Over the weekend, for two days straight, Fang Nianchen would suffer from insomnia as soon as night fell.
All sorts of bizarre thoughts popped into her mind. She felt uneasy yet pretended to be strong and held on. It took great effort to finally fall asleep, and when she opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Her days passed in a haze of wastefulness and numbness. She was listless, even spacing out while cooking and accidentally slicing a deep cut into her hand.
Fang Nianchen merely let out a soft sigh, bandaged the wound, and lost all interest in making dinner.
The intense emotions finally calmed down on the last day of the holiday. What followed was indifference—even occasional thoughts of Yu Wan could be calmly brushed aside.
Just like five years ago, she had already begun erasing Yu Wan from her mind. With prior experience, her efficiency was even higher this time.
Aside from the matter Xiao Ning’an had entrusted to her, she had no intention of having any private contact with Yu Wan.
She didn’t even want to deal with Xiao Ning’an’s matter anymore.
Treating her like a messenger pigeon. Never mind what Yu Wan would think if she found out Fang Nianchen was “monitoring” her on Xiao Ning’an’s behalf—anything involving other people just made her feel restless and irritable.
Before the weekend ended, Fang Nianchen finished all her work, packaged the files, and sent them to her team leader. The team leader was enjoying the weekend when she suddenly received a compressed file. Upon downloading and opening it, she was greeted by hundreds of pages of recruitment documents, scaring her into firing off a storm of question marks at Fang Nianchen:
[???]
[What are you doing? It’s not due until the end of the month.]
Finishing a month’s workload in a week and a half—what was this girl trying to do, work herself to death?
Seeing how spooked her team leader was, Fang Nianchen could only explain that she planned to transfer departments next week, so she’d wrapped up all her work ahead of time to free up space for packing and handover.
The team leader had been in HR for a long time and knew staff turnover was normal. She didn’t pry, wished Fang Nianchen well, and vanished again.
Fang Nianchen realized she still hadn’t told Qiao Yan about this—it felt a bit disloyal, but if she said it today, she might get hounded to death tomorrow. Better to wait until the day she packed up and left.
The sun was about to set, the most comfortable time of day temperature-wise. Fang Nianchen couldn’t stay cooped up at home and took the dog out for a walk. Pan-fried Dumpling was leashed but still frolicked wildly, nearly dragging her along.
“Xiao Chen? In that outfit, I almost didn’t recognize you.” Auntie Liu came over walking her corgi, smiling kindly.
The sun had been fierce during the day, wilting the flowers and grass in the heat. Fang Nianchen was wearing overalls and didn’t think there was anything unusual about it compared to usual.
Looking down at her pant legs, she suddenly got it.
Oh, black.
It was one of her few black outfits. She always felt it gave off a gloomy vibe, and she wasn’t great at styling dark colors. This was the first time she’d worn it since buying it.
“But with your figure, you look good in anything.” Auntie Liu’s eyes crinkled with laughter; she was always endlessly pleased with Fang Nianchen’s clothes. “Young, beautiful, highly educated—whoever marries you will be over the moon.”
Fang Nianchen gave a perfunctory smile, knowing every word was a hint.
Auntie Liu’s son was nearing thirty, hunkered down at home studying for the postgraduate exam—but he’d been at it for three years with no end in sight.
After moving here over half a year ago, they’d initially just bumped into each other in the hallway, and Fang Nianchen would greet him politely. But then Auntie Liu started sending him over with all sorts of excuses to deliver things, and she caught on.
Sure enough, two months ago, Auntie Liu had probed if Fang Nianchen had a boyfriend. Upon hearing no, she’d been thrilled, dropping hints left and right that her son was single too.
Single, and then what?
Fang Nianchen neither liked guys nor wanted anything to do with a nearly-thirty homebody, but as neighbors, she had to keep up appearances.
She never outright shut it down, so the nagging continued. For some reason, it made her think of Yu Wan saying she had a soft personality and couldn’t bear to reject people.
Auntie Liu cheerfully brought up last weekend: “Xiao Chen, did you eat those shrimp dumplings? Were they good?”
Mentioning dumplings stirred up bittersweet memories for Fang Nianchen. Right when she didn’t want to think of that person, she blanked out for a second and blurted, “Not yet.”
She regretted it the instant the words left her mouth.
Auntie Liu loved getting to the bottom of things. This would definitely lead to questions about why not, followed by exhausting explanations. One wrong word, and it might cause misunderstandings.
This was exactly why she hated dealing with people—it was so mentally draining.
As expected, Auntie Liu paused, then hesitantly said, “Wh… why? Don’t like them? Allergic to seafood?”
The tension in her tone enveloped Fang Nianchen, far beyond normal neighborly concern.
“No, don’t overthink it. I just haven’t gotten around to it.”
“Dumplings are best fresh.” Auntie Liu said earnestly. “No worries. If you want fresh ones, come over next weekend—have some at Auntie Liu’s, okay?”
Fang Nianchen had lost count of the invitations. How many batches of dumplings did they eat a month?
Or maybe dumplings held special meaning for them?
“Not sure if I’ll have time next week,” Fang Nianchen equivocated. “Work might be busy.”
“You work hard during the week—weekends are perfect.” Auntie Liu went on and on, circling back stubbornly.
Fang Nianchen didn’t know how to respond and just fiddled with the leash. On the other end, Pan-fried Dumpling started bullying the little corgi.
“Xiao Chen, how old are you again?” Auntie Liu asked as if her memory was fuzzy, repeating the same question—or maybe confirming something.
“Twenty-two.”
“So young.” Auntie Liu sighed enviously. “Seeing anyone lately? Two months ago you told Auntie you’d always been single—I was shocked. Someone as great as you, how could no one like you?”
“I…” Fang Nianchen’s grip tightened on the leash, yanking Pan-fried Dumpling to her feet.
Before she could reply, Auntie Liu pressed on: “My son at home—you’ve met him, actually he’s…”
“Auntie Liu. I have a boyfriend.”
She knew this would drag on forever otherwise. Being single was her original sin. As long as people knew, the pestering would never stop.
Better to tell a little white lie, trade on their strong sense of propriety for some peace. And it might not just be temporary—if she spun the lie well, the trouble would never come knocking again.
“Ah?” Auntie Liu was stunned, her heart sinking, unwilling to accept it. “You have a boyfriend?”
Her eyes bored in, searching for any slip.
“Yeah, we just got together last month.” Fang Nianchen had never lied about this before. To keep from grimacing in disgust, she had to force her mouth steady. “He chased me.”
Auntie Liu still struggled to accept it, seeking confirmation: “Just last month?”
“Right.” Fang Nianchen nodded, scrounging her mind to piece together a fictional profile. “He’s from the same company, though we’ve known each other a long time—from university. He was working out of town the past few years and only came to North City this year.”
“Like me, he really likes little animals too.”
Auntie Liu was worldly; she needed details to sell it.
“He’s about the same age as your son.” Fang Nianchen wasn’t trying to hurt her—just clarifying everything this time to kill any lingering hopes. “But he’s already a company executive.”
Auntie Liu knew where Fang Nianchen worked; the contrast was stark.
“Sigh… you really sprung this on me—I’m all flustered.” Auntie Liu’s smile was stiff; clearly, she bought it. All her prepared matchmaking lines fell back into her stomach, leaving her at a loss.
“We’re doing great. No need to worry about me being alone.” With all the parental concern in the world, Fang Nianchen still didn’t burn bridges, just repeatedly emphasizing her fictional “boyfriend’s” existence.
“Al… alright, got it. Auntie just thinks it’s tough for a young girl out there on her own. Having someone to look after you when you’ve got a headache or fever makes it so much better.” Even if she couldn’t be her daughter-in-law, Auntie Liu had liked her at first sight. As an elder, she naturally hoped for her well-being. “Fine, you’re good, so Auntie’s relieved.”
Finally dodging it, Fang Nianchen subtly exhaled, smiling. “Yeah, thank you.”
They’d both been out a long time. As the sun fully dipped below the horizon, they walked home with their dogs.
The familiar scene lacked further chatter, turning the atmosphere quiet. But Fang Nianchen savored it—no need to respond was, in a way, forgiveness.
These past days, her mental state had been utterly wrecked, like two years ago in the UK—under immense pressure, where the slightest external force could crush her.
She remembered that time when she lost control and did something excessive, scaring Yin Chi badly. She was probably still resenting her for it.
It took great effort to adjust her state, only to fall into such a situation again next time, requiring several times the time and energy to pull herself out. Every process and outcome was unknown; she didn’t even know when it would start.
She walked quietly up to the fourth floor. Auntie Liu tried to speak several times along the way, but her gaze would land on her and then shift away. A woman who had lived over sixty years was at a loss for the first time when facing a girl not even twenty.
She quietly looked up at the sixth floor—Fang Nianchen’s place—and suddenly had a thought.
“Xiao Chen.” Auntie Liu’s tone was heavy, as if she had something on her mind. “Auntie wants… this week, could you bring your boyfriend and have dinner together?”
Fang Nianchen was completely unprepared for her question. “Ah?”
“You know, Auntie is getting old and stubborn about some things.” Auntie Liu sighed. “Just think of Auntie as someone who won’t shed a tear until she sees the coffin. It’s just this little thing; it’s fine if you don’t agree. Auntie just keeps thinking about it.”
Her seemingly tolerant tone kept pushing Fang Nianchen toward the moral bottom line.
She couldn’t quite say what impact really refusing would have on her, but a moment of soft-heartedness let Auntie Liu’s words slip in. Once they entered her mind, they were hard to ignore.
Auntie Liu suddenly took her hand and patted it. “Child, next Saturday, Auntie will be waiting for you two at home.”
With that, without giving her a chance to refuse, she opened the door and went inside.
Fang Nianchen carried her final words home, unsure where she had been unclear or given herself away.
Auntie Liu had seemed to believe her at first, but on the way back, who knew what she thought of, demanding she bring the fabricated “boyfriend” to her house for dinner just to verify the truth.
Sure enough, living a long life had its advantages; she knew exactly how to manipulate someone’s thoughts.
She, on the other hand, had no idea how to force others to achieve her goals without a single complaint.
Fang Nianchen slumped on the sofa, not caring how awkward the position was—it wasn’t comfortable anyway. She curled up and called Yao Zhihao.
As her only male friend, she had no choice but to trouble him with this.
After explaining the whole story, Yao Zhihao pondered for a moment, then burst into a quacking laugh. “Don’t play these tricks in front of that old fox. She’s eaten decades more rice than you; how could she not know you’re lying?”
Fang Nianchen still didn’t get it and frowned. “How did she know?”
She had described the imaginary boyfriend’s traits in such detail, after all.
“Ai, silly little sister.” Yao Zhihao laughed enough and saw she truly didn’t understand, so he kindly explained. “You said you got a boyfriend a month ago. An old lady going up and down the stairs every day wouldn’t notice? Not even seeing a man’s shadow—how could she not suspect?”
Fang Nianchen argued, “But… what if he’s really busy?”
Yao Zhihao let out an “aiyo” in exasperation. “If you’ve just been together a month, it’s the honeymoon phase. Not even walking the dog together? That’s hard to buy. And your story is too fantastical anyway—what long-lost reunion? People these days do fast-food romances, barely seeing faces, let alone pining for so long?”
“Should I call you innocently naive or a total dummy? Your lie didn’t even reach her toes; it was useless. Don’t worry about how she figured it out. Think about how to handle going to her house for dinner next week.” Yao Zhihao hit the nail on the head, then suddenly jolted. “Wait… you’re not thinking of having me pretend to be your boyfriend, right? No, no, no—doing that would get me struck by lightning.”
Fang Nianchen was a full thirteen years younger than him. He always called her little sister. Suddenly pretending to be her boyfriend wouldn’t just sit wrong with him; it even brought a strange sense of guilt, like a creepy old man lusting after a high schooler. He couldn’t do it.
“Or you could help me find someone to pretend, just get through next week.” Fang Nianchen seemed to know his concerns and took a step back.
She figured Yao Zhihao had wide connections; maybe he could find someone decent even if it was like fishing a needle from the sea.
Once she found a suitable candidate, it would be time for her to overcome her own discomfort.
“I mean… you really think we can find someone matching your requirements?” Yao Zhihao nearly blacked out after hearing her description.
Qingyuan University graduate, Yunqi executive… wasn’t this asking for trouble?!
But this little sister’s standards were sky-high; at least he didn’t have to worry about her settling for some punk.
Fang Nianchen compromised again. “Someone similar is fine.”
“Tsk…” Even similar would be rarer than a giant panda! Yao Zhihao smacked his lips and scratched his head in distress. “Wait for my news. I’ll contact you if I hear anything.”
“Okay, thanks.”
—
That evening, Yu Wan came out after her shower, in a bad mood thinking about signing Fang Nianchen’s department transfer application tomorrow.
Once she signed, Fang Nianchen leaving would just be a matter of time. But she had no standing to keep her—or more accurately, to restrain her.
No matter which department she went to, she’d still be at Yunqi.
It was just that she wouldn’t be able to see her at a glance from the office, couldn’t naturally show concern. When she wasn’t in sight, she always feared losing her again, feared she’d leave without a word.
Fang Nianchen had that ability.
Likewise, the planning department was one she knew nothing about. Trusting Fang Nianchen’s capabilities was one thing; worrying about the pressure she’d face was another.
A light, powerless sigh landed, stirring up other worries.
Earlier that day, Shi Yumei had called to ask about her recent situation, but every sentence revolved around blind dates, making her even more certain that running into Chen Yuyang the other day wasn’t a coincidence.
The things her mother was scheming, she might not follow through, but it was hard to ignore.
She realized it wasn’t just Fang Nianchen; her own surroundings were a mess too.
“Little Briquette.” Yu Wan softly called a name.
In no time, a little black cat poked out from behind the sofa cushion, jumped into her arms in a few steps, rolled over, and rubbed its head against her fingers.
The kitten was quite a bit fatter than when she first brought it home. It wasn’t afraid of people anymore and wouldn’t claw her hand bloody from stress reactions.
A faint smile curved Yu Wan’s lips. She held it and picked up her phone to scroll through Moments.
Fang Nianchen’s Moments had been unlocked a year ago. After that, she posted many messages about rescuing stray animals, which she read one by one and even donated to.
Of course, she never thought of letting Fang Nianchen know.
She just wanted to silently support what she did, and thought it was quite meaningful.
So when she asked Fang Nianchen about cat-raising matters back then, it was just an excuse to ask her out on the weekend.
But before that, a post seeking adopters appeared in Fang Nianchen’s Moments.
The next day, she went to the address marked there, completed the procedures, and even passed a little test. Learning it was a rule set by Fang Nianchen, she gladly accepted and brought the kitten home.
The pet clinic owner told her Fang Nianchen had named it “Little Briquette.”
So Yu Wan called it “Little Briquette” too.
Later, visiting Fang Nianchen’s home, she witnessed her naming prowess—each one so fitting.
It was a talent, come to think of it.
Her initial time with Little Briquette wasn’t pleasant. Stray kittens are always wary of people. And as a first-time cat owner, she was completely at a loss.
Fortunately, Fang Nianchen thoughtfully posted all her summarized cat-raising tips in Moments, like hand-holding tutorials for newbies like her.
Yu Wan studied diligently, patiently interacted with the kitten, and soon saw improvement.
She was convinced once again that Fang Nianchen lacked confidence in herself.
She did everything to the extreme.
When adopting the kitten, she added the pet clinic owner’s WeChat. Besides her regular updates on Little Briquette, they rarely chatted.
His avatar was in Moments; since he was Fang Nianchen’s friend and a vet, Yu Wan always paid extra attention to his posts.
But this time, clicking in, the content was completely opposite to what she expected.
[Recruiting fake boyfriend. Requirements: Around 30 years old, Yunqi executive, Qingyuan University graduate. Proper features, no bad habits, animal lovers preferred.]
The contact info below had a QR code with a familiar avatar in the middle.
She switched out to check—yep, it was Fang Nianchen.
Fake boyfriend…
She scrutinized the post repeatedly.
Yu Wan gently rubbed the head of the little black cat in her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly.
What was this… What game was this?
