He Lindi felt she had become somewhat obsessed. Normally, she disliked going to the university across the street, Lu Cheng University, but ever since realizing she liked Chi Shuo, she found herself heading over there frequently.
Sometimes she’d bring her DSLR, hoping to capture Chi Shuo’s figure in the crowd, develop the photos, and put them in her album. Other times, she’d go empty-handed because… she never encountered Chi Shuo anyway.
If she went to Lu Cheng University ten times in a semester, she might only run into Chi Shuo twice. Chi Shuo was too busy, always juggling one part-time job after another. Sometimes, even when they came face-to-face, He Lindi would get excited and want to say hello, but Chi Shuo would still act as if she hadn’t seen her, walking right past.
He Lindi felt incredibly defeated. Fortunately, they were both in the same hometown group chat. The group sometimes organized dinners and activities. If Chi Shuo went, she would go too. That way, they were forced to interact, though it was rare, and…
Chi Shuo’s words were always barbed; she always picked fights with her.
At first, He Lindi felt wronged and even wanted to confront Chi Shuo, ask her clearly why she disliked her so much when she hadn’t done anything. But she lacked the courage. If the answer truly was “disliked for no reason,” then she would have no chance at all of winning Chi Shuo over.
Being disliked without reason—that was true dislike.
Later, He Lindi learned her lesson. Every time Chi Shuo provoked her and she got retorted, she retorted back. Over time, she even found some amusement in it.
Time flew by, and graduation arrived. They still didn’t have each other’s contact information, but when they met, there was always a hint of tension. He Lindi didn’t think this was a bad thing. In fact, she was quite happy that their discordant relationship was tacitly accepted by everyone.
Soon, it was time to find jobs. He Lindi had already signed with a company in Yun Cheng. She didn’t know where Chi Shuo would end up. Before she liked Chi Shuo, they went to the same high school. Even if they hadn’t spoken a word, they had seen each other around. After she started liking Chi Shuo, their universities were right across the street. Though they still didn’t interact much, it was better than nothing.
He Lindi had never seen Chi Shuo date, nor heard anyone say Chi Shuo was dating. Did that mean she had a slight chance?
Even though her feelings were extremely suppressed and hidden due to family pressure, she still wanted to be a little closer to Chi Shuo, just a little bit closer was enough.
But after graduation, she didn’t know where Chi Shuo had gone, until one day, in the company elevator, she saw her.
He Lindi kept her gaze forward, but all her attention was focused on Chi Shuo. She watched Chi Shuo get off on the 25th floor, then, as if taking a gamble, asked her cousin Lin Xinyue, whose company was on the floor below hers, if they had an employee named Chi Shuo.
“Yes,” Lin Xinyue confirmed readily. “HR mentioned her during recruitment. This young lady is quite outstanding—good grades in university, lots of part-time experience, strong abilities in all aspects. Why do you ask?”
He Lindi just smiled. “Nothing.” She paused. “She’s my friend.”
Lin Xinyue exposed her: “She’s your friend, yet you don’t even know where she works?”
He Lindi: “……”
He Lindi tried to save face: “Can’t I? Do friends have to know where the other person works?”
Lin Xinyue conceded: “OK.”
He Lindi added, “I don’t mean for you to give her special treatment.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
He Lindi hung up. “Can’t talk anymore.”
He Lindi always kept her work and personal life separate. Specifically, even though her cousin ran the company downstairs, she wouldn’t go over to chat with him.
But after learning Chi Shuo was right downstairs, she couldn’t contain her desire to talk to her. But she couldn’t do it, because Chi Shuo didn’t like her.
So He Lindi changed her strategy. As if returning to her university days, she and Chi Shuo started running into each other at gatherings again. Except for business trips, whenever there was an event Chi Shuo would attend, she would too.
The fact that they would harmoniously bicker whenever they met gradually became known to everyone. Chi Shuo would smile, blending into the group better than her, but when facing He Lindi, her expression would still change instantly, becoming cold.
He Lindi cried to Ding Miaoran, “Why does Chi Shuo do this?!”
Ding Miaoran: “Because you like her.”
“……” He Lindi hung up again. “Can’t talk anymore.”
She and Chi Shuo still weren’t friends. Even when they met in the elevator, they wouldn’t greet each other.
After a long time of this, He Lindi couldn’t take it anymore. She felt she had to take the initiative. Even if they couldn’t be lovers, they should at least be friends, right?
Finally, things took a turn. News spread through the company that Chi Shuo had been “forced” into a blind date by her mother. He Lindi deliberately asked their mutual university classmate to pass on her “sympathies” to Chi Shuo.
She just wanted to make her presence felt by Chi Shuo.
Unexpectedly, this mockery worked. After work, Chi Shuo came upstairs looking for her. When He Lindi found out, her heart was already churning with waves, but she maintained a calm facade, even casually talking to a friend on the phone.
He Lindi felt she was truly… a drama queen.
Facts proved that taking the initiative leads to results. She “forced” Chi Shuo to interact with her, got her to add her on WeChat, and even started openly taking pictures of Chi Shuo.
The world seemed to become beautiful, until the love rival appeared—that young man, Xiao Tong, who had just graduated high school.
It was obvious Xiao Tong liked Chi Shuo. He Lindi started feeling nervous. If Chi Shuo ended up in this older woman-younger man relationship with her childhood friend, wouldn’t her secret crush… end right there?
Only then did He Lindi realize she hadn’t figured out one thing: Chi Shuo had never dated, but that didn’t mean she had a chance. Chi Shuo might very well be secretly crushing on someone else, just like her.
He Lindi started feeling frustrated. And Chi Shuo even acted like she didn’t understand her hints, refusing to let He Lindi drive her home, stubbornly insisting on taking a taxi back even while limping.
He Lindi stood in the wind for a long time. She felt that this kind of hidden crush would truly lead nowhere. Even if it failed, the ending would only be forced upon her when Chi Shuo started dating or got married.
Fortunately, Chi Shuo liked her too.
Before they started dating, during the ambiguous phase, He Lindi replayed those moments again and again when Chi Shuo wasn’t around. She hugged her pillow, rolled around in bed, almost screaming. She desperately told herself to stay calm, not to rush, but still wanted to be closer to Chi Shuo.
She picked Chi Shuo up from work, went to the movies with her. So many things she had fantasized about before actually came true.
But behind this sweetness, there was still some hidden sorrow, because Chi Shuo’s ex-girlfriend was Shen Qu. And although she hadn’t known Shen Qu long, they got along well.
She knew about their regrettable past. This story took root in her heart, making her happy yet somewhat pained at the same time.
He Lindi sometimes thought, why hadn’t she liked Chi Shuo earlier? If only she could have snatched Chi Shuo away in high school. She thought this, then felt it wasn’t feasible. Back then, she didn’t have much courage to negotiate with her family. She could only passively kneel in the winter night, her resistance powerless.
Even… now that she was grown up, she was still passive. But compared to her past self, she had grown a lot.
He Lindi remembered what she had said to Chi Shuo the night of her confession: “I like you, like you enough that I’m willing to be brave, willing to tell you my feelings.”
Her feelings had been hidden for so long, and she could finally tell Chi Shuo. A wave of complex emotions washed over He Lindi.
That night, she didn’t sleep well. She wondered what her future with Chi Shuo would be like.
Would they break up? Like many couples, due to incompatibility or falling out of love? Would such a scene happen to them?
He Lindi thought for a long time, finally feeling she was worrying unnecessarily.
Even if they faced obstacles from family, time, and many other factors ahead, she would definitely keep Chi Shuo by her side.
Her.
She would definitely stay with Chi Shuo for a long, long time.
