The term “schoolmate” was more than enough to get a conversation going. Right now, Yaoyao and Tan Yinqing were trying their best to recall names and faces. One said, “A schoolmate injured her leg and you even bought her medicine,” while the other added, “And didn’t that one give you flowers? Didn’t she!”
Tan Xingwei ate two more chili peppers. So spicy. She might as well die from the spiciness.
“No… wait,” Su Xu found that words couldn’t stop them. She grabbed a skewer of grilled meat and stuffed it into Tan Yinqing’s mouth, who was closer, and reached out to grab Yaoyao’s hand, who was farther away. “Stop talking.”
Only then did the two of them shut up.
“Come, come, Xingxing, let’s have a drink.” On the other side, Chen Jing handed a cup of wine to Tan Xingwei.
Tan Xingwei swallowed the last chili pepper on the skewer, clinked glasses with Chen Jing, and continued to prick up her ears.
“It’s none of them,” Su Xu announced beside her. “They’re not from our university.”
Yaoyao and Tan Yinqing: “Oh.”
Su Xu added, “And there are no stories between me and them, thank you very much.”
It would have been better if she hadn’t said that. The moment she did, the two of them got fired up again. But before they could get going and say this or that, Su Xu interrupted them.
Su Xu: “Chen Yuning and I only ever co-hosted. Zhang Ruozhi’s leg was injured because of me, so of course I had to be responsible for that part of the medicine. As for the one from the literature department, we haven’t been in contact since she left the drama club.”
Hearing this, Yaoyao suddenly said, “Oh! Didn’t the girl from the literature department give you flowers?”
Tan Yinqing clapped her hands. “Right, you brought them back to the dorm. Red roses.”
“It was just because the day she left the drama club happened to be Christmas,” Su Xu said. “She didn’t do anything. The flowers were just a blessing, so I took them back.”
Tan Xingwei’s voice drifted over faintly, “You’re so nice.”
Tan Yinqing: “Let’s not talk about the others, but she liked you, right?”
Su Xu took a light breath. “It’s so hot.”
Since things had come to this, Tan Xingwei didn’t mind asking one more question. Bring it all on!
“I remember you told me there was also a senior?” Tan Xingwei asked Tan Yinqing.
This senior must have carried a lot of weight. The moment Tan Xingwei’s words fell, Yaoyao, Tan Yinqing, and Chen Jing said in unison, “Xie Yan!”
Su Xu: “…”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
“Xie Yan is older than me,” Su Xu said.
At this point, the main issue was no longer who Su Xu’s “little sisters” were, but digging up Su Xu’s university stories.
Tan Yinqing: “Then what was the deal with you and Xie Yan?”
Su Xu picked up the wine glass on the table, which was more than half full, and drained it in one go.
After she finished, the entire table stared at her.
Su Xu said, “…Me and Xie Yan, what about us?”
What a good counter-question. None of the civil and military officials could respond.
What a coincidence. Just then, a loud “bang” echoed in the sky as a huge firework blossomed, crackling and fizzing.
It also brought an end to the topic.
The fireworks went off one after another. There wasn’t much wine left, and only a few dishes remained. Under the brilliant fireworks, today’s barbecue party came to an end.
The last rays of the sun were about to disappear, and the night was about to grow deep. Everyone cleaned up the balcony together. While the light was still decent, Chen Jing took out her Polaroid camera.
“Come, come, come,” Chen Jing stood by the door. “You guys stand over there, stand properly, and leave a spot for me.”
The four of them walked to the spot Chen Jing had designated. Tan Xingwei stood next to Tan Yinqing, and Su Xu followed, standing beside Tan Xingwei.
Yaoyao stood on Tan Yinqing’s other side. The moment those two were next to each other, they tacitly moved apart, leaving the center C-spot open for Chen Jing.
“Ok ok, just like that, very good.” After framing the shot, Chen Jing brought over a stool, placed the camera on it, set the timer, and ran over.
At six seconds, a smiling Tan Xingwei felt her hand being touched.
She didn’t think much of it and moved her hand away.
At four seconds, she heard a very low laugh.
At two seconds, Tan Xingwei’s hand was grabbed. She struggled slightly, but it was held even tighter.
“Click.”
The flash in front of them went off, and the whirring sound of the camera developing the picture filled the air.
“Ok,” Chen Jing walked toward the camera. “Don’t rush off, I want to take another one.”
“Xingxing,” someone whispered in her ear.
“Wow, it looks pretty good,” Chen Jing said, presumably because some color had already appeared on the photo. She was very satisfied. “Let’s take another one here, this background is also very nice.”
“Ignoring me, huh?” that person said again.
“Let’s stand in two rows this time, there’s a step right here,” Chen Jing moved the stool. “We can smile bigger.”
Chen Jing’s voice was loud, while a certain someone’s voice could only be heard by Tan Xingwei.
Since it was so quiet, she might as well pretend she didn’t hear it.
Tan Xingwei was the first to obediently go to the spot Chen Jing arranged, standing on the higher step.
Soon, everyone else came over. Tan Yinqing still stood to her left, and Su Xu still stood to her right. This time, Yaoyao stood in the front row, leaving the spot next to her for Chen Jing.
“Perfect, perfect,” the photographer by the potted plant was very satisfied. After positioning the camera, she set the timer. “Here I come.”
It was still a six-second timer.
At six seconds, nothing happened.
At four seconds, Tan Xingwei relaxed her hand.
Nothing happened.
At two seconds, Tan Xingwei quickly glanced at Su Xu.
But she couldn’t make out anything from the glance.
“Everyone smile, be happy, a fake smile is fine too, hahahaha,” Chen Jing suddenly said.
So Tan Xingwei smiled. Just as the countdown flashed for the last second, Tan Xingwei suddenly felt her waist being pulled tight.
In a flash, the light went off, and Tan Xingwei found herself leaning against Su Xu’s body.
“Ok!” Chen Jing bounced toward the camera. “Dismissed!”
Smoky from the barbecue, with the night still long and two bottles of wine unopened, everyone unanimously decided to go back and take a shower first, then have some other activities later.
So, one after another, they went from the balcony back to the living room. Yaoyao still had some chili peppers she hadn’t grilled and decided to let everyone try them next time. Tan Yinqing was replying to messages on her phone. Chen Jing was waiting for the photo to develop, and Tan Xingwei was behind Chen Jing.
Su Xu was behind Tan Xingwei.
Stepping through the balcony door, Tan Xingwei felt the corner of her shirt being tugged.
Once she was fully in the living room, Tan Xingwei felt her back being scratched lightly.
“Whoa.”
Up ahead, Chen Jing suddenly turned around. She first glanced at Tan Xingwei, then at Su Xu behind her, before flipping over the photo in her hand.
It was the second one. In it, Tan Xingwei was in Su Xu’s arms, with a slight motion blur due to the sudden movement.
This was actually predictable. What was unpredictable was the expression on Tan Xingwei’s face in the photo.
“Let me see.” Su Xu leaned over from behind.
Tan Xingwei immediately snatched the photo and pressed it against her chest. “No.”
The expression on Tan Xingwei’s face in the photo was just too smug, her lips curved in a lopsided grin. Tan Xingwei had never seen herself like that.
Not only did she refuse to let Su Xu see, but she also said to Chen Jing, “Can you give this one to me?”
Chen Jing nodded. “Sure.”
“Tan Xingwei,” Tan Yinqing called out from ahead. “You shower first or me?”
Tan Xingwei replied, “Me first,” and ran off, clutching the photo.
Once she was back in her room, alone, she gradually began to regret it. She didn’t know what kind of tantrum she was throwing. Su Xu hadn’t even done anything.
It was so unreasonable. So what if Su Xu had liked someone else before?
Tan Xingwei was definitely not crying, nor did she squeeze shower gel onto her head despite clearly reading the words.
After her shower, she went out to switch with Tan Yinqing. Tan Yinqing came over holding her pajamas and a bath towel, and also said to Tan Xingwei, “Wow, what cute pajamas.”
Tan Xingwei gave Tan Yinqing a wink.
Tan Yinqing floated away. “Ew.”
Tan Xingwei’s pajamas had a super large rabbit on them. She had bought them the moment she saw them on a shopping website. It wasn’t for any other reason than that the band-aids she had insisted Su Xu buy for her the first time she got hurt at her house had this very rabbit on them.
The Tan Xingwei who went into the room and the Tan Xingwei who came out were not the same person. She shuffled around leisurely in her slippers with her hands behind her back, leisurely looking for someone.
Finally, she found a familiar figure in the kitchen.
Tan Xingwei deliberately dragged her feet twice at the doorway to make a sound.
As expected, Su Xu turned around. The moment she saw Tan Xingwei, she smiled. “What cute pajamas.”
Being praised by her sister and being praised by this sister were two different things. The corners of Tan Xingwei’s mouth curled up as she walked over.
As soon as she got close, Tan Xingwei smelled the scent on Su Xu, perhaps from her shower gel or shampoo.
“Big Sister smells so good,” Tan Xingwei said.
Su Xu was cutting a watermelon. Hearing this, she looked up at Tan Xingwei again. “Not mad at me anymore?”
Tan Xingwei played dumb. “Huh? When was I mad?”
Su Xu reached out and pinched Tan Xingwei’s cheek.
Tan Xingwei: “Ouch.”
Su Xu continued to cut with crisp sounds, also asking, “Do you still remember these rabbit band-aids?”
Tan Xingwei was delighted. “You still remember?”
“There are still some left, in the drawer in my room,” Su Xu said. “I don’t know what the shelf life of a band-aid is.”
Tan Xingwei was silent for two seconds. “You like me.”
Su Xu suddenly laughed.
But it was quiet.
“Say something,” Tan Xingwei grew anxious.
Su Xu made the last cut with her knife. “Yes.”
Angry? Who was angry? How ridiculous.
The watermelon had just been put in the fridge when they arrived at the guesthouse, and it was perfect to eat now. Su Xu took the reddest piece from the plate and held it to Tan Xingwei’s mouth.
Tan Xingwei immediately leaned over and ate it, mumbling, “Thank you, Big Sister Ah Xu.”
Ah Xu wrinkled her nose at Tan Xingwei.
Su Xu continued to finish cutting the rest and said to Tan Xingwei, “Wait a moment.”
Tan Xingwei thought Su Xu meant for her to wait until she finished cleaning up so they could go out together, so she replied with a “kay” and waited by the side. Unexpectedly, after Su Xu washed the knife, washed her hands, dried her hands, she took out her own phone.
“Who was it again?” Su Xu leaned against the counter, one arm crossed over her chest, the other supporting it. “Chen Yuning.”
Saying that, she found this Chen Yuning person in her WeChat, opened the calendar, and scrolled back. “Added as a friend seven years ago, no contact for six years, let me see.”
Su Xu clicked on the first day.
Tan Xingwei hid her smile and muttered, “It’s not like I wanted to see.”
Su Xu said, “I want to see.”
Tan Xingwei was now standing at a 90-degree angle to Su Xu. She just watched as Su Xu opened the chat with Chen Yuning. Of course, Tan Xingwei thought there was nothing to see, but in reality, her uncontrollable eyes kept glancing down.
“Hosting script, find the teacher, rehearsal, hosting script,” Su Xu narrated as she scrolled. “Rehearsal, hosting script, rehearsal, hmm, I did co-host with her often during this period. The school had a lot of events, so we saw each other frequently.” She scrolled down again. “Here, she asked if I was free for next month’s hosting gig. I said no.”
At this point, Su Xu turned the phone over. “The end.”
After finishing that one, she moved on to the next. Su Xu tapped on: “Zhang Ruozhi.”
“I met her during a debate competition,” Su Xu opened the chat history just the same. “Once, I accidentally didn’t put my things away properly, and she tripped and scraped her leg.” Su Xu started reading from her phone again. “Bought her medicine, asked about the injury, asked, asked, she said it was all better, the end.”
Su Xu then tapped on the next one. “This one, met in the drama club.” She was a little embarrassed. “I forgot her name. I saved her contact under her character’s name here, hmm…”
That “hmm…” was full of meaning.
Of course it was full of meaning. Tan Xingwei saw it. The phone screen was filled with admiration for Senior Su Xu.
“Senior, your edits are so good!”
“Senior, your handwriting is so beautiful!”
“Senior, I heard you made this poster, it’s too awesome!”
“Senior, you’re so amazing!”
“Senior, I’ll be the first one there!”
“Senior, I see you!”
Tan Xingwei pouted. She wanted to see what Su Xu would say.
What would Su Xu say?
Su Xu said, “A fangirl,” she even shook her phone. “I have a lot of fangirls.”
Tan Xingwei: “…?”
It felt like something was stuck in Tan Xingwei’s throat.
Su Xu, you’re saying this kind of thing now?
“Yeah, yeah,” Tan Xingwei dragged out her words. “Who wouldn’t like Senior Su Xu.”
Alright, Tan Xingwei’s face was pinched again.
The last part of the fangirl’s chat coincided with Christmas. She wished her senior success in her studies and a Merry Christmas. Su Xu replied, “Okay, you too,” and the conversation ended there.
Su Xu backed out of the chat. “See, it’s all nothing.”
Tan Xingwei said “oh,” then asked, “What about Xie Yan?”
Su Xu nodded once and searched at the top: Xie Yan.
How interesting. The moment it opened, there was a long essay.
Tan Xingwei’s eyes widened instantly.
“Let me,” Su Xu said, “explain myself.”
Tan Xingwei frowned at Su Xu.
“Aiya,” Su Xu ruffled Tan Xingwei’s hair. “Just kidding.”
Tan Xingwei didn’t smile.
“Xie Yan did like me,” Su Xu said. “She was a student my advisor was very fond of, a very outstanding senior. I had asked her some questions when I was writing my thesis before. After I found out, I avoided her for a while. Your sister and the others saw her stop me downstairs at the dorm once. We had a private chat for a bit then, and because of that, they tease me about it.”
Tan Xingwei asked, “Did you ever like her?”
Su Xu: “No.”
Tan Xingwei: “Oh.”
Unlike before when she looked at the phone herself, Su Xu now held the phone in front of Tan Xingwei. “You can read it all.”
Tan Xingwei pushed Su Xu’s phone away. “I’m not looking.”
Su Xu took her phone back. “Okay, don’t look.”
But then Tan Xingwei said, “What did the essay say?”
Su Xu handed the phone to Tan Xingwei again.
Tan Xingwei held back for a few seconds before finally taking the phone.
She was clearly dying to read it.
For the next minute, Tan Xingwei just held Su Xu’s phone and finished reading the confession letter from the senior from five years ago.
She wrote so well, her writing was so good. She was also so good at praise, delicately and beautifully describing her first impression of Su Xu and her affection. She was also able to let go, understanding it was fruitless, so she wished her all the best in the future, and if they were fated to meet again, they should smile and say bye-bye.
The self-reflection in the bathroom earlier was all for nothing. Tan Xingwei’s annoyance shot through the roof.
But she didn’t know who to vent her anger on, so she could only clench her teeth tightly.
Tightly, she pressed the lock button on Su Xu’s phone, and tightly, she handed it back to Su Xu.
“Finished reading,” Tan Xingwei said. “As expected of you, having so many people like you, wow.”
Su Xu started to laugh, looking down at Tan Xingwei.
Tan Xingwei turned her head away so she couldn’t see, but Su Xu pursued her gaze.
Tan Xingwei turned away again, and Su Xu continued to pursue.
She was determined to look into Tan Xingwei’s eyes.
Tan Xingwei couldn’t stand being teased by Su Xu. Soon, her composure broke. “What are you doing?”
Su Xu laughed.
Tan Xingwei couldn’t help but laugh too. “What are you laughing at?”
Su Xu put down her phone and cupped Tan Xingwei’s face with both hands. “So cute, Tan Xingxing.”
Tan Xingwei: “Hmph.”
Su Xu: “Cute even when you’re angry.”
Tan Xingwei: “I’m not angry.”
Su Xu: “Cute when you’re not angry, too.”
Tan Xingwei: “Hmph.”
Su Xu’s eyes curved. “So cute, I could kiss you.”
Saying she’d kiss, she did. Su Xu lowered her head and gently touched Tan Xingwei’s lips.
Before Tan Xingwei could react, she heard a scream.
“Ah!”
They both looked toward the kitchen doorway at the same time.
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