Lu Ziheng eventually answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Ziheng." On the other end of the line, Yi Ran's voice came through, "When are you planning to go back to the United States? The master just called me."
Lu Ziheng didn't reply, simply calculating the time in his mind.
"Forgot you have to return again?" Yi Ran's voice quickly resurfaced.
Lu Ziheng said, "Xiaoyu's father recently had a serious car accident, so I can't leave."
"..." There was a pause on the line before Yi Ran said, "I see."
"Anything else?"
"No, that's it."
"Alright, then I'll hang up."
A conversation that runs out of steam with just half a sentence more.
Some things, once set in motion, sometimes... might even make it difficult to continue being good friends.
After hanging up, Lu Ziheng drove straight back to Lidu Hotel.
The birthday party on the top floor was still bustling. After all, it was a major event for the Lu family, and with the elders present, he couldn't be too dismissive.