Lin Sangyu: “……”
Thinking of the bodyguard outside who might be injured, Lin Sangyu muttered curses under her breath but, feeling guilty, rummaged through the first-aid kit Jiang Wenzhe had prepared and pulled out a band-aid and some anti-swelling ointment.
Opening the door again, Lin Sangyu put on a smile and awkwardly chuckled at the two men: “S-sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt that much,” said the bodyguard, his nose streaked with dried blood, grimacing in pain.
Lin Sangyu placed the ointment and band-aid in the palm of her hand, held them out with both hands, and said apologetically, “Here’s some anti-swelling ointment. Go ahead and apply it.”
The man immediately took them and said to the bodyguard next to him, who was trying hard not to laugh, “Hey, Leo, stop laughing at me. Hurry up and apply the ointment—I can’t see.”
Once the two had finished applying the ointment, Lin Sangyu couldn’t wait to head out the door, with the two bodyguards following close behind her every step of the way.
Everything in England felt unfamiliar and novel to her, especially when the people she passed by had different skin tones and ethnicities. Some had dark skin and curly hair, while others had blond hair and blue eyes; each had their own unique style, and everyone walked down the street with confidence and ease.
Lin Sangyu took photos as she walked. At first, she kept reminding herself to use the rule of thirds, center composition, and leading lines… to pay attention to exposure and keep the frame clean…
But as she continued shooting, she let her heart guide her, casting all those techniques far from her mind.
Turning the corner, Lin Sangyu found herself on an even smaller street—or, more accurately, a quiet, vintage-style alleyway. The cobblestone path and the stone-built buildings on either side exuded a rich, time-worn charm, lined with well-known local clothing stores, secondhand bookshops, fragrance and home goods shops, and cafés.
Lin Sangyu casually walked into a quiet café with few customers and a serene atmosphere. With the bodyguards’ help in translating, she ordered a cup of coffee and two small pastries.
During this time, Lin Sangyu realized that the two bodyguards must have been quite tired from following her around all day, so she offered to buy them some pastries to tide them over.
However, both bodyguards refused with serious expressions, claiming that their duty was to ensure her safety and that eating was against the rules.
Lin Sangyu glanced at them with admiration, silently thinking to herself that she clearly wasn’t cut out to be a bodyguard—just resisting the temptation of a little dessert was something she couldn’t do.
If there’s money to be made, they should be the ones making it.
Speaking of desserts, Lin Sangyu felt a bit annoyed. Jiang Wenzhe—who knows what’s wrong with him—always liked to meddle in everything, never allowing her to eat more than a little; in his eyes, desserts were simply off-limits.
Whenever she asked why, he’d say desserts were high in sugar, fat, and calories, likely to aggravate inflammation, increase metabolic risks, and cause indigestion…
She could totally understand why he wouldn’t eat them in his thirties. But she was still in her twenties—why couldn’t she have some?
Isn’t youth your greatest asset?
Thinking about this, Lin Sangyu’s mood soured, and she speared a piece of chocolate brownie with her fork and shoved it into her mouth.
“Hello, is the seat next to you taken?” A voice speaking Chinese in a monotonous rhythm with a thick foreign accent suddenly rang out in her ear.
Lin Sangyu looked up and saw that the voice came from a pretty white girl with deep-set eyes, a high, straight nose, and fair skin. She was standing about a meter diagonally behind Lin Sangyu, just about to approach her.
But just as she took another step forward, one of the bodyguards reached out to block her path.
Caught off guard, the white woman stood there, looking somewhat embarrassed and bewildered, casting a pleading glance at Lin Sangyu.
Seeing this, Lin Sangyu quickly said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Let her come over.”
The bodyguard glanced at the white girl again, noting that she was dressed in light summer clothing and carried no obvious suspicious items. Only after confirming she was not capable of carrying a weapon did he step aside to let her pass.
“Hello, my name is Amelia,” the young woman said, shaking off her earlier embarrassment as if it were the capricious summer weather, and greeted them warmly. “Are these two your bodyguards?”
“Uh, sorry about that,” Lin Sangyu said apologetically. “My name is Lin Sangyu.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I was the one bothering you anyway. I’m a Chinese language enthusiast, and whenever I see people of Asian descent, I just have to come say hello—just to see if you’re Chinese. If you are, I’d love to chat with you and practice my spoken Chinese. So, what do you think? Is my spoken Chinese already pretty good?”
Amelia rested her chin in her hand and looked at Lin Sangyu with excitement, as if begging for praise.
To be honest, although Amelia’s pronunciation wasn’t very clear and her intonation was a bit odd, these minor flaws didn’t detract from her overall skill—for a foreigner, it was already quite good. Lin Sangyu immediately replied with a smile, “Yes, it’s excellent. We can communicate without any barriers at all.”
Amelia basked in the praise for a moment before asking, “Are you here on vacation?”
“Sort of. I came with a friend who’s here on a business trip. I don’t have anything to do, so it’s basically like I’m on vacation.”
Amelia got even more excited: “Then let me be your tour guide—what do you say? I just quit my job and I’m bored out of my mind.”
Lin Sangyu was taken aback.
“What’s wrong? Am I bothering you? Sorry, I guess I was a little too enthusiastic.” Amelia scratched her head awkwardly.
Lin Sangyu finally snapped out of it and quickly tried to smooth things over: “No, not at all. I just feel like you’re a bit different from the British people I’ve read about online. Before I came, I looked them up, and he said British people are polite and reserved—a bit aloof. But I think you’re very warm and outgoing—quite different from what I’ve read.”
Amelia thought for a moment, then said with a straight face, “That’s certainly true—most people here are like that. But there are always exceptions, right? Just like how Chinese people are generally seen abroad as hardworking and resilient, but I’ve seen plenty of Chinese students here skipping classes, failing exams, and just slacking off all the time.”
Mid-sentence, she adopted a look of deep dismay: “I’m truly worried about their future—and about China’s future as well. After all, you’re studying to contribute to the rise of China.”
Lin Sanyu chuckled, revealing two faint dimples.
As luck would have it, the sunlight seemed to favor her at that very moment, showering her entirely in warm, golden radiance. Fragments of light danced across her eyelashes, and she looked just like a flower awakened by the spring sunshine.
Amelia suddenly fell silent, staring at Lin Sangyu for quite a while before gazing at her dreamily and saying, “Darling, you’re so cute—and so beautiful.”
“R—really?” Lin Sangyu was shy; hearing this, she grew flustered, and a faint blush crept up to her ears.
Amelia took Lin Sangyu’s hand, her tone sincere: “I really mean it. Don’t you know how beautiful you are? Or are you just being polite and modest with me? I know you Chinese people are the most modest of all.”
Lin Sangyu clearly fell into the former category. Aside from the last few months, the only time she had been human was during her childhood—a time when everyone was still growing, their childlike innocence intact, and they had no concept of beauty or ugliness.
As for now that she had become human, although many people had complimented her on her looks, she still felt a bit insecure, thinking they were just being polite.
“Thank you,” Lin Sangyu said earnestly, pursing her lips slightly.
“What’s there to thank me for? I’m just telling the truth,” Amelia suddenly leaned a little closer to Lin Sangyu, smiling mischievously. “You’re so pretty that when I first looked your way, I thought you were out shopping with your two little boyfriends.”
“!!!” Lin Sangyu’s two jet-black eyes instantly widened, her face a picture of shock. “What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
Lin Sangyu glanced nervously over her shoulder at the two bodyguards. She thought to herself, if she had really not only dated local white guys during the ten-plus days Jiang Wenzhe had been away on business, but had dated two at once…
Jiang Wenzhe would probably kill her.
“That’s just how it is. You’re pretty—so what if you date a few guys? Isn’t that a perk for those guys?” Amelia said nonchalantly. “Besides, those guys rely on their looks to play the field—two at a time, three at a time—it’s a dime a dozen.”
After a few seconds of silence, Lin Sangyu nodded thoughtfully, as if she’d really taken it to heart: “I think you have a point.”
“Wait, no,” Amelia panicked this time, “I was just joking with you. Even though certain groups in the world aren’t faithful in relationships, that doesn’t mean we have to go along with it. We still have to stay monogamous—stick to one-on-one.”
Lin Sangyu thought for a moment, then delivered a line that perfectly illustrated the saying “When you speak, make it count”—she said, “But just now, I actually thought what you said made a lot of sense.”
Amelia: ?
Lin Sangyu continued, “Back in my hometown, according to family tradition, monogamy doesn’t exist.”
“In your hometown? Are there still places like that in China?” Amelia was so shocked she jumped to her feet, staring at Lin Sangyu in utter disbelief.
The sky’s falling! Aren’t Chinese people supposed to be the most conservative and traditional? How can this be more open-minded than Britain?
Lin Sangyu was momentarily at a loss for words—she couldn’t possibly say it was the custom of our sugar gliders—so she made something up on the spot: “It’s just a small town in China; only a tiny fraction of people do that.”
Amelia took a moment to process this, then swallowed hard: “China really is… truly vast and rich in diversity.
Lin Sangyu pouted her little lips and said proudly, “Of course it is.”
“So how many are you planning to date? How many men are you going to marry?”
Lin Sangyu rested her chin on her hands, furrowed her brow, and thought seriously for a moment. Finally, she said solemnly, “As for dating, there’s no limit. As for marriage, three, I guess. One to play with me, one to sleep with me, and one to help me run the household.”
Amelia let out a “Wow”—she was blown away by this vision and couldn’t help but imagine herself in the scenario.
Imagine spending the whole day out and about with a 1.95-meter-tall man with a six-pack, and she comes home to find the house spotless—cleaned by another husband—with a meal prepared exactly to her taste, waiting on the table. Then, when it’s time for bed, another lover—so handsome he could move heaven and earth—has already warmed her bed for her.
That would certainly be a wonderful life.
Lin Sangyu’s eyes sparkled: “Right? Right? You think it’s great too, don’t you?”
“It really is wonderful! The customs in your part of the world are just amazing!”
“So does that mean I should start looking for the three men I’ll marry in the future right now?” Lin Sangyu was a hands-on person, and she was already beginning to worry about it.
As she was lost in thought, suddenly, a tall, slender figure appeared behind her—she hadn’t even noticed when it had arrived.
Before Lin Sangyu had a chance to turn around, she heard a man’s voice—tight and icy in tone—say:
“Lin… Sang… Yu.”
Author’s Note:
Be faithful in matters of love