Liang Yueru set her chopsticks down and leaned back in her chair.
"That was… unexpectedly good."
Wei Xinyu glanced up from his tablet, clearly amused. "I'll make a note. Jujube soup equals mood improvement."
She narrowed her eyes. "I didn't say I enjoyed it. I said it was good. Very different things."
"Right," he nodded seriously. "Of course. Emotionally neutral appreciation. Got it."
Liang Yueru snorted and decided to ignore him.
Next day, by evening, Liang Yueru was back home, slipping into something more fitting for a celebration than paperwork and back-to-back meetings.
While she pulled open her wardrobe, her thoughts wandered to memories she hadn't touched in a long time; ones tucked deep in her chest like old photographs.
She, Song Lanying, Zhou Zeyang, and Xu Yichen had been inseparable since kindergarten.
They were a group that never needed a reason to be around each other. It had just… always been that way.
Zhou Zeyang and Song Lanying started dating after college. It happened quietly, almost predictably, after Song Lanying ended her long-term relationship.
Four years in, they were now engaged.
Their engagement had been the kind that made the front pages of the society magazines.
Zhou Zeyang's family, like Song Lanying's, ran a vast business empire, and their combined influence turned the engagement into an event.
When Lin Zhihao's family moved into the neighborhood during middle school, it hadn't taken long for him to slide into their circle.
Same school, same street, same jokes.
By the time high school started, the five of them were sharing lockers, secrets, and late-night ramen after school events.
But everything changed after college.
Liang Yueru and Lin Zhihao broke up. No fight. No long farewell. Just a clean, sharp break. And then he disappeared. Entirely.
His family stayed in the neighborhood, but he didn't return. Not for a single festival. Not even once.
Thinking about the past, Liang Yueru shrugged the heavy feeling in her heart.
She zipped up her white dress, adjusted the sleeves, and looked at herself in the mirror. Full sleeves. Heart-shaped neckline. Not too formal, not too casual.
Her soft brown hair was left down in loose waves. A simple diamond earring and a choker completed the look. Effortlessly polished.
The drive wasn't long as they lived nearby, but traffic did delay her a bit.
She reached the apartment five minutes late.
The door opened before she could knock.
Zhou Zeyang grinned and pulled her into a hug. "Finally."
She smiled back and handed him a huge, wrapped box. "Your gaming set. Try not to break it before you open it."
"You actually remembered," he said, clearly pleased.
Inside, the apartment was glowing. Lights strung across the ceiling gave it a soft, warm ambiance.
Xu Yichen was already sprawled on the couch. He stood up dramatically the moment he saw her.
"Don't act like you don't miss me."
"I never said I didn't," she said, laughing, as she moved to sit beside him.
Xu Yichen, now one of China's most followed celebrities, had hardly changed. More polished maybe, a little more poised.
But he still had that over-the-top charm that made everyone around him feel like the spotlight followed wherever he walked.
He had just started telling everyone his story about a fan pretending to be room service to sneak into his hotel when Song Lanying's voice cut through.
"We set up the white screen for karaoke and dancing. Barbecue's ready on the terrace. Let's go."
The terrace was wide and welcoming. Fairy lights ran across the rails, and the scent of grilled skewers filled the air.
Laughter bounced between the walls, drinks clinked, and the playlist had just enough nostalgia to bring up high school memories.
Zhou Zeyang was dancing with Song Lanying. Xu Yichen was showing off one of his music video moves while still holding a skewer in one hand.
Liang Yueru was seated with a drink, cross-legged on one of the lounge chairs, the wind teasing strands of her hair. For the first time in few days, she looked genuinely at ease.
Then the doorbell rang.
Song Lanying went to answer it.
The moment she opened the door, her body stiffened.
Lin Zhihao.
He stood there calm.
"Ohh, my poor Yueru" the first thing Song Lanying thought to herself. Shock was visible on her face. She hadn't seen him in person in so long, she almost didn't recognize him.
Maybe sensing her shock, Lin Zhihao, like a gentlemen stepped forward and pulled his long time childhood friend for a hug.
She hugged him back, startled, confused. In her head, she was already yelling at Zhou Zeyang.
Soon, Lin Zhihao followed her into the terrace.
Voices slowed. The music kept playing, but everything else stilled.
Liang Yueru sat up straighter. Her laughter faded, the smile carefully folding away.
Xu Yichen's reaction was immediate.
"You've got to be kidding me."
He rose from his seat, his face shifting from surprise to disbelief.
"What are you doing here?"
Lin Zhihao's voice was even. "Celebrating Zhou Zeyang's birthday."
He turned to Zhou Zeyang. "You invited him, right?"
Zhou Zeyang nodded silently.
Xu Yichen stared at him. "Seven years, Lin Zhihao. Not one message. Not even a damn call."
Lin Zhihao didn't defend himself. He stood there, taking it.
"People break up all the time," Xu Yichen continued. "But you didn't just break up with her. You ghosted all of us. Did we mean nothing to you?"
His voice was shaking now. The kind of quiet anger that only came from deep hurt.
"I was your brother. We shared everything. And then you disappeared."
Zhou Zeyang got up, placed a steadying hand on Xu Yichen's shoulder, and extended the other toward Lin Zhihao, understanding clearly how Yichen felt and just wanting to make things right.
It was a silent gesture.
Lin Zhihao surprisingly walked forward. The three of them came together in an embrace.
There were no big words. No dramatic tears.
Just three grown men hugging like they used to when the world still made sense.
Liang Yueru didn't move.
She watched it happen with an unreadable expression, her glass still steady in her hand.