Chapter 20 Part 3

Realizing her rudeness, Fang Nianchen obediently raised the glass, trusting Yin Chi’s “easy to drink.” But one sip down, her tongue was wrapped in intense peat smoke, a fiery spiciness shooting straight to her head, burning her nasal cavity.

“Cough cough cough…” Barely swallowing, Fang Nianchen coughed violently, eyes reddening. Realizing the trick, her expression turned pitiful and aggrieved.

Yin Chi hugged her arms and burst out laughing: “Good girl.”

—

Thinking back, Yin Chi felt she’d been too much back then—bad without a shred of hesitation. Anyone but Fang Nianchen would’ve been bullied away on day one by her shitty personality.

But Fang Nianchen not only stayed but settled in steadily.

Pulled from deep reminiscence, Yin Chi’s gaze shifted from Fang Nianchen’s face to her pink lips.

Lips lightly touching the wine glass rim, throat bobbing as red wine slid down.

Fang Nianchen wasn’t coughing from choking anymore.

Black-and-white uniform, hair tied low, name badge on her pocket.

Every detail screamed Fang Nianchen, yet nowhere was the Fang Nianchen she knew.

Yin Chi murmured: “How old are you now?”

Fang Nianchen figured she wouldn’t forget her age but answered anyway: “Turning twenty-three soon.”

After her birthday, she’d be a year older. Year after year, no one could stop time marching on.

At that thought, she suddenly understood why Yin Chi asked.

The next second, Yin Chi said gravely: “Then I’m already thirty-three.”

“You’re still very young.” Fang Nianchen flattered.

“You saying I’m old?” Yin Chi raised her hand as if to hit her, “I’ll smack you.”

Fang Nianchen smiled with pursed lips: “You’ll always be young in my heart. Beautiful women don’t age.”

She rarely complimented anyone, just sensed Yin Chi’s melancholy and joked to comfort her.

“Thanks a lot.” Yin Chi snarked sarcastically.

True to her word, Yin Chi kept dinner simple—just eating, no deep dives into past emotional tangles. She was sensitive about age but otherwise, the meal passed peacefully.

After eating, Yin Chi strode to the roadside first, not bothering to fetch her beloved McLaren from where she’d parked earlier.

Fang Nianchen asked: “Car’s staying here?”

“Are you dumb? I drank—gonna drive?” Yin Chi mocked her without restraint, then beckoned, “Come on, driver’s picking us up. I’ll send you back.”

As she spoke, a Mercedes lit its lights and pulled up steadily in front of them.

Fang Nianchen was just about to refuse, saying she’d just take a cab back, but Yin Chi knew what she was up to. She grabbed her and tossed her into the car, slammed the door, and climbed into the back seat from the other side herself.

“Where do you live?” Yin Chi asked on behalf of the driver.

“Juhai.”

“Yo, didn’t expect you to…”

“The neighborhood across the street.” Fang Nianchen was panting heavily as she spoke, but it wasn’t entirely her fault—Yin Chi was too eager to roast her and wouldn’t even let her finish her sentence.

Yin Chi leaned back in the back seat discontentedly. “Then tell the driver yourself when we get there. I’m done with you.”

“Okay.”

Along the way, Yin Chi stopped making herself feel worse and simply closed her eyes to rest. She only opened them when she heard Fang Nianchen say “Pull over,” crossing her arms and glancing outside.

She said it was across the street, but she hadn’t expected it to be directly across. Yet this pitch-black neighborhood looked like some illegal build, without a single light—the environment was so awful it made her bristle.

Then, thinking that Fang Nianchen lived here, she suddenly grew worried.

“You live here?” After getting out of the car, Yin Chi stared discontentedly at the neighborhood gate. “This dump doesn’t even have security. What happens if you run into some bad guys coming home so late from work?”

Fang Nianchen replied honestly, “If I wasn’t eating with you, I’d usually be back by seven, while it’s still light out.”

Talk about shifting blame fast!

A light drizzle started falling. Yin Chi opened her umbrella and muttered discontentedly, “What about winter? North City winters are so long, and it gets dark so early. You’re still not safe alone. Thugs and petty thieves love single girls living alone like you.”

“It’s not as exaggerated as you think. Last winter, there were still plenty of neighbors downstairs at night.” Fang Nianchen thought of last winter’s snowy night, when a few old men argued over chess downstairs from dawn till dusk—you couldn’t drag them away.

Hearing that she’d been living here since last winter suddenly clicked with a question in her mind, filling in the missing puzzle piece.

Yin Chi asked, “You’re in North City—your parents don’t know?”

“I didn’t tell them.” Fang Nianchen smiled helplessly. “I’m a fugitive now.”

With that nickname, suddenly everything made sense.

Because she was completely on her own, she had to settle for a place like this; because she was on her own, she had to put up with being a lowly employee at Yunqi.

And because of that…

“No wonder Uncle had no idea where you’d gone when I asked him.” Yin Chi suddenly got it. “But you can’t live here. You have to take responsibility for yourself. Whether you’re mad at your parents or whatever, you need to ensure your own safety.”

Fang Nianchen patiently explained, “Rents in North City have shot up these past few years. Lots of cheap places won’t accept pets. I took in a bunch of stray cats—they’ve got nowhere else to go.”

“What’s the big deal? I’ll find you a place later. You can just move right in—I won’t charge rent.”

Fang Nianchen knew Yin Chi’s “find a place” was pretty much code for “buy a place” in some contexts. She was always lavish and surely wouldn’t skimp on herself.

But this wasn’t the outcome Fang Nianchen wanted. “No need.”

“What’s with the politeness between us?”

“It’s not politeness.” Fang Nianchen smiled lightly. “I don’t need extra help from you guys. I can handle it myself.”

Yin Chi felt like she was deliberately picking a fight with her. Anxious, she yelled her full name: “Fang Nianchen!”

“Yin Chi-jie.” Fang Nianchen lowered her eyes, her tone turning more serious. “I know you’re worried about me, but… I hope you can give me some freedom, let me live the life I want. Can you?”

Yin Chi looked at her silently for a moment before spitting out, “Fine. Do whatever.”

Fang Nianchen smiled again. “Thank you.”

After walking side by side for a stretch, Fang Nianchen refused to let Yin Chi see her any further in.

It had rained the day before yesterday; the roads inside and outside the neighborhood were a muddy mess. Yin Chi’s white shoes would get wrecked easily.

At parting time, she realized tonight’s hours had flown by a little too fast.

Not enough for old friends to catch up fully, not enough for the greedy to soak up all the warmth.

Deep down, they both knew things would snap back to normal after tonight, but that submerged reluctance would bury itself deep—like the past few years.

Even if it rotted, it would sprout new shoots from the same soil, more robust than before.

“Fang Nianchen.” Yin Chi had taken a liking to calling her name tonight, like she was confirming her existence over and over. “I’ve liked you for two whole years. All that time, I didn’t seek you out—afraid you’d think I was some creepy stalker, or that I’d scare you off again. I missed you like crazy, but I didn’t dare come find you.”

“Can you understand how I feel? I like you so damn much, but I have to hold back. I could live it up carefree, hook up with any young, pretty girls eager to please me, but I can’t forget you. I can’t even fool around properly.”

As she spoke, Yin Chi wore a self-mocking smile. To outsiders, she seemed so free-spirited, yet a mere “like” had left her soulless. How laughable.

Guarding the distance so carefully, turning suspicious and paranoid at the tiniest mood shift, even terrified.

With that said, she closed the umbrella and prodded Fang Nianchen’s left chest with the handle, eyes hazy as she gazed deeply at her. “Facing a me like this, you don’t feel even the slightest bit of guilt?”

She enunciated the last part word by word, drilling that tiny grievance deep.

“Guilt.” Fang Nianchen’s voice was steady as she replied seriously. “But guilt can’t replace liking.”

If true empathy didn’t exist in the world, then the part of Yin Chi she could genuinely get was that “restraint.”

No contact, no meetings—just endless emotional tug-of-war.

Afraid her boldness would spook the other, afraid one-sided love would lead nowhere.

Secret crushes were doomed from the first heartbeat. You wouldn’t turn back without smashing your head and spilling blood.

Guilt bred regret and other negatives—worlds apart from liking or love.

“I can’t lie to you.”

At that, Yin Chi bit her lip hard and looked away. “Starting tomorrow, no ignoring my calls or messages. I’ll be in North City for a month. When work isn’t crazy, tell me—I’ll pick you up for dinner.”

Fang Nianchen clearly didn’t know what to say, looking conflicted.

“If you can’t manage that, I’ll camp out at your company door every day.” Yin Chi suddenly switched back to her roguish vibe, chin tilted up, expression scornful. “Then the whole company will know I, Yin Chi, like you.”

With that, she didn’t wait for Fang Nianchen’s reply and headed back to the car.

Orders didn’t need responses—just obedience.

Fang Nianchen watched the car pull away from the entrance, wrapped her coat tighter, and carefully picked her way through the mud toward home, step by cautious step.

Past ten already; older folks had long turned in, leaving only scattered lights.

Suddenly spotting a shadowy figure downstairs, Fang Nianchen’s mind jolted—”thief,” “thug,” all that surged in.

But calming down for a closer look, it seemed like a woman’s silhouette, slender and upright.

A young woman with poise.

Afraid to alert her, Fang Nianchen crept closer—never had she felt so much like a thief.

The night air was chilly. Yu Wan wore a black trench coat, one hand in her pocket. Hearing footsteps, she turned and spotted her instantly. “Good evening.”

Recognizing her, Fang Nianchen jogged over, mud climbing her pant legs be damned, thrilled and shocked. “How’d you get here?”

“Bringing your clothes. And…” Yu Wan lifted her bag. “The new cake shop downstairs had a sale. I bought too much by accident—can’t finish it.”

“Senior…” Fang Nianchen didn’t want her flimsy excuse to stick. “Dropping off food this late—you trying to make me gain weight?”

Yu Wan chuckled lowly. “Don’t make me out to be that bad.”

“Fine.” Fang Nianchen still couldn’t play bad; she gave in quick, dropping it.

“But you’re back so late—eaten yet?”

“Yeah.” Fang Nianchen didn’t love Western food; one reason was those giant plates of tiny portions never filled her up.

She firmly believed a good appetite sped recovery.

“Haven’t eaten— just wrapped up overtime.” Yu Wan’s voice held warmth despite the cold night wind. “Fancy some late-night eats with me?”

Fang Nianchen shot back instantly, “Sure.”

Yu Wan was surprised, then pleased at her compliance tonight. “Let’s go—my treat.”

“No way. I’m treating. You’ve waited downstairs forever.”

“How did you know I’d been waiting a long time?” Yu Wan curled her lips, deliberately teasing her. “It hasn’t been long. I was just sitting in the car for a bit, waiting till I figured you should be back before coming down.”

Fang Nianchen naturally didn’t believe it.

Seeing this, Yu Wan pulled her hand out of her pocket and held it out palm-up. “If you don’t believe me, just touch it and you’ll know, right?”

Seeing Fang Nianchen staring blankly, she pushed her hand forward a little more and let out a light hum. “Hm?”

Fang Nianchen was starting to regret it. Why had she insisted on whether the other person was lying to her?

But Yu Wan’s hand had been extended for quite a while now. With nowhere to retreat, she could only steel herself, reach out with a finger, and lightly touch the other’s fingertip.

The instant their fingers made contact, Fang Nianchen’s mind went completely blank. The clamor in her heart surged up all at once.

The next second, Yu Wan twisted her wrist and gripped her hand tightly. “Now that’s what you call touching.”