I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 57
57
After kissing for a while.
The two of them pulled apart, breathing heavily.
Yu Lili lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath.
Her legs were crossed.
Bouncing slightly.
Suddenly, she let out a slow sigh.
“Why the sigh?”
Yu Lili shook her head.
“You… why do you like Little F?” She suddenly turned over, clinging to her pillow, resting her face on the side, blinking her bright eyes curiously.
“Because…” Tan Suran smiled. “She gave me a piece of candy.”
“One piece of candy? I don’t believe it. I’ll give you a hundred, how about that?”
Tan Su was lying right across from her.
She raised a finger and tapped Yu Lili’s nose. “It’s a story from a long, long time ago.”
“When I was in school, if I got home later than Tan Minghao, he’d lock me out. No one was allowed to open the door for me.”
“What? That’s so awful!”
“At first, I kept knocking, knocking on the door nonstop. But one day I suddenly realized — no matter how hard I knocked, doors that didn’t belong to me would never open. So I sat on the roadside with my backpack, doing homework, waiting for the adults to come home so I could slip in with them.”
Yu Lili gently patted her head in sympathy.
“And then Little F appeared?”
“Mhm.” Tan Suran nodded. “The first time I met her, she was holding a bucket of popcorn bigger than her head and asked me if I wanted some.”
“Did you take it?”
“Take a guess.”
Yu Lili pursed her lips and thought for a bit: “You took it!”
“Nope. I ignored her.”
Yu Lili poked her on the shoulder: “You’ve always been this aloof since you were little?”
“And then what happened?”
“She made a silly face at me and skipped away. But the next day, we ran into each other again. No popcorn this time — she had candy instead. She probably didn’t even remember what happened the day before. She just held out her hand and asked me if I wanted candy.”
“And this time?”
“You accepted, right?”
“Nope,” Tan Suran replied.
“Wow, you’re so cold.” Yu Lili didn’t even know why — she just really hoped she’d taken the candy from Little F.
Even if, in some sense, that made Little F her romantic rival.
Still, she thought little Tan Suran had suffered so much, too much.
If someone could have given her a bit of sweetness back then, whoever it was — she’d be grateful to them.
“But… she unwrapped the candy and shoved it into my mouth.”
In the dark, Tan Suran’s eyes shimmered faintly, and as she said those words, it felt like a shooting star had passed.
Yu Lili rested her head on her arm and laughed: “Nice move.”
“And after that, it happened a few more times. I’d be doing my homework on the street, and she’d sit in front of me and watch.”
“Was she bad at studying or something? Why didn’t she do homework with you?”
“Because she wasn’t in school yet.”
Oh, not in school yet.
Oh… not in school…?
“Not in school?!”
“Wait a second.”
“How old were you both at the time?” Yu Lili suddenly had a strange feeling.
“Hmm…” Tan Suran thought. “I was eight. She was about… four or five.”
Yu Lili’s mouth dropped open in shock.
So basically…
She had been jealous of a toddler who probably couldn’t even recite the alphabet.
…
Yu Lili blinked resentfully.
But it wasn’t her fault.
Tan Suran had made it sound so emotionally charged.
“Then what happened?”
“Then I moved away.”
That seems to be the ending to a lot of childhood stories.
“So… that’s why you like her?”
“No, I saw her again in high school.”
Yu Lili pursed her lips — her instincts told her this was the main event.
“She came to our class looking for someone. And I had just been moved to that person’s seat.”
“It was a gloomy day. I was sitting by the window. The window was closed. Knock knock — someone tapped on the glass lightly. I ignored it. But after a while…
A soft little voice called out from outside, ‘ Sister—’”
“So I opened the window and saw her, smiling brightly.”
“And then?” Yu Lili couldn’t hide the hint of jealousy in her voice.
“Then the sun came out.”
As Tan Suran recalled that moment, a faint smile naturally formed on her lips.
But right next to her—
The air turned icy cold.
“Tan. Su. Ran.”
┇
Yu Lili pursed her lips and accused her, word by word:
“Do you think it’s appropriate to talk about someone else with that tone in front of your wife?”
Tan Suran laughed.
And as she laughed, she dropped a question that left Yu Lili speechless:
“Lili, do you want to… meet Little F?”
—
The next morning.
Tan Suran was already gone — probably off to work.
Yu Lili got up.
And discovered something that didn’t belong in the room.
That hard-covered diary she saw last time in the pink bedroom — it was now sitting on the desk, right next to her.
She wasn’t sure if Tan Suran left it there on purpose… or by accident.
Her eyes lingered on it for a while.
Her fingers twitched.
Forget it. She wasn’t that curious.
Yu Lili let out a breath.
Slowly opened the door, ready to head downstairs for breakfast.
Took two steps…
Then suddenly turned around.
In a flash, she rushed back to the desk.
Grabbed the diary.
Jumped into bed and hid under the covers like a little hill.
She was so well hidden — there’s no way anyone would know she peeked. As long as she put it back after reading, no harm done.
Yu Lili was quite pleased with herself.
Time to find out what shady stuff was inside.
She opened the first page.
Nothing.
Second page.
Still blank.
Not until page five…
A single line appeared.
“If you want to meet Little F, go to the pink room.”
The handwriting was clean, elegant — eerily familiar.
Tan Suran’s handwriting.
!!
What the heck?
Was she talking to someone?
Yu Lili slammed the diary shut.
Started biting her nails.
Did Tan Suran already know she’d try to peek?
Hmm.
Was this an empty trap? Lure her in with one cryptic line?
Yu Lili threw off the covers, tossed the diary aside.
Pouted and sat up.
Tan Suran obviously had her figured out way too well.
Heh.
Was she — Yu Lili — that easy to read?
She dragged her slippers toward the stairs.
As she passed the pink room…
She glanced over, face twitching slightly.
Tan Suran did say: If you want answers, go to the pink room.
So… she would just—
Yu Lili stepped to the side and dramatically shoved the door open.
She walked in. The layout was different from before.
Extra furniture was pushed to the corners.
A medieval-style rug covered the floor.
It stretched from the doorway to the far wall.
She walked to the end.
Reached out her hand—
And gently pushed.
A hidden door slid open.
At the ornate end—
Was a huge, silvery mirror.
And in the reflection—
She saw herself.
Yu Lili blinked in confusion.
Like something was about to break through.
On a nearby wooden pedestal—
There was a photo.
Yu Lili picked it up.
The little chubby kid in the picture — it looked just like the one she saw in the Du family’s garden that day.
But this one…
She had never seen before.
It was her, at around age four.
Squatting by the curb with her cheeks resting in her hands.
A thought surged, trying to burst out.
Countless small clues connected—
All pointing to the most unlikely…
But also most logical answer.
Yu Lili’s pupils shrank.
Little F.
Could it be…
At that moment—
Her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID.
Swiped to answer.
“Hello, Little F.”
Tan Suran’s voice came through the speaker.
Calm — but earth-shattering.
—
Squeak—
Evening.
After an entire day of silence, the front door finally opened.
Yu Lili, who had been pacing around like an anxious ant all day…
Suddenly composed herself on the couch, poised and graceful.
As the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder—
Her heart pounded harder.
She was Little F?
Unbelievable.
She waited.
And waited.
Anticipating the emotional reunion.
Would Tan Suran burst in, hug her tightly and cry, “Little F! There you are!”
Or say, “You finally know. I’ve waited for you so long.”
Would they end up crying in each other’s arms?
Her heart fluttered with expectation.
But the room only grew quieter.
The footsteps stopped.
Yu Lili turned her head carefully—
Uh-oh.
No one was there.
She found Tan Suran upstairs.
She had changed clothes.
Was sitting on the bed, head slightly lowered.
Unwrapping a box.
The plastic wrap crackled.
Yu Lili leans against the doorframe, fidgeting with her fingers. After indulging in her own fantasies for a long time, she realizes this person really doesn’t seem planning to speak up first.
No choice but to take the initiative herself: “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“Hmm?” Tan Suran stops what she’s doing and looks up. “What do you want me to say?”
Yu Lili’s expression freezes as she stares at Tan Suran for a long moment.
Does she really think dropping a line like “I’m Little F” means this matter is over?
“Forget it. I’m going to watch TV.”
The moment Yu Lili gives up, Tan Suran immediately gets up from the bed and grabs her hand: “Just teasing you. What do you want to know?”
“I don’t want to know anything.” Yu Lili pushed her hand away and continued walking out.
Then she was pinned against the wall.
Tan Suran braced one hand against the wall while the other grasped Yu Lili’s hand, interlacing their fingers. “I’ll tell you everything,” she said.
Yu Lili pouted and refused to speak.
But she couldn’t hold it in for long.
“I’m Little F?”
Tan Suran nodded. “I’d be a liar if I said otherwise.”
Yu Lili’s eyes darted around before she pointed at herself with her free hand. “Me, Yu Lili—why do I have the nickname Little F?”
Tan Suran smiled and booped her nose. “Because a certain little kid once told me her name was ‘Yu Yu Yu,’ and that she was a little fish.”
Yu Lili paused. Her mother had indeed mentioned that when she was little, she loved to preen and often called herself a fish spirit or a fish fairy.
Yu Lili: “So… you recognized me all along?”
“From the very beginning.”
Tan Suran’s firm tone gradually melted Yu Lili’s initial shock and discomfort at the revelation.
“Then… after all these years, why tell me now?”
“If I recall correctly, you were the one who asked me first.” Tan Suran raised an eyebrow and took a step back.
Yu Lili stubbornly retorted, “You could’ve just made something up to trick me!”
Tan Suran closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, then slowly whispered in her ear, “Because I sensed that… you might love me too.”
“Then your senses are wrong.” Yu Lili twitched her lips and emphasized defiantly.
“It’s not just ‘seems like,’ it’s ‘I love you.'”
Tan Suran blinked and didn’t say anything.
But the corners of her lips slowly curved upward.
The conversation was a little too sentimental.
Yu Lili turned her face away and changed the subject: “Did you leave the diary there on purpose? What if I hadn’t read it?”
“Based on what I know about you, that was unlikely.”
Yu Lili rolled her eyes.
After rolling them a few times to rest her eyes,
she lowered her head, unable to hide a hint of regret as she said, “But I don’t remember any of it.”
“I remember for both of us.”
Tan Suran reached out and wrapped her arms around Yu Lili’s waist.
Yu Lili’s hands rested on hers, her voice hoarse and guilty as she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“It’s not too late.”
As long as she came to her, it was never too late.
Besides, back then, the two of them had been so far apart.
How could she have said it?
She was the one who had lit up her entire youth.
—
After coming out of the shower,
Yu Lili saw Tan Suran wearing silver-framed glasses, leaning against the bedside with a sheet of white paper in her hand, her gaze focused and serious.
Thinking she was handling work matters, Yu Lili softened her footsteps, preparing to quietly leave.
But Tan Suran grabbed her wrist and pulled her into her arms.
The moment they pressed close together,
Tan Suran nuzzled against the crook of her neck,
rubbing gently again and again.
“So sweet.”
“You should focus on your work first,” Yu Lili protested.
“But there are some parts I don’t quite understand. Can you take a look for me?”
Tan Suran didn’t let go. Instead, she held up the blank sheet of paper she had just picked up and brought it right before Yu Lili’s eyes.
“You don’t even understand it, yet you think I would… You flatter me too much, CEO.”
Even as she said this, Yu Lili’s eyes still flicked toward the paper in Tan Suran’s hand—just in case she could help.
One glance was all it took.
Yu Lili’s gaze froze in place.
Disbelieving, she looked again.
It was still exactly what she had just seen.
A flush crept up her ears.
Her entire body stiffened.
Every point of contact between them burned hotter.
She began biting her lip.
Meanwhile, the arm wrapped around her waist pressed in with just the right pressure—teasing, like a mischievous kitten.
“Teach me, won’t you? Hmm?”
Tan Suran was—undoubtedly—tempting her.
“Wh-what part don’t you get?” Yu Lili stammered, her voice tight with nerves.
“I’ve grasped the theory, but…” Tan Suran let out a low, breathy chuckle. “Practical application requires further… experimentation.”
By the time Yu Lili was pressed into the bed, one thought still lingered in her dazed mind:
Tan Suran’s utterly composed, almost ascetic expression earlier—
Had been while reading the instructions for finger cots.
……
“Wh-what are you doing?” Yu Lili’s face burned crimson, her voice trembling with breathless anticipation.
The slender hand rested casually on her waist, sliding slightly.
…………………………………………
……
[Through clothes! Through clothes! Is through clothes okay? QWQ Below is just kissing, kissing, the kind where lips meet.]
Tan Suran bit her ear and said in a breathless voice, “Didn’t you say it last night?”
The tingling electric sensation sent waves of numbness through her scalp.
A muffled moan gathered in her throat.
“Say what?”
“We can sleep together.”
“I… didn’t mean…”
The rest of her words were swallowed by a teasing tongue.
Her eyes shimmered with desire.
Lips parted slightly.
As their tongues intertwined,
Her hair gradually became disheveled.
She arched her feet taut.
Even her round toes turned pink and pale.
When they finally parted,
Both gasped heavily for breath.
Tan Suran’s hands didn’t stop, peeling away something as she murmured in admiration, “So beautiful.”
Not long after.
Her eyes were already glistening with moisture.
Her lips were swollen from kisses.
Their clothes had been pushed aside in disarray.
Yu Lili arched her neck, a pillow cushioning her back, her fingers tangled in Tan Suran’s hair, gripping tightly.
Pitter-patter.
Pitter-patter.
……
……
……
(Just a description of rain, please be lenient, moderators.)
……
……
Outside.
A low rumble of thunder sounded.
As if brewing a storm.
Splat-splat-splat-splat-splat.
A continuous, rhythmic cascade of droplets.
The room felt like a scalding steamer.
Burning hot.
A swelter unseasonable for the time.
The roaring rain poured down in torrents.
Countless delicate droplets intertwined.
Merging.
Inseparable.
Then quivering under the force of wind and rain.
Like a boat adrift, forced to meet the waves crashing in relentless succession.
A faint sense of suffocation.
A flash of lightning.
Blinding white.
The final surge of droplets against the ground.
Thud.
A helpless collapse.
……
……
……