Chi Shuo was clearly stunned for a moment. “Really?”
Xia Zhou glanced around, confirmed no one was paying attention, then continued in a whisper, “I’m not sure.” She looked at Chi Shuo puzzledly. “Wait, Shuo Shuo, you two were love rivals before. Shouldn’t you know better than me?”
Chi Shuo shook her head. “Don’t know.” She paused. “What I didn’t confess was, she was my imagined love rival…”
Xia Zhou was astonished, her voice unconsciously rising. “What?” She realized and immediately lowered her voice again. “After all this time, she was an imagined love rival?”
Chi Shuo cleared her throat softly and pushed her away. “Let’s not talk about it now. Hurry back, finish up, we’ll chat after work.”
Xia Zhou’s eyes were filled with confusion and curiosity. Before leaving, she patted Chi Shuo’s shoulder, pretending to be fierce. “If you dare not confess truthfully, just wait for me and Zeng Guai to beat you up.”
Chi Shuo curved her lips slightly and nodded.
Once Xia Zhou left, Chi Shuo let out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest, still slightly shocked, then put on an appearance of normalcy and continued working.
Her quitting time these past two days had returned to normal. At 5:30 PM, Chi Shuo turned off her computer and left the company with the other two.
In the elevator, Zeng Guai looked like she was bursting with unspoken words. Chi Shuo knew her too well; it seemed Xia Zhou had already told her about He Lindi being her imagined enemy.
It was impossible to keep secrets; there were no secrets between the three of them.
No wait, there were some. For example, Chi Shuo liked girls, and for example, Chi Shuo used to like He Lindi. These were still secrets. Even if she were to tell them something tonight, Chi Shuo wouldn’t mention these things.
She had already figured out how to lie her way through it.
Exiting the elevator, Xia Zhou finally couldn’t hold back anymore. Before even reaching the office building entrance, she eagerly moved closer to Chi Shuo and asked, “Shuo Shuo, then do you know about this ex-girlfriend of hers?”
Chi Shuo frowned slightly, her tone uncertain. “Don’t quite remember, but she did date a girl in high school, right?”
Zeng Guai’s eyes lit up, always at the forefront of gossip. “So, what did people say back then?”
Chi Shuo looked at her puzzledly. “What could they say?”
“Like, would anyone say they were abnormal or something? In my high school, there was a gay couple in my class. Many people privately said they had mental problems, something wrong with them. Later, they were separated by teachers and parents. One of them transferred schools, it was really pitiful.”
Chi Shuo paused, then shook her head. “I don’t know, I didn’t pay much attention.”
After speaking, she sighed first. “Stop asking about this. I really don’t know much. Weren’t you curious about the imagined enemy thing?” Chi Shuo knew how stable her acting skills were. She pressed her lips together, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Because she and I didn’t even know each other back then. That’s the prerequisite.”
There were many people around, all heading out. Not far from the office building was a bustling roadway, somewhat congested. Many drivers impatiently honked their horns.
Xia Zhou’s gaze was firmly locked on her. “I have a question.”
Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow. “Ask?”
“Was Didi always gay? Or did she date guys before too? Is she bisexual?”
Chi Shuo frowned slightly, giving a triple negative reply, “Don’t know, not familiar, stop asking me.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m heading back first. Let’s eat together next time.”
“See you tomorrow.”
After returning home, Chi Shuo first took a shower, then sat on the sofa in a daze.
She held her phone, her expression slightly grave.
He Lindi’s ex-girlfriend… wasn’t that the quiet, sweet girl she had crushed on later?
It had been so many years, yet Chi Shuo still remembered her name: Ding Miaoran. Logically, she should be the same age as them this year, only twenty-three. But getting married so early?
Maybe it wasn’t that early. The legal marriage age for women was only twenty. But Chi Shuo couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised. After all, for most people, twenty-three was an age with absolutely no thought of marriage.
Chi Shuo naturally fell into this “most people” category. She didn’t want to get married either. But due to her mother, she had already been dragged to two blind dates. Yet she just wasn’t interested in men, what could she do? And even if she did like men, Chi Shuo was sure she wouldn’t marry at this age. She would at least wait until after thirty, when she had a car and a house, then consider starting a family; it wouldn’t be too late.
But what surprised Chi Shuo even more was that Ding Miaoran would marry a man. Could it be that both she and He Lindi were actually bisexual? Or perhaps their past relationship was just a joke?
Chi Shuo couldn’t figure it out, didn’t understand, and didn’t really want to delve into these matters anymore. During He Lindi’s absence, she had already gotten used to the days of not seeing He Lindi much again. After all, that had always been the pattern before.
But…
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together tightly. The light shone on her face. If someone were present, they could definitely see the inquiry in her eyes.
She wasn’t someone immune to gossip. Therefore, she was now hesitating whether to check He Lindi’s Weibo.
She knew He Lindi’s Weibo handle. Someone had shared photos taken by He Lindi onto her feed before; Chi Shuo had seen it at a glance.
Although He Lindi was young, she was quite famous in the circle. Plus, she mostly photographed celebrities, so her Weibo had fans of frequently collaborating artists following her. Adding other industry professionals or He Lindi’s own casual followers and fans, her current Weibo follower count had already exceeded 500,000.
She wasn’t an internet celebrity, but she counted as an internet celebrity photographer. After all, her looks were there. Chi Shuo had even encountered gossip before, saying some celebrity’s station master went to photograph her idol but didn’t see them after waiting a long time. Instead, she spotted He Lindi working seriously nearby. Captivated by He Lindi’s face, the station master immediately turned her DSLR on He Lindi, took many photos, and posted them directly on Weibo without even opening Photoshop for edits. That Weibo post gained high popularity at the time, and many people got to know He Lindi, the beautiful photographer, and followed her because of it.
It seemed He Lindi was a perpetual lightbulb, the battery never dying or needing replacement. She shone brightly wherever she went.
Chi Shuo sighed and started scrolling down He Lindi’s Weibo feed.
He Lindi’s pinned Weibo post was simple, just a line of text: 【Photographer. Please email for work-related matters.】
Scrolling further down was her latest Weibo post, from yesterday. Only one picture: the back view of a newly married couple. Chi Shuo didn’t understand much about photographic composition, but she could tell this back view picture was very artistic and beautiful.
It couldn’t be anyone else. According to the “intel,” the woman in the wedding dress was Ding Miaoran. Her hair was tied up. Even without seeing her face, her exposed shoulders and nape still made one feel she was very beautiful.
Besides, the bride is the most beautiful person in the world.
Chi Shuo couldn’t quite pinpoint her feelings at the moment, just felt somewhat dazed looking at He Lindi’s four words: “Happy Wedding.”
The retweets and comments on this Weibo post were slightly fewer; posts about celebrities usually gained more popularity. Chi Shuo lost the mood to look further down He Lindi’s Weibo feed. She pressed the back button and started ordering takeout. Because she had been focused on gossip, she had actually forgotten her own hunger.
Just after ordering takeout, Chi Shuo received a WeChat message from He Xiuqi.
He Xiuqi’s question was direct: 【Xiao Chi Jie, heard Teacher He is coming back to work tomorrow. Did you know?】
Chi Shuo didn’t understand why he would ask her. In fact, she wasn’t that familiar with him, was she? A large question mark hung over her head, but she still replied: 【Didn’t know.】
She had been overly focused on work lately, paying little attention to outside matters. Her daily life was just commuting between two points. Even on weekends, she hadn’t gone out much. Of course, part of it was the weather; it was just too hot. Walking outside, Chi Shuo always felt like she was ice cream; if she didn’t get home soon, she’d melt.
He Xiuqi’s message came back again: 【Ai, I’ve been messaging her every day these past few days. Wonder if she sensed I like her.】
【Don’t know.】 Chi Shuo’s reply remained unchanged. If she hadn’t typed it herself, she might have thought she was just copying and pasting.
【Then I won’t disturb you anymore, Xiao Chi Jie. I’m going to play basketball.】
【Okay.】
Chi Shuo didn’t explain she wasn’t busy. She tossed her phone aside and started watching TV.
She didn’t watch TV often, only turning it on occasionally. Today, whether due to extreme luck or something else, the moment she turned on the TV, Shen Qu’s face appeared.
Chi Shuo had zero mental preparation, startled. She glanced at the drama title, Urban Love Chronicle. Chi Shuo had absolutely no desire to continue watching and immediately changed the channel.
The next morning, Chi Shuo ran into Zeng Guai outside the office building. They were heading to the company together.
Zeng Guai had rather heavy dark circles. Chi Shuo casually asked, “What were you doing last night? Slept so late.”
In the crowded elevator, Zeng Guai’s voice was listless. “Binge-watching drama.” She yawned. “Shen Qu’s latest drama is too good. I watched all the updated episodes in one go.”
Chi Shuo glanced at her and asked softly, “Urban Love Chronicle?”
Zeng Guai nodded vigorously. “You watched it too? Isn’t it great! This drama is so addictive, I accidentally watched until three.”
Chi Shuo slowly shook her head. “…Haven’t watched.”
At this moment, the elevator reaching the 25th floor opened. Chi Shuo stepped out. Zeng Guai behind her fanatically recommended, “Shuo Shuo, I know you don’t watch dramas much, but I seriously recommend this one with my life. You know I usually don’t watch domestic dramas. Initially, I just wanted to watch it for Shen Qu, but now…”
Zeng Guai’s mouth was like a machine gun in a game. Chi Shuo had already sat down at her desk, yet she still hadn’t stopped, until Chi Shuo made a “stop” gesture. “Fine, I’ll watch it if I’m interested.”
Zeng Guai’s bullets finally ran out. She smiled, still enthusiastic. “Okay, this drama requires a membership on the app. I have an account, I’ll send it to you.”
Once Zeng Guai left, Chi Shuo rubbed her face. Because her relationship with Zeng Guai was very good, she had reservations. After all, pouring cold water on someone’s recommendation wasn’t her style. She could only superficially agree first.
However, this also reminded Chi Shuo of the Shen Qu autograph photo at her home. When He Lindi told her before sleeping that she could give it to anyone, for a moment, Chi Shuo had wanted to give this autograph to Zeng Guai. If He Lindi hadn’t woken up, Shen Qu’s autograph wouldn’t be in her home.
Thinking it would be another peaceful day, but half an hour before quitting time, Chi Shuo received a message from He Lindi, whom she hadn’t contacted for a long time.
DJ: 【Wait for me after work.】
They hadn’t spoken for over half a month. The chat dialogue was still stuck on her last reply to He Lindi: No.
Chi Shuo suddenly felt her previous decision to ask He Lindi to delete each other was correct. After all, they didn’t contact each other much. What was the real meaning of lying dormant in the friends list?
No meaning.
And now, He Lindi, who hadn’t interacted with her for so long, sent a message. Chi Shuo pressed her lips together tightly, watching, not replying immediately.
After two minutes, He Lindi sent another message: 【You still owe me driving me home from last time.】
Chi Shuo knew she would definitely say this. She wasn’t playing dumb; she just wasn’t used to the state of being in contact with He Lindi again. After a moment, she swallowed and replied: 【Okay.】
Half an hour later, Chi Shuo was still sitting in the office. After all, they finished work half an hour earlier. During this half hour, she wouldn’t go upstairs to find He Lindi. Might as well stay at her workstation, browsing Weibo hot searches.
Turns out the Urban Love Chronicle production team spent who knows how much on marketing. Among the fifty hot searches, five were related to this drama. Chi Shuo felt somewhat annoyed looking at them, exited Weibo, and started playing the Landlord game herself.
She played round after round. When another game ended, Chi Shuo checked the time. It was almost six. She picked up her things and went upstairs.
Coincidentally, she also had something to give He Lindi—the suit He Lindi lent her last time. Initially, she thought she could return it two days after washing, but who knew He Lindi would directly take over half a month’s leave to go abroad.
The receptionist girl at Xiyu hadn’t left work yet. Seeing Chi Shuo, she smiled knowingly. “Looking for Teacher He again?”
Chi Shuo nodded. “Yes.” She also smiled. “I’ll just wait for her outside, won’t go in. You don’t need to register me either.”
“Okay.”
“One minute until quitting time.”
One minute was very short. Before Chi Shuo could even sit down and catch her breath, she saw people from Xiyu Company walking out one after another. Some slightly familiar faces saw her and greeted her with a smile.
For example, Hu Bo, who had participated in the KTV event last time. Seeing Chi Shuo, the curve of his lips was wide. “Chi Shuo, long time no see! Waiting for someone here?”
Chi Shuo’s eyes curved. “It has been a long time since I saw you.”
Hu Bo scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. “Got sent on a business trip, only came back last week.” He smiled after saying this. “Don’t worry, the next business trip is a long time away. When we have time later, let’s go to KTV together again! Last time, I didn’t even hear your legendary ‘voice that lingers around the rafters’.”
Hearing this description, Chi Shuo was unexpectedly choked for a moment. She patted Hu Bo’s shoulder irritably. “Don’t mention that phrase in front of me. Hurry up and get off work!”
Hu Bo laughed heartily and went downstairs with his colleague.
The description “voice that lingers around the rafters” was coined by Xia Zhou and the others the first time they sang karaoke together. If He Lindi’s voice leaned towards girlish, then Chi Shuo’s voice leaned towards mature/sultry, not quite matching her appearance. If someone didn’t know her and only heard her voice, they might imagine her as some enchanting figure.
But Chi Shuo couldn’t be bothered thinking about this aspect. She was used to it. Before she became very familiar with Xia Zhou and the others, their behavior was somewhat… perverted. After going home separately, they would still ask Chi Shuo to send voice messages for them to listen to, simply because they liked Chi Shuo’s voice.
To describe it in their words, Chi Shuo’s voice sounded somewhat aloof, yet carried endless attraction. Stunning upon first listen, still captivating upon subsequent listens.
Listening to their praise, Chi Shuo felt no ripples in her heart, even wanted to laugh a little.
Thinking this, the corners of her mouth actually curled up unconsciously, until He Lindi’s figure appeared. Only then did she suppress it, also stood up from the sofa where she had been sitting.
Time seemed to have passed very longly; otherwise, why would Chi Shuo suddenly feel a sense of unfamiliarity?
He Lindi quickly stood in front of her. Chi Shuo handed over the bag in her hand, proactively saying, “Your suit.”
“Hold it for me first.” He Lindi chuckled softly. “How did you get thinner?”
Chi Shuo glanced at her own arm, then replied, “Don’t think so.”
He Lindi didn’t say anything else. “Let’s go.”
The two stood side-by-side and entered the elevator.
Having missed the evening rush hour, the elevator wasn’t that crowded. Chi Shuo stood in the right corner, clutching the bag tightly.
She inevitably felt nervous.
Reaching the B1 floor, Chi Shuo asked, “Where’s the car?”
The temperature in the parking lot was still very low. Chi Shuo wore short sleeves and was still chilled enough to instinctively rub her arms to warm up.
He Lindi looked somewhat tired. She pointed to a spot. “There.”
Seeing her expression, Chi Shuo sniffled and asked, “Very tired?”
He Lindi glanced at her. “Otherwise, why would I ask you to drive me home?”
“True.”
Getting into the car, putting the bag in the back seat, fastening the seatbelt, she started the car and drove out of the cold, damp parking lot.
It was obvious He Lindi was indeed tired. Because after getting into the car, she rested her head on one hand, closed her eyes, her long eyelashes resting underneath, looking peaceful.
Chi Shuo had a good sense of direction, generally wouldn’t get lost, and also had a good memory. Having driven He Lindi home once before, this time she didn’t even need to turn on the navigation. She drove quietly through the traffic lights all the way, seeming to have become a qualified driver, just needing to drive steadily.
After a while, only about three minutes away from He Lindi’s residence, while waiting at a green light, Chi Shuo had no choice but to wake He Lindi up.
He Lindi still maintained the same posture, lips lightly pressed together, brows slightly furrowed. There was no movement on the road. When Chi Shuo called her name, she hesitated slightly but still called out, “He Lindi.”
Being a photographer was physically demanding. Moreover, it was Ding Miaoran’s wedding. Even without being there, Chi Shuo could completely imagine the scene of He Lindi working at the time.
Very tiring.
Hearing Chi Shuo’s words, He Lindi reacted for two seconds. First, her eyelashes trembled, then she blinked twice. Then, her eyes looked somewhat confusedly at Chi Shuo. Her lips parted slightly, her voice low and soft. “Almost there?”
Chi Shuo nodded calmly. “We’ll be there after this traffic light.”
“Oh.” He Lindi sat up straight from her slightly tilted posture. She leaned her head back, half-squinting at the road ahead. “Five seconds until green light.”
Chi Shuo hummed an “Mm,” hands gripping the steering wheel, waiting for the green light, then continued driving.
Nearing the destination, He Lindi spoke, “Park the car outside the complex, if there’s a spot.”
Chi Shuo didn’t disagree. “Okay.”
Perhaps due to good luck, there was indeed an empty spot outside the complex this time, not many. Chi Shuo quickly parked the car.
She pointed to the bag in the back seat. “Your suit is back there for you. Remember to take it.”
He Lindi still maintained the same posture, her head leaning against the seat. Hearing Chi Shuo’s words, she tilted her head slightly to look over. The next second, her mouth opened slightly. Chi Shuo thought she was about to say something, but only saw He Lindi give a small yawn, then blink her misty eyes before nodding. “Got it.”
Chi Shuo unbuckled her seatbelt. “Then I’ll take a taxi back.”
But before she could open the door, He Lindi called her name again: “Chi Shuo.”
Chi Shuo paused her action. She looked into He Lindi’s eyes again, guessing what He Lindi wanted to say, and replied, “You saw it too, I didn’t delete you on WeChat.”
Passersby came and went outside the car. The sky still held faint remnants of daylight brightness, but the light inside the car was slightly dim. The streetlights outside were already on.
The light shone on both their faces. Chi Shuo saw He Lindi close her eyes briefly, looking extremely tired, and said to her, “Ding Miaoran got married, did you know?”
Chi Shuo paused, then answered honestly, “Mm, knew.” She asked, “Why do you ask?”
He Lindi yawned again. She rubbed her eyes and continued, “No reason, just suddenly remembered, she used to be your classmate.”
Chi Shuo liked Ding Miaoran before, partly because Ding Miaoran was very quiet and sweet, and partly because Ding Miaoran was her classmate.
Being close might mean a greater chance. Initially, she thought she could transition from ordinary classmate to friend, but unexpectedly, before they even became friends, He Lindi started dating Ding Miaoran.
But Chi Shuo’s focus wasn’t on this. She frowned slightly. “How did you know?”
He Lindi glanced at her. “Why wouldn’t I know?” She paused. “Chi Shuo, I don’t know what misunderstanding you have about me, but I want to say, I knew you in high school, even thought about being friends with you, but you never gave me a chance.”
After speaking, she felt it wasn’t enough and added with a hint of anger, snorting, “Now too. I added you on WeChat, yet haven’t received a single message in half a month.”
