Chapter 34

Wen Xihan looked at Qi Jingning, her expression difficult to describe. Clinging to the last thread of hope, she tightened her grip on the wine glass and asked deliberately, word by word, “The ‘little friend’ you mentioned—who is it?”

Qi Jingning leaned back slightly, looking obviously guilty. “It’s the friend and bar co-partner I’ve been telling you about before you came back…”

Wen Xihan remained silent, her gaze fixed on Qi Jingning. Though her expression retained a soft gentleness, her peach blossom eyes harbored an unfathomable chill.

Under her gaze, Qi Jingning’s unease deepened. Her eyes flickered as she mumbled weakly, “I’ve been meaning to formally introduce you two. How could I have known things would go this way…”

Noticing Wen Xihan stand up as if ready to leave, Qi Jingning quickly said, “Xihan, if you go out now, chances are you’ll run into Xinyi.”

The mention of “Xinyi” extinguished Wen Xihan’s final glimmer of hope.

Taking a deep breath, Wen Xihan reluctantly sat back down and frowned disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t have let her come.”

Qi Jingning, not thinking much of it, assumed Wen Xihan feared awkwardness with Ruan Xinyi. But she didn’t feel awkward at all.

Shrugging, Qi Jingning pointed innocently at a photo she posted in her social circle. “Look, I didn’t say anything. I don’t even know how she found out. She just said she’d come over.”

She muttered under her breath, “If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have dared let her come. Even if I wanted to, I’d have called her much earlier—definitely not waited until now.”

Wen Xihan: “…”

With a furrowed brow, Wen Xihan tapped on the photo, scrutinizing it multiple times, but still couldn’t figure out how Ruan Xinyi knew.

Seeing her best friend’s frustration, Qi Jingning helpfully leaned in and offered a dubious suggestion: “You can’t figure it out either, right? How about we just ask Xinyi when she gets here?”

Wen Xihan rolled her eyes mercilessly at Qi Jingning and poured the remaining red wine from the decanter into her glass. “You’re just here to stir up trouble.”

Qi Jingning chuckled in denial. “I’m not stirring anything. I just think you two have an incredible connection.”

Wen Xihan’s lips twitched slightly. She let out a noncommittal laugh, tipped her head back, and drained the glass in frustration.

Connection? She and Ruan Xinyi shared more than just a connection.

As Qi Jingning finished speaking, the door to the lounge opened softly from the outside.

It was Ruan Xinyi.

She wore a dark sweatshirt and loose jeans, her figure appearing particularly slender against the backlight from the doorway. Her back was straight, and her graceful silhouette was faintly visible.

Qi Jingning cleared her throat lightly and greeted warmly, “Xinyi, you’re finally here!”

“Sister Jingning.” Ruan Xinyi pulled out a chair and sat on the other side of the table. When she addressed Wen Xihan, her tone softened noticeably, “Sister.”

Wen Xihan didn’t respond. Her face remained cold as she set her wine glass down, ignoring her entirely.

Qi Jingning gave Wen Xihan a meaningful look, but seeing no response, she subtly nudged her under the table.

Ruan Xinyi stiffened slightly and shifted back.

When Wen Xihan still didn’t react, Qi Jingning increased the force of her nudge.

With a light cough, Ruan Xinyi finally spoke up to remind her, “Sister Jingning, you’re kicking me.”

“Uh…” Qi Jingning awkwardly retracted her foot and shamelessly explained, “Sorry, Xinyi, I just had a leg cramp.”

Ruan Xinyi glanced at the grapefruit wedges on the small plate in front of Wen Xihan and smiled faintly. “It’s fine.”

Looking for an escape from the awkwardness, Qi Jingning glanced under the table and changed the subject. “So, Xinyi, would you like something to drink?”

“No need, Sister Jingning. I’ll help myself if I want something.” Ruan Xinyi declined softly, though her gaze lingered on Wen Xihan.

“Alright then.” Qi Jingning cleared her throat, suddenly sounding more serious. “Although you two have met before, I feel it’s necessary to formally introduce you.”

She pointed at Wen Xihan and said simply, “This is Wen Xihan, my best friend of nearly twenty years.”

Then she gestured toward Ruan Xinyi. “And this is Ruan Xinyi.”

After a moment of silence, Ruan Xinyi hesitated and asked, “That’s it?” Her expression seemed to ask, "Couldn’t you at least say something more—maybe even praise me a little?"

Qi Jingning pretended not to notice and nodded earnestly. “Yep, that’s it.”

Ruan Xinyi: “…”

Despite the exchange, Ruan Xinyi understood Qi Jingning’s stance—neither supportive nor opposed.

This neutral attitude brought her some relief.

Shifting the topic, Qi Jingning asked the question that had been on her mind the most. “Xinyi, tell me—how did you know Xihan was here just from that one photo?”

Wen Xihan narrowed her peach blossom eyes at Qi Jingning, her gaze carrying a subtle warning.

Startled, Qi Jingning faltered. But since she’d already asked, there was no taking it back. Besides, she didn’t believe Wen Xihan wasn’t at least a little curious.

Ruan Xinyi zoomed in on the photo, handed it to Qi Jingning, and explained softly, “There’s a reflection on the wine glass, and the grapefruit.”

Qi Jingning studied the glass’s reflection and alternated her gaze between Wen Xihan, the photo, and the grapefruit. She couldn’t help but marvel. Such keen observation—she was practically a detective!

It made her realize those online stories of people catching partners cheating based on tiny clues weren’t exaggerated after all.

Still, Qi Jingning knew better than to tread further into Wen Xihan’s sensitive territory and wisely kept her mouth shut.

Wen Xihan stood up and casually dropped two words: “I’m leaving.”

It wasn’t clear whether she was addressing Ruan Xinyi, Qi Jingning, or just announcing her departure.

Ruan Xinyi quickly followed. “Goodbye, Sister Jingning.”

“Goodbye.” Qi Jingning waved dazedly, and it was only after the door had closed that she suddenly realized, Ruan Xinyi had mentioned coming to pick up Wen Xihan before, so she must know where she lives!

Qi Jingning scratched her head, very curious about the current situation between the two of them.

Leaving the bar, the cool night breeze, mixed with a slightly damp scent, greeted them. The stuffiness from inside quickly replaced by the refreshing coolness of the night.

The dim yellow light of the streetlamps blurred in the light drizzle, and the unique post-rain freshness gradually became more distinct.

Ruan Xinyi reached out her hand, catching the falling raindrops. “It’s raining.”

Wen Xihan stood beside her, her nostrils flaring slightly as she sensed the faint smell of alcohol coming from Ruan Xinyi.

It wasn’t strong, but it wasn’t faint either.

Actually, she had smelled it when Ruan Xinyi came inside earlier, but she had thought it was from when Ruan Xinyi accidentally picked it up coming in. But now that they were outside, she realized it was because Ruan Xinyi had drunk before coming.

Rubbing her temples, Wen Xihan unconsciously furrowed her brows and asked quietly, “How did you get here?”

Brushing off the water droplets from her palm, Ruan Xinyi truthfully replied, “I took a taxi here.”

It’s much easier if you took a taxi.

Wen Xihan slightly lifted her chin, and under the streetlight, her jawline stood out sharply, porcelain white as though it had been glazed. “Let’s call a driver.”

Ruan Xinyi momentarily lost focus, pinched the palm of her hand, and softly responded, “Okay.”

“Wait for me a few minutes, sister.”

There were many private drivers handing out business cards near the bar, and Ruan Xinyi casually took two. She had never called for a private driver before, but for safety reasons, especially this late at night, she decided to ask someone who knew the ropes.

Turning back into the bar, Ruan Xinyi walked straight up to Zhong Ke, who was wiping the bar counter. She tapped the glass surface with the business cards and called out in a soft tone, “Sister Zhong~”

Zhong Ke, unfazed, continued wiping the counter, casually raising her eyelids and responding in a tone that suggested it was no surprise. “Speak.”

Ruan Xinyi fiddled with the business cards in her hand, her fingers delicate and her bones sharply outlined. “Do you have a better private driver to recommend?”

“Of course.” Zhong Ke glanced at the time, neatly placed the glasses back on the shelf, and spoke in a slow voice, “Where’s the location?”

Ruan Xinyi then recited the address of her apartment.

Zhong Ke wiped her hands with a wet tissue and unexpectedly added, “It’s quite close.”

“Huh?”

Zhong Ke raised her slender wrist, tossed the tissue into the trash, and with a subtle smile, she explained, “I mean, it’s close to where I live.”

“Are you in a hurry?” Zhong Ke asked again.

Ruan Xinyi glanced toward the door. Under the streetlight, she could see the shadow of a woman stretched out. “It’s okay. I’m not in a rush.”

Zhong Ke explained, “If you're in a hurry, I can help you contact a driver. She just finished her shift. If you’re not in a hurry, you can wait for me. I’ll change clothes and drive you myself.”

Ruan Xinyi lightly tapped the glass counter, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s drizzling outside. You should wear a coat.”

Zhong Ke returned the smile. “Okay.”

Before leaving, Ruan Xinyi grabbed a black umbrella from a nearby cabinet, carefully holding it over Wen Xihan's head to shield her from the light rain.

The sudden shadow above her head made Wen Xihan instinctively take a step back. She looked up and saw Ruan Xinyi holding the umbrella beside her.

The black umbrella’s handle accentuated Ruan Xinyi's delicate, pale hand, with clearly defined joints and exposed wrists, especially the protruding bone, which had a soft pink glow.

Wen Xihan parted her lips and looked away. “Did you call the driver?”

Ruan Xinyi tilted the umbrella slightly toward Wen Xihan. “Yes, we’ll need to wait a bit.”

Wen Xihan just responded with a casual “Oh” and fell silent.

“Are you cold, sister?” Ruan Xinyi continued trying to make conversation.

“I’m not cold.”

“Do you want to…”

Wen Xihan curled her fingers and rubbed her forehead, cutting her off. “No, and don’t ask again.”

“Okay.” Ruan Xinyi promptly stopped speaking, slipping her hand into her bag. Carefully, she placed a piece of milk candy into Wen Xihan’s palm.

“Ruan…”

“Xinyi, I’m ready.” Zhong Ke’s cheerful voice quickly drowned out Wen Xihan’s.

Wen Xihan frowned lightly, looking at Zhong Ke, who had just come out of the bar. Without revealing her thoughts, she observed Zhong Ke.

Ruan Xinyi didn’t notice the subtle change in Wen Xihan’s demeanor and smiled as she greeted Zhong Ke in a familiar manner. “Sister Zhong.”

Zhong Ke knew Wen Xihan, nodding as she greeted her in a way that clearly conveyed a distant tone. “Miss Wen.”

Wen Xihan’s expression was aloof, and her voice was neutral. “Miss Zhong.”

Zhong Ke took off the coat hanging on her elbow and then turned to ask Ruan Xinyi, “By the way, Xinyi, where did you park your car?”

The drizzle seemed to have intensified, and the chilly wind crept into Ruan Xinyi’s collar, giving her goosebumps.

Her fingers tightened around the umbrella handle as she leaned slightly toward Wen Xihan. “I had a little to drink tonight, so I didn’t drive here.”

The sound of the candy wrapper crinkling came from Wen Xihan’s hand as she glanced at Ruan Xinyi’s hand, which was almost around her arm. She didn’t pull away, instead handing the car keys to Zhong Ke. “At the entrance of the parking lot, you’ll see it as soon as you unlock it.”

Zhong Ke, holding the car keys, looked thoughtfully at the two of them before asking with a knowing expression, “May I ask, are you two together?”

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