GL My Goddess Best Friend’s Seduction (H) - Chapter 4

The train ride took just an hour and a half, and we arrived in Haishi, a coastal city. To clarify, Si Jingnian, Jiang Yiyi, and I are all from Liushi. However, Si Jingnian and I went to the provincial capital, Jingshi, for university, while Jiang Yiyi studied in Haishi and settled there.

I’m fairly familiar with Haishi, having visited as a child for fun. During university, I came once or twice a year to hang out with Jiang Yiyi. Si Jingnian came here once on a business trip, I think.

I acted as our navigator and told Si Jingnian she could rest at the hotel and stroll along the beach in the afternoon. The wedding started at 6:30 PM, with entry around 6:00 PM, and the beach was close to the wedding venue—a hotel with an ocean view.

Jiang Yiyi had considered inviting Si Jingnian to the entire wedding but decided against it after discussing it with me. Their friendship wasn’t that close, and we worried she might feel bored.

At the hotel, I called Jiang Yiyi to confirm her room number, checked Si Jingnian into room 1605 at the front desk, and told her to rest. Then I went to room 1612.

When I entered, Jiang Yiyi’s makeup was nearly done. She sat in the center of the big bed, dressed in a bright red wedding outfit with bold red makeup, a gold headpiece, and earrings. Her pale face and red lips made her look especially festive.

I squealed, “Wow, wow, wow,” and threw in a dramatic compliment. “What fairy descended from heaven?”

Jiang Yiyi, her two close friends, and the makeup artist all laughed.

I greeted her friends—Wu Huiwen, a junior high classmate, and Yang Youqi, a university friend. I’d met them before, and we got along well.

I sat on the edge of the bed and asked, “Where are your parents?”

Jiang Yiyi rolled her eyes. “They said there weren’t enough red envelopes, so they bought more. Honestly, getting married is exhausting. The prep nearly killed me. I’m never doing this again.”

Everyone in the room burst out laughing.

Yang Youqi grinned and teased, “Should I thank you on behalf of my cousin? Is this your way of saying you’ll be with him forever?”

“I didn’t say that. He better say it to me later, or he’s not getting in,” Jiang Yiyi replied, rolling her eyes again. “Xiaoyu, Huiwen, you two better back me up. Don’t let Youqi sabotage the games or tip off her cousin.”

Huiwen and I loudly agreed. Yang Youqi widened her eyes, looking pitiful. Seeing her act so innocent, we all laughed again.

Then we started taking selfies and editing photos.

The rest of the morning went smoothly. When we blocked the groom and his groomsmen at the door, our questions were so tricky that Ning Jinghong and his crew were stumped. They kept handing over red envelopes, and when those ran out, they started giving us cash.

With piles of red envelopes and red bills in hand, all the girls were beaming.

Ning Jinghong took forever to find the bride’s shoe, which was hidden under Jiang Yiyi’s skirt. After that, he gave a heartfelt, touching speech. Jiang Yiyi cried harder than he did, and everyone teased her for it.

During lunch, I messaged Si Jingnian to ask where she was. She said she was still in her room. I asked if she’d eaten, and she said no.

I went downstairs, bought her some abalone porridge, blanched vegetables, and pastries, and headed to her room.

Her door was open. I wasn’t sure if she’d left it that way or opened it for me.

When I walked in, Si Jingnian was lounging on the sofa, reading the same book from the morning, now about halfway through. Unlike her usual upright posture at work, she leaned back casually, wearing a khaki sweater. Her long legs, clad in black trousers, were crossed and stretched out on the floor.

When she saw me, her gaze was relaxed. She sat up slowly, posture elegant and straight. She closed the thick book, set it on the coffee table, took off her glasses, and asked, “Is it okay for you to be back now?”

“It’s fine. Everyone’s eating, and we head to the groom’s house at 2:30 PM,” I said.

“Here, I got you abalone porridge and blanched vegetables.” I unpacked the food and utensils, then shook another bag. “Porridge doesn’t fill you up for long, so these pastries are for later if you’re hungry.”

“Oh, wait, aren’t you going out this afternoon?”

“Yes,” Si Jingnian said, her eyes warm. Her usually distant face now looked soft, almost tender.

“Oh, then you might not need the pastries. There’s tons of food on Guangning Road,” I said, reaching to take the pastries back. “Maybe bring these to the kids at Ning Jinghong’s house this afternoon.”

Before I could grab the bag, Si Jingnian pressed her hand over mine, pinning it.

Her hand rested on the back of mine.

I wiggled my hand slightly and looked at her, confused. “Huh? What’s up?”

Her slender fingers slowly lifted. In the next moment, she took my hand off the pastries, grabbed the bag with her right hand, and said, “I want something sweet.”

I’m not sure if I imagined it, but it felt like she lightly squeezed my hand before letting go.

She opened the bag and took a small bite of a crispy peach blossom pastry. The pastry was pink, but her lips were even pinker, and her tongue was a vivid red.

It was striking, though the color of her tongue made me wonder if she was a bit overheated. My mind suddenly filled with random thoughts.

I was about to say, You don’t usually like sweets, do you? but decided against it. It’s like how I don’t usually eat sour things but sometimes crave a tart plum.

I flopped on the bed, scrolling through Weibo. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Si Jingnian typing on WeChat, her expression sweet in a way I’d never seen.

I zoned out for a second, then kept scrolling. At 2:00 PM, I said goodbye to Si Jingnian and headed back to Jiang Yiyi’s room.

Around 4:00 PM, during the wedding rehearsal, we hit a snag.

The violinist had a family emergency and couldn’t come.

Jiang Yiyi was furious. She’d booked this string quartet six months in advance, and the songs were her favorites, carefully chosen over months.

The coordinator was sweating, and a young guy from the band rushed over, bowing repeatedly. “We’re so sorry, Ms. Jiang, Mr. Ning. Our replacement is on a plane and won’t arrive until around 7:00 PM. Will that work?”

“7:00 PM? The wedding will be over by then! What’s the point?” Jiang Yiyi snapped. “Plus, he hasn’t rehearsed. How’s he supposed to play?”

The band guy kept apologizing profusely.

I stood nearby, feeling helpless.

Jiang Yiyi paced back and forth, her steps so fast I worried her ten-centimeter heels would trip her.

Suddenly, she rushed to me, grabbed my shoulders, and stared at me with eager eyes. “Wait! Doesn’t Si Jingnian play the violin at a performance level? Didn’t she perform at our high school’s centennial celebration?”

My mind flashed to Si Jingnian on stage in a moon-white strapless gown, bathed in stage lights, playing like an elegant swan—pure and beautiful. Her bow moved like a magic wand, music flowing from her fingers and filling the auditorium.

“Yes,” I said.

“Could she play the songs for me? Just the three opening pieces. The emcee’s team handles the background music after that, so no band is needed,” Jiang Yiyi said, eyes still sparkling. She gripped my shoulders so hard they hurt.

“I’ll ask if she can. She’s probably shopping now,” I said, frowning as I pried off her hands and pulled out my phone. “You should think of a backup plan. She might not make it in time, and she may not know the songs.”

Jiang Yiyi nodded, full of hope.

I called Si Jingnian and explained the issue. “Can you do it?”

“What songs?” she asked.

I handed the phone to Jiang Yiyi, who listed the titles.

“I can,” Si Jingnian replied, her calm voice reassuring. A weight lifted from my chest. Having her around made everything feel possible.

“When can you get here?” Jiang Yiyi asked.

“Five o’clock. I’ll need to rehearse with the band,” she said.

“Okay. We’ll wait for you,” Jiang Yiyi replied. She turned to me. “Thank goodness.”

I was happy for her—and proud.

When Si Jingnian arrived, Jiang Yiyi and I both sighed in relief. The rehearsal went smoothly. Her skill and technique amazed the other band members, who quickly warmed up to her.

A small hiccup: she couldn’t fit into the violinist’s dress. At only 160 centimeters tall, the original violinist’s black lace mini skirt would’ve been far too revealing on Si Jingnian.

In the end, she borrowed the cellist’s tuxedo and wore it over her khaki sweater and black trousers. Her figure was already stunning, and the elegant, fitted tuxedo made her look dashing and poised.

Very eye-catching.

The cellist wore just his shirt and vest, but the hotel’s heating was strong, so no one was cold. The bride and bridesmaids had to wear dresses, so we couldn’t risk anyone freezing.

While they rehearsed, Jiang Yiyi pulled me away to handle other tasks.

When I returned, they’d finished and were packing up.

As I walked toward Si Jingnian, I passed a few hotel staff girls coming the other way.

“Did you see that violin girl? So cool. Those long legs!”

“Of course! I secretly snapped a few pics, hehe.”

“Send them to me!”

“I want them too!”

“I wanna ask for her number.”

“She’s so cool. I’m totally into her.”

“Chicken coop! The coop’s gates are open for you.”

“I wanna sleep with her. I’d jump into her coop, too.”

I reached Si Jingnian’s side and teased her with a grin. “Those staff girls want your number.”

Her expression didn’t change.

I smirked and added, “One said she wants to sleep with you.”

Si Jingnian was wiping her fingers with a silk handkerchief. At my words, she looked up slightly. “I don’t like women.”

I paused, then nodded knowingly. “Right, right, you only like your Yu’an.”

She gave a soft, “Mm.”

My heart skipped a beat.

I wanted to pout but held back.

I’ll admit, I felt a bit uneasy. But most girls probably feel this way. When your close friend gets a boyfriend, it’s normal to feel a bit jealous.

Totally normal. I pursed my lips and said I was going to find Jiang Yiyi.