Chapter 16

Pei Rong turned and scoffed, “People like that only understand force.”

Nie Fanxin linked arms with her. “Pei Xiaorong, what are you doing here? Don’t you have cases?”

Pei Rong twirled a lock of her curly hair, smiling. “My boss is dancing. I had to come.” She exchanged greetings with Wan Yi and Chu Wanning, then clung tighter to Nie Fanxin, leaving the other two to trail behind as she strode toward the makeup area.

“Your Nanyun District’s suddenly gotten efficient with cases. I’m not used to it,” Pei Rong said as they walked.

“Of course. I’m on the team.”

“And so is she?” Pei Rong winked.

Nie Fanxin’s reply was a low “hmm.”

Pei Rong tsked. “What’s with the long face? Confession fail?”

With the others close behind, Nie Fanxin lowered her voice further: “Haven’t confessed. Just found out she likes someone.”

Pei Rong asked, “You don’t know who?”

“No.”

Pei Rong tugged her ahead a few steps. “Then what’s there to be depressed about? You still have a chance!”

Nie Fanxin, already disappointed once, felt a quiet sadness. “What if it’s not me?”

Pei Rong said matter-of-factly, “If it’s not you, it’s not you. The next one will be even better.”

Nie Fanxin sighed. “If only it were that easy. Three years, and my feelings haven’t changed.”

“Maybe it’s just an obsession. The more you can’t have something, the more you want it.”

“Just an obsession? Really?” Nie Fanxin had never considered that.

“Think it over. What do you actually like about her? Does being around her make your heart race? Do you want to be close to her? Do you want to…” Pei Rong whispered in her ear, and the longer Nie Fanxin listened, the hotter her ears burned. She used to joke like this, so why was she blushing now?

She answered honestly, “I don’t know.” Indeed, at that very moment, Nie Fanxin’s mind was a tangled mess.

“Then don’t force it. Let’s watch the show.” Pei Rong pulled aside the curtain of the makeup room and greeted Nie Zhilan with a beaming smile. “Boss Lady.”

Nie Fanxin said disdainfully, “What ‘Boss Lady’? You used to call Old Nie ‘Bureau Chief Nie.'”

“It’s more affectionate.”

Nie Zhilan responded briefly. Then Gu Bei, catching sight of Pei Rong, signaled the makeup artist to pause, turned her head, and said, “Xiaorong’s here? Come sit. The camera work later is yours.”

“Mission accepted.” Pei Rong’s hobbies were photography and astronomy. She had once carried her gear alone, trekking across mountains and rivers just to find a good spot to photograph a meteor shower.

Chu Wanning and Wan Yi entered the makeup room shortly after. Finding it too crowded and stuffy, Wan Yi stepped out for air after exchanging greetings. Chu Wanning followed.

Behind Huiyi Plaza lay Huiyi Park, not large but enough for nearby residents to take strolls after dinner. The two walked side by side in silence, neither starting a conversation.

Bored, Nie Fanxin slipped out while Pei Rong was testing her equipment to look for them. Not finding them at first, she wandered around aimlessly until she finally spotted the two figures and made her way over.

Wan Yi had just finished saying something, and Chu Wanning was about to reply.

“You two made me search everywhere.” Nie Fanxin cut off whatever Chu Wanning was about to say.

Chu Wanning looked slightly sheepish. “The park’s bigger than it looks.” Wan Yi, on the other hand, showed no change, her smile as gentle as ever.

“We were just talking about my seven years abroad, and I turned the question around on Sister Wanning about her past three years. She wouldn’t say.”

Chu Wanning’s tone was apologetic: “It’s not that I won’t…”

Nie Fanxin finished for her: “It’s that you can’t.”

Chu Wanning relaxed a little. “Yes, Fanxin’s right.”

Nie Fanxin asked sincerely, “Was it hard?”

Chu Wanning smiled. “Not hard. The food was good. I got fatter.”

Nie Fanxin gave her an appraising look. “Seems like it.” The three laughed, and the topic was dropped.

At 2:30 p.m., Wan Tong called to ask them to reserve a parking spot. At 2:58 p.m., two minutes before the competition began, Wan Tong and her companions arrived at the square. Fortunately, seats had been saved.

“You all stay seated. I’ll go help Pei Rong.” Nie Fanxin looked over at Pei Rong struggling with her camera rig amid the crowd.

Unable to sit still, Chu Wanning went to help as well.

“Excuse me, coming through…” The two pushed toward the center of the throng.

Nie Fanxin asked, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Rong held the central clamp with both hands, her face strained. “The tripod’s missing its support leg. I can’t stabilize it.”

“Give me a few minutes.” Chu Wanning slipped back through the crowd and returned five minutes later with a paper wedge, a small knife, and a tape measure. “Try this. I eyeballed the size. If it doesn’t work, I’ll make another.”

Pei Rong took it and bent down. The next second, she exclaimed, “Perfect fit.” Standing, she threw an arm around Chu Wanning’s shoulder with practiced ease. “Not bad, Captain Chu. A woman of many talents.”

Chu Wanning smiled. “I saw a stationery stall on the right side of the square and bought some.”

“Ladies and gentlemen…”

The host’s opening remarks drowned out their chatter. After the sponsors were introduced, the dance competition officially began.

Pei Rong leaned forward to check the equipment, then looked up. “Why are you two still standing here? Aren’t you going back to your seats?”

Nie Fanxin said loyally, “We’ll keep you company. The view’s fine.”

Pei Rong gave a thumbs up. “Best friends.”

Gu Bei’s act was third. The first two acts had warmed up the crowd. After the announcement, the familiar melody filled the air.

A song from the 2020s that everyone knew by heart, one that had been all the rage for decades.

“How can I ever fly out of this gaudy world? Turns out I’m just a tipsy butterfly…” The audience sang along.

Gu Bei wore a white qipao, lined up from left to right with eleven elderly aunties.

Pei Rong whispered to Nie Fanxin, “I saw a picture of the boss when she was young. Still got it.”

Nie Fanxin watched Gu Bei dance with confidence, her lips curving. “You know it.”

“What about the boss’s wife? Why isn’t she dancing?”

“Old Nie’s a bit uncoordinated. She tried for half a month and gave up.”

Nie Fanxin turned and noticed Chu Wanning missing. “Where’s Sister Wanning?”

Pei Rong gestured with her chin. “Over there, next to your sister.”

Nie Fanxin made an excuse. “She’s probably tired of standing.”

“Probably.”

Pouting, Nie Fanxin said, “I’m going over too.”

“You really are the type to ditch friends for a crush.”

Nie Fanxin glanced toward the audience. “I’ll stay a few more minutes.”

Pei Rong said, “I’ll finish when the boss is done. You have to help me move the camera rig back to the car.”

Nie Fanxin agreed. “Fine, fine. Just to prove I value friends over lovers.”

Gu Bei’s performance soon ended with thunderous applause. Pei Rong and Nie Fanxin packed up the camera, each taking an end, and slowly made their way out of the crowd.

“Sister Wanning left without a word.”

“Maybe she said something and we didn’t hear. It’s loud here.” Pei Rong was right. Chu Wanning had spoken, but the two had been too absorbed in their conversation to notice, so she’d left alone.

“Why is your car so far away?”

Pei Rong found her sulking amusing. “Almost there, don’t worry.”

“Sister Wanning’s been getting close to Wan Xiaoyu lately. She ran into her at the intersection this morning and gave her some Chinese herbs to replenish her qi and blood.”

“Your sister’s health is poor. Isn’t that normal?”

Nie Fanxin grumbled, “My health’s poor too. Wan Xiaoyu knows to make me ginger soup.”

“Then let me hear you sneeze.”

Nie Fanxin faked it: “Ah, ah… ah-choo!“

Pei Rong loaded the camera rig into the trunk. “Can’t even fake it. You’re too healthy.”

Nie Fanxin said offhand, “I’m just being moody. Ignore me.”

“Movie tomorrow afternoon. You in?”

Nie Fanxin said, “No.”

“Shall I try asking Captain Chu later?”

Nie Fanxin said the opposite of what she meant: “Go ahead. She won’t come.”

They returned to the audience. Gu Bei called Pei Rong over to take group photos. It wasn’t until the second-to-last performance ended that they took their seats again.

Pei Rong drank some water and proposed, “Fanxin and I are going to a movie tomorrow afternoon. Captain Chu, Forensic Doctor Wan, want to join?”

Chu Wanning answered first: “I probably can’t spare the time.”

Wan Yi said, “I should be free.”

Pei Rong said slyly, “Sure you can’t make it, Captain Chu? I have four tickets.”

Nie Fanxin expected another refusal, but Chu Wanning’s calm voice came unexpectedly: “Let me check my schedule.”