Yu Yao had many questions she wanted to ask. Everything around her had changed in the forty years since she arrived, and the sheer number of questions made her unsure of how to begin. She had considered asking Jiang Zhonglin about Yang Jun’s whereabouts, but realized that since Yang Jun and Jiang Zhonglin were not well-acquainted and their only connection was through her, it was likely that Jiang Zhonglin had lost touch with Yang Jun after all these years.

Thinking about this made her hesitant. However, she was surprised to find that Jiang Zhonglin had already contacted Yang Jun, and her long-lost friend had indeed remembered her and rushed back to see her.

Yu Yao sat on the bed and chatted with Yang Jun for a long time. Most of the conversation was Yang Jun talking about her life over the years, while Yu Yao occasionally interjected. They laughed and veered off-topic, almost forgetting the time.

It was only when Yu Yao felt hungry that she stopped the conversation and went to brush her teeth and wash her face, preparing to head downstairs to eat.

While Yu Yao was in the bathroom, Yang Jun continued talking through the door about her precious granddaughter. “Look at her photo. Isn’t she adorable? She’s thirteen now, dances well, and plays the piano nicely. And this is my little grandson, only three years old, chubby…”

Yu Yao thought to herself, her old friend was now a grandmother, and she felt an indescribable pang of melancholy.

When they went downstairs, Yu Yao saw a chubby old man sitting next to Jiang Zhonglin. She nudged Yang Jun and whispered, “Is that your husband?”

“Yes,” Yang Jun immediately understood the implication and whispered back, “Don’t be fooled by his current size. He gained weight in middle age, but he was a handsome guy when he was younger, with a great figure.”

Yu Yao thought, no wonder, with Yang Jun’s vanity, she would surely marry someone good-looking.

The chubby elderly gentleman was very friendly. He greeted Yu Yao with a smile and said, “I’ve heard about you from A-Jun for a long time. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Xu Xian.”

Yu Yao chuckled. It seemed Xu Xian must have been quite charming in his youth to win over Yang Jun.

During breakfast, Yang Jun sat beside her, showing her old photos, mostly from her wedding. “You weren’t here when I got married, which is one of my biggest regrets. Now I have to show you the photos.” Yang Jun pointed out each photo, with Xu Xian occasionally adding comments. It was clear that they had a strong and affectionate relationship.

As Yu Yao looked at the photos of her friend in a wedding dress and listened to Yang Jun chatter, she became a bit distracted and glanced at Jiang Zhonglin. He was quietly listening, not saying anything, and she wondered what he was thinking.

Xu Xian sighed and said, “We dated for several years, but A-Jun was reluctant to have the wedding. By the time she was thirty-five, I thought maybe I wasn’t good enough, which is why she delayed the wedding. Later, I found out she wanted to wait until she could find you and have the wedding with you there. She said a wedding without her best friend would be incomplete.”

Yang Jun’s eyes reddened. “I had promised you that you’d be my bridesmaid when I got married. With you not there, I didn’t have a bridesmaid, and I left a spot empty for you.”

Yu Yao didn’t want her to cry any more and tried to hold back her own tears. She smiled and asked Xu Xian, “So, how did you manage to win over A-Jun?”

Xu Xian laughed and said, “She was pregnant with our son. My mother-in-law said if her belly got any bigger, she wouldn’t fit into a nice wedding dress, so A-Jun agreed to marry me.”