Beauty Snake - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Poor Yin-Yin and the Roses…

“Ha—this is crazy, I accidentally let my true thoughts slip out…] [I hope she didn’t notice…”

Though Ji Yunfei walked away with a cool air, she was anything but composed on the inside. She realized too late that she had let a sour, jealous truth leak from her heart. She wanted to give herself two hard slaps, but she knew that once words were spoken, regret was useless.

She could only let her internal self pucker into a bitter melon and kneel before the heavens, praying that Xie Yin wouldn’t pay attention to what she had said.

But with such an obvious scent of vinegar in the air… how could anyone not notice?

“Don’t think about it! Now is the time for a peak acting performance!!”

Ji Yunfei shook her head, tossing the chaotic mess of thoughts aside. She tucked a single rose between her teeth, put on an unreadable smile, and strode into the restaurant where Su Yao was waiting.

“Darling~ I finally found you~”

With light, swaying steps, Ji Yunfei strolled unhurriedly toward the table and came to a stop beside Su Yao. After preparing herself mentally, she tossed her hair with seductive grace and winked at her.

Then, her arm snaked out like a spirit, intimately linking with Su Yao’s arm. She leaned her soft body against Su Yao as if she were boneless, radiating an indescribable charm in every gesture.

“And who is this?”

Ji Yunfei “nonchalantly” plucked the rose from her mouth, tucked it behind Su Yao’s ear, and looked up at the man sitting opposite.

“Daniel.”

“This lady just called you… darling?”

The corners of the man’s eyes twitched behind his black-rimmed glasses, and his polite smile was on the verge of collapsing. His voice deepened, tinged with a subtle, questioning edge.

“As you can see… this is my girlfriend.” Su Yao arched an eyebrow and looped her arm around Ji Yunfei’s neck, her tone laced with pride.

Ji Yunfei was startled by the sudden move. Her reflexes almost kicked in to push Su Yao away, but luckily, “An Actor’s Professionalism” was echoing in her head, restraining her hand from performing a “flick-and-flash” strike.

To coordinate with Su Yao, Ji Yunfei adjusted her mindset and even proactively rubbed her cheek against the hand Su Yao had around her. She cast a provocative, defiant glance at Daniel.

But it was this glance that caused her to look out the window, completely missing the faint blush creeping onto the cheeks of the person beside her.

Through the glass, she saw the silhouette that had been sitting on the bench. Xie Yin had stood up and was now standing still, staring directly at their table.

Even with a quick glance, and though she couldn’t see Xie Yin’s expression clearly, Ji Yunfei could somehow feel the chill radiating from her… a frost that could make her shiver even through the glass.

If a person’s aura could kill, Ji Yunfei was certain she would have been sliced into a thousand pieces by now.

Once she noticed the figure outside, she couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting back. The more she told herself not to care, the more she obsessed. Finally, she surrendered. She couldn’t stop herself from looking. She could fool her brain, but not her heart. She desperately wanted to know: what was Xie Yin’s expression right now?

Would she show even a hint of emotion?

After a long struggle, she finally steeled herself and looked out the window. That one look left her stunned.

Under the dim yellow streetlamp, the woman stood silently, clutching a rose in her hand. Because it had been squeezed so tightly, the stem had snapped in two.

Ji Yunfei didn’t dare look at her face anymore. Yet, despite the anxiety, her gaze traveled up from the snapped rose, up the arm, until she met those eyes.

Those deep black pupils, usually devoid of ripples, were now filled with desolation. Under the lamplight, Ji Yunfei saw a shimmer of moisture in the depths of Xie Yin’s eyes.

“Did I see that right… but… why?”

It felt unbelievable. That nearly broken expression… was that something Xie Yin was capable of showing?

Ji Yunfei looked away, forcing herself to stop dwelling on that fragile face. But the more she resisted, the clearer Xie Yin’s face became, haunting her mind.

“You… you two…”

“Disgusting!”

The man’s angry roar pulled Ji Yunfei back to the present. Daniel could no longer maintain his composure; the veins on his forehead were bulging, and his face was contorted.

“If… if your parents knew you were doing such shameful things in private—”

“Oh? And?”

Daniel pointed a trembling finger at them, his voice carrying a threat. But Ji Yunfei wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Her tone was indifferent as she cut him off.

Seeing Daniel’s distorted face after his psychological breakdown, Ji Yunfei subconsciously knit her brows. She let out a soft “tch,” grabbed Su Yao’s hand, and prepared to leave.

But just as she touched Su Yao’s wrist, she was gently pressed back into her seat.

“Since Mr. Daniel finds us so intolerable… then please, suit yourself.”

“My girlfriend and I are going to enjoy our ‘candlelight dinner’.”

Su Yao maintained a decent smile, her voice echoing with a faint impatience.

“Fine… fine, fine!!”

“Truly beyond saving!!”

Being “shown the door” so politely, the man’s fury had nowhere to vent. His face turned beet red. Ultimately, he couldn’t find any words to say; he left a “harsh warning,” slammed the table, and stormed out.

“Phew—”

Watching Daniel disappear, Ji Yunfei went limp like a puddle of slime, sliding down the back of her chair.

“Good job. Get up, get up. Everything on this table was ordered according to your tastes.”

“I was just waiting for you to come and taste it.”

Su Yao poked the soul-wandering Ji Yunfei, the smile in her eyes turning more genuine.

“Ah—”

“First, tell me how my acting was. Was it great?”

Thinking of the man’s frantic departure, Ji Yunfei couldn’t help but laugh. Even though she was the one being scolded, the situation was hilarious.

“Pfft—”

“Full marks, Movie Queen Ji.”

“Alright, eat up. It won’t taste good if it gets cold~”

Su Yao tapped Ji Yunfei’s forehead and moved her to the opposite seat. Ji Yunfei took the hint and picked up her fork to dig in, but before she did, her eyes involuntarily drifted back to the window.

“Xie Yin… she shouldn’t be there anymore, right?”

Thinking this, she subtly shifted her gaze to the bench.

The dim yellow light still spilled onto the sidewalk, but the woman who had been standing there was gone. There was no trace of her, as if she had never appeared.

All that remained by the bench was the cart of vibrant, blooming roses.

Ji Yunfei couldn’t describe her current mood. She just felt empty, as if a piece of her had been carved out. Was she disappointed? But she had expected this outcome. It wouldn’t be normal for Xie Yin to stay there…

“A-Fei? A-Fei!”

“Are you listening?”

Su Yao’s questioning voice snapped her back. A hand was waving in front of her face.

“Ah… what? Yes, I’m listening… what did you say?”

“I asked… do you have any plans for the next few days?”

Sensing Ji Yunfei’s distraction, Su Yao sighed inwardly, sensing something.

“Eh? Plans?”

“Um… not yet.”

Mentioning the future made Ji Yunfei’s head ache. Right now, she just wanted to be a salted fish without any plans.

“There’s a class reunion next week… I organized it with a few other classmates. It happens to be in City S. The whole class should be notified soon. Want to come?”

“Class reunion…”

“I’m feeling a bit socially anxious…”

“You know… the number of people I was close with in college can be counted on one hand.”

Ji Yunfei held her head, feeling conflicted. On one hand, she hated crowded events where she had to maintain superficial relations; on the other, she desperately needed a new social environment to distract her from her troubles.

“Just follow Sister Yao. I know you don’t like crowds.”

“If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. We can leave whenever. Your happiness is what matters most.”

“……”

Su Yao knew her well and saw through her hesitation immediately. She had her arguments ready and easily convinced her.

“Since you put it that way, how can I refuse?”

Ji Yunfei finally relented. She figured she’d give it a try—it would be good practice for future work networking, anyway.

…Networking… will there even be another chance?

Ji Yunfei looked back at the window again. The cart of roses sat lonely by the bench. The night wind blew past, shaking off a few petals. Under the lights, it looked quite desolate.

“Sister Yao… you keep eating.”

“I… I need to step out for a moment.”

Ji Yunfei’s heart skipped a beat for an unknown reason. She made up a random excuse, slipped out of the restaurant, and walked quickly toward the flower cart.

The roses were still in full bloom. Ji Yunfei slowly crouched down, leaning close to the nearest one to sniff its scent.

Aside from the rich aroma of the roses, a faint scent of narcissus lingered at the tip of her nose, refusing to leave.

Her eyes held an unreadable expression. She moved her gaze away from the flowers and looked to the side.

Just one look was enough to make her resolve waver…

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