Chapter 19: Shy

After washing the fruits, Qi Xuexin got a whim and pulled a chessboard out from the TV cabinet, setting it on the coffee table. She waved at Ming You. “Little Darling, do you know how to play five in a row? Come on, play a few games with me. You have no idea how bored Yan Huahua is…”

The moment she heard “Yan Huahua,” Yan Ningxi’s face showed annoyance. “Play with her. No need to go easy. She’s notoriously bad, and don’t let her take back moves either.”

“Teacher… Yan, why are you spilling my secrets?” The first word came out full of vigor like she was about to explode, but the rest wound around like a maze, completely deflated. “Little Darling definitely isn’t as boring as you. Who knows, maybe her skills are even worse than mine, right, Little Darling?”

Ming You looked at Yan Ningxi, then at Qi Xuexin. She couldn’t figure out how two people with such vastly different personalities had become best friends who talked about everything.

Qi Xuexin was clearly the super tolerant type who could joke around with anyone.

“What are you standing there stupidly for? Stop staring. I know I’m beautiful. You’ll have plenty of time to look later. No rush right now.”

“…” Ming You was convinced by Qi Xuexin’s narcissism. Narcissist number one!

Qi Xuexin sat on the small stool by the TV wall, while Ming You sat on the floor leaning against the sofa, without even a cushion. “Every game has a winner and loser. Best of three, two wins. Loser buys groceries, cooks, washes dishes, and cleans next time. How about it?”

Yan Ningxi hooked up the corner of her lip. Qi Xuexin wasn’t happy. “You two are teaming up to bully a lonely single like me. Is there no humanity left?”

Ming You: “Teacher Qi…”

“Don’t call me Teacher!” Qi Xuexin raised her hand to cut her off. “Fine, let’s bet. I refuse to believe it today.”

Among board games, Ming You only knew Chinese Checkers and five in a row. She had learned both as a kid, back when her family of three shared some happy times.

When the three of them played Chinese Checkers, Yang Guishu was always the big winner, Ming Tai the big loser, and she held steady in the middle. That game emphasized strategy and took a long time, so there was room for error. In one-on-one five in a row, she was always the big winner, Yang Guishu the big loser—quick battles with no wiggle room.

Later, playing five in a row on her phone became a way to kill time. By then, there was no family of three, just her against the computer.

Today marked several years since she’d last played.

Qi Xuexin took the black pieces, Ming You the white. In less than ten minutes, Qi Xuexin was in full retreat, losing three games in a row.

If not for her repeated attempts to cheat and drag things out, Ming You would have beaten her three times no slower than Yan Ningxi could.

After Ming You placed the final piece that sealed the last game’s victory, Qi Xuexin sat there puffed up with anger, not moving an inch.

Yan Ningxi smiled and patted Qi Xuexin’s shoulder. “Win or lose is normal in battle. I’ll make dinner for you.”

Ming You followed suit, smiling as she took a black piece from Qi Xuexin’s clutches. “Losing and still fighting shows spirit. I’ll wash the dishes for you.”

“Sigh~” The person who had looked bitterly vengeful a second ago changed faces instantly, flashing a smug grin. “I can’t refuse the… kind intentions of my two little sisters! Then I’ll thank you in advance!”

Under Qi Xuexin’s relentless “teasing,” Ming You gradually dropped her facade without realizing it. Most of her words and actions were natural instincts, not calculated responses with ulterior motives.

It felt relaxed, stress-relieving. Her favorability toward this “narcissist” shot way up.

Turns out, there were narcissists in the world who weren’t annoying.

In the afternoon, Ming You saw Qi Xuexin out and went to buy some scar removal ointment while she was at it.

As they parted in the garage, Qi Xuexin pulled out a big red envelope and forcefully stuffed it into her hand. “Meeting me is like meeting the parents. Take it—it’s your meeting gift from big sis. Not much, spend it however. But remember, from now on call me sis or Sister Qi. No more Qi-jie, Teacher Qi, or beauty sis. Favoritism is hypocrisy, and my fragile heart can’t take you two double swords uniting to stab it!”

“…”

Ming You couldn’t see her own face, but she felt her cheeks and ears heating up, so she quickly turned and walked away. This sensation was novel.

It wasn’t the same as the nervous flushing during early school exams or competitions.

Qi Xuexin called after her. “Little Darling, we haven’t added each other on WeChat yet?! I didn’t think you were the type to get shy!”

While waiting for the elevator, Ming You stared at the “may you live happily together for a hundred years” on the red envelope, lost in thought. Was that just now shyness? Who wears shyness on their face for everyone to see?

Should she tell Yan Ningxi about the red envelope? What was her purpose in inviting Qi Xuexin? To comfort her, or something else?

Ming You couldn’t figure it out. To avoid more embarrassment, she folded the red envelope and pocketed it.

Qi Xuexin was undeniably a reliable catalyst. The awkwardness and discomfort Ming You had felt that morning alone with Yan Ningxi was now thrown to the winds.

After clearing the air with Yan Ningxi, her worries lightened too. Before today, it had been covert pursuit by creating opportunities. Starting today, it was overt pursuit.

…

As soon as dusk fell, Ming You started fretting.

How to handle dinner?

Yan Ningxi seemed to read her mind. “Can you make egg fried rice?”

Ming You shook her head.

She vaguely remembered an elementary school homework assignment to make egg fried rice. Hers turned out inedible, so Maternal Grandma remade it for the photo submission.

“I might be a kitchen killer.” Ming You had no talent for cooking. Besides that egg fried rice fiasco, she had once stir-fried greens with Maternal Grandma’s help as a kid—and turned them into boiled veggies.

“What kind of metaphor is that?” Yan Ningxi pushed off the sofa to stand, but her right elbow hurt when she exerted force. “Hiss.”

Ming You quickly supported her. “Let’s just order takeout.”

“We have ingredients at home. Don’t waste the veggies Qi Xuexin bought. I’ll guide you—you do it.”

“…Okay.”

Ming You opened the fridge, took out rice, two eggs, a ham sausage, and a carrot.

Under Yan Ningxi’s detailed guidance, Ming You completed the egg fried rice without a single mistake. It even looked decent.

Gazing at her own “masterpiece,” she felt secretly delighted inside. She scooped a spoonful and held it to Yan Ningxi’s mouth. “Respect the teacher—first bite goes to Teacher Yan, of course. See if this total beginner has any room for improvement?”

Meeting Ming You’s expectant little gaze, Yan Ningxi opened her mouth.

“How is it?”

“Better than Qi Xuexin.”

Ming You tasted a bite herself. “Mm, way better.”

It wasn’t until she was washing dishes, looking at the two identical ceramic spoons in the sink, that Ming You recalled they had used the same spoon when plating the fried rice.

On the cab ride back to the hotel, Ming You rolled down the window, hoping the cool night wind would sort out her chaotic thoughts.

Everything today felt unfamiliar—this was a life she hadn’t experienced in her twenty years. Yes, life. The noisy little moments in the apartment today felt more like what people called living.

What burned hot now wasn’t her cheeks or ears, but her eyes.

She pulled out the red envelope Qi Xuexin gave her and stared at it in a daze, but didn’t open it. She didn’t need to know how much was inside—three or five hundred, or three or five thousand. What mattered wasn’t the amount, but the mental joy it brought.

This was different from He Huan spending money on her, different from Yan Ningxi covering her bills.

Even if it held just one or two hundred, it was far more “precious” than the fifty thousand Ms. Yang casually transferred her. The joy of receiving money—it had been a long time.

…

The next morning, Ming You ordered breakfast takeout for Yan Ningxi.

【Yan Ningxi: Teacher He is coming at noon. If you’re free, come over for lunch, then head back to school.】

Ming You stared at the screen, hesitating to reply.

What was there to hesitate about?

Wasn’t the whole point of getting close to Yan Ningxi to let He Huan see her “flirting” with her colleague and friend, all lovey-dovey, so she’d realize how insignificant she was in Ming You’s heart?

【Ming You: Sure. I’ll pack my luggage, check out soon, and head over.】

【Ming You: Happy.gif】

She bought a suitcase from a nearby supermarket to hold the clothes and shoes she’d bought piecemeal over the past ten-plus days, got the front desk’s courier contact, and shipped it straight to school.

She might not know thrift, but she wasn’t a spendthrift.

At Xuelin Elegance Garden, He Huan opened the door. The same person inside and out, yet it felt like a lifetime apart.

“Teacher He.” The girl greeted respectfully, her demeanor calm, betraying no emotion.

“Come in and sit. What time’s your train this afternoon? Got time?”

“Haven’t bought tickets yet. I’ll check later.”

“That’s fine. Ordinary weekend—high-speed rail tickets shouldn’t be hard to get.” Seeing the flowers in her hand, He Huan hesitated, then turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll stir-fry the veggies. Almost done. Chat with Teacher Yan. If you’re hungry, snack on some pastries or fruit first.”

Before coming, Ming You had gotten a one-time perm at the hair salon. She wore a casual shirt and drop-waist light gray wide-leg pants, with the shirt’s right hem tucked in, looking much more mature.

Yan Ningxi noticed her different outfit but didn’t pointedly ask. “Back to the hotel after lunch?”

“Checked out. Not going back.”

“Your luggage?”

“Shipped it.”

Very 00s efficient style. Yan Ningxi took a box of pastries from the coffee table and offered it. “Try this. Teacher He brought it.”

Ming You sat on the small stool across from Yan Ningxi, took a pastry from the box, and bit in. “Very crispy.” The pastry was small; she finished it in two or three bites.

She brushed the crumbs into the trash can and didn’t take a second.

Then she undid her cuffs and rolled up her sleeves. “I’ll go to the kitchen see if I can help. Always freeloading—feels bad to keep coming empty-handed.”

At the kitchen door, she said to the person tying an apron, “Teacher He, let me help.”

He Huan was stir-frying veggies and glanced back. “You’re in a white shirt—don’t come in. No extra aprons. Careful of oil splatters or smoke. Two or three dishes fry up quick. No trouble. Go wait outside.”

The girl didn’t move. He Huan smiled softly and said, “Be good.”

Be good.

She had listened to her too many times.

The girl turned and left. She went to tend the flowers she’d just bought—maybe she’d really level up to flower expert.