Little Duckling - Chapter 25

“Jian Xin, I’m sorry…”

That night, Jian Xin had a dream.

In her dream, she was a tiny Call Duck living with her parents in their Nanjiang home.

A duck nest sat beside the living room sofa, next to a small, tent-like doghouse.

The Corgi stood nearby, munching on duck feed, its tail wagging like a little duster.

Her father watered his newly planted tomatoes on the balcony, while her mother leaned out of the bedroom, calling her name.

Jian Xin instinctively stood up, but before she could take a step, the Corgi had already scampered over.

Her mother crouched down, stroking the Corgi’s head with a radiant smile.

“Quack?” If I’m Xin Xin, then who am I?

She tilted her head, momentarily disoriented.

The antique wall clock suddenly chimed, and she glanced up to see it was already four in the afternoon.

She froze for a moment, then leaped up with a frantic “Quack!”

How is it already four?! I have a date with Yan Lu!

She rushed to the door, squawking and flapping her wings frantically, nearly setting them ablaze in her panic.

“What’s all the racket, Cauliflower?” Mom walked into the living room, hands on her hips, looking displeased.

Corgi wagged his tail and trotted over, obediently sitting at Mom’s feet.

Mom: “Cauliflower’s being so noisy, and Xin Xin’s being so good. How about I make Cauliflower for dinner tonight?”

“Gah?!”

Mom, Mom, Mom! Look closely! Who’s your real daughter here?!

Seeing Mom about to grab her, she panicked and flapped her wings wildly, darting around the room.

She flew from the doorway to the center of the living room, then up to the sofa, and finally to the balcony.

She felt like she’d never flown so fast or so high in her life!

She knocked over Dad’s tomatoes, and since the balcony wasn’t enclosed, she didn’t hesitate to jump over the railing.

As she soared over the railing, she thought, Thank goodness the balcony isn’t enclosed! Now I can hurry and find Yan Lu!

But the next moment, she realized she was seven stories above the ground, and her wings seemed useless no matter how hard she flapped.

A sudden feeling of weightlessness made her frantically kick her tiny legs—

Then, Jian Xin felt a sharp pain in her leg and opened her eyes with a gasp.

What a terrible dream…

She stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time, dazed, before pulling out her phone to check the time, finally shaking off the nightmare.

What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

This nightmare was all Cauliflower’s fault!

Last night had been so joyful. She’d landed a huge order and even secured a dinner date for today.

But the mere thought of waking up as a duck and missing this opportunity kept her tossing and turning all night.

Jian Xin closed her eyes and took several deep, slow breaths.

Thank goodness, I’m still human.

She yanked open the bedroom curtains, flooding the dimly lit room with midday sunlight. Leaning against her desk, she forced open the window, which had been sealed shut for ages.

The room felt like it hadn’t been aired out in ages.

For a moment, Jian Xin felt a sudden sense of clarity and liberation.

It was terrifying how utterly decadent her recent days had become. She’d been holed up in her dark bedroom, never stepping outside, her life reduced to endless scrolling through novels and dramas. She’d even asked the delivery driver for her next takeout order to toss out the trash from her last meal.

If not for today’s appointment, she wouldn’t have realized she’d been living like this for over a month.

This shouldn’t be happening. This is completely unacceptable!

Since she had plenty of time before her appointment, instead of just sitting around waiting, she decided to pamper herself and get ready properly.

With these thoughts in mind, Jian Xin hopped into the bathroom, leaning on her crutch.

Her leg was still injured, making showering difficult. Instead, she thoroughly wiped herself down with warm water, changed into her going-out clothes, and hopped onto her electric wheelchair. She wheeled herself to the salon for a shampoo and trim, getting her bangs shaped and the ends of her hair styled into natural, soft waves.

Feeling refreshed and satisfied, she returned home and spent ages fussing in front of the mirror.

When she was busy with work, she’d just clip her hair back with a headband and rush out the door. If she got hot, she’d simply grab her hair into a ponytail or bun—she never had the energy or inclination for anything more elaborate.

But things were different now. As a musician, she needed to project energy and vitality!

Clinging to the closet door, she rummaged through her wardrobe, finally selecting a casual light-colored tank top that showed off her collarbones. She paired it with light blue denim shorts. Feeling something was missing, she cleverly added a contrasting silk ribbon around her waist.

Finally, she hopped over to the mirror on one leg and applied a flawless natural makeup look. She meticulously styled her hair into a classic “sweet girl” hairstyle—low pigtails that were voluminous and youthful.

A spritz of perfume on her wrists completed the transformation.

After all that fuss, it was already nearly three o’clock.

Jian Xin gazed at her reflection in the mirror, feeling a bit dazed.

It had been centuries since she’d dressed up like this. At first glance, she looked like she’d stepped back into her college days.

This outfit—the kind a twenty-something music girl would wear—perfectly complemented her naturally sweet features. The only downside was that, at twenty-eight, her knees ached a little from the trendy look.

Oh, and there was also the fact that she’d been limping lately.

Jian Xin took a deep breath, patted her cheeks with a cheerful smile, and, like a little drama queen, pointed at her reflection in the mirror. “Why are you wearing Pinru’s clothes? You’re so flashy!”

Flashy or not, who cared?

It was rare for her to dress up like this, so she might as well enjoy it!

Yan Lu arrived downstairs around 3:30 PM. Jian Xin, thrilled to receive the call, eagerly rushed down in her electric wheelchair.

In the elevator, she happened to run into an acquaintance who stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds before asking, “Who are you meeting today?”

“Oh, just having dinner with a friend,” Jian Xin replied, tilting her head back.

“Ooh~ A boyfriend?”

“No, no, no, a girl, a girl.”

“Ooh~ A girlfriend?”

“No, no… not a girlfriend.”

“Oh~~~ You haven’t won her over yet.”

Jian Xin opened her mouth to reply but couldn’t find the words.

I must be out of my mind today, she thought. It’s just meeting an ex. Why am I making such a big deal out of it?

The elevator stopped on the first floor. Before leaving, the acquaintance smiled and gave her a fist bump for encouragement: “You look stunning today! Go get ’em!”

Jian Xin nodded in response, forcing an awkward yet polite smile.

Yan Lu had said she’d be waiting at the elevator entrance in the underground parking garage.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Jian Xin saw Yan Lu standing outside.

For a brief moment, a flicker of surprise seemed to cross Yan Lu’s eyes before her expression quickly settled into composure. She stepped forward, took Jian Xin’s hand, and helped her out of the elevator.

The navigation app on Yan Lu’s phone chimed to life, guiding her to the restaurant where they had reserved a private room the previous night.

The atmosphere in the car remained as silent as it had been during their two previous trips to the hospital. Apart from the navigation’s constant instructions, the only sound was the city’s traffic radio program.

Jian Xin lowered her head to play on her phone for a while when Yan Lu’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

“That ribbon looks beautiful.”

“Huh?” Jian Xin paused, looked up, and asked, “Me?”

“Mm,” Yan Lu replied.

“Oh, I bought it at the beginning of the year,” Jian Xin said, smiling. “Do you want the link?”

“No, it suits you better,” Yan Lu said casually. “It goes well with your outfit.”

“If you don’t count work and hospital visits, I haven’t been out in ages,” Jian Xin murmured. “Since I was finally going out, I thought I’d dress up a bit… It’s been so long since I did this, it feels a little strange.”

Yan Lu smiled faintly. “You look beautiful.”

Jian Xin pressed her lips together and gazed out the window, a hint of joy in her eyes.

The restaurant they had chosen last night was located on an island in the middle of a lake, surrounded by low-rise buildings, lush greenery, and serene tranquility.

Their pre-booked bubble room was situated near the lake’s edge, offering a particularly romantic ambiance.

Jiang Lan had described how watching the sunset from the bubble room—seeing the crimson sky gradually fade as twilight descended, then lighting the candle lamp on the table to become a solitary beacon on the lake—would be an utterly romantic experience.

Jian Xin happily ordered a table full of dishes, eagerly anticipating the evening’s sunset. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to check the weather forecast the previous day. Just as the food was being served, the once-bright sky suddenly darkened.

Dark clouds gathered swiftly, and within minutes, a torrential downpour began to pelt the outside world.

The promised sunset was nowhere to be seen, and the relentless rain roared against the windows. Jian Xin felt her good mood had been flushed away like toilet paper, disappearing down the drain with a single press of the flush.

She sighed softly, her expression slightly embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, I forgot to check the weather…”

Yan Lu glanced up at the falling rain.

“This is nice too,” she said with a gentle smile, switching on the candle lamp on the table. “Who says rain isn’t a kind of scenery?”

Jian Xin paused, following Yan Lu’s gaze to stare blankly at the downpour outside.

Each raindrop plummeted from the dark clouds, striking the transparent bubble with a splash, then cascading swiftly downward.

They were trapped here, bathed in the warm, orange glow of the night lamp.

The heavy rain muffled the city’s usual cacophony of horns, lending an unexpected tranquility to the world outside.

Who says rain isn’t a kind of scenery…

Some landscapes are visible to everyone, while others can only be seen by a select few.

It used to be Jian Xin who comforted Yan Lu, but now Yan Lu was comforting her.

Jian Xin slowly withdrew her gaze, listening to the rain outside and watching the candle flame flicker before her. After a long silence, she suddenly spoke, “Thank you, Yan Lu.”

A hint of confusion crossed Yan Lu’s face. “Thank me for what?”

“It’s hard to explain in a few words, but I have a lot to thank you for,” Jian Xin said. “Whether it was during my hospital stay or after I was discharged, you’ve always been so considerate.”

“After all, my cousin hit you. We’ve known each other for a while, and you’ve helped me so much in the past,” Yan Lu paused, then continued, “I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t see what happened and ignore it completely.”

Jian Xin chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Honestly, given our relationship, it wouldn’t have been wrong if you had just pretended not to see it.”

Yan Lu: “What kind of relationship do we have?”

Jian Xin froze for a moment, caught between laughter and tears. “Why are you asking that again? You asked yesterday, and you’re asking again today. I don’t even know how to answer anymore.”

As she spoke, an idea struck her. She tossed the question right back at Yan Lu: “Why don’t you tell me? What kind of relationship do we have?”

Yan Lu lowered her gaze, pondered quietly for a moment, and then said softly, “At least there’s no animosity between us.”

“Really?” Jian Xin cupped the coconut milk in her hands and took a sip. “I always thought we had deep-seated resentment.”

Yan Lu couldn’t help but chuckle, lifting her eyes to ask, “Why would you think that?”

“Hmm…” Jian Xin considered, then said gravely, “Because you disappeared so completely back then. I always felt you must have hated me.”

After her words faded, only the sound of rain filled the air.

The sky grew darker, as if the heavens were about to collapse.

Yan Lu stared at the flickering candlelight for what seemed like an eternity before murmuring, “You’re overthinking it. I never hated you.”

“Oh…” Jian Xin replied, biting down on her straw.

The coconut milk tasted too sweet. As a child, she had loved intensely sweet things, but now they felt cloying.

It seemed impossible for people to love the same things forever.

The snacks she had adored as a child, the novels and dramas she had once cherished, the singers and actors she had once idolized—most had faded into indifference. Even revisiting them now couldn’t recapture the original feeling.

She realized that Yan Lu was like this to her, and she must be the same to Yan Lu.

The reason Jian Xin felt such complex and indescribable emotions whenever she saw Yan Lu was simply because she hadn’t fully processed her feelings.

Since childhood, she had always been the most carefree among her friends. Everyone said she was remarkably level-headed, able to take things in stride and let go easily.

Now that Yan Lu was in the past, how could she let herself be defeated?

“Yan Lu, you asked me about our relationship. To be honest, I’ve always felt… that we have unresolved issues between us.”

“…”

“I remember I was the one who initiated the breakup, but you never gave me a clear answer. Then, suddenly, I couldn’t reach you anymore,” Jian Xin said, her eyebrows arching into a smile. “Let me confirm: we did break up back then, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Lu nodded.

“Great!” Jian Xin clapped her hands, her voice ringing out. “Now I understand! That makes us exes!”

“Sigh, I’ve never quite figured this out, you know? Sometimes when I think of you, it feels surreal, like I’m not really single. We never had a chance to properly clarify things. It’s like a story with only a beginning and a middle, but no ending…”

Jian Xin paused, her gaze settling on Yan Lu. With a smile, she asked, “So… Yan Lu, do you think exes can be friends?”

Yan Lu countered, “What do you think?”

“I think they can,” Jian Xin replied, unconsciously tightening her grip on her chopsticks. “But my opinion alone doesn’t matter. Do you know what I kept thinking about the year we broke up?”

“What was that?” Yan Lu asked.

“Just regret,” Jian Xin said. “If I’d known we were going to break up, why did we even get together in the first place?”

Yan Lu remained silent.

“It’s not that I regret being with you,” Jian Xin clarified, her eyes growing slightly red-rimmed, though her smile remained. “I just regret losing such a close friend because of it. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrows, but I had to be greedy and take a bite. I didn’t believe it at the time, but once it was gone, I realized how empty the space around my burrow felt—no shelter from the winter wind, no shade from the summer sun. It’s not a good place to live, and it’s not even pretty to look at…”

Yan Lu opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then finally managed, “What kind of analogy is that…?”

Jian Xin took a deep breath and shook her head. “Hey! I’m not a writer, so my expression skills are limited. Just bear with me—as long as you understand what I mean.”

“So, what about you?” Jian Xin asked Yan Lu, her gaze unwavering. “Do you think we can still be friends? No need for polite formalities. I’m asking if we can put aside our past disagreements and start over as friends who at least won’t feel awkward around each other.”

She suggested starting as casual friends—no need to stay in constant contact unless necessary. They could reach out to each other when needed, whether to share good news or vent frustrations. The key was to let their interactions flow naturally.

As for what kind of relationship they might eventually have, she’d leave that to fate.

“If—and I mean if—you don’t think you can do this, just tell me,” Jian Xin said with a seemingly nonchalant smile. “We can simply stop contacting each other. A clean break is better than awkward conversations and pointless drives where we barely exchange a few words.”

Yan Lu listened silently for a long time, making sure Jian Xin had finished. Then she let out a soft sigh.

“Jian Xin, I’m sorry.”

Her voice was so quiet it was almost drowned out by the heavy rain, but Jian Xin still heard the apology.

How strange, she thought. What does she have to apologize for?

Even if they couldn’t be friends anymore, at least they’d cleared the air.

As for the Duck situation, she could think of other solutions later.

Right! I haven’t even visited the temple to pray yet. Maybe a prayer would do the trick?

And if that doesn’t work, I can always consult more experts!

Just as Jian Xin was about to speak magnanimously, Yan Lu spoke first.

“I didn’t know how to act around you, which made things so awkward every time,” Yan Lu said softly. “Actually, your regrets are my regrets too… We say the past is behind us, but some things don’t seem to fade completely.”

“Ah, so…”

“So, let’s try what you suggested,” Yan Lu said with a smile. “I’m curious to see if exes can really be friends.”

Jian Xin blinked, tilted her head, and asked, “Then—can friends be honest with each other?”

Yan Lu nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Jian Xin: “That OST… it has something to do with you, right? I’m not wrong, am I?”

Yan Lu: “Mm…”

Jian Xin wiped away her tears, sniffled, and huffed, “I knew it all along! This meal is to thank you for that! You’re so stubborn, you only admit it when pushed this far. Is helping your ex get work something shameful?”

Yan Lu smiled without answering.

“Alright, alright!” Jian Xin waved her hand, a genuine smile lighting up her eyes. “I’ll seize this opportunity with every ounce of my strength! I won’t let my friend’s kindness go to waste!”

Seeing her like this, Yan Lu couldn’t help but ask, “Friends can be honest with each other, right?”

Jian Xin: “Of course! Say whatever’s on your mind!”

“Actually… I have a Chinese stomach,” Yan Lu said with a smile.

“…!”

Jian Xin stared at the nearly untouched table of Thai food before her, lost in thought.