Chi Shuo was surprised. “How did you know?”
She didn’t think Xiao Cheng seemed like the type to tell others he’d been rejected after confessing.
“I guessed.”
“And you guessed right again.”
“…” Chi Shuo didn’t know whether to praise her or what. She found He Lindi’s mind really did work quite fast.
“The main thing is, the way he looked at you, I felt something was off long ago.”
Chi Shuo was a bit confused. “Really? How come I couldn’t tell?”
She thought about Wang Rui asking her before if Xiao Cheng liked her, and also recalled Xia Zhou saying Xiao Cheng liked her. Chi Shuo didn’t know if she was just slow, but it seemed like everyone could see it, while she only realized “Oh, so you like me” after Xiao Cheng confessed.
“You’re too close to see it,” He Lindi offered the classic answer.
Ever since her parents divorced, Chi Shuo hadn’t had a lively New Year’s Eve dinner at home. It was almost midnight. Chi Shuo opened WeChat and transferred five thousand yuan to her mother—part of the bonus she received at the annual party.
Her mother didn’t accept it immediately. Even when Chi Shuo woke up the next day, she still hadn’t seen the payment received. Chi Shuo had intended to mention it in person, but when she woke up, her mother had already gone out to play mahjong, leaving her alone at home.
Chi Shuo ate something casually, put on some makeup, and went out.
It was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Chi Shuo didn’t like staying home and arranged to meet two high school friends. Han Yu was too busy, so Chi Shuo didn’t ask her.
These two high school friends didn’t work in Yun Cheng; they only saw each other once a year around this time. Many shops on the street weren’t open. The place they chose was a teahouse. Business was booming during the New Year period. Luckily, they had booked a private room well in advance.
There weren’t many things three people could do together; playing Landlord might be one. Chi Shuo mentioned this to He Lindi on the way, drawing laughter from her: 【Win some money for me!】
Chi Shuo replied with a string of emojis: 【Okay, if I win, we split 50/50. If I lose, it’s on you.】
He Lindi: 【?】
But He Lindi was busy, her replies slightly delayed. Chi Shuo knew He Lindi had many dinner engagements these few days, so she wasn’t upset.
The festive atmosphere had already filled the streets much earlier. Chi Shuo didn’t take a car to the teahouse but walked, as it was quite close. Twenty minutes later, she arrived.
These two friends were Chi Shuo’s desk mate and the person who sat behind her in high school. The three had been very close then, just like with Han Yu. It was only after going to different universities that they contacted each other less and drifted apart. Later, when Chi Shuo returned to Yun Cheng, her relationship with Han Yu went back to how it was, maybe even deeper. But these two friends were in faraway Beijing and busy. Chi Shuo had wanted to ask them out for a meal during her business trip to Beijing before, but gave up the idea, figuring they were too busy.
The teahouse was already full, noisy with chatter. The scent of tea permeated the entire lobby. Such scenes were usually only seen during the New Year.
A waitress led her to the private room. The two friends, Li Yefei and Chang Xue, had arrived a few minutes earlier than Chi Shuo.
Opening the door, Chi Shuo put on a smile. Li Yefei propped her chin up, watched Chi Shuo walk in, and drawled with a smile, “Is it because your surname is ‘Chi’ [late]? You’re late.”
Chang Xue chuckled. “It’s rare for Shuoshuo to be late.”
Chi Shuo tapped her phone screen, showing them the time. “Pull the other one. You guys deliberately came early just so I’d be the last one. Don’t I know you?”
The fragrance in this tea room was slightly different from the main lobby outside, a bit lighter, more delicate, very pleasant.
The small private room had everything: a large bed, an automatic mahjong table, and a coffee table with cards and Ludo.
Contemporary young people play on their phones at home and still play on their phones when they go out. But today was different. They had already agreed—no phones while playing cards. Whoever looked at their phone once had to pay money.
Rounds of neither tense nor exciting Landlord began. But after just a few games, Li Yefei and Chang Xue declared, “We’re not playing anymore.”
Chi Shuo, holding her cards, smiled. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” Li Yefei rolled her eyes. “We’ve grown up so much, why haven’t your card skills regressed? You dealt me a ‘Spring’ right off the bat, I’m furious.” (In Landlord, ‘Spring’ means one side wins without the other side playing a single card.)
Chang Xue sighed. “Last round, Feifei and I were the peasants, and you had three bombs!” She turned accusatory. “Don’t you know how to show some pity for the fairer sex?”
Chi Shuo placed her cards on the coffee table and stretched. “You’re not my partner, why should I pity you?”
“Tsk—” Li Yefei reacted. “What? Partner?”
Chi Shuo yawned and changed the subject. “I’m going to catch up on sleep.”
“Wait, Shuoshuo, you must tell.”
“When did you get a boyfriend? Is he tall? Handsome? How old? Same company or long-distance?”
“No comment.” Chi Shuo didn’t mention He Lindi’s name, nor did she say she was actually dating a girlfriend. She finished speaking and flopped onto the bed, preparing to take a nap.
Less than a minute later, her two friends also lay down on the bed, soon joining Chi Shuo in their afternoon nap.
This first day of the Lunar New Year was rather unique—they came out to play but ended up sleeping. It was 5:30 PM before the three left the teahouse.
Chi Shuo had slept well, even though she had gone to bed just after midnight last night and woken up late today.
Li Yefei brushed her hair back, looked at the sky, and suggested, “It’s still early, how about we walk around the school?”
“Can we even get into the school now?” Chang Xue asked.
“No, I mean, just walk around near the school, not actually go inside.”
“Let’s take a walk down memory lane.”
Chi Shuo nodded. “Okay.”
They attended Yun Cheng No. 6 Middle School, very close to here. After walking past three streets, they saw the school sign.
Chi Shuo pursed her lips, the image of herself commuting back and forth here already flashing in her mind. She smiled. “It’s been a long time since I came back.”
“Me too.” Li Yefei linked arms with Chi Shuo. “I remember that snack shop was open all year round, wonder if it’s still there.”
Two minutes later, the three stood outside the storefront. Chang Xue looked somewhat sad. “Not only is it not open, the shop has even moved away.”
This small street was full of shops: stationery stores, small supermarkets, snack bars. Chi Shuo used to linger here for a while after school before, but later stopped squeezing through the crowds.
“I’m thinking of coming back to Yun Cheng to work in two years.” Li Yefei started another topic, looking somewhat troubled. “The pressure in Beijing is too much.”
Chang Xue echoed, “It really is tiring.”
“Welcome back.”
Because it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, most shops here were closed. They didn’t stay long, slowly walking away again.
“Shuoshuo, how long have you and your boyfriend been together?” On the way, Li Yefei couldn’t resist asking again. “You didn’t even tell us news like this.”
Chi Shuo thought for a moment. “Twenty-four days.”
“You remember that clearly?”
Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I?”
Just as they were about to separate, Chi Shuo’s phone rang. She checked the caller ID; it was her mother calling. She stepped aside to answer.
“Shuoshuo, Xiao Tong got into trouble.” Her mother’s voice held a hint of disbelief. “He actually got a girl pregnant?”
Chi Shuo hummed softly. “Yes…”
Chi Shuo’s mother had gotten pregnant with Chi Shuo because she and Chi Shuo’s father hadn’t used a condom. This later led to an unhappy marriage. It could be said that Chi Shuo’s mother now detested unplanned pregnancies the most, especially those resulting from carelessness.
Sure enough, Chi Shuo heard her mother sigh. “Ai, you can’t keep a man like that.”
Chi Shuo pursed her lips and hummed. “How did you find out?”
“His grandfather told me.”
“Said Xiao Tong has already been beaten up by his dad until his nose bled.”
Chi Shuo was startled. “What about now?”
“Xiao Tong and his dad are already on their way to Liucheng.”
Chi Shuo knew Tong’s father had always been decisive and took things very seriously. That’s how he succeeded in business and made the Tong family wealthy. She hadn’t expected him to be so efficient, already on the way to meet the girl’s family.
“Mom,” Chi Shuo asked again, “Do you think… they’ll keep the child?”
After asking, Chi Shuo felt something wasn’t quite right. Thinking about it, wasn’t she the same as this unborn child? Both were accidents.
“I don’t know.” Her mother’s voice wasn’t as pleasant as it used to be. Chi Shuo heard a slight catch. “Shuoshuo, choosing to give birth to you was the best decision I ever made.”
Her mother hung up after speaking, leaving Chi Shuo stunned. Chi Shuo was truly bewildered. In her memory, her mother was both gentle and fierce, but she had never said anything like this to her before.
Then she received a WeChat message: 【I’m not coming home tonight, going to play mahjong all night.】
Chi Shuo blinked and typed back: 【Okay.】
The five thousand yuan she had transferred to her mother still hadn’t been accepted. Chi Shuo felt a bit unaccustomed to this.
After parting with her two friends, Chi Shuo started walking home. Separated from He Lindi for just this one day, Chi Shuo decided her longing for her was stronger than she imagined, comparable to those days He Lindi was away on business.
Chi Shuo walked slowly along the road, in no hurry to get home. She thought for a moment, then called He Lindi. It rang for perhaps a dozen times before the other end finally answered.
Chi Shuo asked, “Should I hang up first? If you’re busy.”
“Not busy.”
It was a man’s voice. Chi Shuo’s heart immediately started pounding. Then she heard the other person say in a deep voice, “Miss Chi, no need to be nervous, I’m He Lindi’s father.”
“…”
How could she not be nervous?!
Chi Shuo tried hard to steady her breathing, but the words she spoke still betrayed her: “Uncle… Uncle He.”
“Are you looking for Little Di about something?”
“I called to wish her a Happy New Year.”
He Lindi’s father’s voice was resonant and powerful. Thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising, considering he was such a successful businessman.
“She’s busy.”
Chi Shuo had already stopped walking. She lowered her head slightly. “Okay.”
“She’ll be busy later too.”
Chi Shuo slowly frowned. “Do you mean… I shouldn’t contact her later either?”
“Yes.” He Lindi’s father didn’t deny it.
Chi Shuo exhaled, trying to calm herself. “With all due respect, Uncle, that’s impossible.”
“Many things in the world can turn from impossible to possible. Don’t jump to conclusions so quickly.”
Chi Shuo was about to speak when she heard some movement on the other end. The next second, He Lindi’s voice reached her ears: “Chi Shuo, don’t listen to my dad’s nonsense. My dad is on our side.”
Chi Shuo breathed a sigh of relief, then was shocked the next second. “What? Uncle already knows?”
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