Chapter 48: Fooling Around

They had ordered only half a fried chicken. Yan Ningxi took a few small bites, and Ming You swiftly devoured the rest. She didn’t really like fried chicken that much; she had eaten it before mostly out of nostalgia, but today she finished it to avoid waste.

Crumbs from the fried chicken coating had fallen everywhere. Ming You ate like a child, oblivious to the bits stuck around her mouth. Yan Ningxi picked up a napkin from the table and wiped Ming You’s mouth for her.

“University days won’t last forever, and youth won’t return once it’s gone. You should live freely and follow your whims. Don’t rush to grow up, and don’t just pretend to be an adult. Whatever you want to eat, watch, play, or do—just go for it. Once you start working, you’ll have less time and less freedom.”

Ming You paused as she removed her gloves. After taking them off, she grabbed Yan Ningxi’s hand that was wiping her mouth and stared into her eyes. “Just go for it—you’ll keep me company, right?”

You’ll keep me company, right? Yan Ningxi’s answer in her heart was “yes.” But she couldn’t say it out loud.

The girl didn’t press her for a clear reply. Instead, she pulled the napkin from Yan Ningxi’s hand and wiped her own mouth again. “No one can stay by another’s side forever. For the things you want to do yourself, don’t rely on others. That’s probably what you wanted to say, right?”

Hearing the girl’s words, Yan Ningxi felt heartbroken. She had told Ming You not to grow up too fast, yet she kept “forcing” her to do just that.

“Ming You, we’re different.” Their upbringing and family backgrounds were different.

“I know we’re different.” Ming You smiled, not wanting to ruin the good atmosphere. “You just said it yourself—once you start working, you’ll have less time and less freedom.”

The server came to clear the plates. Ming You wiped the table and opened the photo album on her phone to show Yan Ningxi. “Back to the main topic, Sister Yan. I do have something important to tell you.”

The photos in the album were a few shots of Ming You and Gu Xirui that she had saved from the forum last night. There was even a forum watermark in the bottom right corner.

“The person in the photos is my best friend at school, Gu Xirui. I’ve mentioned her to you before.”

Once she confirmed Yan Ningxi had seen the photos clearly, Ming You put her phone away. “What I want to say is, probably because I withdrew from the competition and pissed everyone off, someone at school has been spreading rumors and gossiping online that Gu Xirui and I are in a same-sex relationship. But the pure stay pure—we’re just friends.”

If she didn’t say anything, Yan Ningxi might never find out about the forum, but Qi Xuexin, with her fast internet browsing, was very likely to see it and tell Yan Ningxi. After thinking it over, Ming You decided it was better to come clean proactively.

Yan Ningxi didn’t look at her. She took a sip of milk tea, picked up a french fry without dipping it in ketchup, and ate it in two bites. “So?”

Her indifference made Ming You feel a pang of disappointment. She held her cola and stirred the ice cubes inside. “I was just thinking that for us… we should be honest with each other.”

She had been deceiving Yan Ningxi from the very start. Once there was the first lie between people, countless more would follow.

It was just like a snowball rolling downhill. As time passed, the snowball grew bigger and heavier, and the heavier it got, the more it could crush someone.

When it finally hit, it would be a direct blow.

To reduce the chance of slip-ups later and to keep her lies from becoming too burdensome, she had to carve out a new path before the snowball struck.

Yan Ningxi scooped a small spoonful of the half-melted, gooey strawberry ice cream and sipped it into her mouth.

She set down the spoon and smiled at the girl. “Thank you, Ming You.”

Ming You was stunned. “Thank you? For what?”

“Thank you for understanding, and thank you for trusting me.” She was happy to hear Ming You share everything with her.

…

The sky changed in the evening, and a fine drizzle fell steadily. By nightfall, it showed no signs of stopping, and who knew how many autumn leaves it would shake from the branches.

Ming You finished cleaning and was about to take out the trash when she opened the door and saw He Huan walking toward her.

He Huan carried a bag and some fruit in her left hand, with a white curved-handled umbrella hanging from her right wrist, dripping rainwater.

He Huan leaned the umbrella against the door. “I’m here to see Teacher Yan.”

Things were different now. Ming You felt no turmoil in her heart, nor was she flustered by He Huan’s unexpected visit. She politely welcomed the guest. “Please come in, Teacher He.”

Ming You grabbed a pair of guest slippers from the shoe cabinet, stepped aside to let He Huan in, and temporarily set the trash bag by the door.

Each understood the situation without words, so He Huan didn’t ask the silly question of why Ming You was there.

She had messaged Yan Ningxi again that afternoon, and Yan Ningxi said she would go to school tomorrow, so she must be home tonight. He Huan had delayed until so late precisely because she didn’t want to run into Ming You. But against her wishes, she had.

“Teacher Yan, Teacher He is here to see you.” Ming You was in the living room, pouring He Huan a cup of warm water. “Please have a seat first, Teacher He.”

It was just past eight, but due to her period, Yan Ningxi had already showered and was sitting on the bed with her laptop, working. She even had that goddess-exclusive hot water bottle tucked in her lap.

The one who had “ordered” her to wash up early and go to bed, brought over the laptop, poured the water, and filled the hot water bottle—it was all Ming You.

“Slow down.”

Ming You entered the room and helped Yan Ningxi up. “Is your head dizzy again?”

“It’s fine.” Yan Ningxi had gotten up too quickly, causing a spell of dizziness. “Hand me that jacket hanging there. My face doesn’t look too bad, right?”

Ming You fetched the jacket and helped her put it on, then kissed her cheek. “Now it’s rosy.”

“Teacher He is still out there. Don’t fool around.” Yan Ningxi said not to fool around on her lips, but her hand reached out to touch Ming You’s face. “If you feel uncomfortable, just stay in the bedroom.”

“She’s not some wild beast. Why should I hide…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“You’re so fierce.”

“If you don’t behave, I’ll be even fiercer.”

“Sister Yan, I don’t feel uncomfortable. I’m worried you’ll feel uncomfortable.”

The two flirted and bantered for two minutes, but to He Huan outside, it felt like a century had passed. More cruel than the fact that “friend = Ming You” was the reality: Ming You = lover.

“Teacher He.” Yan Ningxi sat down next to He Huan. “You didn’t need to make a special trip. We can see each other tomorrow.”

“Seeing you at school and seeing you at home—how could they be the same?” He Huan noticed Yan Ningxi’s flushed face. “Your face is so red. Are you still running a fever?”

“…”

Ming You washed two plates of fruit and brought them to the coffee table—one plate of strawberries and one of cherries. “Teacher He bought the fruit. I soaked them in saltwater. You two can eat and chat.”

Both fruits were in season, loved by many people—and by her too. Back when she went to He Huan’s place to review lessons, she had eaten plenty.

He Huan looked at Ming You. “This little sister of yours—Teacher Yan didn’t pick you for nothing.”

“It’s me who can’t take Teacher Yan as a sister for nothing.” Ming You sat on a small stool facing the two of them and went along with it smoothly. “Sister… Teacher Yan has been good to me. Repaying kindness with gratitude is only right—it’s a traditional Chinese virtue.”

“Last weekend, I watched your quarterfinal match…” He Huan knew the reason but still wanted to hear it from them directly.

“Is this the first time Teacher He has watched my games?”

Ming You cut in before Yan Ningxi could respond. “I know what Teacher He wants to ask. On the night Teacher Yan got hurt—that Saturday evening—we had planned a video call, but in the end, it was her classmate who picked up. In my heart, Teacher Yan is more important. No matter how many times it happens, I’d make the same choice.”

“Beep, beep, beep…” On the balcony, the washing machine sounded its program-complete alert.

Ming You’s butt hadn’t even warmed the seat yet, but she had said what needed saying. She stood up. “You two teachers chat. I’ll go hang the bedding.”

There was a light on the balcony. As soon as she went out, she drew the curtains, leaving only a slit in the floor-to-ceiling window, effectively blocking the view between inside and outside.

He Huan gazed toward the balcony. “You and her—you treat her like a little sister, and she treats you like a big sister?”

“Since when did you start believing her nonsense, Teacher He?”

“Then what are you two?”

“We’re… friends, I guess.” There wasn’t a better word to describe her current relationship with Ming You. “About the withdrawal, I talked to her. It started because of me, so I can’t blame her. She’s much more mature and steady than we thought. These days we’ve spent together, it’s not all me accommodating her. Take the past few days—she’s taken care of me more in daily life than I’ve taken care of her. Before, it was her thanking me. Now, it’s me thanking her.”

The favoritism in Yan Ningxi’s words and the sparkle in her eyes shocked He Huan. She had once acted that way herself. “She’s still young. Don’t get in too deep.”

“Didn’t you say she needs a ray of light?”

One shock hadn’t settled when another came. “Yan Yan, have you thought this through?”

She had once been the light illuminating Ming You’s path ahead, but her light had limited endurance and couldn’t accompany Ming You to the places she wanted to go. Now, Yan Ningxi had not only taken her place, but this new light far surpassed hers in intensity and brightness.

She had hoped a light like that would appear in Ming You’s life, one that could stay with her long-term. But she hadn’t hoped that light would be someone close to her.

A voice call rang from the bedroom.

Yan Ningxi called out, “Ming You, your phone’s ringing. Go answer it.” Her own phone was on the coffee table.

“Oh, coming right away.”

After hanging the last pillowcase, Ming You opened the window and ran back to the bedroom. The voice call had ended—it was Yang Guishu calling.

She called back. “Hello, Mom.”

On the night of the withdrawal, Yang Guishu had called and messaged her, and she had reported that she was safe the next day.

Her mother cared about her every moment, and she knew that in her heart.

“Yu Yu, I just wanted to tell you—your advisor called me again today to verify things. I told him what you said: that you rushed out of town to take care of a friend who got hurt in an accident. I even gave him the hospital name.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’m staying at a friend’s place. I’ll head back to school tomorrow morning.”

“A friend? Which friend? In Huai’an or Hengyuan?” Yang Guishu knew nothing about Ming You’s social circle and had never heard her mention any friends.

“Huai’an.”

Ming You sat on the windowsill, looking at the shelves full of books. The two outside were chatting without her, so she chatted too. “This friend is a high school Chinese teacher, a few years older than me. She’s really nice and beautiful. She got hurt this time, so I came back to take care of her.”

Yang Guishu was delighted to hear her daughter’s good mood tonight—she was even willing to chat with her. “Is it Teacher He Huan, who taught you?”

In Ming You’s senior year of high school, Yang Guishu had attended one parent-teacher conference.

In three years, that was the only time she went. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about her daughter’s studies or school life; it was that Ming You never notified the family about them.

Yang Guishu had once lost her temper at home over Ming You’s aloofness.

But Ming You’s temper was even bigger—beneath the coldness was unusual irritability. After Ming You smashed a bowl and cut her finger, Yang Guishu stopped clashing with her.

No clashing meant at least Ming You’s mental state wouldn’t worry her, and she still brought home her report card each month for her to review.

Fine, aloof it was. A girl being aloof could deter those with ill intentions.

Ming You’s Chinese scores were the best among her subjects.

Consistently top-notch.

That was why, at the parent-teacher conference, Yang Guishu paid special attention to the Chinese teacher.

Though she had been the one to seek out He Huan for a “private chat,” it was He Huan who asked for contact info. Yang Guishu had offered to add her on WeChat, but He Huan said her contacts were full of parents and she couldn’t manage, so she only took Yang Guishu’s business card.

“It’s not Teacher He.” Ming You denied it and, in a huff, gave Yan Ningxi’s name. “Her name is Yan Ningxi. She’s my friend and my big sister. She never taught me—she’s not my teacher.”

“Ah, having a big sister is great. With a teacher as your big sister, I can really relax.”

Yang Guishu’s heart had been in her throat, afraid she’d say something wrong and kill the good vibe. Thankfully, it turned out fine. “Yan Ningxi, right? Nice name. Mom’s got it memorized.”

” Mm.”

“Does this big sister of yours have any elders or siblings at home? Don’t go empty-handed every time. Be polite to elders, and coax the kids. Or Mom can buy some gifts for you to take next time you go. Give them to your big sister.” Her daughter couldn’t cook, so staying at someone’s house meant meals served on a platter—she had to show some gesture.

“Sister Yan lives alone. No need.”

“Then we’ll just buy one for your Sister Yan. Leave it to Mom, okay?”

“…”

Sister this, sister that. When had Yang Guishu ever seen Ming You so sweet-mouthed? The last time she’d heard her chasing after someone calling them sister was back when she was in kindergarten.

Bygones were bygones.

Yang Guishu credited all the progress in Ming You’s upbringing to Yan Ningxi, whom she’d never met. A thank-you gift suddenly felt urgent.

“Oh right, I also wanted to tell you when I called today—the competition thing is over and done with. If you still don’t want to go back to school, then don’t. Stay with your Sister Yan a few more days. Mom’s got your back; I’ll get you excused.”

Knock knock knock.

The half-open bedroom door was knocked on by Yan Ningxi.

“Mom, bye.”

Ming You hurriedly hung up the phone and said to Yan Ningxi, “My mom asked if me staying here has been troubling you.”

Though the living room and bedroom weren’t far apart, they all spoke in soft voices, so those outside couldn’t hear what was happening inside, and those inside couldn’t hear what was going on outside.

“Teacher He is leaving. Go say goodbye.” Yan Ningxi had come to fetch Ming You because she felt etiquette couldn’t be overlooked.

“Oh.”

He Huan had already changed her shoes, and the door was open. Ming You remembered the trash was still outside the door. “Teacher He, let me walk you downstairs. I can throw out the trash while I’m at it.”

“I’ll take it down on my way. It’s pretty cold outside; don’t bother coming out.”

Ming You was still debating if that was appropriate when Yan Ningxi spotted the dripping wet umbrella by the door. She adjusted her coat and said to Ming You, “It’s only been a short while; the rain probably hasn’t stopped yet. Drive Teacher He back. Later, I’ll have Teacher Qi wash the car.”

He Huan and Ming You’s faces showed different expressions. Neither agreed nor disagreed.

Yan Ningxi turned and went into the bedroom. She took the car keys from the drawer in the closet and handed them to Ming You along with the house keys. “Drive carefully.”