Chapter 5
Right then, an English song was playing in the restaurant—”Shape of You.”
It was at the part, “Last night you were in my room, and now my bedsheets smell like you.”
The lyrics were explicit and direct.
This song was Tang Gui’s recent favorite; she would even request it at bars. Xu Qingtang had heard it many times, but listening to it now inexplicably sent her imagination running wild.
Especially… Xu Qingtang looked at the hand supporting Gu Yizhi’s chin. It was fair and slender, with a light coat of nail polish the same color as her beautifully shaped lips.
Xu Qingtang abruptly downed a mouthful of red wine.
A moment later, she casually straightened the hem of her skirt, looked at Gu Yizhi, and said nonchalantly, “My curiosity isn’t actually that strong.”
It was already nine o’clock by the time they left Zhaomu restaurant. Xu Qingtang didn’t let Gu Yizhi drive her home and hailed a cab herself. The evening wind was brisk, and halfway through the ride, the rain started to fall. The car windows were blurred by raindrops, and the neon lights from the roadside flickered upon them, a kaleidoscope of colors, just like the atmosphere back in Zhaomu.
When she got home, Xu Qingtang received another call from Tang Gui. She started by complaining about the weather, “I almost got soaked to the bone.” A moment later, she said coldly, “It must be the bad luck from those two. Just now…”
Xu Qingtang sat on the sofa and let out a breath. “What happened?”
Tang Gui said, “That little green tea just called me. She said she wants to meet with you to talk. It sounds like Lin Huaijia wants to see you.”
Xu Qingtang frowned.
Tang Gui sounded furious. “What does Lin Huaijia mean by this? Does she really think she’s the empress dowager, needing to send a eunuch to deliver a message for a meeting?”
Xu Qingtang couldn’t help but laugh. She took a carton of milk from the fridge, took a sip to soothe her throat, and then said, “Don’t bother with her.”
Tang Gui: “So, are you going to see her?”
“Of course not,” Xu Qingtang’s voice was gentle, but her attitude was surprisingly firm. “There’s nothing left to say between her and me.”
Personalities could be compromised on, but matters of principle could never be forgiven.
Tang Gui thought about Xu Qingtang’s reactions recently. She pondered for a moment and asked, “What about Fenghé? What are your plans? I actually think you should consider this carefully. Although she’s disgusting, we can’t be at odds with money, right?”
Xu Qingtang had invested in Fenghé when it was founded and held a five percent stake. Now that they had broken up, and for such a humiliating reason, Xu Qingtang really didn’t want to have any more ties with Lin Huaijia, but on this matter, she hesitated slightly.
Xu Qingtang threw the milk carton into the trash, was silent for a few seconds, and said, “I’ve been thinking about it recently.”
***
On Friday, after a performance, Xu Qingtang was removing her makeup backstage. She massaged her scalp, noting the dark circles under her eyes, while listening to her colleagues chat about how the attendance today was higher than usual. Someone laughed, “Didn’t Jinghua Juedai(Peerless Beauty of the Capital) premiere last night?”
“Wouldn’t it be great if it were like this every day?”
“In your dreams, haha.”
Xu Qingtang changed into her regular clothes, glanced at the time, and picked up her shoulder bag to leave. As she reached the theater entrance, she suddenly received a call from Tang Gui. “Qingtang, I remember you don’t have anything this afternoon, right?”
Xu Qingtang hummed in agreement, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and moving to a shadier spot. “What’s up?”
“Good, good. Can you go to my place first? My pen and notebook are on the sofa. Can you bring them to my company for me?”
“Sure,” Xu Qingtang changed direction. “Didn’t you quit?”
“Oh, right, right, my new company,” Tang Gui said. “I got the offer the night before last and started yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to tell you guys yet.”
Tang Gui sent the company address via WeChat.
Xu Qingtang hailed a cab, picked up the pen and notebook from Tang Gui’s place, and then hurried over.
Tang Gui’s new company was called Zhishang. Half an hour later, Xu Qingtang met her friend downstairs from the Zhishang building. She handed over the notebook and said, “Not bad, this hell is quite luxurious.”
Tang Gui took the notebook and smiled. “I didn’t expect it either. I was just casting a wide net at the time, I didn’t think I’d actually…” She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze sweeping over the area around Xu Qingtang’s eyes. “I’m in a good mood today. Tonight, your sister will treat you to bullwhip hotpot.”
Xu Qingtang was silent for a moment. “What’s with your taste now?”
Tang Gui hugged the notebook and teased with a grin, “Aren’t I afraid you’ll wear yourself out after a breakup? It is our solemn duty to restore the glory of the top!”
Xu Qingtang smiled faintly. “A top doesn’t need that stuff.”
Seeing her finally smile, Tang Gui felt much more at ease. As if remembering something, she asked, “By the way, that Gu what’s-her-name you mentioned the other day…”
Although not much time had passed, Tang Gui had only seen the photo for a few seconds, so it was normal for her not to remember. Xu Qingtang said, “Gu Yizhi.”
“Right, Gu Yizhi. What are your plans for her?”
That night, after Xu Qingtang’s drunken “heroic declaration,” her friends had tried to stop her but couldn’t. Now, they hadn’t heard her mention it again.
“No plans. I was out of my mind that night. She doesn’t owe me anything, why should I bother her?”
Xu Qingtang had genuinely felt remorseful afterward.
Tang Gui could barely remember her face. She scratched her bangs and said, “I remember she was very pretty. I thought you two might have something…”
Xu Qingtang laughed. “What have you been reading again?”
Tang Gui was quite honest. “The Cold-hearted Female CEO’s Billionaire Runaway Wife.” She even tried to recommend it. “Do you want to read it too?”
Tang Gui had been obsessed with all kinds of romance novels since she was a child. The title she just mentioned sounded like a cliché plot. Xu Qingtang waved her hand. “What are you talking about? It’s not like she’s a goddess, do I have to be instantly smitten?”
Gu Yizhi was indeed very beautiful and had a strong appeal, but Xu Qingtang considered herself the one fish that had slipped through the net of the vortex named “Gu Yizhi.”
That night had been a mistake made in the heat of the moment.
And Gu Yizhi was Teacher Qi’s student and also shared a circle of friends with Lin Huaijia. From any perspective, Xu Qingtang had no reason to fall for Gu Yizhi.
She thought this and said it, her expression relaxed and natural. Tang Gui had only asked casually and didn’t press further. She held the notebook and said, “True, it’s useless if you don’t love a real goddess. Don’t worry, that little goddess who will make you live and die for her will definitely appear. If not, your sister will introduce you to one. Ai, I can’t chat anymore, my meeting with the client is about to start…”
Tang Gui came and went in a hurry. Xu Qingtang recalled her ridiculously over-the-top words and couldn’t help but smile. But the smile didn’t last long; it froze the moment she turned around.
Someone was standing behind her, she didn’t know for how long.
The person’s suit was well-tailored, their tall figure split in two by the light and shadow. Long, curly hair was tucked behind her ear, revealing a small, lustrous earlobe adorned with an earring. Her eyes were deep, and her exquisitely drawn eyebrows were slightly raised as she smiled at Xu Qingtang. “What a coincidence?”
“What are you doing here?” Xu Qingtang composed herself. “You work nearby?”
Gu Yizhi: “Mm.”
Xu Qingtang had a sudden realization and joked politely, “It couldn’t be at Zhishang, could it?”
The sun was bright, and Gu Yizhi’s expression also seemed very gentle. She said, “It is.”
Xu Qingtang wasn’t too surprised. “No wonder.”
Gu Yizhi tilted her head. “Why?”
“You said last time that I make people feel like they want to design clothes for me.”
Although she still thought it was nonsense, people’s words and actions often had a traceable logic. If one wasn’t in the design industry or aspired to be, it would be highly unlikely to conjure up such a sentence.
“I see,” Gu Yizhi’s gaze fell on Xu Qingtang. “Why aren’t you wearing a qipao today?” she asked in a gentle voice.
Xu Qingtang said, “I just didn’t feel like wearing one.”
Xu Qingtang felt that this was Gu Yizhi’s prelude to something she wanted to say, because after she finished speaking, Gu Yizhi’s gaze remained fixed on her, as if she were contemplating something.
After waiting for a moment, Xu Qingtang couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Hearing this, Gu Yizhi looked at her and smiled faintly. “Thinking about things.”
Listening to you speak is like listening to you speak.
Xu Qingtang felt a little speechless at this piece of tautological literature, but she was still a bit curious. She wanted to know why Gu Yizhi was looking at her like that, so she followed up, “What things?”
“Thinking about what the goddess who will make you live and die for her looks like.”
Xu Qingtang: …
Why must a perfectly good person have a mouth?
And if you must have a mouth, why must you be so nosy?
Well, now her curiosity was satisfied, and she was also experiencing social death.
***
Author’s Note:
Qingtang now: I’m the one fish that slipped through Gu Yizhi’s net.
Qingtang in the future: Wifey, fish for me, fish for me, fish for me!
