Chapter 54: A Massive Date Shock!

By the time the two of them set off again, it was already nine in the morning.

Once they were in the car, Xu Yan was still talking. “Sometime soon, let’s go through your entire wardrobe together.”

“Then we can buy some new clothes.”

“Mm… and some underwear too.”

Chen Yi laughed helplessly. “Alright, alright. I can tell you really have it out for my closet.”

“That’s not it,” Xu Yan explained on her own behalf. “I just think it’s a shame.”

“You have such a great figure. There are so many styles you could try.”

“Uh… but my closet is basically all black, white, and gray loose athletic wear?”

Xu Yan smiled at her. “You know it.”

Chen Yi leaned back in the car seat and looked back at Xu Yan. The gaze left Xu Yan a bit puzzled. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she asked, “What’s up?”

Chen Yi looked like she’d discovered a new continent. “Sis, I just realized you seem to love putting outfits together for people.”

“You did it before we went to see Zhouyu, and you did it before our date too.”

Xu Yan drove the car out of the underground garage, the GPS sweetly announcing directions.

She kept her eyes on the road ahead, looking perfectly upright and honest, but her words weren’t so innocent. “It’s not for people. It’s just for you.”

“Anything else?” Chen Yi asked. “Anything else you like.”

Xu Yan said calmly, “Put it on… then take it off?”

Chen Yi was on the verge of turning into a screaming chicken right there in the car.

She had to be thankful she wasn’t the one driving. Otherwise, she’d have floored the gas pedal, and who knew where the car would end up.

“Xu Yan!”

Xu Yan’s lips curved into a smile. “You asked.”

“I was asking seriously!”

“Wasn’t I answering seriously?”

Chen Yi couldn’t argue with her. Her face puffed up in frustration. When they stopped at a red light, Xu Yan had a free hand and reached out to hold hers, coaxing, “Okay, okay. I won’t say it anymore.”

She hadn’t meant to be a flirt. It was just that Chen Yi’s reactions were too adorable—she couldn’t help herself. Besides, it wasn’t really flirting. She was just stating facts. What was wrong with that?

“No need…” Chen Yi said softly. “You can say it when we’re alone together.”

How could anyone be this cute? Xu Yan’s heart melted into a puddle. She reached out to pinch Chen Yi’s earlobe. Chen Yi leaned into her hand like a puppy accepting pets from its owner, rubbing her head against Xu Yan’s palm.

“Aren’t we alone right now?” Xu Yan’s voice was soft and slow, like a length of smooth silk sliding down and draping over Chen Yi.

“It’s broad daylight!”

Ding ding—the GPS warned of a light change. Xu Yan reluctantly pulled her hand back, shifted gears, turned the wheel, and drove forward.

“Then I’ll tell you after dark.”

Chen Yi was completely out of moves.

She covered her face, thinking this whole conversation was bizarre.

It took an hour and a half to drive from their place to the campsite. Chen Yi had stayed up until three in the morning researching and packing. She hadn’t slept well to begin with, and with Xu Yan’s excellent driving—smooth starts and stops—she was yawning little by little in no time.

Xu Yan noticed.

“Baby, why don’t you nap?”

Chen Yi shook her head firmly. “No way.”

“You’ll get tired driving alone. I’ll keep you company and chat.”

Xu Yan said, “It’s fine.”

“Sleep for a bit, okay?” Xu Yan reached up to adjust the AC temperature, switched the music channel, and turned the volume down. “It’s okay. Rest up first. You’ll have more energy to play with me when we get there.”

It made sense, but Chen Yi just wasn’t having it. How could she fall asleep in her girlfriend’s car on their first outing together and leave her girlfriend to drive alone?

She shook her head vigorously, fighting to stay awake.

But the sandman was determined to do the opposite. Before long, she dozed off without realizing it.

Seeing her like this, Xu Yan grabbed a thin blanket from the back seat during a stop at a light and draped it over her.

Chen Yi might think staying awake to keep her company was the best choice, but for Xu Yan, driving under golden ginkgo trees with her beloved sleeping peacefully at her side was another kind of tenderness.

The fact that Chen Yi could sleep so soundly proved one thing: By her side, she felt safe.

That realization filled Xu Yan with deep satisfaction.

When the car pulled into the campsite, Chen Yi woke up slowly. The first thing she did was exclaim in disbelief, “I fell asleep?!”

She was young! Her girlfriend was right there! How could she sleep?!

“Almost there.” Xu Yan held the steering wheel with one hand and smoothly parked the car. They didn’t get out right away. Chen Yi made a call on her phone first.

After two minutes, the owner came running over.

The spot Chen Yi had booked was at the mountaintop, with a perfect view of the mist, sunrise, and sunset.

“You can drive up,” the owner told them, pointing the way. “Just follow this road. There are signs for our site along the side.”

Chen Yi thanked him.

They found their spot, unloaded all the ingredients, and put them in the little freezer provided by the campsite. After setting up the tent and tidying up, Chen Yi rubbed her hands together eagerly.

“Let’s go fly a kite.”

Near where they’d just arrived was a huge grassy field, surrounded by a lake halfway up the mountain. It was a weekday, so there weren’t many people. The sun was nice, and there was a good breeze. Chen Yi had read that the place rented kites.

She led Xu Yan over excitedly, and they picked a big blue butterfly kite. It was so large that one person could barely handle it.

Chen Yi handed the line end to Xu Yan and ran forward holding the big blue butterfly. Once she felt the wind and the line started to pull taut, she shouted, “Ready!”

“I’m letting go?”

Xu Yan: “Go for it!”

Whoosh—

The kite fabric fluttered and hummed in the air. Looking up, the blue butterfly was soaring high. Chen Yi hurried back to Xu Yan. Only when she got close did she notice Xu Yan’s expression was unusually tense.

“Sis, what are you scared of?”

Xu Yan didn’t even glance at Chen Yi. Her eyes were glued to the kite, both hands busy with the line.

“Don’t worry.” Chen Yi stood beside her.

Xu Yan stared intently at the butterfly. “I’ve never flown one before,” she said. “I’m afraid it’ll fall.”

“It’s fine. If it drops, we’ll just launch it again together.”

A kite soaring high without falling was one kind of fun.

But kites dipping and rising, needing constant relaunches—wasn’t that its own kind of fun?

A gust of wind came, sending the butterfly higher. Chen Yi squinted, savoring the fresh air in that moment. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling her name in disbelief.

“Chen Yi?!”

Chen Yi opened her eyes, her first thought that she’d imagined it.

The voice continued. “Chen Xiaoyi?!”

Chen Yi turned toward the sound.

Holy shit—

“Su Dai?!”

Su Dai was holding an unopened kite, staring at Chen Yi in shock. Chen Yi’s face was just as stunned.

This had to be the coincidence of the century—what the fuck?

“What are you doing here?” Su Dai asked. Then she noticed Xu Yan standing next to Chen Yi, and her expression grew even stranger. She walked over, greeted Xu Yan, then pulled Chen Yi aside. “Didn’t you say you were going on a date? How come you’re with Chief Editor Xu?”

The field was so open that even Su Dai’s quiet voice carried on the wind right to Xu Yan’s ears.

Chen Yi coughed lightly, struggling to explain the situation.

As she thought about what to say, another person appeared behind Su Dai. She was holding two bottles of iced cola and calling Su Dai’s name.

“Teacher Zhou?” Chen Yi’s whole face scrunched up in confusion. “You two are together?”

“Since when did you two get so close?”

Now it was Su Dai’s turn to go quiet.

After a moment, she whispered to Chen Yi, “It’s a long story.”

Chen Yi threw the exact words right back at her.

“My thing with Chief Editor Xu is a long story too.”

Su Dai fake-coughed. “Cough. How about we don’t talk about it now? Later when we’re free?”

The instant understanding of old friends kicked in.

Chen Yi shook hands with Su Dai. “Deal.”

Xu Yan watched without a word, but she did shoot Zhouyu a sharp look that made Zhouyu fidget awkwardly.

“What kind of fate is this?” Su Dai said to Chen Yi as she untied her kite. “The city’s so huge, and we still end up bumping into each other?” She shouldn’t have recommended this date spot to Chen Yi.

“Yeah.” Chen Yi’s voice had a gritted-teeth edge. “Should’ve told you ahead of time.”

Su Dai agreed. “So I could dodge you.”

They looked at each other, both sighing inwardly.

They were already here. What could they do? Only play together. What had been a leisurely kite-flying session turned into a fierce kite battle once Su Dai and Zhouyu joined in.

Who could fly highest? Farthest?

Chen Yi stuck by Xu Yan’s side like an enthusiastic little fan at every moment.

Seeing that, Su Dai nudged Zhouyu with her elbow. “You think those two are official now?”

“Probably.” Zhouyu was puzzled. “But didn’t you say Chen Yi was in an online romance before?”

Su Dai couldn’t figure it out either.

At lunchtime, she and Zhouyu came over to mooch off Chen Yi and Xu Yan’s food. Good thing they’d bought plenty of ingredients.

Chen Yi was brushing oil onto the skewers in her hand.

Su Dai sidled over, unable to hold back her gossip. “Are you and Chief Editor Xu an item now?” She pressed her hands together, mimicking a big smooch. “That was fast! What about that last one?”

“Which one?”

Su Dai huffed. “You know—the one!”

“The online fling who strung you along before ghosting, then totally bombed when you finally met up in person.”

Chen Yi’s hand shook on the oil brush.

Sizzle-pop—

Oil dripped into the glowing coals, shooting out brilliant sparks.

A fierce tongue of flame roared up from the grill.

Su Dai couldn’t figure out why Chen Yi’s face had gone so rigid—until Xu Yan strolled over, tugged Chen Yi close to her side, and tied a fresh apron around her waist. “My deepest apologies,” Xu Yan said.

“That person you just mentioned? That was me.”

Su Dai: ……

…?

Her jaw nearly hit the floor.

The plot twist looped endlessly through her brain without resolving, until it boiled down to one stunned remark: “Damn, you lesbians really play for keeps.”