After resolving the friendship crisis with Nan Qi, Bo Ranying immediately cleared all her search history and quit that lesbian forum. Her life returned to its normal track.
Even now, Bo Ranying had not delved into any information related to lesbians.
She never imagined she would encounter that label again—and the reason was still Nan Qi.
Her gaze lingered on that rainbow-filled Moments post, filling her with a deep sense of emotion.
She was almost one hundred percent certain that Tang Lian was part of the LGBT crowd, that she liked girls too, and that her feelings for Nan Qi were plain as day.
Otherwise, who would leave behind a business card with nothing on it but a name and phone number?
A notification suddenly popped up in the message box at the top of the screen.
It was from Tang Lian.
Tang Lian: 【Bo Ranying, you there?】
Bo Ranying’s heart skipped a beat. She was startled.
What the hell? It felt exactly like Tang Lian knew she had been scrolling through her Moments.
She paused for a moment, then slid to the chat window and typed a question mark.
Tang Lian’s reply came almost instantly, as if she had been camped out by the conversation box, seizing the moment Bo Ranying was free.
【Just wanted to ask you about Baby. (shy emoji)】
The words were intimate and came completely out of left field.
Right after, she sent a cute emoji of a little girl propping her cheek and acting adorable.
The moment Bo Ranying saw the word “Baby,” her expression changed.
A spark ignited in her chest, burning her up with irritation. She already had a bad feeling about Tang Lian’s deliberate business card stunt, and now this woman was acting all chummy, sending a baffling message and trying to poach her cheese. Bo Ranying’s temper nearly flared; she wanted to fire off a barrage of questions.
Who said you could call her Baby?
Who the hell are you? Why should I tell you anything?
Tang Lian patted Bo Ranying’s avatar and added a clarification.
【I mean the Baby in your phone contacts. Yesterday, I helped her get you into the car. (finger guns)】
She was beating around the bush to fish for information on Nan Qi.
All the while, she kept spamming cute emojis and emoticons—clearly trying to lower Bo Ranying’s defenses. The corner of Bo Ranying’s mouth twitched into an unconscious mocking smile.
She had definitely zeroed in on Bo Ranying’s tastes to play to her weaknesses.
Too clever by half. God knows if she’d turn into a smooth-talking flirt later on. Bo Ranying didn’t like people like that.
Even if Nan Qi wanted to be friends with Tang Lian, Bo Ranying intended to vet her first.
So despite knowing full well what Tang Lian was after, Bo Ranying played dumb and talked around it.
She responded coolly and distantly.
【Don’t call her Baby. She has a name. And why are you asking about her?】
Every word dripped with cold detachment, carrying an aggressive edge.
Tang Lian: 【I really want to get to know her. How do I put it? She hit me right in the heart.】
Bo Ranying: 【…You mean what I think you mean?】
Tang Lian: 【Coy jpg.】
Tang Lian: 【Yes.】
Tang Lian: 【You two are super close friends, so you must know her really well. I want to learn about Baby… oh, I mean, your friend~】
Bo Ranying frowned as she typed: 【Her name is Nan Qi. Don’t just go calling her whatever.】
Tang Lian seized the opening: 【Thanks, got it. Does Nan Qi like girls? Does she have a girlfriend right now?】
Bo Ranying: “…” This woman was impossible to guard against.
Bo Ranying’s fingers struck the screen harder, producing sharp tapping sounds. Her momentum grew more intimidating: 【Why should I tell you?】
【She already has a girlfriend. And why do you think Nan Qi likes girls?】
In Bo Ranying’s mind, Nan Qi seemed perfectly “normal,” the type who would like boys.
Tang Lian: 【Intuition. Your friend doesn’t seem all that straight…】
In truth, it was just because of the way Nan Qi looked at Bo Ranying—full of cautious affection.
And during last night’s party, she had learned that Bo Ranying had a boyfriend.
A lesbian falling for a straight girl? That crush was doomed from the start.
Tang Lian decided to take the risk herself and pull Nan Qi out of the fire.
But Bo Ranying’s attitude right now was rather intriguing.
Tang Lian’s eyebrows arched. Excitement sparked as she licked her lips and launched a counterstrike: 【Why are you protecting Nan Qi so fiercely? Don’t tell me… you like her…?】
Clang—
Her phone tumbled onto her lap.
Bo Ranying bristled, thinking this woman was downright vile, spouting utter nonsense. How could that even be possible?!
She angrily typed back: 【None of your business! Anyway, she won’t end up with you, so don’t contact her anymore!】
【That remains to be seen~】
Bo Ranying stared at that wavy tilde, her head throbbing. Now Tang Lian wasn’t even pretending to be cute anymore—just as she had suspected, it was all calculated cleverness.
She flung her phone aside in frustration, only to snatch it back moments later because of the nonstop message alerts. She went back and forth with Tang Lian for quite a while.
In the end, Tang Lian even politely lowered her defenses with one final move.
Tang Lian: 【Thanks! Oh, one last thing I need to trouble you with~】
【?】
【Could you recommend Nan Qi’s WeChat contact to me?】
Bo Ranying was taken aback. Her anger faded as she sat up straight: 【You two aren’t friends yet?】
Tang Lian: 【╮(╯▽╰)╭ She’s toying with me, making me wait.】
Bo Ranying stared at those words and wrinkled her delicate nose. Nan Qi didn’t seem like the type to play those kinds of games, but thinking back to Little Qi’s unusually radiant glow today, she pursed her lips and suppressed her suspicions.
【Then just wait.】
Tang Lian: 【Didn’t you say it’s not certain she’ll end up with me? You’re not recommending her now because you’re scared I’ll turn out to be right?】
Bo Ranying was at a loss for words. What did she have to be afraid of? She didn’t believe Little Qi would fall for someone else. Gritting her teeth, she found Nan Qi’s contact card and sent it over to Tang Lian.
A delighted reply came back: 【Thanks! I’ll treat you to dinner sometime!】
Then, nothing more. It seemed she had logged off, fully satisfied.
Bo Ranying waited a bit, but there was no further activity.
Talk about burning bridges after crossing the river.
She slipped her phone back into her bag and slowly leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes to rest.
.
A sudden knock sounded on the glass window beside her.
She snapped her eyes open. The car door was pulled open, and suddenly, a bouquet of flowers landed in her lap. A gentle floral fragrance filled her nostrils.
Arriving with the flowers was the smile slowly blooming on Nan Qi’s lips. Her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes curved in a captivating arc, like ancient ice and snow melting away, her beauty peerless and utterly enchanting.
Bo Ranying’s irritable mood instantly brightened. She grew even more convinced that Little Qi wouldn’t be so easily swayed by that woman.
“Flowers for you. Do you like them?”
Bo Ranying took a deep whiff and nodded vigorously.
The bouquet consisted of sunflowers and tulips accented with eucalyptus leaves—flowers and greenery with relatively subtle scents. As she inhaled, she could even catch the fresh dew on the petals, a clean and pleasant aroma. It wasn’t overpoweringly fragrant, but the scent lingered beautifully. Bo Ranying loved it.
Especially those sunflowers in full bloom—they just made her feel happier.
Seeing Bo Ranying’s reaction, Nan Qi’s smile deepened, though a fleeting trace of melancholy flashed in her eyes.
“Wishing you happiness. Even if it’s not a special holiday, I hope Ranran stays happy and carefree.” Nan Qi gazed at her intently, speaking straight from the heart with utmost sincerity.
“I will.” Bo Ranying smiled as she hugged the bouquet close.
“I’ll go drive now.”
Nan Qi turned and circled around with light steps, returning to the driver’s seat.
When she had entered the flower shop earlier that day, what had actually caught her eye first weren’t the sunflowers or tulips. It was the fiery roses in full bloom, the violets, lilies, little bluebells, baby’s breath, roses, hyacinths…
She had lingered there, lost in them.
The shop owner was a sharp-eyed woman who approached to assist her.
“Are you buying flowers for someone you like, miss?”
Nan Qi nodded.
Understanding dawned on the owner, who began recommending enthusiastically: “Then take a look at our champagne roses and pink roses—they arrived fresh this morning. Champagne roses symbolize sweet tenderness and elegance: ‘Loving you is my greatest happiness; missing you is my sweetest pain. I only have eyes for you.’ Pink roses represent subtle, restrained love, longing, and fidelity. They’re perfect for us girls to give…”
Nan Qi’s nose tingled. Swallowing back tears, she interrupted the owner almost urgently: “She… is my friend.”
“Recommend something else for me.”
Under the guise of friendship, she would send flowers that symbolized companionship.
That way, she wouldn’t overstep.
