Pillowside Passion - Chapter 41

41:

Du Qingting stared at her, dazed. Like my heart.

Her heart… what about it?

“Qingting,” Liu Sumei called, stepping outside first.

Du Qingting hurriedly bowed, apologizing.

Then Zhang Guixiang came out, concerned. “Oh, sweetie, did you hurt yourself? Come here, let me check…”

Du Qingting looked at the people at the gate, frozen, not daring to move. Then You Jin’s voice came through her earbud: “Run.”

She glanced at the figure upstairs, and the next second, following You Jin’s words, she turned and bolted. The wind hit her face, whistling across her cheeks, unable to quell the heat rising within her.

She’d truly embarrassed herself to the max. Rubbing her cheeks, she thought of how she used to care so much about her pride. Now, she must look like a complete fool.

But being a fool was fine.

Suddenly, she found it kind of funny, even fun.

Her mind kept replaying You Jin’s words: Like my heart. Her heart pounded, thrumming with excitement.

She started overanalyzing the phrase.

Like my heart.

Did You Jin’s heart have an alarm bell too?

Was it ringing for her?

It was so sweet, like sucking on a piece of candy. They hadn’t even kissed, yet it felt like their tongues had brushed, the sweetness melting completely, seeping straight to her heart. It was almost too much to bear.

Back home, Du Qingting pressed her hand hard against her chest. Then, facing her family’s stares from the sofa—eyes like a tribunal—she took several deep breaths outside to compose herself before heading upstairs, acting calm.

Her mom called out, “Why did you climb their wall again?”

Du Qingting pretended not to hear, toughing it out as she marched to her room. Chen Huiru craned her neck, shouting, “Stop right there!”

Du Qingting thought, If I stop just because you tell me to, wouldn’t that make me lose even more face?

She had no face left to lose, so she’d better scrape some back now.

She darted upstairs in a flash.

With the door shut tight, she ignored the voices outside, covering her flushed face before heading to the bathroom.

Thinking it over, she took another shower.

When she came out, there was a knock at the door.

Chen Huiru said, “Baby, what trouble did you cause this time? Tell me so I can apologize tomorrow.”

Du Qingting hadn’t figured out how to explain it.

Her mind kept replaying You Jin’s smile. It was so strange—she’d embarrassed herself, yet found it oddly amusing. For the first time, she was humiliated but happy.

“Du Qingting!” her mom yelled. “You’re 25, not 17 or 18 anymore! What if You Jin’s parents don’t like you?”

That was indeed a problem.

Du Qingting said, “They’ve never really liked me, from childhood till now.” Thinking about it, she realized she’d always been the one eagerly approaching their cold indifference. The You family, polite for appearances, never truly warmed to her, the clumsy kid.

The only one who was ever warm to her was You Jin.

Now that she thought about it, the only one who truly liked her was probably You Jin.

“But attitudes can change, right? If you behave, maybe things will shift,” Chen Huiru said, exasperated. “You never appreciate how good I am to you. I’m upset.”

Du Qingting said, “Got it.”

“After your sister starts school, you’re coming with me to apologize.”

“Got it,” Du Qingting repeated.

Chen Huiru asked, “Why’d you climb their wall again? Back in high school, after your jump, they added a few centimeters to it. Who knows how high it’ll go this time. You’re always digging up their lawn or climbing their walls.”

Du Qingting sighed, conceding. She didn’t dare lie, worried it’d make her mom’s apology harder. “I climbed the wall to see You Jin, okay?”

“Huh?” Chen Huiru couldn’t wrap her head around it. “Why were you looking at her?”

Du Qingting: “She’s too beautiful. If I don’t get a glimpse, I can’t sleep at night.”

“I had something small to tell her, but her parents wouldn’t let me in, so I tried the wall. Didn’t expect the alarm to still be so solid after all these years.”

“Solid? With your Aunt Liu being an artist, look at her elegance. Their living room’s hung with famous paintings worth millions. They were rich before, and now they’re richer. Of course they’d guard against thieves,” Chen Huiru scolded. “So dumb, baby, you’re so dumb. If you wanted to see her, couldn’t you sneak a few photos to keep on your phone and look at whenever you want?”

Dumb?

Du Qingting shrugged, unbothered.

She flopped onto her bed and started typing a message.

[Why’s it like your heart?]

[You got a burglar alarm in your heart?]

[Like it’s such a cute ringing for me.]

Du Qingting tsked. Studying abroad didn’t teach her much, but it sure made her fluent in romantic English. Back then, her English was awful—memorizing vocab nearly killed her.

Pillow-propped, she hesitated to send the message, then kept typing: [Your heart, so lovely. You laugh, so much cuter.]

Who cares about grammar? She hit send.

After Du Qingting left, You Jin came downstairs, a faint whiff of alcohol on her, a smile in her eyes. The front gate was closed. She glanced at it, but Liu Sumei and You Qingchuan returned, sitting on the sofa with cold expressions. You Qingchuan’s brows were tightly furrowed, his face grim as he caught the scent on her.

“What’s going on today?” he asked coldly.

Liu Sumei parted her lips, guessing what happened but chose to stay silent, her brows knitting slightly. You Jin’s cheeks held a flush, the alcohol’s warmth spreading, making her face glow.

You Jin said, “I accidentally dropped something on the wall and couldn’t reach it. She climbed up to help me.”

“What could fall on a 2.7-meter wall? How’d you throw it up there?” You Qingchuan’s voice was low.

You Jin thought seriously, not expecting to need a better lie. She casually added, “I tricked her, she believed me, and went to get it.”

You Qingchuan’s face darkened, his expression sour. Liu Sumei tried to speak, smelling the alcohol. “Xiao Jin’s drunk. Go sleep, don’t you have a meeting with your dad tomorrow?”

“Look at what she did,” You Qingchuan said sternly. “No normal person would do this.”

Liu Sumei raised her voice. “Enough, go sleep.”

“Probably just a mascot,” You Qingchuan muttered.

You Jin said, “Even if it’s keeping a pet, it’s pretty fun. You didn’t want me to keep Little Butterfly either, but you ended up liking her, didn’t you?”

“I just…”

“You just don’t like her. Nothing she does pleases you,” You Jin said.

She clapped her hands, and Little Butterfly trotted over, rubbing against her leg. You Jin hugged its neck. “Mommy’s giving you a hug.”

Little Butterfly nuzzled her, barking softly. You Jin petted its head, missing a certain little dog, so she hugged Little Butterfly a bit longer. The dog sprawled on her lap, eagerly nuzzling its mom.

You Jin pulled a bag of treats from the coffee table drawer, feeding Little Butterfly, who squinted happily. “At first, you didn’t want me to get a dog. I snuck her home, and now you like her, don’t you?”

“A dog’s a dog, a person’s a person,” You Qingchuan said.

You Jin replied, “Now you’re calling her a person.”

After feeding Little Butterfly, she rubbed its head and said softly, “I’m going upstairs.”

“Woof.”

You Jin went upstairs, Little Butterfly trotting behind. It stayed by her side until she entered the bathroom, then hopped up to close the door, the proud Doberman happily scampering around.

You Qingchuan and Liu Sumei sat downstairs in silence, eventually heading upstairs one after the other.

You Jin sat on her bed, checking her phone.

Seeing Du Qingting’s messages, her lips curved slightly.

She sent a voice message: “Embarrass yourself today, huh?”

The other side showed “Typing,” then switched to “Recording.”

Seconds later, Du Qingting’s voice came through.

“Reporting to Master, very embarrassed.”

You Jin laughed, pressing the voice key. “Then why’d you do it?”

“Because I didn’t know why you were upset, so I embarrassed myself to cheer you up,” Du Qingting paused, then continued. “I threw away all my pride to make you happy. You’re not allowed to stay mad.”

You Jin wanted to say she wasn’t mad, but another message came: “…And don’t be mad at yourself either. Give me a bit of a face, or I embarrassed myself for nothing.”

You Jin replied with a brief “Mm.”

In that short second, her finger circled the screen, then she sent another voice message: “Dummy.”

Du Qingting exhaled heavily at the word.

How could one word sound so good? Just that one word, she listened to it over ten times. So alluring, so captivating.

You Jin’s voice was lazy, laced with the warmth of alcohol.

She scolded again.

“Little fool.”

Du Qingting took a deep breath. “Stop scolding, stop it.”

If she kept going, Du Qingting felt she’d turn into a pervert.

She asked, “What if your parents are mad?”

You Jin said, “As long as I’m happy, it’s fine. It’s just an alarm, not like you were stealing.”

Du Qingting: “I was stealing, though.”

“Hm?”

“Not stealing stuff—stealing your heart, right?”

Silence followed. Du Qingting reflected—she hadn’t drunk today, so why was she acting drunk? Completely intoxicated, she pressed the voice key, blurting, “Why aren’t you talking?”

You Jin: “You’re making me miss you.”

“Is missing me embarrassing?”

Du Qingting spoke and typed: [I’d feel honored.]

You Jin: “Missing someone too often might be annoying.”

Du Qingting: “If I haven’t said I’m annoyed, why would you think I am?”

“I’m not annoyed.”

“I’m just scared of you, not sick of you.”

You Jin: “What if I keep getting mad? Keep getting jealous?”

Du Qingting: “Then… I’ll find the root cause. It feels okay for now. You’re not always mad—you’re pretty forgiving, aren’t you?” She knew her own flaws. “I’ve been a handful since I was a kid. If it comes to it, I’ll just coax you more.”

Waiting for a reply, no new voice came. She tapped the screen lightly: [Reporting to Master, I’m done talking. Going to sleep.]

You Jin sent a voice message.

“Reporting to Little Dog, how am I supposed to sleep? I’m starting to miss you.”

Her dad had asked what fell on the wall.

She thought: My heart, probably.

She couldn’t explain why. Back when Chen Huiru approached her, her mom had said not to bother—top teachers couldn’t teach Du Qingting, who wasn’t cut out for studying and didn’t want to learn. It’d be a waste of time; You Jin should focus on her own studies.

You Jin didn’t care much then, just curious about how the frilly-dress girl from childhood had turned into a roof-climbing, wall-scaling teen, and what she’d become now.

Their last childhood meeting wasn’t friendly. They used to ride the school bus together, You Jin by the window, Du Qingting always beside her.

After You Jin switched schools, their schedules didn’t align. Once, in her family’s car, stopped at a red light, she heard someone shouting, “You Jin, You Jin.” She turned and saw Du Qingting clinging to the bus window, sitting in her old spot, her duck-shaped backpack on the empty seat beside her. Looking at You Jin, tears streamed down her face, her sobs shaking her body, her face a mess. She wiped her tears with her arm, and by the time she’d vented her grievances, You Jin’s car had driven off.

Those eyes were wide, brimming with emotion.

Back then, Du Qingting’s daily greetings were:

“You Jin, good morning, you’re so beautiful again.”

“You Jin, where are we eating lunch? My mom made something super tasty. What did your auntie make you?”

“Du Qingting, don’t hold my hand with your candy-sticky fingers. It’s gross.”

“Okay, I’ll lick them clean. Can I hold your hand now, You Jin? Remember to pick me up after school.”

“Du Qingting, why are you the only one left in the classroom again?”

“Waiting for you. I got sleepy waiting. I don’t dare leave with anyone else, what if they trick me? You Jin, I’m so tired.”

“You Jin, you carried me on your back! You’re so cute, so great.”

Those words felt distant, less like their childhood memories. When You Jin started tutoring her, she went to Du Qingting’s high school, standing in the hallway, peering through the window. Du Qingting, chin propped on her hand, chatted with a group, passing a book around. She grabbed her book back, snapping, “Don’t mess up my book, I need to study.”

“Wow, our Sister Du’s getting serious about studying?”

Du Qingting scoffed, “What’s it to you idiots?”

Her scoff seemed to tilt the sunlight in her favor.

Spinning her textbook, her smile was radiant—far prettier than when she cried as a kid.

You Jin watched for a moment, then left without entering, like she used to drag Du Qingting home. She just parked at the school gate, waiting for her after class. Grown-up Du Qingting wasn’t as face-blind as before, no longer seeing everyone the same, no longer struggling to recognize people or only trusting You Jin to guide her to and from school.

As a kid, Du Qingting wasn’t popular, always fighting, clueless about who to retaliate against, sometimes brawling with the whole class. She’d worry about talking to an enemy the next day by mistake, asking You Jin to keep track of her grudges.

As an adult, her world was vibrant, full of friends, laughing and joking, becoming the popular Du Qingting. She’d learned from doctors how to recognize objects and faces, distinguishing people by their traits, even spotting beauties.

Morning came.

Du Qingting woke to a message.

You Jin: [Morning.]

After washing up, Du Qingting grabbed her phone, snapping a mirror selfie, angling to show off her waist and hips, sending the spiciest one.

You Jin: [Perky.]

Du Qingting dropped her phone, saying nothing, pulling up a workout video from last night to train her core.

After sweating buckets, she snapped another mirror photo.

She didn’t send it, heading to shower instead.

Dressed, she got a call from Evelyn. “Baby, my manager won’t let me go to school.”

“Then don’t come. A video call works,” Du Qingting said, understanding. Evelyn was a supermodel; she couldn’t just show up casually. A video call would thrill her sister.

Evelyn said earnestly, “No way, baby. I promised you, so I’ll do it. Besides, my manager’s not here. I’m a woman of my word.”

Du Qingting said, “Oh. Show me your waist.”

“What are you up to, baby? I don’t have feelings for you anymore, and we’re not compatible. You can’t do this.”

Du Qingting couldn’t say, You Jin praised your slim waist yesterday, so I want to see how slim it is and train hard to match.

That’d be too humiliating.

Evelyn said no but quickly sent a photo. In a bathrobe, hand on her hip, her frame wasn’t delicate but angular, curvy, and proportional—internet-famous for that “model vibe.”

No lying, Evelyn’s waist was stunning.

Du Qingting cursed, jealous.

If she trained like that, she’d drive You Jin wild.

“Send me your trainer’s contact,” Du Qingting said.

Evelyn shared the trainer’s info, adding, “Training’s not enough—you need diet too. You don’t have to be like me; I do this to make money and charm rich ladies into marrying me. Oh, baby, introduce me to a rich lady. On the runway, seeing those gorgeous rich women, I want to strip mid-walk and shout, ‘Sponsor me, marry me!’ I’m not that principled—rich ladies, love me, marry me!”

“…Stop raving, I’m hanging up.”

Du Qingting hung, wanting to wash her ears. Evelyn’s online image—cool, alpha—was unlike her real self. Online, she was the ultimate ALPHA, with a viral photo in a black muzzle, holding a leash, so hot everyone wanted to throw themselves at her.

Du Qingting searched for the photo, wondering if she should try that style. Thinking of You Jin praising Evelyn’s figure, she sent her a picture of a black muzzle: [Looks good?]

You Jin: [Why are you sending this to me?]

As Du Qingting typed, You Jin added: [This is like stripping naked and inviting me in.]

Du Qingting: [!?]

You Jin sent a photo.

Her slender fingers held a muzzle—probably Little Butterfly’s, black, her fingertip pressing the strap. [Drooling yet?]

Du Qingting swallowed hard, thinking:

Who wouldn’t lose it over this?

The more she thought, the worse it felt.

She set her phone down, chanting, Buddha have mercy, Buddha have mercy.

Blame Evelyn, she couldn’t let Evelyn meet You Jin. Evelyn thought You Jin was her type, and You Jin thought Evelyn had a great figure.

Then she thought of Buddha’s sticky rice dumpling.

Leaving her room, she knocked on the next door. “Sticky Rice, you awake?”

Du Nuanzhi shouted, “Awake, awake!”

Opening the door, she said, “Sis, do I look good? Cute?”

Their parents’ genes were strong, especially Chen Huiru’s sweet, charming face. Both sisters inherited their best traits.

Du Nuanzhi was shorter, stuck at 169 cm, wearing a black preppy skirt with a Peter Pan collar and two braids.

“Pretty, sis?”

“Pretty,” Du Qingting nodded, glancing at herself—white shirt, cargo pants, one side tucked in. Pretty charming too.

They went downstairs together. Du Qingting rolled up her sleeves. Breakfast was ready, and Chen Huiru called, “Hurry and eat. It’s the start of the school season, lots of traffic. Get there early to avoid it.”

Du Qingting: “Traffic’s fine. What’s the rush for school? Evelyn’s not ready, she takes at least an hour to get dolled up.”

“Not eager for school? That’s a mindset issue,” Du Nuanzhi said.

Chen Huiru perked up, suspicious. “Who’s Evelyn?” Narrowing her eyes, she wondered if that was the girlfriend. Did Du Qingting cause trouble yesterday to make the You family dislike her?

Without a marriage, she felt uneasy. “I’ve already sent flower cakes over, saying it’s for Nuanzhi’s school milestone. I also booked a cheongsam fitting for your Aunt Liu.”

Du Nuanzhi: “Ignore her. Evelyn’s my idol. She’s just mocking me.”

Du Qingting: “…Oh.”

Chen Huiru: “The one on your room’s posters? The mixed-race girl with green eyes?”

Du Nuanzhi nodded. “Yes, gorgeous, right?”

Chen Huiru: “Good-looking. The internet calls her an ‘attack,’ an ALPHA.”

Du Qingting: “You’re all fooled by appearances. Evelyn’s an omega, always chasing a ‘big sister.’ At 180 cm, no sister wants her. She’s been single forever, dreaming of marrying into wealth.”

“Don’t slander her! Evelyn’s the ultimate heartbreaker, the sister-slaying goddess!” Du Nuanzhi glared.

“Alright, enough. I can’t keep up with you kids,” Du Wenbo said, unable to join the women’s chatter. He pulled out a thick red envelope. “Here, Nuan Nuan, for you. Happy start to college.”

Chen Huiru handed one too. Du Nuanzhi glanced at her sister, who hadn’t produced one. Sighing, she counted her envelopes.

Du Qingting: “Red envelopes for starting college?” Thinking of her stingy sister, she said, “Nuan, if I get Evelyn to come, will you give me your envelopes?”

Chen Huiru: “Now you know life’s tough, huh? Taking your sister’s money? She’s a college student with little cash.”

Du Nuanzhi: “Mom, don’t say that. If she brings Evelyn, or even just gets me a video call with her, forget these 50,000 yuan envelopes—I’d add 100,000 more.”

“What? You’re that rich?” Du Qingting realized she was the poorest in the world. “Where’d you get 100,000?”

Du Nuanzhi: “Yearly red envelopes, birthday money. I’ve been collecting from uncles, aunts, cousins since the warm-up. Bank it, buy some investments—it adds up.”

Du Qingting winced, regretting her days of climbing roofs, scaling walls, and splurging. Every bit of savings, she’d blown in one go.

Head down, she messaged Evelyn: [You ready?]

Evelyn: [Doing makeup, baby.]

The whole Du family mobilized to send Du Nuanzhi to school. Du Qingting sat in the back, hands in pockets.

The whole ride, Du Nuanzhi chattered. Du Qingting leaned against the window, checking her phone. You Jin hadn’t replied.

At the school, it was packed, cars coming and going, student groups greeting freshmen. Du Qingting rested her arm on the window, reminiscing about her own school days.

Just as they started the process at the gate, Du Wenbo spotted You Jin’s car pulling up.
He parked and got out, asking, “Xiao Jin, what are you doing here?”

You Jin opened her trunk, pulling out a bouquet for Du Nuanzhi. Nuanzhi hopped out, taking it with a smile. “Thank you, Sister You Jin! You really came to see me off!”

Du Qingting remembered You Jin saying she was busy these days.

The bouquet grated on her. She pushed the car door open and got out.

You Jin handed Du Nuanzhi a gift box. “It’s your first day of college. Of course I had to come for such a big moment.”

Du Qingting crossed her arms, feeling sour, even regretful. If she hadn’t gone abroad, would You Jin have done this for her too?

Du Nuanzhi held the flowers in one hand, the gift in the other. “Thank you, Sister!”

Du Qingting’s eyes flicked over.

Sister?

You Jin caught her gaze. “What’s up?”

Du Qingting nearly blurted, Sister, I want flowers too.

“Nothing.”

She bit her lip, hands in pockets, thinking she wasn’t starting college—what use would flowers be?

Du Wenbo and Chen Huiru chatted with You Jin, thanking her for her thoughtfulness. You Jin smiled gently at Du Nuanzhi. “Nuan Nuan worked hard to get into college. She deserves a reward.”

You Jin turned to Du Nuanzhi, saying softly, “Nuan Nuan, call me if you need anything. I’m off to work. Have a great college life.”

“Mm, mm, mm!” Du Nuanzhi nodded vigorously. “I will! Thank you, Sister You Jin, for coming. I’m so
happy. I’ll study hard.”

“So good.”

Du Qingting nearly bit her fingers off. The feeling sucked—like a dog watching its owner pet another pup on the street, praising it as cute. She was insanely jealous.

The thought made her cringe.

But she couldn’t help feeling it was oddly intimate.
Turning away, she furiously texted: [Wang Fugui, you coming or not? Hurry up!]

Chen Huiru glanced at Du Qingting’s scowl, whispering, “I’ll take Nuan Nuan to register, see her class and dorm.”

You Jin nodded.

Chen Huiru led her younger daughter and husband to the gym for registration. Du Nuanzhi sneaked a peek at the gift box, a Montblanc pen and a luxury store gift card. She was over the moon.

Du Qingting leaned against the car, feeling hot. She stepped forward, grabbed a water bottle from the car, and offered it to You Jin.

“Du Qingting,” You Jin called.

Holding back her sadness, Du Qingting asked, “Want water?”

You Jin beckoned with her finger. Du Qingting paused, looking over. You Jin raised the trunk, revealing a bouquet of roses. “I was going to let you stew in jealousy and give you nothing, but thinking of my little dog seeing everyone else with flowers and feeling left out, looking all forlorn, I’d feel so bad for you.”

Du Qingting stared, the sunlight feeling a bit blinding.

The sun was strong today, or maybe it was the September school rush, with students everywhere making early autumn feel sweltering.

Du Qingting walked over, picking up the bouquet.
Head down, she snuck a sniff.

Wow.

Love it, love it.

Another sniff.

What was Du Nuanzhi’s bouquet compared to this? Every rose in hers outshone Nuanzhi’s entire bunch.

You Jin’s phone rang, but she didn’t answer, staying with Du Qingting a bit longer.

The street was full of students and parents coming and going. Du Qingting felt a pang of envy, gripping her hands, pretending not to care. Back when she went abroad, it was cold and lonely, handling everything herself.

You Jin said, “If you hadn’t gone abroad…”

She turned to her.

“I’d have made it this sweet for you too.”

Du Qingting’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. You Jin added, “I’d planned it all out—what your first day would be like, what surprises I’d give you.”

She paused, ruffling Du Qingting’s hair. “I’m
leaving.”

Snapping back, Du Qingting heard her sister’s voice.

“Evelyn, Evelyn!” Du Nuanzhi, holding her admission letter, spotted a motorcycle by the road and nearly jumped.

Du Qingting turned, seeing Evelyn ride up. Though wearing sunglasses, her features were unmistakable.

Evelyn parked, pulling off her helmet and holding it, looking up. “Baby, which one’s your sister? I’ll take her for a spin.”

Du Nuanzhi couldn’t hold back a squeal. The international model Evelyn called her sister “baby”, she thought it was for her. When Evelyn looked her way, she nearly dropped to her knees, frantically waving, fingers trembling. “Me, me, me!”

Du Qingting now believed her sister was a total fangirl, practically gluing herself to Evelyn. Approaching, her whole body shook. Evelyn handed her a helmet, helping her put it on, then swung her long leg over the bike, beckoning.

“Little sister, hop on.”

“Sis, can I?” Du Nuanzhi looked at Du Qingting, completely disoriented. Du Qingting rolled her eyes. “Pathetic.”

Du Nuanzhi climbed onto the back.

Her fingers shook, muttering, “Evelyn.”

Evelyn guided her hands to her waist, snapping on her visor. “Don’t be scared, hold tight.”

“Mm, mm, mm.” Du Nuanzhi blissfully hugged her idol’s waist.

Evelyn rode slowly, taking Du Nuanzhi for a loop. Du Qingting watched, holding her roses, the rich fragrance filling her nose. If she hadn’t gone abroad, would she have been this happy?

Such a pity.

Evelyn made a grand show, attaching a sign to the bike: [Evelyn wishes Nuan Nuan a happy start to college.]

It bore her signature. The ride drew gasps, many staring in disbelief.

Du Nuanzhi floated, nearly fainting, unsure if she was looking at Evelyn or her sister. With a goofy sniffle, she said, “It’s really Evelyn.”

Du Qingting scoffed. “Now you believe your sister’s got pulled?”

“I believe, I believe!” Du Nuanzhi teared up.
Evelyn, done with the ride, looked at Du Nuanzhi with her green eyes, saying softly in her unique voice, “See you, little sister.”

Du Nuanzhi nearly collapsed, saved by Chen Huiru’s quick grab. Chen Huiru was stunned—she’d only seen this woman on her daughter’s posters, and now she was real.

The whole family stared at Du Qingting.

Du Nuanzhi’s tears fell. “Sis, you’re so good to me. I love you so much, you’re the best sister in the world.”

Du Qingting glanced back, raising a brow, touched by her sister’s sappiness. “Don’t forget to send me the money.”

She walked off with her flowers, sniffing them. Golden light fell on the black roses, their petals edged with red.

She stepped back, eyeing the card in her sister’s pocket, reaching for it.

Du Nuanzhi, still dazed, stared at the school gate where a crowd gathered, debating if that was the real or fake Evelyn, wondering why she’d come to campus.

“Sis, wasn’t that a cosplay?”

“You don’t recognize your idol?” Du Qingting countered, pocketing the card and heading to the field across the street to sit for a bit.

Chen Huiru called, “Where are you going?”

“Just sitting, reminiscing about college life.”
Holding her flowers, Du Qingting texted You Jin: [Dinner tonight?]
[Got time?]

You Jin replied with a voice message: “Sure, you pick the restaurant.”

Du Qingting: [Got it.]

After sending, she found a shady spot, dimmed her phone, and searched: Which restaurants are romantic for couples?

The campus buzzed, a bit noisy.

Thinking of You Jin’s earlier words—if she’d stayed in China for college, You Jin would’ve given her gifts… Somehow, You Jin’s cold demeanor seemed to warm up.

Why hadn’t she realized before? You Jin tirelessly tutored her despite her stupidity. She wasn’t that free—it couldn’t have been because she disliked her, right?

After a few minutes, she texted: [Can I take you on my motorcycle?]

You Jin: [Reporting to Little Dog, headquarters has approved.]