The night wind dispersed the restless elements in the air.
Zhou Qingying walked between Jiang Chen and Chen Ting, looking up at the pitch-black sky.
The flickering neon lights blocked the stars hidden behind the clouds, but what guided her forward was already the beacon in her heart.
“In the future, I want to stand on a bigger stage, to appear on the big screen…”
She suddenly threw out the words like a declaration.
Chen Ting reacted faster, her retort already following up.
“Yingying, having ambition is a good thing, but isn’t that a bit too far off right now?”
“Tch…. Chen, what do you think?”
“You’ll make your wishes come true.”
Jiang Chen offered the simplest blessing, but somehow it made one feel at ease after hearing it.
Zhou Qingying gently leaned against Jiang Chen’s shoulder, then said softly, “I used to think it was enough to keep up with her footsteps, but I’ve actually been chasing her back all along. I don’t want that anymore…”
“Yingying…”
“Don’t worry, I really do want to go film movies. How should I put it… It’s like preparing to change my hairstyle, you won’t know until you try. I really want to give it a shot, in a field I’ve never set foot in before.”
“Challenging yourself?”
“Something like that~”
Zhou Qingying smiled faintly.
“What about you, Chen?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, yeah, you haven’t really mentioned what you want to do in the future.”
“I haven’t thought about it.”
Jiang Chen seemed to fall into thought. She wanted to get into a good school, then find a good job.
As for whether it related to her dreams or not, it wasn’t that important.
In the end, she didn’t feel like she had any grand ideals.
“Is that the confidence of a top student~”
Chen Ting switched positions, linking arms with Jiang Chen. She swung her ponytail to the left, smacking it into Jiang Chen’s mouth.
Jiang Chen brushed it away with some distaste.
“It stinks.”
“We ate hotpot together, don’t you have the smell on you too…..”
After saying that, Chen Ting leaned in to sniff.
“Huh?! Chen, did you spray something? How come you smell so good?”
Zhou Qingying’s curiosity was piqued, and she squeezed over too.
Now Jiang Chen was in the middle, with the two girls on either side leaning toward her neck.
It’s so hot.
“Where’s the fragrance? Isn’t it just the smell of beef tallow and chili?”
Jiang Chen sniffed her palm.
“It seems like there really is, but it’s faint… Chen, could it be your natural body scent?”
“Whoa~” Chen Ting, thinking of something, had an exaggerated expression.
Her glasses, half-slipped down, were perched on the sides of her nose, her eyes full of mischief.
“Don’t project the plots from the novels you’ve read onto me.”
“Hehe, Chen, how do you know me so well?”
“Who told you to laugh so creepily.”
Jiang Chen unceremoniously pulled her away, blocking her with a hand in front of her chest, looking fully on guard.
“This is my auntie smile! Actually, I really ship you and Wang… Okay, okay, I won’t say it.”
Jiang Chen’s face flushed strangely, as if steamed by the muggy air.
“It’s really not what you think.”
“Yeah, sigh, who knows…”
Chen Ting suddenly started sighing, her thoughts jumping to who knows where.
“Hurry up and walk, Chen has to transfer buses soon.”
“Oh, right!”
The three quickened their pace, running into the subway entrance.
Another gust of warm wind that stirred the heart blew up, but it was blocked outside the entrance, coming to a rest at the escalator.
The scattered remnants of the past couldn’t reach the next station.
On the day of Zhou Qingying’s performance, Jiang Chen got up especially early.
She spent an hour picking out clothes.
“Today is my big day, so all of you dress up nice and pretty when you come.”
Zhou Qingying had said that in the group chat the day before.
She first applied sunscreen according to Zhou Qingying’s instructions, then followed a video tutorial to put on foundation, followed by setting it with loose powder and spray.
She was careful, as if conducting some chemical experiment.
Jiang Chen looked at herself in the mirror, not feeling any changes.
Her brow shape was already perfect, so she just lightly traced them for show; her thick lashes didn’t need mascara, and that pile of eyeshadows just gave her a headache.
Forget it, skip that.
Jiang Chen dug out a rose-pink lipstick from the cosmetics that were almost gathering dust—the shade Zhou Qingying had recommended—and sure enough, she had it.
She applied a thin layer in front of the mirror, then pressed her lips together.
The lazy, aloof air on her face was brought out, making her look fair and translucent.
“Mm~ Not bad.”
Jiang Chen nodded too, then saw her mom in the mirror.
Mom was standing behind her with a beaming smile.
She felt her earlobes burning hot, not knowing when she had come over.
“Do you want Mom to teach you?”
“Um… Yingying already taught me.”
“What a pity.”
Jiang Xiaoyue said regretfully.
She wanted to touch her daughter’s face but lowered her hand halfway.
In the end, she patted her fidgety little hand instead.
“Next time, Mom can help you do something more complex.”
Jiang Xiaoyue looked left and right—her daughter’s features clearly had the potential for something brighter.
But for summer, fresh and clean was fine.
“Mom, I should head out soon.”
The venue for this performance was almost two hours away by car.
Jiang Chen had spent over an hour on her makeup, so time was tight.
“Okay, do you want Mom to take you?”
“It’s too far, I’ll go by myself. The subway exit is right at the theater where Yingying is performing.”
“Mm-hmm, then Mom will go out to buy groceries later and make you some soup tonight.”
“I want pork rib soup.”
“With some white radish added.”
The two exchanged smiles.
Jiang Chen jogged to the door to change her shoes, slung her crossbody bag over her shoulder, and said goodbye to her mom.
The morning sun wasn’t too harsh, but Jiang Chen still opened her umbrella.
She took the bus to the nearest subway station, and just as she got to the waiting area, a train arrived.
There weren’t many people inside—the time avoided the rush hour commute, and vacationing students weren’t up yet at this hour.
Jiang Chen looked around and sat in a corner seat.
She was about to send Zhou Qingying a WeChat when she felt a blatant stare.
Jiang Chen frowned and looked back, somewhat surprised.
The person staring at her—she couldn’t say she didn’t recognize her.
She had come to the school with Wang Ziyue before.
It seemed to be her assistant, and apparently a relative of Wang Ziyue’s?
Mo Nono hadn’t moved her eyes since Jiang Chen sat down—not because she looked familiar, but because the girl in front of her was too beautiful.
She got lost in looking for a moment.
“Hello? Can I sit here?”
She kind of wanted her WeChat… Mo Nono looked at the other’s aloof gaze, feeling a bit itchy.
Tsk.
No wonder Cousin likes girls—they’re fragrant and soft, just looking at them is comforting.
I wonder what the girl she’s interested in looks like.
Damn! Could I be bent?
For the first time in her life, Mo Nono doubted her orientation.
Jiang Chen didn’t answer, just averted her gaze.
That counts as agreement, right?
Mo Nono shamelessly sat down directly.
Jiang Chen shifted inward, staring at her phone without a word.
“Um….. Classmate, where are you headed?”
Mo Nono was a bit nervous.
The other looked young, but she had this aura that kept people at a thousand miles away.
Hmm… Kind of like Cousin’s cold face.
Jiang Chen didn’t answer but quickly typed three digits on her phone, then held it up for Mo Nono to see.
110—
Mo Nono hurriedly explained.
“I’m sorry, I’m really not some weirdo. I just thought you were pretty and wanted to be friends.”
Damn! Isn’t that the lamest pickup line? Am I some randomly spawned roadside NPC? Is the protagonist going to come slap my face next?
“I’m sorry… I won’t talk anymore.”
Mo Nono apologized again.
Jiang Chen’s heart was racing up and down.
Fortunately, the other didn’t recognize her, and with this attitude, she probably wouldn’t say anything else.
She didn’t know what she was avoiding like this.
Was it because of the other’s identity?
Actually, it was her connection to Wang Ziyue.
Jiang Chen realized she was worried about the increasingly deep entanglement with Wang Ziyue.
Big Sister had truly stepped into her heart.