One

At that moment, Guan Yue's phone suddenly rang. Neither of us expected that the caller would be Qiao Nuo. And the first thing Qiao Nuo said to Guan Yue was—

My hand, gripping the phone, began to sweat profusely, and I felt an inexplicable sense of panic as I exchanged glances with Guan Yue.

Su Jing'an! You promised to accompany me for shopping this week!

The person who has shared the same pants with me since childhood gave me a disdainful glance, snatched the phone, and began to report our coordinates with a flurry of words.

Although I do not truly like him, I must pretend to be deeply in love—just for a casual word from that boy, I find myself compelled to pick up the paintbrush that I have long refrained from touching, and paint for him overnight

However, all of this remained at the age of fifteen for me

An undeniable attitude, a commanding tone, which evokes both a sense of trepidation and an inexplicable willingness to comply, this is the distinctive quality of Jorno.

I cast a glance at the casually placed wrapped "Return of Spring" on the table, and a surge of complex emotions welled up within me

I said I did not want to see him, but reason tells me that I must make every effort to meet him.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't look at me like that, or I'll think you're about to kiss me!" Guan Yue snapped her fingers in front of me, forcibly pulling me out of the whirlpool of memories.

Jono did not respond, only smiling softly and saying, "I look forward to seeing it"

Having dim sum has been a habit for both her and me since childhood—of course, I gave up this habit after I turned fifteen, but my appetite for these foods has not diminished. When Guan Yue placed the third pineapple bun onto my plate, her brother's "life-threatening continuous call" finally rang out.

She pointed at the painting that was not yet completely dry and asked, "Jono said for you to paint, and you really did it?"

It was only when she forcefully handed the phone to me that I realized what was happening. This public lover, who navigates through a sea of flowers without a single petal touching her, this person whose casual words made me pick up the brush again, was actually looking for me

Is Su Jing'an next to you? Have her answer the phone

Qiao Nuo does not know what has gotten into him; he bought a ticket to return today. Please go pick him up for me, as I cannot leave.

Su Jing'an, is the painting finished

At the most tense moment in our relationship, this "brother complex" pointed at my nose in front of Guan Yue and said that I was a big trouble, a girl who would do anything to survive

Oh! She let go of me and began to circle around my easel. I put down the paint and started to clean up the things.

At that time, my life had just undergone a tremendous change, and I had not yet fully swallowed the food that Guan Yue had prepared for me. I was in a state of disarray, my self-esteem shattered into pieces, with nowhere to hide. That pampered young nobleman ruthlessly and methodically obliterated all the dignity I had left in front of Guan Yue.

At that moment, Guan Yue was drinking porridge and was so startled that she almost spat it out

She enjoys applying exquisite makeup and wearing vibrant lipstick, and every time she goes out, she presents herself in a spirited manner, leading a life as flawless as a luxurious flower in the world. In contrast, I, who usually go out with a bare face and have little interest in dressing up, often wearing a cold expression, seem to come from a world that is in stark opposition to hers

After the harsh winter, the earth awakens in spring, and all things come back to life. A girl in ballet shoes dances in the forest, where the morning light is just beginning to break through. As I apply the final touches of color to the girl's tulle skirt, Guan Yue bursts in through the door like a mad dog, accompanied by a jingling sound.

In the end, Guan Yue did not have the heart to force me, looking disheveled, to accompany her to various luxury brand boutiques, but instead dragged me to the most famous tea restaurant in the mall for dim sum.

Clearing my throat, I tried to make my voice sound less surprised

Guan Yue went into a rage on the spot, pointing at Guan Xia and cursing loudly

Guan Yue and I exchanged a helpless glance.

His voice was a semblance of a smile, yet not quite a smile

Although Qiao Nuo is my cousin, he is nothing but an ungrateful wolf when it comes to relationships! I do not want to see him drag you down like this, and you should not suffer for it either. It would be pointless for you to draw; he will not meet you as promised today!

After I asked this question, I regretted it, as I had already posted a picture of "The Return of Spring" on my Weibo when there was still 30% left, although this was related to Guan Yuegan

This young lady, in a huff, carelessly tossed the bag worth nearly 10,000 onto the table beside her, gripping my shoulder and starting to shake me.

My hand, which was retying the ponytail, abruptly stopped in mid-air, leaving me momentarily at a loss for what to do in my embarrassment. Guan Yue shot me a glance filled with disappointment, as if she were frustrated that I was not living up to my potential, then took the hair tie from my hand, wrapped it around my hair from behind, and swiftly and decisively tied my braid.

I turned around, against the morning sunlight, smiling as I gazed at her before me

Guan Xia was unaware of my presence, while Guan Yue cunningly activated the speakerphone.

"Go ahead, but don't tell Su Jing'an!" As soon as Guan Xia finished her unkind remark, Guan Yue and I rolled our eyes in unison. Once the call ended, Guan Yue began to scold Guan Xia.

In this school, many people often ask us a question: why do the two of you, who seem to be from different worlds, have such a close relationship? Upon hearing this, Guan Yue often can't help but roll her eyes towards the sky, while I simply smile nonchalantly

I do not like Jiono, not even a shred of affection when I confessed to him. This secret, like dust accumulated in a dark corner, cannot bear the light of day

Since then, Guan Xia and I have hardly had any direct confrontations until Jiono appeared in my world. My confession to Jiono once again pushed the already tense relationship between Guan Xia and me to the brink. Jiono is the cousin of Guan Yue and Guan Xia, a fact I learned when I was very young. However, I never imagined that my life after turning eighteen would become entangled with this name that had been present in my life for so long

They do not know that Guan Yue and I were once people of the same world

Guan Yue does not know that I am crying, and it is not at all because of Qiao Nuo

Yet all these thoughts that twist and turn within my heart are completely unknown to Guan Yue. I dare not tell her that my approach to Qiao Nuo is merely to help my so-called father climb the social ladder; I dare not tell her that my current life of luxury is solely because I can get close to Qiao Nuo; I dare not tell her that on that snowy night when I was fifteen, the innocent and kind-hearted little girl she holds in her heart has been ground into a completely different shape by the gears of life.

When Guan Yue came to find me, I was diligently working in the studio to complete the painting "Spring Returns"

Looking at the porridge in the bowl, I suddenly lost my appetite

At that moment, I did not cry; I merely stubbornly swallowed the food in my mouth.

In fact, I am both tired and sleepy, only wanting to go home, wash my face, and get a good night's sleep, and I have no desire to see him at all

I quite dislike the way he speaks to me in this tone

I crumpled the soaked tissue into a ball and threw it heavily into the trash can. Taking a deep breath, I forced out a smile that was more grotesque than crying.

I merely smiled without saying a word, after all, Guan Yue is in a difficult position between the tense relationship between her and her brother

Guan Yue's older brother is named Guan Xia, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, his features are well-defined, resembling those mixed-race male models found in magazines. Logically, I should have a favorable impression of this type, but unfortunately, ever since I met him, we have not gotten along, and this continued until we both grew into adulthood

Until she raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you hear? Qiao Nuo is back."

I covered my throbbing, heated eyes, as a warm and damp substance slowly spread through the tissue into the palm of my hand

Ah, it seems that the two of you are indeed not finished with your fate!" She shook her head and swayed, wearing a deliberately profound expression.

My expression stiffened, and this subtle change was quickly noticed by her

Once, I was like her, coming from a wealthy family, living the life of a rich child, equally fond of expensive, luxurious yet fragile items, equally enjoying boisterous laughter, squandering what seemed to be ephemeral years

Stop! Let me put down the paint first! Otherwise, I might get your clothes dirty!

Oh, alright, wait for me to go pick him up. Guan Yue winked at me, and I innocently stuffed the last bite of pineapple bun into my mouth

After a while, Guan Yue hung up the phone, reached out her hand to joyfully pinch my face, and exclaimed loudly: "Hey, Su Jing'an, it seems like there is a turn of events!"

As she took out a tissue from her bag and pressed it firmly against my eyes, she muttered like an old woman: "I told you, don't like Qiao Nuo, don't like Qiao Nuo! You wouldn't listen and kept chasing after him, even redrawing your artwork for him, spending the whole night on it. Aren't you afraid that your old heart condition will flare up again? I am truly exasperated with you!"

How do you know

Yet even at this moment, despite my exhaustion, I do not allow myself to be willful. I will not permit myself to face any possibility of returning to my previous disheveled life.

Her familiar gesture made my heart soften a little, and I suddenly remembered that this year marks the eighth anniversary of my acquaintance with her. This young girl, who has just turned eighteen, seems to be the first person in my life whom I can call an old friend