The weekend had been grueling, leaving Yu Ning's back aching from hours of standing. Desperate to reclaim her energy, she spent the entirety of Monday lazing around her apartment, watching the humid Shanghai heat shimmer outside her window as she waited for her laundry to dry.
The forecast predicted heavy smog for the coming week, and the air already felt thick and stagnant.
She spent the afternoon scrolling through her phone, half-distracted, until a friend recommendation caught her eye.
The profile belonged to Qing Jue.
It was a candid photo of him. He was dressed a red checkered button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, a wide, genuine grin stretching across his face, his eyes squeezed shut in mid-laugh.
He looked strikingly boyish, a sharp difference from the polished man who had dropped her off just the night before.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she tapped into his profile and swiped upward.
He had nearly four thousand followers. It wasn't an insane number of followers, but it showed that he was well connected enough, someone constantly surrounded by a crowd.
Amongst his latest posts, a familiar scene caught her eye: a group of men in sharp suits under the dim, expensive lighting of a private lounge. Yu Ning zoomed in. There was Qing Jue, second to the right, standing beside a foreign executive and a relaxed Yuan Feng.
The caption was simple: Enjoyable time with @forbes | Forbes 30 Under 30. A single star emoji sat next to the text.
Yu Ning's eye twitched.
A boys' night out? He had brushed it off as a casual night with friends, yet he was rubbing shoulders with the most successful young men in and out of the country.
She felt a sudden, sharp sense of ridicule.
She was used to high-achievers. Being at a top-tier university meant being surrounded by talent, but this was the top 0.1%.
She had found comfort the night before thinking he wasn't a "Fuerdai" heir like Yuan Feng. Instead, he was something far more intimidating.
A rising star in his own right.
His previous sincerity now felt performative, like a billionaire playing at being "normal" for a night.
As she scrolled further down, the photos became more casual, the dates receding into his earlier college years. In one photo, a younger-looking Qing Jue stood on a stage, flashing a toothy grin as he held a trophy. Yu Ning squinted at the distinctive stage banner behind him.
Her heart skipped. Wasn't that was her university's emblem?
She rubbed her eyes, leaning closer to the screen. Shanghai had a few elite institutions, the most famous being Jiao Tong and Fudan. She was a Fudan student.
Looking back at the banner, she could faintly make out the bold headings below the school's crest:
"Student Entrepreneur of the Year, 2021"
Feeling a sudden wave of defeat, Yu Ning locked her phone and tossed it onto the bed.
The screen went black, but the image of that stage banner stayed burned into her mind.
She couldn't help but recall the first time she and Shu Hua had met Song Yan. They had been wary at first, only warming up to his careless antics after discovering his wealthy background.
Both she and Shu Hua came from humble backgrounds, and in the beginning, brushing shoulders with "brats" like Song Yan had only made the social disparity feel like a physical bruise.
But as the months passed, their guard had dropped. They found that Song Yan was simply a carefree soul, his initial spoiled aloofness had melted away, becoming a warm, joyful anchor for their trio.
Though they had grown close, his financial tone-deafness was still a problem at times.
Yet, Qing Jue was different. He couldn't be compared to Song Yan. He seemed to be actively working to build his own empire, while Song Yan was actively spending away his trust funds.
Yu Ning rubbed her temples, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips. She wasn't even sure why her mind was wandering this far. She barely knew the guy.
The stifling heat had dissipated briefly, replaced by a gentle breeze that filtered through the curtains.
Finding her thoughts weighing a little too heavily on her, Yu Ning shifted into a more comfortable position.
She pulled a pillow against her chest, her eyelids growing heavy as the digital glow of the "Forbes" list faded from her mind. Within minutes, she fell into a shallow, dreamless slumber.
Throughout the rest of the week, Yu Ning buried herself in work, picking up extra shifts for coworkers and slowly mentally preparing for the start of the new school term. The academic pressure of Fudan was always looming, but for now, she was content to drift.
Outside her apartment, the greenery had begun to wilt. The leaves turned a brittle orange before drifting to the pavement.
Pulling on a long, cream ruffled skirt and a matching textured strapless top, she grabbed a light cardigan for the evening chill and headed out. She strolled toward the subway station, the rhythmic click of her boots against the concrete steps echoing as she boarded the train bound for Anfu Road.
Song Yan had been persistent, calling the trio together for a round of window shopping and drinks. With the weather finally turning chilly in the evenings, the city felt a little more intimate.
The clean rows of colonial-style shop houses appeared in front of Yu Ning.
Narrow three-story buildings, a blend of Shanghai's historic lilong architecture and Western art deco, lined the street with their pale stucco walls and dark-framed windows.
Vines of ivy crawled up the brickwork, and the small balconies were overflowing with greenery, making the street feel like a quiet European escape.
Yu Ning stopped in her tracks, texting Song Yan and Shu Hua as the sun lay shrouded behind thick clouds. The afternoon heat had finally settled into a tolerable temperature.
Song Yan looked as flamboyant as ever in a pair of stylish, bedazzled bermudas and a low-cut top, a pair of branded sunglasses perched atop his head. Beside him, Shu Hua looked far more mature in a long grey dress that draped elegantly over her slender frame.
Together, they looked like a chic older sister dragging along a rebellious younger brother.
Walking toward them, Yu Ning linked hands with Shu Hua before they strolled down the crowded street.
They ducked into a few boutique stores, browsing the new autumn collections, before Song Yan dragged them into a popular perfume shop.
It was a minimalist space specializing in tea-based scents that had been trending relentlessly across social media. Upon stepping in, they were greeted by a bright, clinical room.
Concrete tables and floating shelves displayed tiny, abstract glass bottles like artifacts in a museum.
After taking a tour around the room, testing the different scents, one particular scent caught Yu Ning's eye.
The bottle cap was molded into the shape of an irregular, translucent cloud.
"Isolated Island" The name was printed on a rough, textured sticker affixed to the glass. It was an ambiguous, luxurious scent, blending the refreshing scent of the sea and the more grounded earthy notes of tea.
This was the perfect scent for the coming winter.
She reached out for the 100ml bottle, but her heart nearly plummeted through the floor when she finally caught sight of the price tag.
1,093 Yuan.
"Oh, that's a good one," Song Yan said, glancing over her shoulder as he adjusted his sunglasses. "You should definitely go for it. It's part of the seasonal collection, you know? They probably won't restock it once the batch sells out."
To Yu Ning, he sounded like a devil on her shoulder, tempting her toward financial ruin with the sweet promise of "exclusivity." Her heart hammered against her ribs as she looked at the bottle in her hand.
"It really suits you, though," Shu Hua added, leaning in to catch a stray whiff of the tester. "I haven't smelt anything like this before."
Caving in, she reached for the smaller 30ml package instead. 479 Yuan, she thought, mentally tallying her bank balance. This would be an early finals present to herself.
She clutched the small, minimalist paper bag, secretly hoping that she would score high enough this term to justify the dent in her savings.
The three of them walked out the store carrying small white paper bags.
The two girls seemed to have half their life sucked out of their eyes while Song Yan pranced about looking for his next purchase.
"Let's just grab a drink nearby," Yu Ning called out, cutting off Song Yan before he could do any more damage to their collective bank accounts.
It was a little too early for a heavy night of drinking, but the cafes lining the street were bursting with students and travelers, the queues spilling out onto the sidewalk.
Looking around aimlessly, Shu Hua gestured toward the end of the block. "The bar we were at last time had some mocktails and coffee options. Want to see if they have space?"
Remembering a golden ticket her pocket, Yu Ning pulled out her phone. "Actually, I know someone who can get us a discount there."
Her wallet had been sufficiently dented for one day, and she wasn't planning on further self-inflicted damage.
Before they could interrogate her about this "mysterious friend," she sent a quick, tentative message. A reply slid across her screen almost instantly.
[Shen Qing Jue: Just mention my name to the staff. They'll know what to do.]
She stared at the text. It seemed her brief interaction with him was already reaping tangible benefits.
The trio walked toward the bar, which was relatively quiet compared to the afternoon rush. A few influencers were posing against the industrial-chic exterior, drinks in hand, capitalizing on the spot's three-month-long trending streak.
The moment Yu Ning mentioned Qing Jue's name to the host, the atmosphere shifted.
The staff's professional politeness turned into a warm, deferential smile. Without a word, they were led away from the main floor and up a narrow staircase to a private balcony.
It was an intimate, hidden space on the third floor that they hadn't even noticed during their first visit. The balcony overlooked the entire street, the picturesque view of the sycamore trees and the rhythmic life of alleyways stood below.
A thin canopy hung above, shading them from the sun peaking out through the clouds.
"Damn, Yu Ning," Song Yan blurted out, plopping onto the chair. "Who the hell is this friend of yours?"
Shu Hua leaned forward, her eyes bright with the same curiosity. "You've been holding out on us. Since when do you have connections that can get us a private balcony in a place like this?"
"Since when did you have connections?" Song Yan corrected.
Yu Ning scratched the side of her head, feeling a flush of heat in her cheeks.
She didn't exactly know how to describe her encounters with Qing Jue. From the balcony, the elevator, the black Mercedes, or the Forbes list, it seemed almost too cliché.
She hardly even understood his association with the bar herself. But given his disposition, she realized she shouldn't have been surprised.
Covering her heating cheeks, Yu Ning rested her elbows on the dark wood table, propping her face in her palms as she stared back at her friends.
"He's just an acquaintance I met at work," she said, her voice careful and steady. "He probably just knows someone who works here."
Her statement wasn't exactly a lie. She had met him during a work function, and the latter part seemed like a logical conclusion.
"Some 'acquaintance,'" Song Yan muttered, though he looked mollified as he picked up the drink menu. "If your work acquaintances get us private balconies and secret discounts, you should definitely work more shifts."
Shu Hua didn't seem entirely convinced, her gaze lingering on Yu Ning for a second longer than usual, but she let it slide. "Whatever the reason, I'm not complaining. It's a lot nicer than being surrounded by those influencers downstairs."
Shrugging as if the matter were settled, Yu Ning turned her attention back to the menu and placed her order for an iced berry mocktail. The waiter took down their orders and went downstairs.
The trio spent the next hour catching up over trivial matters, the weight of the past week finally beginning to lift.
The balcony was peaceful, shaded by the leafy canopy of the sycamores, and they found themselves lounging there much longer than they had intended.
It didn't seem as though the bar staff had any intention of rushing them off, taking advantage of the hospitality, they ordered a few rounds of finger foods and desserts.
Warm blue engulfed their surroundings as the evening slowly took over.
Shu Hua gazed at Yu Ning for a few seconds.
She noticed a faint smile lingering on Yu Ning lately, her heart easing up as she took a sip from her drink.
Yu Ning seemed to be moving on well from the break-up.
Recounting an unpleasant memory, Shu Hua unconciously frowned.
Song Yan and Shu Hua had bumped into Zi Xuan over the weekend while returning to the administration office to collect their academic transcripts. They were planning on attaching them to the internship resumes they were preparing for.
Since Yu Ning had been buried in her hotel shifts, she hadn't joined them.
Seeing Zi Xuan, Song Yan immediately leveled him with a nasty glare.
They had encountered him a handful of times back when he used to pick Yu Ning up from campus, and the impression had never been good.
He was from a tier-2 university much further out from the city center, only travelling over to the city center when he met up with Zi Xuan.
Zi Xuan looked noticeably more haggard than usual. Spotting them before the university gate, he intercepted their path,.
"Where's Yu Ning?" he asked, his voice strained and lacking its usual arrogance.
"What is it to you?" Shu Hua scoffed, her eyes cold. "She's not here."
"She isn't replying to my messages," he pressed, looking between them as if they were hiding her behind them.
"Is she supposed to?" Annoyance laced Shu Hua's words as she adjusted her bag. "Get lost."
The two of them turned their backs on him without waiting for an answer. Zi Xuan stood frozen for a moment, ruffling his hair in visible frustration before walking away.
"What a loser," Song Yan muttered once they were out of earshot. "I really don't know what she ever saw in him."
Deciding that the encounter was redundant and would only sour Yu Ning's rare day off, they had silently agreed not to bring it up.
Shu Hua watched her for a moment, the golden hour light of Anfu Road catching the soft curve of Yu Ning's smile.
It was a rare sight. Yu Ning was usually so tightly wound, her mind always two steps ahead, calculating the next shift or the next exam.
To see her this relaxed made Shu Hua feel reassured.
As they approached the counter to settle the bill, Song Yan's took out his phone, prepared to pay the bill when his eyes grew wide, nearly slipping from his fingers.
He was staring at the small slip of paper the cashier had just handed him, a look of disbelief stained his face.
Shu Hua leaned over, her brow furrowing as she read the receipt over his shoulder.
"Yu Ning," Shu Hua said, her voice dropping to a low, stunned whisper. "Who did you say this acquaintance of yours was again?"
The line hung in the air, sharp and heavy. Yu Ning, perplexed by their reactions, took the paper from Song Yan's unmoving hand.
Total: 0.00 RMB.
Across the bottom of the receipt, in the space where the total should have been, were the words: Settled by Guest Account – SJQ.