My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 18

Zuo Xian felt even more depressed. She should have known better…

Zuo Xian felt even more depressed. She should have known better than to bring Tao Ran to this Christmas party, only to have Tao Ran run into “that familiar person.”

What kind of terrible brilliant idea was that? She knew Xue Shuangxi was unreliable.

The thought of the “brilliant idea” succeeding and Tao Ran’s attention actually shifting to someone else brought a wave of bitterness to Zuo Xian’s heart. She didn’t even want to speak.

She glanced sideways and saw Tao Ran was still trying to recall where she had seen that girl before.

Zuo Xian: “…”

Before Tao Ran could figure it out, “Santa Claus” arrived.

Xue Shuangxi, holding two small boxes, ran over to Zuo Xian and Tao Ran and asked, “Why aren’t you two playing with everyone else? Are you secretly on a date here?”

If this were said to ordinary friends, it would just be a casual joke.

But Xue Shuangxi was clearly teasing them intentionally. Zuo Xian was already irritated and shot Xue Shuangxi a warning look.

Perhaps because of the alcohol, her naturally round eyes were now slightly watery, lacking any deterrent power. Xue Shuangxi grinned, showing her pearly white teeth.

She’d definitely dare to do it again next time.

“Here, these are gifts Santa prepared for you two,” Xue Shuangxi handed a box to each of them.

Zuo Xian was surprised. “There are gifts?”

“How can Christmas be without gifts? That wouldn’t be romantic at all,” Xue Shuangxi glanced at her.

Suddenly, Tao Ran’s gaze fixed on a spot not far away.

The villa door opened, and someone she hadn’t expected appeared.

Tao Ran’s eyes fell on Xue Shuangxi, who was still rambling about “romance,” and she kindly warned, “Xue Shuangxi, I think one of your family members is here.”

Almost immediately after Tao Ran’s words, a low, magnetic female voice sounded behind Xue Shuangxi, instantly choking “Santa Claus.”

“Xue Shuangxi, who allowed you to drink?”

Xue Shuangxi stiffly turned her neck to face the newcomer, forcing a guilty smile.

“Hehe, Sis.”

Xue Ying had sharp features, and the silver-rimmed glasses she wore reduced some of her aggression, making her look a bit more scholarly, but she still exuded a powerful presence.

She first gave Xue Shuangxi a look—who immediately turned into a scared quail—before turning her attention to the girl sitting calmly on the high stool.

She curved her lips. “Little CEO Tao, I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Little CEO Tao?!

Zuo Xian and Xue Shuangxi’s eyes widened in unison, completely unfamiliar with the title.

Tao Ran, however, accepted it easily, or perhaps she was already used to it. She smiled faintly. “My apologies for the intrusion.”

“Santa Claus” was swiftly grabbed by the suddenly-appearing Xue Ying and taken aside for a lecture with virtually no resistance.

However, Xue Ying’s appearance wasn’t due to any issue with the Christmas party Xue Shuangxi had hosted.

After all, Xue Shuangxi’s friends were all girls, and only girls were invited. The most intense activity on the floor was a dance battle when the background music shifted to a K-pop playlist.

The Christmas party wasn’t the problem; Xue Ying seemed to have other scores to settle with Xue Shuangxi.

Zuo Xian guessed it had something to do with Xue Shuangxi secretly destroying the books Xue Ying had given her.

But compared to Xue Shuangxi’s troubles, Tao Ran’s situation was more important to Zuo Xian.

She looked at the calm Tao Ran and asked, “Why did she call you Little CEO Tao?”

Tao Ran took a sip of her cocktail and glanced at Zuo Xian. She seemed slightly tipsy, or maybe just warm, as the corners of her eyes were flushed pink.

As her eyes shifted, a gorgeous, gentle charm began to take shape, making Zuo Xian’s heart flutter inexplicably.

Zuo Xian quickly clutched her chest, thinking to herself that she had been getting strangely weird lately.

Tao Ran parted her lips. “Because I’m still young, so I’m the Little CEO Tao.”

“…That’s not right. You missed the main point,” Zuo Xian said.

But Tao Ran said nothing more, just smiling at Zuo Xian. Zuo Xian covered her chest and turned her face away, deciding not to press the issue.

Her heart was thumping. Zuo Xian told herself to let Tao Ran off the hook.

As they were talking, someone suddenly approached. Zuo Xian didn’t initially look at the person’s face, assuming they were coming for a drink, so she stepped aside to make room.

She waited a moment, but the person didn’t move, so Zuo Xian finally looked up.

She was startled.

Wasn’t this the girl who had been watching Tao Ran in the corner? Why had she come over to her?

Zuo Xian froze. Before she could speak, the girl stood in front of her, lips quivering, her face visibly turning red.

“Hello?” Zuo Xian spoke first.

“H-Hello, Zuo Xian,” the girl stammered, seeming surprised that Zuo Xian greeted her first. Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.

“You know my name?” Zuo Xian took a step back, becoming wary. “Do I know you?”

“You don’t know me, but… can we know each other now?” the girl spoke haltingly, her eyes bright.

Zuo Xian was stunned. So, Tao Ran had guessed correctly: the girl was looking at her.

Zuo Xian herself wasn’t the type to initiate contact, but she wasn’t entirely passive either.

If someone approached her with good intentions, she would warmly welcome them; if they had bad intentions, she would retreat.

As for how she distinguished good from bad intentions, perhaps the purer and more intuitive a person is, the more they possess a kind of instinctive, small-animal-like sense of danger, which is frighteningly accurate.

So, Zuo Xian smiled. “Of course.”

The girl relaxed and smiled. After they exchanged contact information, she quickly scurried away.

Tao Ran watched from the side, narrowing her eyes. “Ah Xian has great popularity. First, there was Xue Shuangxi, and now she’s made a new friend.”

In Tao Ran’s eyes, Zuo Xian had always been very likable; hardly anyone held ill will toward her.

If Zuo Xian wanted to, no one would refuse to be her friend.

However, because Zuo Xian had strong personal boundaries and wasn’t the type to seek out extensive friendships, only she herself had been able to remain by Zuo Xian’s side all this time.

Tao Ran curved her lips, feeling a little pleased.

The background music changed to a Christmas song at that moment.

Tao Ran softly said, “It’s midnight.”

Zuo Xian turned her head and saw that the cuff of Tao Ran’s coat had slipped up slightly with the movement, revealing the wristwatch Zuo Xian had given her.

Zuo Xian smiled, staring at Tao Ran’s wrist. “It looks nice.”

Tao Ran looked at Zuo Xian’s face; it was slightly flushed. She paused and asked, “Ah Xian, are you a little drunk?”

“Am I?” Zuo Xian pressed the back of her hand to her cheek, answering her own question. “I think so, a little dizzy.”

“Then let’s go home,” Tao Ran said, standing up.

“Okay.”

Before leaving, Zuo Xian sent a message to Xue Shuangxi. The two stepped out of the villa, only to realize that tiny snowflakes were falling from the sky—it was the first snow of the year.

The specks of snow drifted onto her warm face, melting instantly into small traces of water.

Zuo Xian reached out her hand, catching the snowflakes in her palm. Her eyes were filled with joy as she excitedly turned to Tao Ran. “Ran Ran, it’s the first snow!”

“Mm, it’s the first snow.”

Thanks to countless popular Korean dramas, the first snow has been given a romantic definition in the new era.

It’s said that lovers who witness the first snow together will love each other for a lifetime.

If you witness it with your crush, you will end up being with her.

Zuo Xian clenched her open palm, holding the snow in her hand. The icy touch slightly cleared her mind.

She bit her lip, cautiously stealing a glance at Tao Ran standing beside her.

Will she confess to me today?