Su Xu’s words were more effective than a high-energy song. Tan Xingwei, who had been feeling a bit sluggish from the stuffy weather, woke up.
This was clearly a topic that had never been brought up before. The three dorm mates were now extremely curious.
“Was before you went abroad four years ago?”
“To still regret something from four years ago, that must be a real regret.”
“Are you still in contact with this friend?”
Gradually, they started forming their own guesses.
“Why didn’t you go to the meeting?”
“Did you two have a falling out?”
“For her to make you skip the meeting, did she offend you?”
Tan Xingwei slurped the jelly from her hand into her mouth.
“It couldn’t be you, could it, Tan Xingwei?” Tan Yinqing, who had just been guessing wildly, suddenly pointed the finger at Tan Xingwei.
Luckily, the jelly in Tan Xingwei’s mouth was large, and she was deep in thought at that moment. So when she turned to look at Tan Yinqing, her eyes, by a happy accident, were particularly clear. “Huh?”
Tan Yinqing: “…Pretend I didn’t ask.”
As for these questions, Su Xu just shook her head. “It’s been too long.” She also said, “We’re still in contact.”
After all, Su Xu hadn’t gone to the meeting, and it had happened a distant four years ago. So, since Su Xu didn’t elaborate, everyone else didn’t press the issue.
Yaoyao took out another candy and read the question on it: “Who is your favorite celebrity? What is this?” She took another one: “What’s your favorite song?” She took yet another: “Who is the person you want to see most right now?”
Hearing this, Tan Yinqing suddenly laughed. “Isn’t this tailor-made for me?”
Yaoyao: “Exactly. I can even answer for you.”
Tan Yinqing: “In that case, have you guys done today’s WeChat data?”
The remaining four simultaneously picked up their phones. “…Coming, coming.”
Before long, they arrived at the legendary mountain. It was said to be a newly developed resort area, accompanied by mountains, water, flowers, and birds, far from the bustling city, with fresh air. At night, there was a high probability of seeing a sky full of stars.
This was also something they had stumbled upon online this morning, leading to a spontaneous decision and a spontaneous plan. The advertising probably hadn’t taken off yet, so there weren’t many people when they arrived.
The mountain was very different. Summer hadn’t fully set in yet, so even with the big sun high in the sky, it didn’t feel hot with the car windows rolled down.
After Tan Yinqing parked the car, everyone started grabbing their things. A clear division was apparent: only Tan Xingwei and Su Xu were pulling suitcases, while the other three just had backpacks.
Only Tan Xingwei and Su Xu were dressed with care; the other three were dressed casually.
Only Tan Xingwei wore a beautiful straw hat, and only Su Xu wore jewelry.
“You two have been looking very pretty lately,” Chen Jing said while getting the food ingredients from the car.
Su Xu showed off her beauty. “We’ve always been pretty.”
The advantage of having suitcases was that they were inconvenient, causing Su Xu and Tan Xingwei to fall to the back of the group as they walked.
Tan Yinqing, leading the way, was looking at the navigation on her phone. Chen Jing and Yaoyao followed one after the other. Tan Xingwei’s and Su Xu’s suitcases rumbled along the stone path.
Tan Xingwei looked at the sky, then at the trees, and finally, her gaze landed on Su Xu’s hand.
The empty one, very close to Tan Xingwei. Her left hand.
Tan Xingwei first pretended nothing was happening and leaned closer, brushing against Su Xu’s hand while puckering her lips and whistling a tune.
Su Xu turned to look at her. Tan Xingwei stopped whistling. Unsure of her own state of mind, she suddenly smiled at Su Xu and called out sweetly, “Big Sister.”
Su Xu immediately broke into a smile. “What is it?”
After saying this, Su Xu flipped her hand over and took Tan Xingwei’s.
Wow, so natural.
“Nothing,” Tan Xingwei’s smile grew even sweeter.
Su Xu asked, “Are you hot?”
Tan Xingwei shook her head. “Not hot, not hot.”
Su Xu: “Are you hungry?”
Tan Xingwei continued to shake her head. “Not hungry, not hungry.”
Su Xu said, “We can start the barbecue as soon as we put our things in the room. Yaoyao mixed her special sauce. You haven’t tried it before, have you?”
Tan Xingwei: “No, no.”
Su Xu tilted her head to look at Tan Xingwei, reached out to pinch her cheek, and then took her hand again.
“It’s delicious,” Su Xu continued from before. “Snatch a bit more later.”
Tan Xingwei laughed and continued her broadcast of agreement: “Okay, okay.”
They were walking down a section of the mountain path. Although the slope wasn’t steep, it was much easier than before.
Feeling so relaxed, Tan Xingwei still said the words, “I just found out you regretted it.”
Su Xu: “And?”
Tan Xingwei huffed. “Well, that’s just great. I’m definitely not going to tell you what I was planning to say back then.”
Su Xu chuckled. “That’s just great. Punish me just like that.”
Tan Xingwei: “I’m going to keep you on the hook forever.”
Su Xu: “Little Sister is so good at fishing.”
Tan Xingwei burst out laughing. She pouted at Su Xu, staring at her with gritted teeth.
“If you keep looking, I’ll kiss you,” Su Xu said suddenly.
Tan Xingwei first backed down, her expression softening, but she quickly looked back defiantly. “Bring it on.”
It couldn’t be brought on. Just then, Tan Yinqing at the very front turned around. “We’re here, family.”
The words were passed back. Yaoyao also turned around. “We’re here, family.”
Chen Jing also turned around. “We’re here, family.”
After speaking, Chen Jing, like the first two, immediately turned her head back. But she quickly turned around again, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, and stared at Tan Xingwei and Su Xu’s joined hands.
Tan Xingwei and Su Xu remained completely unfazed. Chen Jing turned her head back again.
Before long, they all arrived at the guesthouse. The owner who greeted them was very enthusiastic. She helped them with their luggage, brewed tea, gave each of them a small welcome gift, lit mosquito coils, explained everything, and finally said she would be downstairs if they needed anything before leaving.
The five of them had rented the entire second floor, which had three rooms, a living room, and a large balcony for barbecuing and enjoying the mountain and water views.
“Yaoyao, you and Chen Jing take one room. Tan Xingwei and I…” Tan Yinqing assigned the three rooms, grabbing Tan Xingwei’s suitcase from the living room as she spoke. “…Su Xu, you take this one.”
“We’re sleeping in a king bed?” Tan Xingwei was displeased with Tan Yinqing’s arbitrary decision and threw a small tantrum.
Tan Yinqing said, “Who wants to share a king bed with you? That one’s a twin room.”
Tan Xingwei said, “Oh,” and had nothing more to say.
After everyone put their things away, they met on the balcony. The weather today was just too good, putting everyone in an excellent mood. They set everything up, with some lighting the charcoal, some preparing the ingredients, some getting plates, and some getting the sauce. Before long, the barbecue was underway.
Not only was Yaoyao’s homemade sauce delicious, but her grilling skills were also superb. Tan Xingwei was full of praise throughout the entire process, her mouth stuffed.
The alcohol also came out. Tan Yinqing randomly picked two different bottles, opened them, and placed them on the table.
“No wonder you packed a whole case. I thought you guys were that capable, bringing a whole case of wine.” As she spoke, Tan Yinqing took out five exquisite glass cups from the box.
Yaoyao, who had bought the glass cups, was very pleased. “It’s all about the lifestyle.”
Su Xu gave Yaoyao a thumbs-up.
After washing the cups and bringing them back, Tan Yinqing placed a cup in front of everyone. At the same time, Chen Jing picked up the wine on the table and went to pour the first glass into Tan Xingwei’s cup.
But she was stopped by Su Xu.
She blocked the bottle with her index finger, then used a bit of force to move the mouth of the bottle away. “She doesn’t drink. A soft drink is fine.”
Chen Jing said, “Ah,” and poured the wine for the next person.
Tan Yinqing then asked, “You can’t drink?”
Tan Xingwei: “One glass and I’m out.”
Tan Yinqing: “So weak.”
Tan Xingwei retorted, “And you’re so amazing?”
Tan Yinqing didn’t need to boast herself; someone spoke up for her.
“No joke,” Yaoyao said. “No one here is a match for your sister.”
Tan Yinqing sat up straight.
Tan Xingwei: “…Ooh, ooh, so impressive, so impressive.”
Tan Yinqing asked again, “How does Ah Xu know you can’t hold your liquor?”
Su Xu answered, “She’s gotten drunk in front of me before.”
Tan Xingwei nearly spat out the mouthful of drink she had just taken.
Tan Yinqing was curious. “When? What’s she like when she’s drunk?”
Tan Xingwei bit down hard on her cup, listening to Su Xu say, “Quite outrageous. She bullies people.”
The words “Tan Xingwei bullies Su Xu” sounded incredibly unbelievable. Tan Yinqing grew even more curious. “Huh? She bullies you? How does she bully you?”
Su Xu directed the group’s gaze to Tan Xingwei’s face. “How did you bully me?”
Tan Xingwei tilted her head back. “Wow, this chili is so spicy.”
Yaoyao laughed. “Right! I brought it specially. Look, your face is all red.”
The topic was diverted brilliantly. From that moment on, everyone, not believing it, tried the same chili as Tan Xingwei, and then all made a “wow, so spicy” face in agreement.
Once the drinking started, the mood began to shift from a cozy firework-like atmosphere to one of carefree indulgence. The sun was just about to set, casting a beautiful afterglow over the mountaintops. The atmosphere was light and swaying.
In this swaying mood, Yaoyao singled someone out. “Ah Xu, what’s your special someone busy with today?”
Tan Yinqing chimed in, “Yeah, it’s all so mysterious.”
Su Xu said, “Busy with her own things, I guess.”
Yaoyao asked again, “So what’s the progress between you two now?”
Su Xu said, “I don’t know.”
Yaoyao: “What kind of progress is ‘I don’t know’?”
Su Xu: “‘I don’t know’ is the ‘I don’t know’ stage of progress.”
Chen Jing had an “I get it, I get it” look on her face. “It’s the ambiguous, flirty stage.”
Yaoyao let out a long “Ahhh.”
“Well, even the ambiguous stage has its own progress,” Yaoyao said. “Is it just starting, or are you about to make it official?”
Just as Tan Xingwei was lowering her head to listen intently, Su Xu suddenly passed the Coke over and poured it into her cup, which had been emptied at some point without her noticing.
“I don’t know,” Su Xu said as she poured. “I only found out yesterday that I like her. I don’t know what I’ve been so busy with all this time.”
Tan Xingwei felt that her hat today was a really good choice.
A really, really good choice.
Lower my head a little more.
“Only found out yesterday?” Tan Yinqing was a bit incredulous. “How could your feelings be so un-obvious?”
“I’m also wondering,” Su Xu said with a soft sigh. “Maybe I didn’t do enough.”
Tan Xingwei was completely numb. She stopped hiding her face and looked up. “Could it be… that person doesn’t believe you like her.”
Su Xu asked Tan Xingwei, “Why wouldn’t she believe it?”
Tan Xingwei: “Because…”
Tan Xingwei stammered for a long time, not knowing what to say. Yaoyao grew impatient and cut in, asking Su Xu, “Have you said anything like ‘I like you’ to her?”
Su Xu: “No.”
“Well, that explains it,” Yaoyao started explaining on her behalf. “Girls, you know, some of them need to hear those words to be sure.” She thought for a moment and added, “Maybe it’s not that she doesn’t know, but that she’s too shy to acknowledge it.”
Tan Xingwei applauded Yaoyao in her heart.
Su Xu: “Is that so.”
Tan Yinqing also chimed in to explain, “Some people pretend not to know even if they do, otherwise it makes them seem so narcissistic.”
Su Xu hummed in agreement, then turned to ask Tan Xingwei, “What do you think?”
Tan Xingwei just nodded. “Makes sense.”
Unexpectedly, Su Xu also said, “Makes sense.” She took a sip from her wine glass and said, “She hasn’t said she likes me either, so I can’t be sure, can I?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the other three, excluding a secretly flustered Tan Xingwei, simultaneously let out a sound of ambiguous meaning: “Ah…”
Yaoyao went even further, “Ah Xu, why are you being so flirty?”
Tan Xingwei was instantly pulled out of her funk by Yaoyao. She turned to look at Su Xu and, for a rare moment, saw her looking a little shy.
“Right? Right?” Tan Yinqing seemed to have found her people, even standing up to high-five Yaoyao. “I also think she’s been acting all flirty lately.”
Yaoyao: “Being in love really changes a person.”
Su Xu became bold, and didn’t mind being a little more flirty. “We’re not dating yet, don’t spread rumors.”
Yaoyao finished grilling a new batch of skewers. Everyone took some and entered a quiet phase of eating while admiring the sunset that was about to disappear behind the opposite mountain. Meanwhile, Tan Xingwei was in a state of utter chaos with her head down.
By the time her turmoil subsided, the sun was gone. The balcony lights turned on automatically, revealing another kind of beauty in the mountains.
“She hasn’t said she likes you,” said the one person who was still hung up on the topic, turning back. “Could it be that she also thinks her feelings are very obvious?”
Su Xu suddenly laughed, then nodded in firm agreement. “That’s true.”
Tan Xingwei didn’t expect Su Xu to be so certain. “Huh?”
“I know,” Su Xu said. “She looks like she likes me a lot.”
Tan Xingwei was really digging a pit for herself to jump into.
“Look at you, so pleased with yourself.” Chen Jing squinted at Su Xu.
Su Xu lightly covered her mouth. “Do I look very happy?”
Yaoyao sighed, then gestured to Tan Yinqing, Tan Xingwei, and Chen Jing. “Come on, let’s have a drink, have a drink.”
Tan Xingwei was a little embarrassed, but she still drank with everyone.
Since the topic had come back around, it could naturally be expanded upon a little. Yaoyao put down her glass and asked, “This ‘big sister’ of yours, how did you meet her?”
Su Xu asked, “Big sister?”
Yaoyao was confused. “It’s not a big sister?”
Su Xu: “Who said it was a big sister?”
Yaoyao didn’t seem to know who said it either. She looked at Tan Yinqing.
Tan Yinqing: “Isn’t it? I thought it was a big sister too.”
Of course, it wasn’t a big deal. So Yaoyao asked, “This ‘little sister’ of yours, how did you meet her?”
Su Xu: “Through a friend.”
Yaoyao asked again, “Did you meet recently?”
Su Xu: “We’ve known each other for a long time.”
Tan Yinqing suddenly made a sound of realization. “What you said before, about regretting not going to the meeting… it couldn’t be this little sister, could it?”
Tan Xingwei’s scalp suddenly tingled. Tan Yinqing had been hopping around the correct answer for the hundredth time.
Su Xu smiled. “You’re very good at guessing.”
Tan Yinqing grew confident. She suddenly clapped her hands. “Is it that junior of yours from before!”
Su Xu was puzzled. “What junior of mine?”
Hearing Tan Yinqing say that, Yaoyao also clapped her hands. “Oh! Is it that junior who co-hosted with you in university? I remember her name was something Ning.”
Tan Yinqing shook her head. “Not that one. The one from the Drama Club.”
Yaoyao: “The Drama Club? Oh, the one from the literature department?”
Tan Xingwei furrowed her brows. She slowly turned her head to look at Su Xu.
Su Xu: “…”
Su Xu: “You guys, don’t get me in trouble.”
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