After Zhang Tingting and Gong Zheng left, Fang Cheng finally walked upstairs with Chen Xingran and Zi Yu. He planned to change into a new outfit and tidy himself up.
"Zi Yu, go check on Su Bai. It's been a while, and I'm worried something might have gone wrong over there," Fang Cheng said, tugging at the corner of his mouth. The lingering pain from the punch Gong Zheng gave him reminded him that the blow had been a lot harsher than he had expected.
Zi Yu tugged at his tie, feeling a bit frustrated. Even though he wanted to help earlier, there had been nothing he could do. Luckily, Gong Zheng's plan had failed, and the scene hadn't caused a scene at the wedding banquet. However, Zhang Tingting had clearly thrown off Fang Cheng's mood for the night. At the very least, Fang Cheng wasn't in the mood to meet Su Bai now, and he'd inevitably have to put on another act.
"Alright, I'll try to stall Su Bai. What do you want me to tell her?" Zi Yu asked.
"Just tell her a friend is having some issues, and I can't leave right now. Let her know not to wait up for me tonight. I'll head back early tomorrow morning."
Chen Xingran glanced at Fang Cheng, his brow furrowed. With some dissatisfaction, he spoke up, "Fang Cheng, you're not planning to see Zhang Tingting, are you? That girl's with Gong Zheng right now. If you go, do you really think Gong Zheng and she will treat you nicely? Besides, it's your wedding today. If you leave Su Bai alone, don't you think she might be a little pitiful?"
It wasn't that Chen Xingran suddenly developed a soft spot for Su Bai, but given the current situation, he felt Fang Cheng didn't really need to meet Zhang Tingting anymore. She was just one woman, after all. Fang Cheng had certainly overplayed his hand this time because of her.
But it was clear that Fang Cheng didn't heed Chen Xingran's advice. He simply changed into a more casual outfit, then turned and headed downstairs, leaving in his car.
Chen Xingran and Zi Yu walked toward the room where Su Bai was. Zi Yu shook his head and sighed, muttering, "On the night of his wedding, the groom runs off, and the bride is left alone in her room… What a bad script. Hey, Xingran, don't you think Su Bai is in a tough spot? If we tell her there's no groom tonight, do you think she'll blow up?"
"Whatever happens, our responsibility is to make sure Su Bai gets home safely. We can't control the rest. Just keep your mouth shut, and don't accidentally say something you shouldn't," Chen Xingran replied, his mood not much better. He instructed his good buddy to zip his lips.
Zi Yu shrugged casually. "Fine, I'll keep quiet. No problem."
When they arrived at the room, they knocked softly on the door. When there was no response, both of them were a little surprised. They immediately rushed to try the door handle, pushing the door open. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Su Bai sitting on the bed, looking down at her phone.
"Thank goodness," Zi Yu muttered under his breath. "At least she's still here in the room. Otherwise, things would really get out of hand."
When Su Bai heard the noise outside, she lifted her head. Upon seeing Chen Xingran and Zi Yu, a flash of surprise passed quickly through her eyes. But she smiled, put down her phone, and stood up.
Zi Yu chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, you've been waiting for a while, huh? It's all Chen Xingran's fault. No idea where he ran off to, I had to search high and low for him. The gift he promised me, he left it at home! This... this is so embarrassing." Zi Yu wore an expression of awkwardness that seemed almost too natural. These sharp-minded people were professionals at playing their parts, and it was child's play for them to tell lies without batting an eye.
Chen Xingran was just as clever, quickly picking up on the little tricks Zi Yu was playing. He immediately joined in with a laugh, trying to cover up the situation.
"Yes, all my fault," Chen Xingran said, grinning. "I rushed here today in a hurry, and the gift was still on the coffee table in the living room."
Su Bai, sitting opposite them, seemed uninterested in the matter. She maintained a polite smile and replied, "You're too kind. Honestly, you didn't need to get me a gift. And, calling me 'sister-in-law' feels a bit awkward. Just call me by my name; it sounds more natural."
"The gift is a must," Zi Yu insisted. "I'll drive over in a couple of days and deliver it to you. As for the name... if you feel uncomfortable with 'sister-in-law,' we'll just call you Su Bai. And, of course, you and Fang Cheng can call me Xingran, while you can call him Zi Yu. We'll be seeing each other often, so let's not be too formal."
Upon hearing this, Su Bai nodded, agreeing to the suggestion.
For a while, no one knew what to say, and just as they were standing there, Su Bai reached for her phone, seemingly about to make a call. Chen Xingran instinctively frowned, and Zi Yu quickly spoke up, "Su Bai, are you calling Fang Cheng?"
Su Bai put her phone down, looking at them with a puzzled expression, but she still replied, "Yes, I was thinking of asking how things were going downstairs and if he needed my help."
"No need," Zi Yu said quickly, "Xingran and I came up to let you know that Fang Cheng had to leave early because of something urgent. He asked us to take you home."
When Su Bai gave a confused look, Chen Xingran quickly explained, "Fang Cheng's friend got into some trouble with the police. He had to use some connections and take care of it. You know how Fang Cheng is; he values loyalty, so he had no choice but to go. Su Bai, don't take it the wrong way. If it wasn't an urgent situation, Fang Cheng wouldn't have had to leave."
At first, they expected Su Bai to show some displeasure, but to their surprise, she simply nodded, her expression one of understanding.
"Since it's a friend's issue, it's only right for him to help. But I'll just take a cab home, so there's no need for you to go out of your way to take me," Su Bai replied.
"No way, Su Bai," Zi Yu insisted. "Fang Cheng specifically told us we must make sure you get home safely, or neither I nor Xingran will be able to sleep tonight."
Seeing Su Bai about to protest, Zi Yu's tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal. Su Bai had no choice but to agree.
As they walked to the door, Chen Xingran stepped on something, and with a light sound, a pill bottle rolled to the side. He picked it up, but upon seeing that it was just an empty vitamin bottle, he didn't think much of it. He casually tossed it into the nearby trash bin, not noticing the complicated expression on Su Bai's face as she watched the bottle, or the slight tension in her demeanor.
The car ride to Su Bai's home was mostly silent. Su Bai didn't say much, and neither did Zi Yu or Chen Xingran, both of whom were clearly exhausted from the day's events. Unlike usual, they didn't try to engage her in conversation. After a quiet drive of over half an hour, they finally arrived at the new apartment where she and Fang Cheng were living.
On the way back, Zi Yu finally collapsed in exhaustion, lounging in the passenger seat, his demeanor far from the serious one he had earlier.
"Hey, Xingran," Zi Yu said lazily, "I think Su Bai and Fang Cheng are probably just that kind of couple. Their relationship is so dry—it's nothing like what a normal newlywed couple should be. The husband runs off, and the wife doesn't care at all. Su Bai is way too aloof."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Chen Xingran chuckled. "You don't want Su Bai to cry, throw a tantrum, and try to hang herself, do you?"
"I'm not saying that's bad," Zi Yu replied with a click of his tongue. "But now I get why Fang Cheng can't fall for her. This kind of woman—cold, distant, always seeming like she's above everything—no man can stand it. It's a shame though…" He clicked his tongue again, shaking his head.
Chen Xingran smirked. "A shame? About what?"
Zi Yu shook his head and slowly grinned. "A shame she's so beautiful. Such a face wasted." He glanced at Chen Xingran, who didn't speak, but Zi Yu was sure that his thoughts weren't too different. To both of them, Su Bai was that unattainable beauty—the kind of woman that, even though admired from a distance, couldn't be touched. Men would lose interest in her the moment they tried, and no one would remain captivated by that face for long.
But neither Chen Xingran nor Zi Yu anticipated what was about to happen. After they had driven off, Su Bai didn't immediately go upstairs. Instead, she pressed her hand to her chest, gasping for air.
"I almost died from the shock! This entire night's madness has been too much. Su Bai, that idiot—doesn't she hate Fang Cheng? Then why the hell did she act like that just now?"
Yes, the Su Bai they knew was no longer herself. She had become Su Xiaobai—the other personality.
But even Su Xiaobai was confused about how she had emerged. For quite some time, Su Bai had kept her suppressed with medication and by consciously locking away the "door" that separated them. Su Bai was careful—she increased her dosage daily and kept the door tightly shut, making sure Su Xiaobai couldn't come out.
Su Xiaobai had never been particularly bothered by it, nor did she hate Su Bai. After all, they were the same person. The existence of the alternate personality wasn't about replacing Su Bai, but rather coexisting. However, what surprised Su Xiaobai was that when Su Bai accidentally witnessed the scene between Fang Cheng and Zhang Tingting, the "door" had opened. Su Bai had even gone to the bathroom and poured out the medicine, something Su Xiaobai hadn't predicted.
This meant that Su Bai had consciously allowed her to emerge.
If Su Bai truly didn't have any feelings for Fang Cheng, then why would she have been triggered by that scene?
Once Su Xiaobai made this realization, her anger flared. She had thought that Su Bai's feelings for Fang Cheng were neutral at best, but if she was right, and Su Bai actually liked Fang Cheng, then everything he had done to her up until now was absolutely disgusting.
Now, Su Bai appeared to be sleeping, with no sign of emerging, which suggested that Su Bai might be deliberately avoiding the reality of the situation. But even though Su Xiaobai had finally managed to break through, she was still extremely anxious.
"Fine, Su Bai. You let me out today, so don't blame me if I cause some trouble for you later," Su Xiaobai muttered through gritted teeth. With that, she turned and clicked her high heels as she headed upstairs.