novelraw Chapter 781: The Fluttering Wings
Chapter 781: The Fluttering Wings
December 30, 2023, Saturday, 6:00 AM.
The playground of Yancheng Normal University was still shrouded in deep, ink-like darkness.
A few towering streetlamps cast dim, yellowish halos of light, barely illuminating the rubber running track.
A handful of other early-rising student figures jogged in the crisp, cold air.
"Huff—huff—"
Qian Lele appeared on the track as usual, right on time.
She wore a clean grey tracksuit with a thick down vest over it.
Her pace was steady and powerful.
Her curvy figure, wrapped in the well-fitting tracksuit, brimmed with the full, vibrant energy unique to youth.
In her ears were the clear, rhythmic sounds of her own panting breath and the noise of her shoe soles hitting the cold ground.In late December in Yancheng, the morning temperature was already below freezing. Every breath condensed into fleeting puffs of white mist in the cold air.
The chill bit to the bone.
As she ran, her thoughts drifted away with these puffs of white.
Lately, her life had been filled with an unusually rich fullness.
Professor Jiang Yourong had officially taken leave from her university duties to devote herself fully to the work at Xuanji Optical World.
She had heard that Jiang had just returned from an inspection trip to Quancheng and immediately flew off to Shen City without pause, as if there had been a breakthrough in the work there.
Although Professor Jiang had handed over the project management and daily affairs of the lab to a very capable senior brother before leaving.
The lab's operations remained orderly as ever.
But Qian Lele had proactively taken on even more work.
Her studies were also more diligent and focused than before.
It was worth mentioning that, due to the lab work, she was able to access and participate in cutting-edge AI technology projects.
This knowledge wasn't just shelved away; she cleverly applied ideas from automation scripts and efficiency tools to her part-time front-end development work for Weiguang Coffee.
Now, her efficiency in writing and debugging code had improved dramatically, allowing her to complete her daily tasks much faster.
This precious time she squeezed out was entirely invested in deeper learning.
What made her feel most secure, however, were the changes at home.
Her mother had completely adapted to the street stall life. Every day, she would push that brand-new roujiamo tricycle cart and steadily run her small business around the town and the middle school.
No longer needing to run around doing odd jobs, she could stay with this little stall while also taking care of her father, who had limited mobility, making things much more convenient.
In video calls, the smiles on her mother's face were visibly increasing.
That home was getting better, bit by bit.
The only thing that worried her was...
The village had completed a unified "coal-to-gas" conversion project this year. The house now had a wall-mounted boiler and radiators installed, and burning loose coal was no longer allowed.
It was cleaner, sure, but for her parents, who were used to squeezing every penny until it screamed...
"Burning gas" was practically like "burning money."
They were always reluctant to turn it on, only running it for a little while before bed each day. The inside of the house was barely warmer than the outside.
It was already past the winter solstice; the weather would only get colder.
Her father already had cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; he needed a warm, stable environment the most.
This was something she needed to talk to her family about properly next time she went home. She couldn't let them keep saving like this.
Her footsteps gradually slowed to a stop. The five-kilometer morning run was over.
Qian Lele braced her hands on her knees, panting slightly, white mist dampening her eyelashes.
After catching her breath, she walked towards the cafeteria.
The cafeteria wasn't crowded yet; steam rose from the food windows.
Seeing the familiar five-spice pancake and millet porridge, Qian Lele felt a slight daze.
She thought of her brother again.
He seemed to be getting busier and busier, going to New York, then to Paris...
Even through a screen, she could sense a subtle increase in both physical and psychological distance.
The warm memories of their time together at Yanjing Tiancheng.
Like precious winter sunlight, gently flickered in her mind.
The corner of her mouth unconsciously curved up. She collected her thoughts, swiped her card, and bought one five-spice pancake and a bowl of porridge.
After breakfast, she returned to the dorm.
Her roommates were still lazing in bed. Qian Lele washed up quietly, changed into clean, comfortable beige winter clothes, shouldered her fully stuffed backpack, and left the dorm building.
It was Saturday, but for her, this was the best "solid block of study time."
Arriving at the Computer Science building, Professor Jiang's lab was empty.
Qian Lele booted up the computer skillfully, took out her notebook and thick professional books from her bag.
The screen lit up, rows of code and complex model architecture diagrams coming into view.
She soon immersed herself in her own world, her profile appearing focused and serene in the increasingly bright sunlight.
Time slipped away quietly; the sky outside the window grew brighter and brighter.
Sunlight spilled through the glass onto the side of her face, the fine downy hairs clearly visible.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
"Buzzzzz—"
Her phone on the corner of the desk suddenly vibrated.
[Qianqian]
Qian Lele's eyes lit up. She immediately picked up the phone and answered, "Hello, Qianqian?"
"Lele! Guess where I am?" Zhao Yaqian's crisp voice came through the receiver, tinged with laughter. "I'm at your school! I'm on the third floor of the Computer Science building right now. Which room is your lab in exactly?"
"Ah? You're here?!"
"Yeah!"
"It's the Multimedia Technology and Application Lab on the east side. Wait for me, I'll come out to get you."
"Okay, waiting for you!"
Hanging up, Qian Lele tidied her desk a bit and quickly walked out of the lab.
Just as she turned the corner in the hallway, she saw the figure walking towards her.
In that instant, the entire corridor of the teaching building seemed to brighten up a few degrees.
Zhao Yaqian wore a black mink fur coat over a light-colored high-neck cashmere base layer, with slim-fitting dark jeans on the bottom.
Bling-bling luxury accessories were dotted here and there.
Fashionable, elegant, yet not vulgar at all.
Coupled with her 180-centimeter height and a head of wine-red, big, wavy curls.
She looked so refined, as if she had just stepped off the runway at Paris Fashion Week.
Students passing by, both boys and girls, couldn't help but look back repeatedly. Some even stopped to stare.
This "supermodel on the street" vibe created an extremely strong visual contrast with the plain, academic atmosphere of the corridor.
"Lele!" Seeing Qian Lele, Zhao Yaqian's eyes curved into crescents. She waved enthusiastically and walked over quickly, her shoes going "click-clack-click-clack." "I knew you'd definitely be here. Not even resting on the weekend, such a good student."
"Qianqian, why did you come all of a sudden?" Qian Lele ran over, intimately linking arms with her, her face full of surprise.
"To come play with you!" Zhao Yaqian laughed, opening her bag and pulling out a small gift box. "I went to Tokyo on a business trip with the team a couple of days ago, just got back to Yancheng yesterday. Here, a souvenir for you!"
"Ah? I..." Qian Lele instinctively wanted to refuse.
But Zhao Yaqian directly shoved it into her hand. "It's nothing expensive, just a really pretty handmade hair clip. I thought it would suit you perfectly. It's not pricey, I bought one for myself in a different color of the same style."
Qian Lele pressed her lips together, feeling the warmth from the box, her heart warming up. "Thank you, Qianqian."
"No need for thanks! Come on! Take me to see your lab! I've always heard you talk about doing projects in the lab, I've been curious what it looks like."
"Mhm, it's right over there."
Qian Lele took Zhao Yaqian's hand, swiped her card, and led her into the Multimedia Lab.
As soon as they entered, Zhao Yaqian looked around with wide-eyed curiosity, touching this and that, asking questions non-stop.
She hadn't gone to university, having started working in a beauty salon very early. She knew she wasn't cut out for studying and had never thought about returning to school.
But deep down, she always held a vague sense of longing and respect for university campuses, especially labs filled with an atmosphere of knowledge and exploration.
That's why she loved coming to find Qian Lele to hang out.
Everyone here was her age, and they had something she felt she lacked.
The two wandered around for a while.
Zhao Yaqian insisted on personally helping Qian Lele put on the new hair clip.
The pink cherry blossom hair clip pinned to the side of Lele's sleek, black hair looked exceptionally fresh and lively.
"So pretty!" Zhao Yaqian clapped her hands in satisfaction, then pulled her along again. "Come on, show me around the campus some more. The weather's so nice today, I want to breathe in some university air. Maybe I'll get a little smarter!"
The winter campus basked in just the right amount of sunlight.
Golden rays pierced through the bare branches, spilling onto the red-brick paved paths.
Arm in arm, they strolled through the campus.
Zhao Yaqian spoke in a charming, playful tone, pulling Qian Lele along asking about this and that, talking about the interesting things she encountered in Tokyo, occasionally letting out clear, crisp laughter that made passing male university students turn their heads.
Unconsciously, the two arrived at the main entrance of the library.
Looking up at the red electronic calendar clock above.
Zhao Yaqian stopped and sighed, "It's so fast, 2024 is almost here."
"Yeah, 2024." Qian Lele also looked up, her gaze falling on the constantly changing date.
"Do you have any expectations or wishes for the new year?"
Qian Lele looked at the teaching buildings bathed in sunlight in the distance, a serene yet firm smile appearing on her face. "I hope everyone can get better and better!"
...
10:00 AM.
Yunding Mansion, Unit 2101.
Large terrace, large bookshelves, floor-to-ceiling windows, greenery...
Winter sunlight poured unreservedly through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows into the spacious south-facing living room, warming the solid wood floorboards to a cozy temperature.
Everywhere here exuded the artistic, carefully curated taste of its owner.
An entire wall of open wooden bookshelves was filled with all kinds of books, vinyl records, and cultural creative souvenirs.
In the corner, a few fiddle-leaf figs and monstera plants grew lush and green, exuding vitality.
Gao Mengting, wearing comfortable loungewear, barefoot, was curled up in a beanbag chair in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Her long hair was casually tied up with a pencil at the back, a few stray strands hanging by her temples, adding a touch of lazy intellectuality.
On her knees lay the open book of Pablo Neruda's poetry collection — "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair."
Sunlight danced on the pages, dust motes danced in the beams.
Her slender fingers traced a line of verse as she murmured softly, "I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees..."
After finishing, she closed the book, a gentle smile involuntarily spreading across her lips.
Tang Song's handsome, clear-cut face surfaced in her mind.
It had been over half a month since they'd last met. Although they were in constant contact via WeChat, email, and work groups, not seeing him in person allowed longing to quietly grow.
For her, this kind of distanced, platonic mental reverie had its own unique flavor of enjoyment.
It also made her look forward even more to the passionate merging and blossoming when they reunited in the future.
Even though she knew perfectly well that in that particular area, her "combat stamina" might only last a few measly minutes.
Thinking of this, her cheeks warmed slightly.
"Haa..."
She stretched, placed the book aside, got up, and picked up the brass spray bottle on the windowsill, starting to water the plants in the corner.
Mist sprayed, leaves glistening with crystalline light under the sun.
Nothing could be more peaceful than this.
Right at that moment.
"Ring ring ring—"
The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang, shattering the indoor tranquility.
Gao Mengting put down the spray bottle and glanced at the caller ID. It was Manager Wang from Hangcheng, in charge of commercial property leasing.
Gao Mengting's brow furrowed slightly.
Songmei Apparel's offline expansion plan was grand, but progress wasn't smooth.
Especially in prime commercial districts of new first-tier cities like Hangcheng, premium storefronts not only had sky-high rents but also stringent conditions, involving queuing, financial verification, and brand image assessment.
She answered the call, her tone returning to its usual efficiency and steadiness. "Hello, Manager Wang?"
"President Gao! Good news!" Manager Wang's voice on the other end sounded unusually excited. "The mall operations center just notified me that the district has issued new support policies encouraging emerging fashion brands to set up shop, especially enterprises with investments in the AI field. Songmei Apparel fits perfectly! That prime first-floor location we were looking at before has not only been approved, but the rent has been slashed by thirty percent from the original quote! Plus, they're offering six months rent-free!"
Gao Mengting was stunned, thinking she misheard. "Thirty percent off? And six months free?"
"Yes! Absolutely true! We can sign the online contract anytime!"
"...Okay, send it over! I'll have legal review it right away!"
After hanging up, Gao Mengting was still somewhat unable to process it.
Just the day before yesterday, a long-contested commercial district in Modu had suddenly loosened up and offered a good spot. Now Hangcheng was resolved just as easily.
The two most crucial layouts for Songmei Apparel's offline experience stores had been successfully secured one after another within just a few days.
Before she could fully digest this joy.
"Ring ring ring—"
Her phone rang again.
[Xingyun International - Wang Dandan]
It was Wen Ruan's assistant.
Gao Mengting immediately answered. "Hello, Dandan."
"Good morning, President Gao." Wang Dandan's voice was professional and respectful. "Before Director Wen left for the UK, she specifically instructed one matter, which has been implemented today. It's like this: the Information Technology Research Institute under Tang Yi Precision recently launched an 'Industrial Empowerment and Technological Poverty Alleviation Special Program.' They have a latest-generation AI vision and flexible supply chain management system and are looking for pilot enterprises. Director Wen believes our Songmei Apparel's 'AI Fashion Fusion' project is a very good fit and has already helped with the preliminary connection. The relevant application documents and policy explanations have been sent to your email."
Tang Yi Precision's technological poverty alleviation?!
What did that mean?
This was equivalent to a national-team-level technical team descending from above to personally help them build an AI system!
And it was for the crucial supply chain link!
Hanging up, Gao Mengting quickly walked to her computer. Sure enough, a detailed file sat quietly in her inbox.
She leaned back in her chair, looking at the screen, her heart thumping wildly.
As a live-streaming e-commerce company, Songmei Apparel had developed quickly, but its foundation was still shallow.
There were still significant gaps in funding, technology, and talent reserves.
Facing the grand strategy of moving towards a "new-type fashion group" that Tang Song had previously outlined.
She had always harbored apprehension internally, mentally prepared for a long-term, step-by-step battle.
She never expected that the breakthrough assistance would come so swiftly, so perfectly timed, as if divinely aided.
The sunlight outside the window grew even brighter, flooding the entire room.
Gao Mengting took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise, fighting spirit, and incredibly bright light.
The brief period of leisure was over. Next would be another journey requiring her to go all out.
2:15 PM.
Yancheng, Lan Feng International High-end Apartments, Unit 2202.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto the large bed in the bedroom.
Xu Qing lay sprawled out in the covers, sleeping soundly.
Her pinkish face was pressed into the pillow, a trace of glistening drool at the corner of her mouth, occasionally mumbling a few words in her sleep.
Suddenly, she felt a wet, ticklish sensation on the tip of her nose.
As if something soft and cool was rubbing against her, accompanied by a pleasant fragrance.
"Mmm..."
Xu Qing wrinkled her nose, opening her eyes groggily.
What met her gaze was an enlarged, bright, and beautiful face.
Shen Yuyan had clearly just showered. Her jet-black, long hair was damp and cascaded over her shoulders, water droplets from the ends sliding down her slender neck.
She wore only a grey-blue tight-fitting camisole dress, the fabric clinging to her curvy, well-proportioned figure.
Her skin was fair and dewy, her eyes holding a hint of teasing amusement.
"Ah!" Xu Qing sat bolt upright. "Yanyan?! You're back?!"
In her surprise, she immediately pounced like a koala, wrapping her arms around her best friend, rubbing her face vigorously against her chest, her voice soft and sleepy. "Wuwuwu, I missed you so much!"
"Get off, you're all drool."
Shen Yuyan gave her a light slap on her pert little bottom, not hard, filled with affectionate annoyance.
"Ah?" Xu Qing smacked her own forehead, stuck out her tongue, and giggled foolishly. "Hehe, I've been too busy these past couple of days, forgot."
Then, as if remembering some huge piece of good news, she immediately widened her pitch-black, sparkling big eyes, excitedly grabbing Shen Yuyan's hand, her tone jubilant:
"Yanyan! I have to tell you something big! Yesterday, I was officially pulled into the scriptwriting team for 'Voice of the Deep'! That S-level major production starring Bei Yuwei! I'm one of the core writers!"
She got more and more excited as she spoke, her chin unconsciously tilting up slightly, her face wearing a proud, "praise me, praise me" expression.
"When the movie comes out later, my name will be in the end credits! I, Xu Qing, am about to evolve into a famous screenwriter!"
Shen Yuyan looked at her this vibrant, energetic self, and the gloom that had accumulated in her heart over the past few days seemed to dissipate a little.
She smiled and ruffled Xu Qing's messy hair. "Well, well! Our Da Sha Qing is about to take off from the launchpad, blast out of the galaxy, and become a universe-level great screenwriter! Remember your old friends when you make it big!"
The two giggled and chatted intimately, nestled on the bed for a while about their respective work and recent gossip.
Suddenly, Xu Qing's eyes rolled craftily. She leaned closer to Shen Yuyan, lowering her voice mischievously. "Yanyan, tell me the truth... during your few days in New York... did anything happen with Little Song?"
She knew the inside story.
Her best friend had gone on this business trip "prepared."
Now she was back, but was tight-lipped about the key details. And since Tang Song was her boyfriend, she felt awkward asking him directly.
She had been dying of curiosity, feeling like a cat was scratching at her heart.
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment passed extremely quickly through Shen Yuyan's eyes, but her face still wore a relaxed smile. "I was there for work. He's the boss, I'm the assistant. What could happen? What are you thinking?"
"Pfft! I don't believe you!" Xu Qing pouted. "You think I'm stupid? A foreign country, dry wood meets a raging fire, and with you, this little seduc... hmph!"
"Aren't you Da Sha Qing?" Shen Yuyan retorted with a laugh, reaching out to pinch her cheek. "What's wrong? Haven't seen you for a while, and you've been body-snatched?"
"Fine! You won't tell me, huh?" Xu Qing puffed out her cheeks, her gaze turning mischievous as she scanned Shen Yuyan's body. "Then... let me check for myself!"
"How are you going to check?" Shen Yuyan raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe!" Xu Qing let out a weird laugh. Her wicked little hand shot out with lightning speed directly towards the hem of Shen Yuyan's dress. "A physical examination, of course!"
"Ah!"
Shen Yuyan instinctively tried to dodge, but was a step too slow.
The hem of the dress was lifted slightly, revealing the black lace edge inside and the snowy, smooth skin of her thigh.
The stark contrast of black and white under the afternoon light created a powerful visual impact, brimming with extreme allure.
Shen Yuyan's cheeks flushed red. In her flustered annoyance, she directly used a diversionary tactic.
"Ah! You're cheating!"
"You started it!"
The room instantly erupted into a chaotic mix of giggles, shrieks, and pleas for mercy.
The two tussled into a heap, the bedsheets becoming a complete mess.
After a good while, both of them lay panting and sprawled on the disheveled bed.
Catching her breath, Xu Qing snuggled over again, hugging Shen Yuyan's arm and starting to whine. "Yanyan... good Yanyan... just tell me the truth..."
Tang Song and Shen Yuyan were arguably the two people closest to her.
This dual relationship made her intensely curious about any possible story between them.
Shen Yuyan fell silent for a moment.
Staring at the ceiling, her gaze grew somewhat distant.
"Qingqing, I have something very, very important to tell you." Her tone suddenly turned serious. "Prepare yourself mentally, don't be scared."
Xu Qing blinked, a bit confused by this sudden seriousness. "Ah? What is it? So serious?"
'About Tang Song's other women..." Shen Yuyan took a deep breath. "In New York, I met another one of his girlfriends."
Hearing this, Xu Qing was stunned for a second, then let out an extremely disdainful snort.
(V—~) Pfft~~
She rolled her eyes, her face saying, "That's it?"
"I thought it was something major! He's just a playboy, a sea king, isn't he? What's so surprising about that. Even if you pulled out ten or eight more women, I wouldn't be shocked!"
Are you kidding?
She, Xu Qing, was someone who had seen the world!
Even a national goddess, top-tier diva like Su Yu was already her "good sister."
Could there possibly be anything more earth-shattering than that in this world?
Impossible!
Her psychological resilience was terrifyingly strong now!
Looking at her best friend's smug "I'm invincible" expression.
Shen Yuyan sighed softly, her gaze complex as she looked at her, slowly uttering that name. "It's Jin Meixiao."
"Jin... Mei... Xiao..." Xu Qing subconsciously repeated the name, blinking. "Who's that? The name sounds a bit familiar..."
"It's Director Jin from Smile Holdings," Shen Yuyan added.
The air suddenly went quiet.
The expression on Xu Qing's face instantly froze. Her previously wiggling feet stopped mid-air.
After a brief system crash, her brain finally finished processing this piece of information.
"Jin... Jin..."
She suddenly bolted upright from the bed, her eyes wide as saucers, her mouth agape enough to fit a lightbulb.
(QIQ) !!!
"AHHHHH! HOLY SHIT!!!"
She grabbed her hair and let out a heart-rending scream.
"Who did you say?! Who?!"
"Her... her... Director Jin from Smile Holdings?! That Jin Meixiao?!"
"Wait! No!" Xu Qing suddenly stopped, forcing herself to calm down, putting on a "Detective Conan"-style sharp expression. "You must be lying to me, right? Trying to change the subject? Hmph, I'm not falling for it!"
Shen Yuyan had long anticipated her reaction. Without saying much, she directly picked up her own phone, lit the screen, swiped her finger a few times, pulled up a photo, and shoved it right in front of Xu Qing.
The photo was taken in New York.
The backdrop was a huge floor-to-ceiling window, outside which was the dazzling Manhattan nightscape.
Tang Song and Jin Meixiao stood facing each other.
Xu Qing stared fixedly at the photo, then looked up at Shen Yuyan.
Her expression froze once more.
"Hehe... hehehe..." Xu Qing suddenly let out a string of dry, utterly humorless, foolish giggles, her eyes starting to glaze over. "Wait, I get it. I must still be dreaming. Yeah, this is definitely a dream within a dream! Or one of those infinite loop horror dungeons!"
As she spoke, she raised a fist and aimed it at her own head.
"Thud, thud, thud—"
She knocked three solid, forceful times!
Intense dizziness instantly washed over her, making tears almost spurt out.
It was real! Not a dream!
Xu Qing hugged her head, which felt like it was about to explode, and collapsed back onto the bed, feeling as if the top of her skull was about to fly off along with her entire worldview.
Oh my god!
Jin Meixiao... is actually Little Song's girlfriend?!
I wouldn't even dare write this in a novel!
What the hell is all this?!
What does this playboy Little Song think he's doing?!
Is he... is he trying to collect the seven dragon balls to summon Shenron?!
Or planning to directly unify the Earth?!
A little past 8 PM.
Yangcheng, Liwan District.
In the apartment Lulu rented.
The bubbling sounds of the hotpot had finally ceased, the air still lingering with the aroma of beef tallow and Sichuan peppercorns.
Having seen off their well-fed, happy friends.
Zhang Yan rolled up her sleeves and, together with Lulu, swiftly cleaned up the kitchen and tidied up.
"Yanyan, don't go back tonight." Lulu wiped water from her hands, her eyes showing a mix of excitement and inner conflict. "Just sleep here. You brought Juzi, so no worries. Perfect... you can help me brainstorm about buying a house."
Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, seeing the anticipation in her friend's eyes, then nodded. "Okay."
She had hesitated before because her salary wasn't high, her job wasn't stable, and she was afraid of taking on a mortgage.
But now it was different.
Since joining the Yangcheng branch of Xingyun International Group, Lulu's salary had jumped significantly. Plus, backed by a large corporation, the benefits were excellent. She was already getting impatient, frequently checking real estate information online lately.
The two sat on the fabric sofa in the living room.
Lulu handed over her tablet, showing several showroom photos of properties her family had sent.
"This one's a new development, good greenery, but the shared area is a bit large..."
Like two little birds full of longing for building their future nests.
After washing up, the two lay on the soft double bed in the bedroom.
This apartment was decorated better than Zhang Yan's place. Warm yellow wall lamps created a cozy atmosphere.
Plump Juzi curled up by Zhang Yan's pillow, purring softly.
"Zhang Yan." Lulu put down her phone and turned her head to call her.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Do you think... it's possible for me... to buy a house in Yangcheng?"
Zhang Yan was startled by this sudden idea. "In Yangcheng?!"
This was a super first-tier city.
Even in the more remote districts, housing prices were a mountain for workers like them.
"That... you'd have to save up a lot more..." she said honestly.
"Yeah, I know." But Lulu's eyes were shining. "But I've calculated it! How much did I earn a month before? Now that I'm in Xingyun, with year-end bonuses and performance pay included, I might take home around 200,000 a year! The most crucial thing is, this is just the starting point. The company is going to go public, things will definitely get better and better! And I just started!"
Zhang Yan also seriously ran the numbers in her heart for her.
Down payment, loan, monthly mortgage...
If Lulu maintained this income and saved for a few more years.
"It seems... it really might be possible."
"Right?!" Lulu nodded vigorously, then suddenly grabbed Zhang Yan's arm, sighing. "Sometimes, it really feels like fate is so magical. Yanyan, if I hadn't met you, I'd definitely still be muddling along in that tiny, crappy company, not even daring to dream about settling down in Yangcheng."
Zhang Yan lowered her head shyly. "No... it's because you're excellent yourself..."
Lulu turned onto her side, facing Zhang Yan, her face wearing a teasing yet serious curiosity. "An author I was responsible for at Shucheng Technology wrote a novel about parallel worlds. The plot was especially thrilling, I binge-read it twice! Lately, it's made me unable to stop overthinking.
If, in that parallel world, Tang Song hadn't come to Yangcheng to find you. What would your future... be like? At some point in the future, would you take the initiative to go find him?"
"Ah..." Zhang Yan's fingers unconsciously tangled in Juzi's soft fur. "I haven't thought about it... he... he's amazing, living really well."
Lulu understood that Zhang Yan was feeling inferior again.
She moved closer, changing the hypothesis. "Then let's suppose he was just average? An ordinary person, maybe even not doing as well as you, and single all along. Would you go find him then?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yan couldn't help but start imagining along this hypothetical line.
Deep down, she was actually someone who loved to fantasize, with a rich inner world.
Otherwise, she couldn't have spent those long years alone, sketching out that emotion in her heart.
If Tang Song hadn't come to Yangcheng to find her, if he was just an ordinary person who wasn't particularly outstanding, if he hadn't been with Liu Qingning...
Then, at some moment in the future, would she have the courage to actively walk toward him?
She probably would have tried to make herself more excellent first.
Like, passing the civil service exam in Yancheng, getting a stable job.
By then...
But as soon as this thought arose, a heavy, realistic problem suddenly crashed into her mind.
If Tang Song hadn't appeared, without the resources he brought and that crucial Car-t therapy...
Her mother would likely still be struggling on a hospital bed right now, enduring the torment of illness and the pressure of astronomical medical bills.
And she herself would have had to shoulder all of it, her life dragged into an abyss with no end in sight.
In that case, how could she possibly have the mental space, the qualification, to go find him?
She would absolutely never let him see her in such a wretched, disheveled state.
And by the time she endured through all that, paid off any possible debts...
Would she still have the courage to face him then?
Zhang Yan gently buried her face in Juzi's warm, soft fur, a wave of retrospective fear and timidity surging in her heart.
Fortunately, he came.