The evening breeze blew slowly, and the charity party was held under the stars on a summer night.
The waiter carried the tray and walked freely among the prominent figures in the business world.
When he stopped, a long and slender hand stretched out from beside him and gently held up a glass of champagne.
The woman retracted her hand and spoke calmly to the person next to her.
The night wind gently stirring the soft, moonlight-white collar of her shirt, kissing her calm face, and flowing through her dark, shiny hair.
Her eyes downcast, her crow-feather-like eyelashes hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses. Her calm and serene demeanor is compared to a Buddha statue that wouldn't move even if the sky were falling.
The next second, a new person arrived at the party.
Someone smiled and went up to greet them.
The people around her also looked at that location.
"Oh, it's President Shen and the Chairman's wife."
She heard someone say this.
President Shen, Shen Wenxin, the CEO of a well-known jewelry brand, and also her arch-enemy.
For some reasons, the two of them have been at odds since their school days and continue to dislike each other to this day, which is well-known in the industry.
Although their businesses do not conflict, and any disagreements do not surface, when they have to appear in the same area, they at most silently glare at each other.
The Chairman's wife is Shen Wenxin's stepmother, Jin Hanshuang.
The surrounding people's gazes fell on Lu Yunshu, seeing her drinking champagne and looking in Shen Wenxin's direction, they all tacitly closed their mouths, looked at each other, and said nothing.
There it is again, Lu Yunshu is staring at Shen Wenxin. To be precise, she is looking at the person beside Shen Wenxin-Jin Hanshuang.
Her voluminous curly hair exudes charm, and her tall, fair body is wrapped in a simple off-shoulder red dress, like a rose blooming fiercely in the fire, radiating brilliance.
People are always unconsciously attracted to Jin Hanshuang, and upon taking another look, they notice the many luxurious and beautiful pieces of jewelry she is wearing.
She stood next to her daughter Shen Wenxin, talking and smiling.
Shen Wenxin also looks good, with neat short hair and delicate appearance. The two of them look like sisters.
This is also true.
After all, Jin Hanshuang is only thirty-four years old this year, which is seven years older than Shen Wenxin.
She is also seven years older than Lu Yunshu.
She's only seven years older, how can she be a mother?
Being sisters is more or less the same.
Lu Yunshu put down her hand and remained silent.
Jin Hanshuang's husband passed away last year.
Death due to illness, life and death are impermanent.
So Jin Hanshuang is now... single.
She might be single, or she might not be.
Jin Hanshuang might have an undisclosed lover-a lover of the same gender.
This is Jin Hanshuang's secret.
Lu Yunshu knows this secret.
Because she once witnessed Jin Hanshuang kissing her lover.
She was in high school at the time.
When she discovered Jin Hanshuang's secret, Jin Hanshuang also discovered her.
Jin Hanshuang's first reaction was surprise, but then she calmly let her lover leave, walked up to her, and softly said, "Good child, you won't tell anyone, right?"
She did so and never mentioned it to anyone.
Later, as she grew up, she knew more things.
For example, Jin Hanshuang had many lovers.
This sounds very romantic.
Jin Hanshuang has the charm to pull it off-she's so attractive and captivating that as long as she doesn't commit murder or arson, anything goes.
And, her husband doesn't care.
Each lived their own life, indifferent and without exposing the truth, maintaining the facade of harmony.
Lu Yunshu had once found such a marriage perplexing. Perplexing as it was, she never asked about it.
Because she and Jin Hanshuang... weren't particularly close.
They would greet each other when they met, but their interactions were not as frequent as those between her and Shen Wenxin-she had the misfortune of being in the same class as Shen Wenxin throughout school, always running into each other.
This was Lu Yunshu's greatest regret.
She wanted to get to know Jin Hanshuang better than anyone else.
Because she also had a secret.
Lu Yunshu's gaze once again silently turned towards Jin Hanshuang.
The light there was very bright, but it still couldn't overshadow Jin Hanshuang's brilliance.
Especially when Jin Hanshuang smiles, the whole world becomes a mere backdrop.
...She is still so beautiful.
Lu Yunshu silently rubbed the slender stem of her wine glass with her thumb.
Soon, she saw the person chatting with Jin Hanshuang and her daughter leave, leaving the two of them alone.
In an instant, a surge of courage welled up in Lu Yunshu's heart.
She picked up two glasses of juice from the waiter, nodded politely to the person beside her, and said, "Excuse me for a moment."
She walked straight towards Jin Hanshuang.
Shen Wenxin had just finished chatting with someone and turned to see her nemesis walking towards her with two glasses of juice.
Then, right in front of her, she handed one to her stepmother.
"Good evening."
The gentle words were quite polite.
Polite to her mother.
To her, it was a simple and brief "whatever" look.
Shen Wenxin: Tch.
Jin Hanshuang took the juice from Lu Yunshu, her eyes curved in a smile, her tone soft and pleasant, "Oh, thank you~"
Shen Wenxin got straight to the point, "What brings you here, Ms. Lu?"
"Nothing."
Lu Yunshu looked at Jin Hanshuang, her expression obedient.
"Just came to say hello to Sister Jin."
She had often greeted Jin Hanshuang in the past.
Always very polite, very restrained, like a good child.
She didn't like calling Jin Hanshuang anything else, just "Sister."
Jin Hanshuang was already used to it, and now she smiled brightly, "Good girl~"
Completely unaffected by her relationship with her own daughter.
Jin Hanshuang turned to Shen Wenxin and asked, "What would you like to drink? Wine or...?"â
She shook the juice in her hand.
Shen Wenxin glanced elsewhere, "Wine."
She moved her feet, "I'll get it myself."
Leaving Lu Yunshu and Jin Hanshuang alone.
Lu Yunshu took the initiative to start a conversation, "How have you been lately?"
Jin Hanshuang heard the question and smiled easily, "Of course, I've been well. What could be wrong?"
She knew that Shen Wenxin and Lu Yunshu didn't get along, but that didn't affect her conversations with Lu Yunshu.
In her eyes, Shen Wenxin and Lu Yunshu were both kids.
The kids' conflicts were a bit childish but wouldn't affect others.
Besides, she and Lu Yunshu knew each other, so chatting a bit was no big deal.
Most importantly, Lu Yunshu was very well-behaved in front of her.
Lu Yunshu didn't call her "Mrs. Shen" like others but called her "Sister."
She preferred being called "Sister."
Lu Yunshu loved listening to her talk.
Jin Hanshuang's voice was mature and gentle, soft when she spoke, naturally endearing, and a bit like she was being coquettish, always making people find her adorable... and charming.
Jin Hanshuang took a sip of juice and then heard the younger Lu Yunshu suddenly ask, "Do you have a girlfriend lately?"
She couldn't help but look at Lu Yunshu.
Lu Yunshu knew her sexual orientation.
When Lu Yunshu discovered it back then, she didn't deny it and was very open about it.
She was still very open about it now.
She smiled, her voice still soft, "No."
Her lips curved up, her eyes beautiful and flirtatious, and she teasingly said, "Why, do you want to pursue Sister?"
The playful words drifted into her ears.
Lu Yunshu detected the laughter within and remained serious.
She seriously responded with a "Hmm" and seriously asked, "Is that okay?"
Strike while the iron is hot.
The result was an even brighter smile from Jin Hanshuang.
Her arm was gently patted by Jin Hanshuang, a kind and affectionate gesture typical of an elder.
"You've learned to joke around too, haven't you?"
"...?"
Jin Hanshuang saw someone unfamiliar approaching them, guessing they were looking for Lu Yunshu, and said, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Someone's here to see you. Go ahead."
With that, Jin Hanshuang left, turning to find her daughter Shen Wenxin, clearly not taking Lu Yunshu's seriousness to heart.
Lu Yunshu watched her leave, her eyes hidden behind her glasses, dark and unreadable, as if containing a thousand words.
Her secret... was her.
...
They began to meet frequently.
In different places.
In places Jin Hanshuang liked to visit.
Jin Hanshuang was chatting with friends in her usual café, having afternoon tea.
Unintentionally, she saw Lu Yunshu again.
Lu Yunshu was at the counter ordering two Americanos.
When she turned around, their eyes met.
Lu Yunshu smiled at Jin Hanshuang, then turned back to continue talking to the cashier.
After a while, Jin Hanshuang saw the waiter bringing over two desserts-her favorite flavor.
One dessert was for her, the other for her friend.
Jin Hanshuang instinctively looked towards the counter, but Lu Yunshu had already left.
It was Lu Yunshu:
[Good afternoon]
[Enjoy your meal]
Still as polite as she imagined.
She replied with a thank you and put down her phone. Her friend's teasing voice followed, "Why does your family's nemesis keep treating you to food?"
Jin Hanshuang picked up her fork, smiling lazily, "What are you saying? Didn't she treat you too?"
Her friend laughed, "I'm not familiar with her, and didn't you always say she's polite? It would look bad if she treated you and not me, so treating me was just 'by the way.' But seriously, is it okay for you to eat what she gives you?"
"What's the problem? Did she poison me?"
"I mean, won't Wenxin be upset if she finds out?"
"Upset? About this? My Wenxin isn't that petty."
"Oh-have you thought about what Lu Yunshu might want?"
Jin Hanshuang looked up at her, lightly resting her chin on her hand, "Speak plainly, don't beat around the bush."
Her friend laughed, "I'm just curious why she always treats you to food, and most importantly, it's always what you like.
"Does she want something from you, or is she...?"
Her friend raised an eyebrow, enjoying the drama.
It wasn't just once or twice, but every time.
Every time they met Lu Yunshu, she would treat them to something, and the items the waiter brought were always to Jin Hanshuang's taste.
This was too intriguing, and Du Mengying couldn't help but think more.
Jin Hanshuang scooped a small piece of dessert, smiling nonchalantly.
"She's just being polite. She doesn't know what I like to eat, but the people at this shop do."
There aren't so many complicated reasons. Lu Yunshu just paid, and the waiter served them their favorite things.
She wasn't that important to Lu Yunshu, so why be narcissistic?
"Stop guessing," Jin Hanshuang cut off Du Mengying's wild thoughts, "The kid is a decent person."
A well-mannered, decent person.
A decent person with no ulterior motives towards her.
Du Mengying shrugged.
"Alright, alright."
..........
Jin Hanshuang and Lu Yunshu met again.
At the entrance of the same café.
This time, Jin Hanshuang was alone.
"Good afternoon."
Still so polite.
Seeing that Lu Yunshu was about to enter the café, Jin Hanshuang immediately turned and followed her, smiling, "President Lu has treated me so many times, it's my turn to treat you."
Lu Yunshu didn't refuse and responded warmly.
They packed their coffee and walked out of the café.
Their cars were parked in the same place, so they walked in the same direction.
The glass windows they passed reflected their side-by-side figures.
Jin Hanshuang turned her head and saw the person walking beside her in the glass.
Long black hair, elegant gold-rimmed glasses, a neat and soft light blue shirt, and black suit pants, clean and sharp, mature and graceful.
"Our President Lu is indeed very attractive."
Elegant, but with a distant and aloof aura when not speaking, making her seem unapproachable, which only made her more beautiful.
Sometimes, the colder someone is, the more alluring they become.
If there was a bit of contrast... it would be incredible.
Jin Hanshuang reined in her wandering thoughts.
Now wasn't the time to think about these things.
Lu Yunshu looked at Jin Hanshuang and saw her turn and smile at her.
The smile spread lazily to the corners of Jin Hanshuang's eyes.
"Has our beautiful President Lu started dating? Got a boyfriend?"
"No."
Lu Yunshu's answer was decisive.
"I don't like men, I like women."
The bluntness left Jin Hanshuang stunned.
The closet door was kicked open right in front of her.
So open, so incredibly open.
More open than some people she knew.
Jin Hanshuang suddenly remembered her friend's words and couldn't help but re-evaluate the person in front of her, asking, "By the way, why has President Lu been treating me to afternoon tea so often lately? Is it because..."
The slow tone tugged at Lu Yunshu's heartstrings.
Had she figured it out?
What would her reaction be?
Would she reject her?
As Jin Hanshuang's lips moved, in the tense anticipation, Lu Yunshu finally heard the answer-
"Is there something you need help with, Sister?"
Lu Yunshu: "?"
Jin Hanshuang held her face with one hand, troubled, "But Sister doesn't know how she can help you. I don't understand your work, and it's not convenient for me to know. Could it be... a relationship problem?"
She had dated many girlfriends, or rather lovers, and had more experience in relationships.
But Lu Yunshu... would someone like her really be troubled by love?
Jin Hanshuang couldn't help but look at Lu Yunshu twice. The other party fell silent, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, unsure if she had hit the mark or if she found her guess absurd and inexplicable.
Seeing this, she waved her hand with a smile, "I'm just guessing, don't take it to heart."
She turned to leave.
At that moment, her hand was suddenly grabbed.
She turned back to see the person behind her looking at her seriously, saying, "You guessed right."
Jin Hanshuang blinked lightly.
A small plan formed in Lu Yunshu's mind.
She looked at the person in front of her, tightening her grip slightly, "I like a woman, like her very much, but she doesn't seem to care about me. So I want to pursue her, express my feelings, win her favor, hope she notices me, and likes me too. But I have no experience in love, I don't know how to pursue her, win her favor."
A gust of wind suddenly blew towards them, lifting their black hair and scattering the surrounding sounds.
Lu Yunshu seemed to be pushed by the wind, taking a step closer to Jin Hanshuang.
Jin Hanshuang saw Lu Yunshu's serious gaze through her glasses, looking both serious and exceptionally innocent.
Her voice fell into her ear, sincere and troubled, appearing a bit pitiful-
"Sister, help me..."