Pressing her lips to wipe away the mist in her eyes, Hua Lianxi's tender heart opened in an instant, accepting Kong Huan's goodwill. Softly, she gently reminded, "Anyway, you can't just shout randomly anymore!"
Some people, once they leave your life, should be cut off completely, with no lingering ties—not even related parties should appear in each other's lives.
She had always adhered to this principle, constantly avoiding Kong Huan, even thinking she shouldn't have come to work here, or should let go of Cheng Shaobai's house, avoiding any chance of being connected to the Kong family. But after Cheng Shaobai brought her to the sanatorium, he never gave her a chance to escape, persistently forcing her back into her life, telling her that she shouldn't try to forget the past by hiding.
If forgetting was possible, then why avoid? She had repeatedly chanted incantations at night, deliberately trying to forget in the endless darkness.
But the harder she tried to forget, the clearer the memories became. In a daze, she would squint but remain fully aware until dawn.
"Sister Hua, let's have lunch together!" Brightly blinking, Kong Huan affectionately hooked her arm, half teasing, half intimate in tone, "Don't worry, I'm on the payroll now, so it's on me!"
With a small laugh, Hua Lianxi lowered her head to sip her coffee. "With that tone, how can you be the rich daughter of the Kong family? The Kong heiress actually relying on a salary to treat someone—if anyone heard that, it'd be front-page news!"
"The heiress has to work, too. The Kong family money isn't blown in by a tornado. You don't know, before, my brother was a total workaholic, working his guts out to carry the group…" Taking over Hua Lianxi's words, Kong Huan naturally thought of Kong Chengyi. For a moment, forgetting she shouldn't mention him, she blurted it out.
"I'm heading to the construction site first. I'll contact you later about lunch!" The smile froze at the corner of her mouth. Hearing Kong Chengyi's name from Kong Huan's lips made Hua Lianxi's heart twitch for a second, suddenly feeling that this person was as distant from her as the horizon.
"Ah, I…" Realizing her mistake, Kong Huan pursed her lips, looking regretful.
At noon, Cheng Yi found out that Hua Lianxi was having lunch with Kong Huan and insisted on coming along, afraid that even Kong Huan might bully Hua Lianxi.
"This restaurant is pretty good. Every time I come back, I always eat here!" Following the waiter to the private room, Kong Huan excitedly introduced the place, feeling happy to finally savor the food she had missed so much.
Holding Hua Lianxi's arm, Cheng Yi pursed her lips, feeling no happiness from Kong Huan's cheerfulness; instead, she suspected the restaurant might be owned by the Kong family and worried they might run into Kong Chengyi, who she would love to slap.
Sensing Cheng Yi's displeasure, Hua Lianxi gently patted her hand, lowering her voice. "She's quite straightforward. You really don't need to be on guard around her!" Hua Lianxi truly trusted Kong Huan. Besides, the one unable to let go was her, not Kong Chengyi. Maybe he wasn't willing to see her again either—after all, he had long despised her as dirty.
Her thoughts unwittingly wandered, and in the blink of an eye, Hua Lianxi was already seated in the private room.
Kong Huan generously ordered a large assortment of the restaurant's signature dishes and didn't forget to choose what Hua Lianxi liked—completely thoughtful. Cheng Yi's stern expression softened a little, thinking that since they were in a private room, it would be a waste not to eat well, and at least she wouldn't have to worry about anything during mealtime.
"Sister Hua, where are you living now?" During a pause while waiting for the dishes, Kong Huan finally asked the question she had been pondering since morning, feeling sorry for her apparent homelessness.
"That's none of your concern. She likes living wherever she wants and never has trouble finding a place!" Cheng Yi couldn't understand why Hua Lianxi had moved out when she had a home; anger bubbled up inside her. She couldn't direct it at Hua Lianxi openly, so now that Kong Huan had hit a sensitive spot, she would let her face ridicule.
Lowering her head, Hua Lianxi sniffed the steaming tea carefully, taking a tentative sip. The subtle fragrance lingered on her tongue, then she drank heartily, seeming oblivious to their conversation as she focused on her tea.
"Well, then where's that? If one day I'm homeless, I can come to you too! Maybe I'll get kicked out someday!" Thinking of Kong Chengyi's recent sour face, which she disliked, she thought it might be better not to see him at all—to prevent him from thinking he still cared about Hua Lianxi.
"She used to live at my place, but once she grew wings, she moved out directly!" Cheng Yi threw a cold glance at Hua Lianxi, who was still sipping tea, her anger rising uncontrollably. She forgot she shouldn't have revealed such confidential information to Kong Huan.
"Does she live alone? Then I can really be taken in! Promise me, if I ever need support, you've got to take me in!" Initially, she felt sorry for Hua Lianxi's homelessness. Now, it sounded like if Hua Lianxi really moved in someday, she herself would become the poor, homeless one.
"Kong Huan, my place is small; it's not suitable!" Hua Lianxi set down her tea and flatly refused. "If you ever want to run away from home, a hotel should be your first choice—Chengzai Hotel is your best bet!" Why squeeze into her tiny apartment when there's a five-star hotel available?
"She won't stay, but I can, right? Since my brother found you a two-bedroom place, someday I'll move in!" After finally reconnecting and going through this messy period without having a proper talk, she wanted to find the chance to chat all night.
"To all you heiresses, just live comfortably in your mansions!" Holding her cup by its rim, Hua Lianxi once again rejected Cheng Yi's request.
Suddenly, she didn't want anyone to invade her secret space. It bore all her loneliness and hardship—a place where she opened her heart to embrace a new life but, upon returning to her private garden, collapsed on the sofa like a dead fish, devoid of life or interest. Her defenses dropped along with all her efforts; she did not want anyone peering in.
"Hmph! Friendship over!" Slamming down the blanket heavily, Cheng Yi was so angry her hand trembled, nearly grabbing her bag and storming out.
"Sister Hua, friendship really is over!" Surprised that simply freeloading sleep and lodging could be so difficult, Kong Huan lamented, "If I'd known, I would have just brought you porridge instead!"
During the meal, all of Cheng Yi's barbs were aimed at Hua Lianxi, completely forgetting the original reason she insisted on tagging along, and bound quickly into an alliance with Kong Huan following their mutual "friendship over" agreement.
When lunch ended, Cheng Yi and Kong Huan linked arms as they left, leaving Hua Lianxi lonely behind. Smiling at their united front, she shook her head.
"Kong Huan, if you ever run away from home, come to my place. I'll not only give you a place to stay but also feed you well—three meals all rich and satisfying, just like when I took care of someone before!" Cheng Yi deliberately spoke loudly, then turned to glare fiercely at Hua Lianxi.
"That's really great!" Kong Huan laughed carefree, never expecting to become friends with Cheng Yi so quickly.
With a smiling gaze, Hua Lianxi shrugged, amused by Cheng Yi's childish demeanor.
"Hey, watch where you're going, are you blind?" Always glaring at Hua Lianxi, Cheng Yi suddenly bumped into a solid chest before she had a chance to look forward, her forehead throbbing.
"Uh, hi…" Stopping abruptly, Kong Huan's smile twitched in surprise at the sudden appearance of Ran Fang, forgetting what to say.
Raising an eyebrow, Ran Fang's sharp gaze swept past the forehead-rubbing Cheng Yi and landed fixedly on Hua Lianxi nearby, silently staring.
Putting down his hand from his forehead, Cheng Yi opened her mouth to continue scolding but was rendered speechless by seeing the person standing so close.
The smile faded as she met Ran Fang's gaze, and Hua Lianxi stopped in her tracks, unconsciously clutching her bag tighter.
"Does it hurt?" Glancing at Ran Fang, then looking back at Hua Lianxi, Kong Huan turned and asked Cheng Yi, seeming to see her as the safest and friendliest in the moment.
Kong Huan's words struck like thunder, snapping Cheng Yi out of her daze and restoring her ability to speak.
"You, why are you here? Having lunch so late?" They were all about to leave when he arrived. Was he there to meet a client or was he still hungry? Cheng Yi frowned, tilting her head, awaiting his answer.
"I have to go to the construction site. I'm leaving first!" Taking a deep breath, Hua Lianxi deliberately straightened her posture and quickly passed by the still-dazed two, acting as if she didn't know Ran Fang, heading straight for the door.
"Do you all know each other?" Ran Fang ignored Cheng Yi's question. Lowering his eyes to the two before him, he was somewhat confused about their relationship.
"Best friends!"
"Ex-brother-in-law's wife!"
In unison, they bluntly stated their connections to Hua Lianxi.
"Cousin, don't tell me you don't know her! You've been here all along, you know everything about my brother!" Kong Huan seemed exasperated by what she thought was a foolish question.
Stepping back to put distance between herself and Cheng Yi, Ran Fang raised his voice slightly, "Best friends? How good is 'best'?" He hadn't expected the world to be this small.
The pleasant scent of perfume disappeared as Ran Fang stepped back. Cheng Yi's delicate features instantly fell, only to brighten again upon hearing his question.
"We were college besties—through thick and thin, never abandoning each other. My home is her home!"
"Sworn sisters?" Shared life and death? That knowledge and influence over Hua Lianxi must be no ordinary matter. Ran Fang's lips curled into a rare smile, clearly pleased with the chance encounter.
"So outdated, still calling it sworn sisters?" Kong Huan couldn't help but openly mock, unafraid of offending Ran Fang.
Ran Fang's attention remained fixed on Hua Lianxi, and rarely did he smile. A deep melancholy suddenly rose in Cheng Yi's heart. "Is that so important?"