Chi Shuo had never imagined their relationship would follow this pattern. She couldn’t quite describe it herself. If she had to say something, it was that He Lindi, in a relationship, was somewhat different from what she had initially pictured.
He Lindi was sweet and pure, nice to everyone. Chi Shuo had thought she might be the same when dating, but in reality, He Lindi had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. Like right now—knowing full well nothing would happen between them yet, she was still doing her utmost to “seduce” Chi Shuo, making Chi Shuo unconsciously swallow hard.
What could she say? Nothing. Chi Shuo took a step forward, pulled He Lindi’s clothes up slightly, covering her exposed shoulder.
He Lindi maintained her pose, watching Chi Shuo’s action, her lips curling. “Why cover it up? I have to take it off again later.”
“Don’t catch a cold,” Chi Shuo offered dryly.
They were close again, the faint woody scent of their perfumes mingling intimately.
He Lindi’s smile remained. “It’s not that easy to catch a cold.”
Her right hand lifted, resting on the back of Chi Shuo’s neck, her fingertips stroking. The rhythm sent a jolt through Chi Shuo’s body.
He Lindi sighed softly. “You still haven’t told me where I was being hypocritical, Chi Shuo.”
Chi Shuo’s eyelid twitched. He Lindi pronounced her name as “Shuo,” like in “shuōhuà” (to speak). He Lindi chuckled after saying it. “When I first learned your name, I thought it was read ‘shuō’.”
“It’s an alternate reading, meaning ‘joy’.”
“I looked it up later.” He Lindi released Chi Shuo and walked into the bedroom. “Are you feeling joyful right now?”
Chi Shuo leaned against the door, pondered seriously, then replied, “Not particularly.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Chi Shuo lowered her gaze, staring at the wood grain on the floor. “You’re going on a business trip again.”
He Lindi had initially intended to tease Chi Shuo further, but hearing this, the thought vanished. She sat on the edge of the bed, extended her arms, and made a hugging gesture.
Chi Shuo walked towards her, stopping in front. She bent down, preparing to hug He Lindi.
But He Lindi had already leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Chi Shuo’s waist, burying her face in Chi Shuo’s embrace, her voice soft. “It’s okay, I’ll be back soon.”
Chi Shuo placed her hands on He Lindi’s shoulders. “I know.” Her lips curved slightly. “I’ve never been to Lingcheng. If you have time, bring me back a gift.”
“Okay,” He Lindi readily agreed.
Two days later, He Lindi and her team boarded the plane to Lingcheng. She left on a workday while Chi Shuo was at the company.
Lingcheng was far from Yuncheng. For over three hours, Chi Shuo didn’t receive a reply from He Lindi. Only after He Lindi landed safely and sent a message did Chi Shuo finally relax.
Having grown accustomed to commuting with He Lindi, suddenly being alone again left Chi Shuo feeling somewhat out of sorts.
“Shuoshuo, why don’t you just apply to be Didi’s assistant?” In the break room, Zeng Guai teased Chi Shuo. “That way, you can follow her on business trips too.”
Chi Shuo’s lips twitched. “Relationships need distance too; you can’t always be stuck together.”
Zeng Guai shook her head. “No way, I couldn’t do that. If I were dating, I’d wish we were conjoined twins, doing everything together.”
Xia Zhou chuckled beside them. “Doing what?”
Chi Shuo understood the implication, and so did Zeng Guai, who, ever unrestrained, replied, “Things that turn my parched body moist.”
“…” Chi Shuo couldn’t help glancing around. Seeing no one paying attention, she relaxed.
Time passed neither quickly nor slowly. When February 1st arrived, Chi Shuo’s mood had calmed.
Today was their company’s annual party. Everyone had the morning off and just needed to arrive at the designated hotel by 6 PM.
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai came to Chi Shuo’s place. The three tried on outfits and did makeup together. By the time they finished, the wall clock already showed 5:20 PM.
Since almost everyone had to go on stage, and people below would be taking photos and videos, dressing too casually or without proper grooming would likely become a dark memory. So, all three dressed slightly more formally.
Chi Shuo wore a long dress she hadn’t worn in ages and slightly heavier makeup, giving her a stronger presence than usual.
Zeng Guai cupped her hands before her face, striking a fan pose. “Jie Jie, I can!” (Internet slang expressing intense admiration/attraction)
Xia Zhou slapped her hand away. “Since Jie Jie can, then Mei Mei can too.” (Playing along, using “younger sister”)
Chi Shuo looked at them as if they were crazy, then her lips curved slightly. “Why don’t you ask my girlfriend if she allows you to ‘can’?”
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai: “No, no, Shuo Jie, we still want to live.”
Chi Shuo’s bedroom had a full-length mirror, quite wide. The three stood together, taking several pictures in the reflection.
Chi Shuo took the photos, sent them to their small group chat, then forwarded them to He Lindi: 【Annual party today!】
He Lindi would be back the day after tomorrow. Thinking of this, Chi Shuo’s lips curved again. Knowing He Lindi was busy, she didn’t wait for a reply, quickly grabbing her bag and heading out with her two friends.
Chi Shuo rarely dressed so formally. She hadn’t expected that the next time she did, it would be winter. They couldn’t just wear dresses out; they bundled up tightly in down jackets outside.
But the wind whipping around the dress hem was still unrestrained. The moment they stepped outside, all three shivered involuntarily, only feeling better once they were in the car.
Xia Zhou blew warm air into her palms. “We sacrifice so much for beauty.”
Chi Shuo and Zeng Guai nodded in agreement.
They took a taxi. The drive to the hotel took about half an hour. Chi Shuo looked at her phone screen, contemplating, hesitating whether to call her mother.
Today was already February 1st, just two days before New Year’s Eve, and she still hadn’t discussed whether she was going back for the holiday.
She held her phone, thinking about it, her heart sinking bit by bit.
Chi Shuo knew why her mother no longer treated her well—it was simply because her surname was Chi. Perhaps the hatred for her father translated into dislike for her. But sometimes Chi Shuo felt utterly wronged. If her parents hadn’t had sex without a condom, she wouldn’t exist, they wouldn’t have had a shotgun wedding, and the current situation wouldn’t have arisen.
What had she done wrong?
Chi Shuo grew increasingly aggrieved thinking about it. She had just opened the WeChat chat with her mother but pressed back again.
Xia Zhou sensed Chi Shuo’s changed mood, patted her hand, and comforted her, “Shuoshuo, your eye makeup is beautiful, you can’t cry.”
Zeng Guai also turned her head towards Chi Shuo and asked caringly, “Shuoshuo, what’s wrong?”
Chi Shuo took a deep breath. When she turned her head again, she forced her expression back to normal. “Do you think… my mom will contact me?”
Chi Shuo’s strained relationship with her mother wasn’t a secret among them. Chi Shuo looked out the window again. “She called me before, asked if I was coming back for New Year’s this year, but her attitude was terrible, her words so harsh… Why? Why can family turn out like this?”
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai exchanged another glance, then both sighed softly.
Before Xia Zhou could say anything, the taxi driver spoke up, “Family relationships nowadays are just complicated. But there are very few parents in the world who don’t love their children.”
Chi Shuo’s lips moved. She replied, “Is that so?”
“Go home for New Year’s, take a look.”
Chi Shuo didn’t respond, remaining silent until they arrived.
While scanning the code to pay, the driver comforted Chi Shuo again: “Little sister, if you have something to say, you need to talk it out with your parents.”
Chi Shuo showed him the successful payment page. “Thank you, driver. Drive safely.”
They were already outside the hotel. Chi Shuo composed herself and walked inside with Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai.
The annual party is one of the most important days of the year for any company. Xinyue Company wasn’t short on money and was quite generous, booking out this exquisite hotel. The venue setup was handled by an excellent team. An LED screen outside the hotel flashed “Xinyue Company Annual Party in Progress.” Passersby glanced over, then looked at the scene outside, chuckled, and asked their companions, “Do company annual parties need a red carpet now?”
Companion: “I’m shocked.”
It wasn’t just the passersby who were shocked, but also Chi Shuo and the other company employees.
Chi Shuo looked at the vibrant red carpet and the flowers lining both sides, stunned. “Mr. Lin… what kind of theme is this?”
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai were also dumbfounded. “No idea…”
There was only one path leading to the hotel, covered by the red carpet. At the entrance, Xiao Cheng, dressed in a suit and holding a microphone, randomly stopped colleagues entering for interviews. To top it off, two cameras were set up on the side, clearly filming.
The three exchanged a glance, then pulled up the hoods of their down jackets. Messy hair was fine, they could fix it inside, but being caught on camera for an interview was not okay.
Unfortunately, the three had bad luck; sneaking in was unrealistic. Xiao Cheng had spotted them the moment they arrived. As soon as their high heels stepped onto the red carpet, he called out, “You three, don’t go in yet. Come accept an interview.”
“…”
The three stood at the interview platform. Xiao Cheng professionally began asking questions.
“Is your department’s performance ready?”
“Do you have anything you’d like to say to the company?”
“Ready.”
“Wishing the company continued growth and success.”
Xiao Cheng smiled and said to the camera, “As far as I know, among the three lovely ladies being interviewed right now, two are still single. As their colleague, I hope they can find their happiness soon.”
Chi Shuo’s lips moved. She said, “Only one now.”
Xiao Cheng, who had confessed to her before, froze slightly. He saw Chi Shuo smile faintly, her lipstick-painted lips opening and closing: “I’ve already found mine.”
By the time she sat down, Chi Shuo finally let out a breath. Even though she knew the interview wasn’t important, she still felt nervous and jumpy about her own words.
She was separated from Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai now; they had to sit in their respective department areas, not just with whoever they were close to.
Many dishes were already on the table, along with drinks and red wine. Chi Shuo felt her stomach rumble slightly. She took a candy from the table and popped it into her mouth for energy.
He Lindi had already replied to her message: 【Jie Jie, I can!】
Chi Shuo: 【……】
She didn’t know what to say, but the smile couldn’t leave her lips.
Just then, a voice came from beside her: “Xiao Chi Jie, Teacher He’s partner… is you, right?”
Chi Shuo hadn’t responded yet when she received another message from He Lindi: 【Wait for me to come back, this time we’ll definitely manage to sleep together.】
Sorry for the delay; I’ve been travelling due to work, and of all the times, my laptop decided to take a paid leave now. I’ll try my best to get the chapters out daily.
Also, for those who’re interested in reading ahead, check out the shop. I’ve adjusted the amount based on the remaining number of chapters.
