When she returned to her own apartment, it was almost midnight. Although her apartment wasn't as well-appointed as Xia Yichu's high-end one, it was something Ye Feifei had bought with the money she'd saved through her own hard work and struggles over the years. Compared to the luxury apartment gifted by Xia Yichu's rich suitor, she always felt her own little space was more comfortable and secure.
The odd changes in the light at the top of the lighthouse across the sea didn't really capture Ye Feifei's attention. S City was known as a place that dazzled people with its glitz and glamour, where everyone seemed helplessly intoxicated by nightlife. It was as if the busy day could only be dispelled through sleep, and one had to revel under the glittering night sky for their lonely souls to be released and comforted, even though it was all emptiness.
The nights in S City were far livelier than the days, or rather, the noise was unbearable.
But even so, because of exhaustion, Ye Feifei fell asleep amidst the noisy night market.
For an independent and single woman, the habit of being strong and optimistic is a golden trick to maintaining a high-quality life. The sun still rose on schedule, and if you loved the city's beauty and charm, its rhythm and attitude, then you would shine brilliantly because of that love before you knew it.
Just like Ye Feifei.
It wasn't her alarm clock that woke Ye Feifei in the morning, but the ringtone of her mobile phone: "Need your love every day, it's for you to guess my thoughts, I love you…"
It was actually Xianzi's "Can't Help Falling in Love"!
It seems that even the heart of an avowed independent single woman craved the same sincere and unforgettable love as any ordinary girl.
The sunshine had already penetrated the curtains and shone into Ye Feifei's bedroom when she lazily opened her eyes and said, "Hello…"
The call was from another one of her best friends, and her roommate from her college days: Yu Xiaowan.
Yu Xiaowan spoke while chewing, "Ye Feifei, are you actually still sleeping?!"
"Silly foodie, starting your day of eat, eat, eat so early! I bet you're going to gain another three pounds!"
"Psh, lazybones, look at the time! How can you say 'so early'? It's almost ten o'clock. Put your hand on your heart and tell me, is it early? Is it?" The voice on the other end of the phone was especially sweet.
Ye Feifei chuckled dryly and continued, "Don't you know that sleeping is more important to me than eating? Unlike you, who would fill up your stomach even if the sky were falling. You eat, eat, eat all day, anything and everything. So high-maintenance. With you contributing to your weight gain at three pounds a day, who would dare to marry you?"
Sure enough, someone's nerves were seriously jolted on the other end, erupting with indignation, "Ye Feifei, if you curse me with weight gain again, I'll find a way to get my followers to make sure that the next box of instant noodles you buy will forever only have one packet of seasoning for every three packets! And you can't even return it!"
Ye Feifei's head was filled with black lines at the words; this curse was even more vicious than wishing her Beijing Brand instant noodles came without any seasoning packets! But what could she do? Her best friend was a professional beauty blogger. Although she didn't have as many followers as Xia Yichu, when compared to someone like herself who only reposted entertainment gossip to pass the time, it was a lot. Ye Feifei suddenly realized with sad resignation that mentioning her own Weibo was embarrassing with a mere 200+ followers. She replied with feigned subservience, "Yes, yes, you're now half an internet celebrity, with so many followers. I'm so scared..."
After speaking, Ye Feifei was almost nauseated by her own words, but the person on the other end of the phone was extremely pleased, "Oh dear, I accidentally clicked on your Weibo and noticed your followers have increased. Congratulations, you've reached 250, such joyful news! Hahahaha..."
Hearing this, the previously drowsy Ye Feifei suddenly woke up and blurted out without any surprise, "Yu Xiaowan, you're talking nonsense! My Weibo is full of bot followers, how could it suddenly hit exactly 250! Let me tell you, lying causes hair loss, a thousand strands at a time! Be careful you don't go bald! Are you going to admit it or not?!"
Indeed, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"—such a curse was unmatched!
The sweet voice on the other end of the phone didn't care at all, speaking leisurely, "It truly is 250! Not one more or one less, I'm helpless too. Do you want a screenshot for proof? Should you not hurry up and un-follow yourself from those fake accounts you've been hoarding? They've been hanging around for a while, are you going to keep them? Need me to promote it for you? A hot search doesn't cost more than a hundred bucks!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Feifei immediately started to freak out: How did she know about her following her main account with fake accounts to inflate her follower count? Furious, she retorted, "Who told you hot searches only cost a hundred bucks?! If such bargain-priced hot searches were available, I'd take a dozen! No need to thank me!"
The sweet voice on the phone slowly came through again, "I really don't have time to argue this nonsense with you! Now, you're required to show up before 11:00 a.m. at the entrance of Building 12A to accompany little sister here on a stroll through Gourmet Alley. Today, your sister will be magnanimous and treat you for once. Brushing teeth plus makeup and even toenail grooming, tsk tsk... Right now, it's the peak of traffic, and Ye Feifei madam who wears seven-centimeter heels, you've got only one hour left. It's time to test your fitness results, go for it! Don't be late, or don't bother coming, bye!"
After that, the call really was ended.
Ye Feifei stared wide-eyed at the screen of her phone. The so-called hour had been whittled down to just 48 minutes by that long-winded foodie, angering Ye Feifei to the point where she threw her phone aside and leapt out of bed to start her lightning-fast washing up routine.
——Yu Xiaowan, if I don't eat you into bankruptcy today, I'm not Ye Feifei!
And so, Ye Feifei, in a fluster and teetering on seven-centimeter heels, rushed to the base of Building 12A at top speed. She spotted Yu Xiaowan from afar, who was waving at her. In actuality, her bestie wasn't really fat, just slightly chubby at most, plus with her round face and big eyes, she had reached new levels of cuteness. Thus, her plump figure instantly went from a negative to a plus!
Seeing an out-of-breath Ye Feifei arrive, Yu Xiaowan seemingly kindly patted her on the shoulder and said with "good intentions", "Geez, elder sis, you should stop wearing high heels as you age. Sure, it makes your legs look shorter, but it's better than shaking apart those old bones, right?"
Emphasis on: short legs... old bones... aging...
Would you die if you didn't say those things?!
"Yu Xiaowan, just stand still and see how I'll bite you to death!"
Of course, she wouldn't be so foolish. In the blink of an eye, she dashed toward the Gourmet Alley on the ground floor, shouting as she ran, "So scary... Ye Feifei, your menopause has come early, you won't be able to get married... After 30, you'll really become a 'Saintess'!"
Just like that, the two of them made their way into Gourmet Alley amidst teasing and raucous laughter.
Ye Feifei, provoked beyond her wits, naturally picked the most expensive and delicious place to enjoy her bestie's treat. In a restaurant named "Imperial Morning", Ye Feifei excitedly ordered fatty intestine with steak dry pot, a dish both spicy and tasty, perfect for a standard foodie like Yu Xiaowan who gorged herself happily without glancing at the prices. Ye Feifei then unapologetically ordered a vanilla-flavored Häagen-Dazs and a cup of cappuccino. This lunch, it couldn't get any more luxurious, right?!
At a row of tables across from them, several beauties were sitting. This was the upscale spending area of S City, and just by looking at the girls' attire, it was evident they weren't average Joes. They were laughing about something with a man in a white shirt! Although Ye Feifei could only see his side profile, she still felt that the man in the white shirt had a certain "demon charm"!
Just then, Yu Xiaowan, who was eating to the point of seeing stars, suddenly exclaimed, "Leggy oppa!"
Ye Feifei turned her head to give a disdainful glance, "Ahem... you're about to drool, keep the image! Image! Image! Say it three times for emphasis!"
Yu Xiaowan suddenly hugged Ye Feifei's arm, extremely excited, "He... he... isn't he that guy from the hit variety show 'Go For it, Handsome!' who's super good at awkward dancing?! Fresh and juicy, like a dewy peach, what's... what's his name again?"
——Please, at the very least, he's a guy, okay? A dewy peach? Is that really an appropriate description?
Ye Feifei felt nauseous, but spitting out her food after just eating it would be a waste and would make her suffer. Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Wasn't your idol the silly roebuck? Have you swapped him out for this one so quickly?"
"Nah, not at all... this one's also good-looking, a super big handsome guy!" It was like she was ready to lick her screen!
At that moment, the man in the white shirt suddenly turned and looked towards Ye Feifei, his lips red and teeth white, with handsome brows and bright eyes, and his iconic smile. To summarize in three words: a—pretty—boy!
Then, he casually threw a flirtatious wink at Ye Feifei and cheekily said, "Hey~ beautiful across the table!" Following that, he made a beckoning gesture towards Ye Feifei, and his youthful and sunny charisma hit her head-on, as if the scene was truly that of a fangirl meeting her idol!
——Sorry, handsome, I'm not your fan, just a passerby.
At that moment Ye Feifei felt utterly embarrassed, her foodie companion, as if on a boost of adrenaline, suddenly leaped up with no warning and shouted, "I remember now... his name is Hua Yunliang..."
Perhaps the motion was too big to control because, the next instant, the large cup of cappuccino Ye Feifei had just ordered traced a perfect arc through the air, and like a torrential downpour, drenched her head to toe, finally uncontrollably spilling over her powder-milk-colored, kawaii dress!
What! What just happened?!
This was my new Tizini, costing me 8888 soft sister currency, worn only once, and now ruined!
My all energies are about to erupt...