I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 1

1

It hurts.

Her head felt like it was about to explode.

That was Yu Lili’s first sensation.

How much did I drink last night?

She kept her eyes closed and turned her head slightly.

Her face bumped into something.

Soft. Big.

Familiar.

Perfect for nuzzling into.

Yu Lili hummed contentedly and rubbed her cheek against it.

Then, suddenly, she froze.

Wait.

Since when did Jingxiang get this big?

Her rationality slowly returned.

At last night’s party, Jingxiang hadn’t even shown up.

So… who was lying beside her right now?

Yu Lili swallowed hard.

She lifted her head little by little, peeking upward.

The beauty beside her had skin as pale as snow, her eyes closed, long lashes trembling faintly. Her nose was high, her lips thin.

A flawless natural beauty, even without makeup.

But the real problem was—

This wasn’t her girlfriend, Zhu Jingxiang.

Yu Lili wanted to cry but had no tears left. She carefully lifted the blanket and tiptoed away from the scene of the crime, her heart pounding.

Her bare feet touched the brown wooden floor.

Clothes were scattered messily everywhere.

Yu Lili pinched the hem of her T-shirt from last night between two fingers.

The cotton fabric wasn’t just wrinkled—it was torn.

Had things gotten that intense?

She closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh, then pulled the shirt over her head.

When Tan Suran woke up, this was the scene she saw.

A sliver of light seeped through the loosely drawn brown curtains, illuminating the girl’s slender waist, which had not an ounce of excess fat. Her legs were long and straight, her loose black hair cascading down her back. Her entire body seemed to glow with a pure, innocent radiance, yet unconsciously exuded an irresistible allure.

She was pulling on a pair of light-blue jeans, her strawberry-patterned cotton panties hugging her pert backside as she bent slightly, striking a pose that could make anyone’s bl00d boil.

A faint, fleeting smile tugged at Tan Suran’s lips.

Buzz… buzz…

Unexpectedly, the ringing of a phone shattered the quiet.

Startled, Yu Lili hastily fastened her pants and whirled around in panic.

The beauty who had been asleep just moments ago was now sitting up, phone pressed to her ear, her other hand reaching for a pair of silver-framed glasses on the nightstand.

The moment she put on the glasses, she seemed to transform into a different person—calm, composed, and methodical.

“Mm, push the meeting with Ruisi back an hour.”

“Five percentage points. That’s the bottom line.”

“Then release the news. Huanyu is investing 200 billion in AI.”

From the moment the beauty put on her glasses, Yu Lili didn’t dare move.

It wasn’t because the glasses made her look colder.

But because… because…

With those glasses on, she looked exactly like that icy woman she knew.

And the way she spoke just now…

The mention of Huanyu…

Wasn’t that the Tan family’s company?

Yu Lili’s lips trembled as she met the woman’s slightly puzzled gaze after she hung up the phone. She stammered out, “S-Sis… sister.”

“Hm?” Brown curls slid over her collarbone as Tan Suran unceremoniously threw off the blanket and stepped out of bed—completely naked.

At this angle, her curves were undeniable—full, perky, and utterly breathtaking.

Wait, Yu Lili, get a grip! This is your sister’s best friend!

A rush of heat flooded Yu Lili’s face. Don’t look, don’t look! She quickly covered her burning cheeks.

This reaction didn’t escape the other woman in the room.

Tan Suran draped a coat over herself and walked over with light steps. “So shy?”

“You weren’t like this last night.”

“What, you’re going to act like this never happened after putting your pants back on?”

Yu Lili turned as red as a boiled shrimp—from head to toe, inside and out.

Not just because she was being teased.

But because this was Tan Suran—the formidable Tan Suran! And not only that, she was also the best friend of Yu Mu, her estranged half-sister! How could she talk to her like this?

Ah—

Wait.

The real issue here was—

She, Yu Lili, had gotten drunk and slept with Tan Suran, the best friend of Yu Mu, the sister she couldn’t stand and barely spoke to.

Faced with this absurdly convoluted situation, Yu Lili wanted to vanish on the spot.

The sound of fabric rustling reached her ears, accompanied by Tan Suran’s cool voice.

“You’re quite cute.”

“What’s your name?”

What?

She was asking for her name?

Did… Tan Suran not recognize her?

That couldn’t be right. Though they rarely interacted, she was—

Yu Lili.

The cutest little thing in Renhe City.

The Wang Zuxian of the photography world.

How could anyone who’d met her not recognize her?

Indignant, Yu Lili lifted her head—and caught a glimpse of herself in the nearby mirror.

Who was this person with makeup so smudged she looked like a ghost, eyeliner wings sharp enough to kill?

Oh no, oh no.

She’d forgotten.

Last night, after Du Tianyu dragged her to BUS, she’d been so upset from a fight at the studio that she’d gone full wild rose with her makeup—thick, sultry, and utterly unrecognizable.

Even her own mother would need a DNA test to confirm her identity.

Yu Lili’s toes curled in embarrassment.

So, Tan Suran didn’t know who she was.

Which meant… as long as Tan Suran never found out, this mess could still be salvaged.

Let the absurdity end here. Last night’s events could remain a secret, buried in the wind.

So Yu Lili took a deep breath and said, “Anna.”

“My name is Anna.”

A soft, derisive chuckle came from in front of her.

“Anna? I meant your Chinese name.”

Yu Lili froze, her throat tightening. What was Tan Suran playing at?

Did she think she was some delicate flower with exceptional skills, worth keeping around?

Her hands shook slightly as she cleared her throat, then deliberately raised her pitch, mimicking the flirtatious tone of Bus’s resident heartbreaker, Du Tianyu.

“We’re both adults.”

“Just one night—do we really need names?”

“What, you’re not going to make me take responsibility, are you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re that bad at playing the game?”

Tan Suran crossed her legs, her ankles slender and delicate, red nail polish making her feet look like they were dipped in temptation. Her pale thighs rested against the edge of the bed.

She lazily pulled a slim cigarette from her pocket and lit it.

“Bad at playing the game?”

The ember glowed red as she took a slow drag. “Yeah.”

She exhaled the smoke near Yu Lili’s ear. “After all… it was my first time.”

A tingling, electric sensation shot from Yu Lili’s ear to the top of her head.

The mix of minty tobacco and Tan Suran’s natural bitter-lemon scent made her brain short-circuit.

Holy sh1t!

Tan Suran had to be at least twenty-five or twenty-six. How had she never slept with anyone before?

What kind of pure-hearted warrior was this?

Yu Lili’s heart softened a little.

Her lips parted, about to speak—

Buzz, buzz.

Her phone vibrated with a long message from a coworker.

[Holy crap, something huge happened last night. The magazine editor said they chose our photography team for the cover shoot, but with one condition—you’re off the project.]

Yu Lili: ???

[I’m gonna puke. This so-called ‘pure and inspirational’ celebrity has two faces, huh? Her manager said they don’t want you, claiming they don’t like anyone sharing a surname with their artist. That’s the most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard.]

[But our Sela is a boss. She straight-up said, ‘Fine, find someone else. We’re not bending over backward for this.’]

Yu Lili could guess who this “artist” was.

[In this industry, aside from Sela, no one dares to openly offend Yu Mu. After all, she’s got that Tan CEO backing her.]

Yu Mu…

Yu Lili knew Yu Mu would try to sabotage her, but she hadn’t expected her to be this blatant.

Then again, Yu Mu was a red-hot A-lister, while she was just a photography assistant—and an intern at that.

Of course Yu Mu could crush her with a flick of her finger.

She put her phone away and glanced at Tan Suran—Yu Mu’s best friend—and any trace of goodwill vanished.

Remembering what Tan Suran had just said, Yu Lili lowered her eyelids and slowly repeated, “First time?”

She raised her gaze to meet Tan Suran’s, the corner of her lips quirking. “Then damn, that’s impressive.”

As she spoke, she even made a “six” gesture with her hand and shook it a few times.

Tan Suran chuckled.

“Do you know who I am?”

—Of course I do. You’re Yu Mu’s powerful backer, the one letting her bully people.

But could she say that?

Yu Lili pressed her lips together and muttered, “No idea.”

Then she grabbed her phone and headed straight for the hotel room door.

Tan Suran stubbed out her cigarette on a tissue and tossed it into the trash.

“You’d better not regret this.” she said coolly, her voice carrying a faint warning.

Bang!

Yu Lili slammed the door shut behind her.

Regret your ass.

Yu Lili regretted it.

Deeply.

In her rush to make a dramatic exit, she’d left her bag behind.

The bag itself was a rare, vintage LV—priceless.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was the lens inside.

For a foodie, delicious meals were life. For a beauty lover, stunning women were life. But for a photography geek, lenses were life.

A warrior could die.

She could be humiliated.

But the lens could not be lost.

The same little Lili who had been so haughty just moments ago covered her face, hesitated for two seconds, then raised her hand and knocked twice on the door.

It opened slowly.

Tan Suran, now fully dressed, leaned against the doorframe, silently studying her.

Yu Lili didn’t want to talk to her, but she also couldn’t just barge in without a word. “I forgot something.”

As she turned to leave, her last glimpse was of Tan Suran—her expression unreadable—mimicking the “six” gesture and shaking it beside her head.

“Impressive.”

After leaving the hotel, Yu Lili checked the time and took a cab home to change.

Then she called her troublemaker friend Du Tianyu. She needed to grill her—

How the hell did “take me home” turn into “deliver me to Tan Suran’s bed”?

The call connected.

“Du Tianyu, if I’ve sinned, I’ll kowtow and beg for forgiveness. But you don’t sleep with someone as punishment—”

A calm female voice came through the receiver.

“First of all, it’s kowtow and prostrate. Second, who slept with you?”

Yu Lili immediately shut her mouth.

That detached tone definitely wasn’t Du Tianyu.

“Where’s Du Tianyu?”

“Just fell asleep.”

Yu Lili had no outlet for her frustration. She told the person on the line to have Du Tianyu call her the second she woke up.

After hanging up, Yu Lili glanced at the office building in front of her.

She shook her head.

She’d deal with all that nonsense later. Swiping her card through security, she stepped into the elevator.

Yehuo Photography Studio was on the 19th floor.

“Morning!” After exiting the elevator, Yu Lili greeted everyone and settled at her workstation, starting on yesterday’s photo edits.

The other intern, Su Mianxin, arrived right on time, carrying a tray of coffees and placing one on each senior’s desk.

When she reached Yu Lili, Su Mianxin covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise. “Oh no, I forgot again! Sorry, Lili. My brain keeps thinking I’m the only intern here.”

“Mine’s black, no sugar. If you don’t mind the bitterness, you can have it.”

Yu Lili tilted her head and smiled. “It’s fine.”

“I don’t really like instant coffee anyway.”

Mic drop.

Amy, eavesdropping nearby, snorted.

Ah, youth. Can’t hide a single thought.

Su Mianxin had connections in the industry and had pulled strings to become an assistant under Sela—after all, Sela was a legend who’d shot covers for international top-tier magazines. But Sela hadn’t taken to her, so she’d settled for being an assistant to another senior photographer, One.

At first, Su Mianxin assumed Sela just didn’t take on assistants. But less than two weeks later, Sela brought in Yu Lili—a regular college senior with no industry ties. It was a slap in the face to Su Mianxin, a master’s graduate from USC’s photography program.

From the moment Yu Lili started, bringing coffee for everyone on her first day, Su Mianxin had made a habit of doing the same—but always “forgetting” Yu Lili’s cup.

At first, Yu Lili had genuinely believed it was an accident and laughed it off.

Until the day Su Mianxin pinned a miscommunication during a shoot on Yu Lili, nearly getting her fired.

The girl had flushed red, pressed her lips together, and run out without a word. No one knew how she’d managed to smooth things over with the difficult client, but the incident was eventually dropped.

After that, Yu Lili didn’t confront Su Mianxin or complain to anyone. She just worked harder, though her attitude toward Su Mianxin became noticeably cooler—without crossing any lines.

From then on, Amy had truly started seeing Yu Lili in a new light, adding her to the list of people worth befriending.

“Lili, Mianxin, Sela wants to see you.”

Though she’d been here many times, Yu Lili still felt a twinge of awe every time she entered Sela’s office.

The space was minimalist—black and white, with no unnecessary decorations.

By the floor-to-ceiling window stood a tall figure, phone in hand, speaking in fluent English for an overseas call.

After about three minutes, Sela turned around. Her sharp, upturned eyes and striking features gave off an unapproachable vibe.

And Sela was exactly that.

“Next Tuesday’s magazine cover shoot—you’ll go over the theme selection tomorrow. Review the interior design drafts before submitting them to me.”

“Any questions?”

“So… the initial feedback on the interior designs is up to us?” Su Mianxin asked cautiously.

“Can’t handle it?”

“No, no! It’s just… I’m worried my inexperience might lead to misunderstandings.”

Sela didn’t even look up. “If you have questions, call me.”

Seeing Su Mianxin had nothing else to say, Yu Lili—who was tackling this kind of work for the first time—spoke up. “Sela, for the theme selection, how should we prepare?”

Su Mianxin’s eyes flickered with disdain. Such a rookie question.

Themes were decided by the magazine. People at their level were just there for show.

Sela lifted her head, glanced at Yu Lili, and nodded. “I’d suggest reviewing past issues.”

By the time Du Tianyu called back, Yu Lili was buried under a mountain of magazines, taking notes in Excel.

The moment she answered, Du Tianyu wailed, “Lili! Are you okay? Are you missing any limbs?”

“What happened last night?”

“Well, you got wasted. You wouldn’t let me call Zhu Jingxiang, and I was going to take you to my place, but my sister showed up. So I booked a suite at the Hilton, dropped you off, and left.”

Yu Lili pressed the phone to her ear, her other hand on her forehead. “But when I woke up this morning, Tan Suran was in bed with me.”

A pig-like squeal erupted from the other end.

“No way. I’d believe you if you told me a comet hit Earth, but this?”

“If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’m posting your diary full of secrets online.”

“Relax, relax, my lips are sealed. But how did Tan Suran even get in? You were alone when I left.”

“Lili.”

Du Tianyu’s voice suddenly grew small, guilty.

“Lili, I’m so sorry.”

Her tone turned tearful.

Yu Lili slumped in her chair, rubbing her temples with a sigh. “I’m not blaming you. It’s fine. Just a fluke. Thank god my makeup was so heavy Tan Suran didn’t recognize me, or I’d actually die.”

“I—I wasn’t talking about that…” Du Tianyu hesitated. “Tan Suran just called me.”

“Asked who I booked the room for last night.”

“I’d just woken up, my brain wasn’t working. I… accidentally let your name slip.”

Yu Lili: ?!