MTMIO Chapter 57

The next day, Yue Yunxi had an open class on cello teaching at the Nanquan University Conservatory of Music, so she left home a little after two in the afternoon.

After watching her car drive out of sight, Lu You slowly wandered back to the study, sat on the sofa with one leg crossed, sorted out the invitations, and placed orders for same-city express delivery one by one.

Half an hour later, she finished filling in the addresses of Lu Huai’an’s friends, stretched and relaxed.

On the sofa, the phone placed within sight vibrated, the screen lit up, and a WeChat message popped up, sent by Yue Yunxi.

It was a photo of the open class classroom taken from the door.

Zooming in on the photo, you could vaguely see the classroom number engraved on the door, B2106.

It could be said that it was completely unrelated, but Lu You inexplicably associated it with the phone number Yue Yunxi had chosen for her.

She didn’t know how this person had picked such a “good” number from so many numbers.

5408, You are such a 408!

Lu You poked the screen with her finger: [Have a good class]

Yue Yunxi: [Yes, ma’am]

Lu You instantly thought of the tone in which Yue Yunxi said these two words to her yesterday.

That gentle, almost indulgent tone, with a hint of imperceptible smile.

It was like a flirtatious act of submission.

The phone vibrated again, and Lu You’s thoughts were like a rope pulled to the extreme that suddenly snapped back.

It made her realize that she actually liked Yue Yunxi’s flirtatious style a bit.

Lu You covered her flushed cheeks, and after a few seconds, pressed the answer button.

“Are you busy?” Li Can asked first from the other end.

Lu You scratched her nose: “I’m filling out express delivery slips, preparing to send all the invitations out.”

“Perfect timing, I was just about to ask you about this.” Li Can asked without pausing, “Are you free to hand-deliver an invitation today?”

“I’m free, but I have to wait until the courier comes to pick up the package.”

Lu You moved her phone away to look at the time displayed in the upper right corner, and suddenly a thought popped into her mind – if she had a watch, she wouldn’t have to look at the time so inconveniently.

“Don’t worry, I still have classes this afternoon, I don’t get off work until five o’clock.”

Lu You brought the phone back to her ear and said, “Then let’s meet at Lost Deer at half past five.”

“OK! Hey? Why don’t we call everyone to get together? We haven’t had a get-together since the last time Yun Zhu treated us to dinner. Let me see, Zhi Zhi only has two classes in the afternoon, Teacher Yue is the same as me, if it’s after five o’clock, both of them are free, and Feifei is at Lost Deer, right?”

“Ah? Yeah, right.” Lu You couldn’t keep up with her rhythm.

“Okay.” Li Can was a very proactive person, and by the time she was still summarizing, she had already sent WeChat messages to everyone, “Mi Mi and Zhu Zi replied to me, they’re both free too, then it’s settled, I’m going to class, see you tonight.”

It was like a gust of fiery wind that quickly swept through, and the busy tone in the phone was like the remaining sparks.

Just as the sparks went out, the courier called again.

Lu You hurriedly finished sending the invitations, saw that it was still early, so she sat down at the piano and planned to practice for a while, but after playing for less than two minutes, she realized that her nails were a bit long.

She got up and wandered around the main house, but couldn’t find nail clippers, but she saw the folder that Yue Yunxi had placed on the computer desk.

She didn’t know what kind of secret documents were inside that made Yue Yunxi instinctively protect it in her arms when she asked if she could see it.

People always have a stronger curiosity about unknown objects that are prevented from being viewed.

It all depended on conscience and morality to suppress it.

Moving her gaze away from the folder, Lu You left the main house and returned to the study. Not wanting to disturb Yue Yunxi to ask where the nail clippers were hidden, she could only make do with playing the piano.

Long nails easily slipped on the keys, and the sound of the keys was harsh. She didn’t play happily, and repeated a section several times.

The Bichon frise sleeping at the door seemed to be unable to bear it anymore, raised its head, and glared at Lu You dissatisfiedly, scolding: “Woof woof woof!”

“Okay, I won’t play anymore, don’t howl.” Lu You closed the piano cover, walked to the Bichon frise, and said amusingly, “Grandma didn’t leave the door open for you for her afternoon nap, so you’re venting your anger on me, huh.”

The Bichon frise guiltily turned its eyes to look elsewhere, and after less than two seconds, it secretly glanced over again. Seeing Lu You curled up in the rocking chair, it tilted its body and lay down, sighing.

It was as if it was sighing that it was finally quiet.

Lu You silently curled her lips, rocking the rocking chair with no rhythm.

Tilting backward, the clouds that came into view were like white gauze, thinly and ethereally rippling in the blue river. When looking forward, you could see a patch of jade bamboo planted on the edges, and the green bamboo leaves were strumming the strings of the wind.

She thought of Yun Zhu, thinking about what to send to thank Yun Zhu for helping her hire such a reliable bodyguard.

But her understanding of Yun Zhu was really not deep, and after thinking for a long time, she had no clue, so she had to ask Chen Feifei for help.

Chen Feifei replied quickly: [I don’t really understand her either.]

Lu You was stunned for a moment, thinking, you two have even had a lip friendship, and you still don’t understand each other?

Was it true that they didn’t understand each other, or was there a problem between her and Yun Zhu?

After hesitating for a moment, Lu You deleted the words in the input box and asked Chen Feifei: [Are you at Lost Deer now?]

Chen Feifei: [Yeah]

Lu You: [I’ll go over later]

Chen Feifei: [OK]

Before going out, Lu You sent a message to Yue Yunxi, mentioning that she wanted to give Yun Zhu a thank-you gift but didn’t know what to give, and asked her if she had any recommendations.

Yue Yunxi was probably teaching a class and didn’t reply immediately.

Lu You wasn’t in a hurry either, standing by the side of the road, waiting for the car while waiting for a message.

The car arranged by the ride-hailing app drove from the opposite direction. This section of the road was all solid lines, and the driver opened the car window and gestured to Lu You to drive ahead and make a U-turn. At that moment, Yue Yunxi made a voice call.

Lu You quickly answered the phone: “Class is over?”

Yue Yunxi “hmm”ed, her voice a little low and hoarse: “Ten-minute break between classes, there’s still one class left.”

The background noise over there was very noisy, like she was making the call in the hallway. From time to time, passing students respectfully called her “Hello, Teacher Yue,” and there were also classmates who sounded very cheerful reminding: “Shh! Teacher Yue is on the phone!”

Lu You turned up the phone volume and reminded: “Teacher Yue, remember to drink more hot water.”

Yue Yunxi said with a smile: “I’m drinking it.”

After a slight pause, Yue Yunxi got back to the point and said: “Just send Yun Zhu a few bottles of fruit wine, she likes to have a little drink when she has nothing to do.”

“I’ll just go to Lost Deer to pick a few bottles for her. The ice orange white peach lychee sparkling wine that we drank before, I asked Feifei to stock up on it.”

Yue Yunxi bit her words: “Before.”

Lu You reminded her without thinking: “It was on the Xicheng terrace, we watched April Story together…”

Her voice gradually lowered, and slowly died away.

Yue Yunxi asked with a smile: “Why aren’t you talking?”

Lu You pursed her lips: “You clearly remember.”

“I never said I didn’t remember.” Yue Yunxi’s voice softened, seemingly near and far, “Such an unforgettable night.”

At the end of September, it was already autumn, but Lu You felt hot.

Perhaps not wanting to waste this little ten minutes on silence, Yue Yunxi asked: “After letting Feifei stock up, then what?”

“Then…” Lu You’s thoughts went back, “Feifei also stocked up on other flavors, I want to give everyone a copy, let everyone try it. Two copies for Yun Zhu, plus the store’s signature dessert, what do you think?”

“That’s great.” Yue Yunxi asked, “Is there a copy for me?”

Lu You replied directly and affirmatively: “Of course there is.”

Yue Yunxi said with a smile: “After class, I’ll go back to pick you up.”

“No need, I called a car, I’m going to go over now, you can just go to Lost Deer when you get there, no need to go back and pick me up.”

Lu You realized that she had emphasized “no need to pick me up” twice, making the refusal sound very stiff, she thought about it, and added, “I’ll take your car back at night.”

Yue Yunxi was silent for a moment, “Otherwise, whose car do you want to take back?”

She was probably too sensitive in her ears, and always unconsciously savored the tone in Yue Yunxi’s voice, trying to figure out her emotions.

Or perhaps Yue Yunxi was too good at controlling her voice, always releasing the signals she wanted her to receive.

Like water being stirred, separated by a phone, eliciting a subtle electric current, as if biting her ear.

The car that made a U-turn on the road ahead drove over and parked in front of her. Lu You was still holding the phone to her ear, not wanting to hang up, and pulled open the back seat door with her other hand.

The driver in the driver’s seat tilted his head and asked her: “What are the last four digits of your phone number?”

“5408.”

As the voice fell, a soft laugh came from the phone in her ear, penetrating her ears with unparalleled clarity in that noisy environment.

Lu You stopped closing the car door and was about to hang up the call.

The driver in the front row opened his mouth at this time: “Hey, the last four digits of your phone number are pretty good, 5408, I am your father, it’s like scolding someone. Why didn’t I see such a good number when I got my phone number?”

Lu You: “…”

The driver had a loud voice, and Yue Yunxi heard what he said clearly.

A low laugh, like the wind, lingered in her ears.

Lu You didn’t want to end the call just like that, cleared her throat to signal Yue Yunxi to stop, and when she had calmed down a bit, she asked: “So you specially picked this number for me, is that what you meant?”

She thought Yue Yunxi would reply to her like just now: Otherwise, what did you think it would mean?

This kind of communication was like playing the game of spinning a bottle, the bottle body rubbing against the table, being spun in the warming ambiguity, the purpose of both sides was the same – to point the bottle mouth at the other party.

She had already thought about how to answer this time, how to turn this “bottle” and turn it back.

But after a brief silence, Yue Yunxi replied with two very direct words: “No.”

Lu You rolled her throat and didn’t dare to ask any further.

“When I saw this last four digits…” Yue Yunxi’s voice paused in the sudden sound of the class bell.

It was unclear whether she stopped herself, or was interrupted by the bell.

Under the music of Czerny 599 No. 46, Yue Yunxi spoke again, saying in a very low voice: “My thoughts are not upright.”

So, it was another meaning.

The more openly Yue Yunxi admitted it, the more agitated Lu You’s heartbeat was. Until Yue Yunxi said she had to go to class and reluctantly ended the call in the second after the bell ended, her heart had not returned to its proper rhythm.

The phone vibrated, Lu You looked down, Yue Yunxi sent her a popular puppy emoji.

Four large words were photoshopped on it – feeling cramped.

Lu You couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth, and after searching online for a while, she found an unknown cartoon character wearing a judge’s uniform, holding a small gavel, and photoshopped with the words “felony” and sent it back.

Turning her head, the sky outside the car window was like a bottle of orange-flavored fruit wine had been overturned, the orange-yellow wine liquid spilled half the sky, and the clouds were slightly drunk with crimson. Focusing her eyes, she saw her face reflected on the glass, the smile still hadn’t faded.

Even if she was ashamed to admit it, she couldn’t deny it. When she understood the meaning of the last four digits, she didn’t feel offended, but a feeling she had never had before.

It reminded her of one time she smoked a menthol-flavored burst bead cigarette, the moment her teeth accurately broke the burst bead.

Fresh, stimulating, and very addictive.

Lu You leaned against the glass, picked up her phone, and sent another message to Yue Yunxi: [You are!]

As for what it was, she didn’t say, and Yue Yunxi didn’t ask.

–

When Lu You arrived at Lost Deer, Chen Feifei was sitting on the high stool outside the bar, with a menthol-flavored burst bead cigarette between her fingers.

Chen Feifei didn’t smoke, and occasionally pretended to do it, but it was all just going through her mouth and not her lungs.

This time, she probably had a whim and wanted to learn how to go through her lungs, but the result was that she choked every time she took a puff.

“Don’t learn the good things, learn the bad things.” Lu You picked up the ashtray on the small table and put it in front of Chen Feifei, glancing at her, “Did you go thieving last night?”

Chen Feifei froze for a moment, extinguished the cigarette, and curled her lips… jokingly said: “Uh-huh, went to steal people~”

Lu You smiled speechlessly, put her bag in the bar cabinet, and glanced at a package inside: “Whose express delivery is this?”

“Yours.” Chen Feifei said, “It was delivered this afternoon.”

Lu You frowned, took it out and looked at it, the phone number displayed on the label was the previous one.

No wonder she didn’t receive the courier’s information and phone call.

The sender column was filled in with Eleven.

Lu You frowned even more.

She still remembered this person, the difficult customer who kept sending messages on WeChat when she was traveling in Xicheng.

“What’s wrong? Could it be sent by a private fan?”

Lu You shook her head, not very sure, and cautiously said: “Wait for the courier to come to pick up the package tomorrow, let him return it.”

“Okay.” Chen Feifei asked, “How have you been lately, are there any private fans coming to harass you?”

“Not for the time being.” Lu You took two steps towards the warehouse, stopped, and looked back, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I moved to Yue Yunxi’s house.”

“Wow! Living together! When did you two develop to this point?” Chen Feifei followed up and put her arm around her shoulder, “Good heavens, you’re doing big things silently.”

“I felt that Nanwan was not safe, so I took grandma over to stay temporarily.” Lu You explained.

“Alright.” Chen Feifei noticed the direction of travel, “What are you going to do in the warehouse?”

“Pack wine, send it to Yun Zhu and them.” Lu You pushed open the warehouse door, “What’s going on with you and Yun Zhu now?”

Until she walked in and packed Li Can and their wine into bags in batches, she didn’t hear Chen Feifei speak, and couldn’t help but look up towards the warehouse door.

Chen Feifei leaned against the door, her expression blank, her eyes on the void, not knowing what she was thinking.

Just as Lu You was about to speak, she suddenly came back to her senses, “Wait, you just said you want to send wine… to Yun Zhu?”

Her tone was very disapproving.

Lu You asked: “What’s wrong?”

“I suggest you send her something else.”

“Why?”

“Her drinking habits are bad!” Chen Feifei said almost accusingly.

“But Yue Yunxi said she likes to have a little drink when she has nothing to do.” Lu You didn’t stop her hand, and continued to pack the wine into bags for Yun Zhu, “And these are all fruit wines, they don’t get people drunk.”

“Likes to have a little drink when she has nothing to do?” Chen Feifei repeated dubiously.

She believed what Lu You said, but doubted Yun Zhu’s drinking capacity.

“You and Yun Zhu…” It didn’t sound like an argument, but it didn’t sound like their relationship was heating up either. Lu You asked carefully, “Did something happen?”

Chen Feifei’s face suddenly became very unnatural, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wandered, and she was silent for a long time before confessing: “Yesterday I drank with her, she got drunk, it was just a bottle of fruit wine, only 10 degrees! And then…”

Her voice came to an abrupt stop.

Lu You arranged the gift bags full of wine in order, “Hmm? Then what happened?”

Chen Feifei suddenly closed her eyes: “Then we slept together.”

Lu You suddenly turned around, staring at Chen Feifei with wide eyes, digested it for a few seconds, and still couldn’t believe it, “…What kind of sleep?”

“What kind of sleep can it be? We’re not children, we’re adults, we’re in a period of ambiguity, and there’s alcohol involved. You try to find a goddess, and see if you two can still chat purely wrapped in blankets.”

Lu You: “…”

Chen Feifei seemed to recall some things from last night, lowered her head, tugged at the tassels on her top, awkwardly knotted and untied them, and complained with shyness and anger: “Some people are really two different people before and after they get drunk!”

Perhaps because Chen Feifei mentioned it earlier, Lu You couldn’t help but think of Yue Yunxi.

She didn’t know if she was also two different people when she got drunk.

“No, according to the goddess, she likes to have a little drink when she has nothing to do, so her alcohol tolerance must have been trained long ago, right?”

It was as if Yue Yunxi had sold Yun Zhu out.

Lu You gathered her divergent thoughts and said, “You can’t say for sure, she has a line for getting drunk, for example, she’s fine if she only drinks two glasses of wine below 10 degrees, but she can’t do it once she exceeds the degree and number of glasses.”

“It’s not impossible.” Chen Feifei shook her hair, “Forget it, I don’t want to think about it, have you packed all the wine?”

Lu You: “Yeah.”

“There’s still half a box of lemons that haven’t been squeezed.” Chen Feifei took her arm and walked towards the front desk, “The bartending tools haven’t been washed either, you come and do it with me.”

The juicer on the console in the bar was working with a buzzing sound, and the bartending tools collided with each other under the water, making a ding-dong sound. After a burst of sound, the sound of the machine also stopped.

Lu You absentmindedly wiped the bar spoon, occasionally casting glances at Chen Feifei, who was cutting lemons next to her.

Emotional matters belong to personal private affairs, and she shouldn’t ask more about the content that Chen Feifei hasn’t actively informed her about.

But as a friend, she couldn’t help but worry about her.

Her gaze lingered for too long, Chen Feifei noticed, put down the fruit knife and asked: “Why are you looking at me all the time?”

Lu You shook her head slowly, and after a moment, she couldn’t help but ask with concern: “You and Yun Zhu, what kind of relationship is it now?”

As if being asked, Chen Feifei was stunned for a moment, shook her head, put the cut lemon slices one by one into the juicer and manually squeezed the juice, without speaking.

Lu You didn’t press her.

After a while, Chen Feifei suddenly opened her mouth again: “You also know that after my mother’s cancer relapsed, the situation is not optimistic, she is almost telling me every day, ‘It would be great if I could see you get married before I leave.’

Yun Zhu’s family is also complicated, once her sister doesn’t like the marriage partner, she will become a substitute as a sacrifice for the family’s interests.”

“What kind of relationship can it be like between the two of us?” Chen Feifei said with a wry smile, “I don’t dare to ask her at all, I’m afraid she will give me a title, but I can’t give her anything, and I’m afraid she won’t recognize me, and I will feel lost.

I’m also afraid she will come and ask me. Fortunately, she didn’t ask, not even once. I think she might be the same as me.”

Chen Feifei took a breath, shrugged her shoulders, and pretended to be relaxed: “Actually, it’s also very good this way, without the ceremony of being together, there’s no need for a ceremony of separation, there’s no need to say goodbye seriously, so it won’t be too sad.”

Every word was like a jade bead with a broken string, the sound of landing was particularly crisp.

It also had a very heavy sense of brokenness.

Lu You inexplicably remembered when she was sea fishing in Xicheng, Chen Feifei calmly and clearly said to her: Being friends can last for a long time, but if you become lovers, you can’t even be friends anymore.

This sentence affected her for a long time.

And now, the person who said this sentence, knowing that the result is fruitless, still indulges the friendship that could have lasted for a long time to change its nature.

Chen Feifei was still sober, but she changed her form, soberly letting herself sink into desire.

“…Feifei.”

Lu You was a little conflicted, on the one hand, she admired her courage to be unconventional, and on the other hand, she was worried about her future situation.

So much so that she was speechless for a while.

“Hmm? Do you want to persuade me?” The curvature of Chen Feifei’s mouth had less bitterness and more uninhibitedness, “Actually, I’ve already thought about it, let’s just be unclear like this! Life always has to have one or two moments of madness, right?”

“In the past few years, because of taking care of my mother, I often feel very tired, not only physically tired, but also mentally tired, especially when she forces me hard.

I feel like I’m a piano that’s only being used but not properly maintained. The surface looks normal, but inside, the felt is severely worn, the action is misaligned, and it can’t strike the strings properly.

Then, I met a tuner with very strong skills, although I know that she will be matched with more expensive pianos, and I’m only suitable for rotting in an old small house. But, I really enjoy the feeling of my sound being adjusted to normal when I’m with her.”

Chen Feifei stopped her hand and turned her head to the side, “You should be able to understand what I’m saying, right?”

With a look of anticipation, she longed to be understood by her friend.

“With such a vivid metaphor, I would have wasted my major if I didn’t understand.” Lu You’s eyes rippled, “I’m sorry, Feifei, I didn’t realize you were in such a bad state.”

“It’s okay, actually I’m also very happy when I’m with you, but that feeling is not the same.

When I’m with friends, it’s like being displayed in the piano room with a complete piano, and I can really feel my value. But with Zhu Zi, it’s the tuner and the piano, I can be adjusted and played.”

Chen Feifei’s shoulders slowly relaxed, and she smiled, “I think even if the time I spent with her becomes a memory, it will be a very precious memory. So even if I cry like a dog when I separate from her in the future, I will never regret my current choice.”

Lu You felt that some of the hesitations in her heart collapsed with Chen Feifei’s words, suddenly like opening the fog and seeing the sky.

She was able to glimpse her most real thoughts, and couldn’t help but be stunned.

“So, don’t persuade me either.”

It wasn’t until Chen Feifei spoke again that she came back to her senses.

“I don’t want to persuade you, I just want to say to you, when you cry like a dog, don’t be afraid to disturb me no matter how late it is, just call me and cry.” Lu You put her left arm around Chen Feifei’s shoulder, “Although friends can’t tune you, they can play together with you.”

Chen Feifei laughed with a heavy nasal voice: “Aren’t you afraid it will be ugly?”

“Not afraid.” Lu You raised her hand, and the pinky ring on her little finger was brightly illuminated by the overhead lights, “I’m not a good piano either.”

Chen Feifei couldn’t hold it in immediately, her mouth twitched, her eyes filled with mist, and she punched her shoulder lightly, “You jerk, why are you doing this, I want to cry like a dog now! Wuwuwu, come and give me a hug.”

Before she finished speaking, she had already opened her arms and hugged her. At the same time, the door was pushed open, and the wind rang the bells on the dream catcher.

Li Can and the others walked in with the sound of bells.

Lu You’s hand, which was about to pat Chen Feifei’s back, was suspended in mid-air, her long eyelashes lifted, and her eyes focused on Yue Yunxi’s face.

After only two or three seconds of eye contact, Yue Yunxi’s eyes turned slightly, her eyes swept over the back of her hand, lightly and faintly, and then retracted it in just one glance.

As if involuntarily, Lu You couldn’t pat her hand down no matter what.

Chen Feifei was very sensible, said she would hug her, just a short hug, and quickly backed away. Hearing the movement at the door, she glanced over, saw Yun Zhu, and quickly turned her back and rubbed her face randomly.

“I want a hug too!” Zhong Mi ran and jumped around to the inside of the bar and threw herself into Lu You’s arms.

Lu You subconsciously looked towards Yue Yunxi.

It was still a calm expression.

But without the support of gentleness, it seemed a bit indifferent when looking at it like this, especially those eyes that were very dark, as quiet as an abyss, not showing any emotion.

In the past, Lu You both admired and envied her sense of stability, but now, she suddenly didn’t like her calmness that didn’t show any emotion.

It was as if she had sealed herself in an ice cube with distinct edges, restrained to the point of near repression.

“I miss you so much, sister.” Zhong Mi raised her face and acted coquettishly.

Lu You retracted her eyes and pinched Zhong Mi’s cheeks: “Long time no see, have you gained weight?”

Zhong Mi immediately let go of her, covered her face and said, “I’m controlling it, I’m controlling it! My mother has been very strict with my diet lately!”

Everyone was amused, except for Yun Zhu, who always frowned and stared at the tear stains on Chen Feifei’s face, “Have you cried?”

Chen Feifei was stunned for a moment, then sniffed, “A new batch of wine has arrived, it’s selling very well, and the supply can’t meet the demand. The boss has to give it to friends, give it if you give it, but each flavor has one more bottle for someone who helped her, I’m heartbroken.”

“You’re heartbroken and you’re still hugging the unscrupulous boss and crying, shouldn’t you beat her twice?” Yun Zhu said.

Lu You: “…I’ve beaten her.”

Yue Yunxi interjected coldly, “Beat the boss, fire her.”

Lu You was stunned and couldn’t help but laugh.

The degree of funniness is always stronger when people who are usually upright and serious joke.

“Pfft ha ha ha.” Li Can and Jian Yanzhi couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Chen Feifei climbed up the pole and said: “So I’m not just using a friendly hug to please her, and by the way, to influence her.”

Yun Zhu: “…”

“What wine?” Jian Yanzhi asked, seizing the opportunity.

“Never mind what wine, let’s order some drinks first, I was already thirsty, and I’m even more thirsty after laughing.” Li Can called the waiter.

After ordering fruit drinks, hot tea, and desserts and snacks, Lu You told the waiter, “Put it on my tab.”

Then, she turned her head and said, “I’ve prepared fruit wine for you, it’s packed in bags in the warehouse behind, and the invitations are also inside, take them when you leave. Oh yeah, Mi Mi, there are also invitations for Teacher Zhong and Grandma Zhong in your bag, remember to give them to them.”

Zhong Mi nodded: “Give me another copy! My mother is also going.”

“I almost forgot, you also have two godmothers, I just happened to bring extra blank invitations over.” Lu You squatted down, opened the cabinet, took out the invitations from her bag and asked, “Is Teacher Caroline coming?”

“She’s going to conduct the orchestra in Paris.” Zhong Mi held up her index finger, “Just give me one copy.”

Lu You took out the invitation and spread it on the bar. Just as she was about to find a pen, a fair hand stretched out in front of her, with a reindeer head pen in its fingertips.

“Sister Yunxi, I’ve found that you really like little deer, so many things are related to deer, the ceramics are also little deer, and now you’ve even changed your avatar to that ceramic deer.” Jian Yanzhi said with a smile, “People who don’t know would think you’re the one whose surname is Lu.”

Lu You took the pen, remembered the time when they exchanged surnames at the concert, and thought, it’s not like she hasn’t had that surname.

Hearing Yue Yunxi laugh, as if responding to Jian Yanzhi, Lu You looked up, but their eyes met lightly, knowingly.

They tacitly thought of the same thing at that moment.

Like a thin film covering a secret that only the two of them knew, faintly and indistinctly, seeping out a hazy ambiguity.

Her fingertips touched Yue Yunxi’s hand, and the touch wasn’t very obvious, but Lu You still felt an electric shock and couldn’t help but curl up.

The waiter brought up the drinks and snacks.

Lu You focused her attention and prepared to write, asking Zhong Mi: “Mi Mi, what’s your mother’s name?”

Zhong Mi had just stuffed a large piece of cake into her mouth. Hearing this, she didn’t rush to swallow it, but looked at Yun Zhu, who was talking to Chen Feifei in a low voice, and then looked at Yue Yunxi.

Yue Yunxi picked up the white porcelain cup, blew on the steaming milk tea twice, and shook her head.

Zhong Mi then swallowed the food in her mouth and said, “Um, write Yin.”

Halfway through writing the word “A,” Lu You asked, “What Yin?”

“The Yin of ‘fragrant grass like Yin’,” Zhong Mi said.

Lu You suddenly stopped her hand, and the tip of the pen made a small ink dot on the paper, and it outlined the complete word “Yin” in her memory.

——”It’s the Zhang of ‘fragrant and beautiful’, the Wen of culture, the Yin of ‘fragrant grass like Yin’, remember mother’s name, Youyou?”

She didn’t notice Zhong Mi slapping her forehead regretfully, moving like a crab to Yun Zhu’s side, and kicking the other person.

Yun Zhu hissed.

Lu You came back to her senses and looked over in the direction of the sound.

Yun Zhu took the opportunity to ask: “Little Lu, are you going to wear a cheongsam tomorrow?”

Lu You “um”ed.

“What time does that cheongsam store close?” Yun Zhu suggested, “It’s rare to get together, if it’s not closed, let’s go take a look together, order a group uniform.”

“Okay!” Li Can said excitedly, “Our folk music teacher next door wears a cheongsam every day, it’s so beautiful!”

“Their store closes at eight o’clock in the evening, I’ll ask her if there are many customers today.”

Lu You took out her phone, found the WeChat of the boss of Jinxiufang and sent a message.

Before long, the boss sent a reply, saying that there were very few customers today.

“Go to the warehouse to get the wine first, and put it in the trunk of the car before going to see the cheongsam, so you don’t forget.”

Lu You finally looked at the already written “Yin,” and slowly closed the invitation.

ˉ

Three cars lined up and drove over the speed bumps, turned into an old neighborhood with low buildings, and stopped in front of a quaint little building.

The peeling paint on the gray-white walls showed the age, covered with green tiles, inlaid with wooden windows, and a plaque hung above the door, with the three characters “Jinxiufang” written on it.

Entering the door, the boss, wearing a blue and gold cheongsam, saw Lu You and immediately greeted her with a smile: “A batch of ready-made clothes has just been made in the store today, and a batch of new materials has also arrived.”

“Then it’s true that coming early is not as good as coming at the right time.” Lu You smiled and introduced Yue Yunxi and them, “My friend saw that my cheongsam looks good, and also wants to order one or two, please take a look at their figure and appearance, and recommend some suitable materials.”

The boss readily agreed and looked at Yue Yunxi up close.

“I want to take a look myself first.” Yue Yunxi stepped aside and gave the people behind her a look, “Please take them to pick first.”

“Okay, if you need anything, just ask the staff.”

After Yun Zhu and them followed the boss to look at the fabrics, Yue Yunxi grabbed Lu You’s hand, and quickly let go, “Take me to see the ready-made clothes?”

Lu You shook her hand, but the other party let go too quickly, and there was no residual warmth left.

She was very contradictory. She was afraid that being too intimate would be noticed, worried that Yue Yunxi, as her ex-girlfriend’s sister, would be criticized for being like this with her, but when Yue Yunxi kept her distance as she wished, she felt uncomfortable again.

She spoke with subtle barbs unconsciously: “Aren’t you going to take a look yourself? I’m not a salesperson.”

Yue Yunxi’s expression was blank for a moment, with daze and confusion. But her attitude was still gentle and skillful: “What can I do,