Senior

Maybe because she was sleepy, Lin Yang slept much more soundly than before.

Xu Zhitong still remembered that when she had first lost her memory and come home, she’d gone out to buy groceries for Lin Yang. The moment she opened the door, Lin Yang had woken up.

But now, in no time at all, Lin Yang had fallen into a deep sleep.

Xu Zhitong couldn’t help stealing a kiss against her hair. The shampoo carried a fresh floral scent, familiar and sweetly comforting.

She took a clean robe from the wardrobe, draped it over herself, and went out to the pool.

There weren’t many people at the club. The water shimmered, but there wasn’t another guest in sight.

A server from the nearby drink bar came over and asked what Xu Zhitong wanted to drink. Xu Zhitong ordered coconut water.

She warmed up by the pool, then jumped in and swam back and forth a dozen times.

The outdoor pool was heated, too.

Xu Zhitong thought that maybe because she’d kept up with exercise as an adult, her physical condition was much better than when she was still in school.

With her mind blank, she swam about twenty lengths before finally gasping and hauling herself up to the edge.

She lifted her goggles and pushed back the damp fringe that had been blocking her eyes, revealing sharp brows and eyes dotted with water.

The sudden light made it hard to see clearly.

Xu Zhitong panted, squinted for a while, then shook out her hair and went ashore to wrap herself in a bath towel.

After drying off a little, she draped the towel over her wet hair.

Xu Zhitong walked over to a lounge chair where coconut water and fruit had been set out, lay down, and started looking at her phone while soaking up the sun.

With help from the operations staff lately, she’d posted a few more singing clips in the same style as before. Xu Zhitong didn’t really understand Yinfu’s data, but from what the operations girl said, the numbers were much better than before, and her traffic had been excellent lately.

It was Lin Yang who had specifically hired this operator; she only handled planning and monitoring for her.

Xu Zhitong could still reply to comments herself. After answering a few, she saw a new business script sent over by the operator.

These were going to be filmed into vlog content.

The operator had written three options and asked Xu Zhitong to choose one; they just needed to pick a suitable time within the next two weeks to film.

There were also some products that only needed to be shown on camera; once the schedule was set, they’d be sent over.

Xu Zhitong had to decide on a script today. She opened the document, basking in the gentle sunlight and sipping icy coconut water as she read carefully.

The operations manager was very capable. Each of the three scripts was for a different setting, so whether Xu Zhitong wanted to film at home or out somewhere, they could all be adapted.

She was slowly picking through them when someone suddenly sat down in the lounge chair beside her.

Normally, most people with any sense of boundaries wouldn’t sit this close on an entire row of empty lounge chairs.

Either they would sit farther away, or if they wanted to sit nearby, they’d leave one or two seats between them.

Sitting right next to her inevitably drew Xu Zhitong’s attention. She bit the straw and glanced over.

Huh?

It was Wen Jing.

That senior from junior high she’d seen recently; they’d been on good terms for a while, and she’d even run into Xu Zhitong in Hai City and handed her a business card.

Wearing tortoiseshell sunglasses, with black hair like ink, a white swimsuit top, and denim shorts, the thin string of her bikini bottoms showed where the denim met her waist and hips.

Beneath the sunglasses, her eyes seemed fixed straight on Xu Zhitong.

Xu Zhitong paused.

The moment her eyes brushed over Wen Jing’s outfit, she quickly looked back down at her coconut water.

Very much like a wife.

Her impression of Senior Wen Jing was pretty good; she basically filed her under the category of a passing acquaintance.

After all, back in middle school, having a pretty senior from a higher grade who got along well with you was very face-saving. It made you seem socially adept and well-liked.

And Wen Jing had a very good temper back then; even Xu Zhitong’s terrible middle-school personality had been tolerated by her. She’d often bring all kinds of little snacks for Xu Zhitong, too.

If they hadn’t somehow drifted apart later, maybe with a little more time together, she could even have been counted among Xu Zhitong’s “pretty close” friends.

Xu Zhitong couldn’t help drifting off and thinking that her taste wasn’t bad. The classmates she’d gotten along with in school, one after another, were all rich now.

Or maybe Jiangshi First High really had a hidden reservoir of talent; was it actually an invisible international school?

She wondered when the class reunion would be held. Just in time to see what those people from back then looked like now.

Xu Zhitong took a couple of sips of coconut water and went back to spacing out.

But honestly, she didn’t feel any dislike toward Wen Jing now, and she didn’t particularly like her either.

All in all, she just felt nothing.

After all, even the cutoff point of her memory loss had already been her second year of high school; the friendship with that senior had happened a long time ago.

Besides, she and Wen Jing weren’t all that compatible, if you put it that way.

Wen Jing was probably the artistic type, while Xu Zhitong wasn’t, so she often couldn’t understand some of the things the senior said.

Their relationship had always been initiated and led by the senior.

Xu Zhitong didn’t really like that very much.

Maybe even if they hadn’t drifted apart, that friendship still wouldn’t have lasted.

She was lamenting the fading of friendship when Wen Jing beside her took the initiative to greet her.

“Long time no see.”

Xu Zhitong looked up and pretended to have just recognized her, waving. “Senior, hi.”

That lift of her hand happened to make the towel she was wearing slide down a little, exposing the smooth line of her abdomen.

Wen Jing’s gaze dropped there, as if it deepened slightly.

“...”

Xu Zhitong’s fingers went stiff for a second. She set the big coconut water on the table beside her and casually pulled the robe closer around herself.

She tried her best to make the movement look natural, but she still couldn’t hide it from Wen Jing’s eyes.

Wen Jing smiled.

In a friendly tone, she said, “What a coincidence. You’re here to relax too?”

Xu Zhitong felt a little awkward. “Yeah, I just arrived today.”

Wen Jing nodded. “The environment here is nice, and the weather’s been good these past couple of days.”

She didn’t say much else. After putting her things down, she went to do stretches in the open space beside them.

Xu Zhitong lowered her head, looked over the scripts the operator had sent two more times, and felt that one of them could just happen to be filmed at this hot spring club.

But without any preparation before the outing, it might not count as a complete vlog.

She sent her concerns to the operator and asked whether part of it could be changed a little.

While waiting for a reply, a wave of fragrance drifted over.

It was Wen Jing. She came to Xu Zhitong’s side and lowered her head slightly, casting a shadow.

She handed over a bottle of sunscreen of unknown brand.

Several layered watches and bracelets were stacked on her wrist, glittering brightly.

Looking somewhat troubled, she said, “I can’t reach my back to put on sunscreen. Could you help me?”

As she spoke, she turned slightly, the line of her waist like a hook, revealing the pale skin of her back beneath the strap.

Xu Zhitong froze.

She blinked slowly, looked at the bottle of sunscreen, then at Wen Jing in front of her.

What did she mean?

This felt weird. Xu Zhitong trusted her instincts and refused.

She shook her head and pointed at her own phone. “Not really convenient. I’m replying to messages.”

Wen Jing’s brows lifted a little.

She seemed about to say something, but after glancing at Xu Zhitong’s confused expression twice, she swallowed it back and turned to ask a staff member to help put sunscreen on her back.

After that, she didn’t go swimming either. Carrying a glass of orange juice, she came back and sat down beside Xu Zhitong.

“Work messages?” she asked.

Xu Zhitong said, “Sort of.”

Wen Jing: “I forgot to ask last time. What are you doing now?”

Xu Zhitong blinked. “Ah, I’m a streamer on Yinfu. I sing live. You can follow me.”

Wen Jing looked rather surprised. She leaned in to look, her shoulders hunching slightly as she bent too low.

After searching it up, she said, “So many followers. You’re a big internet celebrity.”

Xu Zhitong was a little embarrassed. “Just average.”

Wen Jing followed her back and asked, “Isn’t it tough? This line of work—streaming must be tiring, right?”

Xu Zhitong blinked.

“Not really. It’s pretty easy.”

That was the honest truth.

After all, from the moment Xu Zhitong lost her memory until now, she’d directly taken over an account with that many followers, and Lin Yang had been helping the whole time, taking care of everything from start to finish.

She really didn’t feel like it was tiring at all.

Because she was too straightforward, even this answer didn’t sound modest.

Wen Jing paused.

After a moment, she gave a helpless smile.

Sure enough, she was still the same block of wood who made conversation impossible.

After Xu Zhitong finished speaking and saw that Wen Jing wasn’t saying anything, her phone happened to buzz twice.

The operator had replied, saying no problem, then asked whether the items should still be sent to your home.

Xu Zhitong sent her a location.

【ZZZ: Send them here^^】

She hesitated for a second, then couldn’t resist showing off a little.

【ZZZ: I’m here soaking in the hot springs with her.】

She even took a photo of the distant scenery and sent it to her.

The operator was very supportive: Wow, it feels so romantic!

The operator: 99!

This operator knew about her relationship with Lin Yang.

Otherwise, given how underground the two of them were, Xu Zhitong wouldn’t have anyone she could even share her relationship updates with.

Seeing the operator’s simple but enthusiastic reply, Xu Zhitong was pretty happy too.

She smiled at her phone for a while.

On the other side, Wen Jing glanced through a few clips, then put down her phone and continued talking. “You’re chatting with your girlfriend? Checking in?”

Xu Zhitong shook her head naturally. “With the streaming operator.”

Wen Jing said slowly, “I see.”

“...”

Xu Zhitong felt that meeting an old classmate was a little more awkward than she’d expected.

Yet Wen Jing seemed very curious about her.

Smiling, she kept talking to her.

“I just watched some of your streaming clips. You’re amazing. You’re completely different from when we were in school.”

Why exactly did she have to chat with a junior-high senior she hadn’t seen in more than ten years?

Xu Zhitong racked her brains and still couldn’t figure out how to end the conversation. She rarely got approached like this, so now she could only say awkwardly, “It’s okay. I don’t feel like I’ve changed much.”

Wen Jing smiled. “That’s true. Your personality is pretty much the same as before.”

Xu Zhitong: “Mm-hm, mm-hm.”

Wen Jing: “How long were you in Hai City last time? Why didn’t you call me? I said I’d treat you to a meal.”

“...” What meal absolutely had to be eaten.

Xu Zhitong: “Oh, after the performance I went straight back to Jiangshi. I had things to do.”

Wen Jing was curious. “What performance?”

Xu Zhitong just told her to look it up herself. “A Yinfu online gala. There’s a clip of me online.”

Yinfu had pushed her into traffic. Her performance had over two hundred thousand likes, and the edited clip of her outfit alone had several tens of thousands of likes. It had basically crossed into the wider internet.

Wen Jing sat sideways in the chair beside her and carefully watched the whole thing through. “It’s really beautiful. That look really suits you.”

Wen Jing seemed to have a habit when speaking: she would smile faintly and look directly into Xu Zhitong’s eyes.

It made her seem more sincere.

Xu Zhitong felt a little uncomfortable and nodded. “Thank you.”

But no amount of sincerity could stand up to Xu Zhitong’s talent for killing the conversation.

Wen Jing wasn’t discouraged. “Are you still going to swim? Want to go play squash with me?”

“Squash?” Xu Zhitong asked curiously. “What’s that?”

Wen Jing said, “It’s really fun. You were good at sports in junior high, so you probably won’t be bad now either, right? I just saw you swim a lot of laps.”

Xu Zhitong blinked. “How did you see that?”

Wen Jing smiled.

Xu Zhitong: “...Maybe forget it. You just put on sunscreen; aren’t you going back in the water?”

Wen Jing: “Didn’t I run into an old classmate like you? You just got here today?”

Xu Zhitong: “Mm.”

Wen Jing: “I’ve been here on a staycation for three days already. I’m pretty familiar with the place; there are lots of facilities and all kinds of things to do. I’m sure you’d like it.”

Xu Zhitong blinked.

This was too weird.

Her heart was scratching at itself, and she was a little afraid she might be overthinking it, but she still said it out loud: “Forget it. I’ll wait for my girlfriend.”

Wen Jing raised her eyebrows. “Girlfriend?”

Xu Zhitong regretted it a little. She’d just told Wen Jing her livestream account; what if Wen Jing went around gossiping about it? Then the operator would have to be busy half the day again.

“Mm. Don’t tell anyone else.”

Wen Jing’s expression didn’t change. She was still smiling. “Being with you, she must be very beautiful, right? I remember you’ve liked pretty people since you were little.”

Xu Zhitong thought that was slander. “What do you mean? I am not.”

Wen Jing shrugged. “Or is she just very rich?”

At a place like this, a streamer of Xu Zhitong’s scale, with an ordinary family background, probably wouldn’t be getting a member invitation.

When Wen Jing had just been looking at the clips, she had inevitably seen the huge gift chain Xu Zhitong had received while streaming, along with the delighted expression on her face.

Xu Zhitong paused. She didn’t really want to talk to other people about Lin Yang’s conditions, as if she were quantifying Lin Yang or evaluating her somehow.

Her expression was a little awkward. She only said, “It has nothing to do with that. Don’t ask anymore.”

That expression was naturally caught by Wen Jing.

Her smile deepened a little, carrying a hint of understanding.

But she didn’t point it out. Instead, she leaned in a bit, her long hair falling forward and almost brushing Xu Zhitong’s lower abdomen, bringing an itchy, uncomfortable sensation.

Wen Jing handed over a QR code on her phone and supported herself on the edge of the chair with one arm, leaning in slightly; her posture was very alluring.

She smiled and said, “All right, I’ll listen to you. Then add me as a friend? Maybe in the future... I can also offer you some help.”

Xu Zhitong: “...”

She pulled the robe tighter around herself, blocking any possible contact, and looked toward the sun umbrella instead.

She felt trapped.

That was really what she meant, wasn’t it.

Why, though? Why was Senior acting like this?

But Wen Jing still wasn’t saying it plainly, and Xu Zhitong was so embarrassed by the ambiguous attitude that she stammered, “Forget it, Senior. My girlfriend and I are very happy... We’ve been together for seven or eight years.”

Wen Jing said leisurely, “So long? Then is the wedding coming soon? You’re not planning to invite me for the wedding wine? I’ll come drink a toast and give you a huge red envelope.”

Xu Zhitong: “...”

She really hated it when people hit the one sore spot.

Leaning back a little, she only felt that she’d suffered a huge loss from lacking social experience. She’d gone to schools with a strong academic atmosphere since she was little, and compared to Lin Yang, she’d hardly ever been confessed to. Facing such an experienced hunter, she didn’t know how to run away.

Would the staff come if she shouted for help?

Anyway, nobody here knew her; it’d be embarrassing, but so be it...

Just as she was about to shout for help, someone beside the lounge chair suddenly gave a light cough.

“Um... sorry, am I interrupting?”

The sun was gradually sinking lower, and the sparkle on the pool turned red-gold. The air by the water seemed to cool bit by bit as well.

Xu Zhitong shivered.

That cool, clear voice was so familiar.

But why did it have to arrive at exactly this awkward moment?

She hadn’t even shouted for help yet to prove her innocence.

—Help.

TL Note:

99! (99) = internet slang wishing a couple a long-lasting relationship.

block of wood (木头) = someone who is slow to notice romantic cues or social hints.