WRR – Chapter 8

From Yu Lingshan’s clothes and the water bottle in her hand, it was clear she was out for a run.

She had probably been running for a while and was now walking at a leisurely pace. Xu Shi, seizing the moment before she was spotted, quickly hid behind a large tree.

She didn’t know why she got so nervous every time she saw Yu Lingshan, but her heart had inexplicably started to race again.

Yu Lingshan was clearly heading in her direction. If this had been yesterday, Xu Shi would have definitely hidden until she was gone, but things were different now.

“Hi.”

Just as Yu Lingshan passed the large tree, Xu Shi suddenly appeared.

Startled, Yu Lingshan jumped back, nearly dropping the bottle in her hand.

Xu Shi smiled at her. “Morning.”

She glanced at Xu Shi and let out a small breath. “What are you doing here?”

Xu Shi licked her lips. Her brain seemed to want her to say, “To run into you,” but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. In the end, all she did was give Yu Lingshan a foolish-looking smile.

Yu Lingshan was amused. “What are you smiling about?”

Xu Shi kept smiling. “Out for a run?”

Yu Lingshan hummed in agreement and glanced around. “You live here?”

“Yeah.”

Yu Lingshan nodded and looked as if she was about to leave, so Xu Shi quickly called out to her.

“What is it?”

Xu Shi hesitated. “Have you had breakfast?”

“Not yet. I’ll eat when I get back from my run.”

Xu Shi swallowed. “Let me treat you to breakfast,” she said, quickly adding, “if you don’t mind.”

Yu Lingshan asked, “Why?”

Yu Lingshan had her hair in a ponytail for her run, and her sportswear gave her a different vibe today. When she asked why, she tilted her head, and the ponytail swung over her shoulder.

Xu Shi didn’t know why she always noticed these insignificant little movements of Yu Lingshan’s. It was always like this; any slight motion from Yu Lingshan would capture her attention.

Then she would analyze in her head what mood Yu Lingshan was in when she said those words.

So now, Xu Shi guessed she probably found it strange.

Even Xu Shi thought she was being strange.

“I haven’t properly thanked you for taking me in the other day. I troubled you for a whole night.”

Yu Lingshan looked into Xu Shi’s eyes for two seconds before smiling.

She asked, “What day is it today?”

“Saturday.”

“And what day did I take you in?”

“Wednesday.”

“Such a slow reaction?”

Xu Shi paused. “No, it’s just, I…”

Xu Shi didn’t know how to explain and just stammered, but Yu Lingshan didn’t seem to mind at all. She smiled and asked, “What are you planning to treat me to?”

Xu Shi glanced around, gesturing with her hand. “There are a lot of places to eat around here. What would you like? Anything is fine.”

Yu Lingshan hummed but didn’t rush to a decision. Instead, she opened her water bottle.

As Yu Lingshan tilted her head back to drink, Xu Shi watched from the side. When Yu Lingshan finished, Xu Shi was still watching.

Then Xu Shi saw Yu Lingshan smile slightly. Without even looking her way, she asked, “You seem to really like looking at me.”

Xu Shi’s face instantly flushed red.

Yu Lingshan added, “Am I that good-looking?”

Xu Shi didn’t deny it. “Yes, you’re very good-looking.”

Yu Lingshan smiled, then lifted her water bottle and pointed with the bottom toward a breakfast shop not far away. “Congee. Is that okay, little one?”

Xu Shi froze for a moment because of the sudden “little one.” Yu Lingshan seemed to pause for a second too, before asking, “You don’t want congee?”

“Oh, no, I’ll eat it.”

Once they were in the shop, as Xu Shi went to get bowls and chopsticks, a new message came from Heard.

Heard: The photo is very nice

Xu Shi quickly juggled all the bowls and chopsticks into one arm and replied with her free hand: My profile picture?

Heard: Mmm

Xu Shi pressed her lips into a smile and sent another message: I was wearing makeup

It was probably the first time Xu Shi had ever worn makeup. Her company had very strict requirements for employee profile pictures, which had to be a photo of oneself. At first, Xu Shi had uploaded several casual photos, but none were approved. Finally, her manager hinted that she should look at her colleagues’ profile pictures.

Her colleagues’ photos were either incredibly sexy or impossibly handsome—styles that Xu Shi simply couldn’t pull off.

The manager also said it would make it easier to add friends.

So that weekend, Xu Shi went to Weiwei’s place. Weiwei, understanding the context, gave Xu Shi some very heavy, glamorous makeup and took a particularly sexy photo.

It was a style that was completely unsuited for Xu Shi, and Weiwei had burst out laughing on the spot.

So Xu Shi really couldn’t bring herself to upload that picture. Later, Weiwei did her makeup again, having her stand in the sunlight by a window, do nothing, and just smile at the camera.

That photo was finally approved.

And the manager had been right. The day she uploaded the photo, Xu Shi didn’t even have to actively add friends; requests came flooding in from all directions.

Yan Wuwu: Thank you

She asked: Have you had breakfast?

After sending it, Xu Shi placed the bowls and chopsticks on the table. Seeing that Heard wasn’t typing, she put her phone down on the table as well.

Then she looked up, and her gaze unexpectedly met Yu Lingshan’s.

Xu Shi didn’t know what to say, so she could only smile at Yu Lingshan before quickly looking away.

Seeing this, Yu Lingshan also smiled and started a conversation. “Is the congee here good?”

“It’s okay. Just very plain white congee.”

“Any recommended side dishes?”

Xu Shi glanced toward the menu. “They’re all just simple, home-style side dishes.”

“What do you usually eat when you come here?”

“It depends. Whatever I feel like eating.”

Yu Lingshan shook her head. “You’re such a great conversationalist.”

Xu Shi paused. “I’m not very good at making conversation.”

“Aren’t you from a dating app company? Don’t they train you in conversation skills?”

“They do. There’s even a conversation skills assessment.”

“Did you pass?”

Xu Shi stuck her tongue out sheepishly. “I failed.”

Yu Lingshan let out an “I knew it” kind of laugh.

One major advantage of eating plain congee was that it was served quickly. When the waitress brought their order, Xu Shi breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking, Finally, I don’t have to talk to Yu Lingshan anymore.

Then she tapped her phone screen again. It was blank.

“Waiting for a message?” Yu Lingshan suddenly asked.

Xu Shi shook her head. “No.”

Yu Lingshan picked up a bean with her chopsticks. “You’ve checked your phone several times.”

Xu Shi thought for a moment. “Not really waiting,” she mused, then added, “but I guess I am.”

Xu Shi always felt inexplicably ill at ease around Yu Lingshan. She didn’t dare say or do too much. Even though Yu Lingshan had never done anything to her, she was just afraid of her.

Seeing Yu Lingshan pick up her phone now, while her own bowl was still empty, Xu Shi thought for a long time before deciding to reach over and ladle a bowl of congee for her.

Halfway through serving it, Xu Shi’s phone chimed with a notification from Ding Dong Dong.

It was Heard. She said: Eating now

Xu Shi finished ladling Yu Lingshan’s congee, moved the bowl over to her, pushed the side dishes a little closer to her, and then opened her phone.

Yan Wuwu: What a coincidence, I’m eating too

Yan Wuwu: What are you having?

Heard: Plain congee

The corners of Xu Shi’s mouth lifted involuntarily: What a coincidence, I’m having congee too

It wasn’t very polite to be on your phone while eating with someone, so after sending that message, Xu Shi didn’t say anything more and turned off her notification sound.

She saw that Yu Lingshan had also put down her phone and picked up her spoon to start eating.

A little while later, Yu Lingshan suddenly placed a hard-boiled egg in front of Xu Shi.

Before Xu Shi could ask, Yu Lingshan said, “Peel it for me.”

Xu Shi immediately put down her spoon and started tapping the egg.

Yu Lingshan stopped eating too, propping her chin on her hands to watch Xu Shi peel it.

Halfway through, Yu Lingshan asked, “Have you ever peeled an egg for anyone else?”

Xu Shi thought about it seriously and shook her head. “No.”

Yu Lingshan smiled, her tone softening. “I’m the first.”

Xu Shi nodded. “Mmm.”

After she peeled a bit more, Yu Lingshan suddenly said, “Actually, I don’t like hard-boiled eggs.”

Xu Shi’s hands froze mid-peel.

Yu Lingshan started to laugh. “I’ll eat this one.”

Xu Shi said, “Oh,” while a thousand thoughts ran through her mind, all of them being: This woman is so strange.

Xu Shi and Yu Lingshan weren’t very familiar with each other yet, so the meal was slightly awkward for her, especially during the silent moments when neither of them was talking.

Every time Xu Shi looked up, she found herself thinking, Why does Yu Lingshan eat so slowly?

As they were about to finish, Xu Shi finally thought of something to say.

“I really am so grateful to you for taking me in and looking after me that night. Breakfast today was a bit rushed, so if you have time in the future, let me treat you to a proper meal.”

Yu Lingshan pulled out a napkin. “Forget the future. How about today?”

“Huh?”

“What? Was that just a polite formality?”

Xu Shi waved her hands. “No, no, no, it’s fine. What would you like to eat?”

Yu Lingshan started to laugh, revealing that familiar, half-smiling expression of hers. Even without makeup, her eyes looked very much like a fox’s.

She said, “We’re not that familiar with each other.”

“Huh?”

Yu Lingshan put the napkin on the table. “Never mind, I was just kidding. I’m not free today, but I’ll remember your offer.”

Xu Shi nodded. “Oh, okay.”

The encounter ended with Xu Shi watching the car that came to pick up Yu Lingshan drive away. Once the car was completely out of sight, Xu Shi let out a long breath and took out her phone.

Then she sent a message to Heard.

Yan Wuwu: Hey, I really did run into an acquaintance when I went out

Yan Wuwu: I don’t know if it counts as the ‘good encounter’ you mentioned

Heard replied quickly this time. She asked: Do you think it counts?

Xu Shi thought for a moment and replied: It does