Chapter 9: Don’t Act Cute, We’re Friends
Bai Shuchuan blinked in confusion as the escalator brought them to the next floor.
“Sometimes I really didn’t expect you two to get married so quickly,” Zhou Ya said.
Bai Shuchuan nodded. Of course, he didn’t even know why they got married.
“It just happened naturally,” Su Moyu said in a slightly dull voice.
“Yeah, that’s actually pretty good. At least you don’t have to go on blind dates later and marry someone you don’t like,” Zhou Ya replied.
Su Moyu felt like she was about to break down.
Why does Zhou Ya in this world hit every weak point so perfectly… every word hurts.
Su Moyu secretly glanced at Bai Shuchuan beside her. Thinking about how to get out of this marriage gave her a headache.
They entered the hot pot restaurant, paid, and found a table to sit down.
Both Su Moyu and Zhou Ya liked spicy food, while Bai Shuchuan preferred lighter flavors, so they ordered a split pot.
“Susu, can you help me mix the dipping sauce again?” Zhou Ya said while looking down at the menu.
“Ah, sure,” Su Moyu answered instinctively, then stood up to prepare the sauce.
“Why do you always trouble Su Moyu?” Shang Hanyu said.
Zhou Ya frowned slightly. “Don’t worry about it. Susu makes really good dipping sauce.”
Hearing that before leaving the table, Su Moyu felt a wave of bitterness.
She had already been reborn. Zhou Ya was no longer her girlfriend, yet she still remembered how good her dipping sauce was. This world was getting more and more unreal.
During the meal, Su Moyu and Bai Shuchuan barely talked. He had never been a talkative person, and usually, she was the one who started conversations.
Now, she just kept her head down and ate quietly.
Seeing Zhou Ya and Shang Hanyu chatting and laughing, Bai Shuchuan knew Su Moyu must feel bad.
But what could he do?
While he was hesitating, he saw Shang Hanyu pick up some meatballs and put them into Zhou Ya’s bowl.
Following his example, Bai Shuchuan also picked up some meat and put it into Su Moyu’s bowl.
When Su Moyu saw the spoon enter her bowl, she turned and met his eyes. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, “Try it.”
A smile appeared on her face again. Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar face, the tension in Bai Shuchuan’s heart eased a little.
“Okay,” Su Moyu replied softly, then lowered her head and continued eating.
…………………………
“Then we’ll head back first,” Bai Shuchuan said after paying the bill, turning to Zhou Ya and Shang Hanyu.
“Alright, bye. See you, Susu~” Zhou Ya waved at her.
Su Moyu nodded and smiled as she said goodbye.
Bai Shuchuan thought everything was over.
From what he knew about Su Moyu, she usually found ways to distract herself to deal with sadness. On the subway ride back, she had been playing a puzzle game the whole time.
But after they got home, Su Moyu quietly curled up on the sofa, scrolling through her phone without saying a word.
Bai Shuchuan didn’t think much of it. He simply filled a kettle with water and set it to boil.
The room gradually grew dark. The cold light from the phone screen lit up Su Moyu’s delicate face. She curled up, slowly scrolling with her fingers.
Bai Shuchuan felt an uneasy tension again. He felt like he should do something.
At that moment, Su Moyu took a breath. But it trembled, like she was about to cry.
She carefully scrolled through the chat history.
In this version of the world, Su Moyu and Zhou Ya were very close friends.
Zhou Ya’s social media was full of moments she shared with Shang Hanyu.
These were the kinds of things Su Moyu used to record back when she was dating Zhou Ya.
So… if she hadn’t interfered in Zhou Ya’s life, Zhou Ya would have been happy with someone else.
That’s good.
Su Moyu told herself that in her heart, but there was still a strong sense of unwillingness she couldn’t get rid of, and she had no way to express it.
But what could she do now…?
She couldn’t figure it out. And even if she did, with her current identity, she had no right to interfere in someone else’s life.
Why did she have to be Zhou Ya’s close friend now…?
She would rather be a stranger to Zhou Ya, or at least like when they broke up. Cold, distant, even hurtful.
But none of that happened.
Instead, Zhou Ya treated her gently again, this time as a friend.
But everything had already become something she could never have again.
……………………
Bai Shuchuan had just finished reading some advice on how to comfort someone when he suddenly heard a soft, shaky sob. He turned his head and saw Su Moyu with red eyes, tears already welling up.
The room was dim, everything slightly blurred in the low light.
The faint light fell on Su Moyu’s back. Looking at her small figure, Bai Shuchuan saw her quietly wiping her tears. The soft sobbing slowly turned into uneven crying.
He reached out and handed her some tissues.
Su Moyu lowered her head, took them silently, and wiped her tears.
“If you want to cry, just cry,” Bai Shuchuan said softly. “You don’t have to hold it in.”
She didn’t answer, only sniffed hard.
Bai Shuchuan let out a quiet breath and glanced at his phone again.
“Sometimes physical contact, like a small hug or holding hands, can be more helpful than words.”
He looked at Su Moyu, who was curled up and quietly crying…
A hug?
Guys don’t usually comfort each other like that.
Su Moyu turned off her phone. Her vision was already blurry, and her breathing was uneven because of the rising sadness in her chest.
She knew she looked pathetic. She knew Bai Shuchuan might make fun of her later.
But that unwilling feeling kept rising again and again, and her tears just wouldn’t stop.
The next second, she suddenly felt warmth on her fingers.
She froze, realizing Bai Shuchuan had held the back of her hand and gently wrapped it in his palm.
Su Moyu swallowed. The warmth from his hand really did ease the heaviness in her chest.
A faint warmth slowly spread inside her heart.
Then Bai Shuchuan put his arm around her shoulders, still without saying anything.
Feeling his body warmth, and the faint smell of sweat from him, Su Moyu suddenly felt awkward.
What is he doing…? Suddenly holding her hand and leaning closer…
Bai Shuchuan stayed silent. After she stopped crying, she could hear his breathing, slow and steady. The room was already quiet, and his breathing near her ear made the atmosphere feel strange.
“…What are you doing?”
Su Moyu asked in a hoarse voice. His head was close to hers, and when her soft voice reached his ear, Bai Shuchuan got goosebumps.
“Stop acting cute. We’re on the same side.”