Chapter 22: Teasing

Back in the military, Jin Zi and Ding Sishu had gotten along well. Comrades, after all — no one had bad relationships. The real story was that Jin Zi was pursuing Sister Yan, who was the head of their female soldiers’ unit and especially close with the girls. When Jin Zi came to look for Sister Yan, he’d always send a message to Ding Sishu. “Shushu, come down.”

“What?” Ding Sishu would ask.

Others would pop out too. “What? What do you want?”

On their rare days off, Sister Yan indulged their antics. Seeing Sister Yan, Jin Zi would get shy. “A Dong’s asking if you want to go shopping this afternoon?”

A Dong was Jin Zi’s good buddy, and Jin Zi was always helping him pursue Ding Sishu. Back when they’d first arrived in Africa, the men and women were all feeling lonely. Ding Sishu had a decent look, and plenty of the male colleagues had taken an interest in her. Later, Sister Yan had to step in and talk things through before those male colleagues calmed down. And eventually, Ding Sishu sealed the deal herself — she got into a fight with a gorilla and beat the thing senseless. Ding Sishu was basically a man. The male colleagues gradually caught on to what Sister Yan meant, though she never spelled it out. Ding Sishu, like them, liked women. The male colleagues’ attitudes shifted after that. Damn, female soldiers were already scarce — and now one of them was competition.

Jin Zi was slow on the uptake. When Sister Yan told him, he was stunned for two full seconds. “That’s a thing?”

“Shushu, do you want to be a man?” Straight men had simple minds.

Some straight men even got jealous seeing her get close to the female soldiers. One particularly dense guy, while drinking outside one night, jumped up on the table. He wobbled his head, slapped his crotch, and stared at Ding Sishu, slurring: “Ding Sishu, do you want to pee standing up too?”

There were some female soldiers around at the time. When the straight man stood on the table grabbing his crotch, the women looked almost eager. But the fool fumbled around and couldn’t find his zipper. His body wobbled, and he toppled off the table. The female soldiers rolled their eyes and went back to their seats. “Tch.”

Thinking back, life in Africa had been pretty amusing.

“Me? I’m single.” Ding Sishu said.

“Still single?” Jin Zi was surprised. “No, Shushu, I’m confused about something.”

“What are you confused about?”

“You’ve never been in a relationship. How do you know you like women?” Jin Zi said.

“Before you were in a relationship, how did you know you liked women?”

Jin Zi laughed a few times. “No, I mean — if a man doesn’t like women, does he like men?”

Ding Sishu and Jin Zi locked eyes. Jin Zi shuddered. “Wait?”

“Our unit before…” Jin Zi gestured at Ding Sishu, then at himself. “Had… that?”

Of course not. With a bunch of straight guys like that, how could there be a gay one? But Ding Sishu didn’t say anything explicit. She just sipped her juice and winked at Jin Zi. Compared to gay men, straight men found lesbians easier to accept. Jin Zi started stammering, clearly falling into a straight man’s existential crisis. He was probably trying to figure out who among them was the effeminate one.

“So you’re saying you think of yourself as a man?” Years later, a straight man was still a straight man.

Ding Sishu couldn’t be bothered to explain. “More or less.”

“Shushu, are you thinking about getting surgery?” Not only was he straight, he was curious.

“I don’t have the money for surgery.”

Jin Zi grabbed Ding Sishu’s hand. “No, even with money, we can’t be doing that.”

“It’s not that. It’s just — if I ran into you in the restroom one day, it would feel weird.” Jin Zi said.

Ding Sishu patted the back of Jin Zi’s hand, reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I won’t get surgery.”

Wait, why was she making that promise? She was never going to get surgery in the first place. Jin Zi had twisted her around until it sounded like she was planning it.

Jin Zi patted his chest, apparently soothed. But a moment later, he slammed the table, startling Ding Sishu.

“A Dong! It must be A Dong!” The straight man was still working through it. “When you rejected him, he stopped drinking and just cried alone under his covers.”

The more he thought about it, the more certain he was. Finally, he dragged Ding Sishu into it. “And he liked you even after you fought that gorilla. He still liked you.”

“…” She’d meant to set a trap for Jin Zi, but Jin Zi had pulled her in and jumped in with her.

QAQ

Ding Sishu was equally upset. At first it was fine, but later everyone was calling her a man. She’d thought it was just teasing. Now Ding Sishu was genuinely reflecting.

Was she a man? While showering, Ding Sishu cupped her 36B chest. It wasn’t big, but it was real. Did a man’s chest feel like this?

The next day at Nian Qiao’s house, Nian Qiao was already practicing yoga with a limp. From the slight sway of Nian Qiao’s back, Ding Sishu detected a hint of stubbornness. Nian Qiao practiced yoga almost every day — even in her busiest times, she’d carve out half an hour.

“Miss Nian, I washed it clean for you.” When Nian Qiao finished, Ding Sishu handed her the shopping bag. She’d borrowed Nian Qiao’s dress yesterday and had washed it specially.

Nian Qiao glanced at the bag, apparently remembering Ding Sishu’s roughshod laundry method. “No need.”

“Keep it.” Nian Qiao wiped the sweat from her neck. “You looked nice in it.”

“I wouldn’t wear it normally — it’d be a waste on me.” Ding Sishu said.

These days she was either working or on standby. There was no spare time.

“What do you mean you wouldn’t wear it?” Nian Qiao curved her lips. “You can wear it for me.”

“Miss Nian…”

“Hm?”

You’re not actually into cross-dressing, are you? Ding Sishu couldn’t quite articulate her feelings. When others treated her like a man, she hated it. When Nian Qiao treated her like a woman, she felt awkward too. Ugh, what kind of problem was this?

“You’re not making fun of me, are you?” Ding Sishu said.

“What do you mean?”

Ding Sishu hugged the bag, looking a bit aggrieved. “I feel awkward.”

Nian Qiao smiled and walked up to her. “You’re just not used to it yet.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Nian Qiao said. “You’ve always been a little girl.”

Girl was fine — why add “little”? That sounded way too doting. Clutching the bag, Ding Sishu shrank her head. “How much was this dress? I can’t just take it from you.”

“It wasn’t much. And I’ve already worn it.” Nian Qiao smiled. “Tell you what, I’ll deduct it from your salary.”

Nian Qiao was careful not to hurt Ding Sishu’s pride.

QAQ, she was going to deduct it? Ding Sishu regretted everything. According to the standard formula, it should have gone like this:

“You’ve already paid for it.” The Domineering CEO said.

“Huh?” The dazed female lead was clueless.

“Every second you wear it is repayment to me. I’m the one profiting.” The Domineering CEO said.

“Stoppp!” The blushing female lead pushed the Domineering CEO.

“What’s wrong?” Nian Qiao asked.

Ding Sishu forced a smile. “Nothing.”

She couldn’t exactly tell Nian Qiao she’d just been being polite — that Nian Qiao shouldn’t feel any pressure and could just “spare” the dress to her.

Ding Sishu had no idea how many months of her salary Nian Qiao’s “not much” would amount to. She hadn’t even been on the job two days and she was already in debt. Following behind Nian Qiao, Ding Sishu let out a breath.

Nian Qiao seemed to sense Ding Sishu’s “grief” and curved her lips slightly. At the bathroom door, she turned around to face Ding Sishu. She turned with surprising agility — it startled Ding Sishu.

“I’m going to shower. Want to join me?”

Ding Sishu’s eyes went wide. She snapped out of her salary grief instantly. Too polite. No, thank you.

“I’m not very steady on my feet.” Nian Qiao looked at her ankle, then braced herself on Ding Sishu’s shoulder. “Would you come in and help me?”

…That’s not appropriate. It’s broad daylight. How embarrassing. Ding Sishu swallowed hard and hugged the bag tighter. Nian Qiao leaned against her shoulder, gently pulling the bag away. Then she hooked a finger through Ding Sishu’s collar and drew her into the bathroom. Ding Sishu struggled a little, hooking her pinky on the doorframe. But Nian Qiao’s strength was just too “great.” She had no choice. Nian Qiao’s palm pressed against the wall, her finger curling in a come-hither gesture.

Ding Sishu covered her rear. Every time Nian Qiao did that, she felt like her tail was slipping out and wagging side to side.

Nian Qiao placed the clothes into her hands, her expression alluring. She took a step back, and Ding Sishu felt like she was about to lunge forward. Nian Qiao stepped back and pulled the glass door shut. Good thing she hadn’t acted on impulse — she’d have slammed right into it. Through the glass door, Nian Qiao blinked, then drew the curtain.

Damn. Why would a bathroom have such an “inhuman” design? Why were there partitions in the first place? And glass doors inside the shower? Fine, glass doors — but curtains too? Ding Sishu wanted to claw at the glass.

The shower turned on, water sounds filling the stall.

“Miss… Miss Nian… do you still need help?”

The rustle of fabric — Nian Qiao was undressing. She pulled the curtain open a crack, revealing her delicate face and fair shoulder. “How would you like to help me?”

“Ah… then I’ll head out.” The moment she said it, Ding Sishu regretted it. Be bold! Don’t be a coward!

QAQ

But she was a coward.

A coward who wanted to counter-attack. Hopeless. Ding Sishu wanted to bring up the eighty yuan thing, and even wanted to mention her counter-attack plan. But the moment Nian Qiao smiled, she lost her nerve. Clutching Nian Qiao’s clothes, Ding Sishu slunk off “dejectedly.” Nian Qiao showered for a while, then Ding Sishu went in to deliver her clothes. Nian Qiao’s so-called “help” had just been fetching her dry clothes.

Today was much like yesterday. All day, Nian Qiao caught up on “Bayonet Squad.” When Nian Qiao watched, Ding Sishu supplemented with extra info. She hadn’t left the military that long ago; she knew some things about the service.

“If you love it so much, why did you leave?” Seeing Ding Sishu’s eyes light up, Nian Qiao asked again.