Chapter 39: MAMA-39 Part 2

Her backpack was still in her colleague’s car; all she had on her was her phone. As she fell, her phone went flying.

The nearby servers hurried over to help her up. The seniors, hearing the commotion, also walked back.

Mi Shanxin was slim and small; sending her flying was far too easy. The culprit, wearing the restaurant’s uniform, picked up her walkie-talkie and Mi Shanxin’s phone and approached to apologize. “I’m sor— Hey? Mi Shanxin?”

Senior Xiao Zhou also let out a surprised “Hey!” “Aren’t you from that inter-college collaboration last time…”

Peaceful University had collaborative activities with other schools every year. These things had little to do with the calligraphy department, so Mi Shanxin didn’t pay much attention.

Like how the math and physics departments had study abroad trips, but the fees were too high. Even when Mi Shanxin’s own major offered opportunities, she never participated.

“Wen He?”

“What a coincidence! Are you here to eat?”

“Yeah. You’re working here? I thought they said you inherited a fortune worth tens of millions?”

“How could it be that much? I’m just working a winter job.”

The servers’ uniforms were white and gold, matching the background here beautifully.

Most female servers wore golden pleated skirts, but this person was wearing pants, making her legs look exceptionally long. Mi Shanxin took back her phone and saw the cracks on the screen. Heart aching, she quickly checked whether it was just the tempered glass screen protector that was broken or the actual screen.

The low-voiced girl who had sent a customer flying was given a scolding by the shift supervisor. She stood to the side, yet still kept her eyes fixed on Mi Shanxin.

The group had someone who’d gone ahead to the private room. Xiao Zhao stayed behind with Senior Zhou. She also noticed this girl kept staring at Mi Shanxin and asked Teacher Xiao Zhou, “Senior, is this love at first sight?”

“You know her?”

“From the University of Technology next door. She’s a mechanical engineering student, in the same year as me.”

Mi Shanxin looked down, oblivious to the person standing before her staring so intently.

When she confirmed it wasn’t the actual screen that was broken, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up, she was startled by the person in front of her.

The girl’s shock was too obvious; she even took a step back. If she were a small animal, her fur might have puffed up entirely.

Mi Shanxin wasn’t afraid of threats or intimidation, but she could be startled by someone appearing suddenly.

She hadn’t changed one bit.

“Mi Shanxin.” The girl, much taller than Mi Shanxin, asked, “Do you still remember me?”

“Don’t remember,” Mi Shanxin said. “My phone’s screen protector is shattered. You need to pay me for it.”

Beside them, Xiao Zhao shook her senior’s arm. “Ahhh, fate! I really am just a nameless extra in other people’s love stories.”

Teacher Xiao Zhou said helplessly, “You’re overthinking it. Shanxin is very pragmatic.”

Mi Shanxin showed not a hint of interest. Setting aside her self-acknowledged homosexuality, she seemed far too old-fashioned, like the type of person who does everything methodically, step-by-step.

Even as a lesbian, she’d probably want to be with someone older, someone with a stable job, to live an ordinary life with three meals a day.

If it were Mi Shanxin, upholding promises of unwavering loyalty and growing old together would seem perfectly normal.

This stability existed within her very essence, unmoved by surrounding people or events.

“Alright, let’s exchange WeChats.” The other girl smiled. “I’ll scan you.”

Mi Shanxin nodded, seemingly too lazy to ask how the other person knew her name, nor did she spare her more than two glances. Instead, she turned to the seniors nearby and asked, “Should we go now?”

Xiao Zhao looked at the female server being led away again by the supervisor. The server still glanced back with every step, looking very reluctant to leave Mi Shanxin.

“Shanxin, do you know her?”

“I don’t.” Mi Shanxin shook her head. “Can we go now?”

Teacher Xiao Zhou asked, “You fell just now. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Mi Shanxin shook her head again. “Just the phone screen is cracked.”

Once in the private room, Mi Shanxin truly did order the Tree Ring Pudding dessert Jian Wanji had mentioned.

Her alumni colleagues were very dissatisfied that she ordered only one dessert, urging Mi Shanxin to order more.

[They’re insisting everyone orders two dishes, and desserts don’t count.]

Jian Wanji sat in the hospital room. Out of the corner of her eye was the elderly woman on oxygen; on the screen were the photos Mi Shanxin sent.

The private room was gorgeous, the table laden with food. The little one had even sent a video. Though no faces were filmed, the atmosphere certainly sounded great—much better than last time.

[Good. It seems sometimes friends aren’t as good as colleagues.]

Jian Wanji’s comment wasn’t a veiled critique at all. Mi Shanxin replied: [I only have one friend, Li Yin.]

Jian Wanji could imagine Mi Shanxin’s serious expression. [Alright, your friend is indeed very considerate of you, just not entirely thorough.]

Li Yin, like Zeng Baian, was kind-hearted, thoughtful of her friends, warm, and generous, giving off a protective, elder-like vibe. But Jian Wanji could still sense Mi Shanxin’s discomfort around her.

Mi Shanxin compromising to attend a gathering for Li Yin’s sake was one thing; her proactively joining this one was completely different.

[She’s already very good.]

After sending that, Mi Shanxin asked again: [When you came here before, was it also for business entertainment?]

Wan Qingqing was still unconscious after choking and hadn’t woken up yet. The doctors couldn’t say for sure.

If she never woke up, the contract between Jian Wanji and Mi Shanxin would end right here.

Jian Wanji’s feelings were very complicated.

Most of the time, she wished her grandmother would die sooner. Sometimes, she couldn’t bear the thought of the old woman just leaving like this.

She wanted to live well for Wan Qingqing to see. To prove that without having to copy Wan Lingling’s path in life, she could still live happily.

But the secular definition of happiness wasn’t awarded to single people.

Even though being single was just a state of being for Jian Wanji, not her only choice.

She couldn’t just find someone to maintain a state of being “partnered” solely to prove she was happy.

That would be putting the cart before the horse entirely.

[Yes.]

[Then next time, I’ll treat you to a meal here.]

Jian Wanji stared at this sentence and laughed for ages. Mi Shanxin had received so much money, yet still barely knew how to spend it. Now that she was finally willing to spend it, it was to treat her to a meal.

[Save it for treating your good friend instead.]

[How’s the atmosphere at the dinner today?]

[Li Yin went back to her hometown for Chinese New Year. I’ll treat her when she gets back.]

[Everyone is very nice to me. Teacher Xiao Zhao, the music teacher I told you about before, the senior who always wears pretty dresses—she also likes girls.]

[She just said she has a secret crush on a singer. Everyone laughed at her, saying that’s just being a fan. Then she said she actually knows the singer; their parents are friends.]

[There’s a 20-year age difference between them. Even if her parents accepted her orientation, they wouldn’t agree to this.]

[I felt very sad, but then she changed the subject and started talking about celebrity gossip instead.]

…

Jian Wanji didn’t even know Mi Shanxin could type this much.

Isn’t it a bit impolite to be on your phone constantly during a meal?

But then she imagined Mi Shanxin’s expression right now, and Jian Wanji decided it probably didn’t matter.

If they got along well, and it wasn’t a one-on-one situation, using your phone was fine. Even when she ate with Zeng Baian and the others, Sui Yuqian was often busy scrambling for concert tickets online.

Just as Jian Wanji was about to reply, another message from Mi Shanxin came through—

[Jian Wanji, both my parents have new children now, so it doesn’t matter for me.]

Any smart person could see the implication.

The unspoken meaning was that an age gap wasn’t a problem for her. An unwanted child didn’t need to worry about the nurturing debt or expectations of her parents, because her own expectations had never been fulfilled either.

The only part of her that had been satisfied physically was thanks to Jian Wanji.

How should she reply? Jian Wanji’s head ached. The corner of her eye swept over the old lady lying in the bed, and she jumped in fright. The old woman had opened her eyes at some unknown point and was staring right at her.

“Grandmother?” Jian Wanji called out.

The elderly woman, wearing an oxygen mask, tried to remove it. Jian Wanji pressed the call button.

A doctor quickly arrived. Jian Wanji stood by the bed. Throughout the examination, the old woman stared fixedly at her, her gaze terrifying.

When the medical staff left, a calmed Wan Qingqing asked, “Changchang… where’s your mother?”

Jian Wanji replied, “She’s dead.”

Wan Qingqing said, “She was here just yesterday.”

So the old woman had been referring to Mi Shanxin.

Jian Wanji said instead, “She’s at rehearsal tonight.”

When Wan Lingling was in school, she often participated in cultural activities; They still had tapes of those at home.

Jian Wanji had no talent in this area. She’d been forced to learn as a child but still made no achievements.

Mi Shanxin… she had seen the photo albums and files, but Mi Shanxin might not necessarily know that stuff either.

Today was Mi Shanxin’s rare social outing. Jian Wanji didn’t want to disturb her.

But the old woman was insistent: “But she can’t be out all night either. I need to go pick Lingling up from school…”

…

After dinner, there was a planned second round of fun. As Mi Shanxin stood at the restaurant entrance waiting for the car to be brought around, Jian Wanji called.

“…So now you need to bring Grandmother to pick me up?” Mi Shanxin was extremely surprised. “She’s in a condition to ride in a car?”

“Of course not,” Jian Wanji’s tone sounded somewhat irritable; perhaps those two curled strands of her bangs were swaying too. “I’m coming to pick you up.”

Mi Shanxin had missed her already anyway. Whether she went to the second round didn’t really matter.

If she didn’t have Jian Wanji’s soothing tonight, she would have preferred to tough it out at a KTV until dawn. Besides, there were no classes tomorrow anyway.

“Then I’ll wait for you here.”

The woman on the phone was full of apology. “Sorry, for interrupting your gathering.”

“It’s fine.” Mi Shanxin paused. “You can just make it up to me properly tonight.”

————————

=Nine-key Keyboard

Jian Wanji discovered Mi Shanxin used a nine-key keyboard. Curious, she asked, “Don’t people your age all use the 26-key layout?”

Mi Shanxin answered, “I can type with one hand.”

Jian Wanji glanced at Mi Shanxin’s hand. It was indeed very small.

Her gaze was too obvious. Mi Shanxin extended her hand. The woman looked puzzled, so the girl wiggled her hand. Only then did Jian Wanji stretch out her own hand.

Mi Shanxin placed her hand onto Jian Wanji’s and compared them. “So you don’t need to use one hand.”

Jian Wanji thought to herself: And then? Why isn’t she letting go of my hand?