Chapter 7: If You Encounter Love, Don’t Shrink Back.

The desire to leave was overwhelmed by another thought: Qu An’ge owed so much money, how could she abandon her at a time like this? A voice in the corner of her mind warned that this might just be an excuse, but she pushed it aside for now.

With a troubled heart, Xu Mi grew even more silent and melancholic. Qu An’ge, inside the jolting bus with its weak air conditioning, quickly began to feel carsick and was in no state to notice Xu Mi’s mood. Fortunately, the journey wasn’t too long. They arrived at their destination in just over twenty minutes. Qu An’ge immediately got off and took deep breaths of fresh air, only to inhale stale, exhaust-filled air instead. She started coughing, then couldn’t help but dry heave. Supporting herself against a tree, she said, “I feel so awful.”

Having been a major star for so long in her past life, Qu An’ge hadn’t realized just how much more delicate she had become.

She naturally assumed someone would check on her when she felt so unwell. She looked up, only to find people glancing her way, but no one coming over to ask if she was okay. Xu Mi was nowhere to be seen. Startled, she straightened up and searched for Xu Mi, but the crowd was a sea of blurry strangers. The bus station was completely unfamiliar—just a vertical metal sign listing all the bus routes. It was very different from the bus stations that would be built later. The pedestrians’ clothing also made Qu An’ge feel disoriented: low-rise mini-skirts and micro-shorts in fabrics of extremely high saturation and brightness.

Walking on the street, the feeling that she had truly returned to ten years ago hit her with greater clarity. Most men had buzz cuts or thick heavy bangs; the women mostly had center-parted bangs, long black straight hair, or yellow perms. She couldn’t help but daze off, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness, as if abandoned by the whole world. Someone abruptly bumped into her, shouting gruffly, “What are you standing there for, blind?”

Qu An’ge’s first instinct was to call for security, but she immediately remembered she had no security with her now. Defiant, she retorted, “You’re the one who bumped into me.”

The man suddenly fell silent, looking her up and down. Qu An’ge started to feel uneasy. Just then, she felt someone grab her arm from behind, and she smelled the familiar scent of shampoo. Relieved, she turned and said, “Where did you go, Xu Mi?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw the unopened water bottle in Xu Mi’s hand. Shame and joy intertwined in her heart—so Xu Mi had gone to buy her water because she saw she wasn’t feeling well!

Perhaps seeing she wasn’t alone, the man disappeared in the blink of an eye. Qu An’ge linked arms with Xu Mi and said, “Thank you, baby.”

Xu Mi finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Don’t call me baby.”

Qu An’ge was impervious as always. “What’s the big deal? You’ll get used to it… Is that water for me? You’re so thoughtful…”

Before she finished, Xu Mi opened the bottle, took a sip herself, and screwed the cap back on, showing no intention of giving it to her. At the same time, she pulled her arm free. Qu An’ge’s face instantly crumpled with grievance. She whined, drawing out the syllables, “Baaa-by.”

Fighting the urge to twitch, Xu Mi walked along the sidewalk. Qu An’ge tugged at the hem of her clothes from behind. “Baby, let me have a sip.”

Weighing the options between being grossed out to death and letting Qu An’ge drink, Xu Mi decided to protect her mental health first. “If you stop calling me baby, I’ll give you the water.”

Qu An’ge thought for a moment. “Hmm, okay then.”

Xu Mi sighed in relief and handed over the water. Qu An’ge took a big gulp, then grinned. “Can I call you baobei instead?”

Xu Mi’s expression froze. She turned and walked away without a word. Qu An’ge chased after her, chattering nonstop. “Baobei, slow down. Baobei, let’s go to the plaza, there are more people there…”

They soon reached the commercial street. Qu An’ge immediately started hawking to passersby, “Handsome, want to buy a flower? Miss, how about a rose?”

Probably because she was beautiful, many people gave her kind smiles, but few actually bought any. At the plaza, she managed to sell three roses at ten yuan each. As for Xu Mi, too embarrassed to shout out, she naturally hadn’t sold a single one.

Xu Mi found it strange, wondering when Qu An’ge’s skin had gotten so thick. She meant it as a compliment—it was obvious that to sell things outside, one needed thick skin. She watched Qu An’ge naturally strike up conversations with strangers, unfazed even by cold shoulders. In fact, most people responded to her. Even if they didn’t buy, they exchanged a few words.

Qu An’ge had always been outgoing, but she used to squirm when it came to talking to strangers, let alone selling things in public. Once, they’d spotted a piece of clothing at a night market they both liked. Too shy to haggle, they’d wandered back and forth in front of the shop seven or eight times, only to give up in the end. The Qu An’ge of today would never face such a situation again. Was this the growth she’d achieved in the past six months?

Thinking this, Xu Mi couldn’t help but feel melancholic. Qu An’ge had put in so much effort to enter the entertainment industry and become an actor. So, her connection with her was bound to end soon, after all.

Now that Qu An’ge had suddenly returned to hold her back, maybe this was just a final flicker before the candle died.

Lost in thought, she grew sadder. Just then, Qu An’ge rushed over and grabbed her arm, saying, “Let’s find a spot to sit and set up shop. How about those steps over there?”

Xu Mi looked at her arm being held, feeling tiny electric currents running wild just beneath her skin. She realized Qu An’ge still held an unparalleled attraction for her. As long as the other was in front of her, she could never truly bear to let go.

Why did she like this person? Perhaps it was love at first sight, the moment she walked through the crowd and stopped before her. Or maybe, because she was the only one sending strong signals of friendship in a new environment, she unconsciously grew dependent. Whatever it was, one thing was certain: this feeling had taken root in her heart many years ago. Over ten years, it had become part of her life. Yet, perhaps people are often fated to meet but not to stay together. If so, their current connection was more like drinking poison to quench thirst, adding fuel to the pain of their impending separation.

Xu Mi followed Qu An’ge to the steps. Qu An’ge took the flowers out of the plastic bag and arranged them in a row. Then she started shouting, “Fresh-cut flowers, cheap sale, cheap sale! Ten yuan a stem, thirty for a bouquet! If you encounter love, don’t shrink back.”

After saying this, she lowered her voice and turned to Xu Mi. “Baobei, isn’t that a good tagline?”

Xu Mi: “…”

The complex thoughts in her heart were suddenly scattered. Xu Mi now faced a major problem: Qu An’ge seemed… a little off.

Was it the massive penalty fee? Though she didn’t show it, had she actually had a mental breakdown?

But “If you encounter love, don’t shrink back”—that line was indeed quite good.

Apparently, others thought so too. A man approached and said, “Miss, I think I’ve really encountered love.”

Qu An’ge replied, “Then hurry up and buy flowers.”

He laughed. “But what if they don’t accept?”

Qu An’ge said, “If they don’t, that’s their business. You can’t force it, but you have to show your intentions.”

Hearing this, the man bought a bouquet and held it out to Qu An’ge. “Then I’ll give these to you.”

Xu Mi raised an eyebrow and looked at Qu An’ge. Qu An’ge didn’t panic at all. She smiled with perfect poise and said, “Sorry, handsome, I can’t accept. Because…”

She took Xu Mi’s hand. “I already have a girlfriend.”

Xu Mi’s eyes widened as she stared at Qu An’ge, forgetting to pull her hand away for a moment. The buyer was also stunned, then laughed. “My apologies, apologies. I should have seen it.”

Saying this, he turned and walked away with the flowers.

Xu Mi froze on the spot, feeling her heart pound fiercely.

Although same-sex marriage had been legalized for several years, same-sex couples were still a minority. Seeing two women together, most people’s first thought was still “best friends.” Back when they’d gone out together, Qu An’ge had never openly acknowledged their relationship to others. Only a few close friends knew. Her heart raced uncontrollably. She thought again of the words Qu An’ge had said that morning.

—”Let’s get married.”

So… if they were married, would she no longer need to be so anxious? Would she no longer need to fear being left behind?

She wanted to grab Qu An’ge and ask again, to confirm the other wasn’t just acting on a whim and lying to her. But someone suddenly asked her, “How much are the flowers?”

It was as if her wandering soul was yanked back to reality. Xu Mi was dazed for a second, then said, “Roses, ten yuan each.”

They were selling enthusiastically when security guards suddenly appeared, saying they couldn’t sell things here. They were chased to the edge of the street, where business dwindled. The air was thick with the smells of barbecue, gasoline, and tree leaves, forming a rich and colorful summer evening. Passing a cell phone store, Qu An’ge stopped.

She had a problem now: she wanted to buy a smartphone.

But she didn’t dare bring it up to Xu Mi.