After the banquet, Ye Minglang stayed close to Cheng Yi, who remained silent and withdrawn. That bastard had clearly left in a foul mood; clearly, their conversation didn't end well. He suggested a walk to lift her spirits, but since she wasn't in the mood, he decided to take her back to her room to rest.
As they walked through the lobby, someone suddenly called her name. Cheng Yi turned and was surprised to see Xie Yufan standing there with a girl in a white dress.
It was Yang Li.
Yang Li rushed over and embraced Cheng Yi tightly. For a moment, neither could speak, overwhelmed by emotion. Ye Minglang had never seen Cheng Yi so openly affectionate; his curiosity about the woman grew.
"Yi, aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Minglang, this is my good friend from college, Yang Li.."
Xie Yufan stepped forward, pretending to be offended.
"And me? No introduction?"
"This is another close friend, Xie Yufan, and this is Ye Minglang."
"Have you two ever been together?"
The thought crossed Ye Minglang's mind, and before he could stop himself, the question was out. It was a bit blunt, perhaps even a little rude.
Xie Yufan didn't seem embarrassed by such a direct question. Instead, he responded with a teasing smile.
"Not yet, but who knows what the future holds."
-----------------------------------------------------
Back in the hotel room, Yang Li and Cheng Yi, close friends who had so much to catch up on, both asked the same question at the same time.
"How have you been all these years?"
They both burst out laughing at their simultaneous question. Cheng Yi, recalling that Yang Li had arrived with Xie Yufan, couldn't help but ask about them.
"Are you two... together?"
Yang Li shook her head slightly, a subtle, unreadable smile playing on her lips.
"No, we only reconnected a few months ago at the hospital. Fang Zhiyuan was trying to find you through me, but I had no idea where you were. Yufan came by a few more times after that, and today he said he'd bring me to see you. So here I am. Yi, where have you been all these years?"
Cheng Yi hesitated for a moment, then softly replied.
"I've been to many places."
"And I stayed right here all these years. Want to know why?"
"Why?"
"I was waiting for your gift."
"Do you like it?"
"Of course I do. Yi, you always know what I like."
"I'm glad."
"But I didn't get you anything in return..."
Yang Li playfully lifted the necklace around her neck, swinging it in front of Cheng Yi.
"Yi, you know I grew up in that family, no one remembers my birthday."
"Li..."
"Can't I act a little spoiled?"
Yang Li's playful tone couldn't hide the concern in her eyes as she looked at Cheng Yi, now dressed with such quiet elegance and maturity. Time had flown by, and she reflected on how much they had both changed. A fleeting thought surfaced in her mind: she must be getting old too.
"Didn't you go to the U.S. to find him?"
"No... I..."
"What happened?"
Cheng Yi paused, as if the words had caught in her throat, her expression pained. It took her a long moment before she finally spoke.
"I thought I was chasing a dream to America, but when I woke up, I realized life had to go on—that's all."
"Yi..."
Yang Li's heart ached for her friend.
Cheng Yi never wanted her dearest friend to know—after all these years, that dream still haunted her like a shadow. There were countless nights when she woke in a cold sweat, unable to sleep until dawn.
But that night, Cheng Yi slept soundly.
She knew that whenever she woke up, her friend, who had been by her side through the hardest times, would still be there. It gave her a sense of peace.
Let the past be the past.
And now, she seeks serenity to fill her heart.