The morning air in Anren Ancient Town was crisp and clear; these days, almost any place you picked would have better air than Chengdu. Gu Ming got up and started stretching in the courtyard. She had slept well—surprising, since she usually struggled to adjust to new beds. It must have been the exhaustion from yesterday’s fun combined with the alcohol. In her hazy memory, she recalled Zhong Xiao’ou leading her toward the bed.
“VP Gu, up so early?” Chi Wei emerged, her hair loose and still in her pajamas, looking bleary-eyed.
“Morning, VP Gu! Did you sleep well? Your complexion looks great this morning.” Not long after, Qian Lili drifted out as well.
“VP Gu…”
Gu Ming realized that stretching in the middle of the courtyard wasn’t the wisest choice with everyone watching, so she slipped back into the room. She found Zhong Xiao’ou still in bed, making strange little groans and whimpers. Gu Ming leaned in for a closer look. Zhong Xiao’ou wasn’t actually asleep; her body just felt too heavy to move. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw Gu Ming standing there. For some reason, a wave of warmth flooded her heart. “VP Gu…” she croaked.
Gu Ming, thinking it was just the grogginess of someone who had just woken up, knelt down and said softly, “Didn’t sleep well? Why don’t you rest a bit longer?”
VP Gu, I’m sick… please don’t be this cute. My heart is itching. It’s not good for a patient’s health! Zhong Xiao’ou said pitifully, “I think I have a cold. My body feels soft and achy.”
Hearing this, Gu Ming reached out to touch her forehead. The temperature seemed high, but not alarmingly so. Gu Ming flipped her hand over to check with her palm, but she still couldn’t quite tell. Zhong Xiao’ou felt her heart rate skyrocket the moment those fingers touched her. Before her pulse could even return to normal, Gu Ming suddenly leaned down and pressed her forehead against Zhong Xiao’ou’s.
Her heart hammered against her ribs—it felt like it was about to explode or short-circuit. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. It was only a fleeting few seconds before Gu Ming pulled away, murmuring to herself, “It is a bit hot. I’ll go find a thermometer for you.”
If you were going to look for a thermometer anyway, why did you have to do the ‘forehead-to-forehead’ move? That’s lethal, you know! Zhong Xiao’ou felt her face flushing a deep crimson, her consciousness swirling. In the moment Gu Ming leaned down, with her smooth, cool forehead pressing against hers, the air was filled with her scent—sweet and intoxicating. That was the problem with straight women: they thought these intimate gestures between women were casual, having no idea they were causing a total emotional meltdown in the other person.
Gu Ming returned, followed by Chi Wei carrying a thermometer from the company’s first-aid kit.
Chi Wei handed it over. “You certainly pushed yourself hard last night, didn’t you? A cold already?”
There wasn’t a hint of concern in her voice. Zhong Xiao’ou gave her a weak glare. Seeing Gu Ming occupied with boiling water for her, Chi Wei leaned in and whispered, “What happened last night? Any progress?”
Not now! VP Gu is still in the room! Zhong Xiao’ou nudged Chi Wei with her elbow. Of course there was “progress”—if she hadn’t been so close to Gu Ming, sleeping in the same bed, she wouldn’t have realized just how intense her desire to be near her actually was.
“37.8°C (100°F). A low-grade fever. Any other symptoms?” Chi Wei asked, reading the thermometer.
“Sore throat, no energy, body aches…”
Chi Wei listened while picking out medicine from the kit. “Take some 999 Cold Remedy and some anti-inflammatories. Have you had breakfast? Take the meds after eating. I’ll go ask the owner to make you some porridge.”
“I’ll go,” Gu Ming said, heading out of the room before anyone could stop her.
“Hey—” Zhong Xiao’ou tried to call her back, but she was already gone. Chi Wei took her water cup and adjusted her pillow. “You really are sick! I thought you were faking it.”
“Am I crazy? Why would I fake being sick?” Zhong Xiao’ou grunted through her sore throat.
“How should I know? The weather isn’t even cold. How did you catch a cold? Unless you two were ‘rolling around’ too vigorously last night—but we both know that’s impossible. You’re not me.” Chi Wei knew her friend well.
Zhong Xiao’ou was speechless and too tired to argue.
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing. I created such a great opportunity for you, and instead of thanking me, you just glare at me all day.” Chi Wei patted her cheek.
Zhong Xiao’ou hesitated, unable to suppress the turmoil in her heart. Since Gu Ming was gone, she tugged at Chi Wei’s sleeve and whispered, “VP Gu touched my forehead just now.”
“So? What’s the big deal?” Chi Wei asked, unimpressed.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Zhong Xiao’ou added, “She used her hand… and then she used her forehead.”
“Oh? And how did that feel?”
“It felt… subtle. Like I was suffocating.”
Chi Wei poked her forehead. “You really are a rare breed of pure-hearted romantic.”
Qian Lili came by to get Chi Wei; as the organizer, Chi Wei had to lead the group to the Jianchuan Museum Cluster that morning.
“What’s your plan? Rest for a bit and head back with us in the afternoon?” Chi Wei asked.
“I’ll lie down for a while. I’ll rest after taking the meds. You go ahead.” Zhong Xiao’ou leaned against the headboard listlessly.
“True, VP Gu is here anyway. Perfect for her to take care of you.” With that, Chi Wei and Qian Lili left.
A moment later, Gu Ming returned with a steaming bowl of pumpkin porridge. “Breakfast is just porridge and eggs. You shouldn’t have eggs with a cold, so you’ll have to stick to the porridge.”
Zhong Xiao’ou didn’t really want to eat because her tonsils were likely inflamed and swallowing was painful. But since Gu Ming had kindly brought it, she forced herself to take it. “VP Gu, you should go out and have fun. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“It’s okay. I’ll stay with you. You’ll need someone if you want water or anything later.”
Zhong Xiao’ou was, of course, thrilled. She felt her relationship with VP Gu was becoming increasingly intimate. If things kept developing like this, did it mean she actually stood a tiny chance?
Gu Ming sat on the sofa by the window, her hands folded. “Was it because you didn’t have a blanket last night? Is that how you caught the chill?”
Finally, you’ve realized the truth, Zhong Xiao’ou thought. You were wrapped up like a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling)—were you that afraid someone would assault you? Gu Ming seemed to realize it as well and apologized, “I’m so sorry. I tend to hog the blankets when I sleep. I was so tired and a bit drunk last night that I wasn’t being mindful. I should have asked the owner for another blanket.”
Zhong Xiao’ou gave a weak smile and shook her head. “I just wasn’t paying attention myself. It’s fine. The medicine should fix it; it’s not a big deal.” She wasn’t that fragile, just uncomfortable.
Gu Ming had her long hair down today, the slight curls giving her a very relaxed look. The room fell into a quiet lull. Gu Ming wasn’t playing with her phone; she just gazed out the window or looked over at Zhong Xiao’ou occasionally. She felt that if she was supposed to be keeping her company, it would be rude to be glued to a screen.
“Zhong Xiao’ou, you said you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Huh?” Zhong Xiao’ou nearly choked on her pills.
“What type do you like?” Gu Ming asked, trying to break the ice with casual conversation.
“I like…” Zhong Xiao’ou paused. “I like someone gentle, good-looking, and slender.”
“Gentle? So you like the ‘warm’ type.” Gu Ming toyed with her fingers. What type was Shi Lei? The sweet-talking, romantic type?
Zhong Xiao’ou was terrified Gu Ming was about to offer to set her up on a blind date. Fortunately, Gu Ming just asked that one question and didn’t follow up. Suddenly finding a burst of courage, Zhong Xiao’ou asked, “VP Gu, did you really break up with your boyfriend?”
The smile on Gu Ming’s face faltered slightly, but she didn’t show much emotion. She was silent for a moment. Zhong Xiao’ou felt she had been incredibly reckless and stupid—bringing up such a sore subject. She retreated into her water glass.
“Yes, we broke up,” Gu Ming said nonchalantly. Zhong Xiao’ou didn’t know how deep their feelings had been; she only knew about the man’s betrayal. The longer the relationship, the deeper the wound.
“Zhong Xiao’ou, have you ever had your heart broken?” Gu Ming leaned back and let out a soft sigh, one that carried traces of sadness and regret.
“Me? I haven’t really had a ‘proper’ relationship. I’ve only had people I liked. Does that count as a breakup?”
Gu Ming listened intently, pursing her lips. “If you’ve never dated, how can it be a breakup?”
“I don’t know.” Zhong Xiao’ou shook her head. “I just know that I wanted to be with that person every day. I wanted to do everything together. I loved the feeling of working toward a goal together… but I couldn’t even say the words ‘I like you’ out loud. I had to watch them be with someone else while I found a way to quietly step away. Does that count as a heartbreak?”
“Why didn’t you say anything if you liked them?”
The question left Zhong Xiao’ou stunned. Why didn’t I say anything? Because ‘it’s hard to open my mouth when I love you,’ she almost sang the lyrics in her head. She frowned. Who told her to keep falling for straight women? She was truly the “fighter jet” of tragic luck.