Liyuan Mall, second floor.

After buying the watch, Zhao Yaqian seemed to come alive. She even took the initiative to link arms with He Liting, dragging her into a store to look at clothes.

"I'm going to try on this dress; they have my size," Zhao Yaqian said, handing her bag and the watch gift bag to He Liting before diving into the fitting room with the dress.

She came out quite a while later, full of excitement. Standing in the crowded hallway, she swayed left and right in front of the mirror. The black floral dress reached just above mid-thigh, with a strong drape, and the cinched waist highlighted her graceful figure.

"It's almost May, and the temperature is rising. This dress is just perfect," she said, spinning around in front of He Liting.

He Liting nodded, "It really suits you. Makes you look fairer and slimmer."

Zhao Yaqian smiled happily, taking a photo with her phone, admiring how beautiful she looked. She couldn't help but feel the urge to share it with Brother Song.

After changing back into her original clothes and buying the dress for 230 yuan, Zhao Yaqian's smile grew even brighter. They shopped a bit more, picked out a piece of clothing for He Liting, and then headed to a milk tea shop on the first floor.

Zhao Yaqian ordered a hot pearl milk tea and sipped it happily. He Liting hesitated for a moment and then asked softly, "Qianqian, be honest with me. Your recent moodiness is because of Tang Song, isn't it?"

She knew her cousin well and had keenly sensed the problem from Zhao Yaqian's series of reactions.

Zhao Yaqian's hand trembled, and she continued sipping her milk tea with her head down, "No, it's just that I was in a bad mood."

"You’re acting very strange," He Liting said, her eyes sharp, "Even if you don’t tell me, I can guess! Qianqian, we're not just relatives but also best friends. What can’t you tell me?"

Zhao Yaqian bit her lip and spoke softly, "I don’t know what’s going on. He said some things to me last night, and I’ve been feeling panicked and confused ever since. I’ve never felt like this before."

"What did he say?"

Zhao Yaqian, with a troubled expression, briefly recounted what had happened last night.

"So he confessed to you!" He Liting instantly understood, "It’s right to reject him; after all, you’re not a good match. But you’ve been confessed to by boys plenty of times since childhood. Why the big reaction this time?"

Zhao Yaqian averted her gaze, stammering and unable to speak.

He Liting gently knocked on her forehead, "Could it be that you’ve developed feelings for that programmer friend? What exactly attracts you to him?"

Zhao Yaqian took a big sip of milk tea, holding her cheeks. After a long silence, she said blankly, "Maybe I have some feelings. When I'm with him, I always feel... I don’t know how to describe it. I guess it's a sense of security."

When they travel, he arranges everything and prepares many little surprises. When it rains, he worries about her commuting difficulties, sending money, and even driving her. When she goes for beauty treatments, he brings her favorite fried skewers and milk tea. He frequently checks on her work and life via WeChat. He also has a unique, relaxed and calm demeanor, seemingly full of confidence and goals for the future. She finds herself unconsciously influenced by him.

He Liting squeezed her cheek, "Calm down. You’ve just started your career; you’ll meet many excellent men in the future."

"Brother Song is excellent, too. He’s particularly good at his job and knows a lot. He’s successfully lost weight, and his skin has improved a lot. I think he's quite handsome now..." Zhao Yaqian rattled off many of Tang Song's merits, seemingly trying to counter her friend's words.

He Liting took her phone and looked at the recent photos of Tang Song. "He has indeed changed a lot, looking much younger now. His current appearance is quite good."

"That’s partly my doing," Zhao Yaqian said proudly, raising her eyebrows.

He Liting shook her head, "But it’s still not enough."

Just as Zhao Yaqian was about to retort, her expression suddenly changed, and she stood up.

"What’s wrong, Qianqian?"

"I just got my period, and I didn’t bring any pads," Zhao Yaqian said awkwardly.

He Liting quickly handed her a small packet of tissues, "Use this for now."

"Thanks," Zhao Yaqian said, taking the tissues and hurried to the mall restroom. Thankfully, she had a hot drink earlier. If it had been cold, her stomach would have been in turmoil for days.

When she returned to the milk tea shop, He Liting’s phone rang.

She answered, "Hey, Brother Hui, I’m at Mi Xue Bing Cheng on the first floor of the mall with a friend."

"My friend isn’t feeling well, and we’re about to head home."

"Alright, see you there. We’ll wait by the west gate; it’s easier to park there."

Hanging up, He Liting winked at Zhao Yaqian, "A colleague from our company who joined recently is pursuing me hard. I just posted a moment on WeChat, and he’s already here."

"Oh?" Zhao Yaqian asked curiously, "How’s he? How far have you guys gone?"

He Liting laughed, "We just met, so not far. We’re just colleagues. As for him... He has a car and a house in Yan City. He’s pretty handsome, better than your programmer friend, haha."

Hearing this, Zhao Yaqian pouted unhappily, sensing her cousin's hidden meaning.

"Come on, he can drive you home. You won’t catch a cold or have a stomachache on the way," He Liting said, linking arms with her.

They left through the south entrance of the mall. The sky gradually darkened, and the cool evening breeze made Zhao Yaqian quickly cover her abdomen with her bag. Content originally comes from NovєlFіre.net

They stood by the roadside for a short while before a white Accord pulled up in front of them. A young man, about 26 or 27, wearing a light-colored casual suit, got out of the driver's seat. He was around 175 cm tall and looked somewhat handsome.

"Liting!" he waved with a smile, "You look as pretty as ever, easily spotted you."

His gaze couldn't help but linger on Zhao Yaqian. Her tight top and jeans highlighted her perfect waistline. Her slightly curled hair, bright features, and 180-centimeter height made her even more noticeable than He Liting.

He Liting smiled, "Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Zhao Yaqian. Thanks, Brother Hui, for going out of your way."

"It’s no trouble," Li Xinghui smiled and greeted, "Hello, Yaqian. I’m Li Xinghui, Liting’s colleague."

"Hello, Brother Hui."

After a brief chat, the three got into the car. As he drove, Li Xinghui suggested, "It’s dinnertime. How about I treat you two to a nice meal before you head home?"

Zhao Yaqian quickly shook her head, "I’d rather not. I'm not feeling well."

Feeling the constant flow of blood, she was genuinely afraid of an embarrassing leak.

"Alright then, rest well. Liting, there's a new outdoor barbecue near our company that has great reviews. A few colleagues have been there, and they said the environment is excellent. How about we go there?"

Seeing her hesitation through the rearview mirror, Li Xinghui continued, "Since I’m here, you can't refuse, right?"

He Liting bit her lip and said, "Thank you, Brother Hui."

"You're welcome," he laughed.