A Sly Smile and a Waiting Heart

Bai Muxue’s movements were so swift and discreet that the few customers in the store remained entirely oblivious to the scene unfolding.Grasping her work badge firmly, she offered the young woman a polite smile before turning to leave, her steps light and quick.

The young woman, completely absorbed by Bai Muxue’s captivatingly elegant smile, failed to notice her subtle maneuver.

Only after Bai Muxue’s figure had gradually faded into the crowd did she shake her head, refocusing her attention on her work.

‘Well, that should be just about right…’

Walking down the street, two milk teas in hand, Bai Muxue mentally sorted through the information she had just acquired.

‘I should be able to act tonight.’

Bai Muxue blinked, a sly smile curving her lips.

‘Considering the time, Xiyao should have arrived by now, right?’

****

“I’m at the plaza. Where’s Xiaoxue?”

Qin Xiyao had been waiting at the plaza for a while.

She hadn’t chosen to stand by the most prominent fountain, however, but rather in a secluded corner, as if hoping to vanish amidst the bustling crowd.

Yet, her extraordinary elegance and stunning features made her impossible to overlook, no matter how she tried to conceal herself.

Clearly, Qin Xiyao was too preoccupied to care about such matters at the moment.

She was engrossed in her phone’s message interface, her other hand nervously twirling a strand of hair by her ear.

“Has Xiaoxue arrived? Or does she have something else to take care of?”

Unable to elicit a reply from Bai Muxue, Qin Xiyao suppressed the urge to call her directly, letting out a soft sigh.

‘Well, Xiaoxue is just like that—always by my side normally, but if something important comes up, she’s impossible to find.’

Accustomed to Bai Muxue’s personality, Qin Xiyao instinctively found an excuse for her in her heart.

Despite putting her phone down and continuously reassuring herself, Qin Xiyao’s dark, bright eyes occasionally scanned the passing crowds, a flicker of anxiety crossing her delicate face.

Time ticked by, yet she still couldn’t spot that familiar, graceful figure in the throng.

‘Could Xiaoxue have already arrived and be waiting for me somewhere else in the plaza, and I just haven’t seen her?’

‘That… that shouldn’t be possible, right?’

If Xiaoxue really had arrived at the plaza, Qin Xiyao couldn’t believe she wouldn’t have noticed her.

‘Or did Xiaoxue go straight to the concert? Is that why I didn’t see her?’

‘But she wouldn’t even send me a single message then…’

With countless thoughts swirling in her mind, Qin Xiyao pursed her lips.

Feeling utterly restless, she finally pulled out a small mirror from her bag to check if her carefully applied makeup had been smudged by sweat.

—In the mirror, the young woman’s long black hair was softly swept up, a meticulously designed bow intertwined with a white hairband, cascading down to her fair, soft nape.

Paired with her exquisite and refined features, it could effortlessly stir anyone’s heartstrings.

The elegant beige dress gracefully covered Qin Xiyao’s knees, revealing the lower half of her fair calves and a pair of delicate, jade-like feet nestled in white canvas shoes.

Her demeanor, moreover, exuded a gentle and refined grace, her every gesture revealing the unique charm of a young woman.

Qin Xiyao had poured her heart into this outfit and makeup, even poring over numerous tutorials the previous night.

Her goal was to highlight her beauty and figure as much as possible, without being so overly dressed that it would make Bai Muxue, her companion, feel pressured.

‘Hmm… should be no big problem?’

Uncharacteristically, the sun today was not scorching, and a gentle breeze caressed her face, stirring a wisp of hair across the young woman’s forehead.

Qin Xiyao meticulously scrutinized her reflection in the mirror, nodding with a satisfied air—she was already anticipating Xiaoxue’s expression upon seeing her!

‘First, I’ll have dinner with Xiaoxue, then we’ll go to the performance she wants to see… and in the evening, we can even go shopping for clothes and jewelry!’

‘Yes! What a perfect itinerary! Truly flawless!’

Reviewing the meticulously planned schedule in her mind, the young woman’s heart gradually filled with joy, and even the bitterness of waiting seemed less arduous.

Having experienced her parents’ divorce at a young age, Qin Xiyao had been burdened with high expectations from her mother since childhood.

Her extracurricular hours were almost entirely consumed by her mother’s various arrangements.

Naturally, she had no time to socialize with classmates, let alone make plans to go out and play.

Her mother, aware of her efforts, provided meticulous care, yet this acted like an invisible barrier, isolating her from her peers.

In their eyes, Qin Xiyao was like an aloof, ethereal