Ever since their trip to the zoo, Su Liumeng had been waiting—waiting for Si Xinyan to come explain what had really happened that day.
But two, three days had gone by, and that girl?
She was still eating, drinking, living her life in bliss, not the slightest hint of guilt for having lied.
“It’s been three whole days and she still hasn’t come to see me. Seriously, you’re not even a little shaken?”
“I’m so mad. I’m going to explode.”
“Idiot, idiot, idiot! She has no idea how a girl’s heart works.”
Inside the villa, Su Liumeng was so angry she was grinding her teeth.
She stomped the floor a few times, but even that didn’t ease her fury.
So she kicked the vase in front of her, shattering it into pieces.
After a long while—
Su Liumeng muttered to herself in deep grievance as she swept up the broken shards.
Forget it.
Why was she even fussing with a pregnant woman?
At this point, she seriously suspected that someone was already going through the legendary “pregnancy brain,” that three-year-long dazed period.
How else could she explain the utter lack of intelligence that used to be used to go toe-to-toe with her?
But still—she just couldn’t swallow the bitterness in her heart.
What was she supposed to do?
Just thinking back to the scene where they talked, and how casually Si Xinyan had lied, made the sour ache inside her flood her chest.
Yes, she liked her.
But that didn’t mean she was willing to suffer endlessly in silence.
****
Cafeteria.
I was slowly sipping on a bowl of broth to soothe my stomach.
Across from me, Shangguan Xiyue ate with impeccable form—every movement precise and refined, like a textbook demonstration of dining etiquette. Graceful and composed.
“Uh…” I looked up and stared at her hands holding the knife and fork.
“Māomao, are you sure you’re not some kind of noble lady?”
Māomao had always been my nickname for her.
After the initial awkward phase post-meeting in real life passed, I had started using it again these past couple of days.
“Noble lady?” Shangguan Xiyue’s eyes flickered slightly.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean by ‘noble lady.’”
I didn’t press the question.
Something about her tone felt… evasive.
Thinking back, there weren’t any prominent families with the surname Shangguan that came to mind.
But still—
Someone who could become student council president at Beiqing?
Could they really have no background or connections?
Shangguan Xiyue gently set down her utensils.
The knife and fork touched the clean porcelain plate without making a sound.
“If I really were some noble lady like you say, would I be desperate for Su Liumeng’s two hundred and fifty thousand?”
I thought about it for a moment and had to admit—she had a point.
But then my eyes widened in shock.
“Wait, what do you mean, two hundred and fifty thousand?”
“The referral fee,” Shangguan Xiyue replied casually.
“Didn’t she want Yan-shen’s contact info? That last time, when we split the two hundred and fifty thousand—how do you not remember that?”
I clicked my tongue, at a total loss for words.
Honestly, I had wanted to tell her that I’d already returned the money to Su Liumeng.
How was I supposed to know that she still had half of it?
It was just… a habit we’d fallen into.
Any money we earned involving each other always got split fifty-fifty.
I silently scolded myself.
What’s going on with my brain lately?
Even a small thing like this had completely slipped my mind.
When I explained it to her, Shangguan Xiyue looked mildly surprised.
“You returned it to her? Alright, I’ll send my half back too.”
I continued sipping the mildly salted meat porridge in front of me, my gaze drifting absentmindedly toward the spicy hot pot stall.
It all went back to half an hour ago.
Just like always, I had come bouncing into the cafeteria, belly ready for battle, fully prepared to dig in.
But just as I made my way over to the hot pot counter, a sharp shriek inside my head stopped me cold.
“No eating that. Did you hear me?”
“Can’t you eat something lighter and more nutritious?”
The little guy’s voice was soft and syrupy-sweet, yet somehow radiated an irresistible authority.
“Okay, okay! I won’t eat it!”
I was sweating bullets, stealing a glance at Shangguan Xiyue—who was giving me an increasingly confused look—as I awkwardly played out what must have looked like a bizarre self-dialogue ritual, then forced myself toward a food counter I didn’t even like.
Muttering under my breath the whole time:
“I’ve eaten it twice already and nothing happened…”
But the ghost baby calmly replied:
“That’s only because you didn’t see what I saw. If you saw, then it’s absolutely off limits!”
*****
Back to the present.
I was still nibbling away at my food, dragging it out for over twenty minutes now.
Because—
I was seriously pondering:
What should I name the ghost baby?
Not saying it had to be some earth-shakingly awesome name…
But at the very least, it had to be something she liked.
Shangguan Xiyue propped her chin on her hand, watching me with a smile, her eyes sparkling as she observed my obedient eating behavior.
“You had another fight with Miss Su, didn’t you?”
“…No? Not really.”
I kept my head down, staring hard at my porridge, suddenly lacking confidence.
“She’s just… probably too busy.”
I tapped my chopsticks against the table, fiddling with them as I tried to offer a reason on her behalf.
“So that’s probably why… she hasn’t contacted me these past few days.”
“It’s totally possible she’s been busy with stuff,” Shangguan Xiyue nodded, then added pointedly, “But what about WeChat? Has she messaged you at all?”
She sounded like she was about to stress herself into an early grave.
If those two ever ended up together, she was definitely the unsung hero behind it all.
I didn’t say anything.
But that silence alone told her everything she needed to know.
“See? That’s already a red flag.”
Her voice softened, full of concern.
After letting out a heavy sigh, she gave me a few pats on the shoulder and stood to leave.
“If you’re not completely uninterested in her, you should clear things up sooner rather than later.”
“I’ve got some things to take care of at home, so I won’t stick around to finish lunch with you.”
I set down my chopsticks.
“Mm, go ahead. It’s not like I’m a kid—who needs someone to watch them eat?”
As I spoke, I took another bite, chewed, and swallowed.
But as the meaty flavor hit the back of my throat, the fishy, gamey smell suddenly seemed ten times stronger than usual.
Before I could stop myself, my body recoiled.
I slumped forward, clutching the table, gagging.
Shangguan Xiyue had just turned to leave, but seeing me like that, she rushed back and gently patted my back.
“What’s wrong? Is the food spoiled?”
My stomach twisted violently.
The nausea overwhelmed me, stealing away my ability to speak.
It felt like even opening my mouth would set off a chain reaction in my gut.
The pressure built so quickly that I eventually slid from the table and crouched down helplessly, looking downright pitiful.
My pale, delicate hand clutched over my mouth, desperately trying to suppress the urge to vomit.
But just moving slightly seemed to trigger something.
Like flipping a switch, the queasiness exploded again—and I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
I gagged and threw up a small amount of sour fluid.
I could feel the food I’d just eaten rising up in my throat.
One more wave, and I’d be spewing out my entire lunch.
Within a minute, Shangguan Xiyue had fetched me a lemon-flavored water bottle.
I didn’t think too much.
Unscrewed the cap and downed it all in one go.
It was crude but effective—just enough to calm the writhing in my stomach.
I’d been through this kind of thing before.
I knew better than to move around too much or dwell on the sensation.
The best thing to do now was sit quietly and give my stomach time to settle.
“Still feeling sick?” Shangguan Xiyue asked.
She spoke gently as she took out her phone and sent a quick message to someone in her contacts.
After a while, the queasiness finally faded.
I still looked pale, but managed to force a small smile.
“I’m okay now.”
She looked at me, someone who just moments ago had been full of energy, now curled up like a fragile flower in the wind.
Her heart ached just watching me.
I took out a tissue and wiped the corner of my mouth.
“You silly girl, still managing to smile at a time like this.”
“What if it’s food poisoning? Come on, let’s go to the school infirmary.”
“No, I’m not going to the hospital.”
“That’s not up to you.” Shangguan Xiyue cut me off firmly, grabbing my arm and yanking me to my feet.
Clearly flustered and worried, she pulled me along, heading straight toward the school infirmary.
“Health issues are never a joke. Every major problem starts with subtle signs—today, you’re getting checked out whether you like it or not.”
She watched me pout and sulk along the way, her voice carrying a mix of scolding, sincere concern, and exasperation—like a big sister who’d already committed herself to taking care of her stubborn little sibling.