Shen Zhirou washed the clothes Lu Yao had lent her, then ran them through the dryer once more. After a moment’s thought, she sent Lu Yao a WeChat message.
Shen Zhirou: The clothes are already washed and dried. I’ll call Shansong to send them over soon. Are you home?
She received Lu Yao’s reply in less than half a minute.
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, no need for Shansong. Just give me the address and I’ll come pick them up. Your clothes are dry anyway—I can bring them over.
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, have you had dinner yet? I can drop off the clothes and we can eat together.
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, I miss you so much. Can we meet~?
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, are you there??? (Cat peeking out jpg)
Lu Yao stared at her phone for a while longer, but Shen Zhirou showed no sign of replying. With a sigh, Lu Yao buried herself under the covers. Shen Zhirou had been there the night before, and Lu Yao swore the bedding still carried her scent.
Shen Zhirou watched as Lu Yao fired off message after message, even tossing in an emoji. Her fingertip slid lightly across the screen, but she sent no reply.
The Shansong delivery arrived quickly. Shen Zhirou handed over the clothes and let out a long breath of relief. She checked her phone one more time. She and Lu Yao had broken up—they couldn’t keep crossing paths like this. This incident was her fault. They’d already parted ways, so why had she still listed Lu Yao as her emergency contact?
The delivery guy whisked the clothes away in short order. Shen Zhirou paid him extra to bring back Lu Yao’s clothes as well. Lu Yao had been planning to drop them off at noon the next day and invite Shen Zhirou to lunch, but Shen Zhirou had shut that door tight.
Lu Yao took the returned clothes with reluctance, packed up Shen Zhirou’s into a bag for the delivery guy, and watched him go. Once he was gone, she slumped in defeat. Did Jie Jie really not want to see her? But she missed Jie Jie so much.
Wracked with grievance and uncertainty, Lu Yao wondered what she could possibly do to win Shen Zhirou back.
The next morning, their department head Wang Qi brought in a new hire. It was recruitment season at the company—other departments had snagged at least two or three people each—but their office had a light workload, so they’d only gotten one.
Trailing behind Wang Qi was a young girl who didn’t look a day over college age, brimming with innocence. Her eyes sparkled like stars when she smiled, utterly oblivious to the grind of corporate life.
“Fu Ning is our new addition to the department,” Wang Qi said with a smile. “Show her the ropes on the job. Take that workstation over there.” She pointed to the desk next to Shen Zhirou’s. Logistics hadn’t delivered furniture for the newbie yet, and Zhao Tongtong had been borrowed by Finance, so Wang Qi simply had Fu Ning sit there for now.
Fu Ning knew the spot belonged to someone else, so she set her things aside and gazed curiously at her new surroundings.
Wang Qi left after the introduction. She didn’t meddle much in department affairs, showing up at the company just two or three times a week.
Once Wang Qi was gone, Fu Ning’s eyes settled on Shen Zhirou at the neighboring desk. She scooted her chair closer with care and smiled. “Jie Jie, is there anything I can help with? Let me take something off your plate.”
Shen Zhirou set her phone down and looked up with a smile. “No need. Our department doesn’t have much work as it is. If you handle mine, I’ll be twiddling my thumbs for the next couple of days.”
She pulled a few briefing packets from her desk and handed them over with a smile. “Start by reading these to get a feel for the department. The supervisor will assign you tasks once you’re settled in. No need to stress—we hardly ever pull overtime here.”
“Okay, thanks, Jie Jie. Can I call you Jie Jie?”
Fu Ning’s eyes lit up as she gazed at Shen Zhirou, who couldn’t bring herself to say no.
“Sure,” Shen Zhirou said with a light chuckle and a shake of her head. Just a fresh-out-of-college little friend, after all.
Fu Ning skimmed the briefings and got a basic sense of the department. She glanced around the office: some people scrolling on their phones, others browsing Taobao on their computers. Precious few were actually working. Even Shen Zhirou beside her had opened Weibo.
Fu Ning leaned back in her chair, deciding this place was perfect for her—a virtual retirement gig. And the best part? The gentle, soft-spoken Jie Jie sitting right next to her was impossible to resist.
Fu Ning spent her entire first morning at the office either fiddling with her phone or spacing out while staring at Shen Zhirou. The initial novelty had quickly worn off.
Around eleven at noon, Shen Zhirou and the others began packing up to head out for lunch.
Fu Ning sidled up to Shen Zhirou with an adorably obedient look, her bright eyes fixed on her. “Jie Jie, can I join you all for lunch? It’s my first day on the job—I’d love to treat everyone.”
“No need for that,” Zhou Hao said with a chuckle. “What kind of lunch could a fresh college grad like you afford? If anyone’s treating, it’ll be us.”
“Oh, but I insist,” Fu Ning replied with a smile, though her gaze remained locked on Shen Zhirou.
Shen Zhirou gave a slight nod. “It’s a department tradition. We’ll throw you a proper welcome dinner this Saturday night—no need to argue.”
“If Jie Jie’s saying so, then thank you all in advance,” Fu Ning said, sticking close to Shen Zhirou’s side as if afraid to lag behind even a step.
For convenience, Shen Zhirou and the group decided to eat at the nearby mall. Fu Ning stayed glued to Shen Zhirou the whole time, even insisting on sitting right next to her at the table.
Seeing how Fu Ning was practically attached to Shen Zhirou, Huang Qingqing teased with a grin, “You’ve only been here half a day, and you’re already Zhirou’s little shadow.”
“From now on, I’ll be Jie Jie’s little shadow,” Fu Ning said brightly, looking at Shen Zhirou with sparkling eyes and not a hint of embarrassment. “As long as she doesn’t mind me being too chatty.”
Shen Zhirou shook her head with a soft laugh. “The more chatty, the better.”
For some reason, the comment brought back memories of her time with Lu Yao. Back then, Shen Zhirou had always been the one trying to keep the conversation going, but it depended entirely on Lu Yao’s mood. If Lu Yao was in a good one, she’d chat a bit; if not, she’d find Shen Zhirou’s small talk annoying.
Truth be told, Shen Zhirou wasn’t much of a talker herself. She’d only done it to make their time together more comfortable. Now that they had broken up, she felt a sense of relief—no more walking on eggshells.
“Then I’ll talk your ears off,” Fu Ning said eagerly. “I’ll tell you all jokes every day. Jie Jie, my desk is right next to yours—just don’t get sick of me.”
Her eyes shone as she gazed at Shen Zhirou. Jie Jie liked chatty people! Perfect—she could talk all day.
“How could I?” Shen Zhirou replied with a light laugh. “With you around, the office will be a lot livelier.”
Fu Ning kept the chatter going throughout the meal, drawing laughs from everyone now and then. Even Shen Zhirou found her mood lifting unexpectedly.
Huang Qingqing ate while listening to Fu Ning, but she couldn’t shake the feeling—probably not her imagination—that Fu Ning’s eyes were constantly drifting to Shen Zhirou. She’d barely glance at anyone else before her gaze swung right back.
As the afternoon wound down toward quitting time, Fu Ning sent Shen Zhirou a WeChat message.
Fu Ning: Jie Jie, got plans after work? Want to grab dinner tonight? My family’s out of town lately, and I don’t feel like eating alone.
Shen Zhirou glanced over at Fu Ning with an amused smile. She was sitting right next to her—why send a message?
Seeing Shen Zhirou look her way, Fu Ning widened her eyes and made pleading gestures with her hands.
Shen Zhirou couldn’t help thinking that if Fu Ning had a tail, it would be wagging like a helicopter propeller by now. She had nothing planned after work anyway, and company for dinner sounded nice. With a nod, she agreed.
After clocking out, Fu Ning dragged Shen Zhirou to a nearby street lined with food stalls. They wandered and snacked, and by halfway through, Shen Zhirou was already full. Fu Ning, meanwhile, regaled her with fun stories about the local spots.
At the entrance to a claw machine arcade, Fu Ning’s eyes lit up. She excitedly tugged Shen Zhirou’s hand. “Jie Jie, let’s grab a plushie before we go! I come here a lot, but I’m terrible at it. Could you win one for me?”
“I’ve never tried one before, so no guarantees,” Shen Zhirou said. She hadn’t, but Fu Ning’s enthusiasm was infectious, so she followed her inside. Fu Ning reminded her a lot of Mianmian, so she treated her like a little sister.
“No worries, Jie Jie. I got tons of coins. See, press this button to adjust the claw, then hit this one to grab. Try it—I want that little pig.”
Fu Ning pressed close to Shen Zhirou’s side, quietly admiring her profile. Worried her stare might be too obvious, she dropped her gaze to watch Shen Zhirou work the machine.
Fu Ning lost interest in the dolls inside after just a few glances. Instead, her gaze locked onto Shen Zhirou’s slender, fair fingers. She stared for several seconds, her ear tips turning red. Someone with such a gentle temperament as Jie Jie must be incredibly tender with her girlfriend too, right? And with fingers this long, they had to be wonderfully dexterous.
By the time Fu Ning snapped back to reality, her face was flushed hot. She’d actually let her imagination run wild just from staring at Shen Zhirou’s hand. She hurriedly shifted her attention back to the dolls in the claw machine.
The first step to dating was seeing each other every day. Right now, she and Jie Jie crossed paths daily, and today Jie Jie was even grabbing dolls with her. Wasn’t that exactly what little couples did together?
As long as she could confirm that Jie Jie wasn’t hopelessly straight, she still had a real shot!
While Fu Ning was lost in thought, Shen Zhirou—after seven failed attempts—finally snagged that little pig.
“Jie Jie, you got it! That’s amazing,” Fu Ning praised from the sidelines. She played here often herself, but even after all that practice, she was still hopeless at it.
From then on, Shen Zhirou’s luck held strong. She kept going until she’d filled a whole bag with small toys before calling it quits. She handed the bag to Fu Ning. “Here are all the little animals you wanted. Take them home.”
“No need, Jie Jie. I only want this little pig. You keep the rest at home. Next time, we can plan to come out and play together again.” Fu Ning squeezed the pig in her hand. The more she looked at it, the cuter it got. This was the first gift Jie Jie had ever given her.
“Alright, be safe on your way back.”
“You too, Jie Jie.” Fu Ning waved to Shen Zhirou with a bright smile.
Shen Zhirou hailed a cab and climbed in with her bag of plush toys. She looked at them with a helpless smile. Her home didn’t have anything like these. She pulled one out, poked it, and had to admit it was pretty cute.
Fu Ning took a cab back to the villa district in central Jiangbei City. The AFN Group was actually her family’s company, but she and her brother had different surnames—one after their father, the other after their mother—so nobody knew the connection.
This time, her brother Li Jinxing had placed her in one of the company’s easier departments to help her ease into things. Their parents had largely stepped back from running the massive group, leaving everything on his shoulders. He wanted her to get acclimated over a few months, then pitch in.
Fu Ning had just graduated from university, and her degree wasn’t anything impressive—she’d basically coasted to the finish line. She hadn’t wanted to join the company at first, but now everything had changed!
Fu Ning poked the little pig’s head and planted a kiss on it, muttering to herself, “This time, I’m going to work hard and win Jie Jie’s heart.”
Fu Ning rolled happily across her bed twice. She knew she liked girls, but she’d never met anyone during university who caught her eye. Her classmates were all her age, rowdy and immature, always fooling around. She preferred gentle big sisters like Shen Zhirou. If they grew even closer, and Jie Jie stroked her hair someday, Fu Ning would be over the moon for days, too excited to sleep.
Over the next day or two, Fu Ning trailed after Shen Zhirou like a devoted little shadow. Wherever Shen Zhirou went, Fu Ning tagged along. Shen Zhirou saw her as an adorably clingy kid and didn’t mind. Lately, the girl had been bringing her breakfast every day, ignoring all protests, so Shen Zhirou repaid her with milk tea or other drinks.
Zhao Tongtong finally squeezed in some time amid her hectic schedule to chat in their office. She was surprised to see a sweet-faced girl huddled close to Shen Zhirou, acting all coquettish.
“Jie Jie, I want both of these.” Fu Ning pointed to the mint milk green on Shen Zhirou’s phone screen, then to another little snack. Her big, sparkling puppy-dog eyes fixed on Shen Zhirou, her voice laced with practiced charm. Over the past few days, she’d grown comfortable enough with Shen Zhirou to know the woman melted for a girl’s coquettishness—and Fu Ning had mastered the art.
Plus, she’d heard that Jie Jie had recently broken up with her girlfriend! That was fantastic news. For one, it proved Jie Jie liked girls. And two, with her single now, it was Fu Ning’s chance to swoop in!
Shen Zhirou glanced at Fu Ning beside her with an amused smile. “Sure. If you like them, we’ll get both.”
“Jie Jie, you’re the best.” Fu Ning longed to burrow into Shen Zhirou’s arms and really ham it up, but for now, she settled for tugging playfully at the hem of her clothes.
