Saturday arrived, a day off with beautiful weather.
Lin Qian didn’t sleep in. She got up early and kept herself busy. Although she had no specific tasks, she spent her time doing laundry, tidying the room, and pacing back and forth in the living room.
In short, she was in a state of extreme excitement.
She picked up the concert tickets from the table, looking at them and touching them over and over. Printed on the tickets were the words: Gu Shiqiu 2021 “Year of the Bathing Wind” World Tour — Tubei Station.
She was so looking forward to it. She was finally going to see her idol. She was happy.
She gently placed the tickets back on the table, her movements so careful it was as if a single crease would get her barred from the venue.
After a clear day, it started to rain at six in the evening. Lin Qian was initially worried, as rain makes going out inconvenient, but fortunately, the downpour didn’t last long.
At seven, Su Qingmo sent a text saying she was downstairs. Having waited for so long, Lin Qian naturally dashed down immediately upon receiving the message.
From a distance, Lin Qian saw Su Qingmo waiting by the car, and her eyes instantly lit up.
Su Qingmo was wearing a pale purple knee-length dress with a unique pattern that exuded traditional charm. The top two buttons of her collar were undone, leaving her collarbones faintly visible.
Lin Qian couldn’t help but steal several glances. How are Su Qingmo’s clothes always so beautiful? No, maybe it’s not the clothes, it’s the person.
Composing herself, Lin Qian jogged over.
“You’re here. Get in,” Su Qingmo said, opening the car door and leaning aside to invite her.
“Thank you.” Lin Qian smiled shyly and bent down to get into the car.
The temperature inside was just right, cool and refreshing, perfectly sealing off the sweltering heat outside. The rain at six hadn’t lowered the temperature; instead, it had made the air even more muggy.
Su Qingmo didn’t start the car right away. She took a long, open look at Lin Qian from head to toe.
Lin Qian felt a bit self-conscious under her gaze. “What are you looking at me for?”
Su Qingmo: “You’re wearing a dress.”
Lin Qian’s face immediately flushed. She gave a soft “Mhm.”
Su Qingmo’s lips curved upward. “And you’re wearing makeup.”
Lin Qian’s face turned even redder. She usually didn’t dress up, sticking to black, white, and grey tones—mostly t-shirts, casual pants, and white sneakers. She wore whatever was simple and comfortable. She rarely wore dresses and almost never wore makeup.
Su Qingmo’s hand, resting on the steering wheel, tapped a joyful, rhythmic beat. She dressed up, wore makeup, and even wore a dress she usually dislikes—all because she’s going on a date with me!
What does this mean?! It means…
Su Qingmo cleared her throat and leveled her breathing. She couldn’t let her joy be too obvious, trying to suppress the storm of happiness raging in her heart.
“I’m going to see my idol, so I dressed up a bit,” Lin Qian explained, her face still flushed.
Su Qingmo’s tapping finger froze. Her smile faltered, and her lip twitched.
Heh.
Heh heh.
All that joy for nothing. She thought Lin Qian had dressed up specifically for her, but it turned out it was all for her idol.
“Did you dress up too?” Lin Qian asked. “You seem… different from usual.”
Su Qingmo gave an “Mhm.” “I did. After all, I’m going to see my future wife.”
Lin Qian froze. Su Qingmo turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.
Lin Qian was dazed for a moment before she realized—Oh, President Su is a fan of Gu Shiqiu too! She even called her “wife”—she was even more obsessed than Lin Qian. However, hearing the word “wife” come out of Su Qingmo’s mouth felt… strange.
It was strange, but it also made her want to laugh. Lin Qian tried her best to stifle a giggle.
Su Qingmo: “…”
After a long silence, Su Qingmo said, “I don’t follow celebrities, and I don’t call anyone else ‘wife’.”
Lin Qian just assumed she was embarrassed about being caught “fangirling” and nodded cooperatively. “I know, I know.”
Su Qingmo: “…” You know nothing!
The concert venue was in the gymnasium of a well-known university. Following the navigation, Su Qingmo quickly found the place. The moment they stepped out of the car, a wave of heat hit them.
Looking ahead, it was a sea of people—groups of friends, couples, children running around. It was incredibly lively. Seeing the crowd, Lin Qian instinctively bit her lip and held her breath.
She knew there would be many people; she had anticipated this and mentally prepared herself long ago. But seeing so many people in person and being trapped in the middle of them still caused an uncontrollable sense of discomfort. Especially when people pushed past, brushing against her, the unease reached its peak.
Just as she was feeling lost, someone suddenly took her hand.
Lin Qian looked to her side. Su Qingmo gave her a faint smile. Lin Qian’s heart seemed to beat a bit faster—though she wasn’t sure if it was because of Su Qingmo’s smile or the crowded surroundings.
Su Qingmo said, “Let’s hold hands. There are too many people; I don’t want us to get separated.”
Lin Qian looked down at their joined hands. Her anxious, unsettled heart was instantly soothed. The crowded surroundings didn’t seem so scary anymore.
“Let’s go. Time for ticket inspection,” Su Qingmo said.
“Okay.” Lin Qian followed obediently.
Along the way, they brushed past many people, weaving through the bustle. But strangely, for the first time, Lin Qian didn’t find the crowd too noisy or uncomfortable. On the contrary, she felt a profound sense of security.
Perhaps that security came from…
Lin Qian looked down at their clasped hands again.
Su Qingmo led Lin Qian to the inspection gate, Su Qingmo led Lin Qian through the ticket check, and Su Qingmo led Lin Qian to their seats. Throughout the entire process, Lin Qian’s only responsibility was to follow. She didn’t have to think, she didn’t have to do anything, and she didn’t even have to worry about falling behind because Su Qingmo was holding her the whole time, occasionally turning back to check on her.
Lin Qian smiled, feeling inexplicably happy.
“Section A,” Su Qingmo searched around, even stopping to ask a staff member for directions. “Found it. Our seats are here.”
Like she was leading a child, Su Qingmo guided Lin Qian to their seats. Once seated, Lin Qian—who had done absolutely nothing—let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Su Qingmo was there. If she had come here alone…
Lin Qian imagined the scene: Standing in the aisle alone, looking around helplessly, unable to find her seat. Wanting to ask for help but losing her nerve, trying again and failing again. Ultimately, she’d likely just give up and go home because she couldn’t find her seat and didn’t have the courage to ask anyone.
Just thinking about it made Lin Qian feel embarrassed and afraid. It was too terrifying. She couldn’t help but look at Su Qingmo again; in this moment, the woman seemed to be draped in a sacred glow. It was so good to go out with her—no thinking, no worrying. It was simply wonderful.
Su Qingmo looked over, and Lin Qian quickly retracted her gaze. Did she see me staring?
Su Qingmo: “It’s starting.”
Lin Qian gave an “Mhm” and looked toward the stage. Su Qingmo chuckled softly. Even in such a noisy environment, Lin Qian heard her laughter clearly. She definitely caught me staring. Lin Qian’s ears turned red.
Soothing music filled the stadium. Listening to the singing, Lin Qian slowly calmed down. The lights came on, and amidst the song, a woman in a white dress appeared on stage. She was slender, and under the spotlights, her skin looked as white as snow.
The person on stage was beautiful, but Lin Qian found herself distracted. Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the side. Su Qingmo was also beautiful.
She pulled her gaze back, focused her mind, and began to watch the concert properly. Influenced by the atmosphere, Lin Qian followed the crowd, waving her glow stick from side to side. When the fans shouted, Lin Qian would follow with a small shout of her own.
Su Qingmo was quite quiet, but Lin Qian felt like she was catching Su Qingmo stealing glances at her every now and then.
The concert lasted for over two hours and was nearing its end. The final segment was to select lucky audience members to go on stage for interaction. Whoever the spotlight landed on would be the lucky winner.
Lin Qian didn’t pay much attention; with so many people, there was no way she’d win the “grand prize.” She wasn’t worried, but perhaps because Section A tickets were expensive, the spotlight kept roaming around their area to give the VIPs a sense of participation.
Several times, the light swept over Lin Qian, causing her whole body to tense up. She loved Gu Shiqiu, but no matter how much she loved her, she absolutely, positively did not want to go on stage! While others were hoping to be chosen, Lin Qian’s hands were clenched into fists, and she bit her lower lip so hard it hurt. She was nervous and anxious to the extreme.
At that moment, Su Qingmo placed her hand over Lin Qian’s clenched fist and gave it a reassuring pat. Lin Qian’s tension eased. Su Qingmo smiled at her, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid. You won’t be picked. If you are, I’ll go up for you.”
Lin Qian stared at her blankly, her heart feeling more settled than ever before.
The wandering light finally stopped as the host shouted “Stop!” It didn’t land on Lin Qian, but on someone else in Section A not far away. Lin Qian stopped paying attention to the stage and instead stared unblinkingly at Su Qingmo’s hand, which was still resting on the back of hers.
Is she not going to take it away?
It’s actually quite nice if she doesn’t. Her hand is so warm.
The concert ended. Su Qingmo and Lin Qian sat in their seats by unspoken agreement. Once most of the crowd had left and the aisles were no longer congested, they shared a look and stood up to leave together.
After just one step, Su Qingmo took her hand again. She used the same excuse—that there were too many people and she was afraid of getting lost. However, the venue was clearly emptying out, and there weren’t many people left. Lin Qian didn’t say anything; she just lowered her head and gave a silly, secret smile. She couldn’t say why, but being held by her made her very happy.
Leaving the stadium and away from the crowds, the two of them walked along the campus streets, holding hands under the dappled moonlight. The dim yellow streetlights shone on them, and a light breeze brushed past, bringing a hint of coolness.
Lin Qian looked at her, looked away, then looked at her again. Although Su Qingmo’s face didn’t show it, she caught all of Lin Qian’s small movements, and a smile involuntarily played on her lips.
“Qianqian!” At that moment, someone suddenly shouted from across the road under a streetlight.
Lin Qian followed the sound. She saw someone running over quickly, slamming into her for a hug. Lin Qian was knocked back several steps, and at the same time, her hand was bumped free from Su Qingmo’s grasp.
“It really is you! I thought I was seeing things.” Chu Xiaoyu had shallow dimples and a bright, radiant smile.