Ling Hanlu answered Xu Shuping’s video call.

　　She had worked until 2 a.m. the night before. Groggy from being woken up, her limbs felt heavy, and she didn’t even want to lift her hand. She propped her phone against her ribs, resulting in a rather unflattering "dead angle" shot for her sister, Xu Shuping.

　　“Oh my gosh, Hanlu, it’s rare to find someone as genuine as you these days!” Xu Shuping couldn’t bear to look at the puffy, distorted face on the screen, so she zoomed out until it was a respectful blur.

　　“What’s up?” Ling Hanlu asked, completely unaware.

　　“I’d never dare to shoot myself from that angle. You’ve got some guts!”

　　“Do I look ugly? It’s fine, you can see me like this!” Ling Hanlu’s eyes were puffy, and her cheeks had several indentations from the blanket’s edges. Seeing Xu Shuping’s horrified reaction, she mischievously pushed her chin forward to create a double chin. She moved the phone from her ribs to right in front of her face, fully showcasing her unbothered, messy appearance.

　　"You make it so hard for me to be mad at you!" Xu Shuping said, half-scolding, half-relieved. This crazy woman wouldn't be so honest if she didn't consider her a true friend. "You really don't see me as an outsider."

　　"Of course not. Shuping, get to the point, will you? I want to catch a few more winks!" Ling Hanlu's eyelids were drooping again.

　　"You're so tired, up all night again? Ugh, I knew Fang Penpen's project would be a tough one to handle... Alright, I'll keep it short. Help me pick an outfit." Xu Shuping said, showing her wardrobe.

　　"Got plans this weekend?"

　　"Well... alright, Hanlu, just because you dared to video call me without washing your face or brushing your hair, I’ll tell you the truth. Da Bao and Er Bao were taken by their aunt to the amusement park for the day. And I..."

　　"You have a date with Liang Chen?" Ling Hanlu guessed immediately, her brain sharp despite her body's fatigue.

　　"Yeah, not gonna lie. It's with that kid." Xu Shuping referred to Liang Chen as "that kid" not just for Ling Hanlu's sake, but also to set a more open tone for her upcoming outing.

　　"That kid... aren’t Da Bao and Er Bao enough for you?"

　　"Don't worry, Hanlu. I've got this," Xu Shuping said as she continued to focus on her outfit selection.

　　Ling Hanlu noticed that Xu Shuping had put on some light makeup. Her eyebrows were groomed, and she had applied foundation and lip liner. Her makeup was far more refined than her usual work look. As she tried on different tops, jackets, and pants, she kept casually sniffing her wrist, clearly showing how much this meeting meant to her.

　　"Shuping, what perfume are you wearing?"

　　"Oh, you caught me. It's not perfume. It's a floral-fruity scented balm. Too bad you can't smell it now, but I'll wear it to work next week so you can. It's got this sweet, floral-fruity scent. Can you imagine it?"

　　"That style is a bit..." Ling Hanlu was surprised by the word "girly."

　　"I know you're puzzled. I found this on a vintage street. It's from a century-old brand. They've got history, integrity, and pride. The formula hasn't changed in twenty years!"

　　Xu Shuping started sharing her teenage memories with Ling Hanlu.

　　When she was seventeen, she used her allowance to buy herself a long-desired birthday gift, a "Xie Ji" balm. She had seen it in a magazine, and the spokesperson was her favorite actress.

　　She would secretly dab some behind her ears and on her wrists before school. Worried she'd get caught, she left the house early to avoid running into her parents after their morning exercise.

　　But her drawer was still searched, and her father confiscated the little bombshell that was so out of place for a student.

　　He never explained why he went through her things, just kept harping on how this "petty bourgeois" item was corrupting her mind.

　　Xu Shuping watched as her father stomped on the little pink round box and tossed it in the trash.

　　She stood by the big, foul-smelling dumpster outside all afternoon in the scorching heat, staring at the flies buzzing around. Neighbors came by, tossing their garbage bags in one after another, like they were helping her dad.

　　"In that moment, I thought, 'Are you all happy now? That balm that used to smell so nice is now part of this stinking mess. Everyone can rest easy.'"

　　"Shuping, I just want to hug you!" Ling Hanlu's heart ached for the teenage girl whose budding sense of beauty had been so ruthlessly crushed. She also felt grateful for her own father, Ling Kangwen, and his gentle, quiet support back then.

　　"Hey, you know what I was thinking while standing there, smelling that awful garbage?"

　　"Saving up your allowance to buy another one?"

　　“Yeah, I was all set to buy a box, the exact same one, even if I never used it. Hmph!” Xu Shuping sniffled, like a hero in an old movie suddenly finding her strength.

　　“Haha, so did you actually buy it? How many boxes?” Ling Hanlu was drawn into that little slice of teenage rebellion, eager to hear how Shuping had stood her ground against the "villain."

　　“No, I didn’t buy it.”

　　“What? Why not? Money problems or something?” Ling Hanlu was genuinely curious, surprised at the turn of events.

　　“It wasn’t about money. I don’t know, somehow the urge just vanished... until recently...”

　　“Until you met Liang Chen, right?” Ling Hanlu gently teased, her voice soft and cautious, as if a louder tone might pop the delicate pink bubble of Shuping's newfound feelings.

　　“Hanlu, I never really had a youth. I’m not talking about age, not just being seventeen or eighteen... Do you know what I mean?” Xu Shuping's words tumbled out, a bit jumbled, so she sat down on the edge of the bed. She leaned closer to the camera, her eyes showing a mix of emotions, and the fine lines around them became visible.

　　“How are things with your dad now?” Ling Hanlu didn’t want Shuping to get lost in the whirlpool of the past and gently steered the conversation to a safer shore.

　　“My dad? Oh, he absolutely adores my two little ones. I don’t know if it’s that special bond grandparents have or if he feels guilty about how things were with me... Maybe it’s both. I’m probably just overthinking it.”

　　“It’s all in the past, Shuping. Let it go.” Ling Hanlu wished she could reach through the screen to give her friend a comforting hug.

　　Yeah. It’s what’s hard to accept—everything, both the good and the bad, it’s all in the past now.”

　　Ling Hanlu could see that Xu Shuping was still grappling with the ache of her lost youth. She decided not to change the subject anymore. Instead, she listened attentively, letting Shuping express all her mixed emotions. Sometimes she was nostalgic, other times, she laughed as if recalling fond memories. Ling Hanlu chimed in with some heartfelt fashion advice, sharing tips that she knew would suit Shuping's style.

　　The call drifted on, the two women lost in their easy, familiar banter, covering everything from the old days to what they planned to wear next week.

　　Just before they ended the call, Xu Shuping gave a small, reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry, Hanlu. I’ve got it under control.”

　　2

　　Ling Hanlu woke up from a second sleep, realizing that she had slept through the late morning and was now in the early afternoon.

　　“Oh, come on, Ling! You’re a teacher, for crying out loud!” Hanlu scolded herself as she sat up in bed. She glanced at the computer on her desk, remembering that there was still a section of her PowerPoint for tonight's class that needed a final touch. With a sigh, she forced herself to get out of bed and start her day.

　　In the kitchen, the toaster was busy toasting a slice of bread, which was already three days old. Sometimes, Hanlu couldn’t help but think she was living a bit too roughly. If it weren’t for Shuping’s occasional nudges, her life would be slipping further away from any semblance of quality.

　　Beside the toaster was an oven that Sister Xu had given her. On a metal rack next to the oven, several tea canisters and a carved glass jar were sitting in a rather haphazard fashion.

　　Hanlu remembered last week’s video call with Shuping. Shuping had been curious about one of the most colorful tea canisters. Following Shuping's request, Hanlu had opened the box and shown her the colorful array of dried flowers and herbs inside.

　　Shuping had remarked, “You’re just leaving the herbal tea like that? It doesn’t look sealed properly.” Hanlu had defended her casual approach, explaining, “That’s how it came—no fancy vacuum seal, just simple packaging.”

　　Eventually, under Shuping’s persistent nudging, Ling Hanlu ended up transferring the herbal tea to a glass jar for storage.

　　She recalled how Shuping had been skeptical back then, questioning, “Fang Yu, who always seems so meticulous, would give such a carelessly packaged gift?”

　　Hanlu had explained, “It's a rustic, organic health tea he brought back from a village in the southwest. Naturally, it didn’t come with fancy packaging. That Southeast Asian fruit tea he gave me before was the same way.”

　　Shuping's dismissive "tsk-tsk" sounds had made Hanlu stare at the intricately patterned paper box for a long moment...

　　It was undeniable: Shuping’s disdain for the simplistic packaging of the herbal tea had ultimately influenced Hanlu’s decision. The vibrant paper box was eventually discarded, and Fang Yu’s thoughtful gesture found a new home in the glass jar.

　　With an hour left before her evening class, Hanlu removed the glass lid and used her trusty thermos to brew herself a cup of herbal tea.

　　3

　　Absolutely, let's add a more personal touch and conversational feel to the translation:

　　---

　　The path to the academic building was lined with thick, tall shrubs that almost reached waist-high. Ling Hanlu often found herself watching from a distance, where teachers and students seemed to float above the greenery, their legs hidden from view. At night, this illusion could get downright spooky. But whenever she walked through the path herself, that strange sensation would disappear—unless something out of the ordinary happened.

　　By 6:30 in the evening, Hanlu was making her way down that very path. She held a thermos in one hand and a laptop bag in the other. Knowing she'd be on her feet for a while, she had wisely chosen her softest-soled shoes.

　　After a good long nap earlier, her steps were lively and quick. Her shoes felt so soft, it was like she had little pillows under her feet.

　　She moved almost silently along the path. Just as she was about to step onto the building's staircase, a sudden burst of footsteps shattered the quiet behind her. They came to an abrupt stop the instant she turned around. Standing still, she scanned the area but saw nothing.

　　“Shuping was right,” she muttered to herself with a chuckle, “Getting older and staying up late messes with your head...” Hanlu smiled, a mix of amusement and a bit of self-teasing.