Do I Not Have a Name?

Twenty-six thousand eight hundred… Ye Nanzhi rubbed her eyes vigorously, confirming three times that she hadn’t missed a decimal point before carefully counting the number of zeros again.

This was the first time in her eighteen years that she had felt such profound shock over a monetary amount.

She looked down at the rabbit clutching the carrot. The little rabbit had curved eyes and a smile; one ear stood straight up while the other was half-flopped, looking utterly blissful.

On the carrot, the red stone—though not large—was exceptionally bright, twinkling away. Ye Nanzhi had previously marveled at how realistic zircons were made these days.

Who would have thought… this rabbit was so expensive.

She instantly lost her lively momentum from earlier and slumped down, a stark contrast to the energetic state in which she had entered the room.

Her roommate, noticing something was wrong, sat beside her to comfort her. “Oh, Xiao Ye, look at it this way—maybe the senior just thinks you’re cute and wanted to give you something nice. Or maybe her family is just rich, and a twenty-thousand-dollar keychain to her is like us buying one for twenty bucks. By the way, which goddess is leading you? Tell us so we can see what she’s like.”

Ye Nanzhi ruffled her hair. “No one special. You wouldn’t know her even if I told you.” She deliberately avoided the topic.

Seeing her reluctance to answer, Feng Linlin didn’t press further, only offering reassurance. “Don’t hang your head like that. Worst case, just return it tomorrow. She bought it of her own accord; it’s not like you owe her.”

Speaking of owing, she had treated Chu Ran to a meal yesterday precisely because she didn’t want to be indebted. No wonder the other woman had reacted that way—forget one canteen meal, even a year’s worth of treats wouldn’t cover the cost of a single rabbit ear.

No, this was far too valuable.

Ye Nanzhi removed her keys one by one. After wiping the keychain clean, she found a small box to pack it in and tucked it into her bag.

I’ll find a chance to return it tomorrow, she planned.

She had a habit: whenever something weighed on her mind, she couldn’t sleep. Thinking about the keychain, she tossed and turned in bed for a long time, mentally rehearsing how to word the return.

It was well into the early hours of the morning before she finally drifted off. Sure enough, the dark circles under her eyes the next morning were a vivid testament to her restless night.

She had an appointment with Chu Ran to continue working on a painting that had been left unfinished due to the team-building event. Ignoring everything else, Ye Nanzhi washed up and brewed a cup of thick, bitter black coffee—no sugar, no milk. Without time for breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out.

However, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she chose to take out her cushion foundation. She pressed it onto her face a few times, focusing heavily on the area under her eyes. After masking the majority of the dark circles, she looked at the mirror and saw her usual self. Only then did she set out.

When she arrived at the studio, Chu Ran was already there, sitting before a computer, her fingertips tapping nimbly on the keyboard.

“Good morning, Senior!” Ye Nanzhi wore her usual bright smile, which was somehow more radiant than the morning sun outside the window.

“Morning,” Chu Ran replied as she always did.

They were in a relationship that was more than strangers but far from intimate—certainly not the kind of bond where one would expect a gift worth tens of thousands.

Ye Nanzhi sat in her usual spot. The first thing she did after putting down her bag was take out the coffee.

Her brain felt foggy and heavy, as if filled with paste. She desperately needed this bitter brew to chase away the exhaustion.

But as she twisted the cap, the steam rose in white wisps. It was too hot to drink, so she decided to let it cool for a moment.

When she looked up again, Chu Ran was standing in front of her.

“Did you not sleep well last night?” Chu Ran looked at her calmly.

Ye Nanzhi subconsciously turned her face away. “No… I did…”

Damn it! Didn’t the cushion foundation claim to be high-coverage? How did she get caught the moment she walked in? She had tried so hard to act energized!

Clearly, advertisements were all lies!

Ignoring the temperature, Ye Nanzhi took a massive gulp of the coffee.

The thick liquid flowed down her throat and into her stomach. The unbearable bitterness instantly cleared her mind.

It was truly bitter. Ye Nanzhi had always hated bitter things. Today’s coffee was three times the usual concentration, and she had skipped the sugar specifically to stay awake. The effect was immediate.

She shuddered from the bitterness, her eyes snapping into focus.

“What are you drinking?” Chu Ran’s sudden proximity made Ye Nanzhi nervous again.

She had just claimed she slept well; if she were caught drinking this, wouldn’t she be slapping her own face?

Ye Nanzhi quickly downed the remaining liquid to destroy the evidence before looking up to answer.

But the coffee was so bitter it made her choke. She coughed repeatedly, her fair face flushing red from the effort.

Chu Ran stepped forward and rubbed her back. “What’s the rush? No one is chasing you.”

After a long while, Ye Nanzhi finally caught her breath. Chu Ran briefly explained the previous day’s painting and found some new reference photos for her to work from.

Ye Nanzhi sat before the easel, a freshly sharpened pencil in her hand, but her mind was elsewhere.

She watched Chu Ran’s back as she held her laptop, her fingers clicking away on the keys. She wondered what she was writing.

Thinking of the twenty-thousand-dollar rabbit in her pocket, Ye Nanzhi finally put down the pencil and decided to approach her.

“Senior.” Chu Ran had just finished organizing the “current state of research” when a soft voice and a familiar scent approached her from behind.

“What are you writing?” Ye Nanzhi looked at the bold text on the screen. “Interaction space? What is interaction space?”

Chu Ran looked at the girl. Usually, she was quiet, but since getting the keychain yesterday, it was as if a switch had been flipped. First, she insisted on eating together, and now she was proactively approaching her.

Does she really like that keychain that much?

Chu Ran patiently explained the meaning of interaction space. Instead of finding it boring, Ye Nanzhi looked even more curious.

“I see…” Ye Nanzhi suddenly moved a bit closer. “Senior Chu, then what kind of interaction behavior are we?”

Chu Ran’s fingers paused over the keyboard. She looked up in surprise.

She noticed that the girl was wearing a yellow bow hair accessory today behind her short hair. From the front, the two corners of the bow looked like a pair of pointed ears atop her head.

Lively and agile.

The words at the tip of Chu Ran’s tongue were swallowed back down. She set aside her work, composed herself, and raised her eyes. “Can you finally not sit still today?”

The girl was acting strange. Normally, she could sit and paint for half a day, quiet and obedient. Today, it was as if there were thorns on her seat; she couldn’t stay put, wandering around Chu Ran several times without even starting her sketch.

She’s young after all, Chu Ran thought. Can’t sit still. She couldn’t even last a few days.

When Tang Mu had asked her to teach a girl sketching, Chu Ran had been curious. Sketching is relatively plain without brilliant colors; she didn’t think many young girls would like black-and-white art. She figured the girl didn’t understand it well and would get bored within a few days.

Despite these thoughts, as a teacher, Chu Ran did everything she could. She sharpened pencils, prepared paper and boards, and readied reference materials before every session. Regardless of the student’s attitude, she took Tang Mu’s request seriously, simply to repay the help he had given her in the Art Club over the years.

But Chu Ran had miscalculated. The girl was very obedient, always sitting quietly and studying intently. Gradually, Chu Ran found she had another reason to be serious.

Except for today…

“Do you have something to say to me?”

This rabbit is acting out of character today. She must have something on her mind, Chu Ran mused.

Ye Nanzhi pulled a small box from her pocket and presented it to Chu Ran with both hands. “Senior, this… please take it back.”

Being seen through made Ye Nanzhi’s cheeks flush with nerves. But since the words were out, this was the best time.

She held the box out to Chu Ran.

“It’s too valuable. I can’t take it.” Ye Nanzhi’s voice was tiny, her head bowed as she avoided Chu Ran’s eyes.

Chu Ran didn’t take it. She could guess what was inside.

“Didn’t you already return the favor?” Chu Ran asked. “The matter is settled. What do you mean by bringing it out again?”

Mentioning yesterday’s meal made Ye Nanzhi even more embarrassed.

“How can that be the same?” The price difference is massive!

She didn’t say the last part aloud, but Chu Ran seemed to guess it from her expression.

“So, you’re drawing a line between us?” Chu Ran’s tone was no longer as warm as before.

The girl had applied light makeup today, worn a hair accessory, and approached her deliberately just to return something associated with her?

Thinking of this, the gloom in Chu Ran’s eyes deepened.

Like a drowning person clutching at a straw, Chu Ran mocked her own absurdity. Now it seemed even the only person willing to stand by her side was leaving her bit by bit.

“If you find it annoying, just throw it in the trash.” Chu Ran turned back around, refocusing her eyes on the computer screen, her back to Ye Nanzhi.

But the girl followed her, standing where Chu Ran couldn’t see her face, calling out in a soft voice, “Senior, it’s not like that.”

She crouched beside Chu Ran, gently tugging at the edge of her clothes, her tone soft. “I’m not drawing a line, and I don’t find it annoying. I just feel that this gift is a burden.”

During her university years, Chu Ran had sold many paintings through Art Club exhibitions and occasionally took on architectural drawing jobs, so she had saved quite a bit of money.

When she saw the price tag in the bottom right corner of the window, she hadn’t felt much. She just thought the rabbit reminded her of someone, so she bought it.

She hadn’t planned when to give it away, but the coincidence provided a perfect opportunity.

Regardless, she had earned the money through her own skill. She didn’t need to explain how she spent it to anyone.

“A burden?” Chu Ran murmured the word. “What if Tang Mu gave it to you?” she asked. “If Tang Mu bought it for you, would you accept it? Would it not be a burden then?”

Is this ‘burden’ only related to the name ‘Chu Ran’?

“Even if Brother Tang Mu gave it to me, I still wouldn’t want it,” Ye Nanzhi answered seriously. “Senior Chu, in my heart, both you and Brother Tang Mu are very important people to me. I don’t want anything involving money to come between us.”

Ye Nanzhi’s eyes were bright, but Chu Ran’s expression was not good.

Senior Chu. Brother Tang Mu. Heh, how ridiculous. She says we’re the same, but the distinction is clear.

“Ye Nanzhi.” Chu Ran turned her head. Her gaze moved slowly from the box to Ye Nanzhi’s eyes. Once their eyes met, she questioned her word by word: “Do I not have a name?”