After Ye Yiyi’s fragrant dinner, the three of them watched TV in the living room, then scattered like petals to their rooms. Because Meng Xiaoxiao was staying over, Li Muyan slept alone in her own room, while Meng Xiaoxiao still shared a bed with Ye Yiyi.
At eleven, night deep as ink, Li Muyan lay in a purple nightgown. She hesitated, then fished out her phone like a stone from a quiet pond and called Gu Xin. She’d gotten the number from Ningxin.
“Hello?”
Gu Xin’s voice drifted over, soft as a summer breeze.
“Hey, it’s Li Muyan.”
“Oh, Muyan? Sorry, I didn’t save your number.”
Gu Xin chuckled, light as chimes.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Um… how’s Keke?”
Concern rose first, like a tide, then her words followed.
“Keke… is still the same. She hasn’t woken up.”
Gu Xin’s tone dimmed, like clouds sliding over the moon.
“I see…”
Li Muyan’s voice fell, a leaf touching water.
“Don’t worry too much. We’ll take good care of her.”
Gu Xin’s comfort was a warm hand by a winter stove.
“Mm. Thank you.”
Polite words, but her heart was a knotted thread.
“No problem~”
“Okay, I won’t keep you…”
“Alright~”
Gu Xin agreed. Li Muyan ended the call.
“Ah…”
She breathed out, set the phone on the nightstand like setting down a burden, turned off the light, and slipped under the quilt as if into a calm sea.
Too many dangers had passed like knives in recent days. Her nerves were a taut string. She had barely closed her eyes when they flew open. The door whispered open with a soft click.
“Muyan… are you asleep?”
Ye Yiyi’s voice came from the doorway, gentle as dew.
“Yiyi?!”
Startled, Li Muyan sat up and snapped on the light. Ye Yiyi came in wearing a white nightdress, moon-pale and quiet. Yet her face held stormy shadows.
“Yiyi, what’s wrong?”
Worry rose first; she lifted the quilt to get up. But Ye Yiyi surged onto the bed like a wave, pressed her back down, flicked off the light, and lay across her, warm as a blanket fresh from the sun.
“Y… Yiyi?”
The sudden nearness left Li Muyan blinking, a deer startled in the brush.
“Muyan… you didn’t run into trouble, did you…”
Ye Yiyi buried her face at Muyan’s shoulder, arms banded tight, voice fine and trembling like a plucked string.
“I… I’m fine…”
She didn’t understand why Yiyi asked.
Does Yiyi know about America?
Impossible. No one told her.
“Muyan… don’t lie to me, okay…”
Her tone caught, like a reed pipe choked by wind.
“…”
Silence pooled. Then Li Muyan breathed softly.
“Yiyi…”
She didn’t know what to do anymore. Had Yiyi found the truth?
“You wouldn’t lie to me… would you?”
Ye Yiyi lifted her head. In the watery moonlight, her face looked carved from sadness, eyes brimming like a river before rain.
“Mm… mm… how could I lie to you…”
Muyan forced a smile that tasted like bitter tea.
“Then tell me… where is Keke?”
“!”
Her heart stumbled, a pebble on a path.
“How would I know where Keke went? I just got back to the country~”
She feigned ignorance, voice light as paper.
“Muyan… Keke left after you left. This afternoon, you came back and she wasn’t home. You weren’t surprised at all. So you know where she is.”
Ye Yiyi held her gaze, steady as a compass needle.
“…”
Regret pricked. How could she be this careless?
“Keke told me she went to America with Sister Ning. And you just happened to be in America…”
“I…”
“Muyan… do you know… last night I dreamed you and Keke had an accident. Do you know how hard I cried…”
Ye Yiyi cut her off. Tears welled and slipped free, clear as pearls.
“Yiyi…”
Panic fluttered in Muyan’s chest like a caged sparrow. Seeing Yiyi like this hurt.
“So… tell me, please. Keke’s an Abnormal… did something happen to her?”
Tears streaked her cheeks like rain on a window.
“…”
Silence again. She looked at her crying best friend and softened like ice under spring sun.
“Yiyi… Keke’s okay.”
Her voice was even, a calm shore.
“Really? Then why hasn’t she come home?”
“She…”
“Don’t lie to me!”
Yiyi’s anger flared, quick as a struck match. She leaned in and kissed Li Muyan.
“Mmph!”
Muyan’s eyes flew wide. A few days apart, and her gentle friend felt like a different person, bold as summer thunder.
“…”
“Tell me. Where is Keke?”
Ye Yiyi pulled back, face flushed like peach petals.
“She’s with Gu Xin. You know Gu Xin, right? Gu Xin’s taking care of her…”
The truth slipped out like a secret bird.
“So… at Xiaoxiao’s place?”
“Not… not there. They bought a new villa outside. So you and Xiaoxiao wouldn’t find out…”
Muyan’s voice turned awkward, like a shoe on the wrong foot.
“…”
Ye Yiyi stared, her face cool as a still lake.
“So, you all teamed up to lie to me!”
She put on a show of anger, a playful spark under the storm.
“It’s not like that! Yiyi, listen to me.”
Muyan’s anxiety rose, a tide slapping stone.
“Speak.”
“…”
Her head spun. Yiyi felt different, fierce as a cat guarding her own. She had no choice.
“We wanted to wait until Keke woke up before telling you. We didn’t want you to worry.”
“Wait until she woke up?! What happened to Keke!”
Yiyi seized on the one thorn in the bouquet.
“She… got hurt. She’s in a coma now…”
“What?!”
The cry rang out like broken glass.
“Don’t worry. Her injuries aren’t serious anymore. We’re just waiting for her to wake.”
Muyan’s words were a steady hand on a trembling shoulder.
“No. I’m going to see her.”
She moved to get up, but Muyan caught her wrist, firm as a clasp.
“Wait! Yiyi… it’s late. You’ll disturb her rest.”
“But…”
Worry burned in her eyes like a midnight candle.
“Trust me. I’ll take you tomorrow morning, okay?”
Muyan held her hand, voice low, a warm tide.
“…”
“Alright…”
Ye Yiyi thought it through, then let calm settle like snow.
“Good. Rest tonight. I took heavy hits too, you know…”
Muyan puffed her cheeks, a playful cloud.
“Mm? Where are you hurt? Is it bad?”
Concern rushed back, quick as spring wind.
“I’m fine. They healed me on the way back. The healers among the Abnormals are really strong.”
“Oh…”
“Go back to sleep~”
Muyan’s tone softened, a lullaby in the dark.
“Why go back?”
“Huh?”
“Tonight… I’m sleeping here.”
Ye Yiyi stammered, blush blooming like sunrise.
“Huh?”
Muyan stared, stunned. Was this really her gentle, well-behaved bestie?
But Yiyi didn’t leave room for surprise. She lifted the quilt and slipped in, wrapping both arms around Muyan’s arm like ivy on a branch.
“…”
Muyan blinked, then pulled up the covers without a word. She held Ye Yiyi, and sleep came like a slow tide.
Morning. The three of them sat at the dining table, steam rising from breakfast like mist over fields. Meng Xiaoxiao’s cheeks puffed like a small bun.
“Alright, don’t be mad, cute Xiaoxiao…”
Ye Yiyi smiled, light breaking through clouds.
“Hmph! Last night you ditched me to sleep with this woman… I barely slept the second half!”
Meng Xiaoxiao huffed, a kitten bristling.
“Uh…”
“She just got back. I wanted to chat with her~”
Ye Yiyi’s tone warmed like tea.
“Oho~ someone’s jealous?”
Li Muyan chimed in from the side, voice a teasing breeze.
“Who are you calling ‘little’?!”
Meng Xiaoxiao shot to her feet, temper sparking.
“Here… you do look like the youngest, don’t you~”
Muyan glanced at her, gaze falling—pointed as a needle. Xiaoxiao followed the look and instinctively checked her chest. Then understanding hit like a slap.
“Hey! You!!!”
She pointed at Li Muyan, too mad for words, face red as a ripe apple.
“Hehehe~ don’t get worked up. Anger stunts growth~”
Muyan laughed, glittering mischief.
“…”
“Okay~ knock it off.”
Ye Yiyi stepped in, a calm rain.
“Xiaoxiao, got plans later?”
She shifted the topic like turning a fan.
“Mm… I’m heading home to tidy up. Feels like my sisters will be back these days. And since this one’s back, I don’t need to look after Yiyi anymore…”
She pointed at Li Muyan, a little triumphant flag.
“Look after Yiyi? Why?”
Muyan blinked, curiosity tilting her head.
“Hmph. If not for Keke telling me that Yiyi’s ‘aun—’”
“Ah!!!”
Ye Yiyi’s sudden shout cracked the room like lightning.
“!!”
She startled both Meng Xiaoxiao and Li Muyan.
“What’s wrong?!”
Muyan jolted, chopsticks pausing midair.
“I just remembered—I didn’t lock the garage yesterday. What if the car got stolen!”
Yiyi’s worry was huge as a drum, loud and dramatic.
“Uh… no way. In a villa district? Car thieves?”
Muyan was speechless, a flat lake.
“Muyan, come check with me!”
Ye Yiyi grabbed her hand and tugged, urgency a fast current.
“Hey, hey!? I haven’t finished eating!”
Muyan protested, voice trailing out the door. Ye Yiyi didn’t stop.
“Uh… what even…”
Meng Xiaoxiao watched them go, forehead lines like black scribbles.
When they came back, Xiaoxiao had finished breakfast, calm as a cleared sky.
“Told you, no car thieves.”
Muyan sighed, helpless as a leaf in wind.
“Maybe I overthought it.”
Ye Yiyi laughed, a bit sheepish. Then she looked to Xiaoxiao.
“Done eating?”
“Mm. I’m full. I’ll head out now.”
“Okay. Come by when you’re free.”
Relief eased Ye Yiyi’s shoulders like a warm hand.
“Got it…”
Meng Xiaoxiao grabbed her bag and left, steps light as birds.
“Hurry up and eat! Then take me to see Keke!”
Ye Yiyi’s voice rang like a bell.
“Uh…”
Muyan stared at her, a little dazed, like waking into bright sun.
