My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 40

Leaving the traffic police department, by the time they got back to the villa, the sky outside was already dark.

As soon as Zuo Zhimi got home, she couldn’t help but complain to her sister about the car accident that day.

“I honestly don’t know how those people got their driver’s licenses. They managed to hit the back of my car on such a wide road,” Zuo Zhimi said, holding up four fingers incredulously. “And it was a four-car pile-up.”

Zuo Zhifan only knew they had been in an accident but not the specifics. Hearing this, she was surprised.

After Zuo Zhimi recounted the accident from beginning to end, Zuo Zhifan, who had worked as a forensic pathologist for decades and encountered countless criminal cases, keenly sensed that something was amiss.

“Did you offend someone? Is someone trying to harm you?”

Zuo Zhimi froze for a moment. “No way. If they wanted to hurt me, why wouldn’t they crash harder? Besides… apart from picking you guys up today, I didn’t have any important engagements.”

“Maybe I’m overthinking it then,” Zuo Zhifan shifted her gaze. “Where’s Xianzai?”

“Probably changing clothes in her room. She got wet in the rain on the way.”

Inside Zuo Xian’s bedroom.

Zuo Xian took off her damp coat and tossed it into the laundry basket in the bathroom. She sat on the armchair, crossing her legs, and messaged Tao Ran.

I’m home, Ranran. Are you busy?

Tao Ran’s reply came after a moment.

Just finished showering.

Showering?

Zuo Xian quietly curled the corner of her lips, a lively mischief flashing in her eyes.

Zuo Xian: Are you hinting that I should video call?

Tao Ran: I still have some things to deal with here. I might not be able to video call.

The small flame that had just ignited was instantly doused with water, and Zuo Xian pouted, feeling a slight disappointment.

But her considerate nature won out, and she told Tao Ran to go and be busy, and that they could chat later when she was free.

This time, Tao Ran didn’t reply, likely having gone straight to work.

Zuo Xian didn’t dwell on it. Having been rained on and then waiting at the traffic police department, the immediate priority was to take a shower and wash the sticky feeling off her body.

Her clothes were casually thrown into the laundry basket. Before long, the sound of running water filled the bathroom, mingling with the drumming of the heavy rain outside.

Stepping out of the shower, Zuo Xian was startled by Liu Xinyu, who had appeared suddenly in her room.

“You scared me! How did you get in without a sound?”

“I knocked,” Liu Xinyu turned her wheelchair in a circle and shrugged. “But you were showering, so you didn’t hear.”

“Did you come to see me about something?”

“I came to check on you,” Liu Xinyu glanced at her. “How far along are you and Tao Ran now?”

“Didn’t you say you were preparing for the high school entrance exam?” Zuo Xian deliberately teased.

Liu Xinyu smiled back. “No need to prepare anymore.”

Zuo Xian looked at her with confusion and surprise.

“I got a direct offer.”

Zuo Xian: “…”

So she came here to show off, this little kid.

Seeing the pride that Liu Xinyu couldn’t hide beneath her feigned composure, Zuo Xian also felt proud for her. She walked over and gently kneaded Liu Xinyu’s plump cheeks, like playing with a steamed bun.

“Well, you didn’t tell me right away! I should have known. You were busy with the entrance exam prep, how could Auntie have convinced you to take leave and come to Lushi? So you got a direct offer.”

Liu Xinyu pressed down the corners of her upturned lips. “You didn’t ask, either. I posted it on QZone, alright.”

Zuo Xian rarely checked QZone. Hearing this, she was curious about what she posted. She picked up her phone, unlocked the screen, and tapped on Liu Xinyu’s profile.

Liu Xinyu: Prepping for the college entrance exam Gao Kao ing.

Zuo Xian was speechless for a moment, looking at Liu Xinyu with a hint of awe.

This girl was terrifying.

“You still haven’t answered my question. How are things with you and Tao Ran? Is it still just one-sided love?” Liu Xinyu quickly changed the subject, returning to their original topic.

“Why are you suddenly so curious about this?” Zuo Xian laughed, sitting down nearby to take off her dry-hair towel and chatting while drying her hair.

“Isn’t it all because of you?”

If it weren’t for her cousin liking Tao Ran, and her aunt being friends with Jiang Ningxiu, Liu Xinyu would have always kept her distance from nobility like Tao Ran.

Her birth parents were retaliated against and killed because they caught wealthy people.

In Liu Xinyu’s eyes, a second-generation with a complex background like Tao Ran was as dangerous as a ticking time bomb. If she could, she would prefer to have no association with such a person for the rest of her life.

It just so happened that her cousin was a lovesick fool who wouldn’t stop until she hit a wall. All Liu Xinyu could do was guard her back, hoping to rescue her immediately if she actually ran into trouble.

“Me and Tao Ran, huh…” Zuo Xian suddenly burst into laughter while drying her hair.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed. “I’m planning to find a chance to confess to her soon.”

“That fast?” Liu Xinyu was surprised. “Aren’t you worried about failing?”

“Impossible. You don’t know, we two…” Zuo Xian stopped mid-sentence.

The warm overhead light in the bedroom shone, making the girl’s freshly showered skin look as moist and clear as porcelain. She lowered her long lashes, smiling shyly with her lips pressed together.

Her damp long hair spread out, making her look like a lotus flower emerging from clear water. Her neck and the back of her ears were faintly pink, and drops of water from her hair slid down her skin, leaving a trail.

Liu Xinyu had never seen Zuo Xian like this before and narrowed her eyes.

Her tone became serious, almost a gnashing of teeth in frustration. “You two didn’t… Zuo Xian, are you insane!”

“Oh, where did your mind go?” Zuo Xian knew instantly that she was thinking crookedly and slapped her arm. “We just… kissed once.”

“On the cheek? On the mouth?”

“…Both.”

“Hmph,” Liu Xinyu crossed her arms, her expression displeased. “It’s an absolute disrespect to the college entrance exam!”

“…” Zuo Xian was speechless. “Enough with you.”

Liu Xinyu leaned her head back against the chair, wheeled around a couple of times, then looked up at Zuo Xian. “So when are you planning to confess? Do you need my help?”

“Tao Ran and I haven’t reached the point where we need a flower girl yet, okay?”

After a round of mutual teasing, Zuo Xian gave a serious answer. “Probably in a few days. I saw a plain ring I liked before, but I was short on cash. I just saved up enough recently.”

Buying that watch for Tao Ran had practically emptied Zuo Xian’s small savings, but luckily, her mother was very generous with pocket money, allowing her to save up quickly.

Liu Xinyu nodded upon hearing this. “Then I’ll wait until you successfully confess before leaving.”

“Why? Do you really want to be a flower girl?”

The sisters simultaneously rolled their eyes at each other, and a moment later, they started chatting about other topics as if nothing had happened.

In the following days, Tao Ran still didn’t go to school. She seemed even busier than before. Many of Zuo Xian’s calls went unanswered, and her messages were often met with delayed responses.

But at the same time, Zuo Xian was busy preparing for her confession. Her initial reaction to Tao Ran’s sudden coldness was to think it was a good thing she was busy, as it meant she could prepare a big surprise.

The day before Liu Xinyu’s birthday, Zuo Xian took Liu Xinyu with her to pick up the ring she had ordered.

Receiving the exquisite ring box from the shop assistant, Zuo Xian felt an indescribable excitement. She turned to look at Liu Xinyu, her eyes shining with light.

“You’re not planning to confess on my birthday, are you?” Liu Xinyu’s heart jumped at Zuo Xian’s gaze, genuinely worried she might open her mouth and say, ‘Double happiness, aren’t you happy?’

She couldn’t imagine her birthday and her cousin’s anniversary falling on the same day.

It felt too strange.

“It won’t be on your birthday,” Zuo Xian smiled with her eyes curved, “but it will definitely be on the day of your birthday banquet.”

The birthday banquet and the actual birthday weren’t on the same day; Liu Xinyu’s birthday was still about half a month away.

The banquet wasn’t just for her birthday; it was also to celebrate Liu Xinyu’s promotion to the next level of schooling. Zuo Zhimi planned to reserve an entire floor of a hotel and hold a small banquet, inviting only close relatives and friends.

They would host one in Lushi and then another when they returned to Yizhou City, saving relatives and friends from having to travel everywhere.

Recently, Tao Ran had been missing in action due to her busy schedule, but Zuo Xian remembered that she had promised a few days ago to make time for Liu Xinyu’s birthday.

Tao Ran had never broken a promise to her, so Zuo Xian never doubted that Tao Ran would show up.

The hands of the clock turned a full circle, and Liu Xinyu’s birthday and promotion banquet began as scheduled.

In the opulent hotel, guests arrived in succession. Zuo Zhimi and Zuo Zhifan stood at the hall entrance, chatting with each guest for a while.

Zuo Zhifan was more reserved and didn’t speak much. In contrast, Zuo Zhimi seemed more like Liu Xinyu’s mother, saying “our child” repeatedly, her face beaming with pride.

There was still some time before the banquet officially started, and Zuo Xian, unable to bear the boredom, also came to the hall entrance.

She was wearing a light pink evening gown today with light makeup, looking playful and bright. At first glance, she was like the blooming cherry blossoms of mid-spring, full of vibrant life and spirit.

“Is Ranran here?” she asked immediately upon arrival.

Zuo Zhimi shook her head. “Not yet.”

No sooner had she spoken than Jiang Ningxiu, dressed elegantly in a dark cheongsam, walked gracefully toward them. Zuo Xian’s eyes lit up as she peered behind her.

But even when Jiang Ningxiu reached them, Tao Ran was nowhere to be seen.

“Aunt Jiang, didn’t Ranran come with you?”

Jiang Ningxiu was also a little surprised. “I thought she would come right after me.”

Zuo Xian’s eyes dimmed, but she smiled and said, “Maybe she’s busy.”

Jiang Ningxiu noticed her disappointment and gently comforted her, “That must be it. I haven’t seen her recently either.”

“Even you haven’t seen Ranran, Aunt Jiang?”

“No,” Jiang Ningxiu said helplessly. “I have no idea what she’s been busy with lately