Deep into the night, moonlight filtered into the room in scattered patches, and the fan hummed rhythmically.
Lin Qian tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
How did she suddenly become friends with Su Qingmo? It had been several days, but the reality of it still felt surreal and slightly incredible to her.
She rolled over and looked toward the balcony, where a set of pajamas hung on the drying rack, the very set Su Qingmo had worn. As a breeze blew past, the fabric swayed, and Su Qingmo’s elegant face seemed to float before her eyes.
After a long while, Lin Qian retracted her gaze, pillowed her head on her hands, and stared blankly at the ceiling. She wasn’t sleepy at all; she couldn’t drift off no matter how hard she tried.
She took out her phone, squinting at the harsh glare of the screen. Once her eyes adjusted, she opened WeChat and clicked on her chat with Su Qingmo. Their conversation had ended at 11:00 PM with a mutual “Goodnight.”
Lin Qian scrolled up through their chat history. They hadn’t actually talked about much; most of it was work-related communication. She tapped on Su Qingmo’s profile picture, a landscape of a night sky, dark and vast, dotted with stars and a crescent moon.
Perhaps because she was truly bored and restless, she stared at that profile picture for a very long time. She didn’t even know what she was looking for, but she stared at it in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Qian tossed her phone aside and closed her eyes, trying to coax sleep to come.
Buzz. Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Mosquitoes were whining relentlessly near her ears. Lin Qian swiped frustratedly at the air. In a fit of annoyance, she sat up. After staring into space for a bit, she lit a mosquito coil, but instead of lying back down, she put on her shoes and went out.
The apartment complex was very quiet in the middle of the night. Not a soul was in sight; the stillness felt somewhat lonely.
Lin Qian walked down the familiar path to the flowerbed and skillfully scooped up the drowsy little ginger cat.
“Big Fatty, how can you be sleeping? No more sleeping! I can’t sleep, so you have to stay up and keep me company.” She stubbornly held the cat in her arms, stroking its fur.
The kitten had a remarkably good temperament; it didn’t get angry at being woken up and stayed quietly in her embrace.
“It’s so strange. Why can’t I sleep? It’s not like anything bad happened.”
“There are so many mosquitoes. So noisy. If you’re going to bite, just bite—why all the buzzing? Do you have to sing before you eat to make it taste better?”
“Hehe… I have a friend now.”
“Her name is Su Qingmo.”
“Su Qingmo…”
“She’s exceptionally beautiful, and her voice is lovely, too.”
“She’s going to go to a concert with me. We like the same song—does that mean we’re kindred spirits?”
“She’s so good.”
“She’s not mean.”
“…”
In the dead of night, Lin Qian sat by the flowerbed, rambling on to the kitten. The cat grew sleepier, but Lin Qian grew more excited as she spoke.
“Meow!” The patient kitten finally let out a disgruntled yowl.
Lin Qian rubbed her face against its fur, completely oblivious to how annoying she was being.
The kitten: “…”
Naturally, after staying up half the night, she headed to the office the next day with dark circles under her eyes and a lethargic spirit.
Relying on coffee to stay awake, she yawned her way through the morning. It wasn’t until she took a nap during her lunch break that she finally felt like herself again.
She endured until quitting time. As usual, she waited until her colleagues had mostly cleared out and the elevators were empty before packing her things.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened.
Lin Qian stepped inside, and someone immediately followed behind her. She looked sideways to find Su Qingmo standing right there, tilting her head with a smile. “Off work?”
Lin Qian gave a dazed “Mhm.” “Off work.”
Even though they were “friends” now, Lin Qian remained extremely stiff.
“Don’t you think it’s a coincidence? Running into each other at the elevator again,” Su Qingmo teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Quite a coincidence,” Lin Qian replied, biting her lip.
“There aren’t that many coincidences. I was actually keeping an eye on you; the moment I saw you leaving, I followed,” Su Qingmo said with total honesty.
Lin Qian looked at her, retracted her gaze, and then looked back again. Finally, she said, “I can wait for you to get off work. You don’t have to ‘run into’ me.”
“Really?” Su Qingmo’s tone was delighted. “Then it’s a deal. You have to wait for me tomorrow.”
Lin Qian nodded. “Okay.”
The elevator reached the first floor, and they walked out together. As they headed toward the exit, Su Qingmo asked, “Have you had dinner?”
Lin Qian shook her head. Since she had just gotten off work, she obviously hadn’t eaten.
Su Qingmo: “I haven’t eaten either.”
Lin Qian tried to parse her meaning and remembered she had promised to treat Su Qingmo to a meal. She asked tentatively, “Shall we go get dinner together?”
Su Qingmo’s lips curled up. “Sure.”
Lin Qian: “What would you like to eat?”
Su Qingmo thought for a moment. “I know a restaurant with great food. Wait for me a moment while I go get the car.”
With that, Su Qingmo headed toward the underground garage while Lin Qian waited. Watching her walk away, Lin Qian was puzzled. Wait, when we were in the elevator, she could have just gone straight to the garage on the B1 level. Why come out here first?
Then it clicked—Su Qingmo probably wanted to walk out of the elevator with her, just like the “coincidental” meetings. Realizing this, Lin Qian couldn’t help but smile. This person was actually quite…
Inside the car, Lin Qian buckled her seatbelt and sat up straight. Su Qingmo turned on the stereo, and soft music filled the cabin.
It was a Gu Shiqiu song.
Su Qingmo started the car and said, “Aren’t we going to her concert soon? I listened to some of her songs and found them quite good. I’ve been listening to her for the past few days.”
Su Qingmo skipped to the next track. It was also by Gu Shiqiu, but this one was in a traditional Gufeng style. “This one is my favorite.”
Hearing the intro, Lin Qian’s eyes instantly sparkled, as if she had found a soulmate. “I think this one is the best, too!”
“Right? It seems we have similar tastes,” Su Qingmo said, her eyes on the road and a smile on her lips.
At the Restaurant, inside a Private Room.
Lin Qian sat at the table, looking around curiously. The decor was exquisite and antique. Outside the window was a rockery with a waterfall and goldfish swimming in a pond below.
The sound of the waterfall was punctuated by the faint chirping of birds. It felt less like a restaurant and more like a private ancient estate.
Lin Qian loved this kind of traditional atmosphere. She enjoyed Gufeng games, her favorite songs were in that style, and she always stopped to admire Hanfu clothing. She was a dedicated enthusiast of traditional aesthetics.
It was her first time seeing such an elegant restaurant. It felt as if the place had been designed specifically for her tastes; she loved every single detail. Being naturally quiet, her excitement manifested in her eyes as she took everything in.
Su Qingmo noted her every expression and asked with a smile, “What do you think of this place?”
Lin Qian looked back from the scenery and nodded without hesitation. “It’s so beautiful.”
Su Qingmo beamed. “I’m glad you like it.”
Su Qingmo watched her, her thoughts drifting back to a time long ago.
In the memory, the two of them were cuddling on a sofa. Su Qingmo kissed her cheek and asked, “If you don’t like this restaurant, what kind of place do you like?”
Lin Qian had said without thinking, “I like restaurants with traditional charm. They have to be quiet, and there should be a rockery and a waterfall outside the window. It would be best if I could hear birds, and oh—the pond definitely needs goldfish…”
Su Qingmo: “A place like that sounds lovely.”
Lin Qian hugged her: “Right? Of course, those things are secondary. The most important thing is having you there.”
Su Qingmo pinched her nose dotingly: “Of course I’ll be there.”
When it came time to pay, Lin Qian discovered the bill had already been settled. She didn’t even know when Su Qingmo had done it, as she hadn’t left the table once.
Lin Qian grew anxious. “Didn’t we say I was treating?”
Su Qingmo: “You can treat next time.”
Lin Qian bit her lip. She felt like Su Qingmo’s “next time” was very unreliable—it felt like a cycle of “next times” that would never end.
” ‘Next time’ is a bit too vague. How about tomorrow?” Su Qingmo suggested suddenly.
“Okay. What do you want to eat?” Lin Qian asked.
Su Qingmo thought for a bit. “Egg noodles.”
Lin Qian was taken aback.
Su Qingmo: “The egg noodles I had at your place that rainy day. I thought they were delicious. Could you treat me to those?”
Facing Su Qingmo’s expectant eyes, Lin Qian didn’t even have time to think before she nodded instinctively.
Su Qingmo smiled, her joy reaching her eyes. It was a soft, gentle expression, like a refreshing summer breeze. Lin Qian watched her, momentarily entranced.
Su Qingmo’s smile deepened. She slowly leaned in, closing the distance between them. “Why do you keep staring at me?” her low, soft voice whispered into Lin Qian’s ear, feeling strangely deafening.
Lin Qian snapped back to her senses and hurriedly looked away, her face flushing crimson instantly. Su Qingmo’s light chuckle echoed in the air. Lin Qian’s face felt even hotter, as if she were running a fever.
Knowing when to stop, Su Qingmo cleared her throat. “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, I’m going to your place for egg noodles.”
Lin Qian nodded blankly. “Okay.”
On the weekend, the weather was clear and, as usual, hot.
Even though it was the weekend, Lin Qian didn’t sleep in. In fact, she woke up earlier than she usually did for work because today was important.
She spent thirty minutes tidying the apartment and making the bed before heading out to buy groceries. She and Su Qingmo had agreed to have lunch at 12:00 PM. Although Su Qingmo specifically asked for egg noodles, Lin Qian couldn’t bring herself to serve just a single bowl of noodles. She had to be a proper host and prepare several dishes.
The previous time had been meager due to the emergency. This time, with time to prepare, she wanted to do it right.
Lin Qian traveled to a large supermarket further away. There was a wet market nearby, but she hated going there. Even though the produce was fresh, the prices weren’t clearly marked. She didn’t like having to ask for prices individually—sometimes she was even too timid to ask. She’d rather walk to a distant supermarket than face the wet market.
She browsed the aisles, wondering what Su Qingmo liked to eat, but she realized she didn’t know her well enough to say. In the end, she just bought standard fare: fish, shrimp, meat, and various vegetables, lugging two heavy bags home.
On the way, because her hands were full, she accidentally dropped her phone while trying to pull it out. She scrambled to set the groceries down and check the device. It wasn’t broken, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Back at home, she looked at her palms; they were chafed red from the heavy bags. She didn’t mind, though. She sat on the sofa, drank some water, and rested for a bit.
When she checked the time, she was stunned. She had been out for three hours!
Oh no, oh no.
Lin Qian bolted upright. She had to start cooking immediately. They had agreed on noon, and it was already 10:00 AM. She only had two hours left—time was tight.
She rushed into the kitchen and put on her apron. Though she was hurried, she was methodical. Living alone for years meant that while she occasionally ordered takeout out of laziness, she usually cooked for herself. She was quite a capable cook.
Ninety minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food. She had prepared a full table: steamed fish, braised pork ribs, fried shrimp…
By the time she finished, her back and neck ached from the effort, but the sight of the full table made most of the fatigue vanish. It was 11:30 AM—thirty minutes until noon.
She sat at the table, chin resting on her hand, gazing expectantly at the door. Su Qingmo should be arriving soon. Lin Qian felt a strange sense of joy.
However, time ticked by. She waited from 11:30 to 12:00, then from 12:00 to 12:30. Looking at the food slowly getting cold on the table, she grew anxious.
Didn’t we say twelve o’clock? Why is she late?
She wanted to send a message to ask, but she kept typing and deleting, unable to hit send. Maybe she’s delayed by something. I’ll wait a bit longer. What if she’s driving? It’s dangerous for her to try to reply to a text.
Wait a bit more. If the food gets cold, I can just reheat it.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps sounded in the hall. Lin Qian stood up excitedly, only to realize it was just a neighbor passing by. She sat back down dejectedly and continued to wait.
She waited and waited. The food was reheated once and went cold again. 1:00 PM passed. 2:00 PM passed.
Lin Qian’s expectant gaze gradually turned flat. She slumped onto the table in defeat. It was 2:00 PM; Su Qingmo definitely wasn’t coming. She had been stood up.
Looking at the table full of food that had taken two hours of heart and soul to prepare, she pouted, feeling a pang of hurt. Why couldn’t she have sent a message beforehand? All her previous joy had turned into profound disappointment.
She picked up her chopsticks and took a massive, venting bite of food.
“Cough, cough, cough—” She choked, hurriedly drinking some water to wash it down.
She sat there in a daze, her appetite gone. Actually, she shouldn’t feel this hurt; she was being dramatic. She was always putting too much expectation on others, when in reality, people often just say things in passing.
It was just like before, when she and Sister Xiaoyu would make plans and Xiaoyu would cancel at the last minute. Chu Xiaoyu loved inviting Lin Qian to crowded places. Lin Qian would endure the discomfort and wait in the crowds; despite the unease, she had been happy then.
But standing in those crowds, she would receive a text that turned her joy into dust.
Sister Xiaoyu: Sorry, something came up and I can’t make it. You probably haven’t arrived yet, right…
Seeing those words felt exactly like she felt now. The same disappointment, the same hurt.
Su Qingmo and Chu Xiaoyu were actually the same. They were successful, busy, had rich social lives, and many friends. They weren’t like her—isolated and narrow, with only them in her world. They were prone to “sudden things” and “canceling at the last minute,” only remembering her on the rarest of occasions. She should be used to it.
She had always been alone. Some things couldn’t be forced, and being alone was fine.
Lin Qian couldn’t eat much, but she took bite after bite of the cold food. Whether it was Su Qingmo’s broken promise or the memory of Chu Xiaoyu’s countless cancellations, her eyes suddenly welled up.
She quickly wiped away the tears. Crying over such a small thing was too embarrassing. Even with no one else in the room, she felt ashamed.
Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s okay, it’s okay. Lin Qian patted her chest, trying to soothe the feeling of being wronged.