I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 16
16
“What are you doing?” Yu Lili frowned.
The doctor lowered her gaze but did not answer.
As if the answer was already obvious.
Yu Lili directly raised her hand and pulled away the one pressing on her wound: “Enough.”
The moment their hands touched, time seemed to slow and cool.
Bone against bone.
Ice against fire.
Behind the disposable blue medical mask, thin lips curled imperceptibly.
“Fine.”
After disposing of the medical waste, the doctor packed up the items on the small cart and prepared to leave—
But was stopped by a slender, pale wrist: “Wait.”
The doctor cast a questioning glance over.
Yu Lili leaned forward, staring intently at the doctor’s phoenix eyes—thin eyelids, deep inner folds, flying outward from the corners. After a long moment, she relaxed her spine and lazily leaned back, dragging out her words: “Doctor, my foot still hurts a bit. Could you take a look?”
The girl’s straight, slender legs rested casually on the edge of the bed, her feet, clad in pink-and-white sneakers, dangling just centimeters above the ground.
Though she claimed her foot hurt, she made no move to lift it.
Yu Lili’s gaze locked onto the coldly elegant doctor.
To examine her foot from this height, the doctor would have to crouch.
Or—
“You can kneel.”
Yu Lili curved her lips slightly, speaking nonchalantly.
The air burned silently.
The two faced off, one high, one low, in quiet confrontation.
Tan Suran’s foot swayed slightly, making the medical bed creak softly.
No one surrendered.
After a long while, the doctor let out a soft scoff.
Then slowly began to move.
Under Yu Lili’s watchful eyes, she bent at the waist, lowered her legs, and gradually descended—
Like a knight from medieval Europe paying homage to a princess, she knelt on the cold marble floor.
Her neck bowed, allowing Yu Lili to see the porcelain-like skin at the nape, extending into the unseen territory hidden by clothing.
Yu Lili averted her gaze.
But she could feel the doctor’s meticulous hands—usually used to grip a British pen and sign billion-dollar contracts—now gently massaging her foot through the cotton sock.
It tickled.
And something else, too, accompanied by those hands, pressed deeper, climbed higher.
Yu Lili clenched her palm.
The tips of her ears began to redden.
Hot air in the room blasted against her face.
Unreasonably warm.
She had meant to mess with the doctor, but in the end, she was the one who ended up flustered.
By the time she fled the infirmary in disarray, she still hadn’t exposed the truth—that she had recognized Tan Suran the moment their hands touched, from the faint scent of bitter lemon in the air and those unmistakable eyes.
Why hadn’t she exposed her?
Instead, she said to the manager waiting outside: “Your doctor here is so unprofessional. Has no one ever complained?”
Through the manager’s flustered and slightly panicked explanation, she confirmed her suspicions.
So why hadn’t she exposed her?
Because she knew that even if she did, the outcome wouldn’t be any better.
Had Tan Suran recognized Anna?
Or did she share the same thought—
Since it wouldn’t make things better, why bother exposing it?
Wrapped in this uneasy mood, Yu Lili’s performance on the golf course afterward was lackluster.
That hole-in-one in front of Yu Mu was probably the highlight of her game. The subsequent shots missed par by a mile.
After half a round, she quietly packed up.
“Qi Luo reserved a private room at Yin Chun Pavilion.” Du Tanyu fiddled with her phone, checking messages. “Wanna join?”
Yu Lili shook her head: “I won’t intrude on your couple time.”
Du Tanyu: “What couple time? Old Qi and I are just revolutionary comrades. Besides, with you, it’s a trio—way more fun.”
Yu Lili had nothing to say except: “The wind whistles from afar…”
But at Yin Chun Pavilion, she ran into someone unexpected.
Passing through the ancient-style carved lobby, led by a cheongsam-clad waitress to their private room, Yu Lili casually glanced into an adjacent room as its door opened. Inside was a noisy crowd.
“Who are they?” Du Tanyu followed her gaze, her eyes lighting up.
“Some film crew having a gathering.”
“No wonder, it’s all beauties at a glance.”
As they walked forward, a clear, elegant voice called out: “Miss Yu.”
Yu Lili turned. Before she could speak, the lazily leaning Du Tanyu suddenly squeezed in front of her, greeting enthusiastically: “Hello, beautiful sister! I’m Xiao Yu, Yu Lili’s friend. I’m 21, a shy and introverted girl. I love movies, crafts, and exhibitions. Any shows you like? We could go together.”
Just as the “shy and introverted” Ms. Du was about to further showcase herself, a hand clamped onto her arm and pulled her back.
Du Tanyu: “Old Qi, why’d you come out?”
Qi Luo: “The food’s getting cold.”
“Oh, right. Let’s go eat first,” Yu Lili waved at Song Yu. “We’ll chat later.”
“Bye, pretty sister~”
“When did you secretly befriend such a beauty behind my back?”
“Honestly, Ah Yu,” Yu Lili draped an arm over her shoulder. “Don’t you ever read entertainment news?”
“Huh?”
Qi Luo folded a napkin and interjected: “Wasn’t she the lead in a recent hit modern drama?”
Du Tanyu gasped: “Old Qi, you know her?”
Qi Luo nodded: “I considered investing in that project.”
Du Tanyu: “Considered? So you didn’t? But it was a hit! Regret it now?”
Qi Luo: “No regrets. It was just the optimal decision after weighing the ROI. The rest is up to luck.”
Du Tanyu puzzled: “A pragmatic elite like you believes in luck?”
“Belief doesn’t matter. The fact is, most successes rely on luck.”
“Then do you think my luck will get me that pretty sister’s WeChat?”
Qi Luo picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and stuffed it into Du Tanyu’s chattering mouth: “Eat.”
Yu Lili found Du Tanyu’s antics amusing.
“But if you have spare cash, you might consider investing in Huan Yu’s new project.”
“Huan Yu? That AI language model Tan Suran’s collaborating on with Lihe University’s Digital Language Research Institute?”
“Mm. Very promising.”
Coming from Qi Luo, who rarely praised anything, this was high praise.
That evening, back home.
Yu Lili received a WeChat message from Song Yu.
Only then did she realize why Song Yu had stopped her earlier.
[Lili, I posted the photos you took for me on my Moments. A magazine editor really liked them and wants to meet you. It’s a small magazine, though. If you’re interested, I can pass along your WeChat?]
Yu Lili had no reason to refuse.
But she was still slightly surprised to learn the person was Olivia, editor-in-chief of the newly launched fashion magazine Frontier.
Because—
[I’ve always admired you. It’s an honor.]
Olivia’s tone was indifferent, replying with an unreadable [Oh?]
[I’m a longtime reader of Tind. The Gen Z feature from 2018 left a deep impression.]
Before founding Frontier, Olivia had worked overseas in media for years. For career reasons, she had gambled everything, abandoning her hard-earned overseas achievements to return to the mainland—yet her fame remained modest.
Olivia didn’t reply immediately, but the “typing” indicator appeared where her nickname had been.
Yu Lili knew such compliments could easily sound superficial, and further elaboration wouldn’t help. But in truth, she had genuinely been struck by Olivia’s artistic sensibility—more than once.
While washing up, her phone on the sink vibrated.
Olivia’s reply was brief.
But impactful.
[Join Frontier?]
The next afternoon at three.
Yu Lili first stopped by her rented apartment.
After all, if she was meeting Tan Suran as Anna, she needed to prepare.
Makeup done, hat and mask on, Yu Lili hauled her suitcase and took a cab to Tan Suran’s building.
Before she could state her purpose, the front desk staff approached: “Miss Anna? Please follow me.”
Yu Lili was puzzled: “Have we met?”
“Assistant Lin instructed us in advance,” the receptionist smiled warmly.
One look at you, and we’d know you’re the most unusual person we’ve seen today. No mistake.
…
Oddly enough.
If this was Tan Suran’s office, there should’ve been a row of secretaries or the like. But from the moment she stepped off the elevator until she reached the grand doors, not a soul was in sight.
And before she could knock, the doors swung open automatically.
The five-meter-high space was imposing, flooded with sunlight from floor-to-ceiling windows.
A sleek silver-gray leather sofa and matching coffee table occupied one corner. A few minimalist lucky bamboo plants flanked the black desk, atop which a handful of A4 documents were neatly arranged.
On the wall opposite the desk hung several minimalist photography prints. Yu Lili scanned them, finding them faintly familiar—
A soft click.
A hidden door in the wall opened. Tan Suran stood in the doorway, dressed in a sophisticated brown suit, her chestnut hair loosely tied back. Holding a white porcelain teacup, she gave a slight nod: “Come in.”
Beyond the hidden door was another world entirely.
Soundproofed walls.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves crammed with books—Chinese, Korean, English, Roman—you name it. A white faux-fur throw draped over a recliner, plush and inviting.
Beyond that, a gilded railing cordoned off an area of unknown purpose.
On the other side was an indoor golf setup, premium clubs standing in a metal bucket.
A Belgian collector’s-grade record player sat by the window.
Yu Lili understood: this was Tan Suran’s private lounge.
Typical of a big-shot CEO—probably treated the company like home.
“Tea or water?” Tan Suran sat at the tea table, pouring elegantly.
Steam curled upward.
Yu Lili shook her head, not in the mood for small talk. She tapped the suitcase at her feet, signaling the penalty fee was inside.
Tan Suran didn’t even glance at the two million. Sipping her tea, she gazed out the window: “You may leave.”
Just like that?
So simple?
Before coming, Yu Lili had considered the possible difficulties she might encounter.
But now, things were going so smoothly that it far exceeded Yu Lili’s expectations.
As a result, all her previous suspicions and speculations seemed petty in comparison.
“Changed your mind?” Tan Suran took a sip of tea and asked nonchalantly.
Yu Lili reacted almost instantly, turning to walk out.
“I’m the kind of person.”
“Who doesn’t give others a second chance.”
Tan Suran’s unhurried voice rang out behind her.
“But I’ll give you the chance to regret it.”
Yu Lili’s steps were light and carefree as she waved her hand grandly.
Want her to regret it?
Fine.
Maybe in the next life.
From the lounge to the proper office, and from the office to the main door she had just entered, it was really only a few steps away.
When Yu Lili reached the middle of the office,
she suddenly heard a ding.
After the first ding, the intercom broadcast the secretary’s gentle voice: “Boss, Miss Yu Mu has arrived and is already at the door.”
Yu Lili, her hand reaching for the door handle, froze.
Yu?
Mu!