Volume One, Chapter Three: True Best Friends-Mestre Desce a Montanha: Início com o Check-in da Noiva da Escola Florescente(Melhor não voltar, não é igual)

"Hey, is that you, Ling'er? Are you home right now? I need to talk to you about something."

"I've been home the whole time. What do you need?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you the details when I get there."

A few minutes later, a pink Maserati honked its horn at the entrance of Zhongyuan Mingju. The security guard was long used to this; after all, everyone knew the woman behind the wheel—the young heiress of the Yan Group. Most likely, she was just coming to visit her friend again. With a practiced motion, the guard opened the gate, and the pink Maserati roared into the villa complex.

*Ding-dong.* Yan Xiyue pressed the doorbell. Moments later, a girl dressed in pink pajamas, whose beauty was in no way inferior to Yan Xiyue's, opened the door.

"Xiyue, it's cold out there. Come in, quick."

The girl pulled Yan Xiyue into the house and sat her down on the sofa. Having not seen each other for a few days, the two friends were exceptionally affectionate. After a bit of playful teasing, the girl asked, "Xiyue, what was that mystery you mentioned on the phone? There's no one else here now, so spill it!"

"Sigh, it’s a long story. My father found me a fiancé from somewhere, and I'm really troubled by it."

Hearing this, the girl's eyes lit up; she caught the scent of something unusual. "Oh? A fiancé? Tell me everything."

After ten minutes of pouring her heart out, Yan Xiyue finally finished.

"He looked like a total slob at first, but after changing his clothes, he turned into a handsome hunk in seconds? Interesting, very interesting. I’d actually like to see this so-called fiancé of yours."

"Oh, Ling'er, is this the time for that? I have nowhere else to go, so I have to stay at your place."

"That's great! You stay here, and I'll go live with your fiancé."

"Ling'er!" Yan Xiyue stomped her foot.

"Hahaha, I'm just kidding. Sleep with me; it’ll be a good chance to see if you've grown up at all lately."

***

Meanwhile, after leaving the Yan Group, Duan Wuhen strolled aimlessly down the street. After wandering around for a long time, he looked up to find that he had somehow arrived at Hancheng University. Since he was already there, he decided to check out his new living quarters.

Duan Wuhen entered the adjacent Greenland residential complex, walked up to Yan Xiyue’s apartment, and pulled out the key to open the door. A scent of jasmine wafted through the air—the very fragrance that clung to Yan Xiyue. After a quick inspection, Duan Wuhen noticed there happened to be a spare room. He flopped onto the soft bed and sighed, "Not bad, not bad at all. This is way better than that dirt kang back on the mountain. From now on, this is my room."

After tidying up the room, Duan Wuhen felt a pang of hunger. He opened the refrigerator and found it stuffed with instant noodles and bread, not a single vegetable in sight. He shook his head in resignation. *Does this girl only eat this kind of stuff?*

Duan Wuhen locked the door behind him and decided to go buy some groceries. He’d rather eat the roadside landscaping than consume that junk food. Ten minutes later, armed with fresh ingredients and an apron, he set out to cook a feast to treat himself. He prepped the ingredients, fired up the stove, and soon, a delicious, hearty meal covered the table.

Duan Wuhen scooped up a massive bowl of rice and sat down, digging in with gusto. "Huh? Finished a bowl already? City bowls are so small."

He stood up to head to the kitchen for more rice, just as two voices drifted in from outside the door.

"Xiyue, how are we supposed to move your luggage by ourselves? Why don't we just call your family driver?"

"No way. If I do that, my father will know I moved out."

"Sigh, fine. I guess we'll just have to make a few trips."

As Yan Xiyue opened the door, both girls were immediately drawn to the feast on the dining table.

"Wow! Xiyue, you even hired a housekeeper to make such a spread?"

"I didn't," Yan Xiyue shook her head.

"Oh, well, it's your house, so this food is yours anyway. I’m starving, let’s eat!"

Yan Xiyue was about to stop her, but Ling'er was already seated at the table, beckoning her over. With a sigh, Yan Xiyue walked over. Zhao Ling'er was already salivating at the sight of the delicious meal.

"Hey!" A man's voice rang out from the kitchen.

The two girls jumped. Yan Xiyue turned around and let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Duan Wuhen.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well," Duan Wuhen said, holding up the key and giving it a little jingle.

"Wow! A handsome guy! Xiyue, you weren't lying to me!" Zhao Ling'er's eyes sparkled.

"Ling'er, you lose your mind whenever you see a pretty face. Besides, he's not even that handsome. Why don't you just marry him?"

"Really? Awesome!"

To their shock, Zhao Ling'er grabbed Duan Wuhen’s arm. "Handsome, what’s your name? Since Xiyue doesn't appreciate you, how about you give me a chance instead?"

Yan Xiyue felt a twinge of jealousy, as if something of hers was about to be snatched away. Duan Wuhen shot a glance at Yan Xiyue, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. He gave Zhao Ling'er a playful pat on the backside and laughed. "Little sister, you're still too small. I prefer them big."

Zhao Ling'er’s blushing face turned dark instantly, and she quickly let go of his arm. "Take a good look—who are you calling small?"

Duan Wuhen glanced at Yan Xiyue, thinking to himself: *There’s still a significant difference. If she’s this small, what will happen if the baby goes hungry later?*

Noticing Duan Wuhen’s gaze shift to her, Yan Xiyue proudly puffed out her chest and shot a smug look at Zhao Ling'er, feeling a secret sense of triumph.

"Hmph, I'll keep growing."

"Hahaha, then I’ll be waiting for the day you grow up."

"Get lost! You might be handsome, but if you think you can win me over, you should go wash up and go to sleep—you'll find anything you want in your dreams." She paused, then added, "Anyway, stop sitting there like statues. Let's eat."

"Did you really make all this? You didn't poison it, did you?" Zhao Ling'er, being thick-skinned, stared at the food and gulped.

"Eat it or don't."

Zhao Ling'er didn't hesitate to snatch the plate of ribs. Yan Xiyue parted her lips slightly and took a small bite of the celery. The fresh, savory juices instantly flooded her palate. *It’s actually this good?*

Without further ado, Yan Xiyue abandoned all pretense of ladylike manners and began competing with Zhao Ling'er for the food on the table. Duan Wuhen shook his head helplessly and carefully rescued the last remaining rib.

Just then, Yan Xiyue’s phone rang. She checked the screen, her expression shifted, and she hurried to the side to answer. Duan Wuhen watched her with curiosity, noting her furrowed brows; it seemed she had run into trouble.

After hanging up, Yan Xiyue turned to the two of them. "I have an urgent matter and need to leave."

Zhao Ling'er quickly grabbed her arm. "What's wrong? Is it serious?"

Yan Xiyue offered a bitter smile. "Something happened with my family."

Duan Wuhen stepped forward. "Do you need a hand?"

Yan Xiyue felt a flicker of hope, but remembering this was a family affair and not wanting to drag others into it, she shook her head. "No, it's fine." With that, she left.