Yu Yao smiled and then quickly wiped the smile away, feeling suddenly indifferent. She tossed the game aside, lay down on the bed, and called out, “I’m going to sleep.”

There was no response from outside the door, so she wasn’t sure if he had left. After a while, she quietly got out of bed, carefully opened the door, and found the hallway empty.

Downstairs, Jiang Zhonglin was on the phone.

“So late, sorry to disturb you. I’m not sure if you’re available or if it’s convenient to talk.”

The man on the other end of the line replied with a laugh, “Teacher, don’t be so polite. Just tell me what’s up!”

Jiang Zhonglin said, “I want to make some changes to the will I set up a year ago.”

“Oh, I see. What would you like to change?” The man on the other end sounded curious.

Jiang Zhonglin responded, “It’s about my estate’s heirs.”

…….

Yu Yao had a hard time falling asleep the night before, so when she was shaken awake in the morning, she had a throbbing headache. Frowning and opening her eyes, she saw a stylishly dressed elderly woman at the foot of her bed, excitedly shaking her and with tears streaming down her face.

Though she was elderly, the woman looked well-preserved with dyed black hair, which made her look less old. However, her age was evident, and the first impression was still of an elderly lady.

For a moment, Yu Yao was confused and didn’t know who she was, but soon she recognized the familiar features of the woman.

The elderly lady looked at her with excitement and called out, “Yao Yao!”

Yu Yao’s eyes widened. “A-Jun?”

The woman nodded vigorously, tears falling, and choked out, “Yes, it’s me, it’s me!”

This person who had woken her up was Yang Jun, her best friend. They had been in the same class from kindergarten through high school and were close enough that they had promised to be each other’s bridesmaids at their weddings.

Yu Yao shouted in surprise and hugged the crying woman, “Oh my god, I thought you were dead!”

Yang Jun replied, “Oh my god, I’m only sixty-eight! How could I be dead already!”

Compared to the difficulty she had accepting her husband’s transformation, Yu Yao instantly felt at ease with her old friend. “A-Jun, you’re so old now…”

Yang Jun laughed and cried at the same time, taking a moment to respond, “Well, of course, I’m old. It’s been forty years! But look at you—still the same as when you suddenly disappeared back then.”

Yu Yao was a bit worried about her friend’s age and whether she might faint from crying and asked, “Are you okay? Don’t cry so much you pass out.”

Yang Jun replied, “… I have a bit of diabetes…”

Yu Yao quickly said, “Then you’d better stop crying.”

Yang Jun exchanged a look with her overly youthful friend, then suddenly burst into tears mixed with laughter, still somewhat resembling her old, beauty-conscious, emotional self. She cried so hard that a snot bubble formed.

Yu Yao handed her a tissue, and Yang Jun, without any embarrassment, took Yu Yao’s hand. “I got Jiang Zhonglin’s message yesterday morning and rushed back from abroad. My husband came with me. I wanted to bring my two sons and my grandchildren too, but they’re busy with work, so I couldn’t wait and came ahead.”

“You know, when Jiang Zhonglin told me you were back, I was dumbfounded. I thought he was joking,” Yang Jun said, bursting into tears again, her makeup ruined.

Yu Yao said, “… Oh my god, you’re wearing makeup and came rushing to see me?”