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“Good grief, looks like you two had another night of fiery passion last night!”
Song Chan had just connected the video call with Zhou Qining when she saw her clap a hand over her mouth, her eyes slowly widening as she blurted out those words.
Song Chan, who was pouring hot water in the break room, nearly dropped her phone into the cup at Zhou Qining’s blunt remark.
“What are you talking about? Don’t make stuff up.”
Song Chan hurriedly set down the kettle, quickly turned off the speaker, and glanced at her colleagues brewing coffee nearby. Fortunately, they were deep in gossip and paid no attention to the sounds from her side.
Having known each other for so many years, Zhou Qining knew Song Chan all too well. Seeing her shy and guilty expression confirmed her guess.
She teased her on purpose, drawing out her words.
“If I’m just making stuff up, why’s Chanchan getting so shy?”
“Your face is turning as red as an apple.”
Hearing this, Song Chan noticed her own face on the screen. Even the phone’s built-in beauty filter couldn’t hide the obvious flush creeping up her cheeks.
Song Chan raised a hand to cover her face. The more she tried to cover it up, the more it proved Zhou Qining was right.
She had nothing to hide from Zhou Qining anyway, and this wasn’t the first time she’d been caught. Song Chan simply lowered her hand and leaned further into the corner of the break room.
More than embarrassment, she was worried now. Were the marks from last night really that obvious? How had Zhou Qining spotted them at a glance?
And after learning her lesson from the last time Zhou Qining had caught her, Song Chan had specially iced her lips with cold milk before work to reduce the swelling.
From the video, her lips looked perfectly normal.
No need to beat around the bush with Zhou Qining, Song Chan lowered her voice and whispered.
“How did you tell?”
Zhou Qining’s eyes curved with laughter as she stared at the light purple turtleneck sweater on Song Chan’s body.
“You think you can hide it from me? I know you too well.”
“You hate wearing turtlenecks. You’ve told me before that they make your neck feel constricted…”
Before Zhou Qining could finish, Song Chan stubbornly interrupted, trying to defend herself.
“What if I like them now?”
“Like them?” Zhou Qining tugged at her lips, directly exposing her facade. “I don’t think it’s that you like them.”
“It’s because there are marks on your neck, and you need the turtleneck to cover them up…”
“Shh shh shh!”
Song Chan immediately surrendered. She pressed a finger to her lips, trying to shush her, while her other hand turned the volume all the way down.
Song Chan had still underestimated her childhood best friend and how well she knew her.
“Alright, no more teasing.”
Zhou Qining fell silent, propping her chin on her hand. “I actually have something to talk to you about.”
Song Chan took the opening. “What is it?”
“I attended an event and ran into a bunch of celebrities and influencers…”
Zhou Qining was a mega-influencer with millions of fans, so attending events was normal. Song Chan didn’t think much of it and just nodded for her to continue.
Song Chan’s suspended heart eased, and she finally turned up the barely audible call volume a few notches.
Then, the person on screen suddenly changed the subject.
“By the way, I didn’t see Mr. Top Star at your place last time. Don’t you need to make time for me to meet him…”
Song Chan sighed and helplessly lowered the volume again, reminding her in a small voice.
“Baby, I’m at the office right now, surrounded by colleagues, and I don’t have earbuds.”
Zhou Qining toned it down a bit but didn’t drop the topic.
“Don’t change the subject. Don’t you need to bring Top Star along so we can all have dinner together?”
Su Yicen’s temper was rotten, but he seemed a bit nicer to her. To everyone else, he put on an icy face. Zhou Qining had always hated that kind of personality, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, Song Chan didn’t dare let them meet.
She could only politely decline. “He’s just an ordinary guy in private. Nothing special to see.”
“And aren’t you wholeheartedly chasing Zhou Chiyu?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Song Chan felt they rang false. At Su Yicen’s age and status, there wasn’t a second entertainer like him in the entire entertainment circle.
Calling him ordinary was indeed too unworthy of him.
But the feud between Su Yicen’s fans and Zhou Chiyu’s fans had become common knowledge online. Though both were outstanding, no one had ever openly admitted to stanning both—probably out of fear of getting flamed.
Zhou Qining didn’t bat an eye. “I’ve switched ships. I’m a #Chanyi Mianmian# CP fan now.”
“That a problem?”
Dead memories revived and attacked Song Chan again.
She put it bluntly to help her best friend face reality. “Wake up. The CP you’re shipping has already gone BE, and the mains themselves jumped in to tear it apart.”
Zhou Qining wasn’t buying it. She stretched her lips into a smile and quietly watched Song Chan’s performance.
That was always her state right before she got mad.
Seeing this, Song Chan changed her tune.
“We haven’t expanded to offline fan dinners yet. Make an appointment first, and you’ll be the very first one invited, okay?”
Her surrendering look was too cute, so Zhou Qining stopped scaring her.
“No more messing with you. Come have dinner with me after you get off work.”
Then, Song Chan received a message from Zhou Qining with the address of a Japanese restaurant.
She added, “Just come straight over later.”
Song Chan hesitated. “Wait…”
It was so sudden; she wasn’t prepared at all.
That morning, she’d gotten a call from Lady Xu asking her and Su Yicen to come home for dinner tomorrow. Song Chan had planned to head home early after work to discuss it with him in advance.
After all, this was the first time Xu Wan had invited both of them home since the hot search incident. She had to handle it carefully. Song Chan could only politely turn down her best friend.
“Zhou Zhou, let’s not today. I have something to do when I get back…”
Her refusal had just left her mouth when Zhou Qining cut her off with a question.
“Chanchan, you sure you can’t come?”
She drew out her tone playfully.
“Actually… it’s your husband… inviting us to dinner…”
At those words, Song Chan blanked out. As far as she knew, her best friend had no connection to Su Yicen.
Her brain short-circuited for a moment before she realized Zhou Qining had mentioned attending an event.
So, she and Su Yicen must have run into each other there.
Sure enough, Zhou Qining flipped the camera, and Song Chan immediately spotted that familiar figure.
As if sensing something, Su Yicen happened to turn around just then. Song Chan’s already flushed face burned even hotter. She hung up without answering.
It was almost time to clock out now, and she’d finished her tasks for the day. She was ready to leave.
Plus, since Su Yicen was going too, she had even less reason to refuse.
Song Chan couldn’t resist asking. She dug up “Next-Door Neighbor” in WeChat and sent him a message.
Song Chan: 【How come you’re with my best friend?】
As soon as she hit send, she felt something off. It sounded just like checking up on him, which was a bit overstepping for their not-fully-defined relationship.
She was about to unsend it when a reply came back quickly.
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Brand event today. Invited a lot of people.】
Su Yicen’s response matched what she’d guessed.
But he seemed to appreciate her question. He followed up with a video—a panoramic shot of the venue.
In the bustling hall, actors, singers, influencers, stand-up comics—the event had drawn nearly half the entertainment circle’s stars.
She hadn’t expected the video, but even less had she expected Su Yicen’s follow-up explanation.
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Chanchan, don’t worry. My relationship with Miss Zhou is limited to…】
Next-Door Neighbor: 【I’m her best friend’s husband.】
The vague words blurred their relationship even more, especially with the secret marriage agreement still in place.
Song Chan got annoyed and reminded him.
Song Chan: 【Mr. Su, we’re partners on a legal level.】
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Mm.】
For some reason, her reply paired with his unhesitating “Mm” made their relationship seem even more ambiguously intimate—closer than before.
Though even at home in reality, that’s how things were between them now.
Her phone vibrated with a WeChat notification. It was still “Next-Door Neighbor.” His message was short but commanding.
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Come eat.】
Song Chan didn’t reply. Perhaps the “typing…” lingered too long, because Su Yicen lost patience and sent several more in a row.
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Come on your own.】
Next-Door Neighbor: 【Or should I pick you up?】
Seeing no response, he kept going.
Next-Door Neighbor: 【I’m not that unsightly, am I?】
Next-Door Neighbor: 【You want Miss Song to hide me away, not even letting me meet her friends?】
With things said like that, Song Chan had no choice but to compromise. She had to go.
She only replied with two words.
Song Chan: 【Wait up.】
The Japanese restaurant wasn’t far from her office, but cabs there were pricey. Song Chan arrived and was led by a server straight to the private room.
By the time she got there, Su Yicen and Zhou Qining were already seated across from each other.
Seeing them like that, Song Chan hesitated, unsure where to sit.
Noticing her indecision, Zhou Qining scooted toward the center, taking up two cushions herself to show she wasn’t welcome on her side.
On Su Yicen’s side, he considerately brushed off an already spotless cushion and subtly pulled out the one next to him—an obvious invitation.
With no seat on the table, Song Chan had no choice but to sit beside Su Yicen. She deliberately kept enough distance between them for another person.
Zhou Qining couldn’t help but gripe. “Chanchan, we’re not outsiders. You two don’t need to avoid each other like that.”
“Look at the space between you—saving room for the kids? You’re barely in frame together from my view.”
“It’s a private room, no one’s gonna snap pics. Just get a little closer.”
Kids? Closer? What kind of bold talk was that!
Song Chan’s heart skipped a beat. Recalling that they’d taken precautions last night, she relaxed a bit, but her heart still raced uncontrollably, her cheeks visibly reddening.
Sensing Zhou Qining was about to tease her again, Song Chan surrendered and scooted her cushion closer to Su Yicen. He smoothly closed the gap too.
Their hands brushed—a brief touch that still sent a tingly wave through her heart.
During the meal, Zhou Qining kept recounting all of Song Chan’s embarrassing childhood stories. Su Yicen listened intently, chiming in now and then, seeming particularly interested in her past.
Song Chan protested a couple times at first, but the two of them chatted animatedly with none of the friction she’d feared.
Since her worries didn’t come true, Song Chan let it go. The poised, strong-woman image she’d maintained in front of Su Yicen had shattered long ago anyway.
Song Chan focused on eating while Su Yicen focused on picking food for her, rubbing it in Zhou Qining’s face hard.
Until Top Star personally drove her home.
After getting out of the car, Zhou Qining finally let her restrained emotions burst. She gushed in a frenzy of admiration.
“Chanchan! Su Yicen is really great. He’s so good to you, such a gentleman, and he’s seriously so handsome!”
“Handing you over to him puts my mind at ease.”
Song Chan pursed her lips, unsure how to respond.
She sensed that Su Yicen seemed to like her, but she still hadn’t figured out her own feelings for him.
Before, it had been clear: they were just partners fulfilling the secret marriage agreement. But after that drunken night, things had gotten fuzzy in her heart.
She wasn’t sure if that feeling was like or just pure lust for his body.
After dropping off Zhou Qining, with an indescribable feeling in her chest, Song Chan got in the passenger seat. Su Yicen drove toward their home.
On the way back, Song Chan suddenly remembered they had to go to her family’s for dinner tomorrow.
She spoke up at the right moment. “Um… are you free tomorrow?”
“Mom called us home for dinner.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Su Yicen agreed: “Sure.”
The car drove steadily forward. He reached into his pocket with one hand, pulled out his phone, and handed it to Song Chan. In a gentle tone, he told her,
“Send a message to Feng Zheng and ask him to push back tomorrow’s schedule for now.”
Hearing that he wanted to postpone the schedule, Song Chan felt a bit troubled. She didn’t want to trouble him too much.
“How about I just tell my mom…”
Su Yicen cut her off: “Lock screen password, 0622.”
Hearing this number, Song Chan felt a bit touched. 0622 was his birthday—and hers too.
Su Yicen was a year older than her, but they shared the same birthday. Song Chan had memorized it from their first meeting, and it was the thing about him that had left the deepest impression on her.
Song Chan still felt a little embarrassed: “Won’t it be too much trouble?”
“No.”
Su Yicen turned to look at her, his steady voice utterly serious.
“Miss Song, I’m just like you.”
“I’m also someone who strictly abides by contract terms.”