The chauffeur closed the door softly, and the sleek car purred back to life. Inside, the atmosphere felt strangely heavier than when they had entered the store.
Su Ning sat gracefully, her posture relaxed, her face serene as if she hadn't just spent over a million yuan in a single breath.
Chen Anya, however, sat rigidly beside her, clutching her school bag against her chest. Her knuckles were white, her breath shallow. Her mind replayed everything— the shining chandeliers, the cold prices, the way Su Ning's voice had been steady when she told the attendant to "wrap it up."
Anya swallowed hard.
Who… who exactly is Su Ning?
She turned her head slightly, studying the girl beside her. Same uniform. Same calm eyes. Same gentle smile when she had tugged her hand. And yet—everything else was different. The Su Ning she knew was once bullied for being poor, for wearing the same old shoes, for never having lunch money. But the girl sitting here now carried herself like a noble lady, untouched by the weight of money, her aura sharper than Mu Suying's diamonds.
Anya's lips trembled. "Ning… you…" She stopped, biting her tongue.
Su Ning turned her head, her eyes softening. "Hm? What is it, Anya?"
Her tone was the same warm one Anya remembered, yet somehow steadier, stronger.
"I…" Anya hesitated, then blurted, "How can you just… just spend like that? Those phones, those laptops… they cost so much! I… I can't even imagine saving enough to buy the case, let alone the device itself."
Her voice cracked halfway through, both awe and fear laced in it.
Su Ning chuckled lightly, the sound low and unhurried. "Why should I worry about the price? If I want something, I'll buy it. Simple as that."
Anya stared at her, her heart thundering. Simple? That was a year's worth of wages for dozens of families… how can it be simple?
She lowered her gaze, ashamed. A knot of inferiority wound itself around her chest. Sitting in this luxury car, with bags worth her entire future lying across Mu Suying's lap in the car behind them, she felt smaller than ever.
Su Ning noticed. She reached over and gently touched her friend's clenched fists. "Anya, don't be afraid. Wealth, status, all of this—" she gestured at the elegant leather seats, the glittering bags of electronics, "—they don't define who we are. What matters is that you stop letting people trample on you. That's why I wanted you with me today. To see that you don't have to bow to anyone."
Anya's eyes widened. "But Ning, this… this isn't normal! You've changed overnight. You're strong now, confident, like… like someone else. I don't understand. Who are you really?"
Her voice was trembling, but her gaze was desperate—pleading.
For a moment, silence filled the car. Su Ning's smile deepened faintly, but her eyes glimmered with something unreadable.
"Who I am…" she murmured, almost to herself, before meeting Anya's gaze steadily. "I will remain Su Ning, your best friend no matter what, so don't worry."
Her words were calm, yet filled with a promise that carried weight far beyond her years.
Anya's throat tightened. Her confusion didn't fade, but the warmth in Su Ning's eyes eased some of the fear clawing at her heart. She nodded weakly, her eyes moist.
As the city lights flickered past the tinted windows, Chen Anya realized one thing with certainty: the friend sitting beside her was no longer the Su Ning she once knew.
She was something more. Something greater.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to let go of her hand. She was scared the gap between them had started to widen.