After sending the text message, Bo Ranying gripped her phone nervously, her palms inevitably growing slick with sweat.
Afraid of missing any notification, she didn’t dare let the screen go dark.
She figured that after the reminder, Nan Qi would respond to her quickly.
How could Little Qi miss her birthday?
Ding! WeChat suddenly chimed several times. Bo Ranying hurriedly tapped into the app and discovered it was a message from Nan Qi.
A red packet icon appeared prominently in the chat window.
Below it was Nan Qi’s message.
Bo Ranying’s mind went blank for quite a while; she couldn’t make out the words as they blurred before her eyes. She stared hard until she could finally discern their true meaning.
【Sorry Ranran, I didn’t have time to prepare a gift. Here’s a red packet to show my heart. Happy birthday, and may your career progress.】
Had she forgotten her birthday?
No gift, no surprise—not even the date itself.
Bo Ranying took a major hit. Her lips trembled as her face drained to the color of paper in an instant. She couldn’t believe it, but the evidence was right there before her.
She didn’t claim the red packet.
Sunk in the sorrow of being overlooked, she felt an overwhelming bitterness.
Then another thought struck her: being forgotten just once by someone she cared about left her in such agony. So how heartbroken must Little Qi have been during all those countless times when she herself had failed to respond to Nan Qi’s affection?
Her current pain couldn’t even compare to the grievances Nan Qi had endured back then.
This was all her own doing.
Bo Ranying buried herself under the covers and cried. She resolved to make up for the years of hurt she’d inflicted on Nan Qi—to treat her twice as well, earn her forgiveness, and reignite the flame of her love.
Little Qi could only be her girlfriend.
In her round almond eyes gleamed a heart-stirring mix of desire and obsession.
Of course, Nan Qi hadn’t forgotten Bo Ranying’s birthday. Choosing not to prepare a gift had been deliberate.
In those past years, every present for Bo Ranying had been selected with affection in her heart, carefully planned and chosen.
But now that she’d moved on and relegated Bo Ranying to the status of an ordinary friend, Nan Qi believed she should keep some distance. Besides, she was spending time with Tang Lian, which meant she absolutely couldn’t treat Bo Ranying with her old attitude.
Sending a red packet with her blessing was the best approach.
When she sent it over and saw that Bo Ranying hadn’t claimed it, Nan Qi didn’t think much of it.
A day passed, and the red packet amount was refunded to her own account.
Nan Qi understood immediately: Bo Ranying was throwing a tantrum because there’d been no gift, refusing it on purpose.
Even so, knowing Bo Ranying’s mindset didn’t prompt Nan Qi to do anything else. She had no intention of coaxing her into a better mood—they were adults, after all. Bo Ranying should learn to regulate her own emotions.
To Nan Qi, Bo Ranying’s birthday was just a familiar but insignificant date, nothing more than a minor blip.
She carried on with work as usual, immersing herself in her routine tasks. Occasionally, she went out shopping with Tang Lian, or the two of them simply spent quiet time together.
Nan Qi saw it as a casual way for two people to pass the time, but Tang Lian insisted on calling them dates. Nan Qi didn’t bother correcting her; after all, friends could go on dates too.
Nan Qi had unilaterally drawn a line under the stolen-kiss incident, but Tang Lian wouldn’t let it go. She kept pressing for an official label.
She nagged relentlessly, rattling off endless unique reasons.
For instance: “Big Sister, why are you stringing me along like this? I kissed you, but you don’t react at all. How am I supposed to act around you from now on?”
“I think Big Sister needs a girlfriend.”
“Teasing me like this without taking responsibility? Back in the day, decades ago, that was called playing rogue.”
Faced with Tang Lian’s endless coquetry and wheedling, Nan Qi had one surefire counter.
Whenever Tang Lian started whining about making their relationship official, Nan Qi would smile sweetly and say, “Do you still want me to say yes to your invitations in the future?”
Of course Tang Lian wanted to go on dates with Nan Qi—she was terrified of being shut out. So she pouted and backed off.
But her good behavior never lasted long. Once she sensed Nan Qi was in a good mood, she’d bring it up again.
She figured that if she became Nan Qi’s girlfriend, her date invitations would be perfectly legitimate. Nan Qi wouldn’t have any excuse to refuse, which was way better than their current limbo.
The two of them sparred back and forth like this, both secretly enjoying the game.
Nan Qi found Tang Lian’s sneaky little attempts to go official downright adorable. She even started looking forward to a fresh reason every day.
Spending time with Tang Lian made her feel relaxed and at ease. She woke up every morning in high spirits. Her assistant Wenwen and her senior both remarked that her face now radiated an obvious glow, a far cry from her former impassive expression. They asked what good fortune she’d stumbled into lately.
She touched her cheek, unable to see a mirror, and wondered to herself if it was really that noticeable.
In front of others, though, she schooled her features in an instant and revealed nothing about her private life.
For several days running, as Nan Qi passed through the public office area, she noticed many colleagues huddled over balls of yarn during breaks, knitting intently. Their needles flashed as their fingers danced through the loops.
It looked like the beginnings of an organized movement.
Curious, Nan Qi beckoned Wenwen over and asked if she knew what was going on—why had everyone suddenly taken up knitting?
Wenwen explained right away. “It’s this new trend blowing up online. The idea is to knit a scarf or gloves by hand for the person you like and give it to them on Christmas. It’s a subtle new way to confess. If they accept it, that means they’ve agreed to start dating.”
Nan Qi stared in disbelief and pointed out the flaw. “What if the other person doesn’t realize it’s a confession?”
Wenwen sounded even more convinced than she did. “It’s all over the internet—anyone who goes online will see the buzzwords. For young guys and girls, getting a handmade gift from their crush on a special holiday carries that flirty vibe all on its own. People who get it will get it.”
“And for those who don’t, well, someone like Nan Par will just ask about it outright.”
Nan Qi was persuaded.
A new fad popped up every year. This must be this year’s.
No sooner had she finished asking Wenwen than Ye Sheng popped into her office for a chat, all animated and excited.
Ye Sheng didn’t have much gossip of her own, but the recent whirlwind of events around Nan Qi left her full of emotion.
She started by asking how things were going between Nan Qi and Tang Lian.
Nan Qi took a slow sip of her coffee. “Oh, you know, we get along great.”
Ye Sheng scoffed. “Pfft, spare me. That kind of lukewarm praise means you really like her.”
Nan Qi paused. “Her personality’s pretty unique. It took some getting used to at first, but now it’s fine.”
She didn’t contradict Ye Sheng’s assessment.
“That’s wonderful! Our Little Qi has finally found the one. Since you both like each other, why not just start dating?” Having witnessed Nan Qi’s years-long one-sided crush, Ye Sheng was genuinely thrilled that she’d escaped that quagmire and met someone on the same wavelength.
Nan Qi still hesitated. “I’d rather let things develop naturally. I’m not quite ready for a relationship yet.”
As someone who’d been through it, Ye Sheng understood her caution from past experiences—but she didn’t approve of wasting time on it.
“If you both like each other, your values align, and there’s no reason to break up, then what’s the holdup? Are you trying to savor the thrill of the ambiguous phase?”
“No.” Whether in the flirtatious lead-up or officially together, Nan Qi knew her feelings would only grow stronger. They wouldn’t shift just because of some milestone.
“Unreturned affection is torture—no matter how upbeat you are, you can’t escape it. You know that better than most, Little Qi.” Ye Sheng spoke with earnest concern.
Nan Qi froze, a certain resolve in her heart beginning to waver. The weight on her shoulders started to crumble away.
She was right. Nan Qi had endured a full decade of it—the bitterness and heartache were etched into her bones.
Was she really about to let that same pain play out again on Tang Lian?
Their situation was different, though. Nan Qi’s had been one-sided, chasing responses for ten fruitless years.
With Tang Lian, the feelings were mutual. Tang Lian had even said she could wait. If Nan Qi stopped holding back and took that step forward, wouldn’t they both be happier?
Seeing her words take effect—and buoyed by past success—Ye Sheng trusted Nan Qi would come around soon and embrace the romance she deserved. She let the topic drop and brought up someone else.
“Anyway, enough of that. What’s the deal with you and Little Bo?”
Mentioning Bo Ranying gave Nan Qi a headache.
It was like she’d undergone a complete personality transplant. Every few days, she’d check in with messages of concern, track Nan Qi’s updates, and rope her into helping out—her computer had crashed, her car got rear-ended so she’d call for advice, or she’d ask Nan Qi to snap photos and weigh in on outfit colors. Her visits to the law firm outpaced the total from the past several years combined.
“Little Bo keeps inviting me out to eat, asks me about how you’ve been lately, pries into your daily life, and even bought daily necessities and toys for my kid. She’s so enthusiastic, I can barely keep up.”
What kind of friendship does Bo Ranying even have with her?
They usually just exchange greetings when they meet, and on ordinary days, without Nan Qi’s involvement, they never contact each other privately.
“Little Bo’s regretting it now—she’s got that vibe of wanting to win you back.” Ye Sheng looked indignant, unable to stomach Bo Ranying’s behavior. “She thinks too highly of herself. Just because she likes you and wants to chase you, you have to say yes? We don’t want that expired affection.”
“Little Qi, you should start a new life.”
Nan Qi had no idea that Bo Ranying had been troubling Ye Sheng all this time. She felt very embarrassed, yet warmed by Ye Sheng’s support. “Senior, just ignore her.”
“I’ll make it clear to Bo Ranying and tell her not to get you involved.”
Mm, your senior believes you can handle it well.
Ye Sheng broke into a smile. Although Little Bo looked quite pitiful and seemed truly remorseful, she was firmly on Nan Qi’s side and couldn’t let Little Bo have all the easy breaks.
The person you don’t cherish is a treasure others hold dear in the palm of their hand.
