Honored Guest - Chapter 2
Reunion
She… was getting married?
The screen went dark again. This time, Lan Yan didn't have the courage to turn it back on. She almost wished she hadn't looked at her phone at all. But Chen Lin's words echoed relentlessly in her mind.
Yeah, just like me. A bridal suite.
Her hand went limp, and the pen slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the floor and rolling a couple of times. Lan Qi turned. “Lan Yan?”
Lan Yan snapped back to reality. “What’s wrong?” Lan Qi asked.
She opened her mouth, but it felt as if a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat, muffling her voice and making it hard to breathe. After a long moment, she replied, “Nothing.”
She bent down to pick up her pen, her gaze involuntarily falling back on her phone.
It vibrated, playing a notification sound. Steeling herself, she picked it up and saw a new friend request. The profile picture was an anime character, a cheerful, energetic girl with her head tilted back and eyes closed.
Just seeing the profile picture, Lan Yan couldn't help but wonder if it was part of a matching couple set.
She wondered what the person Jiang Jin Yue was marrying was like.
Before Lan Yan could accept the request, another one popped up, this time with a message: [Hello, it’s Jiang Jin Yue.]
She accepted.
A smiling emoji popped up from the other end: [Back in the country?]
Lan Yan thought for a moment and replied: [Yes.]
Jiang Jin Yue: [When did you get back?]
Lan Yan: [Just recently.]
Jiang Jin Yue: [Lin Lin told me. I didn’t know.]
Lan Yan gripped her phone. She had wanted to surprise Jiang Jin Yue, to orchestrate a chance encounter. It was a good thing she hadn’t had the chance.
She looked down for a few seconds, then typed: [How have you been lately?]
Jiang Jin Yue: [I’m doing well. You?]
Lan Yan: [Pretty good.]
Polite, distant.
Jiang Jin Yue: [By the way, Lin Lin told me you're doing interior design now. I was hoping you could help me too.]
Lan Yan’s finger pressed against the edge of her phone, the pressure painful against her fingertip. Her nails were pale from the lack of blood flow. She didn't reply for several seconds. Finally, she typed: [Yes, I'm doing design work now. How about you?]
Jiang Jin Yue: [I just quit my job recently. I’m focusing on getting my apartment decorated.]
Getting the apartment ready for the wedding?
Lan Yan didn't have the courage to ask. All she could hear was Jiang Jin Yue's clear voice echoing in her ears: “Lan Yan, will you come back?”
“Lan Yan, I’ll wait for you.”
“Lan Yan, don’t make me wait too long.”
Had she made her wait too long?
Lan Yan felt drained. She leaned back in her chair, a sudden headache throbbing in her temples. She picked up the coffee next to her computer. It was cold, bitter, and hard to swallow. Her phone buzzed a couple more times, but she didn't look. Lan Qi called out, “What do you want for lunch?”
They usually ordered takeout or went out to eat together, but lately, they’d been too busy, so takeout was the only option.
Lan Yan glanced at her, then stood up. “I’m not hungry. You guys go ahead.”
Lan Qi looked puzzled. “Where are you going?”
Lan Yan didn't turn back. “I’m going to check out Chen Lin’s apartment.”
Lan Qi continued to say something behind her, but Lan Yan felt deaf to it, as if she couldn’t hear anything. Stepping out of the office building, she was met with the hustle and bustle of the city. The parking lot was to the far right, lined with evergreen trees. Her car was parked beneath one, in a shady spot. A gust of cold air hit her as she opened the car door, making her shiver. It was September, but she felt cold.
Lan Yan gave a pale smile, got in the car, and fastened her seatbelt.
She didn't go to Chen Lin’s apartment. Instead, she drove aimlessly through the streets. She’d only lived in this city for three years, her high school years. She’d spent her elementary and middle school years in another city. Her parents were always abroad, leaving her with her grandmother. Her grandmother had fallen ill and passed away during her second year of middle school. Her parents wanted her to study abroad, but she refused, choosing a school in this city instead.
Transferring schools had been easy. Her parents, consumed by their own lives, hadn't interfered, likely feeling guilty. And so she had plunged headlong into this city.
The first person she became close to was Jiang Jin Yue.
Jiang Jin Yue, with her cool voice and warm heart. Knowing that Lan Yan had come to the city alone, she invited her over to her house on weekends. Jiang Jin Yue lived with her mother. They weren’t wealthy, but they had a very close relationship. Jiang Jin Yue was obedient, always saying that her mother had worked hard to raise her, so she always considered her mother's feelings.
Except when it came to love.
Lan Yan pulled over to the side of the road, closing her eyes and resting her hand on the open window. She remembered something Jiang Jin Yue had said: “I might be doing something that will hurt her.”
“Lan Yan, let’s be together, okay?”
“Lan Yan, my mom will understand. She likes you so much. She’ll understand. We’ll take it slow…”
Unfortunately, her mother hadn’t understood.
“Lan Yan, you’re not like Yue Yue. You’re not in school anymore. You have parents. You have so many opportunities. Yue Yue doesn't. She has nothing, except the opportunity to study hard. That’s all she can do.”
“You don’t care about gossip, but how old are you? How much have you experienced?”
“I’m begging you, please leave her alone…”
Her mother had also been kind, buying her a cake for her birthday when her own parents hadn’t even sent a message, saying, “Happy birthday, Yan Yan.”
She’d gone out to buy medicine for Lan Yan when she was sick and ended up getting hit by a car, injuring her leg. After that, she had to rely on medication to ease the pain every time the seasons changed.
If only… if only she hadn’t been so good.
Maybe then Lan Yan would have stayed without hesitation, ignoring their pleas.
But she couldn’t do that either.
Leaving hadn't been about giving in, but about giving them space to grow. She remembered Jiang Jin Yue hugging her and crying before she left: “Lan Yan, my mom just needs time to accept it. I’ll convince her.”
“Lan Yan, will you come back?”
Come back… to me?
She’d hugged Jiang Jin Yue. “Yes.”
Jiang Jin Yue cried even harder. “Then don’t make me wait too long.”
Lan Yan touched her cheek. It was damp. She looked down, her vision blurring. For so many years, every time she woke from a dream, it was about Jiang Jin Yue. Every moment of those three years of high school, every word Jiang Jin Yue had spoken, every expression on her face, was vivid in her memory.
But just now, it had finally hit her. Those were all things of the past.
The belief she’d held onto for so many years crumbled, but she had no right to blame anyone.
Lan Yan got out of the car and stood at the newly renovated intersection. Looking back, all she saw were strangers. Her phone, which she’d left in the car, rang several times. Lan Yan finally came to her senses, retrieved it, and saw Chen Lin’s name. She paused for a moment before answering, “Hello.”
Chen Lin’s voice was cheerful. “When will you get here?”
“In a bit,” Lan Yan replied.
“Have you had lunch?”
Lan Yan opened her mouth to speak, but Chen Lin continued, “If not, come over and join me. I have a few questions I wanted to ask you.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be right there.”
Being attentive to clients was part of the job. Lan Yan convinced herself, trying to ignore the urge to pry into Jiang Jin Yue’s life. But the thought lingered, so prominent that when she saw Chen Lin, she almost blurted out Jiang Jin Yue’s name.
Thankfully, she held back.
Chen Lin and Lan Yan went to a restaurant together, right next to Chen Lin’s complex. It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was crowded. They searched for a few minutes before finding an empty table. Chen Lin put down her bag and sat across from Lan Yan. “I’m exhausted. I haven't even gotten married yet, and there’s so much to do. I’ll probably be dead tired by the time the wedding comes.”
Lan Yan listened attentively. Chen Lin asked, “By the way, are you married?”
Lan Yan looked up. “Not yet.”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Lan Yan shook her head. “No.”
Chen Lin looked surprised. “Really? You’re so beautiful, and you’re not seeing anyone?”
“I’m busy with work,” Lan Yan replied.
“Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to someone.” People who were about to get married or already were seemed particularly enthusiastic about setting others up. Lan Yan said, “No rush. What did you want to ask me?”
“Oh, right, I wanted to ask about tiles.” She handed Lan Yan two pictures. “I’m not sure which one to use. Can you help me decide?”
Lan Yan looked down at the pictures. “This one has a universal color and is cost-effective.” She pointed to the other one. “This one is microcrystalline stone. It's beautiful, but very expensive, and there are a lot of imitations in China. If you want this one, I can help you contact the manufacturer.”
Chen Lin’s face lit up. “Really? I was worried about buying a fake, especially since it’s so expensive.”
Lan Yan nodded. As Chen Lin put the pictures away, she said, “Yue Yue will be here soon. I’ll discuss it with her too. Has Yue Yue contacted you yet?”
Yue Yue will be here… soon?
Lan Yan’s fingers turned icy. She looked at Chen Lin, hesitated, and said, “Yes, she contacted me.”
Chen Lin smiled. “She might have more requests than me. She’s a perfectionist. I’ve accompanied her to several design companies before, and she hasn't been satisfied with any of them…”
Chen Lin’s chattering faded into the background as Lan Yan picked up her glass and took a sip of warm water. The water felt cold as it went down her throat.
She heard herself ask, “When is she planning to get married?”
“She hasn’t said,” Chen Lin replied. “Soon, I guess. You can ask her when she gets here.”
Lan Yan put down her glass.
Chen Lin waved at someone behind Lan Yan. “Over here!”
She turned back to Lan Yan with a smile. “Yue Yue is here. She was shopping nearby. I thought, since neither of us has any experience with renovations, we should discuss it together. You don’t mind, do you?”
Lan Yan focused, shaking her head. “I don’t mind.”
Her voice was tight.
Soft footsteps approached from behind, easily lost in the noisy restaurant. A faint fragrance drifted over, followed by a pair of white sneakers and jeans paired with a color-blocked V-neck shirt. Lan Yan heard the person behind her call out, “Lin Lin.”
Chen Lin stood up to introduce them. “Lan Yan.”
Then, the voice that had echoed countless times in Lan Yan’s dreams called out cheerfully, “Lan Yan.”
She turned around. Jiang Jin Yue stood an arm’s length away. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her wispy bangs framed large, bright eyes. She wore light makeup, her skin was fair, and her lips were a vibrant red, a stark contrast to the pale canvas of her skin. She hadn't changed much, just grown taller, her features more defined, her overall demeanor more mature and gentle.
She looked at Lan Yan with a faint smile, no different from the way she looked at Chen Lin.
Just like a friend.
A friend reunited after a long separation.
Lan Yan’s hands hung by her sides as a warm mist welled up in her eyes.
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