"Sister Hui, what a coincidence," Ye Ge said, greeting her.
"It certainly is. Are these your friends?"
Wang Hui only then noticed the two girls beside Ye Ge, and she couldn't help but gasp inwardly. These two girls were far too beautiful. In terms of looks alone, they were not a bit inferior to her own Cici; in fact, they might even have the upper hand. The girl on the left, in particular, had a figure that, even beneath her loose school uniform, hinted at a stunning silhouette.
And her eyes were gorgeous. Were these what the novels called peach blossom eyes? No, the corners of her eyes curved slightly upward like a cat’s tail. Cat-like peach blossom eyes! Good heavens, she was absolutely enchanting! In ancient times, she would have been a siren capable of toppling empires. Furthermore, the two girls looked seven-tenths alike. Were they sisters?
Beside Wang Hui, Yan Cici was also staring at the pair in astonishment. Who were they? Why had she never heard of them? Were they Ye Ge’s friends? That didn’t make any sense. Ye Ge had grown up with her; he told her everything. She should have been crystal clear about every friend he had, especially a pair of beauties like these.
When Yan Cici’s gaze drifted downward and swept over Su Mu’s chest, her heart skipped a beat, and her willow-leaf brows knit together. She looked back at Ye Ge, thinking of how he hadn't paid her any mind since she rejected him that day. When she took the initiative to message him, he would reply with cold indifference, or simply not reply at all.
"We had an agreement, didn't we?" she thought. "Even if we couldn't be a couple, we could still be friends! We grew up together. I've always looked at you like a brother. I just rejected your confession, that's all. Can’t we be siblings in spirit? Why are you being so cold to me? You used to reply to my QQ messages in seconds! You used to buy me whatever I wanted! Why is it like this?"
What made her even angrier was that when she invited him to the aquarium yesterday, he said he was busy! Was hanging out with these two girls what he called "busy"?! The more she thought about it, the more miserable and resentful she felt. Yan Cici felt as though something of hers had been snatched away.
"These are two of my friends," Ye Ge nodded. "We’re having a meal, but we’re heading out now. Enjoy your dinner, Sister Hui."
From beginning to end, Ye Ge hadn't spoken a single word to Yan Cici, nor had he spared her a glance. He greeted Wang Hui and prepared to leave. But he didn't expect Yan Cici to block his path.
"Cici, is there something you need?" Ye Ge asked, his tone flat—less intimate even than when he spoke to Wang Hui.
Yan Cici clenched her fists, her chest rising and falling with agitation. "Ye Ge, what is the meaning of this? I asked you if you wanted to go to the aquarium yesterday, and you turned me down, saying you were busy. Is this your 'business'?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried across the small restaurant. Fortunately, the place was empty, save for the proprietress, whose eyes gleamed with the spark of gossip. Su Mu and Su Yue were startled and exchanged a glance, confused by what was happening. Wang Hui was even more shocked; she hadn't expected Cici to confront him so directly.
"Cici, I really was busy. I took my mother to the hospital for a check-up this morning," Ye Ge sighed. If it weren't for the sake of Auntie Yan, he wouldn't have even bothered to explain. "Besides, what I do is my own business, and it has nothing to do with you, right? Even if I didn't accompany you to the aquarium, so what?"
"You..."
Yan Cici was struck speechless for a moment. Her star-like eyes shimmered, and a mist of water gathered in them, as if she were about to cry. "Ye Ge, you weren't like this before. You used to give me whatever I wanted, help me with whatever I needed to do, and accompany me wherever I went. We grew up together! I only rejected your confession, but you said we could still be friends!"
Ye Ge sighed. "Cici, we did grow up together, and your mother and my mother are best friends. We can be friends, that’s true. But have you ever seen a friendship that requires one person to constantly coddle the other and be at their beck and call? I’m not your boyfriend. Sister Hui and I are friends, too. Have you ever seen me text Sister Hui 'goodnight' every day or go out to buy her ice cream?"
Wang Hui: "???"
"I..." Yan Cici bit her delicate lip, her words catching in her throat.
"Alright, that’s enough. Give my regards to your parents." Ye Ge didn't want to say anything more and walked toward the proprietress to pay the bill.
Su Mu and Su Yue snapped out of their daze and hurried forward, rushing to pay. They had invited him out, so how could they let Ye Ge foot the bill? Ye Ge didn't object.
After the three of them left the restaurant, the atmosphere between them felt a bit strange. Su Mu and Su Yue felt as though they had been dragged into a romantic dispute. Was this puppy love? No, Ye Ge had already graduated from high school, so it hardly counted.
"Sorry about that, I’m afraid you two had to watch an awkward scene," Ye Ge said. "I’m going to the bus station to find a recording studio. It’s too hot out, you two should head back as well."
Ye Ge felt helpless; the whole thing had been quite embarrassing. However, he didn't want to explain anything more to Su Mu and Su Yue. There was no need; he had no intention of hitting on these two sisters.
"Oh, right. Senior, we’re heading to the Yuzhou station to catch our bus," Su Yue said with a quick nod.
"Alright, see you next time."
Ye Ge walked toward the station. He was truly speechless when it came to Yan Cici. If it weren't for the fact that her parents had been genuinely kind to him and her mother was Ms. Song’s best friend, he would have blocked her long ago. "Treat her like a sister?" he thought. *Haha.* Whenever he remembered his pathetic "simp" behavior in his previous life, he wanted to hop in a time machine and punch himself in the face. Simps never ended well!
"Forget it, forget it," Ye Ge took a deep breath. The priority now was to get that song produced; finding a recording studio was the most urgent task.
He was a bit nervous about whether the song would actually take off. In his past life, the song and the film had been perfectly symbiotic, and the singer was already famous. Without the film, and with a newcomer singing it, would it still be a hit? Ye Ge didn't have much confidence. But regardless, he had to try.
Moreover, having a genius like Su Mu around made him realize he needed to find an opportunity to write down some of the other songs in his mind and register the copyrights. The first copyright cost 200 yuan, and each subsequent one was 100. Being penniless, he would start by registering three songs. After all, he still had to pay for studio time; his entire allowance would probably be drained.
*Wait a minute,* he thought. *Why does it feel like I’m going bankrupt before my startup has even begun?*