On the Wedding Night, I Transmigrated to After the Divorce – Chapter 8
by Little PandaA Perfect-Score Photo
“Do you want me to keep you company?”
Yu Yan went back to her room and zoned out. Finding herself unable to sleep, she chatted with some friends, played a few games, and then took another nap. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the plane arrived in Irish airspace.
Yu Yan gathered her things, ready to disembark. When she left her room, Fu Yunqing was already waiting in the lounge. She was sitting in the same seat she had taken when they first boarded, her head turned to look out the window.
She had monopolized the view.
So Yu Yan didn’t sit next to her, instead finding her own window seat. The weather was beautiful today. As the plane slowly began its descent, the silhouette of the city grew clearer and clearer before their eyes. Yu Yan loved this moment; it provided a visual impact that she truly enjoyed.
It had been daytime when they departed. Now, over ten hours later, it was still daytime.
The plane landed smoothly in Dublin. When the cabin doors opened, the air of a foreign land rushed against her face, carried by a strong wind that blew away the sluggishness of being cooped up inside all day. She realized she was very, very close to the Cliffs of Moher1, the place she had been longing to visit.
Taking a car to the hotel, Yu Yan was in high spirits, constantly holding her phone up to snap photos of the foreign scenery rolling past the window.
Fu Yunqing sat in the same row as her, separated only by a narrow aisle. She didn’t make a sound, quietly watching the vibrant, enthusiastic Yu Yan.
As Yu Yan focused her attention outside, a quiet sense of loss—one that even she herself hadn’t quite registered—flickered in Fu Yunqing’s eyes. She stared blankly for a moment, and, realizing that her own loss of composure was the stark opposite of Yu Yan’s excitement, she averted her gaze.
Just then, Yu Yan’s eyes shifted toward her.
Yu Yan captured her.
The window was half-open. The wind whipped inside, blowing the woman’s dark, flowing hair in a way that was messy yet strikingly vivid. She was glancing out the car window, so Yu Yan couldn’t see the look in her eyes, but the exact moment she raised a hand to brush the windblown hair from her face was overwhelmingly beautiful. Yu Yan pressed the shutter.
The next instant, Fu Yunqing looked over at her. Her lips were slightly parted, her hand still raised, and her beautiful, slightly astonished eyes carried a graceful downward curve. Behind her, the European architecture outside the window and a bird taking flight had accidentally intruded into the frame.
At this moment, Yu Yan was certain this was the first perfect-score photo she had taken in Dublin.
“So beautiful,” Yu Yan marveled happily.
Fu Yunqing was truly the god of controlling the atmosphere. That bird and the faint touch of melancholy were simply the perfect finishing touches.
“Look,” Yu Yan said, leaning over and handing her the phone. “Isn’t it absolutely stunning? Doesn’t it have such a great vibe?”
Fu Yunqing glanced at the photo, then looked up at the radiant Yu Yan.
That heart, which had been sinking in a bubble of quiet dejection, floated back to the surface. Fu Yunqing realized something—Yu Yan wasn’t actually mad at her.
Feeling a sudden, faint surge of annoyance at herself, Fu Yunqing laughed inwardly.
“Can I save it?”
Fu Yunqing parted her lips. “You can.”
“Do you want me to send it to you?”
“Alright.”
“Oh, there’s no internet. I’ll send it to you when we get to the hotel.”
“Mhm.”
Yu Yan put her phone away and stopped taking pictures. Instead, she stared intently at Fu Yunqing’s face, studying it closely before asking, “How much money would I have to spend on plastic surgery to look like you?”
“Don’t get plastic surgery to look like me.”
“Hm?”
“You’re also very beautiful,” Fu Yunqing said.
Yu Yan smiled. “I know.”
Fu Yunqing gave a soft chuckle. “You know, huh.”
They arrived at the hotel, quickly unpacked, and set up local SIM cards. In July and August, the sky in Ireland stayed bright until very late. Even after dinner, around seven or eight in the evening, the sun still shone brightly. Yu Yan wanted to go out and stroll the streets; she was extremely interested in Europe’s little boutique shops. She also followed a gorgeous resident singer on a foreign social media app, who happened to perform not far from the hotel, and she wanted to sit in the pub and listen to her sing. They were leaving for County Clare tomorrow and only had this one night here. It would be a shame not to explore.
Unsurprisingly, Yu Lan immediately blocked this plan.
Yu Yan honestly couldn’t tell if her mother was simply a control freak, or if she just couldn’t stand Yu Yan’s laid-back hedonism. Yu Lan found ten thousand reasons to stop her from going out to play—saying it was too dangerous, or too much of a hassle, and so on. Can you stop being so difficult? Are you going to die if you just stay quietly in the hotel? Is this the time for you to be playing around?
Yu Lan was the biggest killjoy in Yu Yan’s world.
Fortunately, Yu Yan was long used to it. The more she was scolded, the more rebellious she became. The unpleasant argument only put her in a worse mood, making her even more determined to go out and find some fun. Even in the summer, an Irish night could drop to the low teens in Celsius. She dug a jacket out of her suitcase and put it on, then took the elevator downstairs. She greeted a passing woman in the hotel lobby, but the lonely expression that surfaced after her smile faded made her look even more dejected. Her mood had inevitably been affected—this was exactly why she hated being around Yu Lan.
“Yanyan.” Suddenly, someone called her name.
A lonely, frustrated Yu Yan turned around. It was Fu Yunqing.
Fu Yunqing was also dressed to go out, draped in a long black trench coat. She stood with her hands tucked into her pockets, her gaze gentle and radiant.
She walked briskly toward the unhappy Yu Yan, only slowing her steps as she drew near. “Do you want me to keep you company?”
Fu Yunqing pulled her hands from her pockets and looked down at her. “You seem to be… a little clingy with me.”
Yu Yan was happy again.
Linking her arm with Fu Yunqing’s, she walked down the streets of a foreign city, enjoying the evening breeze beneath a sky that still hadn’t completely darkened. Her heart felt light and joyful; she felt so incredibly fortunate.
A gorgeous woman taking the initiative to go shopping with her, even saying things like ‘you seem to be a little clingy with me’—it was truly too much to handle.
Did Fu Yunqing know she was being clingy? She had even pointed it out on purpose, as if she were actively inviting Yu Yan to cling to her.
Could Fu Yunqing have accidentally overheard her argument with Yu Lan? In that case, Fu Yunqing was undoubtedly a very gentle person. Her indulgence already made Yu Yan feel so incredibly safe. Did she perhaps care about Yu Yan just a little bit? Or was it just a desire for companionship? Or was she simply kind-hearted, gentle, and friendly to everyone?
Whichever it was, the happiness it brought Yu Yan was entirely genuine.
Having her mood dictated by a woman was simply Yu Yan’s destiny. When a woman baited her hook2 even slightly, she would bite down and refuse to let go. How could she possibly be well-behaved and politely say, ‘No thank you, I’m fine’?
She just had to complain to Fu Yunqing, laying bare her own dejection and pitifulness so that she looked like a lost, down-and-out kitten, all to make Fu Yunqing’s heart ache a little for her. Then she would hold her hand, look up into her eyes, and say, “Fu-jiejie, you’re so good to me.”
“With you here, I’m not sad at all.”
“I like you so much.”
They walked side by side. Fu Yunqing didn’t respond, keeping her gaze leveled straight ahead, but Yu Yan knew she was listening. Fu Yunqing wasn’t willing to speak, but her expression was just a tiny bit unnatural. When she acted like this, Yu Yan felt a surge of accomplishment at successfully flirting with her, which only made her double down and talk even more.
Fu Yunqing’s English was very good. Having her around made hailing cabs and communicating incredibly convenient. Although Yu Yan’s English wasn’t terrible—she frequently traveled abroad—it was still at a half-baked3 level. Plus, the Irish seemed to have a bit of an accent. Whenever Yu Yan genuinely couldn’t understand, she would shoot Fu-jiejie a desperate look pleading for help.
Their female cab driver, who wore a sleeveless T-shirt, had her hair in a bun, and boasted muscular arms covered in tattoos, was extremely friendly toward Asians. When Yu Yan complimented her great figure, the driver complimented Yu Yan ten times over, saying she was really cool, too.
As for Fu Yunqing—who was aloof, elegant, reticent, and only occasionally acted as a translator—the driver simply called her a very elegant lady.
The pub wasn’t far, just a twenty-minute drive. The locals loved to drink, and pubs were everywhere. It was just past quitting time, and the streets were filled with people who had set down their briefcases to stand around with glasses in hand, chatting and drinking. Yu Yan loved this atmosphere.
Arriving at their destination, they looked through the glass doors to see the pub was already packed. Excited, Yu Yan took Fu Yunqing’s hand and pushed the door open. She surveyed the room without reservation; anyone who accidentally met her gaze offered an enthusiastic greeting. Yu Yan found an empty table by the window and sat down with Fu Yunqing, opening the drink menu the server handed them.
“I think I’ll have a whiskey.” Whiskey was a local specialty. Yu Yan passed the menu to Fu Yunqing. “Jiejie, take a look.”
“I’ll have the same as you.”
Yu Yan turned her head to the server. “Two whiskeys, please.”
Yu Yan spoke with deadpan seriousness, but she caught Fu Yunqing’s soft chuckle, nearly hidden beneath the clamor of the pub.
What was so funny? Was my pronunciation that bad?
Yu Yan was very lucky today. The gorgeous resident singer who was so popular on social media was actually performing. She wore a dress, but the muscles in the arms strumming the guitar were sharply defined. She was chic, vibrant, confident, and generous—radiating a sense of power from head to toe. So incredibly charming.
Yu Yan was a bit of a lush4, exceptionally fond of drinking, but she didn’t like overly bitter flavors, and her tolerance didn’t quite match the ‘lush’ standard. With high-proof liquor, just a few swallows were enough to make her head spin and feel hot. She had to drink slowly.
So she just cupped her glass in her hands, taking tiny, tentative sips, her eyes glued firmly to the stage.
Sitting beside her, Fu Yunqing followed Yu Yan’s gaze. On the way over, she had heard Yu Yan mention the person she wanted to see.
She was indeed very charismatic.
Did Yu Yan really like that type?
“I really want to go up and say hi,” Yu Yan muttered, still clutching the glass of whiskey she had barely finished half of, while the beautiful singer was taking a break to drink some water.
“Then why don’t you go?” Fu Yunqing asked.
“I don’t dare.”
Fu Yunqing looked slightly surprised. “You… are afraid?”
She was clearly wondering how someone as outgoing as Yu Yan wouldn’t dare strike up a conversation.
Yu Yan said, “If it were anyone else, of course I’d dare. But I feel very shy around her.”
“I need to psych myself up a bit more.”
I see, Fu Yunqing thought, remaining noncommittal.
Fu Yunqing lifted her glass, took a sip, and turned her head to glance out the window.
The sky was finally beginning to darken.
She suddenly felt a little bit… displeased.
Footnotes
- The Cliffs of Moher are a spectacular, world-famous geographical and tourist attraction located in County Clare on the western coast of Ireland.
- In modern Chinese internet slang, 'to fish' (diào) means to intentionally lead someone on, flirt, or bait them into a romantic trap. Someone who is easily lured in is said to have 'taken the bait' or 'bitten the hook.'
- 'Bàndiàozi' (半吊子) is a colloquial Chinese term for someone who has only a superficial or half-baked understanding of a skill, or someone who is a dabbler rather than an expert.
- 'Jiǔguǐ' (酒鬼) literally translates to 'alcohol ghost' or 'wine ghost.' It is an affectionately teasing or sometimes literal term for a drunkard, a lush, or someone who simply loves to drink.
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