Miao Jing directly removed her outer sun-protective shirt, revealing a white knitted tank top underneath that hugged her graceful curves. Her long hair was tied up, exposing her slender swan-like neck—now sunburned a fiery red across her shoulders and nape, stinging sharply. She shuffled back to her room to fetch aloe vera gel, switched on the bathroom ceiling light, and stood before the vanity mirror, applying the gel with her hand reaching behind her.
Her delicate, pale fingertips dabbed with the translucent ointment trembled slightly as she meticulously smoothed it over her nape. When she touched a small, reddened cervical vertebra protrusion, Miao Jing inhaled softly and gently massaged the spot with her fingertips.
Chen Yi, arms crossed and leaning back in his chair with lowered eyes, said, "Then I’ll go pick up Tu Li first. We can all have dinner together tonight."
"Would it be alright to eat at home? I’ve been overexerting myself these past couple of days and I’m sore all over. I really don’t feel like going out," Miao Jing replied with a faint weariness. "I’ll cook later. You can both come over for dinner."
He paused, his tone slightly impatient. "Then why bother cooking? I’ll just bring back some food."
"Fine."
The bathroom door closed in front of him, and the sound of running water echoed from within. As Chen Yi turned to leave, he abruptly glanced back while shutting the door, catching a blurred glimpse of a white fabric shadow flickering across the frosted glass.
That evening, Tu Li and Chen Yi returned together, both carrying takeout containers. Miao Jing was in the kitchen slicing fruit when she heard the commotion and glanced back.
Eager to be friendly, Tu Li warmly embraced Miao Jing, her voice sugary and accompanied by a wave of fragrance. "Hello, little Jing."
"Hello."
"I brought you a small gift—not sure if you’ll like it." Tu Li blinked and handed over a tube of lipstick. "You can call me Tu Li, Lilith, or Lily—no need to stand on ceremony."
"Thank you, Lily."
Women always find topics to chat about. Though Miao Jing appeared aloof, she wasn’t cold or withdrawn. The two exchanged plates and chatted in the kitchen. Chen Yi stood at the doorway for a moment, his eyes calm and deep as a well. Seeing them like this, he said little and went to the balcony to smoke and play on his phone.
"That night, I was just being foolish—sorry about that," Tu Li said with a touch of candor, nudging Miao Jing’s arm. "Pretty embarrassing, how things got so awkward."
Miao Jing replied calmly, "It’s fine, no need to apologize. Women are intuitive creatures…" She trailed off abruptly, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Tu Li sighed, her tone complaining. "It’s not like I meant to act that way. Your brother just attracts so much attention—some girls just won’t leave him alone. I really thought…"
"I understand. He’s always been like that. Back in vocational high school, there were plenty of girls around him, some even coming to the house to find him."
"Really?"
Miao Jing changed the subject, arranging the fruit on a plate and retrieving dishes from the cabinet for the takeout. "You bought a lot of hot dishes—we won’t finish them in one meal."
"Your brother and I both hate cooking; we’re used to eating out. He has this habit of ordering everything he likes without a second thought. I didn’t know what you’d prefer, so I ordered a couple extra dishes… This restaurant is quite famous. Let’s go out together next time."
"Sounds good." Miao Jing smiled. "Being able to order whatever you want—that’s true happiness."
As they chatted, Tu Li asked about Miao Jing’s age, how long she’d been in Tengcheng, what university she attended, and her new job, showering her with praise."You're really impressive. But you used to be such a good student—why didn't you influence Chen Yi? If he had studied properly, he might have gotten into university and become an engineer or something."
Miao Jing didn't seem particularly regretful: "He didn't want to study himself; you can't force that."
True, if Chen Yi could have studied, he wouldn't still be in Tengcheng—he'd probably have soared to great heights.
"So why did you decide to come back to Tengcheng? Big cities are so much better. I want to go out and dance on bigger stages, but I don't have the survival skills for it yet."
"For my kind of job, it doesn't make much difference where I work. After graduation, I shared an apartment with classmates, spent three hours commuting every day, ate boxed meals and takeout, and often worked overtime or traveled for business. I felt like life in a smaller city would be happier."
She had been out there, in a top-tier metropolis, seen things she'd never seen before, understood how things worked—and that was enough. There wasn't anything particularly special about it.
Tu Li agreed with this sentiment.
A faint smell of smoke drifted from the kitchen. Following Miao Jing's gaze, she saw Chen Yi leaning on the balcony smoking. Through the kitchen window, she could see a sliver of his profile—his sharp eyebrows, straight nose, and firm jawline.
Miao Jing calmly looked away and asked Tu Li, "What about you, Lily? Do you live alone? Are you still dancing?"
"I live with my parents. I have a younger brother who's only five this year. My parents are getting older but still working, so I help take care of my brother. I danced for a while—used to perform at tourist spots, but it was too far and the pay was low. Bars paid better, but it was annoying at times. I don't dance anymore. Now I work at a gym. Sometimes when they're short-staffed, I help teach a couple of aerobics classes."
"That's such a rich work experience—sounds much more interesting than my job," Miao Jing nodded sincerely. "My life is pretty dull in comparison. Sometimes I envy different kinds of lives."
The younger sister was much easier to get along with than the older brother.
After cleaning up the kitchen, the three sat at the dining table to eat, chatting about everyday topics and trivial matters. Chen Yi didn't say much, and Miao Jing wasn't particularly talkative either, so Tu Li kept the conversation going, mostly focusing on Miao Jing.
"Do you have a boyfriend, Xiao Jing?"
Miao Jing shook her head.
"Twenty-four is a good age to start dating. What type do you like? Maybe I can introduce you to someone. I know a few guys at the gym who are good-looking and have decent backgrounds."
Chen Yi, holding a beer can nearby, frowned slightly.
Miao Jing lowered her head to peel a shrimp, thought for a moment, and smiled. "No specific type. Dating depends on whether there's a connection."
"By the way, have you dated before?"
"Yes, I have."
Tu Li laughed. "I really couldn't tell. You seem so innocent and reserved, like the type who'd go on arranged dates."
"You couldn't tell I've dated?" Miao Jing smiled. "I've had two boyfriends."
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