I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 28

28

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Yu Lili turned her head away and took a step to leave.

At that moment, Yu Mu suddenly spoke: “Actually, I’d really like to know… when did you start hating me?”

Yu Lili paused, then laughed coldly. “Don’t put it that way. It’s more like when did I realize I was just a fool being played by you?”

Yu Mu said nothing. Instead, she racked her brain, trying to figure out where she had slipped up.

Was it when she was seven and secretly handed her a dropped ice cream, only to be caught?

Or when she was ten and stole her best friend’s belongings, hiding them in Yu Lili’s pocket, then silently watched as she was scolded and called a thief?

Or perhaps it was the deliberate snubs and cold shoulders at banquets, or locking her out of the house on purpose?

Yu Mu couldn’t pinpoint it.

Because every time, she had covered her tracks perfectly.

She would play the role of the good older sister, offering sincere apologies.

“I locked the door without thinking. I forgot you weren’t home yet. You didn’t wait too long, did you? It won’t happen again.”

“We were having such a good conversation. You’ll be fine on your own, right?”

…

“Do you remember?” Yu Lili’s voice, low and quiet, pulled Yu Mu from her thoughts. “On your birthday in sophomore year, I gave you a gift.”

Yu Mu lifted her eyelids slightly, clearly not recalling.

“You threw it straight into the trash.”

“That’s impossible.” Yu Mu knew that no matter how she truly felt, she would never do something so blatantly stupid on the surface.

“What do you mean, impossible?” Even years later, the memory still stung.

Yu Lili would never forget the shock, heartache, and devastation she felt when she saw that gift in the trash.

To have her sincerity trampled so cruelly—was there anything more despairing in this world?

Yu Mu frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Yu Lili raised her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her voice trembling with sorrow. “It was… my SSR Ye Luoli card…”

“…”

Yu Lili pouted. That card had cost her two months’ allowance! She’d wheedled it out of the most difficult classmate’s little sister’s friend’s brother!

A card so rare that most people would never even see one in their lifetime.

In her over twenty years of life, she’d only ever owned two SSR Ye Luoli cards.

Yu Mu: “…”

Now that it was mentioned, Yu Mu vaguely remembered.

She’d held the card between her fingers, examining it from every angle, but couldn’t figure out what it was.

She’d assumed it was just a worthless scrap of paper.

So she’d tossed it.

But seriously—

Who could’ve guessed?

Yu Lili was already fifteen at the time.

How could she still be so heartbroken over a Ye Luoli card?

Yu Mu’s expression darkened slightly. She never expected her downfall to be over a Ye Luoli card.

But she quickly composed herself. “If I said it was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?”

Yu Lili tilted her head, her eyes filled with obvious disbelief.

Yu Mu took a step forward. “About the necklace incident—I’m really sorry. I didn’t know you needed it for the shoot.”

Yu Lili looked up. “If you’re so innocent, why are you apologizing?”

Yu Mu remained unruffled. “It’s still somewhat related to me. It was all Su Ran’s doing. She said the necklace looked good on me and insisted I wear it for the red carpet. I thought it was just an ordinary piece of jewelry. I had no idea it was so important. I hope it didn’t affect your magazine shoot.”

Yu Lili curled her lips in disdain. “That happened two months ago… You might as well wait until the end of the year to bring it up.”

“Never mind. I’m here today to visit Jing Xiang. Speaking of which…” Yu Mu glanced at Yu Lili, studying her expression for any reaction. Seeing none, she probed further, “I think it’s such a shame. Jing Xiang is really a great person. She’s been so kind to me on set. You two…”

Yu Lili had no patience for her veiled barbs. “Shouldn’t you be happy about it?”

“Huh?”

Yu Lili met her eyes directly. “When I’m unlucky or miserable, aren’t you always thrilled?”

“…” Yu Mu froze for a second. “No, I genuinely… And when I had dinner with Su Ran the other day, she also praised Jing Xiang.”

Yu Lili smirked coldly. “Oh, right. And another thing—stop name-dropping Tan Suran all the time. You use her like a VIP pass, a golden ticket. Haven’t you ever thought about what’ll happen when she starts dating or gets married and stops caring about you? How will you survive in this industry then?”

Yu Mu’s face tightened. Her reply was swift. “That’s impossible.”

“How is it impossible? You don’t know this, do you?” Yu Lili struck a pose, flipping her hair with a flourish. “She sends me flirty texts every day.”

“Who? Tan Suran?” Yu Mu’s eyes widened. “That’s not funny.”

Yu Lili lifted her chin haughtily. “Believe what you want.”

With that, she turned on her heel—only to lock eyes with someone standing behind Yu Mu.

Yu Lili’s expression stiffened, as if struck by lightning.

The woman’s gaze was cool, her eyes deep and unreadable, lazily fixed on her.

Yu Mu, noticing Yu Lili’s reaction, turned to look. Her emotional demeanor instantly shifted.

Yu Mu’s lips parted, as if she wanted to stir trouble on the spot.

But she quickly thought better of it.

This wasn’t just about embarrassing Yu Lili—it would also offend Tan Suran.

She glided forward gracefully. “Tan—”

Midway, she changed her address. “Suran, what are you doing here?”

Just as Yu Mu was about to loop her arm through Tan Suran’s to showcase their closeness, a single icy glance froze her in place.

Yu Mu masked her awkwardness seamlessly and continued, “Are you here for work?”

Tan Suran stood coolly between them, idly rubbing her wrist as she replied indifferently, “Mm.”

Yu Lili, meanwhile, was practically petrified with fear.

In her eagerness to spite Yu Mu, she’d forgotten Tan Suran was still in the restroom.

Now, she’d been caught red-handed.

But—Yu Lili sneaked a glance at Tan Suran. She seemed so calm and composed. Maybe she hadn’t heard?

Swallowing nervously, Yu Lili tried to steady herself.

“Let’s go.” Tan Suran adjusted her sleeve and walked past Yu Lili without a change in expression.

The group moved toward the studio in single file.

The silence along the way was suffocating.

The tension was unbearable.

Yu Lili took deep, steadying breaths in her mind.

The studio was just ahead. Soon, she’d be free from this oppressive, awkward, and complicated atmosphere.

Just as she was about to step inside—

Tan Suran suddenly stopped.

She turned her head slightly and asked in a detached tone, as if recalling something:

“What flirtatious texts?”

“…”

“…”

Yu Mu hadn’t come alone. By the time they reached the studio, her team was already waiting.

Though it was just a casual visit, Yu Mu had brought a photographer—Su Mianxin.

Su Mianxin, unlike Yu Mu, lacked experience. Her guilt and resentment toward Yu Lili were blatant, impossible to hide.

Yu Lili averted her gaze. Now wasn’t the time to deal with her.

The shoot resumed, with Zhu Jingxiang ready under the reflector.

Yu Lili lifted her camera, bending slightly at the waist to find the perfect angle. She continuously adjusted Zhu Jingxiang’s poses and expressions.

“Nice… Now, right leg forward—yes, show off those long legs… Beautiful… Keep going, tilt your face left a little—”

Crash—

The sound of a porcelain cup shattering interrupted the shoot.

Yu Mu’s assistant hurriedly apologized.

This was already the third disruption since filming began.

Yu Lili’s expression darkened. “Clear the set. Non-essential personnel can wait in the lounge if needed.”

Her tone wasn’t exactly polite.

The staff in charge of coordination hesitated.

Because aside from Yu Mu’s team, Tan Suran and her entourage were also present.

No one dared to kick the big boss out.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Yu Mu spoke up. “Sorry, sorry. We won’t disturb the shoot anymore. Please continue.”

Yu Lili reviewed the shots on her camera, ignoring her, but her displeasure was evident.

The assistants fidgeted uncomfortably, caught in the middle.

Zhu Jingxiang was about to step in for Yu Lili when—

The woman seated on the brown high stool in the corner stood up.

Her presence was commanding.

The moment she rose, several others followed suit.

Tan Suran lifted her gaze.

The magazine staff held their breaths, worried Yu Lili’s earlier remarks had offended the big boss.

Someone tried to smooth things over. “President Tan, you—”

Tan Suran glanced down dismissively, her tone light but authoritative. “Clear the set.”

Then she strode out without another word.

Yu Mu’s face twisted with disbelief. She hadn’t expected Tan Suran to be the first to support Yu Lili’s demand.

Reluctantly, she had no choice but to follow.

Before leaving, though, she had her photographer snap a shot of her waving goodbye to Zhu Jingxiang.

Well… it looked more like a one-sided farewell.

A minute later, the set was cleared of all unnecessary personnel.

Li Mi gave Yu Lili a thumbs-up.

Gen Z was really here to shake up the workplace.

After the shoot, Zhu Jingxiang clearly wanted to spend more time with Yu Lili.

But she had another commitment and was whisked away by her manager to catch a flight.

Olivia called Yu Lili into her office. Without much preamble, she pointed to a fruit platter on the table. “Take this to the lounge. And say something nice while you’re at it.”

Yu Lili blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

Olivia sighed. “Offending people isn’t a big deal. Maintaining relationships is the hard part. President Tan doesn’t seem like the type to hold grudges, but it never hurts to smooth things over.”

“Tan Suran—I mean, President Tan—is still here?”

Olivia nodded. “Yes. We just watched a fashion show overseas and confirmed collaborations with two supermodels.”

Yu Lili let out an “Oh” and obediently picked up the fruit platter, heading to the lounge.

She pushed the door open gently.

The room was dimly lit.

Silent.

The curtains were drawn, leaving only a sliver of orange sunset light peeking through.

A thin beam illuminated the woman’s striking features.

Tan Suran reclined on the sofa, one elbow propping up her head, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

Her slender legs were crossed, accentuating the curve of her hips.

Yu Lili hesitated at the door.

“Don’t turn on the lights,” Tan Suran said, her voice laced with exhaustion.

Yu Lili, who hadn’t planned to, jerked her hand in surprise and accidentally flipped the switch.

The room flooded with light before she hastily turned it off again.

“My hand slipped.”

She set the fruit platter on the table. “Here’s your fruit.”

Small talk was out of the question.

Given how exhausted Tan Suran looked—as if she could fall asleep the moment she hit a bed—striking up a conversation now would only add fuel to the fire.

“Wait.”

Yu Lili froze.

“You. Come here.”

“Give me a head massage.”

That tone, as if ordering around a servant…

In the past, “Sister Yu” would’ve slapped her twice for that.

But now…

In the dimly lit lounge, the bitter lemon scent filled the air, like an intoxicating midnight fragrance.

The sunset deepened outside.

Silence and tension stretched between them.

Yu Lili glanced away, stealing a look at the woman she hadn’t seen in months.

Stammering slightly, but unable to hide her eagerness, she asked, “J-Just the head? What about the shoulders? Or the neck? Anywhere else?”

Tan Suran let out a soft laugh, tilting her head up. Her red lips curved enticingly. “Oh?”

Her voice lifted like a hook at the end. “Where else did you have in mind?”