Chapter 15

Southbound, Northbound Self-Service Hot Pot.

Yu Nianyi stood at the entrance, glanced at the sign, and followed Song An Ning inside.

The new shop on campus always ran discounts to draw customers, so it usually filled up as soon as it opened.

Yu Nianyi and Song An Ning hadn’t arrived early; only two tables in the middle were empty, and every other seat was taken.

The air was thick with the smell of grilled meat. The staff’s calls mingled with the customers’ chatter, making the whole place feel lively. The two of them walked down the aisle one after the other, and just then they happened to see two female servers carrying out a square table, their faces red from the effort as they looked around for somewhere to put it.

They looked like college students—very young, a little thin and small-framed—yet they were carrying a table wide enough for three people.

Song An Ning stopped and stepped aside, shielding Yu Nianyi behind her with one hand as she motioned for them to go first.

“Thank you, thank you...” The girl smiled up at them and nimbly strode past in two quick steps.

Yu Nianyi looked back and just happened to see them set the table down by the entrance; one of them bent over to plug the power cord into the outlet in the wall.

“There are a lot of people, right? Let’s sit here.” Song An Ning stood beside the second table in the middle, near the cashier counter, and casually pulled out a chair for Yu Nianyi before heading to the opposite side. “We’re pretty lucky; there are still seats.”

Yu Nianyi sat down, dragged her chair closer to the table, and said with a smile, “You can tell this place is really popular. The moment I came in, it didn’t feel cold anymore; it just smells like meat everywhere. Order whatever you want. I’m treating.”

Song An Ning rested one hand on the table and raised her brows with a grin. “Then I’ll thank Sister Nianyi in advance.”

Yu Nianyi had just started reaching for her phone when she froze. A few seconds later, she looked up at the person across from her. Song An Ning tilted her head and said openly, “I hear Xi Yao call you that all the time. It sounds like you two are really close.”

“I remember your birthday is in September and mine is in October; calling you sister should be normal, right?”

Yu Nianyi: “Normal.”

The restaurant had an enormous selection of dishes and meat. They were sitting at a four-person table, with separate spots for hot pot and barbecue built into the tabletop, and four sets of disposable utensils placed at the corners.

Not long after they sat down, a server brought over the hot pot and plugged it in to heat.

The self-service area was huge. It looked as if they had rented the old rice noodle shop and then taken over the vacant space next door as well; at a glance, the vegetables and meat were especially vivid in color, bright and varied, enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

The two of them went in different directions and picked up some barbecue, seafood, and fried food. When Yu Nianyi came back, she happened to see Song An Ning setting several bottles of sparkling wine on the table.

“Let’s start with these. If we finish them, we can get more.”

Yu Nianyi was closest to the barbecue area, so she picked up the meat herself and laid it neatly on the grill, one slice at a time.

Today, Yu Nianyi didn’t talk much. Mostly it was Song An Ning saying three sentences for every one Yu Nianyi answered; her eyes were fixed on the meat sizzling on the grill.

Xi Yao had just sent a message saying that tomorrow at nine in the morning, Xi Yu would come to the entrance to pick her up. Two days and one night—they’d go have some fun and then return to school just in time for class.

She and Xi Yu hadn’t contacted each other for three days. Recently she’d been busy with classes and homework sketches, so she hadn’t talked to Xi Yu about art again, and Xi Yu naturally hadn’t looked for her either.

Yu Nianyi turned the meat over and thought about what to wear tomorrow, and how to dress herself.

She remembered that time at home, when she wore her hair straight, Xi Yu had looked at her several times. There had clearly been more eye contact than during their first meeting; maybe Xi Yu preferred straight hair.

And that top from last time was nice too...

Yu Nianyi picked up a piece of grilled meat and examined it carefully, then casually put all of it onto Song An Ning’s plate. Song An Ning’s eyes widened slightly, and she thanked her with a smile.

“How is it? Not bad, right?” Song An Ning asked.

Yu Nianyi put the meat back on the grill, then said as she cut it with scissors, “Very good. You picked a great place; I really like it.”

Song An Ning smiled and quickly reached out. “I’ll grill it; you eat. If you keep giving me everything, I’ll feel bad.”

Before Yu Nianyi could say anything, Song An Ning’s hand was already on the tongs; her fingers brushed Yu Nianyi’s, and she let go. “Thanks.”

“We’re already this familiar with each other, so don’t be so polite with me.”

Yu Nianyi lowered her head to glance at her phone. It was 8:30 p.m.; still early.

She picked up a piece of meat and put it onto her own plate, and as she lowered her head to eat, she realized her hair had fallen forward with the movement and onto the table, almost dropping into her dish.

“Careful.” Song An Ning casually set the tongs into the stainless-steel utensil bucket, then stood up and came in front of Yu Nianyi. She gathered Yu Nianyi’s loose hair carefully for her, and Yu Nianyi could clearly feel the back of her neck cooling down, refreshed; then Song An Ning’s voice came from above her head. “It’s more convenient to eat with your hair tied up. I can help you when we eat in the future.”

Yu Nianyi smiled without much reaction and waited until Song An Ning finished tying her hair before looking up to meet her eyes. “Thanks. I didn’t expect you to carry a hair tie with you.”

Song An Ning sat back down and absentmindedly played with her short hair, staring straight at Yu Nianyi’s face. “I don’t use it myself, but I’m happier to use it on you.”

“It was originally prepared for you.”

Yu Nianyi pressed her lips together, lowered her head to glance at the food on the table, and then picked up the tongs again to continue grilling the meat.

Seeing that Yu Nianyi looked completely oblivious, Song An Ning didn’t say anything else and naturally changed the subject.

They didn’t eat much. By 9:00 p.m., the two of them were already downstairs.

Yu Nianyi declined Song An Ning’s suggestion to go for a second round, using the excuse that she still had things to do at home, and hurried back.

She changed into loungewear, tossed her bag onto the table, and sank into the sofa with a long sigh.

Of course Yu Nianyi understood what Song An Ning meant.

The seemingly intimate, delicate interactions between two girls became something else in the eyes of people like them.

Precisely because words and actions could carry different meanings, as lesbians they were even more careful about the distance between themselves and other women. If it was only friendship, or if there were no other thoughts, they naturally wouldn’t be overly physically intimate or say things that were too affectionately awkward.

It was just that now that she had seen Xi Yu, Yu Nianyi found her time with Song An Ning even duller and longer.

Compared with Song An Ning, she still wanted Xi Yu more.

She looked forward more to Xi Yu’s not-so-serious, not-so-stern side; more to the way Xi Yu looked when she was moved; more to seeing Xi Yu in her arms, gasping again and again.

Yu Nianyi sat motionless for a while before picking up her phone from the side, tapping open Xi Yu’s profile picture, and starting to type.

[Yu Nianyi: Sister Xi Yu, Xi Yao said we’re going to the resort for skiing tomorrow, and that you’ll come pick me up.]

[Yu Nianyi: What time will you come? I want to be prepared.]

Yu Nianyi looked at her message and subconsciously checked the time. It was 9:25 p.m.; this shouldn’t count as disturbing her. At this hour, people were usually already off work; if she were asleep and resting, it would still be too early.

Just as she was thinking this, her phone vibrated.

[Xi Yu: Nine o’clock.]

Yu Nianyi curved her lips, unsurprised, and tapped into the input box.

Her phone suddenly vibrated again.

[Xi Yu: Can you ski?]

Yu Nianyi froze, staring at the few words on the screen.

If she were being honest, she really was pretty rusty. Since growing up, she could count the number of times she’d skied on one hand; at most, she could only manage beginner slopes.

Yu Nianyi turned on voice input. Her brows and eyes curved as she spoke, her voice almost sounding like she was trying to lure someone in. “Not really professionally, but I like it. Can Sister Xi Yu teach me then?”

The resort itself hadn’t originally been intended mainly for entertainment; it was just a medium between Xi Yu and that man for cultivating feelings, while she was the variable between them.

Ding—

[Xi Yu: Okay.]

Yu Nianyi held her phone, and an unmistakably satisfied smile spread across her face.

-

Ding-ling-ling—

Yu Nianyi rolled over, reached out from under the covers, and accurately silenced the phone. The bedroom immediately fell quiet.

Another five minutes passed before the bunching quilt on the bed stirred. The blanket corner lifted, and Yu Nianyi poked her head out. She yawned and glanced at the time.

7:05.

She’d been in a good mood yesterday; after chatting with Xi Yu, she’d drawn for another three hours and didn’t fall fully asleep until nearly one.

Yu Nianyi got out of bed, quickly showered, and put on a fairly striking makeup look. This time she deliberately chose a brighter lipstick, and made her face look very delicate and polished.

Standing in front of the wardrobe, she looked and looked, and finally put on her gray sweater and a pair of dark jeans that flattered her legs.

In front of the mirror, she deliberately tilted the sweater collar to one side, letting it slip off her shoulder and exposing a large patch of fair skin.

In the end, she chose a short beige lambswool jacket, which showed off her long legs to the fullest. The visible line of her collarbone was half-hidden, half-exposed; at a glance, she looked a little sexier and more mature.

8:40.

Once everything was ready, Yu Nianyi took her bag and left the house.

As she walked, she sent Xi Yu a message saying she was already on her way, then went down the stairs and headed toward the community gate.

On a weekend, there were far fewer pedestrians on Xiangyang Street. Most of the students were sleeping in. It had snowed last night, and although the sun was shining brightly now, the air still felt cold and bleak.

Ding—

[Xi Yu: Okay, I’m at the gate.]

Yu Nianyi glanced down and thought she had come out so early, yet Xi Yu was still the one waiting for her.

Beep—

Yu Nianyi looked up toward the sound and saw, parked at the curb on the left front side of the street, a black Range Rover with its hazard lights flashing. The model was sleek and imposing, especially eye-catching.

Through the window, she could vaguely make out a figure in the driver’s seat.

Yu Nianyi walked over. When she reached the car door and saw that Xi Yu seemed to be in the driver’s seat, with no one in the passenger seat or the back, she hesitated.

The tightly closed window slowly rolled down. Xi Yu turned her face slightly and looked at Yu Nianyi standing by the door.

“Get in. Sit in the front passenger seat.”

Yu Nianyi raised a brow, a smile blooming on her face as she pulled open the car door and bent down to get in.

TL Note:

Southbound, Northbound (南来北往) = a phrase meaning “people coming and going from all directions”; used here as the restaurant’s name.