Chapter 406: Just passing by

The door gap wasn't closed tightly; Mu Youyu glanced over and saw that it was indeed Lin Ning and Ye Zeli.

Lin Ning had her back to the door, her Expression unseen; Ye Zeli stood before her, almost a head taller, but now he slightly bent his waist, keeping his posture very low.

After a long while with no reply, Ye Zeli seemed anxious and whispered something that others couldn't hear.

Lin Ning: "We have nothing to do with each other."

Ye Zeli seemed stung by those words: "I was drinking that day, my mind wasn't quite right."

"You're drinking fruit beer, huh?" Lin Ning glanced at him, obviously knowing his preference, and deliberately said, "I just drank pineapple beer, now I'm dizzy and don't want to talk to you."

"Okay, then shall I carry you back?"

As soon as he said that, both fell noticeably silent.

The few people eavesdropping outside the door all froze, momentarily forgetting how to react.

Mu Youyu:!?

Song Lujing: "I couldn't tell, bro."

Mu Xi:.

Lin Ning instinctively held her breath, "I said, we have nothing to do with each other."

Mu Youyu's heart clenched instantly.

She and Lin Ning had known each other for so long, she understood this friend too well.

Usually Lin Ning is carefree and outspoken, but when facing Ye Zeli now, she wants to show him her best side.

Now she doesn't care anymore.

Ye Zeli's throat gave a small twitch, his voice a little hoarse: "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Lin Ning chuckled, "You didn't do anything wrong; we're just friends."

At that moment, the hallway had plenty of passersby; they could see Mu Youyu's group standing at the backstage door, their expressions unusual, so they instinctively kept quiet and detoured, the two still unaware anyone was there.

Mu Youyu listened outside, feeling sour and swollen in her heart, inevitably recalling the days when Lin Ning pursued Ye Zeli.

That time was actually in the third year of junior high…

Lin Ning didn't know what wrong wire she had tripped; at the opening ceremony, she instantly took a liking to Ye Zeli, who had come to her alma mater to give an outstanding graduate speech, and after it ended she told her: "Youbao, I'm going to pursue him."

Mu Youyu thought she was just joking at the time.

After all, Lin Ning had liked too many things since childhood—today she wanted to learn drawing, tomorrow skateboarding, the day after baking; she'd start each with enthusiasm, only to quit in the end.

She thought this would be the same… but unexpectedly, Lin Ning had truly taken it to heart.

Even while slacking off in class, she enthusiastically decided on the surnames for the male and female leads of her hesitant novel "When Rain Falls at the Fingertips": the male lead Ye Yuan, the female lead Lin Yushi.

They weren't from the same school; Lin Ning had kept him in mind for half a year, often seeing him at family banquets—at first she plucked up courage to speak to him, but later she thought he was an unattainable blossom on a high peak and restrained her feelings.

In freshman year of high school things changed—Lin Ning thought he had become more handsome, his personality shifted, and she began to revolve around Ye Zeli.

During that period she kept telling Mu Youyu how Ye Zeli was doing today.

Mu Youyu asked her then: "Do you really like him that much?"

Lin Ning rarely put away her playful grin, seriously tilted her head and thought: "It's not that I can't live without him, but… seeing him makes my heart race, I want to see him every day, when I can't I think of him and smile—this must be what liking someone feels like, right?"

"You're just lusting after his looks."

"Ahhh, please don't expose me!"

Then what happened?

Later Ye Zeli neither rejected nor accepted; his ambiguous attitude made people's teeth itch…

Her thoughts returned to the present; Mu Youyu still couldn't figure out how, when they used to be on good terms with everyone, they suddenly ended up like this.

Ye Yin had made a broken-heart gesture at her a few days ago; she could only guess they'd quarreled.

Inside, Ye Zeli's voice sounded again, clearly anxious: "Aren't we good friends?"

"Good friends?" Lin Ning seemed to hear a funny question, "I said before, I don't want to be just your good friend."

Another silence fell.

Mu Youyu outside was frantic, feeling indignant for her friend, wishing she could rush in to speak for her.

She had just taken half a step forward when Jiang Liangjin lightly put an arm around her shoulders and shook his head.

Mu Youyu glanced at him, then at the two stiff silhouettes behind the door crack, and in the end still didn't go in.

"Don't look." He lowered his voice.

"Just one more look!" Mu Youyu struggled to go back.

Jiang Liangjin didn't let go, "If you look again you'll be discovered."

Mu Xi found it increasingly boring, also came over, lowered her voice: "Nothing to see; if you're curious, just say so—I'll tell you when we get back."

Song Lujing nodded, "I know too."

Only then did Mu Youyu relent, "Alright then, I'll wait for Ning to come out and we'll head back…"

"I'm coming! Big Brother Xi, why are you here!"

A sudden, loud voice burst out—Han Mo's voice, so loud the whole hallway could hear it.

The backstage door was pushed open from inside; Lin Ning walked out and immediately saw Mu Youyu being half-supported by Jiang Liangjin as she retreated backward.

Ye Zeli followed her out, much calmer, though his expression remained the same.

The two locked eyes, and Mu Youyu spoke first: "What a coincidence, Ning."

Lin Ning saw a row of people outside, took a deep breath, "You all heard that?"

Mu Youyu shyly hid behind Jiang Liangjin, her voice muffled: "Just… passing by."

"Passing by?" Lin Ning raised her eyebrows, shifting her gaze from Mu Youyu to Song Lujing's face, "Brother Jing, you too just passing by?"

Song Lujing gave an awkward smile twice, "I'm just here to look for Brother Xi; don't believe me, ask."

"Brother Xi?"

Mu Xi indifferently, "Just passing by."

Lin Ning looked at them speechlessly, finally his gaze landed on Jiang Liangjin, "And you? You're just passing by too?"

Jiang Liangjin said seriously, "I'm just passing by with her."

Han Mo beside them quickly raised his hand, actively clearing his name: "I'm really just passing by! I have nothing to do with them!"

Lin Ning stopped paying attention to them, stepped forward and pinched Mu Youyu's cheek, speaking softly to her: "Treasure, if you were curious you should have said so earlier; I'll tell you."

Turning to Jiang Liangjin in disgust, "Don't listen by the wall, or you'll get a sty."

Mu Youyu quickly smoothed things over, pulling Lin Ning's arm, "I know, let's go out."

Lin Ning immediately leaned in close to her, "All right!"

Han Mo then realized he couldn't really just be passing by, "Xi Ge, Jing Ge, hurry and go with Young Master Ye to Brother Zhou's office; he's looking for you, and Lin Yu is there too."

"Looking for that many people?"

Mu Xi and Song Lujing exchanged a glance, then also looked at Ye Zeli; his expression had returned to its usual aloofness, only the hands hanging at his sides clenched a little tighter.

"All right, Youbao, we'll go ahead then." Mu Xi responded, and before leaving he glanced at his sister, "Call me anytime if anything comes up."

Song Lujing returned the same glance, and before leaving he also glanced at Ye Zeli, "Let's go quickly."

Mu Youyu nodded obediently.

Han Mo tactfully followed Mu Xi and the others away, leaving only Mu Youyu, Jiang Liangjin, Lin Ning, and Ye Zeli in the hallway.

Lin Ning pulled Mu Youyu and walked in the opposite direction, "Youbao, let's go, let's go out and play."

"Okay, okay." Mu Youyu followed along, then turned back and pulled Jiang Liangjin along.

Ye Zeli stood in place, watching Lin Ning's back disappear around the hallway corner; his lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing, then turned and walked toward the office.