Chapter 42: Three Beads

Before Su Jingwen could question Li Mumei, Ning Qingxue, Ye Mo's wife, called her. Su Jingwen knew why Ning Qingxue married Ye Mo, but her intuition suggested Ning Qingxue harbored negative feelings. Why, then, had Ning Qingxue contacted her first?

Su Jingwen found Ning Qingxue already waiting in a cafeteria. Seeing Su Jingwen enter, Ning Qingxue quickly stood. "Qingxue, you wanted to see me?" Su Jingwen asked.

"Yes, Jingwen. Please sit. Would you like something to drink?" Ning Qingxue offered casually.

"I don't like coffee; I'll have juice," Su Jingwen said. She then noticed a glass of juice already before Ning Qingxue. The incongruity of their juice-drinking rendezvous struck her as absurd.

"Qingxue, um, are you… are things going well…?" Su Jingwen intended to ask about Ye Mo but hesitated, settling for the vague "you guys."

"Oh, ah, good…" Ning Qingxue took a sip of juice, unsure how to respond. After a moment, she composed herself. "Jingwen, I need your help with something, but…"

Ning Qingxue struggled to articulate her request, seemingly embarrassed.

"Qingxue, just be straightforward," Su Jingwen said. "Mumei is my close friend, and she's your cousin. Even though we weren't familiar before, I think we'll be soon." Her implication was clear: they were no longer strangers; there was nothing she couldn't say.

"Okay. Could you tell me about Ye Mo? And…" Ning Qingxue began, trailing off.

Su Jingwen smiled sweetly. "Oh, I see. I met Ye Mo quite unexpectedly. He was at the police station, and I bailed him out because he looked like someone I knew from afar. Upon closer inspection, he wasn't who I'd expected. Afterward, we had dinner, and I later invited him to my birthday party."

Su Jingwen omitted her initial belief that Ye Mo was the man who sold her charms; she assumed Ning Qingxue and Li Mumei were not superstitious.

Ning Qingxue, unaware of Ye Mo's police station visit, didn't inquire further. "Jingwen, um, Ye Mo gave you a bracelet at your birthday party. If you don't like it, I thought… I thought maybe…"

Ning Qingxue was too embarrassed to directly ask for the bracelet. Had she not heard from Li Mumei that Ye Mo had only met Su Jingwen a few times, she would have asked regardless. Now, with Su Jingwen confirming their limited acquaintance, she hesitated.

Though unspoken, Su Jingwen understood: Ning Qingxue wanted the bracelet. Su Jingwen mused, Does she really have feelings for Ye Mo? Even if she did, he could easily make another for Ning Qingxue. Why does she want this one?

She found the bracelet crude but cherished it as a symbol of their pure friendship—a peaceful connection despite limited interaction.

However, Su Mei's account and Yun Bing's attitude toward Ye Mo had sown doubt. She wasn't entirely sure who Ye Mo was anymore. While she trusted him, a lingering uncertainty persisted.

"Is Ye Mo alright?" Su Jingwen asked, sidestepping Ning Qingxue's implied request.

Ning Qingxue expected Su Jingwen to offer the bracelet or claim she couldn't find it. She assumed Su Jingwen wouldn't wear such a crude piece, deeming it insignificant. Su Jingwen's inquiry about Ye Mo took her aback.

"Ye Mo left, probably Ning Hai altogether. I don't know where he went; I haven't seen him in days. I'm leaving for Yu State with Mumei tonight," Ning Qingxue quickly explained.

"Ye Mo left? He hasn't graduated from Ning Hai University!" Su Jingwen exclaimed, then recalled Su Mei's comments about Ye Mo's unlikely graduation.

Su Jingwen smiled, forestalling Ning Qingxue's reply. "That bracelet isn't bad, actually. I quite like it. Since you're his wife, why not ask him to make you one? Tell me why you want this one, and I might give you half."

Ning Qingxue recognized Su Jingwen's deliberate tactic but replied, "You know our marriage was a cover. I don't need it anymore. Ye Mo left without leaving me anything. And, I feel I owe him, so…"

Ning Qingxue's envy of the bracelet was a factor; she assumed Su Jingwen, with her wealth, wouldn't value such a simple piece.

She withheld a crucial detail: while Ye Mo left nothing else, he left behind his medical kit, now her personal possession.

"The bracelet is on my wrist…" Su Jingwen removed the bracelet. She believed Ning Qingxue felt guilty about using Ye Mo, and that Ning Qingxue was pitiful, as Ye Mo's abrupt departure suggested anger.

"Huh…" Ning Qingxue was shocked. This unexpected turn implied Su Jingwen truly valued the bracelet, contrary to her assumptions. A confusing, unfamiliar emotion welled up within her.

"All right, I'll give you three beads. Ye Mo made them. You can string them yourself," Su Jingwen removed three beads from the bracelet and gave them to Ning Qingxue.

Had she not heard Yun Bing's outburst and Su Mei's comments, she might not have parted with the beads. Those events had diminished their significance.

Giving three beads to Ning Qingxue felt right. The remaining three would serve as a reminder of their pure friendship; she might store them away.