The call ended, and Tan Xingwei lay sprawled out again.
She felt she might have been a bit too forward. Would Su Xu think she was too casual, saying such things so easily?
How could she casually let Su Xu know that she only said those things to her? But adding, “I’ve only ever said that to you,” sounded even more casual, too deliberate, and even a bit scummy.
What a coincidence, just then, Tan Yinqing posted on her Moments.
Tan Yinqing had taken a few days off to chase her idol again. It was a signing event for a singer she had been a fan of for several months.
The Moments post had three pictures. The first two were photos of her at the signing event, and the last one was a close-up of the album. In a blank space on the close-up, her favorite singer had written:
“To Yinhe: It doesn’t matter, be a child forever.”
And Tan Yinqing’s caption read, “It’s over, I’m going to love him for a lifetime!”
When Tan Xingwei saw it, Su Xu had already liked it and left a comment below.
Su Xu: 「Wow」
Tan Xingwei was very sensitive at that moment. She felt Su Xu was hinting at her.
Tan Yinqing had sabotaged her!
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment, then sent Su Xu a very cute and clingy sticker on WeChat: 【Rolling into your arms】
Su Xu replied quickly: 【Pat pat head】
Okay, it seemed everything was fine.
With nothing to do, Tan Xingwei returned to the despairing place that was Weibo. It was already late, and besides, Tan Xingwei was in no mood to write today. So, she just opened the chat with Little Scissors.
Little X: 「Something came up, I can’t update tonight」
Little X: 「You’ll definitely think I’m miserable when you hear it」
Little Scissors: 「Ah? What’s wrong?」
Little X: 「I actually wrote a lot, but I accidentally clicked exit without saving」
Little X: 「That’s what happened」
Little Scissors: 「Ah??????」
Little Scissors: 「Ah!!! How could this happen!」
Little Scissors: 「That’s really miserable!!!」
Little X: 【A slight death】
Little Scissors: 「My heart aches for your draft」
Little X: 「My heart aches for it too」
Little Scissors: 「It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s not a big deal! Let’s take a break and write again when you feel like it」
Little X: 「Okay」
Little X: 「Just pretend I was never here」
Little Scissors: 「Weibo is bad! Why doesn’t it have autosave!」
Little Scissors: 「It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll wait for you!」
Little X: 「Okay」
After sending that word, Tan Xingwei clicked back, but after a thought, she clicked back into the chat, quickly typed a few words, and sent them.
Little X: 「I really like Big Sister」
Little Scissors: 「Ahhhhhhhhh okay okay okay! Hahaha」
Little Scissors: 「I really like you guys too!」
Little Scissors: 「(I hope the new update won’t be too long)」
Little X: 「I’ll do my best」
Tan Xingwei couldn’t say how long the update would take because she was going on a business trip the next day.
The days on the business trip weren’t as pleasant as being at the company, but the good thing was that she learned a lot of new things. And surprisingly, everything was finished by Friday morning, so she could return to Haicheng.
The company had sent three people this time. Since they were from different departments, none of them knew each other before they left.
But on the last day, after some hemming and hawing and tentative probing, they unanimously decided to change their train tickets and hide from the company the fact that they had finished early on Friday. On the journey back, they were sisters.
After adding each other on WeChat on the high-speed train, Tan Xingwei shared some of the snacks she had just bought.
“Hey, Little Tan,” the colleague sitting in the middle sat up while eating potato chips. She was scrolling through her phone. “You know Su Xu?”
Little Tan also sat up. “You know Su Xu too?”
The colleague showed Tan Xingwei her phone. “I saw she liked your Moments post.”
Tan Xingwei looked at her colleague’s phone in surprise. On it was the sunset picture Tan Xingwei had posted to her Moments yesterday. In the likes section, there was a heart from Su Xu, and in the comments, Su Xu’s “So beautiful” and Tan Xingwei’s “It is, it is.”
The colleague asked, “Are you two friends?”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment. “I guess so. She’s my older sister’s classmate.”
The colleague said, “Oh.” “She was an intern at my previous company.” The colleague put her phone away. “She had just graduated from university back then. She was very capable, and our bosses all liked her. She was pretty, too, very popular at the company. But…” The colleague paused here and asked Tan Xingwei, “Is she married?”
Such a strange word to use. But since it was a colleague, Tan Xingwei shook her head. “No.”
The colleague nodded. “I thought she was married.”
Even stranger. Tan Xingwei was curious. “Why would you think that?”
“For a while, she would leave work right on time, saying she had to go home and cook.” As the colleague spoke, she seemed to recall something and added, “I think she also said something like, if she was late, someone at home would go hungry.”
Tan Xingwei raised an eyebrow. She had the feeling of being the subject of the gossip she was hearing. But to be sure, she asked, “Do you remember roughly when that was?”
“Let me think, it was quite a while ago.” The colleague recalled seriously. “Around July or August, I think. I was preparing to resign back then. The weather was quite hot.”
Tan Xingwei let out a sound of realization.
“I don’t know what kind of god gets to be served by such a great beauty like that.” After saying this, the colleague even cursed.
Tan Xingwei pressed her lips together and said weakly, “Maybe it wasn’t a partner?”
“Not a partner?” The colleague looked as if she had heard an answer beyond her comprehension. “Then that person is way too shameless.”
Tan Xingwei didn’t dare to speak, just laughed it off. “Haha.”
Tan Xingwei, the culprit.
The colleague continued, “She resigned later too, around the same time as me. She said she was going abroad, but many people secretly guessed she was going to get married.” The colleague sounded a bit indignant. “To be a full-time housewife and stop working.”
Tan Xingwei made a sound. “That’s a bit ridiculous. It’s really not true.”
“Really? It’s good she’s not married.” The colleague seemed quite pleased with this news. She said cheerfully, “I knew she did go abroad. In the beginning, her Moments were quite frequently updated with her life overseas.”
Tan Xingwei asked, “What did she post?”
The colleague was puzzled. “You don’t know?”
Tan Xingwei felt wronged and incredibly regretful for having blocked Su Xu back then.
Why was a young girl’s heart so fragile? Truly speechless.
Tan Xingwei had no choice but to tell a white lie. “I hadn’t added her on WeChat back then.”
The colleague said, “Oh,” and thought for a moment. “She posted things like scenery, what she ate, what she was studying.” The colleague’s expression was full of admiration. “Very vibrant.”
Tan Xingwei’s intestines were turning a little green with regret.
And the colleague continued, “I really liked looking at her Moments. Her photos are beautiful, and she would occasionally post pictures of herself. Drop-dead gorgeous.”
She added with regret, “But she only posted frequently right after she went abroad. Later on, she didn’t post much.”
And she said again, “She also posted on her graduation day. I felt quite gratified seeing it. For some reason, it felt like my own daughter had grown up. It was really nice.”
Tan Xingwei wanted to cry but had no tears. “I’ll tell her what you said.”
The colleague laughed. “Hahaha, thank you.”
“She came back once before, and I thought she wouldn’t leave again,” the colleague said. “I didn’t expect her next update to be from the United Kingdom again.”
Tan Xingwei asked, “Which time?”
The colleague recalled for a moment. “About two years ago, I think. You hadn’t added her yet, right? She said on her Moments that she was back.”
Tan Xingwei seemed to know when that was, which made her feel even more wronged. Her intestines couldn’t be described as just green anymore.
I missed so much. I regret it so much.
At this point in the conversation, Tan Xingwei suddenly had an idea.
She took out a squeezable jelly pouch from her bag, placed it in front of her colleague, and asked, “Did you see the Moments post she made a few days ago?”
The colleague was puzzled. “What post?”
Tan Xingwei was vague. “About raising something, or something like that.”
“Raising what? I didn’t see it,” the colleague picked up her phone. “Can I still see it now?”
Tan Xingwei shook her head. “Three days have passed.”
Colleague: “What’s wrong? What did I miss? What is she raising?”
Tan Xingwei shook her head again. “Nothing, nothing.” Then she added casually, “I didn’t look closely either.”
The colleague said again, “I didn’t expect you to be so cute in private.”
Tan Xingwei gave a dry laugh. “Haha.”
The colleague was simply referring to her reply, “It is, it is,” which was indeed very different from her persona at the company.
After this conversation, Tan Xingwei of course had to report it to Su Xu.
As soon as she mentioned it, Su Xu knew who Tan Xingwei’s colleague was. For so many years, this colleague had liked every one of Su Xu’s Moments posts.
Tan Xingwei: 「So I missed a lot」
Tan Xingwei sent this message, along with a super: 【Crying loudly】
Su Xu was probably busy and didn’t reply immediately.
It wasn’t until Tan Xingwei arrived in Haicheng, got home, and found that Tan Yinqing was also back from the signing event, and was then pulled into listening to an ecstatic Tan Yinqing share this and that about the event, that Su Xu finally replied.
Just two words: 「You did」
Tan Xingwei immediately: 「Is there still a chance to see them?」
Tan Xingwei: 「This faithful devotee would rather win the lottery and never get another pimple in exchange for one chance for Big Sister Ah Xu to show me her Moments」
Su Xu: 「Making such a vicious vow, I guess I have to show you」
Tan Xingwei: 「Yes, yes」
Su Xu: 「Wait until I get back」
Su Xu: 「I’ll give you my phone then」
Even though the conversation had reached this point, the two of them still avoided talking about that unfinished date from before.
Tan Xingwei: 「Okay, okay」
Tan Xingwei: 「Then when is Big Sister coming back?」
Su Xu: 「Not sure, I still have to go to Huicheng on Sunday」
Tan Xingwei: 【A little dead】
Su Xu: 「What’s wrong?」
Su Xu: 「Is it because you want to see my Moments sooner?」
Tan Xingwei: 「Ah…」
Tan Xingwei: 「If you say so」
Su Xu: 「What if I say it’s not?」
Tan Xingwei: 「Then it’s not」
Su Xu: 「Then what is it?」
Tan Xingwei: 「It’s」
Typing the two words on her keyboard, Tan Xingwei’s hands felt a little weak, similar to how she felt when writing on Weibo. They were different now.
Tan Xingwei: 「It’s because I want to see you sooner」
“Tan Xingwei.”
As she was chatting, this voice drifted to her ear.
Tan Xingwei subconsciously wanted to ask what was wrong, but she suddenly became aware of the blissful expression on her face.
Tan Xingwei immediately wiped the expression off her face.
“What?” Tan Xingwei said.
Tan Yinqing: “Tsk, tsk tsk.”
After tsking, this person suddenly turned her head. “Mom! Tan Xingwei is in a relation—”
Tan Xingwei went over and clamped a hand over Tan Yinqing’s mouth. “What are you doing!”
Tan Yinqing’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. She pulled Tan Xingwei’s hand away. “What are you afraid of? Mom’s not even home.”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
Tan Xingwei: “Are you crazy?”
Tan Yinqing tsked again. “You’re not really in a relationship, are you?”
Tan Xingwei: “What’s it to you?”
Tan Yinqing: “For real?”
Tan Xingwei: “It’s fake. I’m not.”
Tan Yinqing became a little more serious. “No, I’m asking you seriously.” She looked like she was searching her memory. “I’ve noticed you’ve been acting very strange lately.”
Tan Xingwei was stubborn. “How am I acting strange?”
Tan Yinqing asked directly, “Who is it? Your colleague? Your classmate? Or someone you met outside?”
Tan Xingwei asked, “What’s wrong, am I not allowed to be in a relationship?”
Tan Yinqing: “You can, of course you can.” She let out a laugh. “Why are you so guarded? It’s not like I’m going to do anything. You didn’t fall for an ugly guy, did you? Is that why you don’t dare to say?”
Tan Xingwei rolled her eyes.
Tan Yinqing: “What’s that supposed to mean? What would happen if you just told me?”
Tan Xingwei: “Nothing would happen.”
Tan Yinqing: “Then tell me.”
Just then, Tan Xingwei’s phone lit up. She suddenly remembered her wallpaper was a picture of Su Xu, so she tried to hide it from Tan Yinqing.
That very movement gave her away. Tan Yinqing leaned right in. “Are you for real?”
Tan Xingwei pushed Tan Yinqing away without a word. Su Xu had sent her a voice message, and Tan Xingwei didn’t want to convert it to text, thinking she should go back to her room.
But Tan Yinqing said, “Leaving already? If you leave, I’m telling Ah Xu.”
Tan Xingwei sat back down. “What are you going to tell her?”
Because she had successfully threatened Tan Xingwei with Su Xu again, Tan Yinqing laughed out loud, even looking a bit smug. “Nothing much. Just that you’re in a relationship but don’t dare to tell anyone.”
On the surface, Tan Xingwei was speechless, but seeing Tan Yinqing’s smug look, she softened a little, thinking maybe she should drop a hint.
She and Su Xu, since who knows when, had developed a tacit understanding to not tell anyone. Maybe it started from the secret airport pickup when she returned, or maybe from secretly eating together and criticizing Tan Yinqing. The two of them were carrying out their secret affair to the very end.
It was fun.
But it wasn’t like they couldn’t tell anyone.
Just as Tan Xingwei was thinking about how to say it, Tan Yinqing’s next sentence was: “Tan Xingwei, is your taste any good? I really need to vet them for you.”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
Forget it. She wouldn’t say anything then.
Tan Xingwei scoffed at Tan Yinqing. “My taste is excellent.”
Tan Yinqing: “You’d better be.”
Tan Xingwei completely gave up on talking to Tan Yinqing. She took her phone and went back to her room.
The door closed, and she played the voice message. Su Xu said, “I just remembered I still have flowers at my place. I haven’t changed the water in a few days, I wonder how they are.”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment: 「How about I go take a look?」
Su Xu: “Didn’t you come straight home after getting off the train today?”
Tan Xingwei: 「I’m going over now」
Su Xu’s voice held a hint of a smile. “Okay～ The code is 159357.”
Tan Xingwei: 「Leaving right away」
And so, Tan Xingwei, who had been in her room for less than five minutes, came out again.
She closed the door, walked past the dining room, and then the living room.
“Where are you going?” Tan Yinqing asked.
Tan Xingwei didn’t answer, only saying, “I won’t be home for dinner.”
Tan Yinqing frowned. “Are you coming back to sleep?”
Tan Xingwei: “Yes.”
Tan Yinqing said, “Oh.” “Come back early.”
Tan Xingwei: “I know.”
The moment Tan Xingwei left, Tan Yinqing opened her dorm group chat.
Tan Yinqing: 「Something’s not right」
Tan Yinqing: 「I think something’s up with Tan Xingwei lately」
Chen Jing appeared: 「Up with what?」
Tan Yinqing: 「Romance」
Su Xu also appeared: 「Details」
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