In the summer of 1998, there was an unusually heavy amount of rain. The heavy rainfall began in mid-June and continued relentlessly. The water levels at various stations along the Yangtze River surpassed the warning lines repeatedly. Finally, on a certain night, the floodwaters rushed toward the coastal villages with an unstoppable force.

At that time, Ruan Mu was eight years old.

Their house was a bit far from the embankment, so the flooding was somewhat less intense, but the impact was still unbearable. The house was on the brink of collapse, and the family of six was scattered by the water. Little Ruan Mu struggled in the water and clung to a protruding tree. When rescue finally arrived, the entire village had turned into an ocean, and someone in a small boat saved her.

The person who rescued her was the grandson of Grandpa Pei's old school friend.

According to the number of casualties after the flood, Ruan Mu's family members were all killed. She spent the whole summer in the rescue station, and then met Grandpa Pei who went to visit his comrades.

Upon seeing her, Old Master Pei felt a sense of destiny and grew fond of the young girl. Reminded of his beloved granddaughter at that age and sympathizing with her loss of family, he brought her back and adopted her, telling everyone that she was a distant relative's child.

He registered her with a household registration, provided her with food, clothing, and education, and conveniently allowing her to become playmates with the same-aged Pei Chutong.

They went to school together, played together, ate and slept together, closer than biological sisters.

As they grew up, Ruan Mu successfully entered a prestigious university and later joined the military. She vowed to repay Grandfather Pei and protect Pei Chutong for life.

At the age of twenty-three, she left the military. By that time, Pei Chutong had risen to fame in the entertainment industry. During an event, she was accidentally knocked down by fans and twisted her ankle. This angered Grandfather Pei, who wanted to hire a new bodyguard for her. It was then that Ruan Mu volunteered to become Pei Chutong's bodyguard.

Unable to repay the kindness, she was willing to accompany her, but she hadn't expected that she would develop different thoughts for Pei Chutong...

The guilt made her flustered, and she tried her best to hide all her emotions and be a log, but what she didn't expect was that Pei Chutong had the same thoughts for her.

Ruan Mu always felt unworthy of getting involved with the granddaughter of her benefactor.

Especially since they were both women...

So, she desperately hid, while Pei Chutong tirelessly pursued her, like a game of hide and seek, until they completely separated five years ago.

Ruan Mu left decisively, cutting off all contact with everyone, only sending letters, money, and gifts to Grandpa Pei every month. The old man was getting older and couldn't manage the affairs of the younger generation, so he let it be.

Until today.

After finishing everything, Ruan Mu remained silent, holding her breath and waiting for the "judgment".

"Are you finally willing to admit it..." Pei Chutong burst into tears, hitting her shoulder with a fist, "Bastard!"

"Why were you so obedient? You left without a word, and there was no news at all. I searched everywhere for you.."

Not long after Ruan Mu left, Pei Chutong calmed down and realized that there might have been something difficult for the other person to express. She regretted her impulsiveness. At first, she couldn't bring herself to look for Ruan Mu, so she asked her family, but no one knew where Ruan Mu was. Even the address for sending things was a forwarding point, and Ruan Mu disappeared like that.

Source:?https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

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These five years felt like an eternity, each day an excruciating torment.

Losing Ruan Mu and then losing her beloved grandfather, all the emotions from the pain erupted today. For her, as long as Ruan Mu came back, nothing else mattered.

"Where on earth did you go..." Pei Chutong looked at her through teary eyes, her vision blurred.

Ruan Mu's eyes welled up with tears as well, and she whispered, "I opened a homestay by the southern seaside. You used to say... you really liked the sea. When you grow old, you'd open a small inn by the beach, feel the sea breeze, have a little wine, and watch the sunrise and sunset..."

Pei Chutong trembled all over, nuzzling her neck and choked out, "You're not allowed to leave, not allowed to leave again..."

"Mm, I won't leave." Ruan Mu lightly patted her back. "First, have your noodles."

"...Okay."

Pei Chutong quietly wiped away her tears, obediently sat down, picked up the chopsticks, and took a bite of the noodles. It was still the familiar taste, the taste she liked.

Losing an important person and gaining another important person brought her some consolation...

....

The next morning, Jiang Yu arrived at the capital.

As soon as she got out of the airport, she rushed to Pei Chutong's grandfather's house but encountered a traffic jam in the urban area, so she had no choice but to go directly to the funeral home.

Over the years in China, she has received a lot of care from Pei Chutong, and her privacy has been well protected. The day before yesterday, she heard that Grandpa Pei had passed away, and she felt very bad, so she immediately turned down her work for the past two days and rushed to attend the funeral.

When she arrived at the funeral home, Jiang Yu took out a small white flower and placed it on her hair, and went in all dressed in black.

"Coco..." Seeing her, Pei Chutong hugged her, with a sad expression and red eyes.

Jiang Yu's heart was heavy, and she held onto her soothing in a soft voice. Then her gaze landed on Ruan Mu's face and she was taken aback.

But now wasn't the time to talk; the ceremony was about to begin. Grandpa Pei had been highly respected in life, and his passing had also garnered respect. Many prominent figures had come to pay their respects, and the entire hall was quiet and solemn.

The ceremony lasted for about an hour.

In the subsequent cremation and burial process, non-family members did not participate, but Jiang Yu did not leave, sitting in the lounge and waiting.

She waited until Grandpa Pei's ashes were buried in the cemetery.

Jiang Yu returned to the Pei family estate in one of their cars. After a brief chat with the elders and having lunch, she finally had some free time. Pei Chutong took her to a nearby park for a walk.

The early autumn sun was still warm, casting dappled shadows through the trees as they leaned against a tree near an arched bridge.

"Hai..."

"It's such a pity, missing out on all these years for nothing." After hearing Pei Chutong explain the whole story, Jiang Yu sighed repeatedly, suddenly reminded of her own situation.

The exact same thing, five missed years.

Pei Chutong gave a bitter smile. "It's okay, there's still time, we have a long future ahead."

"Mm..." Jiang Yu murmured to herself, a somewhat lonely expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Coco?"

Pei Chutong held her hand.

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "The two of us are indeed sisters."

She briefly talked about herself and Cheng Suran.

"I envy you and Xiao Ruan," Jiang Yu said, "Even if there's a huge misunderstanding, you can talk it out and resolve it. There's no real barrier between you two, and you trust each other unconditionally. I guess that's the kind of understanding that comes from being childhood friends. Now you've gone through hardships and come out the other side, but for me... I don't even know when it will end.."

As Pei Chutong listened, she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

She has very little experience in love, so she can't give Jiang Yu advice, but as an actor, she has played various types of characters in depth, so she has some insights.

"First you need to make sure of one thing."

"What?"

"Does she still have you in her heart? If not, you don't need to make any more effort. Someone who has truly lost feelings won't have any possibility of turning back. If she does have feelings, then from now on, show your sincere attitude and do your best."

"...."

Jiang Yu was enlightened.

Tian Lin also mentioned: if there's hatred, there will be care; if you completely let go, you can only become the most familiar stranger.

The hardest part isn't love or hate, but she can't determine Ranran's thoughts. After a few interactions, sometimes she thought Ranran still cared, while other times she believed she didn't. This constant feeling of uncertainty made her uneasy, unable to control herself.

"What if it doesn't work even if you try your best?"

"At least there are no regrets."

Pei Chutong looked at her, reminded of her late grandfather and the returning Ruan Mu, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Mm, let's not talk about this," Jiang Yu patted her shoulder.

Grandpa had just passed away, and Pei Chutong wasn't in the best mood, as they talked, she started to drift off. Jiang Yu didn't want to drag her to talk too much about herself at this time, so the topic quickly changed. They circled around the pond, sat in the gazebo to rest, and waited until sunset to return to the compound.

Jiang Yu stayed at Pei's house for one night, and flew back to Jiangcheng the next afternoon.

As she was leaving, Pei Chutong and Ruan Mu accompanied her to the airport. The two best friends chatted for a while, and Jiang Yu smiled as she turned her gaze to Ruan Mu.

"You two must take good care of yourselves in the future. Xiao Ruan, I entrust Tongtong to your care."

"Mm, don't worry," Ruan Mu earnestly nodded.

As they were about to enter the terminal, Jiang Yu waved to them. "See you in Jiangcheng sometime."

"Bye bye, Xiao Coco."

Watching Jiang Yu get out of the car and disappear through the entrance gates, Pei Chutong withdrew her gaze, wrapping her arms around Ruan Mu and letting out a deep sigh.

"Let's go home."

"Tongtong..." Ruan Mu caught hold of those hands. "Do you blame me?"

"I do."

Pei Chutong leaned into her embrace, letting out a soft hum. "So, I'll spend my whole life settling this debt with you."

...

In the evening, the plane landed.

Jiang Yu pushed her small suitcase and walked through the jet bridge, striding purposefully towards the exit. Passing by the baggage conveyor, she glanced over and suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure, causing her to halt in her tracks.

Ranran?

The woman stood at the outer edge of the conveyor belt, her side facing Jiang Yu. She wore a black half-sleeved cardigan that looked quite familiar, paired with a short tank top that revealed a graceful waistline.

It looks like she was waiting for her luggage.

Jiang Yu's heart beats violently, and she slowly approached step by step: "Ranran.."

Cheng Suran was taken aback, and turned her face away.

Cheng Suran hesitated for a moment, then turned her face away.

Their gazes met.

"What a coincidence," Jiang Yu's eyes lit up. "I've just returned from outside too."

Cheng Suran nodded. "Mm, on a business trip."

"I'll wait with you."

"No need."

"Well, I don't have anything else to do."

Seeing her persistence, Cheng Suran didn't say anything more and tacitly agreed. However, her previously relaxed body tensed slightly, and her heartbeat quickened... The baggage conveyor remained still, and they had been waiting for over ten minutes.

"Is this dress easy to wear?" Jiang Yu's eyes fell on her dress, and she took another step closer. Their shoulders were almost touching.

Cheng Suran seemed to sense something, glanced at her, and didn't move. After a moment, she answered, "Very comfortable, like walking air conditioning."

Pfft—

So cute.

Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh.

"It's Jiang Yu..."

"Yes, it's her."

"Hurry, hurry, hurry."

Suddenly, there was a whisper from the side, Jiang Yu sensitively sensed that a camera was aimed at her, and turned her gaze, and sure enough, several young girls were holding up their mobile phones to take pictures of her.

She smiled and nodded at them.

"Oh, she looks really nice."

"Be more discreet."

Cheng Suran also noticed and felt uncomfortable with this kind of candid photography. Worried about accidentally appearing in the shot, she took a step back.

Jiang Yu noticed her movement, turned sideways calmly, and blocked her.

"..."

The conveyor finally started to move.

The first-class luggage came out first, and Jiang Yu kept a close watch on the first few suitcases, getting ready to grab hers. However, she noticed Cheng Suran standing calmly without any intention of picking up her luggage.

Her luggage is at the back.

After waiting for a few minutes, a cute pink suitcase came into view.

Cheng Suran stepped forward and was about to reach out her hand, but Jiang Yu took a step faster than her, picked up the suitcase, turned around and left.

"Hey, you--"

Cheng Suran quickly went after it.

"I'll help you carry it," Jiang Yu said, gripping the handle.

Cheng Suran paused and reached out. "No need, it's very light. I can push it myself."

Jiang Yu held on tightly and did not let go.

Their hands touched.

Cheng Suran still wanted to take the suitcase back, so she shifted her hand downwards and exerted some force. For a moment, the two of them seemed to be struggling over it.

"Ah... that hurts..." Jiang Yu suddenly let out a soft cry, furrowing her brows.

Cheng Suran quickly released her grip. "Ah? I'm sorry, that was--" She wanted to say that Jiang Yu could go ahead and push it, that she wouldn't fight for it anymore. However, she suddenly realized that her hand was on the side of the handle, not actually touching Jiang Yu's hand.

She looked up abruptly.

Jiang Yu was already walking ahead, pushing the suitcase.

"..."

Cheng Suran was annoyed and amused, and quickly took a few steps to catch up: "Why are you so childish?"

Jiang Yu turned a deaf ear.

The two walked out of the airport one after the other, Jiang Yu saw Xiao Zhou waiting by the door, before she had time to speak, Cheng Suran grabbed the suitcase again: "It's time to give it to me now, I'm going back."

"How are you getting back?" Jiang Yu reluctantly let go of the suitcase.

"Taking a taxi."

"What about your assistant? Why isn't she picking you up?"

"She's busy."

"What about your best friend?"

Cheng Suran pushed the suitcase and was about to leave.

"I'll take you." Jiang Yu grabbed her wrist.

Their palms pressed against each other's skin, warmth spreading upward along Cheng Suran's wrist. Her heart trembled, and her breath even quivered a bit, feeling pulled back by her.

"No..."

She wanted to say no, but just as she uttered a word, Jiang Yu moved her palm down and took her hand.

Her legs followed uncontrollably.

"Xiao Zhou," Jiang Yu whispered as they walked, "I have something come up suddenly. Can you take a taxi back on your own?"

Her assistant was taken aback by her tone but nodded repeatedly. "No problem, Boss Jiang. Here's the key."

Jiang Yu took the key, suppressing a smile.

On the outskirts of the parking lot, a black luxury sedan was parked, and Cheng Suran, lost in thought, approached it before realizing that Jiang Yu's assistant was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Xiao Zhou?"

"She had something to attend to and left to take a cab," Jiang Yu lied nonchalantly, unlocking the car and putting both their suitcases in the trunk.

"..."

Cheng Suran looked at her suspiciously.

Her intuition told her something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She reluctantly followed Jiang Yu into the car and took the passenger seat.

"Give me the address," Jiang Yu started the car and casually activated the car's navigation.

Cheng Suran pursed her lips and replied, "Go to the company."

Jiang Yu turned her head in surprise. "Not going home?"

Cheng Suran wanted to come up with an excuse, but the words welled up and got stuck in her throat. She was indeed planning to go home.

But that way, Jiang Yu would know where she lives.

She felt like she was being tricked.

There was silence in the car.

"Ranran..." Jiang Yu looked at her, seemed to understand her thoughts, and sighed.

"You're guarding against me."

Her voice suddenly dropped.

Cheng Suran furrowed her brows slightly, and seeing Jiang Yu's face full of sadness and disappointment, she felt a wave of guilt. Considering their current partnership, such vigilance was indeed unnecessary. She had been too deliberate, too obvious.

"Marina Bay, Phase Two," Cheng Suran mentioned the name of the community

Jiang Yu's eyes brightened.

This residential area was very close to her own home, just a street corner and a road away.

"We live very close."

"Mm."

Cheng Suran looked out the window.

....

About forty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of the Marina Bay Community.

Jiang Yu remotely opened the trunk, watched Cheng Suran get out of the car, and looked up at the tall buildings in the community.

Which unit does Ranran live in?

"Miss Jiang, I'll head in first, thank you." Cheng Suran pushed her suitcase to the car window, smiled at Jiang Yu, and turned to leave.

"Wait—"

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and a casual smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Considering I've been your driver, would you like to invite me to come up and sit for a while?"