke asked again when she noticed An Yin was silent.
"Ah, no, nothing." Hearing her friend’s familiar voice, a warmth surged in An Yin’s heart. "It’s just that we haven’t been in touch for a while, and I kind of miss you."
An Yin expressed her true feelings; ever since this sester started without Jiang Keke, she felt an emptiness around her, as if a part of her heart was missing—lonely and adrift.
"It’s the weekend today; let’s et up." Jiang Keke’s voice was indifferent, as if An Yin’s heartfelt words were insignificant to her.
"Sure." Despite not seeing each other for a long ti, An Yin was quite happy, not noticing the coldness in Keke’s tone.
The eting place was finally decided by Jiang Keke.
An Yin changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and only left after having breakfast at the cafeteria.
For so reason, a trace of nervousness erged at the thought of this eting. They used to be such close friends who talked about everything and anything. Yet after not seeing each other for a while, her mindset had started to change.
An Yin was frightened by this change, thinking that perhaps these thoughts would change after eting up again.
After all, Jiang Keke was her best friend to date. It was Jiang Keke who allowed her to experience the value of friendship. During her anxious entrance to T University, Jiang Keke was like a beam of light in the dark, illuminating her path forward.
While waiting at the bus stop, a clear voice suddenly called from behind her.
"An Yin!"
She turned to see Gu Qingyun standing near the bus stop sign, looking slightly haggard. His eyebrows bore a hint of exhaustion, and what surprised An Yin even more was the dense stubble around his lips.
The sight of Senior Gu made An Yin feel as if he was a stranger.
As their eyes t, both quickly looked away.
Gu Qingyun noticed the scrutiny in her gaze; he rely smiled wryly, then asked casually, "Going out?"
"Yes." An Yin nodded.
Because it was morning, there weren’t many people at the bus stop. Just then, a bus slowly approached and stopped next to them.
After letting a couple of students board, An Yin followed, with Gu Qingyun right behind. Both scanned their fare before heading to the back.
The bus wasn’t crowded, with several empty seats in the back.
An Yin took a seat by the window. As Gu Qingyun walked further back, he glanced at the empty seat next to her and then looked away.
Instead, An Yin spoke openly, "Senior Gu, there’s room here; co and sit."
An Yin couldn’t help but feel that today, Senior Gu emanated a faint aura of sadness, appearing sowhat absent-minded.
Gu Qingyun hesitated briefly but then sat next to her.
He was wearing a sowhat faded gray shirt, athletic pants, and his shoes were slightly worn at the heel, but it didn’t impede his walking. Typically looking refined and elegant, his face now seed clouded.
Though they were not very familiar, seeing his lost and forlorn deanor piqued An Yin’s curiosity. She softly asked, "Senior Gu, do you have sothing on your mind?"
Her voice was clear and gentle, like a breeze wafting through the valleys, lightly brushing the man’s heart.
Gu Qingyun was slightly startled, surprised his gloomy feelings were so evident. "Just a trivial matter." He brushed it off lightly, recalling the tear-streaked face he had promised to keep secret.
Seeing that he didn’t want to say more, An Yin didn’t press him, "Oh."
The bus moved forward in fits and starts.
Originally silent, Gu Qingyun now lifted his head to look at An Yin, a complex expression on his face. "Recently, have you... have you and Jingrou been doing well?"
As he ntioned "Jingrou," his hands clenched tightly into fists behind his back, even his gaze filled with pining and reluctance.
An Yin was looking out the window and didn’t notice Gu Qingyun’s change. She assud he was just inquiring out of politeness. She blinked her beautiful eyes, "I’m doing fine, but I haven’t seen Jingrou in a while. I don’t know about her situation."
As she spoke, Gu Qingyun’s entire body tensed, and his gaze gradually dimd after she finished.
As Gu Qingyun remained silent, An Yin thought of another matter that made her feel frustrated.
Previously, due to her clumsiness, she splashed water on his ex-girlfriend’s bag, resulting in her compensating over ten thousand dollars. Had she not encountered an acquaintance midway, it might have cost even more.
Thinking of the lost ten-thousand-plus dollars, An Yin’s mood instantly fell.
Three stops from the comrcial street, Gu Qingyun got off the bus early. After waving goodbye, An Yin watched him walking with his head down, looking listless. Despite her curiosity, since their relationship wasn’t even that of friends, she refrained from interfering.
After reaching her stop, An Yin followed the crowd off the bus and opened her navigation, inputting the address Jiang Keke provided.
This ti, Jiang Keke had chosen a high-end dessert shop.
Following the navigation’s instructions, An Yin leisurely walked into a skyscraper. She hadn’t been here many tis but vaguely rembered Shen Jingrou’s dessert shop was also located here. Perhaps after the etup, she could visit Jingrou for a bit?
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