Shu Qianqian swayed as she stepped into the cabin, shaking like a leaf. The girl's rosy face had lost its usual cheer, and her large almond eyes were devoid of spirit.
"Sister Meirong, we need to talk." She spoke in a monotone voice.
Li Meirong was taken aback by the abrupt changes she saw in her friend. Earlier on, Shu Qianqian barged into the room with the same old haughty attitude she had always displayed. Afterwards, her enraged expression transformed into one of shock, that much made sense.
Now, she seemed to be terror-stricken.
It hadn't even been five minutes since the girl had been waiting outside. What changed?
Li Meirong expected to be directly barraged with probing questions, but Shu Qianqian remained unusually silent.
"Sister Qianqian, are you alright? What happened to you?" Li Meirong inquired.
"I'm fine. Nothing happened." Shu Qianqian kept her answer brief.
As Li Meirong went to stand by Shu Qianqian's side and bobbed her head in greeting, the despondent girl instantly withdrew a few steps back. The intricately made hairpin that complimented Shu Qianqian's elaborate hairstyle with spring flowers and tiny butterflies rattled as she skittered backwards.
Noticing how her friend recoiled when she edged closer, Li Meirong bit her slightly swollen lip and turned around, masking her disappointment. She went towards the charcoal stove and heated up a bowl filled with water.
"Sister Qianqian, I'm really sorry about before, please knock next time. What brings you to my place so early in the morning?" Li Meirong answered meekly, mild-mannered. Busying herself with tea preparation, she placed a few spoonfuls of herbs in the bowl.
Most people thought that Li Meirong was a reserved and respectful person. Only a few people knew her well enough to discern that when she acted this way, it was in order to hide her insecurities.
Shu Qianqian wasn't one of those knowledgable few.
Despite being acquainted with Shu Qianqian for all these years, Li Meirong had always felt that their friendship bond wasn't as strong as the one she shared with Bao Li.
Shu Qianqian stayed put as she disregarded Li Meirong's response and answered with a question of her own, "Who was that man before?"
"He is…" Li Meirong momentarily paused and said, "a friend, but maybe something more. He's Grandmaster's Zhu Zhang's son, and he saved my life once, many years ago."
'What does that even mean, "maybe something more"?' Shu Qianqian clenched her small fists together, slowly regaining her reasoning once more. She asked, "Are you going to marry him?"
The water finally boiled and Li Meirong arranged a cup of tea for her guest. She turned back to Shu Qianqian, handing over the warm cup for her to hold onto, as she shook her head and replied. "I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to marry anybody."
"Is that so…" Shu Qianqian reluctantly accepted the cup of tea. Her hollow expression recovered some of its fiery arrogance.