She’s back
After moving to a new city, Xiao Wanqing seemed even busier. Lin Xian would send her ten messages, and Xiao Wanqing would only reply once, using as few words as possible.
The intense feeling of unease that Xiao Wanqing had before her business trip returned, disturbing Lin Xian’s peace of mind. Lin Xian asked Aunt Liu, who said that Xiao Wanqing would still find time every two or three days to call and check on Lin Xian’s life. Upon hearing this, Lin Xian felt somewhat reassured. She comforted herself, believing that Auntie Xiao still cared about her and that she must be genuinely busy.
However, deep down, there was an ever-growing doubt, like a balloon expanding over time. The questioning voice grew louder and louder: Can someone really be so busy that they don’t even have time to reply to a text message? Why does she have time to call Aunt Liu but not to contact me?
Lin Xian suppressed her thoughts, afraid to delve deeper. But gradually, she found it difficult to sleep or eat in peace.
On a Friday evening in mid-April, a small staff member in the student union office where Xia Zhijin worked was celebrating their birthday. They decided to have a department dinner to celebrate and then continue the celebration in the KTV upstairs.
Shi Man was not a member of the student union, but because she often appeared by Xia Zhijin’s side and attended office meetings while waiting for Xia Zhijin to go home together, everyone in the department knew about Shi Man’s sister status. The entire department treated her as an unofficial member of the office.
Therefore, when Shi Man insisted on accompanying Xia Zhijin to the event, despite having severe menstrual pain and not wanting to get out of bed, Xia Zhijin sighed helplessly but still tenderly helped her apply a warm patch and brought hot water for her, silently indulging her.
She was willing to do her best to satisfy Shi Man and make her happy to the greatest extent possible.
At seven o’clock, shortly after the group moved to the KTV room, Shi Man quietly greeted Xia Zhijin after the birthday person sang their first song. She took her handbag with sanitary pads and went to the restroom to attend to an important matter.
As she walked out of the restroom, clutching her still slightly painful stomach, she raised her head and caught a glimpse of a familiar slender figure at the end of the corridor.
Shi Man was momentarily stunned.
That woman, dressed in a high-quality gray satin blouse with wide-leg cream-colored pants, and a light khaki trench coat draped over her elbows, walking behind a group of people in suits and leather shoes, was that Auntie Xiao?
Furrowing her brows, she focused her gaze and happened to see the group of people entering the private room at the end of the corridor. The woman Shi Man had been staring at was the last one to enter. She turned around, revealing a gentle and beautiful fair face. Afterward, she gently closed the door.
It was indeed Xiao Wanqing.
Shi Man pouted and felt genuine joy, softly chuckling to herself. She inwardly teased Lin Xian: “You talk about missing Auntie Xiao every day, and now that she’s back, she doesn’t even bother to contact you? I bet you’re overjoyed, aren’t you? Heh…”
Returning to the KTV private room, the topic had already shifted countless times. At the moment, they were discussing the department’s outing plan for the semester. The junior staff members enthusiastically expressed their desire to go camping, suggesting a bonfire party with drinking, barbecuing, and stargazing. They believed it would be romantic and fun.
However, Xia Zhijin mercilessly and calmly rejected their ideas.
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The school strictly prohibited student organizations and departments from organizing outings or staying out overnight due to safety concerns. Let alone camping. If they were caught, the department heads would be in big trouble.
While listening to their delightful camping imaginings, Shi Man became interested.
On the way back, Shi Man discussed with Xia Zhijin the possibility of going camping together next weekend if the weather was good. With the spring in full swing and the pleasant climate, it felt like the perfect time for an outing. They could also invite Auntie Xiao, Lin Xian, Chen Zhi, and Tang Mo to join them, making it livelier with more people. They wouldn’t have to worry about safety as Shi Man’s mom, Shi Jinglan, could arrange for two bodyguards to accompany them. Apart from keeping watch, they could help carry luggage, set up tents, fetch water, and start a fire, making things very convenient.
The red light illuminated, and Xia Zhijin smoothly stopped the car. Upon hearing Shi Man’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh. She turned her head and teased her, saying, “Miss Shi, you truly embody the exploitative nature of the capitalist.”
Shi Man’s eyes sparkled mischievously as if she had thought of something. She reached out and hooked her arm around Xia Zhijin’s, leaning closer to her. With a soft and tender tone, she exhaled fragrantly and said, “Then shouldn’t I also properly exploit you?”
She continued in a low and alluring voice next to Xia Zhijin’s ear, “Sister Zhijin, when will you, um, take care of me? Hmm?” The last “hmm” dragged on, ending with a gentle and seductive tone.
That day, she had set a trap of tenderness, and Xia Zhijin, after trying to restrain herself, ultimately fell deeper and deeper into it. She responded with both passion and awkwardness. Shi Man looked at the person in front of her, with eyes as gentle and seductive as if they were about to drip water. Her heart felt like it was being passionately roasted by a blazing fire, unable to resist turning from defense to offense.
But never did she expect that, since that one time when she was caught off guard and interrupted her advances, Xia Zhijin seemed to be suppressing something, restraining herself, giving in to Shi Man’s requests but restraining her own needs.
Shi Man naturally enjoyed Xia Zhijin’s gentle indulgence, but Xia Zhijin didn’t want her persistence, which left her feeling unsettled.
She could clearly see that there were fluctuations in Xia Zhijin’s eyes. But she didn’t know what Xia Zhijin was really concerned about. Was she still considering what kind of retreat to give herself or to Shi Man?
While still silent and unsure how to respond, the green light at the intersection finally came on in time, saving Xia Zhijin from the restlessness and sadness that Shi Man’s words had stirred up in her heart.
Inside the narrow and enclosed car space, the air seemed to become thin and hot in an instant, influenced by Shi Man’s words. Xia Zhijin appeared unaffected, but her cool expression was tinged with a burning scarlet, adding a touch of allure.
Using the movement of starting the car, she pulled her arm back from Shi Man’s embrace, arms returning to the steering wheel. She didn’t answer Shi Man’s question and instead pretended to have not heard the implications in her words, calmly changing the topic. “Is Auntie Xiao back next week? I thought you said she was still on a business trip.”
Shi Man stared at Xia Zhijin, her brows slightly furrowed, clearly sensing her evasion. After a moment, she sighed quietly, reluctantly comforting herself: There’s still time. I refuse to believe that I’m not attractive enough, and I refuse to believe that Zhijin can maintain such self-control forever.
She let Xia Zhijin off the hook, as she had hoped, and enthusiastically jumped into the new topic. She replied, “She’s back. I just saw Auntie Xiao in the hallway when I went to the bathroom. She seemed to be attending a department gathering.”
“Oh, I see. That’s good. Can you ask Xianxian and Chen Zhi on Monday? I’ll look up some travel guides and choose a suitable location.”
With a “smack,” Shi Man planted a passionate peck on Xia Zhijin’s cheek. “You’ve worked hard, baby…” Her voice was soft and sweet.
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Xia Zhijin’s momentarily cooled expression heated up once again. She tried her best to keep a cold face and said, “I’m driving, sit properly.” The curve of her slightly upturned lips betrayed the sweetness in her heart.
Over the weekend, Xia Zhijin selected a camping location and prepared a list of items needed. She told Shi Man that everything was ready, only lacking the right timing. On Monday, as soon as Shi Man saw Lin Xian, Chen Zhi, and Tang Mo, she couldn’t wait to propose the idea to them. “If the weather is good this weekend, how about going camping together? All you need to bring are personal hygiene items and sleepwear. I have tents and all the other necessary things, so you don’t need to prepare anything extra.” She paused for a moment and added, “And you don’t have to worry about safety either. Zhijin has done thorough research, and I’ll also bring one or two… uh, reliable guys who can help.”
Tang Mo and Chen Zhi immediately clapped their hands in agreement. “Let’s go! I’ve never been camping before, let alone such a hassle-free camping trip.”
Upon hearing their agreement, Shi Man raised her eyebrows happily. She turned to Lin Xian, who remained silent, and said, “If possible, invite Auntie Xiao to join us.”
Lin Xian immediately drooped her small face, her eyes dimming. She said sorrowfully, “You know very well that I haven’t received a text message reply from Auntie Xiao for several days. It’s probably impossible to reach her.”
Shi Man thought she was deliberately teasing her. She burst into laughter and said in a displeased tone, “Oh, come on, Lin Xian. Don’t pretend to be pitiful and deceive me with your sympathy. You’ve done a pretty convincing job, but I saw it all, you know?” Last week, she had seen Lin Xian’s listless and absent-minded state, and out of rare kindness, she had been giving her water for several days and even thoughtfully brewed goji berries for her, hoping to boost her spirits and improve her health.
Lin Xian furrowed her brows and looked at Shi Man, feeling a bit puzzled. “What did you see?”
“I saw Aunt Xiao at the KTV last Friday. She…she came back, right?” The rest of Shi Man’s words gradually faded as she saw the pale and shocked expression on Lin Xian’s face.
Lin Xian…she really didn’t know?! Shi Man’s expression also stiffened, and her heart skipped a beat.
“Ding ling ling…” The school bell rang timely, and the classroom gradually quieted down as the teacher turned on the overhead projector and began the class.
Shi Man saw Lin Xian tightly pursing her lips, her face as pale as a sheet of paper, looking despondent and stunned. She swallowed and tried to remedy the situation in a low voice, “It’s not certain, it’s not certain that I saw it correctly. At that time, I only caught a glimpse of a figure and a profile from a distance, I didn’t see it very clearly…”
This time, she didn’t finish her sentence either. The teacher’s words were also left unfinished.
Lin Xian suddenly stood up, grabbed her backpack from the drawer, and, to the astonishment of her classmates and the teacher, left the room with a cold face, without saying a word.
The teacher, initially shocked, became furious and exclaimed, “Which class is she from? Where’s the class monitor?! What an attitude! I will deduct all her participation points and make her retake the course!” However, Lin Xian paid no attention to the angry voice and swiftly descended the stairs.
As she hurried down the stairs, the wind brushed past her ears, as if constantly whispering a message to her, “She’s back, she deceived you.”
These past few weeks, the various abnormalities of the diminishing contact with Xiao Wanqing since she left replayed in Lin Xian’s mind like a slideshow. The red lines highlighted the key points and connected them together, and in an instant, she seemed to have grasped something.
Finally, near the parking area not far from the entrance of the academy, she stopped in her tracks. Her cheek muscles clenched tightly, and trembling, she reached for her phone and dialed Aunt Liu’s number.
Before long, Aunt Liu answered the call, sounding puzzled. “Xianxian? Why are you calling at this time?” It was supposed to be during class. Did something happen?
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But Lin Xian seemed to be suppressing something, her voice hoarse as she immediately asked back, “Aunt Liu, when my aunt hired you, did she mention for how long?”
Aunt Liu’s heart skipped a beat. Did she do something wrong recently that upset Lin Xian? What did this question mean? She quickly recalled Xiao Wanqing’s promise and replied, “Your aunt said at least four months, Xianxian. Why do you suddenly…?” She didn’t catch what she said afterwards, as Lin Xian didn’t respond.
Lin Xian could only stare blankly, thinking about four months.
March, April, May, June…vacation.
So that’s how it is.
Even though it was already late April, Lin Xian stumbled under the cold wind, feeling unsteady on her feet. In a daze, in an instant, her world turned into winter, with snowflakes falling from the sky and an icy landscape.
Her heart plummeted into an ice cellar.