Ji Yu leaned against Tang Li's back, clutching his exchange application, her brows tightly furrowed. Clearly, she wasn't happy about how long he'd kept it from her.
"It's already been weeks since term started. Don't exchange applications have to be submitted months in advance? And you've been hiding this the whole time?"
She flipped through the pages, noticing the faint ink of the student council stamp. "So Mo Yachen knew you were leaving too? He never mentioned it to me either. Seriously—do you even see me as your friend anymore? Were you planning to wait until the train was about to leave before sending me a text saying, 'By the way, I'm off to Qinghu'?"
Her faint fragrance brushed over him. Ji Yu's long hair spilled across his chest, soft strands grazing his neck, arms, and palms. Ever since they met, she and Tang Li had never been separated by more than a single city. Now, he was about to leave for a coastal one…
Her nagging almost rivaled his own mother's.
"…Well, I'm telling you now, aren't I? I didn't say earlier because I wasn't sure—it could've been rejected at any stage."
A lie.
With Tang Li's grades and honors, acceptance was a certainty. And the moment Yachen approved the application, his family connections sped the process along. He wanted Tang Li gone quickly. And Tang Li… also wanted to leave quickly.
"So when do you go?"
"Next week."
Ji Yu had just begun to relax, only for her face to flush with anger again. Her blue eyes shimmered with indignation, and Tang Li belatedly realized how long he had kept her in the dark.
"…It's not like I'm never coming back. You think it's fast? I think it's too fast."
The Mo residence, Shallow Bay.
As always, Mo Yachen sat in silk loungewear, palette in hand, shading his painting. Across from him, Mo Xunhan had just returned from set, slouched on the sofa in an oversized windbreaker, drifting in and out of sleep.
Click.
The villa door unlocked again. Yu Yuan tossed off his jacket—too warm for the heated house—and strode into the living room. He flopped dramatically onto the middle sofa, wedged between the siblings.
"What happened?" Yachen asked.
Yu Yuan fished out motorcycle keys from his pocket, wiped them clean, and twirled them on his finger.
"My cheap old man wants me to transfer to school in Shanghai."
Yachen blinked, mixing blue into red on his palette, carefully brushing the canvas.
Xunhan, however, snapped awake instantly. She ripped off her windbreaker and slapped the sofa.
"That stepfather of yours?"
"Yep." Yu Yuan shrugged, giving a wry smile. "No idea what I did this time, but the arrangements are already set."
"And you're actually going along with it?"
"Don't dare not to. This time their attitude's serious. If I resist, I might not even get food money."
"Ha!"
Xunhan's black eyes pinned him. She circled him with a sly grin.
"In that case, I've got an idea. I might not be a top-tier director yet, but if I wanted to push a pretty boy into the spotlight, it wouldn't be hard. Want to cameo in my web drama as 'Background Extra A'?"
Creaaak—
Yachen closed his easel, adjusting his glasses. For once, he teased, "She may not admit it, but she's directed a film that grossed over two billion at the box office. With her influence, she could make you trend on Weibo every day. You really could—"
He stopped. Xunhan's face had gone pitch-black. Her glare was like a loaded gun. Yachen wisely shut his mouth.
"Even Ji Yu calls me Sister Mo in that cute voice. And you? 'This woman, that woman'? I'm your sister!"
"Alright, alright. Why are you two bickering before I even start complaining?"
Yu Yuan stretched lazily. Xunhan shot one last glare at Yachen before sitting down again.
"So you agreed? Knowing you, I bet you slipped in a condition or two."
"Would I do that?" Yu Yuan grinned. "Well… yeah, I did."
"What was it?" Yachen asked flatly.
Yu Yuan tossed the keys aside, leaned back with his hands behind his head. "I asked for a bigger one."
"They didn't even hesitate. But the trade-off is—I have to follow their arrangements in Shanghai."
"…What kind of car was worth that?"
"A Taycan."
The Mo siblings exchanged a look, both startled. In their family, a car worth over a million yuan wasn't impressive, but oddly, neither of them owned one. Even Xunhan, who constantly attended industry events, only drove a basic SUV.
"…So this was your choice?"
"Of course. Why? You think I asked for it just to impress girls in Shanghai?"
"Isn't that exactly what you'd do?" Xunhan snapped.
Yu Yuan laughed carelessly. "If this were the old me, I wouldn't have settled for anything less than a Lamborghini. But hey, can't bite too hard all at once."
"…Your shamelessness is truly consistent."
"Hahaha. Speaking of which, my old man's already set me up with some girl in Shanghai. Probably the daughter of a business partner."
Yachen's hand clenched. He stepped forward, palm out.
"What?" Yu Yuan asked.
"My house keys. Now. I'll delete your fingerprint and face scan tonight."
Yu Yuan didn't argue. He knew this departure was likely permanent. Still…
"Tch. I'll miss you and Ji Yu, though."
Yachen paused, then turned back with his brightest smile. "I'll make sure to invite you to the wedding."
On the side, Xunhan chuckled—but her eyes never left the painting her brother had just carried away.
Behind her back, her hand slowly tightened into a fist.