Tan Xingwei didn’t actually have any friends to meet.
On the way from the roadside to the mall entrance, Tan Xingwei scrolled through her contacts so much her phone was practically smoking. It seemed like she could call anyone, yet no one felt quite right.
Finally, she extended her demonic claws towards her friend, Xue Fu, who owned a flower shop.
She had just been a customer this afternoon, so Xue Fu probably wouldn’t mind being bothered a little in the evening. Alright, you’re the one.
“Have you eaten?” Tan Xingwei asked as soon as the call connected.
Xue Fu: “Not yet, still busy. What’s up?”
Tan Xingwei: “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you and deliver it.”
Xue Fu: “For real? You’re too kind.”
Tan Xingwei: “I’m at Lide Plaza.”
Xue Fu: “Didn’t you go to the airport to pick someone up? Why aren’t you having dinner with your friend?”
Tan Xingwei: “I don’t know. I went, and they said room and board weren’t included.”
Xue Fu, used to Tan Xingwei’s deadpan jokes, said: “Just buy whatever you think is good. I’m fine with anything. Thanks.”
Half an hour later, Tan Xingwei squeezed into Xue Fu’s messy flower shop, carrying a large bag of food.
“You’re here,” Xue Fu said, her hands still busy wrapping flowers. “What brings you here?”
Tan Xingwei: “It’s the weekend.”
“Cut it out,” Xue Fu said with an I-know-you-better-than-that expression. “Alright, spill. Who did you pick up from the airport this afternoon?”
A sudden, radiant smile spread across Tan Xingwei’s face. “Guess.”
Xue Fu: “Your White Moonlight?”
Tan Xingwei let out a “wow.” “You’re good at guessing.”
It was the one who guessed correctly who was surprised. She stared at Tan Xingwei with wide eyes. “Really? You really went to pick up your White Moonlight?”
Tan Xingwei: “Mhm,” she said with a flourish. “Chapter One.”
Xue Fu finished the thought: “The Return.”
Xue Fu was a senior from the same university, a year ahead of her. They met because they were both from Haicheng. Later, Xue Fu often took Tan Xingwei to the Drama Club, and they became close.
After she finished wrapping the bouquet in her hands, Xue Fu cleared a space on the table. Tan Xingwei had brought pizza and fried chicken, and she laid them out one by one, filling the tabletop.
“So why didn’t you have dinner with him?” Xue Fu asked.
Tan Xingwei: “She had to go home. She didn’t know I was coming to pick her up.”
“He didn’t know?” Xue Fu’s surprised expression returned. “You… you were so…” She thought for a long time and found that the word she’d first thought of was the most fitting: “Presumptuous.”
“It was pretty presumptuous,” Tan Xingwei admitted with a laugh. “Can’t be helped. That’s just how much she spoils me.”
Xue Fu clicked her tongue. “How did he react when he saw you?”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment. “Just the usual, same as before.”
Xue Fu: “Tsk, does he have no taste!”
Tan Xingwei shrugged. “She probably just sees me as a little sister.”
“Seriously?” Xue Fu looked disgusted. “He’s not just pretending to be clueless, is he?”
Tan Xingwei shook her head, certain. “No, she wouldn’t.”
“What about you?” Xue Fu asked. “How did you feel when you saw him?”
Tan Xingwei let out a deep sigh. “It’s hard to describe.”
Xue Fu smiled. “Fell in love all over again?”
Tan Xingwei was noncommittal. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Xue Fu looked like she was about to say something, but she quickly hesitated and looked down, fiddling with her drink.
“Just say what you want to say,” Tan Xingwei said.
Xue Fu: “It’s hard to imagine you liking a guy this much.”
Tan Xingwei paused.
“I always thought you hated guys, until you mentioned you had a White Moonlight,” Xue Fu mused to herself with an “oh.” “Could it be that because of your White Moonlight, you don’t see anyone else as good enough? You don’t even want to date?” She nodded again. “That makes sense.”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
Now it was her turn to be at a loss for words.
It’s really impossible to explain things to you straight girls.
What was worse, while they were eating, Xue Fu started singing, “She’s just my little sister…”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
“Alright, alright, I won’t sing,” Xue Fu said with a laugh, then asked, “Didn’t you say you two lost contact? How did you know he was coming back? And how did you know his flight details?”
Tan Xingwei nodded. “Good question.”
Back then, to avoid unnecessary trouble from revealing too much, Tan Xingwei had told everyone a different story. So she asked tentatively, “What did I tell you about who she is?”
Xue Fu: “Your relative’s classmate.”
Tan Xingwei said, “Oh.”
A young girl’s secrets are told to everyone, and yet told to no one.
“My relative told me,” Tan Xingwei said, going along with it.
Xue Fu was curious. “Does your relative know you like their classmate?”
Tan Xingwei: “No, nobody knows.”
Xue Fu said “ah,” then “oh.” After a bite of pizza, she suddenly laughed. “So you really do have a White Moonlight. I always thought you made it up.”
Tan Xingwei was puzzled. “Why would I make that up?”
Xue Fu: “To get rid of your suitors.”
Tan Xingwei remembered. “That’s true, actually.”
Xue Fu laughed. “See? Back then, after Chen Zu heard about it, he stopped asking me about you.”
Tan Xingwei asked, “Who’s Chen Zu?”
Xue Fu was about to explain, but the words died on her lips. “Never mind, it’s not important.” But then she quickly remembered. “Oh! You mean Zhao Xintao.”
Tan Xingwei nodded. “He used to hit on me with cheesy pickup lines every time he saw me. It was so greasy.” She thought for a moment and added, “After he found out about this, he deleted me on WeChat before the event was even over.”
Xue Fu: “…That defensive.”
Tan Xingwei: “Later, he needed to get a manuscript from me and tried to add me again.”
Xue Fu: “Did you accept?”
Tan Xingwei: “No, I sent it to Lin Meng.”
“Hahaha,” Xue Fu burst out laughing and gave Tan Xingwei a thumbs-up. “Making him beg Lin Meng for it must have been worse than death for him.”
Tan Xingwei: “That’s not my problem.”
Xue Fu: “You really didn’t do it on purpose?”
Tan Xingwei didn’t speak, but she shook her head slightly.
Xue Fu: “That’s you, alright. You always get your revenge.”
They ate a few more bites of pizza in silence. Suddenly, Xue Fu said, “I never expected you to be interested in drama, either.”
Tan Xingwei gave a couple of hollow laughs.
She herself wasn’t actually interested. So why was that?
I’m sure my clever friends have already guessed.
That’s right. It was because Su Xu was in the Drama Club.
The time she went to see a play with Su Xu was on her last day staying at Su Xu’s house. Because she couldn’t come up with any more excuses to keep staying, she decided to give herself a perfect ending by telling Su Xu she would go back after watching Big Sister Ah Xu’s play.
Su Xu said okay.
Later, Tan Xingwei analyzed it herself late at night. If she had just stayed at Su Xu’s house without any reason, Su Xu probably wouldn’t have kicked her out.
But along with her regret, she also told herself that constantly freeloading at someone’s house was really bad for her image. She could easily become that annoying, clingy little sister of a classmate who wouldn’t leave.
At least now, in Su Xu’s eyes, Tan Xingwei was pretty, poised, got good grades, and was very obedient.
For that play, Su Xu got Tan Xingwei a very good seat. Although Tan Xingwei was alone the whole time, and although Su Xu didn’t perform on stage, Tan Xingwei watched the entire play very attentively.
In her eyes, Su Xu’s contributions permeated every line, every prop, and every backdrop. So she watched with great care and absorption, feeling very proud. She even felt that the Drama Club couldn’t possibly function without Su Xu.
Later, she took on the same tasks as Su Xu in the Drama Club, experiencing the things Su Xu had experienced before.
She didn’t know why she did all this; she never explained it to herself.
“So,” Xue Fu took a gulp of her drink and asked curiously, “what are you going to do? Now that he’s back, are you… going to pursue him?”
Tan Xingwei’s reply was swift: “No.”
Xue Fu asked, “Why not?”
Why not? That question really stumped Tan Xingwei.
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment, then just said vaguely, “Let’s just leave it as it is.”
Xue Fu: “That’s true. If there’s any pursuing to be done, it should be him pursuing you.”
Tan Xingwei nearly spat out her drink at Xue Fu’s shameless declaration.
Xue Fu: “What! What’s wrong with that!”
Tan Xingwei gave Xue Fu a thumbs-up. “I’ve got material for my dreams tonight.”
Xue Fu was indignant. “How can you be like that!”
Tan Xingwei pulled out her phone. “I’ll call her right now.” She casually tapped the screen a couple of times and handed it to Xue Fu. “You tell her.”
Xue Fu, who had been sitting bolt upright just a moment ago, immediately deflated. “These chicken wings are really good today.”
Seemingly understanding that Tan Xingwei wouldn’t say any more, Xue Fu didn’t continue talking about Tan Xingwei’s so-called White Moonlight.
Speaking of “White Moonlight,” it was Xue Fu who had come up with the nickname. At first, Tan Xingwei found it extremely awkward and a little embarrassing. Later, she gradually came to accept it. And eventually, Tan Xingwei felt that no term could be more suitable for Su Xu than “White Moonlight.”
Unfortunately, however, no one else called Su Xu “White Moonlight.”
It was truly one of the great regrets of Tan Xingwei’s life.
After dinner, Xue Fu got back to work. Tan Xingwei took the trash and said goodbye to her.
With no other plans for the evening, Tan Xingwei wandered around a nearby street before heading home. In the living room, only a small ring of lights was on. Tan Yinqing was lying on the sofa, playing a game.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Tan Xingwei asked as she walked in.
Tan Yinqing: “Playing mahjong.”
Tan Xingwei nodded and headed for her room. Tan Yinqing then asked, “Want to get a late-night snack together?”
Tan Xingwei stopped in her tracks. “What are we eating?”
Tan Yinqing: “Don’t know yet, we haven’t decided. Ah Xu invited us.”
Tan Xingwei froze instantly and took half a step back. “Did… she… invite me too?”
“Not exactly,” Tan Yinqing said, her fingers flying across her game. “It’s not a big deal. If you want to come, just come. It’ll just be the four of us.”
Tan Xingwei said, “Oh.” “Sure, I’ll go.” After saying that, she started walking to her room, but then, feeling indignant, she walked back. “I want grilled fish.”
Tan Yinqing: “Alright, I’ll tell them.”
Tan Xingwei went back to her room, closed the door, and took out her tablet. Many of the dramas and variety shows she was following had been updated over the week. She randomly picked one, opened the video app, went to her history, and continued watching.
After watching for a while, she tapped her phone.
She watched a little longer, then tapped her phone again.
What game was Tan Yinqing playing that was taking so long? Had she told her friends or not?
Halfway through the video, Tan Xingwei’s phone was still silent. She couldn’t take it anymore, paused the video, and went out holding her tablet.
Outside, Tan Yinqing had finished her game. She had also turned on the TV and was continuing the variety show from the afternoon.
Tan Xingwei sat down next to her, curled up her legs, and placed the tablet on her lap.
“Did you tell them?” Tan Xingwei asked, trying to sound super casual.
“What?” Tan Yinqing said, then remembered. “Oh, the late-night snack. Yeah, I told them. They said it’s fine. Ten-thirty.”
Tan Xingwei pouted and said, “Oh.” “If you told them, why didn’t you tell me?”
Tan Yinqing: “I’m telling you now, aren’t I? Are you in a hurry?”
Tan Xingwei: “…”
There’s really nothing to say to you straight girls!
Tan Xingwei dragged the progress bar on her tablet back a little.
“Hey, Ah Xu posted on her Moments,” Tan Yinqing said after a while.
Tan Xingwei’s hand twitched, but she remained seated with a frown, as if engrossed in the plot.
“Someone really did go pick her up today,” Tan Yinqing said, looking at something. She suddenly let out an indescribable “Ahhh~”
Tan Xingwei couldn’t hold back any longer.
She ran her left hand through her hair while her right hand quickly pulled her phone from her pocket and swiftly tapped into her Moments.
She had to scroll down several posts to find Su Xu’s, which had been published ten minutes ago.
“The first surprise after getting off the plane was seeing a little sister I haven’t seen in a long time. She’s grown up so much, but she’s still the same as before.
I haven’t received flowers in a long time. I’m very happy. They’re very beautiful, and I like them a lot.”
Below the text was a photo.
It was the one Tan Xingwei had taken of Su Xu in the car.
The calm that had gradually settled over Tan Xingwei after seeing Su Xu was stirred up again. Her emotions took control of her nerves, and a tingling sensation spread through her palms and wrists.
This was the second time Su Xu had posted about her on Moments.
In Chinese, “he” (他) and “she” (她) are both pronounced “tā” but distinguished in writing, while spoken context clarifies gender, hence the misunderstanding.
