Chu Susu wasn’t the type to play hard to get just because the other person hadn’t replied to her message. If she wanted to send a message, she sent it straight away.
Of course, she was a bit more indirect with the content, using an excuse as a cover so the other person wouldn’t notice her real intentions.
Chu Susu: “I miss Pipi. When are you at the shop? Can you take a photo for me?”
This trip was only three days, and it was too much trouble to bring the little dog along, so she had boarded Pipi at that pet shop again.
She did miss Pipi, but she also kind of wanted to see Han Xuan.
Their company had no rules against part-time jobs, so as far as Chu Susu knew, Han Xuan worked weekdays but still staffed the pet shop for a day on weekends.
Han Xuan still didn’t reply, but she wasn’t the type to deliberately ignore messages. Chu Susu figured she had gone to the shop early in the morning to get busy and didn’t say anything more, putting her phone back in her bag and getting off the plane with her friends.
Pet shop.
Han Xuan was indeed at the shop. During the National Day holiday, lots of people had boarded their pets, so they were much busier than usual.
It wasn’t until lunch break that they could catch their breath.
“Going to eat?” a colleague asked, but Han Xuan smiled and declined.
After the others left, she went into the back room, picked up Pipi, and took a selfie with her phone.
The “click” startled Pipi, but it still snuggled intimately in Han Xuan’s arms.
“Pipi.”
Han Xuan set down her phone and gently stroked its little head, fluffing the fur on top, making it hum contentedly. “Do you miss Susu?”
Pipi stared with its bright black eyes and let out a little “awoo”: Of course I do QAQ.
Han Xuan lowered her head and touched foreheads with it. “Don’t blame her for leaving you behind. She’s busy with work and needs to relax sometimes.”
Pipi’s little eyes were full of big confusion: Don’t you miss her?
She rubbed her nose against Pipi and said softly, “Of course I do. More than anyone.”
Han Xuan put Pipi back in its little nest. After her colleagues returned, she made an excuse and left the shop.
Early October, autumn chill setting in.
She wore the pet shop’s standard uniform underneath, with a long trench coat over it. A section of ankle peeked out from below, brushed by wisps of cool wind, but she didn’t feel cold at all.
She walked two streets like that, then turned a corner.
A white Porsche was parked on the roadside—a very low-key model that was hard to recognize if you didn’t look closely.
Han Xuan got into the passenger seat.
A woman sat in the driver’s seat, beautiful and refined, with red lips and black hair, strikingly glamorous. She looked over twenty-five, with a mature air.
The rearview mirror reflected their starkly different faces; next to her, Han Xuan seemed even more pure and otherworldly.
The woman didn’t speak or even glance at Han Xuan, their relationship apparently not very friendly.
She reached sideways into her bag and pulled out a thin envelope, tossing it casually to Han Xuan.
Han Xuan caught it, her fingers easily detecting the shape of a bank card inside. “Thanks.”
She looked at the rearview mirror and immediately spotted a sneaky figure hiding behind another car nearby, camera raised, clearly snapping photos of them.
The woman beside her noticed too and frowned questioningly at her.
The man’s stalking skills weren’t great. Han Xuan had spotted him as soon as she left the pet shop but hadn’t said anything or tried to shake him off, acting like she hadn’t noticed at all.
“Who hired someone to tail you?” the woman asked.
Han Xuan presumptuously rolled down the window and deliberately held the envelope in plain view, pulling out the bank card.
The woman could tell right away that she was doing this on purpose to get photographed.
Han Xuan held the bank card between her fingers and shook it lightly. She turned to the woman with a casual smile. “Just a pathetic clown. Oh, right—want to help me out with something?”
The woman didn’t get it but was too lazy to ask. “What?”
Han Xuan tilted her head, thinking. “How about a kiss?”
The words “kiss” made the woman furrow her brows and get goosebumps all over. “Ugh!”
Han Xuan was amused by her disgusted expression and laughed silently, covering her mouth as she giggled uncontrollably, tears nearly forming. Only after a long moment under the woman’s cold gaze did she calm down.
“Just kidding.”
Only when she laughed could you see a faint similarity in their eyebrows and eyes.
“Not funny. Don’t disgust me with that.”
Of course the woman knew it wasn’t serious, or she would’ve kicked her out of the car already.
Han Xuan added, “Lean over a bit so he can take a few more ‘intimate’ shots. I need them.”
“…Tch, what a hassle.”
Despite her words, the woman did it, leaning over.
She kept some distance from Han Xuan, but from the right angle, their silhouettes overlapped like they were kissing.
The woman warned, “Whatever you use these photos for, clean it up properly. Don’t cause me trouble, or else…”
“Mm, I will,” Han Xuan drawled lazily. “Thanks.”
“Then get out.”
Han Xuan got out, then leaned back with her elbow on the windowsill, smiling softly. “You’re so fiery—ever thought about getting checked at the hospital? Maybe liver fire?”
“Get lost!”
Amid the woman’s furious shout, Han Xuan left with a smile on her lips, not forgetting to face the man’s direction and pretend she hadn’t noticed.
How could a stealth shot miss a high-def front-facing shot?
Meanwhile, Chu Susu and her friends had arrived in Spring City and rented a car to reach their destination town.
After being cooped up in the Imperial Capital for so long, sometimes you just craved a place nestled by mountains and water, full of natural vibes.
The town had no good hotels, so they rented a spacious homestay.
Li Le’er flopped down as soon as they arrived. “I’m exhausted. When does the music festival start?”
They’d chosen this spot partly because a music festival was happening nearby, with a bunch of hot singers and rappers performing.
Li Le’er was the restless type who loved clubbing; how could she miss a lively scene like this?
Zhou Xiaoying checked the schedule. “Not till tonight. Don’t rush.”
In the meantime, they ate and did their makeup, heading over early to snag spots before it started.
The festival had a bonfire theme, matching the local flavor. The stage backdrop was flame curtains, and plenty of people were already jumping to the beat.
The rapper on stage yelled, “I wanna hear you scream!”
The crowd roared back like a tidal wave, deafening.
While bouncing around, Li Le’er suddenly leaned in mysteriously. “Hey, those people next to us keep staring at us.”
Qiao Qian looked where she pointed. Diagonally behind them were four or five people who’d come together, men and women, their eyes flicking over repeatedly.
“You think that hot guy is looking at who?”
Li Le’er sneaked a peek; one guy was pretty handsome, her type, and she immediately went fangirl. “Please, look at me, look at me!”
Zhou Xiaoying glanced at her, a bit displeased. “He’s looking at Susu.”
“Why?” Li Le’er pouted. “Susu’s pretty, sure, but I’m not bad either. Why can’t it be me?”
“It’s not about pretty or not. Look.”
The rapper had hit a hype part and started spraying water; they’d gotten splashed, especially Chu Susu.
Her dress neckline was wet, clinging down to her chest, outlining full curves that strained against the fabric, accentuated by her waistline.
Li Le’er: Straight girl dumbfounded.jpg. She couldn’t help staring and swallowing.
Then she looked down at her own A-cup and felt complicated.
Yeah, there was truth to that online saying: cuteness is worthless against sexiness.
Comparisons kill! Mom, I wanna be remade!
“Not necessarily,” Qiao Qian comforted. “Some guys like sweet girls.”
Soon, one of the guys approached and stopped in front of them. “Hey, we’ve been noticing you from over there. Can we get to know you?”
He was tall with handsome features—the one Li Le’er had called hot.
Qiao Qian said, “Sure, but depends on who you want to know.”
The guy looked a bit shy, scratched his head, and threw a suggestive glance toward Chu Susu.
Li Le’er’s expectant face fell, and she hung her head dejectedly.
Chu Susu smiled and shook her head, turning him down flat. “Sorry, I’m a lesbian.”
This wasn’t the first time a guy had hit on her. Whether they believed her or not, they usually backed off.
But unexpectedly, the guy’s eyes lit up. “Awesome!”
…?
Everyone looked puzzled.
“Sorry, I didn’t explain clearly. I’m asking for my friend,” he said. “She’s a girl too—the one in green over there.”
Chu Susu’s gaze drifted to the girl not far away.
She wore a peacock-green long skirt with blue-green eyeshadow, dressed very uniquely, like a proud peacock holding its head high.
Of course, whether a fashionable look comes together perfectly all depends on the face—this kind of outfit can only be pulled off if you’re good-looking enough.
That girl’s gaze met Chu Susu’s. She raised her hand and silently mouthed “hi” to her, even winking playfully.
Chu Susu had no objections. Seeing Li Le’er’s eager, pleading gaze beside her, she nodded. “Sure, let’s hang out together.”
And just like that, the two groups naturally merged into one.
Li Le’er found a topic and went to chat up the boy, while the girl in green came over to Chu Susu’s side. Amid the noisy music, she took the initiative to introduce herself:
“Hi, I’m Kong Zhizhen.”
Just then, the rapper cranked up the volume, and Chu Susu didn’t catch it clearly, so she leaned in closer.
Unexpectedly, Kong Zhizhen was also worried her voice was too soft and leaned forward too. Neither noticed the other’s movement, and their foreheads bumped right into each other.
“Ah, sorry.” Kong Zhizhen stuck out her tongue, then repeated her name. “I’m Kong… Zhi… Zhen.”
Chu Susu rubbed her forehead and said, “It’s fine.”
Not only did she look just like a little peacock, she even had the surname Kong.
Kong Zhizhen gazed at her with a beaming smile, generous and enthusiastic. “What’s your name?”
