She spent the first few days exploring, riding on a bike and shopping for groceries. Before long, she was familiar with all the routes in the neighborhood.
From her briefcase she retrieved her clothes, which were a little too warm for the weather. The days were starting to get warmer, and it was clear that she was falling behind the seasons. She better get some new clothes soon. She didn’t know how long she would stay here, but she had no intention to leave as of now. Perhaps she’ll stay for a long time, who knows?
The small apartment was quiet, even at night, with good security to boot. In this area, there were many double-storied apartments like this one, each boasting a space of 80 square meters. Each individual apartment came with a thick, anti-theft door, installed with two different security systems. Within the vicinity, green plants could be seen thriving here and there. In this day and age, such a place could very well be considered a luxury apartment.
Therefore, there was little traffic and people, very much like the apartment she had with Lu Yi. On normal workdays, she hardly ran into anyone at all.
She warmed a glass of milk, sat down on the sofa, and turned the television on. News of her triumph at the Awards Ceremony could still be found on some channels. On the other hand, news related to Su Muran had died down a little, perhaps due to shame. She switched the channel. This time, she was greeted by Lin Lang’s newest drama, a war film set in the 1900s. The entire cast had been made up of rookie actors.
Clasping a bolster, she laid down on the sofa. This time, she didn’t nitpick about the acting and watched every episode like a normal viewer.
Not bad, she thought as she tossed the bolster aside, yawning. She felt like sleeping, but didn’t feel like moving.
The television was still on, but she didn’t seem to care. She could decide what to do after she wakes up, she thought as she dozed off.
At around 5 AM, she woke up, dragged herself to the large, soft bed, and continued her sleep.
The sun rose up in the morning, as life returned to the earth. The weather was good, for once. That had, however, reminded Yan Huan that her clothes were all out of season. After rifling through her suitcase, she found a thin woolen sweater and a short skirt that gave her a casual, relaxed look. Others had often told her that she had a good fashion sense.
Not bad, I guess. After all those times Yue Ran had nitpicked on her sense of fashion, she could no longer pick a bad combination even if she wanted to.
She picked up a small bag, then put on a hat and a pair of black-framed glasses. She examined herself in the mirror, and decided that no one would likely to recognize her.
She slung the bag on her back, and rented a shared bike on the way.
Xun River City was one of the richer cities, enabled by its close proximity to the river. It also served as an important transport hub for the country, perhaps not as important as Sea City, but still significant. Here, the transport, food, and technology industry were all very advanced. Despite being somewhat of a commercial city, shopping malls were accessible and ubiquitous.
She drew up short and looked up at the megamall. There was a large advertising screen on both the left and right sides of the mall, as well as one on the back.
Coincidentally, one of them was playing her perfume commercial, and the other her coffee commercial, both set on repeat.
She touched her face. Am I so famous?
Her shoelaces loosened after a few steps, so she had to bend down to tie them. A man walked past her. She paid him little heed, though she couldn’t help but notice how clean his shoes were.
Xun River City was a great place, but for one bad point.
The wind that coursed through the city was strong and dusty. Sometimes, she would return with a layer of dirt on her shoes after a short walk, only realizing then that her image must have been ruined.
She looked up when she was done tying her shoelaces. The commercial was still being played in the distance, a close-up scene of her features.
“What a beautiful woman,” she praised herself shamelessly.
A beautiful widow, that is.
She looked down and pressed her hat lower. That’s when she glimpsed the speckless shoes again. She looked up and studied the silhouette of the man. A tall man, with a good figure, and a woman with her arms around his.
The ones who display their affections publicly breaks up quickly, she thought sourly.
She strode into the mall to buy herself some clothes. Her wardrobe was completely out of anything she could wear in that weather. There was a limit to how much she could make do, and she couldn’t possibly wander around in a woolen sweater when others were already baring their arms and legs.
It’s okay, she told herself. Young people feel hot because they are too hot-tempered.
She wasn’t young anymore. She was an old woman now, and she could deal with a little heat.
Outside, the woman with her arm curled around the man’s stopped. She shaded her eyes with her hand, dazzled by the strong light from the advertisement screens.
“Yan Huan, huh…” she mused.
A winner in life, the best actress in the world, with a face and body that inspired jealousy. She looked down at her flat chest. When would her chest become like Yan Huan’s? When would the pair of Xiaolongbaos evolve into big meat buns?
“Do you think she’s pretty?” she asked the man.
The man narrowed his black pupils and looked ahead distractedly.
“Yes, very,” he said. His voice was pleasant, with the consistency of a cello, the rich tang of red wine, and the calmness of time. It was a voice that made others feel safe.
He stood with a hand in his pocket, his body leaning slightly. But his feet were glued to the ground, giving off an impression that he would never fall.
The woman curled her lips. “It’s all cosmetics. That’s the truth of celebrities. I bet she looks like a different person beneath the makeup,” she said sourly.
Then, tightening her arms, she said, “Let’s go home. I’m hungry, so cook me some noodles.”
“Okay,” said the man, turning away. In the large screen behind him, the woman with a mug in her hand looked into the distance with blank, dull eyes.
