For the first time, Tan Xingwei stood in Su Xu’s shoes, listening to their story.
The plot was familiar, yet everything felt foreign. So this was what Su Xu had been thinking; so this was how things had really been.
Tan Xingwei couldn’t hold it together. From the moment Su Xu recited the words on the little rabbit sticky note without missing a single character, her nose began to sting.
Su Xu’s tone was light, her storytelling skills were excellent, and she kept her eyes fixed on Tan Xingwei’s the entire time. When she mentioned sending “I’m sorry” to Tan Xingwei on the plane, she said, “And you, you blocked me.” At that, Tan Xingwei finally broke, and as she took a deep breath, a tear fell.
Su Xu seemed to have anticipated that Tan Xingwei would cry. She unhurriedly pulled out a tissue and gently pressed it to Tan Xingwei’s eye.
Tan Xingwei wanted to take the tissue and wipe her own tears, but she let her hand fall.
Just let Su Xu do it. Whoever made her cry should be the one to wipe her tears.
Tan Xingwei wasn’t sure if she was crying for her wronged self back then, or for the wronged Su Xu. Perhaps it was both. At this moment, she felt that fate had played a trick on them, yet this was also how things were meant to be.
“I’m sorry,” Tan Xingwei said, her voice thick with emotion after Su Xu finished her story.
Su Xu smiled and dabbed the corner of Tan Xingwei’s eye again. “What are you sorry for?”
Tan Xingwei said, “I was so willful. I blocked you without even asking for a clear explanation.”
Su Xu said, “I really didn’t go.”
Tan Xingwei: “…I know, but I also…” She felt as if Su Xu had cut her off. One second she was sad, the next she was smiling. “You’re so mean. Why didn’t you come?”
Su Xu said, “Isn’t this me regretting it now?”
Tan Xingwei was speechless again. How come Su Xu had said everything there was to say?
Tan Xingwei asked, “How did you know what I was going to say back then?”
Su Xu shook her head. “I didn’t know.” She then asked Tan Xingwei, “What were you going to say?”
Tan Xingwei: “I… I.”
Su Xu: “Hm?”
Tan Xingwei felt that Su Xu could probably guess, but she wasn’t sure if Su Xu’s expression was one of confusion or if she was waiting for Tan Xingwei to say it herself.
Whatever it was, Tan Xingwei was going to say it. “I was going to confess to you.”
Su Xu smiled, not at all surprised. “Thank you.”
Tan Xingwei: “You’re welcome!”
Su Xu didn’t ask for the specifics of the confession, and Tan Xingwei didn’t elaborate.
Even if she were to elaborate, she couldn’t say much. She might have had a script in her heart at the time, but after so many years, how could she remember the details? She only remembered that the central idea was a confession.
In truth, what Tan Xingwei had wanted to say back then, whether it was a confession or something else, was no longer important to them now.
What would have happened if she had confessed? What would they have done after? The Tan Xingwei of that time hadn’t thought it through; she had only been focused on getting it done.
One of them was about to start university, the other was about to go abroad. One was a fresh high school graduate, still very green, while the other already had one foot in the professional world. They really weren’t a good match. If they had taken the next step, it would have been a long-distance relationship from the very beginning. Who could stand that? It would have been too much of a hindrance.
Su Xu was right not to come. If the current Tan Xingwei were in Su Xu’s shoes back then, and if she had gone and listened to that sincere confession, she wouldn’t have known what to do either.
The only possible response might have been, “Thank you for your feelings.”
And who knows, even a “thank you” might have upset that Young Miss Tan, and she still would have been blocked.
Haha, so hard to please.
Ah, Big Sister Ah Xu is just too good. Tan Xingwei is so bad, yet she’s still willing to turn back to dote on her, love her, and spoil her.
As she thought about this, Tan Xingwei draped herself all over Su Xu.
They were sitting in their respective seats, and Tan Xingwei had to lean sideways to hug Su Xu. Although Su Xu kept patting her back, which was very comforting, the awkward posture soon made Tan Xingwei’s back ache.
So she abruptly sat up from Su Xu. “Let’s eat cake.”
Su Xu’s hands were suddenly empty. She chuckled. “Alright.”
But they didn’t eat right away. Tan Xingwei leaned over and kissed Su Xu.
She initiated the kiss, but she was also the one who blushed. She still couldn’t shake the habit of getting flustered after doing something bold. When a person is embarrassed, they start to fidget. She picked up a fork and put it down, picked up the knife and put it down, holding a candle in one hand and a plate in the other, not knowing what to do.
And Su Xu didn’t even help, she just kept smiling.
Tan Xingwei had had enough. She tossed the knife in front of Su Xu. “You do it.”
Su Xu still didn’t say anything. She gently scraped Tan Xingwei’s cheek with the back of her fingers. “So cute.”
Tan Xingwei’s mouth twisted into a pout again.
Tan Xingwei quietly watched Su Xu cut the cake, watching the knife sink into the cream, slicing an opening in the cake.
“What are you smiling at?” Su Xu asked suddenly as she was cutting the other side.
Tan Xingwei’s smile froze on her face. She had clearly leaned back.
“Smiling at…” Tan Xingwei just smiled. “I’m not telling you.”
But very quickly, Tan Xingwei added, “Big Sister Ah Xu, your hands are so beautiful.”
That did it. A certain big sister started to get theatrical. What was a very natural way of holding the knife suddenly became a pose where she elongated her fingers and pressed them on the back of the blade.
Tan Xingwei burst out laughing. “Big Sister Ah Xu, you’re very cute too.”
Su Xu flicked her hair and placed the cut slice of cake in front of Tan Xingwei.
Then she stopped cutting.
“Aren’t you having any?” Tan Xingwei asked.
Su Xu shook her head. “Feed me.”
Oh, how sweet!
Finally, they could eat the cake. With you taking a bite and me taking a bite, then you taking another and me taking another, Tan Xingwei and Su Xu finished the cake together.
They were a little too full, so after cleaning up, they went downstairs for a walk.
The pleasant weekend was quietly counting down. After they went back, they didn’t do much, but by the time they had showered, brushed their teeth, and gotten into bed, it was already past midnight.
Tan Xingwei got into bed first. Not long after, a fragrant Su Xu came out too.
Just like many times before, Su Xu walked around to the other side of the bed, turned off the light, lifted the covers, and lay down.
Tan Xingwei clutched the blanket, took a deep breath, and tried to work up her courage.
She couldn’t muster it.
She took another breath, and just as she was about to try again, Su Xu spoke.
“Come here and hug me.”
Before Tan Xingwei could move, Su Xu’s arm reached out first. Tan Xingwei immediately took the opportunity to roll into Su Xu’s embrace.
After half a turn, Tan Xingwei’s head was nestled perfectly by Su Xu’s shoulder, completely enveloped in her wonderful scent.
Tan Xingwei took a deep sniff.
“What are you doing?” Su Xu lowered her head. “That tickles.”
With the lights off, Tan Xingwei wasn’t as shy. She said boldly, “Big Sister smells nice.”
Big Sister understood. She hugged Tan Xingwei a little tighter. “If she smells nice, then smell some more.”
That was just what Tan Xingwei wanted. “Okay, okay.”
Su Xu, fresh from the shower, was different from Tan Xingwei, who had been in the air-conditioned room for a while. She was warm, and their hands had different temperatures when they touched.
“Big Sister Ah Xu,” Tan Xingwei suddenly thought of something. “What about that little rabbit?”
Su Xu said, “I put it away.”
Tan Xingwei said, “Oh.”
Su Xu added, “I just put it away last week.”
Tan Xingwei: “Huh?” She was confused. “I thought you put it away before you went abroad.”
“I did put it away before I went abroad, but I took it out again after I came back,” Su Xu said, pausing for half a second. “I put it away the day you came to sleep over at my place.”
Tan Xingwei immediately smiled. “Afraid I’d find it.”
Su Xu asked, “If you had found it, what would you have thought?”
Tan Xingwei said, “I would have been very happy, of course.”
Su Xu asked, “And then?”
“And then,” Tan Xingwei said, “there would be no ‘and then’.”
Su Xu pinched Tan Xingwei’s cheek. “When you saw ‘Meteor’ that day, I thought you would ask me about it.”
Tan Xingwei was speechless at her own behavior. “Sorry, I already came up with an explanation for you in my head.”
Su Xu gave a casual “mhm” and then leaned in to kiss her.
Mhm, it was just that sudden. Su Xu was always so sudden, always kissing her whenever she felt like it.
She held Tan Xingwei tightly, her kisses a mix of deep and shallow.
She was too good at kissing, so incredibly soft. Tan Xingwei’s arms and head, which had been cool from the air conditioning, were now completely hot.
When they stopped, Tan Xingwei said dizzily, “Big Sister Ah Xu, you’re also really good to kiss.”
Su Xu smiled. “Good.”
Tan Xingwei thought for a moment. “Big Sister Ah Xu, I like you.”
Su Xu: “Mmm~”
Tan Xingwei’s voice dropped lower. “Do you think what I said wasn’t enough?”
Su Xu: “What wasn’t enough?”
Tan Xingwei: “The confession.”
Actually, right after hearing Su Xu talk so much about the past, Tan Xingwei had already been thinking about this. Su Xu had asked her to confess, but she had been so shy for some reason, managing to squeeze out only a few words after a long time.
Look at Su Xu. If you ask, she delivers, speaking at length about so, so much.
But then they ate cake, went for a walk, and came back to take turns showering without a break, so Tan Xingwei hadn’t had a chance to express this feeling.
Now, whispering intimately, right after a kiss, was the perfect time.
“No,” Su Xu said. “I know you like me a lot.”
Tan Xingwei hugged Su Xu again. “I do, I do.”
Su Xu seemed to understand what Tan Xingwei was getting at. “I said so much because I was afraid if I said too little, you wouldn’t feel it.”
That made so much sense. Tan Xingwei, aren’t you exactly that kind of person?
Tan Xingwei hugged her even tighter, speaking with deep feeling, “This feels so dreamlike. You actually like me.”
Su Xu laughed. “You’re so wonderful, liking you is as simple as breathing.”
Tan Xingwei started to laugh.
Su Xu added, “I’m so lucky to have you like me.”
Tan Xingwei burrowed deeper into Su Xu’s embrace out of shyness. “Aiya,” she was so happy. “Big Sister Ah Xu, you’re so gentle today.”
Su Xu: “Wasn’t I gentle before?”
Tan Xingwei: “You were, but today you like me, so you’re exceptionally gentle.”
Su Xu: “I liked you before, too.”
Tan Xingwei: “Aiya, aiya.”
She couldn’t take it anymore!
But she still had to say, “If you know how to say it, say more.”
Su Xu was amused by Tan Xingwei. “You like sweet talk?”
Tan Xingwei: “What’s wrong with that? I do.”
Su Xu: “Then do you like it if I exaggerate?”
Tan Xingwei shook her head. “No, no, I want genuine feelings.”
But soon, Tan Xingwei nodded again. “Yes, yes, I want it all. Sometimes the things you say, um…”
As Tan Xingwei was trying to think of how to describe the things Su Xu would occasionally say, Su Xu spoke up. “You like it when I flirt with you?”
Tan Xingwei got shy. “Ah.”
Su Xu stated with certainty, “You like it when I bait you.”
Tan Xingwei pouted again. “Ah.”
Su Xu said confidently, “You like it when I tease you.”
She hadn’t even said anything, but Tan Xingwei was already enjoying herself. “Ah.”
Su Xu: “Got it, little sister.”
It was just a pity that for working people, this hour was considered late at night. Tan Xingwei let out a few yawns, and Su Xu yawned along with her. Neither of them knew what they talked about last, so they didn’t know how they eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, as soon as she woke up, Tan Xingwei received a kiss from Su Xu. This was pure bliss!
Love is one in a million, but also a dime a dozen.
From then on, Tan Xingwei and Su Xu began their life as a little couple. They had to report everything in their lives to each other, big or small—the fun, the interesting, the boring, the happy, the things that made them want to curse, the funny, and the annoying.
This week, Su Xu was sometimes busy, sometimes not. When she was free, she would pick Tan Xingwei up after work. When she was busy, Tan Xingwei had to fend for herself.
The work week passed quietly. On Friday, just before getting off work, a colleague’s comment, “This pair isn’t mine, mine are the small scissors, not this big,” suddenly triggered something in Tan Xingwei’s mind. She remembered she had a date with Little Scissors today.
This was a disaster. She hurriedly opened Weibo and, sure enough, Little Scissors had already sent her many messages.
Some were from a few days ago. Little Scissors had sent a screenshot of her ticket time, saying, “Looking forward to it, looking forward to it!”
Some were also from a few days ago. Little Scissors had circled the things she was interested in from Little X’s guide, saying she planned to visit these places and eat these things, and that her own plan was already made.
Some were from yesterday, saying, “Leaving tomorrow, I’m going to see Little X and Sister A soon, so excited!”
Some were from today. Little Scissors said she had arrived in Haicheng this morning, had little work today and finished early, and was already back at the hotel by three. “Little X, when do you get off work? What are we having for dinner?”
She also said, “Little X, why haven’t you appeared yet? Do you still remember me? Sob, sob. You didn’t forget our promise, did you? Sob, sob. Swallow, are you still coming back?”
Although Tan Xingwei read through all this with a feeling of “I’m so doomed,” she still thought that since things were already like this, a little more delay wouldn’t make a difference.
Su Xu didn’t know about this yet.
So Tan Xingwei didn’t reply immediately. She first opened Su Xu’s WeChat.
Tan Xingwei: [Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister, are you free for dinner tonight?]
Su Xu replied quickly: [Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister, not sure, the meeting isn’t over yet]
Tan Xingwei: [You’re missing one ‘Little Sister’]
Su Xu: [Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister]
Tan Xingwei: [Satisfied]
Tan Xingwei: [I just remembered I have a dinner date with a netizen tonight]
Su Xu: [A netizen?]
Tan Xingwei first typed on her keyboard, “It’s like this,” but after typing it, she realized she couldn’t say a single word about this matter.
So she deleted it and started over: [Yes, a netizen I’ve known for a long time. She’s here in Haicheng for a business trip]
Tan Xingwei: [When we talked about it before, I was planning for us to go together]
Tan Xingwei: [But I accidentally forgot about it, forgot to tell you in advance]
Tan Xingwei: [It’s okay, if you’re not free, I’ll go by myself]
Su Xu took a while to reply. She said: [I’m free]
She asked: [What time?]
Only after receiving Su Xu’s message did Tan Xingwei go back to find Little Scissors.
Little Scissors was greatly relieved, sending several crying emojis of “You finally remembered me.”
The last few minutes before getting off work on a Friday were perfect for slacking off. In that time, Tan Xingwei confirmed the restaurant location and time with Little Scissors, called to make a reservation, and managed to get everything done right as work ended. It was extremely satisfying.
Su Xu wasn’t done so early. After work, Tan Xingwei first went to Su Xu’s company and waited a short while for her meeting to finish. Then, the two of them went to the mall together.
Little Scissors also sent a message, saying she was on her way, the driver said she was just half a street away, and that she was wearing a green top and denim shorts today.
Tan Xingwei: [ok, I’m wearing a white T-shirt today, Big Sister is in a light blue shirt, we’re inside Entrance 1, right at the door, you’ll see us as soon as you come in]
Little Scissors: [Okay okay]
Little Scissors: [I’m so nervous, so nervous, oh my god, it’s like meeting a celebrity]
Little Scissors: [My legs are shaking]
Little Scissors: [I can’t believe I’m about to see you and Big Sister]
“You two are contacting each other through Weibo?”
As she was chatting, Su Xu, who was beside her, suddenly asked with a puzzled tone.
“Yes,” Tan Xingwei smiled, and also angled her phone away slightly. “Didn’t expect that, did you?”
Su Xu didn’t answer that question. She only asked, “I can’t see it?”
Tan Xingwei slowly pursed her lips. “This… it’s a long story.”
Su Xu drew out a long “Ahhh.” “You have secrets from me.”
Tan Xingwei: “It’s not… this…”
Before Tan Xingwei could explain anything, a voice suddenly came from their side.
“Little X?”
A strange girl approached them with slow steps and a questioning look, asking Tan Xingwei cautiously, “Are you Little X?”
Only then did Tan Xingwei remember that she had forgotten to coordinate with Little Scissors.
