To Have and to Seek

After making a scene, Xu Zhitong was herded off to bed by Lin Yang.

By now, she had a very clear sense of moderation. Hugging a pillow, she lingered on the sofa for another two minutes.

Before leaving the living room, Xu Zhitong reminded her, “Remember to reply to my goodnight.”

Lin Yang paused, then said, “Okay.”

Satisfied, Xu Zhitong finally left.

She didn’t know why, but she always felt she couldn’t sleep peacefully unless she got a goodnight from Lin Yang first.

The next day, Lin Yang took Xu Zhitong to the hospital for a full day of comprehensive examinations to confirm that this trip out of town wouldn’t affect her too much.

With Lin Yang around, Xu Zhitong was always more than happy to be a hands-off boss. Even contacting Yinfu was handed over to Lin Yang.

Very quickly, they finalized the song choice and performance format.

This time, Yinfu’s online Mid-Autumn gala had a traditional Chinese theme. Xu Zhitong would sing a duet with a Peking opera performer; she would handle the pop part, and the opera teacher would take the opera-style embellishments.

The song was an old piece with a new arrangement, and it included a very gorgeous section of opera vocals. Xu Zhitong had learned how to sing it before.

She looked up videos of the Peking opera performer. The opera vocals were soft yet bright, and the profile said she was a disciple of some famous master.

Xu Zhitong couldn’t help worrying that she might hold the other woman back.

Lin Yang comforted her. “It’s fine. Your technique and muscle memory are still there, and you’ve been very serious about improving over the years too. Xiao Tong, you’re better than you think.”

Xu Zhitong paced back and forth. “But I’m still a little nervous…”

Then Lin Yang pressed her down into a chair.

“Stop overthinking it. In a few days, when we get to Hai City, we’ll record a guide track first. These livestream gala shows are all half-open mic anyway, and there’ll be rehearsals too.”

Lin Yang rubbed Xu Zhitong’s hair. “Just treat it like going out to have fun. If it’s fun, then do it again next time; if it isn’t, then keep livestreaming. What’s the problem?”

Xu Zhitong understood only half of it and said, “Ah, so it can’t be fully open mic? Will people say I’m lip-syncing?”

Lin Yang said, “Concerts all have dedicated backing vocals. If you don’t want that, the guide track can be turned way down too. Don’t worry; you’ll sing very well. I’ll be in the audience watching you too.”

Meeting Lin Yang’s gaze made Xu Zhitong feel much more certain.

Time was indeed tight. Lin Yang was still in contact with the program director that morning, and by afternoon she had invited a designer over to Xu Zhitong’s place to take her measurements and pick out clothes.

The designer’s assistant wheeled over several racks and introduced them as the newest runway couture of the season.

Lin Yang said from the side, “No pieces that have already been lent out.”

The designer laughed. “Of course. Why would I bring you something that’s been lent out?”

Her brand’s clothes all had elements of traditional Chinese style and a modern Chinese aesthetic. In recent years, that look had become mainstream; almost every time there was a major event, her pieces were snapped up right away.

It also fit this gala’s theme perfectly.

Xu Zhitong looked through them once and picked out two sets.

She handed them to Lin Yang for a decision. “Either of these is fine. You choose one?”

Lin Yang looked them over and said to the designer, “Then we’ll take both.”

The designer made a pained face. “Two outfits in three days! Lya, just kill me now!”

Lin Yang clearly knew her very well. “Great designer, didn’t you always brag about having the fastest hands in the world when you were cramming against deadlines? It’s just a size adjustment. You can’t handle that?”

At the mention of old history, the designer hesitated. Glancing at Xu Zhitong, she said, “…Fine. If your girlfriend and the model didn’t have such similar figures, I’d be dying in the studio from overwork.”

Lin Yang paused. “…If you keep talking, I’ll only rent and not buy.”

The designer said, “Oh, I’m leaving.”

She left with a long face, taking the people and the clothes with her.

Xu Zhitong was the only one left feeling thoroughly delighted.

Girlfriend, huh.

This designer really had sharp eyes; no wonder the clothes she designed looked so good.

Wait, that didn’t seem right. Maybe she already knew her? After all, from the way she spoke, she seemed to be an old classmate of Lin Yang’s.

Two days later, the clothes arrived, and Xu Zhitong and the others packed their things and prepared to head to Hai City.

The official staff at Yinfu said they would release her poster a day in advance as a surprise guest and told her not to reveal herself too early.

So before leaving, Xu Zhitong still livestreamed every other day as usual.

And she took along a suitcase full of livestream equipment.

Three big suitcases.

Xu Zhitong rarely went far from home, so when packing, she couldn’t help trying to cram in everything she could.

Looking at the three suitcases, she hesitated slightly. “Did I bring too much?”

Lin Yang said it was fine.

The driver came upstairs to carry the luggage down. It was a black business sedan; once they got into the back seat, the driver raised the partition.

The drive to Hai City took two hours. Xu Zhitong got carsick easily and couldn’t look at her phone. After sitting quietly for a while, she went to lean against Lin Yang.

Lin Yang was in a meeting again.

That project with Chu Ling and Yan Ci seemed to be at some important incubation stage. These past few days, they had practically held a small meeting every day to discuss progress and problems.

But Lin Yang had been working online the whole time and hadn’t left home.

And over these last few days, Lin Yang had been treating Xu Zhitong absurdly well, almost to the point of indulging her in everything.

For example, right now, Xu Zhitong was bored in the car and, without even asking, had started playing with Lin Yang’s fingers to her heart’s content.

A few days ago, Lin Yang had invited someone over to do her nails. The new manicure was shorter, pink and white with a fine shimmer, like mother-of-pearl at the bottom of the sea.

The shape was rounder than before, and Xu Zhitong found it very easy to touch.

Lin Yang handed her a pair of earbuds, and Xu Zhitong listened along, though it all sounded like a foreign scripture to her.

During a break in the meeting, Chu Ling had something else to deal with, so she muted herself.

Yan Ci was furiously typing on a keyboard through the earbud channel.

Lin Yang leaned back a little, apparently wanting to use her free hand to press at her brow, but the hand beside her reached over and took that away too.

Both of Lin Yang’s hands were held by Xu Zhitong, like a prisoner being restrained.

Lin Yang turned to look at her. Xu Zhitong was still earnestly studying the best angle for holding both of Lin Yang’s hands with just one of her own.

“Hiss.”

One careless movement caught Lin Yang’s pinky ring and scraped against one of her nail tips, bringing a small but noticeable sting.

Xu Zhitong hurriedly let go.

“Wrong,” she said softly.

Lin Yang looked at her and gave a helpless smile, taking off the pinky ring on her right hand and setting it aside.

The vehicle moved steadily along the highway. Light and shadow filtered through the trees by the roadside, flickering across Lin Yang’s profile like little sprites.

Today, Lin Yang wore a black fitted knit top. The half-high collar wrapped around her slender neck, while a wide cutout from her left shoulder down to below her neck exposed a stretch of pale, delicate skin over her shoulder and collarbone.

It was dazzlingly white, neat and clean-lined, yet especially seductive.

Xu Zhitong’s heart itched with the urge to act.

She was very sharp and had already noticed that Lin Yang had become unusually indulgent with her lately.

An indulgence whose reason she didn’t know. It seemed Lin Yang had privately made up her mind about something; as long as it wasn’t too much, she would agree to it.

Xu Zhitong tested the waters and said in a small voice, “I’m a little carsick…”

“…” Lin Yang opened the map and glanced at the navigation. “There’s still over an hour left. I can have the driver get off the highway and find the nearest high-speed rail station, okay?”

Xu Zhitong shook her head.

Then she got straight to the point. “Changing transportation is such a hassle. Can I lean on you and sleep for a bit?”

Lin Yang: “…”

Lin Yang froze for a moment.

But Xu Zhitong’s expression had already turned pitiful and uncomfortable. Lin Yang pressed her lips together and shifted slightly to the side.

Success.

Xu Zhitong immediately scooted closer.

She didn’t lean directly against the seatback and rest her head on Lin Yang’s shoulder.

Instead, still holding onto Lin Yang’s hand, she deliberately rested her head on that beautiful cutout at her shoulder and neck; it wasn’t exactly a natural position.

She sniffed lightly.

So Lin Yang’s skin still carried the scent of body lotion too, with a faint milky sweetness.

What a pity, Xu Zhitong thought. The position and timing were both wrong.

Otherwise, maybe she could have held her even closer, with her head tucked nearer Lin Yang’s neck.

But this was comfortable enough already.

Satisfied, Xu Zhitong closed her eyes and let sleep come over her.

“…"

No one knew how long had passed.

Xu Zhitong’s breathing had turned deep and steady.

Only then did Lin Yang’s shoulder gradually recover from the numb, tingling sensation.

With her free hand, she removed the earbud hanging by Xu Zhitong’s ear.

She turned her stiff neck, thinking she should message Chu Ling and ask whether they ought to continue the meeting another time.

Then she discovered that the button she had pressed in her flustered state was not mute, but the one that turned off the listening channel.

No wonder there had been no sound in the earbuds for so long; she had thought something had come up with her senior and that the meeting had simply ended.

After a brief pause, Lin Yang, a little uneasy, opened the listening channel again.

Then she heard Yan Ci’s suddenly enlightened voice from inside.

Yan Ci said, “Oh, I get it. So Lin Yang isn’t really raising a dog.”

Chu Ling gave a very sour hum. “That’s right.”

Lin Yang: “…”

Author’s note:

Posting a shorter one, and trying to adjust the update time from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Yangyang, you just keep indulging her. Spoil her until that bad dog pins you to the bed, and you’ll still say, baby, as long as you’re happy ^^