Fine, I’ll come down.
Tan Xingwei went down.
Tan Yinqing’s ex-husband wasn’t very famous, just a marginal member of a very small boy band. Tan Yinqing had fallen head over heels in love back then simply because this male celebrity looked like a classmate she had a crush on in middle school.
He really wasn’t very charming, and his career had been lukewarm for many years, so the crowd wasn’t huge. But even so, when Tan Xingwei went down and saw the tightly packed group of people, she still felt a little unsure of where to start.
But it was okay, someone was coming to get her.
Su Xu had a slight height advantage, just enough to be half a head taller than the crowd. Tan Xingwei just stood outside the throng, watching as it parted to make way for Su Xu, watching as Su Xu emerged.
Tan Xingwei stood still, away from the commotion, and Su Xu walked up to her.
“You saw me,” Tan Xingwei spoke first.
It was a very strange opening line. The moment Tan Xingwei said it, she wasn’t very confident, but Su Xu replied, “I told you very quickly.”
A hint of a smile seemed to play on Tan Xingwei’s lips. Su Xu knew what she was fussing about.
Although she completely agreed, Tan Xingwei still said aloud, “Did you?”
Su Xu retorted, “Did I not?”
She definitely had. Less than a minute might have passed between her spotting her and saying hello.
Tan Xingwei didn’t care. “You were just teasing me.”
Su Xu: “I was.”
Tan Xingwei was at a loss for words, giving Su Xu an expression of confusion that she herself couldn’t have described.
With a half-smile, Su Xu was clearly still teasing. “Are you angry?”
Tan Xingwei huffed. “Mulberry lemon tea, fifty percent sugar.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Su Xu’s smile deepened.
For some reason, Tan Xingwei smiled along with her. “What are you laughing at?”
Su Xu lifted a milk tea bag she had been hiding behind her back.
Tan Xingwei was surprised. “No way?”
Su Xu: “No.”
It really wasn’t. It was a peach oolong with seventy percent sugar.
That’s fine, that works too.
Tan Xingwei reached out to take it, but Su Xu pulled it back.
Su Xu: “I’ll buy you a new one.”
Tan Xingwei snatched the bag. “No, I want this one.”
Su Xu let go, giving it to Tan Xingwei, but also took out her phone. “Which shop has the mulberry lemon tea?”
Tan Xingwei should have been polite and said a few words—no, it’s fine, this is good, why buy so many, I can’t drink it all—but instead, her body leaned in close to Su Xu, pointing at her food delivery app and saying, “This one.”
Su Xu continued tapping on her phone, saying, “So easy to please.”
Tan Xingwei unconsciously clenched her back teeth, then pretended to be annoyed. “What do you mean?”
Su Xu turned her head, curled her fingers, and gently tapped Tan Xingwei’s cheek. “I’m saying you’re well-behaved.”
Tan Xingwei: “You’d better be.”
Su Xu smiled. “What bad intentions could I have? You don’t even trust me now.”
Tan Xingwei’s expression changed instantly, beaming with joy. “I do, I do! Thank you, Big Sister Ah Xu! Big Sister Ah Xu is the best to me! Big Sister Ah Xu is the best in the whole world!”
Su Xu just placed the order and smiled, not responding to Tan Xingwei.
“Are you done with work?” Su Xu asked Tan Xingwei after placing the order.
Tan Xingwei thought about it carefully before nodding. “I’m done.”
Su Xu didn’t doubt her at all. “I still have a little while longer. Can you wait?”
Tan Xingwei: “I can.”
Su Xu: “Want to get Korean BBQ?”
Tan Xingwei: “Okay.”
Su Xu: “Korean BBQ it is, then.”
Tan Xingwei: “You’re the one who wants to eat Korean BBQ, aren’t you?”
Su Xu gave Tan Xingwei a very cute smile. “You found me out.”
Tan Xingwei: *&…%#
Su Xu led Tan Xingwei through the crowd to the side of the event stage. She gave Tan Xingwei a chair and handed her a Rubik’s Cube that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
“I’m going back to work. If you need anything, come find me backstage,” Su Xu said.
Tan Xingwei: “Okay.”
Su Xu seemed to have maintained her old habits from when she used to spend time with Tan Xingwei. Back then, during Su Xu’s Drama Club rehearsals, Tan Xingwei would stick to her and go along. Su Xu would arrange for her to sit on a chair in the corner just like this, hand her a nine-linked rings puzzle from the props, and then go get busy.
She hadn’t said she wanted milk tea, but it was bought. She hadn’t agreed to have dinner together, but it was arranged.
“Hey, I think I just saw Sister Su.”
Tan Xingwei was playing with the Rubik’s Cube in her hands when two people passed by.
“Sister Su? Why is she here too? Where?”
“Backstage, I think. I saw her go over there.”
They didn’t say anything else. Tan Xingwei lowered her perked-up ears and continued with the cube.
It wasn’t a very good Rubik’s Cube; it was stiff. But it was very new, perhaps a prop that was needed for today’s event but had already been used.
Tan Xingwei had studied these things for a while after her third year of high school, memorizing many formulas. Speaking of which, this matter was also inextricably linked to Su Xu. The root cause was that on her first visit to Su Xu’s house, she had inadvertently seen a scrambled Rubik’s Cube on Su Xu’s bookshelf, and at that time, she knew nothing about them.
But four days later, on her second visit to Su Xu’s house, she had the following conversation with Su Xu.
“Big Sister Su Xu, you play with Rubik’s Cubes too?”
“Too? You know how?”
“A little.”
“Here.”
“Let me try.”
Click, clack, whirr.
“Wow, Little Sister, you’re amazing! You solved it so quickly.”
“Hehe.”
“So modest. Is this just ‘a little’?”
“It’s alright. I don’t think I’m that amazing.”
“You’re especially amazing, much better than me. I’ve never seen anyone solve it so fast.”
The cube in her hands was now solved up to the second layer. Because she was reminiscing about this, Tan Xingwei’s speed had slackened.
How could someone be so pretentious?
Just then, a message came in from her work group chat. Tan Xingwei put down the Rubik’s Cube. After all, it was still working hours. Tan Xingwei’s demeanor changed, and she became Planner Little Tan.
There was quite a bit to do. Tan Xingwei navigated through her company’s various apps, from email to group chats to WPS, and time was quickly eaten away.
Tan Xingwei was engrossed in her work when a milk tea was suddenly placed on the table next to her. Her gaze was drawn to it, and she followed the hand that placed it there upwards.
It turned out the mulberry tea she had ordered had arrived. Su Xu smiled at her, then picked up the peach oolong that she had already taken a few sips from.
Without saying a word, she just took it directly, and even took a sip after walking away.
That cup of peach oolong still had her lipstick mark on it.
Before long, the ex-husband’s event was nearing its end. He was preparing to leave the stage, and Tan Xingwei’s work for the day was also completely finished.
The fans’ enthusiasm reached yet another peak, and amidst the roaring crowd, Su Xu emerged from backstage.
So once again, Tan Xingwei applauded along with the fans, but only for her Big Sister Ah Xu.
“All done?” Su Xu asked Tan Xingwei after the cheering died down.
Tan Xingwei was puzzled. “How did you know?”
Su Xu: “I came out just now and saw you frowning at a spreadsheet.”
Tan Xingwei let out a sound of resignation. “That’s the life of a workhorse.”
Su Xu said with a smile, “You look very different. It’s the first time I’ve seen you in a blouse, and with glasses. You’re not the Little Xingxing from four years ago.” She then asked, “I remember you weren’t nearsighted before, right?”
It was embarrassing to say, but her vision was fine during the eye test in her third year of high school. So what happened later?
Everything has a cause. It was from staying up late chatting and joking with everyone after her AXXX725919 Weibo account gained more followers.
“First year of university, I think,” Tan Xingwei said vaguely. “I don’t remember. From using my phone too much…”
Tan Xingwei’s words were cut off by Su Xu’s action.
Su Xu lifted Tan Xingwei’s chin.
“A little miss cool,” Su Xu said.
Tan Xingwei’s breath hitched, and she felt her face and neck rapidly heat up.
Ah.
Tan Xingwei felt as if she were frozen to the spot. The only part of her body that could move was a small spot in her throat, but it was too dry to know what to say in response. She looked at Su Xu quietly, yet felt a little guilty.
Fortunately, someone saved Tan Xingwei by calling their Sister Su backstage.
Tan Xingwei’s breath was released all at once, and only then did she feel her heart thumping.
Straight girls really don’t hold back. That move almost made Tan Xingwei faint.
But then again, it wasn’t the first time Tan Xingwei had heard someone call her a “cool older sister type.” She herself knew very well that she had different personas at school and at home, and in front of Su Xu, she was yet another version of herself. The little girl had three faces.
Don’t be fooled by how she acted in front of Su Xu; in public, she was actually a very cool and unapproachable person.
Work matters finally quieted down. Tan Xingwei submitted the last document and locked her phone.
Then, she used the dark screen of her phone as a mirror to look at her face.
Little miss cool.
Well, it’s alright, I guess. You’re still more of the cool older sister type, Su Xu. You’re not the same you from four years ago either, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister~
After her moment of craziness, Tan Xingwei finished solving the rest of the Rubik’s Cube and played on her phone for a while longer before Su Xu came out.
“Time to get off work,” Su Xu said, walking up to Tan Xingwei.
Tan Xingwei stood up. “Yay.”
Su Xu smiled. “Why aren’t you wearing your glasses?”
Tan Xingwei: “I can see.”
Su Xu asked, “What’s your prescription?”
Tan Xingwei: “100.”
“That’s not too bad,” Su Xu said. “Use your phone less at night.”
Tan Xingwei: “Okay.”
Su Xu: “So obedient?”
Tan Xingwei wanted to say yes, but she changed the subject. “What if I’m not obedient?”
Su Xu: “Then I’ll have to think about it.”
Some of the staff on site were packing things up. The ex-husband had already left, and most of the fans had scattered and gone, with only a few remaining, some taking photos with the standees, others distributing freebies.
“Sister Su, is this your friend?” The female colleague who had just called Su Xu backstage happened to be cleaning the table next to them and started a casual chat.
Su Xu said, “My little sister.”
The colleague smiled. “Your little sister is so pretty. You’re both so pretty.”
It seemed she had been mistaken for a biological sister. The colleague didn’t ask any more questions, and Su Xu didn’t explain further. The two of them went about their business.
“Let’s go.” Su Xu picked up a box from the table.
In Tan Xingwei’s eyes, this box had appeared out of nowhere, and it was so big. She was startled and asked, “What’s this?”
Su Xu: “Things to take back to the company.”
Tan Xingwei slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped forward, snatching the box from Su Xu’s hands.
Su Xu probably hadn’t expected this, and Tan Xingwei moved quickly, so this time, she couldn’t win against her.
“Tan Xingxing,” Su Xu said with a helpless tone, “what are you doing?”
Tan Xingwei paid her no mind. “Where’s the car?”
Su Xu had no choice but to say, “Elevator 1.”
Tan Xingwei felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, as if she’d gotten revenge for not being able to push the luggage cart last time. For the rest of the way, she stayed one step ahead of Su Xu.
She entered the elevator before Su Xu, exited the elevator before Su Xu, and upon seeing the car’s lights flash, she reached the trunk before Su Xu.
Su Xu was completely amused by Tan Xingwei. “I’m not going to fight you for it.”
Tan Xingwei pouted and said nothing.
Su Xu opened the trunk. “What’s this, you want to be my big sister?”
Tan Xingwei had never thought of that, of course, but since she’d said it, “Yeah,” she said eagerly, “then hurry up and call me that.”
Su Xu was very straightforward. “Big Sister Xingxing.”
Tan Xingwei savored it for a moment and found it a bit boring. “Never mind, you can be the big sister.”
Su Xu: “You like me being the big sister?”
“You were always my big sister,” Tan Xingwei said, her voice turning sweet. “Big Sister Ah Xu, Big Sister Ah Xu.”
Su Xu looked at Tan Xingwei with some confusion.
Tan Xingwei: “What?”
Su Xu smiled. “I don’t get you.”
Tan Xingwei: “What do you mean?”
Su Xu looked up and pressed the button on the trunk. “Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to be my little sister?”
Now it was Tan Xingwei’s turn to be confused, very confused. “I… when?”
Su Xu twirled the car keys in her hand. “I didn’t?” She didn’t look at Tan Xingwei as she walked toward the driver’s seat. “Then I must have remembered wrong.”
