Not fun.
These two words were Su Xu’s reply to Tan Xingwei back then, and also Tan Xingwei’s summary of that incident at this very moment.
Sigh…
People really can’t empathize with their past selves. What was all that about?
Thinking about it now, there was really nothing to regret. It was a good thing Su Xu didn’t come back then, and a good thing she didn’t say anything. Otherwise, would Su Xu have been willing to drive you back to the apartment yesterday? In your dreams.
Silly kid, getting into all that gay stuff, who were you trying to scare to death?
Perhaps seeing that Tan Xingwei’s side kept showing “typing…” but hadn’t sent a single word, Little Scissors sent another message.
Little Scissors: “Hahaha, are you happy to see Big Sister?”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment and decided to answer the previous question first: “Didn’t ask.”
Then she answered the next question: “Very happy.”
Little Scissors: “Okay.”
Little Scissors: “Okay okay okay.”
Little Scissors: “Hehehe.”
Little Scissors: 【Image】
Tan Xingwei tapped to open it and saw a bowl of noodles that had been finished.
Little Scissors: “Finished my noodles, getting ready for a lunch break.”
Little Scissors: “Also looking forward to you and Big Sister’s future.”
Little Scissors: “(Don’t say there isn’t one, I’m not listening, I don’t care, as long as I’m alive, there’s hope.)”
Tan Xingwei was amused. “Alright, alright, go to sleep.”
During this short chat with Little Scissors, a few new comments and private messages had arrived. She casually finished reading them and then switched to her own Weibo.
After getting tired of scrolling through Weibo, she went to WeChat. There was a new red dot on her Moments. A few minutes ago, Tan Yinqing had posted on her Moments.
The caption read, “Welcome back to the country, the best, most beautiful, cutest, kindest, and most outstanding treasure in the whole world!”
Attached were two photos: one was a group photo from their meal today, the other was a stunning half-body shot of the treasure.
Of course, Tan Xingwei long-pressed to save both photos, then long-pressed again to savor them.
They must have agreed to take photos as a memento. Everyone in the picture today was wearing full makeup. The only small flaw was that something was still missing from the picture.
Tan Xingwei was missing, haha.
It wasn’t just Tan Yinqing; Chen Jing and Yaoyao also posted similar Moments praising and welcoming Ah Xu back. Each of them also posted two photos: the same group photo, and a different solo shot of Su Xu.
Tan Xingwei, of course, saved them all.
Incidentally, she also shamelessly and involuntarily started to fantasize. If she had gone today, where would she have sat? Tan Yinqing was on the far left of the photo, and Su Xu was on the far right. So who would she have sat next to?
Of course, she hoped it would be next to Su Xu. It would be best if she and Tan Yinqing got into a little argument, and she, feeling defiant, would ignore Tan Yinqing. That way, she could justifiably turn to Su Xu.
Big Sister Ah Xu would definitely take her in. Maybe they would have been the two people sitting closest together in the photo, hehehehehe.
…
Sigh…
Tan Xingwei liked each of their posts and then exited her Moments.
Weekends always seemed to pass faster than usual. It felt like she hadn’t done anything, and in a flash, it was evening. Then, in another flash, it was time for work again.
The probationary period Tan Xingwei had mentioned to Su Xu was actually ending this month. So, for the next few weeks, even though her workload suddenly increased, Tan Xingwei’s mood was exceptionally calm.
Week after week passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was a Friday. That afternoon, Tan Xingwei was out of the office. She finished a project at a shopping mall two hours ahead of schedule. She came out feeling refreshed and cheerful, putting a perfect end to the past few months of being overwhelmed.
She could even get off work early. Tan Xingwei happily bought herself an ice cream and a cake. While eating, she noticed a commotion on the first floor; it seemed like there was an event.
She was on the second floor, not too close and not too far, but she was a bit nearsighted and couldn’t see clearly. She took out the glasses from her bag.
Once she saw clearly who was standing on the event stage downstairs, Tan Xingwei immediately picked up her phone, took a picture, and sent it to Tan Yinqing.
Tan Xingwei: “Your ex-husband-bro.”
In the time it took to eat a mouthful of ice cream, Tan Yinqing replied: “How come you’re here too?”
Tan Yinqing: “I know, I know, you’re the fifth person to tell me about this.”
Tan Yinqing: 【Angry】
Tan Xingwei leaned against the railing: “Didn’t you fall out of love?”
Tan Yinqing: “He didn’t come to Haicheng when I was in love with him.”
Tan Yinqing: “What’s he doing here now?”
Tan Yinqing added: “But anyway, Ah Xu got me an autographed photo.”
Tan Yinqing: “Hehehe.”
Tan Xingwei couldn’t help but stand up straight. “Ah Xu?”
Tan Yinqing: “You didn’t know? The cosmetics company he’s endorsing is Ah Xu’s company.”
Tan Xingwei mentally went “ah,” then “oh.” Another piece of useful information was added.
She had a suspicion. She scrolled back up in the chat and quoted Tan Yinqing’s initial reply, “How come you’re here too?”
—Tan Xingwei: “Is Ah Xu here too?”
Tan Yinqing: “That I don’t know. I don’t think she said she was on-site.”
Tan Yinqing: “She asked her colleague for the autographed photo.”
Tan Xingwei, of course, exited the chat with Tan Yinqing and scrolled down rapidly. But her eyes got a little blurry, and she suddenly scrolled back to over a month ago without seeing Su Xu. So she just went to her contacts, slid down to the “S” section, and finally found her.
She tapped on Su Xu, then tapped into the chat, and paused on the screen.
The initial urgency to find her clashed with the silence of not knowing how to start the conversation. Tan Xingwei instantly calmed down.
She unhurriedly opened her photo album and ticked the picture she had just sent to Tan Yinqing.
But then she canceled it, closed the album, and exited the chat.
She hadn’t eaten the ice cream for a bit, and it had melted slightly. Tan Xingwei ate the watery top layer and then took a bite of the crispy waffle cone.
Tan Xingwei, you’re so cowardly right now.
In the past, you, my friend, would immediately go and bother Su Xu whenever you thought of her.
Tan Xingwei took another bite of the waffle cone and stared at the event happening below.
Let’s leave it to fate.
Fifteen minutes later, Tan Xingwei had finished her ice cream and her cake. She still hadn’t seen a familiar figure anywhere around the stage.
Alright, no fate then.
Tan Xingwei threw away the trash in her hand and headed for the mall entrance, calling a car on a ride-hailing app at the same time.
Just as her ride request was accepted, a message popped up at the top of Tan Xingwei’s phone screen.
Su Xu: “You’re at TU Plaza?”
Tan Xingwei didn’t open the message. She canceled her ride order.
“No fee for cancellations within 3 minutes” popped up on the screen. Tan Xingwei was amused by her own actions.
Back to WeChat.
Tan Xingwei replied: “Yes.”
Su Xu: “Your sister just told me.”
Tan Xingwei: “I just told my sister.”
Su Xu didn’t reply.
Tan Xingwei: “…”
Say something!
So Tan Xingwei went back to the ride-hailing app, but she could never bring herself to press the “request” button, just kept pointlessly selecting different car types.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time, another message popped up at the top of her screen.
Su Xu: “Will you still be here in ten minutes?”
Tan Xingwei realized that in her slow-building anxiety, she had been holding her breath.
She slowly exhaled and typed four words into the box, “Are you coming over?”, but then deleted them.
Tan Xingwei: “I will be.”
Su Xu said: “I’m here too.”
Tan Xingwei went back to that spot by the railing on the second floor.
She also started to guess that Su Xu saying “in ten minutes” meant she was on her way from somewhere else.
In that case, it seems they were quite fated to meet.
Sigh, the ice cream was finished. All she could do was laugh dryly.
Tan Xingwei touched her nose to cover it up a bit, lest passersby mistake her for a weirdo who laughed suddenly.
Ten minutes wasn’t accurate. To be precise, it was nine minutes and four seconds later that Su Xu appeared.
On the stage on the first floor, Tan Yinqing’s ‘ex-husband-bro’ suddenly made a cute gesture, and the fans below erupted in excited cheers. Tan Xingwei looked down, openly laughing along with them.
Su Xu arrived carrying a bag. As soon as she got there, someone politely came up to her, took the bag from her hand, and went with her to the backstage area.
She was out of sight.
A moment later, Tan Xingwei’s phone lit up.
Su Xu asked: “Have you been here all afternoon?”
Tan Xingwei said: “Mhm.”
Su Xu: “Work?”
Tan Xingwei: “Mhm.”
Su Xu: “What time do you finish? Dinner together?”
Before Tan Xingwei could reply, Su Xu walked out from the backstage area, and Tan Xingwei’s attention was immediately drawn to her.
This time, Su Xu had a small lanyard around her neck, indicating she was a staff member. The girl who had led her away earlier came out with her. The two of them were talking with their heads down, and the girl pointed at the male celebrity’s poster hanging in the mall.
From left to right, Tan Xingwei watched as Su Xu’s gaze quickly flew past her own spot, then looked up towards the fourth floor.
Tan Xingwei also looked towards the fourth floor, where several giant posters were also hanging.
Withdrawing her gaze, the staff member next to Su Xu left, leaving Su Xu standing alone at the edge of the event stage. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stared at the host and the male celebrity interacting on stage.
Tan Xingwei sent a message to Su Xu: “Okay.”
The message traveled a little slower than sight. Tan Xingwei saw the phone in Su Xu’s hand light up.
Although she couldn’t see clearly, Tan Xingwei could guess the process.
Su Xu raised her phone, it unlocked automatically, and Su Xu saw the message.
From her angle, Tan Xingwei could see Su Xu from the side and slightly behind, so it was easy for her to see Su Xu smile.
Then Su Xu lowered her head to reply before putting her phone down.
Over here, Tan Xingwei’s screen lit up.
Su Xu: “What do you want to drink?”
Tan Xingwei was a little confused and also found it strange.
The next second, Su Xu, who was downstairs, looked up.
Just like that day at the airport, Su Xu accurately captured Tan Xingwei’s gaze.
Tan Xingwei now understood why Su Xu had smiled when she saw the message. It was like a game of hide-and-seek, and perhaps she had given herself away during the process of looking at the posters. In any case, Tan Xingwei wore an expression that said, “Alright, you found me.”
The distance was neither far nor near. With her perfectly suited glasses, Tan Xingwei could see with perfect clarity that there was a faint smile in Su Xu’s eyes.
But it wasn’t quite a smile either. She tilted her head slightly, looking at Tan Xingwei.
Seemingly seeing that Tan Xingwei wasn’t making a move, after a few seconds, Su Xu raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Tan Xingwei felt an inexplicable sense of secret delight.
So she still didn’t move.
Su Xu moved. She took her right hand from where it was crossed over her chest. Still with her chin and eyes lifted, she held her palm down, raised her index and middle fingers together, and gestured downwards at Tan Xingwei.
Come down.
