Chapter 12
Lin Yuewei glanced at Jiang Congbi and clicked her tongue, sounding annoyed. “You talk too much.”
With that, she shoved Jiang Congbi’s hand away, opened the passenger-side door, and got in without saying yes or no.
Jiang Congbi sighed. “Hey.”
She stood there for a second, amused, then climbed into the car after her. “Give me a straight answer. Friends don’t steal each other’s husbands. If you want a bite of this dish, I’ll back off.”
Lin Yuewei fastened her seat belt and closed her eyes to rest. “Drive. I’m sleepy.”
Jiang Congbi pinched her cheek. “Can a single sentence really wear you out that much? Yes or no—it’s only two words.”
Lin Yuewei shot her a sharp look.
Jiang Congbi pulled her hand back awkwardly, then laughed and ruffled Lin Yuewei’s long, silky hair. “We’ll talk when we get back.”
Lin Yuewei didn’t bother arguing over such a small thing. Eyes still closed, she asked, “Are your parents home?”
Jiang Congbi said, “No. When have you ever seen them home?”
Lin Yuewei said, “I’m just asking politely.”
Jiang Congbi said, “What, did your parents kick you out? Don’t worry, sis’ll take care of you from now on.”
“Brat,” Lin Yuewei snorted. Jiang Congbi had grown up with her and was even two months younger. “I came out on my own. Let them try kicking me out.”
The seat belt might have twisted near the top when it was fastened. After sitting for a while, Lin Yuewei felt it digging into her shoulder, so she lifted a hand to adjust it. When she saw the white fabric of the trench coat on her shoulder, she straightened abruptly. This was...
Jiang Congbi turned the wheel and glanced at her expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Lin Yuewei’s eyes darted a few times before she sat back down.
At first, Gu Yanqiu had taken off her trench coat and covered Lin Yuewei with it. When they got out of the car, Lin Yuewei hadn’t noticed at all and had naturally put the coat on. Why hadn’t Gu Yanqiu reminded her?
Lin Yuewei pinched the bridge of her nose. What was she supposed to do with this coat? Return it? How?
***
After Gu Yanqiu parked in the garage, a blast of cold wind hit her as soon as she got out. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and let out a soft “ah” as she remembered she’d left her coat with Lin Yuewei.
She didn’t have Lin Yuewei’s contact information. If she wanted it, she could get it easily enough, but during these past few days together, she still hadn’t once asked for it herself.
She often felt she had revealed too much of her true self in front of Lin Yuewei, including deliberately teasing her at the Civil Affairs Bureau and making her suffer a little. She could even remain unmoved by her mother’s “unexpected illness and death”; how could she develop thoughts of “revenge” just because Lin Yuewei showed a little temper in front of her? What, exactly, was at work here?
Ever since their first meeting, whenever Lin Yuewei appeared in front of her, her gaze would unconsciously drift toward her. And if she noticed Lin Yuewei looking at her, she would involuntarily start to tense up and lose concentration.
Admittedly, Lin Yuewei was strikingly beautiful and deserved anyone’s special regard; however, Gu Yanqiu was not the sort to place excessive importance on looks.
Just because she had never been in a relationship didn’t mean she knew nothing. Lin Yuewei had a fatal pull on her. If one called it liking her, it hadn’t reached that point yet; but if they kept spending time together for a while longer, it would be hard to say. Fortunately, Lin Yuewei also seemed consciously to be keeping her distance, which kept her from falling too deeply too soon.
Gu Yanqiu often wore prayer beads, though she wasn’t a devout Buddhist. Yet at that moment, she rolled the beads between her fingers and softly chanted a Buddha’s name, pressing down the budding, illicit thoughts in her heart.
The night wind was cold against her face as she stepped inside and opened the front door.
Lights came on one floor after another in the three-story villa; first the living room, then the kitchen. After about half an hour, the second floor lit up as well, while the first floor went dark again. Gu Yanqiu took a shower and sat down on the bed, typing intently on her laptop.
Her phone on the bedside table lit up. Caller: Gu Huai.
Since her mother passed away, Gu Yanqiu had changed how her father was saved in her contacts. Gu Huai had sent her a text: [Are you coming home for dinner tomorrow night?]
Gu Yanqiu stared at the message interface, her expression indifferent.
[Yes, Dad] she replied, her tone affectionate as ever.
Then she sent another message: [I have a friend who deals in medicinal ingredients. I’ll ask him for two boxes of caterpillar fungus and bring them home tomorrow for you and Auntie.]
Gu Huai: [Thank you, my good daughter]
If one only looked at the messages, it was indeed a picture of a loving father and filial daughter. Only the people involved knew what they were really thinking.
***
He Songjun, the current Mrs. Gu, was several years older than Gu Huai’s first wife, yet was nearing fifty this year. Still, she looked barely in her early thirties, full-bodied and peach-faced, with a beauty refined by the passage of time. For a third party who had interfered in someone else’s marriage to maintain herself so well, it was clear just how dearly Gu Huai had favored her over the years.
Gu Huai put down his phone, his expression unreadable; he was a man of inward temperament and unfathomable depth, keeping everything locked inside. Joy and anger never showed on his face, and even He Songjun, who had followed him for so many years, couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
After considering it for a moment, He Songjun’s delicate hand slid tentatively to the man’s broad palm; she turned the phone over, looked at their father-daughter chat history, and said with a smile, “So Yanqiu’s coming home for dinner tomorrow? I’ll make preparations in person.”
Gu Huai said flatly, “You don’t...”
He Songjun gently cut him off. “Yanqiu has some misunderstanding about me. I want to clear up the misunderstanding between us, so this family can be a little more harmonious.”
After a moment of silence, Gu Huai nodded.
He Songjun went on, “Also, Yanqiu’s been married for quite a few days now. Since she’s coming home this time, why not bring the new wife along too?”
Gu Huai looked at her.
He Songjun’s heart lurched. She swallowed nervously and quickly organized her words again. “Other than the wedding day, we haven’t seen the new wife at all. We still haven’t done the proper formalities.”
At last, Gu Huai gave a faint “mm.”
He Songjun didn’t dare touch his phone. She waited until Gu Huai sat on the sofa for a while longer, then picked up the phone again and sent Gu Yanqiu a text. A refined smile remained on He Songjun’s face as she watched Gu Huai, expression calm, contacting his daughter. In her heart, she thought: I’ll make sure you father and daughter break apart one day.
***
[Tomorrow night, bring Lin Yuewei with you. Is she free?] — Gu Huai.
[She’s asleep. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.] Gu Yanqiu fabricated for Gu Huai the illusion that she and Lin Yuewei were living together.
Gu Yanqiu hadn’t expected Gu Huai to send such a message. She and Lin Yuewei had discussed this; it wasn’t a banquet or formal event, so attending would be fine, but it had come earlier than Gu Yanqiu had expected.
Two hours ago, she had still been thinking about keeping her distance from this person; before long, she would have to face seeing her again.
This time... what would happen?
***
Lin Yuewei found a palm-sized notebook and a ballpoint pen in Gu Yanqiu’s trench coat pocket. From what she could tell, the handwriting belonged to Gu Yanqiu herself. Lin Yuewei had only ever seen the notes she wrote; she remembered that little rabbit very clearly. Coincidentally, there was also a rabbit in this notebook, right on the first page.
Could it be that Gu Yanqiu hadn’t drawn the rabbit to please her? Had she liked rabbits to begin with?
Jiang Congbi threw her bag and coat onto the sofa, then turned and saw Lin Yuewei staring absentmindedly at the notebook. She tiptoed over and, before Lin Yuewei could react, snatched it away in one swift motion.
The notebook was suddenly gone from her hands. Lin Yuewei reached out to grab it back. “Hey.”
Jiang Congbi had been prepared. After taking the notebook, she ran several meters away and pointed at Lin Yuewei. “Don’t come over. Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in her? Why are you so invested?”
Lin Yuewei’s mind raced, and she said righteously, “That’s invading someone’s privacy.”
Jiang Congbi said, “Oh? And who was the one staring so hard just now? You’ve already invaded it once; what’s wrong with me invading it once too? That’s what best friends are for—we invade each other’s privacy together. Don’t be too touched.”
Lin Yuewei lunged after her. “Touched my ass. Give it back to me now!”
“Not giving it back. Don’t be so stingy.”
“Return it to me!”
Jiang Congbi fought her like guerrilla warfare. During the chase, she had already finished looking through the notebook. There were only two pages in total. Aside from the rabbit, it was copied Buddhist scripture. Jiang Congbi read a passage from the Heart Sutra and stopped.
“That’s it? What’s so interesting about it?” Jiang Congbi asked in bafflement.
“Give it here.” Lin Yuewei snatched it back and closed the notebook, restoring it to how it had been, along with the ballpoint pen. She shot Jiang Congbi a look. “Did I say it was interesting? You were the one who insisted on grabbing it. What’s your problem?”
Jiang Congbi asked, “Was this copied by Gu Yanqiu?”
Lin Yuewei said, “If not, then who?”
Jiang Congbi suddenly laughed. “Hey, let me see it again.”
Lin Yuewei had already put it back in her pocket, holding it tightly. She guarded it warily. “Didn’t you already see it?”
Jiang Congbi said, “I want to look again.”
Lin Yuewei said, “No.”
Jiang Congbi wasn’t so easily defeated. After a full round of wheedling and pleading, she finally got her way. Staring at that page of Buddhist scripture, she looked entranced. “This handwriting is way too cute.”
“???”
What was cute about handwriting? Had she gone crazy?
Jiang Congbi puckered her lips and kissed the notebook through the air. “Don’t you think you can see the other person’s interesting soul through these words?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m serious. Let me ask you again: do you have feelings for her? If not, then I’m really going to pursue her.”
“...She’s not in the mood to date.”
Jiang Congbi waved a hand, full of confidence. “That doesn’t matter. I’m in the mood, and that’s enough. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“Suit yourself. As long as you’re happy—what are you doing—” Lin Yuewei wiped the saliva from her face in disgust.
Jiang Congbi kissed her on the face again, the smack loud and clear, and said excitedly, “Girl, you’re my real sister! Just wait for me and Gu Yanqiu’s wedding wine!”
“...”
Why did that sound so weird?
Lin Yuewei stood up and stretched, yawning even though she wasn’t sleepy at all. “I want to sleep.” As if that could completely drive away the sour feeling in her chest.
Jiang Congbi bent at the waist and hooked her arm supportively. “The emperor is ready to retire for the night.”
Author’s note: Miss Lin: Today, I’ve also put on a bright green hat for myself. I feel amazing :(