I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 50
50
“What do you want to do?”
Tan Suran reached out and pressed down on the slender, pale fingers that were mischievously playing at her lips.
She pulled them down.
Clasped them in her hand.
Cool skin pressed against skin.
The look in her phoenix eyes was like a fire about to ignite.
“What do you want to do?”
Tan Suran asked again.
Yu Lili admitted it.
When she met Tan Suran’s gaze,
She felt a little struck.
Perhaps because she had come straight from the office, Tan Suran hadn’t taken off her glasses.
That icy, indifferent face behind silver-framed glasses
Reflected a dangerous light.
“I want…” Yu Lili pursed her lips.
“Hmm… want what?” Tan Suran was like a patient mentor, coaxing her step by step.
“Want…”
“Want… to see…”
When they entered the room earlier, Tan Suran had taken off her coat.
The unbuttoned collar of her shirt hung open now,
Revealing fair, delicate collarbones.
Further down, the curves hidden slightly by fabric were also full and enticing.
And that slim, toned waist—
Though she hadn’t seen or touched it before,
She guessed there were abs.
And if the collarbones were that fair,
The skin below would probably be even fairer.
Drool.
But… she wanted to see.
Would Tan Suran agree?
Wasn’t their progress a bit too fast?
If she kept spouting such nonsense, would she be labeled a pervert?
“Want to see what?” Tan Suran’s expression remained unchanged—aloof, unreadable.
But also like an indulgent older sister,
The kind who’d give anything to a misbehaving child.
As long as she wanted it.
Yu Lili swallowed.
The hand propping her up on the sofa cushion brushed against something hard, sending a sharp sting through her fingers.
Tan Suran seemed quite conservative.
Hadn’t she said she’d never even been in a relationship?
She probably wouldn’t like things moving this fast, right?
Better not be seen as some kind of pervert.
Yu Lili retracted her restless thoughts.
…
Her eyes wandered vaguely over Tan Suran’s face, searching for something she could say—something less suggestive.
Where to look…
Eyes, nose, lips.
Everywhere was too perfect.
Except…
Looking…
“At your… nose hair.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Yu Lili felt the air freeze around them.
Tan Suran’s expression still didn’t change. But unconsciously, she lowered her slightly raised chin.
Her silence carried a hint of stiffness.
To avoid veering into that kind of pervert territory,
Yu Lili seemed to have unwittingly paved another path toward pervert.
……
Tan Suran didn’t speak for a long time.
Her silence and the faint frown between her brows
Made it seem like she was making some difficult decision.
If Assistant Lin had seen this, she would’ve been shocked.
Because even when facing contracts worth hundreds of millions, Tan Suran had never looked so conflicted.
Yu Lili’s heart pounded.
Was she… seriously considering whether to let her see her nose hair?
Yu Lili abruptly scooted a large distance to the other side of the sofa.
Creating space between them.
With an unnatural tone, she said, “I was joking.”
She wasn’t some kind of nose hair weirdo.
Hearing this, Tan Suran lifted her eyes and gave her a complicated look.
“If you really like it…” Tan Suran paused for a long time before speaking slowly.
“Stop, I was really joking… I just wanted to lighten the mood.”
Though instead of easing the tension that had been on the verge of exploding into passion,
She’d steered it into awkward silence.
But it still counted as setting the mood.
Yu Lili grumbled inwardly.
Tan Suran fetched two glasses from the bar counter and poured some water.
One for herself, one for Yu Lili.
“Drink some water. Stay off the internet lately. The broken funding chain at your father’s company has been fixed.”
Yu Lili turned the glass in her hands. “How much did you give?”
She’d been so busy being lovey-dovey with Tan Suran that she’d completely forgotten about the scheme she’d cooked up with her parents.
Thinking back to her father’s outrageous demands—
Surely Tan Suran wouldn’t… have agreed to all of them?
Tan Suran glanced at her. “Your parents do love you.”
“Huh?” Yu Lili didn’t understand why she’d suddenly drawn this conclusion.
“They set so many conditions just to ensure your security.”
“So… they didn’t ask for anything?” Yu Lili asked vaguely, mid-sip of water.
“Not exactly.”
“Two hundred million to fill the funding gap.”
Yu Lili spat out her water.
“What’s wrong?” Tan Suran quickly handed her a tissue.
“Nothing, just choked… cough cough.”
Yu Lili waved her off, mentally cursing her father.
He was way too cunning.
They’d agreed on twenty million.
Twenty. Million.
How did it become two hundred million?
And they’d agreed that if she and Tan Suran really ended up together, he’d return the money to her.
But her father had actually dared to swallow the entire sum.
Just the interest alone over this time would’ve made him a fortune.
……
While Yu Lili was still fuming over her father’s antics,
“Actually, it was quite unexpected…” Tan Suran’s voice drifted into her ears.
“I didn’t think Yu Mu’s situation would hit your family this hard.”
“Ah…” Yu Lili hid behind her glass, responding vaguely.
“Logically speaking, your parents have been in the business world for so long… ordinary people wouldn’t have been able to push things this far.” Tan Suran analyzed methodically.
“Oh…” Yu Lili stiffened, lowering her head, afraid Tan Suran would notice something amiss. In a downcast tone, she said, “I… I don’t know either…”
“I’m only telling you this so you don’t worry. Things aren’t as bad as they seem.”
“And…” Tan Suran reached out, gently stroking her fluffy hair like she was petting a small animal. Her voice was tender. “Don’t worry about the rumors online either. They’ll be resolved soon. Your parents said they’re already gathering evidence to clear things up. Just rest at home for now.”
Yu Lili put on a sorrowful expression, lifting her head with wounded resilience, puffing out her cheeks. “I’m fine. I’m strong.”
Her eyes shone with the determination of a delicate white flower.
Tan Suran sighed and stood from the sofa.
She replaced the water in her glass with the red wine Yu Lili had opened earlier.
Holding the stem of the wine glass delicately,
She leaned back against the bar counter.
At a neither close nor far distance,
“You know what? I used to envy you.”
Huh?
“When?” She could actually make Tan Suran envious?
“Envious… that you had parents who cared so much about you. On your seventeenth birthday, your dad was on a business trip, but he rushed back on the last flight to celebrate with you. The moment he got out of the car, he ran toward you holding a gift… But me? I can’t even remember the last time someone celebrated my birthday.”
Yu Lili knew about Tan Suran’s family situation.
Her heart ached a little.
“Even when bad things happen, there are still so many people around you who love and protect you. I know your parents’ actions might’ve hurt you, but they probably had no other choice. If it were my father, I wouldn’t even have gotten a chance to negotiate.”
“No matter what happens in the future, just focus on the people who love you, the ones who protect you.”
Yu Lili understood.
Tan Suran wasn’t suddenly overcome with the urge to confide in someone about her past.
She wasn’t digging up painful memories to fish for sympathy.
She was just… purely trying to comfort her.
Yu Lili walked over to her.
Took her hand.
Looked up at her with sparkling eyes. “Tan Suran, celebrate my birthday with me this year.”
“Okay.”
“In return, can I celebrate your birthday?”
…
After chatting for a while,
It was already quite late.
Tan Suran picked up her car keys and said she was leaving.
Yu Lili’s heart pounded nervously.
Glancing at the clock, she exhaled.
“It’s so late… Do you want to…”
“Stay over?”
Her heart raced like a drum.
Watching Tan Suran’s reaction.
“No need.” Tan Suran picked up her coat, smiling at Yu Lili lingering by the door.
“My nose hair isn’t very pretty.”
Yu Lili: ……
I’m really gonna lose it…