“You guys go ahead and stay busy, don’t worry about me. I’m going to wander around on my own,” Gu Ming said before stepping out of the inn to stroll through the ancient town alone.
Zhong Xiao-ou took the room key Chi Wei had arranged for her, dropped her backpack, and pulled out her wallet. Chi Wei stood in the doorway, legs crossed and arms folded, looking like she was enjoying a private comedy show.
Xiao-ou’s face flushed with guilt. Between the sweltering heat and her nerves, her skin was damp with sweat. As she finished tidying up and stood to head out, Chi Wei’s body remained anchored in the doorway.
“Move it.”
Chi Wei reached out and draped an arm over her shoulder. “You’ve been making some real progress with your heartthrob lately. Has she actually broken up with her fiancé? You’re diving into this headfirst.” Though Chi Wei knew logic rarely wins against emotion, seeing Xiao-ou plunge in so blindly made her worry about the inevitable crash.
Xiao-ou shook her head and sighed. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t dared to ask.” To be honest, she wasn’t thinking that far ahead; just becoming closer to Gu Ming felt like enough.
“You… honestly, you’re such a ‘weak bottom,’ and a stubborn one at that. Most people stop when they hit a wall; you’d probably try to walk through it. But hey, this is a golden opportunity. Get close to her. Who knows? You might actually have a shot.”
“Really?” Xiao-ou’s eyes lit up, then immediately dimmed. “But… isn’t that just ‘taking advantage of her vulnerability’?”
“…” Chi Wei stared at her, deadpan. “Let’s see if you even have the skills to ‘take advantage’ first.”
…
The Secret Group Chat
The two walked arm-in-arm through the streets of Anren Ancient Town. Naturally, Xiao-ou had zero interest in the historical Liu Family Mansion; her eyes were constantly scanning the crowd for the VP. Chi Wei pulled out her phone and sent a message to a WeChat group: If anyone spots President Gu, squeak.
Xiao-ou’s phone buzzed. She had recently been dragged into this group titled “Universal Harmony and Love for All.”
“What are you doing?” Xiao-ou gasped as she saw the message. “Helping you find your woman. You look like a lost soul.”
Chengdu’s Prettiest Femme T: President Gu is here?]Wen Chao’s Private Pet: President Gu didn’t come today, did she? Touch You All Over: Is she really here? Can Xiao-ou even survive that?
What kind of talk is this? And what is wrong with these IDs? Xiao-ou cursed internally. She had muted the group the moment she was added and had no idea who was behind the aliases—except for “Wen Chao’s Private Pet,” which was clearly the masochistic Wei Hang.
“Who is ‘Chengdu’s Prettiest Femme T’?” Xiao-ou asked. “Qian Lili.” “Her? Pretty? Does she even know how to spell ‘Femme’?” Xiao-ou was in full roast mode. She tapped another ID. “And this one? ‘Touch You All Over’? That’s just perverted.” “That’s Lu An, the quiet accountant from Finance.” “What? Her?! She’s a… a refined scoundrel! She’s so shy she barely speaks, and she picks a name like—” “Slutty,” Chi Wei provided helpfully. “Exactly!”
“People have many sides,” Chi Wei said, patting Xiao-ou’s head. “The 2D world has many sides, the 3D world does too. Just get used to it.” Xiao-ou swiped her hand away. The gap between Lu An’s shy office persona and a name like “Touch You All Over” was too much. Even as much as she liked Gu Ming, she had never thought about… touching… her all over. Stop. Don’t go there. Xiao-ou’s face turned beet red.
“What are you thinking about? Your face is as red as a chicken’s butt.” “Nothing!” Xiao-ou ducked into a nearby shop to escape the embarrassing topic.
…A “Former” Status
The moment she pulled back the shop’s curtain, she ran straight into Gu Ming. Fresh off her “lustful” daydream, Xiao-ou froze like a statue. Gu Ming looked up and smiled. “Finished your tour?”
“Ah? Not yet. We just started.” Gu Ming waved and, seeing she was with Chi Wei, continued on her way. Xiao-ou clutched her chest. Note to self: Do not fantasize about people during the day.
Charming Beauty Chi: Target spotted. Xiao-ou’s pocket vibrated violently. She was using an ancient Nokia since her new phone hadn’t arrived yet. She struggled to open the app, cursing the shameless IDs.
“Don’t just stand there,” Chi Wei nudged her. “Go after her.” “And say what?!” “Whatever! Tell her she looks beautiful today and you’re obsessed… or…” “Get lost!” Xiao-ou kicked her.
Xiao-ou peeked out and saw Gu Ming nearing the end of the street, about to turn into an alley. She hurried out, maintaining a careful distance so she didn’t look like a total stalker. Suddenly, Gu Ming stopped and crouched down to play with a cat. Xiao-ou slammed on her “brakes” just in time.
“Zhong Xiao-ou?” The voice was melodic. Xiao-ou stiffened and turned to meet Gu Ming’s puzzled gaze. “President Gu! What a… what a coincidence. Cough.”
“What are you doing over there?” “Oh, just… looking at the scenery.” Xiao-ou looked at where she had been standing—a dilapidated old house with an elderly man smoking a pipe. Great scenery. Gu Ming walked over. “Where’s Chi Wei?” “She probably went to find the others.” “You two seem very close.” “We were roommates in college.” “A pair of sisters, then?” Gu Ming followed Xiao-ou’s gaze to the lonely old man. Seeing nothing worth staring at, she clapped her hands and continued down the cobblestone road.
Xiao-ou followed naturally this time. She was nervous and felt clumsy, never quite knowing what to say. They walked for a long time. Gu Ming was a surprisingly fast walker, and Xiao-ou was soon out of breath. Gu Ming glanced at her and laughed. “You’re so young—is your health that poor?” “No! I’m fine.” “Then why are you panting? We’ve barely walked at all. Do you exercise?” Xiao-ou shook her head. Exercise was far too much work.
Eventually, they reached an old teahouse. They ordered two bowls of “Gaiwan” tea. Gu Ming leaned back in a bamboo chair, legs crossed, looking more relaxed than Xiao-ou had ever seen her. Xiao-ou nervously played with her tea lid. Gu Ming watched the steam rise. “I love Sichuan teahouses. The first time I ever came to one like this was when Shi Lei took me. It was outside our university…”
Xiao-ou listened intently, then whispered the name: “Shi Lei?” Gu Ming realized she had let her guard down. “Yes. My former fiancé.”
“Hiss! Ah—!” “What happened?” Gu Ming asked, startled. “Burned! I burned my tongue! Ow!” Xiao-ou set the tea down, tears pricking her eyes. But it wasn’t just the heat. Former fiancé?! “President Gu, what did you just say?”
“Are you okay? Is the burn bad?” Gu Ming worried, wondering why a grown woman was struggling with a cup of tea like a toddler. “President Gu… are you divorced?” Xiao-ou asked, her burned tongue making her speech slurred. “…” Gu Ming gave her a light playful swat on the head. “Divorced from what? I was supposed to get married in two months. At least get your insults right.” “So… you broke up with your boyfriend?” “Yes.” Gu Ming looked away toward the horizon. Then she noticed the corners of Xiao-ou’s mouth twitching upward. “Are you… happy that I got dumped?”
“Dumping a scumbag? Absolutely! I mean—no! President Gu, wait here, my tongue is burning, I need to go find something cold!” “Where are you going?” Gu Ming watched her dash off. In this quiet town, she decided, it was time to let the past stay in the past.