After Becoming a Spare Tire, I Got Together with My White Moonlight - Chapter 15

Yan Guiqiu spent most of the night immersed in The Complete Guide to Love and, the next day, sporting faint dark circles under her eyes, she selected the strategy that appealed to her the most.

Watching a movie.

A-Luan slapped the sections on “How to Casually Pin Someone Against the Wall” and “A Guide to Indirect Kissing” with a loud smack, utterly exasperated: “Coward!”

Yan Guiqiu pretended not to hear. Checking the time and seeing it was already noon, she pondered for a moment before sending Jiang Xuehe a greeting message. While waiting for a reply, she browsed the list of recently released films.

Jiang Xuehe must have been genuinely busy, as it took nearly half an hour for her to reply, but she mentioned she was free from the afternoon until the evening.

Yan Guiqiu sent her the details of the recent movies and asked if she’d like to go watch one.

By the time A-Luan was clearing out the snack cabinet in the background, the two had already settled on catching the 7 p.m. show, with plans to have dinner nearby before heading to the cinema.

“Are you joining us for dinner?” Yan Guiqiu turned and asked A-Luan.

“No,” A-Luan mumbled around a Pocky stick. “I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

Yan Guiqiu gave her a thumbs-up for her tactfulness before turning back to finalize the dinner plans with Jiang Xuehe.

A-Luan sat cross-legged on the sofa, glancing between her phone and Yan Guiqiu. She raised her hand, snapped a photo of Yan Guiqiu’s profile, and sent it to Song Anchen with a caption:

Ever seen her looking this silly?

Song Anchen replied quickly: What’s she up to?

Then, catching on: Chatting with Jiang Xuehe?

A-Luan: Yeah.

Song Anchen: …

Even through the screen, Song Anchen’s speechless frustration was palpable. Imagining her furrowed brows and conflicted expression on the other end, A-Luan couldn’t help but laugh, her mood lifting by a tiny fraction.

After a moment of stunned silence, Song Anchen sent another message: Let me know when you’re heading back.

She still wanted to talk to A-Luan.

A-Luan replied with an “Okay.”

As soon as Yan Guiqiu set her phone down, she noticed A-Luan laughing uncontrollably behind her.

“Is it really that funny?” Yan Guiqiu demanded.

“Yes,” A-Luan managed between giggles, finally composing herself and putting on a serious face. “I wish you both happiness.”

Yan Guiqiu: …?

Yan Guiqiu: “Thank you.”

Whatever the reason, it was best to just accept the blessing. Yan Guiqiu took it in stride.

True to her word, A-Luan had no intention of sticking around as a third wheel. After lunch, she bid Yan Guiqiu goodbye, saying she’d visit again when she had time. Yan Guiqiu didn’t think much of it, A-Luan’s “next time” was usually just talk, rarely materializing at a specific date.

Yan Guiqiu walked her downstairs and, after a moment’s thought, asked her to wait while she went back upstairs to fetch a box of tea bags for A-Luan.

“Give this to Anchen for me. She mentioned wanting it last time but forgot to take it when she left.”

A-Luan gave an OK sign and called Song Anchen as soon as she left the neighborhood.

As expected, Song Anchen was still concerned about Yan Guiqiu and Jiang Xuehe. After a brief greeting, she cut straight to the chase.

She didn’t dislike Jiang Xuehe, but compared to her longtime friend, Yan Guiqiu’s well-being mattered more to her.

The way Yan Guiqiu was diving headfirst into this made Song Anchen uneasy.

The fact that Jiang Xuehe didn’t seem to mind, resist, or reject Yan Guiqiu’s advances only deepened Song Anchen’s apprehension.

Song Anchen hadn’t realized that right now, she looked exactly like a worried mother fretting over her good daughter’s first romance. A-Luan considered teasing her about the strong resemblance but decided against it, though she still found it amusing and couldn’t help letting out a few chuckles from her throat.

“What are you laughing at?” Song Anchen stopped.

“I don’t think you need to be so nervous,” A-Luan said. “If I remember correctly, she’s actually a few months older than you.”

“What does age have to do with it?” Song Anchen clearly sounded displeased. “This is her first time falling in love. What if she doesn’t handle it well and ends up with emotional scars?”

She’s not like you.

Song Anchen swallowed those words.

If Yan Guiqiu had as much romantic experience as A-Luan, Song Anchen wouldn’t be so worried.

But this was Yan Guiqiu’s first time liking someone, and the first time she had so clearly poured all her passion into one thing, practically offering her heart and soul on a platter.

Giving too much always risks getting little in return. Song Anchen felt that Jiang Xuehe was hard to read and might not reciprocate equally, worrying that things wouldn’t end well.

She didn’t think there was anything inherently concerning about Yan Guiqiu dating, but she was deeply afraid of her getting hurt.

If the other person were different even someone as lively and outgoing as A-Luan, who could give clear feedback Song Anchen wouldn’t feel so uneasy.

“That’s prejudice,” A-Luan said. “Just because you can’t manage every aspect of social interactions perfectly doesn’t mean no one else can. The fact that few people can do it doesn’t mean the other person isn’t sincere.”

“According to you, are you saying they’re mutually in love?” Song Anchen retorted.

“Why not?” A-Luan asked.

“What are the odds of that?” Song Anchen said without hesitation. “Yan Guiqiu falls in love at first sight with Jiang Xuehe, and Jiang Xuehe also falls in love at first sight with Yan Guiqiu, and they just happen to be a perfect match? Do you think this is an idol drama?”

“Art comes from life, haven’t you heard?” A-Luan paused, her gaze sweeping over the tea box on the passenger seat, then added, “Even if Jiang Xuehe was just being politely friendly at first, do you really think that after spending time with A-Qiu, she wouldn’t be even a little moved?”

Song Anchen fell silent.

Jiang Xuehe clearly knew Yan Guiqiu had feelings for her but didn’t distance herself, which meant she wasn’t opposed to same-sex affection. With Yan Guiqiu’s personality, when she likes someone, she gives without expecting anything in return, she’s like that even with friends, let alone with someone she loves.

Hearts are made of flesh and blood; no one can be truly stone-hearted and unmoved.

Putting herself in Jiang Xuehe’s shoes, Song Anchen thought that if she were being pursued so openly by Yan Guiqiu, even if she were straight, it would be hard to guarantee she wouldn’t waver at all.

But Jiang Xuehe…

Song Anchen wanted to argue further but found it difficult to come up with any more reasons to refute.

“Even if you don’t trust Jiang Xuehe, you should have some faith in A-Qiu,” A-Luan finally couldn’t help saying. “She’s been an adult for so long you could get scammed eighty times, and she might not even get tricked once. Do you know what I want to tell you when I see you like this?”

Song Anchen was still dazed and asked reflexively, “What?”

A-Luan said with profound sincerity, “The child has grown up. Let her go out and explore on her own, Grandma.”

Song Anchen: “…”

Song Anchen hung up the phone.

During dinner that evening, Yan Guiqiu received a photo sent by A Luan.

As expected, A Luan had gone to Song Anchen’s place, and the two of them had found a restaurant to have dinner together. The background of the photo showed a corner of the restaurant, tastefully decorated. A Luan was pulling at Song Anchen’s cheek, forcing a smile, while Song Anchen’s exaggerated eye-roll was almost comical, looking both ridiculous and amusing.

When Jiang Xuehe returned from washing her hands, she saw Yan Guiqiu laughing while looking at her phone.

Yan Guiqiu looked up and noticed her, then handed her the phone to take a look as well.

Below the photo was a message Yan Guiqiu had sent: “Didn’t get into a fight, did you?”

It sounded like a joke, but there was a hint of genuine concern in Yan Guiqiu’s words.

It was true that their personalities didn’t mesh well. Although they had never openly argued, it was rare to see the two of them spending time alone together.

Yan Guiqiu mentioned it casually to Jiang Xuehe, who then realized that the two of them didn’t seem to get along very well.

Jiang Xuehe paused slightly, but Yan Guiqiu was busy replying to the message and didn’t notice.

After paying the bill and stepping outside, there was still some time before the movie started. The two of them wandered around the mall to walk off their meal. The floor above was filled with clothing and luxury brand boutiques, with far fewer stores than the lower levels and a much quieter atmosphere.

In one corner, a sign bearing the name “Xinglan” caught their attention.

Jiang Xuehe paused in her steps, and Yan Guiqiu followed her gaze before asking, “Want to go in and take a look?”

“Sure,” Jiang Xuehe nodded.

Neither of them particularly needed to buy clothes, but since they were just killing time, browsing in the store would help pass the time.

However, before they could step inside, they were stopped by a shop assistant at the entrance.

The young female employee was dressed elegantly, wearing a polite smile as she discreetly sized up the two of them.

Her gaze lingered only briefly on Yan Guiqiu her simple, casual outfit didn’t offer much to look at but she took a longer look at Jiang Xuehe.

“That trench coat you’re wearing is our main design from last season, isn’t it?”

“I think so. I didn’t pay much attention when I bought it,” Jiang Xuehe replied, pausing as if trying to recall.

The shop assistant’s smile grew warmer. She bowed slightly and gestured with her hand in a welcoming manner, saying enthusiastically, “Would you like to take a look at our new collection for this season?”

Since they were just passing the time, there was no harm in looking. Jiang Xuehe nodded agreeably.

Once inside, another staff member came to assist them.

Jiang Xuehe looked around casually, seemingly at ease, while Yan Guiqiu appeared rather tense, as if she wanted to sigh deeply.

While the shop assistant turned to fetch some clothes, Jiang Xuehe leaned closer to Yan Guiqiu and whispered, “Is this your first time here?”

Yan Guiqiu nodded. “It’s my first time stepping into this store since starting university.”

Xinglan was a business under Madam Meng’s name. Originally a niche clothing design brand, it had since expanded into two parallel sub-brands: one focusing on high-end custom designs and the other on affordable fashion. However, perhaps due to the fame of its senior designers, in recent years, the brand had almost become synonymous with “high-end” and “luxury,” while its more affordable sub-brands had faded into obscurity.

Yan Guiqiu had been an ordinary student for so many years that she never cared about clothing brands. True to her word, she had stayed out of family business matters since college so much so that she hadn’t even stepped into one of their brand stores once.

It wasn’t so much about avoiding suspicion as it was about having no real reason to go.

The store clerk clearly had no idea who Yan Guiqiu was. Though she wore a polite and enthusiastic smile, most of her attention was clearly on Jiang Xuehe.

Jiang Xuehe noticed this immediately. She also knew Yan Guiqiu wouldn’t want to flaunt her identity as the young lady of the family, so she didn’t say anything more. Instead, she took the supposedly latest-style top the clerk handed her and held it up against Yan Guiqiu.

“This one looks quite good on you. Do you like it? If you do, I’ll buy you the whole set.”

Jiang Xuehe wasn’t joking. As she spoke, she turned to look at the outerwear section, scanning for suitable matching pieces.

The clerk’s expression shifted slightly. Just this top alone was quite expensive, yet Jiang Xuehe hadn’t even asked the price before offering to buy a full set clearly, she was a big spender who didn’t worry about money.

The clerk’s attitude noticeably warmed.
“I think this piece would also suit your friend’s complexion very well. Would you like to try it on?”

Jiang Xuehe glanced over and replied without a moment’s hesitation, “Bring that one to try as well.”

The clerk hurried off to fetch the clothes. When she returned, though her gaze was subtle, it couldn’t hide her curiosity she looked at Yan Guiqiu as if she were some wealthy patron’s kept mistress.

Yan Guiqiu: “…”

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