Chapter 14
1542 Words
After reminding about the Sunday gathering time, Yu Xinnian hung up the phone.
To be honest, Shen Yan felt that Yu Xinnian’s call was completely unnecessary and even a bit... ambiguous.
There was a subtle feeling of using public resources for private gain, which made Shen Yan very uneasy.
Moreover, Yu Xinnian was Feng Shanshan’s secret crush. Though Shen Yan didn’t understand what Feng Shanshan liked about him, to someone like Shen Yan, who struggled with social anxiety, Yu Xinnian, with his extroverted social butterfly nature, was terrifying.
In recent days, not only did she run into him when buying breakfast in the morning, but she also bumped into him during lunch.
He didn’t remind her in the morning or at noon but specifically called her in the evening, just before work ended.
What was that saying again—people are toys for others?
Did Yu Xinnian enjoy watching her, an introvert, get uncomfortable? Did he find it amusing?
She hoped she was overthinking it.
That evening, when Shen Yan got home, she honestly told Feng Shanshan about her recent encounters with Yu Xinnian.
Shen Yan: “I swear, I have absolutely no feelings for him.”
Feng Shanshan looked Shen Yan up and down. Since high school, Shen Yan had always worn her long, thick black hair parted in the middle, and after all these years, her part hadn’t widened. Feng Shanshan found it enviable.
Her face was oval, pale, and small, with a pair of eyeglasses that slightly concealed her beauty.
Her figure was also great—tall and slender.
She just didn’t care much about her appearance, often wearing T-shirts and jeans or T-shirts and wide-legged pants. Back in the dorm, when they went out to play, Shen Yan would put on makeup, but recently, with work, she hadn’t even given herself time for that.
“Lao Shen, are you nervous?” Feng Shanshan laughed at Shen Yan, who had seriously described her recent interactions with Yu Xinnian. “I was just joking. If he really likes you, don’t worry about me.”
Shen Yan shook her head like a rattle drum. “No, no, no, I don’t like that type. He’s too outgoing.”
Feng Shanshan: “Alright, you know me, I get bored easily. I’ve only met him a few times, and I think he’s fine. I’ll observe for the next couple of days and see if he really likes you.”
Shen Yan became even more worried: “No, no, no, how did it turn into him liking me? I’ll just seem too narcissistic!”
Feng Shanshan thought Shen Yan was hilarious, no wonder Yu Xinnian liked to tease her.
Because of this little episode, before the alumni dinner at A University, Feng Shanshan insisted on giving Shen Yan a delicate makeup look.
“This is called the young lady’s makeup,” Feng Shanshan said as she admired her handiwork in the mirror.
Shen Yan: ...
Feng Shanshan also wanted Shen Yan to wear her own dress, but Shen Yan strongly refused: “Thanks, I don’t want to.”
Feng Shanshan: “Why?”
Shen Yan: “We’re coworkers.”
Feng Shanshan: “That’s exactly why you should show them that you’re different from your work persona!”
Shen Yan rejected: “No, no, no, tonight I’m just your servant, I’ll be following you around the whole time.”
Feng Shanshan: “...Didn’t Yu Xinnian also tell you to see if there’s anyone suitable for you at the gathering?”
Shen Yan put her hand on her chest: “I just broke up not long ago. My heart’s badly hurt, I need some time to lock my heart away.”
Feng Shanshan laughed at Shen Yan’s expression: “Oh, please, do you really think you’d be heartbroken over that child’s game with Zhong Cheng? Really?”
Shen Yan thought for a moment: “Maybe a little, after all, he did help me save a spot in the library for a few months.”
When Feng Shanshan was preparing for a national enterprise exam, Zhong Cheng had also helped her save a spot for a while, and she could relate: “That’s definitely important. Luckily, we’ve graduated, so we don’t have to fight for library spots anymore.”
Since Shen Yan didn’t want to change into the dress, Feng Shanshan couldn’t force her.
“Shall we take an electric bike?” Feng Shanshan stood downstairs at Shen Yan’s place and was surprised when she saw Shen Yan take her to the electric bike garage in the basement.
Shen Yan looked at Feng Shanshan in her dress: “Then you can drive?”
Feng Shanshan was wearing a short skirt that barely reached above her knees. If she sat behind, she could easily expose herself, but if she drove, it would be safer. Plus, since Shen Yan had bought the electric bike yesterday, she also bought a windproof cape that could offer some coverage.
Feng Shanshan opened her phone, checked a ride-hailing app, and saw a queue of 100 people ahead. She gave up: “I’ll drive.”
Shen Yan added: “At this hour, even if we get a ride, look at the map—everything around here is red.”
Feng Shanshan looked at the map and saw that every road around them was marked in blood-red. She couldn’t help but sigh: “This is the city center of S City.”
Though Shen Yan's new electric bike was bought with Feng Shanshan’s help, and she had bargained and saved 200 yuan, Feng Shanshan wasn’t familiar with it. After a brief adjustment, she let Shen Yan hop on.
Both of them weren’t familiar with the location of the hotpot restaurant, so Shen Yan had to guide her while navigating.
The wind was strong on the road, and Shen Yan’s throat started to hurt from shouting directions.
They weaved through traffic and quickly reached the entrance of the hotpot restaurant.
Shen Yan stared at the rows of seats in front of the restaurant, with a long line forming.
She glanced at the time: 4:30.
Feng Shanshan parked the bike, noticed Shen Yan was dazed, and immediately asked the staff at the door: “Do we need to queue for a number?”
The staff enthusiastically replied: “Yes, the numbers start at 4:30, and you can enter at 5. You can join the queue over there.”
Feng Shanshan followed the staff’s direction and saw two lines next to a large iron gate. She quickly pulled Shen Yan to join the queue.
“Yu Xinnian, is he reliable? After all that talk about the hotpot place, it turns out to be a trendy spot that requires queuing?!” Feng Shanshan panted as she spoke after running to the end of the line.
Shen Yan: “That shouldn’t be right. This is organized by the secretary of our university’s student union and the president of the student council.”
Feng Shanshan pulled out her phone, checked the group chat, and after a while, found no mention of needing to queue for a number. She privately messaged Yu Xinnian: “Is it the Yu Sister hotpot place? We’re already here, do we need to queue for a number?”
Yu Xinnian: “You guys are so early?! Is it already time to queue? Just go in directly, you’re at V88’s private room.”
Feng Shanshan showed the chat to Shen Yan.
Shen Yan was a bit confused: How could such a popular hotpot place have private rooms reserved?
But since Yu Xinnian said so, they went back to the entrance and found the same staff member who had greeted them earlier.
“We need to go to V88’s private room,” Feng Shanshan told the staff.
“Please wait a moment, the manager will take you there.” The staff spoke into their walkie-talkie, and soon, a man in a black suit came out, probably their manager.
“Hello, V88 private room, right? Please follow me.” The manager politely led them inside.
Feng Shanshan and Shen Yan exchanged a glance and could tell they both shared the same confusion.
They were led into a private room, which was decorated similarly to the outside, but there was also a karaoke system in the room.
“This is the menu. You can look at it and order what you want. If you don’t want to order yet, you can sing and entertain yourselves,” the manager introduced.
Feng Shanshan placed the menu tablet on the table: “Our friends aren’t here yet, we’ll wait before ordering.”
The manager understood her implied meaning: “I’ll leave you to it then, just call me if you need anything. I won’t disturb you.”
Once the manager left and it was just the two of them in the room, Shen Yan grabbed Feng Shanshan: “What’s going on? I checked Dianping and Xiaohongshu, and no one mentioned that this place takes karaoke reservations!”
Feng Shanshan’s brain worked quickly: “Yu Xinnian... could it be...?”
Shen Yan shook her finger: “Makes sense! Very logical!”
Feng Shanshan clicked her tongue: “Then Yu Xinnian’s family must be very influential.”
- Writer
