The Alley Was Always This Long – Chapter 69
by Little PandaTutorial
【Actually, I think you definitely don’t know how.】
[You are the wind in the late spring night, slipping into my dreams, shaping them. When I wake up, I suddenly think you are an illusion, only to find a pear blossom petal has fallen by my pillow.]
It was over.
Over, over, over.
Sitting in the passenger seat of Tao Tianran’s Bentley, these were the words playing on an endless loop in Cheng Xiang’s mind.
She pursed her lips and stared out the window at the passing night. Why had Tao Tianran driven her straight home after dinner? What was the point of going to Tao Tianran’s apartment if they weren’t going to do anything? Had it all been for nothing?!
What was more, when she got out of the car and waved goodbye, Tao Tianran had only stood on the other side of the vehicle with polite restraint. She had not come over to hug her or pinch her cheek. She had simply driven off.
Gone…
Returning to her bedroom, Cheng Xiang flopped face-down onto her bed, sprawling out like a starfish.
Director Ma pushed the door open and walked in. “I thought you went to Ziqiao’s place? You didn’t get back until midnight yesterday. I was just wondering how the two of you still have so much to talk about after growing up together, and here you are home so early today?”
Exhausted of all energy, Cheng Xiang merely muttered, “Mm.”
Director Ma glanced at the canvas bag still hanging from her arm, which held a bag of White Rabbit Cream Candy Flavored Potato Chips. “Buying junk food again.”
Cheng Xiang turned her head to the other side, not even bothering to argue. She offered another listless, “Mm.”
“You’re a strange kid.” Director Ma gave her a sidelong look, closed the door, and left.
Cheng Xiang let out a sigh. Resting her chin on the mattress, she pulled out her phone and held it with both hands, scrolling back to the submission bot she had seen earlier that day.
The final sentence of the post caught her eye:
「Now, whenever I think about doing that with her, I just think of the night her stomach suddenly started hurting. My fellow netizens, who understands this feeling? Even though we’re both girls, I really feel like… I’m completely impotent.」
Cheng Xiang pressed her forehead against the back of her hands and let out a couple of whimpers.
Although the submission had not been written by Tao Tianran, a person’s state of mind when encountering such an issue was likely much the same.
Tao Tianran had no intention of breaking up with her.
But Tao Tianran was impotent!
Overwhelmed by grief, Cheng Xiang could not tell for a moment which of the two scenarios was actually more tragic.
When she went to work the next day, Cheng Xiang received a WeChat message from Qin Ziqiao: 【Actually, I think you definitely don’t know how.】
【You’d probably be too embarrassed to ask me about this sort of thing anyway.】
Then, Qin Ziqiao sent over a website link.
Cheng Xiang tapped on it. What she saw startled her so badly she almost dropped her phone, scrambling to close the screen as fast as her fingers could move.
Seriously, Qin Ziqiao! Why hadn’t she warned her not to open it in the office?!
Sigh, Cheng Xiang thought in utter despair. There was no point in sending her this. She had no use for it now anyway.
Tao Tianran was already impotent.
Just before she left work, Tao Tianran sent her a WeChat message. It was a photo of the coffee cup beside her, with her elegant fountain pen half-visible in the frame.
Cheng Xiang typed back: 【Overtime?】
Tao Tianran sent a voice message back: “Mm.”
Hearing her soft breath, Cheng Xiang could also make out someone in the background calling out “Teacher Tao.” Since the audio was only two seconds long, the second half of the word “Teacher” was cut short.
Cheng Xiang could picture her sitting in the conference room in a white shirt, looking devastatingly sexy.
After clocking out, Cheng Xiang dragged her feet toward the bus stop, canvas bag slung over her arm.
Such a gorgeous yujie1, and she had somehow managed to render her impotent.
Not wanting to go home just yet, she decided to seek out her best friend, Qin Ziqiao.
Parked downstairs from Qin Ziqiao’s building was a small pickup truck from Yun Province selling local wild apples. A crowd of elderly neighborhood residents was jostling around it to buy some. The busybody gene in Cheng Xiang’s blood flared up, and she squeezed her way in to purchase a bagful.
Carrying the apples upstairs, she pressed the doorbell.
A voice from inside answered, “Coming.” The security door swung open, revealing an ethereal face that belonged to a professional dancer. Yet, she was wearing Qin Ziqiao’s cartoon onesie pajamas, holding an apple, and taking a bite with a loud, crisp crunch.
It was exactly the same kind Cheng Xiang had just bought downstairs.
Her waist-length black hair was blown half-dry, radiating the fresh scent of shampoo. She had clearly just showered.
Qin Ziqiao poked the upper half of her body out through the gap behind her, also dressed in pajamas. Her hair was still damp as she ate from a bowl of Buldak fire noodles. “Is the fried sauce noodles delivery here?” she asked.
Ah!!! Cheng Xiang screamed internally.
Eating Buldak fire noodles and ordering fried sauce noodles on top of that—just how much physical energy had she burned?!
She shoved the bag of apples into Yi Yu’s arms, turned on her heel, and walked away.
Qin Ziqiao’s call came through immediately after. “Why are you running away?”
Cheng Xiang made up a random excuse. “My mom wants me home.”
She walked down the stairs toward a small neighborhood convenience store, intending to buy a bottle of ice cola to soothe her nerves. From the corner of her eye, she spotted two stray cats rubbing against each other in an alleyway corner. What are you two rubbing for?! Huh?!
Fine, great. The whole world was in perfect harmony. Only Tao Tianran had been rendered impotent by her.
Cheng Xiang walked into the little convenience store with a blank face. When she took a bottle of ice cola to the counter, the shopkeeper warmly suggested, “There’s a 「win another bottle」2 promotion right now, young lady. Twist it open and see if you won.”
Cheng Xiang twisted the cap open. Suddenly, tears rolled silently down her cheeks.
The shopkeeper panicked. “Hey, even if you didn’t win, there’s no need to cry! How about I just give you a free one?”
In truth, over the following week, Tao Tianran invited Cheng Xiang out three times. All three times, they went to Tao Tianran’s apartment.
The first time, Tao Tianran had bought a physical board game of Monopoly. The two spent the entire evening plotting against each other and buying up properties, which ended with Cheng Xiang going completely bankrupt, after which Tao Tianran drove her home.
The second time, Tao Tianran brought out a Go board. Since Cheng Xiang did not know how to play Go, they played Gomoku all evening, ending with Cheng Xiang losing thirty-six times in a row before Tao Tianran drove her home.
The third time, Tao Tianran put on a record on her turntable and said it was meditation music. Cheng Xiang blinked her eyes and asked, “So, what are we supposed to do?” Tao Tianran replied, “We just meditate. Sit quiet.” After staring blankly at each other the entire evening, Tao Tianran drove her home.
She hadn’t touched Cheng Xiang even once.
By Saturday, Cheng Xiang steeled her resolve and called Tao Tianran on her own initiative. “Are you busy today?”
She had decided to march straight over to Tao Tianran’s place and just get this over with, once and for all. No turning back until she succeeded.
To her surprise, Tao Tianran said, “Yes, I am.”
“Ah?”
“Today,” Tao Tianran said, “I’m helping a colleague move.”
Huh? Doubt instantly flared up in Cheng Xiang’s mind. Helping a colleague move? Since when was Tao Tianran such an enthusiastic helper?
With this question weighing on her mind, Cheng Xiang invited Qin Ziqiao out for barbecue.
It was a charcoal-grilled chicken wing stand in an alleyway, a favorite spot they had loved since childhood. The wings were cooked over real charcoal, their skin grilled to a golden, crispy perfection while the meat inside remained incredibly tender and juicy, finished with a generous dusting of a secret chili powder blend.
It was searingly spicy, but so incredibly delicious it would practically melt your tongue.
Halfway through the meal, Qin Ziqiao looked down at her phone. “Yi Yu wants to come over. Is that okay?”
“Ah?”
“She’s paying.”
“Oh…”
It wasn’t that Cheng Xiang was just looking for a free meal from Yi Yu—well, maybe just a little bit.
She watched as Qin Ziqiao casually slipped her phone into her pocket and took another bite of her chicken wing, looking entirely unbothered.
These two… what was going on between them?
Before long, Yi Yu arrived in a flurry.
She tossed her Hermès bag—which was actually marked with a blue ballpoint scribble—carelessly onto the cracked concrete floor. The bag tipped over, and several loose diamonds rolled out. Yi Yu let out an irritated “Hmph,” scooped them back up, and shoved them back into her bag.
Cheng Xiang watched in open-mouthed shock. She suspected that if those diamonds had rolled any further, Yi Yu probably wouldn’t even have bothered to pick them up.
She asked tentatively, “Um… those diamonds… are they real?”
Yi Yu smirked. “Of course they’re real. Have you forgotten what I do for a living? I’m the legitimate owner of a jewelry design company, not some pig-butchering scam3, hahahaha.”
She slung an arm languidly over Qin Ziqiao’s shoulder, only for Qin Ziqiao to expressionlessly peel her hand off while chewing on a chicken wing.
Cheng Xiang quietly stole a glance at Qin Ziqiao.
Once Yi Yu arrived, it was no longer convenient to share secrets with Qin Ziqiao. Instead, Cheng Xiang ended up chatting about everything under the sun with Yi Yu, while Qin Ziqiao kept her head down, silently gnawing on chicken wings.
This went on until Yi Yu clutched her stomach, whining, “Oof, where on earth do you find these street stalls? It’s too delicious. This old jiejie is stuffed to death.”
As she rubbed her stomach, she habitually unlocked her phone to scroll, letting out an interested “Oho!”
Cheng Xiang was instantly amused.
Although Yi Yu possessed an ethereal beauty and carried herself with the aura of a big shot just like Tao Tianran did, spending time with her revealed she had no air of superiority at all. In fact, that arched eyebrow and casual “Oho!” strongly reminded Cheng Xiang of her own mother, Director Ma.
Yi Yu flashed her screen in front of them. “Look, look! My company’s two top-tier visual designers are actually hanging out over the weekend. Half the office is shipping their CP4. Hey, do you think they might actually end up together for real?”
Cheng Xiang lowered her gaze. The screen Yi Yu was showing them was a WeChat conversation.
Someone named 「Yu Yusheng」 had sent Yi Yu a photo showing off her newly moved-in apartment. In the background of the shot was Tao Tianran’s side profile, head lowered as she used a utility knife to open a cardboard box.
Yi Yu had been too busy lately—so busy that she hadn’t paused to consider the massive, shocking piece of gossip behind Tao Tianran accompanying Cheng Xiang to find Qin Ziqiao the other day.
Qin Ziqiao glanced at the photo and immediately retorted, “Quit talking nonsense.”
Yi Yu raised the phone to her lips, pressed the voice input button, and said, “I’m having barbecue right now with two friends in this hidden little alleyway shop. How are things on your end? Want to join us?”
With a whoosh, the message was sent.
Only after sending it did she slap her forehead as if suddenly realizing something. “Oh, right! You came over with Teacher Tao last time to find Ziqiao, didn’t you? Teacher Tao is such a cold person, yet she was with you. So I’m guessing…”
Yi Yu’s eyes narrowed as her gaze swept over Cheng Xiang.
She pointed a finger at Cheng Xiang. “You’re her cousin! Right?”
Pfft. Cheng Xiang spat out a mouthful of cola.
When Yu Yusheng mentioned the barbecue to Tao Tianran, she fully expected her to refuse.
To her surprise, Tao Tianran asked, “She said she’s with two friends in an alley?”
“Mm.”
Tao Tianran nodded. “Then let’s go.”
Yu Yusheng was thoroughly surprised.
Tao Tianran drove Yu Yusheng to the entrance of the alley, where they parked and walked down together. They arrived just as Yi Yu and Cheng Xiang were playing a drinking game: “Zero, zero, a big fat egg! Eggs are round, round, round! One, one, a single dragon! A lone dragon flies to the sky!”
Cheng Xiang felt Tao Tianran’s presence behind her as the rhythmic click of high heels came to a stop. Tao Tianran asked softly, “Drinking?”
Her eyelashes lowered, Cheng Xiang didn’t look back at her. “No, just cola.”
A pear tree stood at the mouth of the alley, its petals falling gently with the night breeze, drifting lazily over to them.
“Shianne, come on over!” Yi Yu waved her hand to welcome them before introducing everyone. “This is our company’s designer, Yu Yusheng. And this is someone you both should know, Teacher Tao—Tao Tianran.”
“This is Qin Ziqiao, the little friend who takes me to feed the capybaras. As for this one,” Yi Yu said to Yu Yusheng with a beaming smile, “this is Teacher Tao’s cousin.”
Pfft. Cheng Xiang spat out another mouthful of cola.
Standing beside Cheng Xiang, Tao Tianran lowered her voice and asked, “Did you tell her that?”
Cheng Xiang pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth. “I—I didn’t say anything of the sort.”
Tao Tianran pulled over a small plastic stool and sat down right next to Cheng Xiang. “She isn’t my cousin.”
Yi Yu asked, “Then she is…?”
Tao Tianran cast a glance at Cheng Xiang, but Cheng Xiang didn’t say a word.
Yi Yu’s attention shifted back to Yu Yusheng. “Shianne, ask the owner to bring you another stool and sit next to me.”
Strikingly beautiful women always carry a certain intimidation, especially a high-contrast beauty like Yu Yusheng.
She sat beside Yi Yu with a smile, her eyes briefly sweeping over the Little Bear Pendant on Cheng Xiang’s bag as she casually popped open a glass bottle of cola, making even the simplest movements look elegant.
Yi Yu asked, “What made you suddenly want to move? Is your family’s massive villa not big enough to hold a little deity like you anymore?”
Yu Yusheng casually toyed with her curly hair. “Teacher Tao advised me to do it.”
Yi Yu pressed, “Ah? Why would Teacher Tao do that?”
Tao Tianran simply replied, “She has reached the age where she needs her own space. There is no need to always be tied to her family.”
Cheng Xiang lowered her eyes, staring at the tips of her shoes.
It was hard to describe, but she felt a very subtle sensation in her chest. While she knew perfectly well that there was absolutely nothing going on between Tao Tianran and Yu Yusheng, she found her feelings grew complicated at Tao Tianran’s unexpected behavior.
For instance, she had always assumed Tao Tianran was indifferent to the rest of the world.
Yet, here she was on a weekend, helping a colleague move. What was more, this move was actually Tao Tianran’s idea.
Tao Tianran cared quite a bit about Yu Yusheng…
Cheng Xiang quietly raised her eyes to steal a glance at Yu Yusheng, only to find Yu Yusheng looking back at her with a knowing smile.
Cheng Xiang curled her lips into a return smile, then quickly took a large gulp of her cola, feeling like a thief caught in the act.
Yu Yusheng’s gaze then shifted to Tao Tianran, who offered a barely perceptible nod. At that, Yu Yusheng’s smile widened.
Bingo. She had guessed right.
The person Tao Tianran liked was indeed this little girl with her head buried in her cup of cola.
While Qin Ziqiao maintained her cool, scowling expression with unwavering dedication, Cheng Xiang, being an extrovert, took it upon herself to handle the socializing. She gestured to Yu Yusheng, “Have some grilled wings! Though they are a bit spicy. Can you handle spicy food?”
Beside her, Tao Tianran asked softly, “How come you didn’t warn me that these wings are a bit spicy?”
Whether intentionally or not, her knee brushed lightly against Cheng Xiang’s as she spoke.
Cheng Xiang kept her head lowered. “Then scrape the chili powder off.”
Tao Tianran asked, “How?”
Keeping her head down, Cheng Xiang’s slender, pale neck was left entirely exposed. “You don’t know how to do that?”
Tao Tianran murmured, “Mm, I don’t.”
Qin Ziqiao cradled her cheek in her hand, while Yu Yusheng’s eyes curved with amusement.
Yi Yu was the only one who let out a sharp gasp, staring at Cheng Xiang in confusion. “Wait, no. That’s definitely not right. You’re definitely not Teacher Tao’s cousin.”
“Could you be one of those… you know, young in age but incredibly senior in family rank? We have someone like that in our clan.” Yi Yu slapped the small table. “You’re Teacher Tao’s great-aunt5, aren’t you?”
Cheng Xiang: “…”
Tao Tianran: “…”
Qin Ziqiao: “…”
Yu Yusheng clutched her stomach and burst into a fit of laughter.
Tao Tianran cast a brief look at Yu Yusheng. Go ahead and laugh, she thought. Laugh away all the pent-up tension in your soul, and swim up from the suffocating depths.
Keep it up, Yu Yusheng.
After finishing the barbecue, Yi Yu went to pay the bill. She walked back and suggested to Qin Ziqiao, “Why don’t the two of us go for an afterparty6? I found a place…”
With both hands tucked into her hoodie pockets, Qin Ziqiao said, “I’m going home.”
“But the place I found—”
Qin Ziqiao repeated flatly, “I’m going home.”
She grabbed Cheng Xiang’s arm. “You’re coming with me.”
Cheng Xiang was stunned. “Ah?”
Qin Ziqiao lowered her voice right next to her ear. “I’m the one who went to the hospital to save you the night you had that stomachache. Are you coming with me or what?”
Cheng Xiang replied, “…Yes, yes, I’m coming.”
The five of them split up. Yi Yu, Tao Tianran, and Yu Yusheng walked toward the alley entrance, discussing who was heading in the same direction. Cheng Xiang, meanwhile, walked with Qin Ziqiao toward her residential compound to head back to her apartment.
Once they were inside, Cheng Xiang whined about being thirsty as she rushed to the refrigerator to grab a couple of colas.
Qin Ziqiao slipped into her indoor slippers and walked in. Cheng Xiang sat cross-legged on the sofa, handing a bottle over. “Do you want to talk to me about Yi Yu?”
“There’s nothing to say about her.” Qin Ziqiao accepted the bottle. “I wanted to ask you instead—are you serious about Tao Tianran?”
Cheng Xiang laughed. “Of course I am.”
This was her first love. How could she not be serious?
Qin Ziqiao hesitated for a brief moment before speaking. “To be honest, I don’t really approve.”
She had wrestled with saying this for a long time. If Cheng Xiang had been just an ordinary friend, she certainly would have kept it to herself. But Cheng Xiang was her closest friend, and she feared that if she kept quiet now, Cheng Xiang might resent her down the road.
Cheng Xiang was taken aback. “Is it about her and Yu Yusheng…?”
“I know there’s nothing going on there. I can see that.” Qin Ziqiao nodded. “How should I put this…”
She looked up, staring directly at Cheng Xiang. “I think she’ll make you sad.”
Cheng Xiang’s fingernails peeled at the label of her cola bottle. “Why?”
“It’s just a gut feeling.” Qin Ziqiao gave it some thought. “If I had to give a reason, it’s probably because the gap between her and us is just too vast. Look at the kind of bags she, Yi Yu, and Yu Yusheng carry. They all use Hermès.”
“But,” Cheng Xiang continued picking at the bottle, “I took her out for malatang, and she ate it just fine.”
“I know, I know.” Qin Ziqiao took a sip of her drink and twisted the cap shut. “I just feel that when there is such a massive difference between two people, she might not be able to understand many of your perspectives. It’s very difficult for someone like her to view things from our angle, and that’s bound to breed conflicts.”
Qin Ziqiao smacked her lips. “I’m not trying to force you to break up with her. It’s just a feeling I had, and after thinking about it, I felt I should let you know. Whatever you decide to do, it’s your call. I’ll support you either way.”
Cheng Xiang opened her mouth a few times without making a sound, then finally nodded. “I understand.”
After leaving Qin Ziqiao’s place, Cheng Xiang took the subway home.
Unwilling to waste the half-finished bottle of cola from Qin Ziqiao’s apartment, she carried it back with her, even taking a sip while passing through the subway security gate.
When she reached the entrance of Hundred Flowers Alley, she spotted a Bentley parked along the curb.
She walked over and peeked through the window. The car was empty.
And so, she continued her way down the alleyway, deliberately walking as slowly as possible, stepping around the moonlit potholes and manhole covers on the ground.
This state of mind was much like unwrapping a gift—knowing that a present was waiting for her made her want to pull the ribbon with painful slowness.
Standing outside her family’s siheyuan was a slender figure.
Cheng Xiang could no longer hold back and jogged over. “How long have you been waiting?”
Tao Tianran simply said, “Not long.”
Cheng Xiang cast a cautious glance toward the courtyard entrance. “My mom hasn’t come out, has she? She didn’t see you?”
Tao Tianran replied, “She did.”
“Ah?!”
Tao Tianran curved her lips into a smile.
Cheng Xiang laughed along with her, her breath catching slightly. Under the soft wash of moonlight, she noticed a freshly fallen pear blossom petal resting on the shoulder of Tao Tianran’s blazer. She reached out and brushed it away.
Softly, she asked, “Tao Tianran, will you make me sad?”
Tao Tianran paused for several seconds. “Truthfully, I will.”
Cheng Xiang lowered her head, clasping her hands behind her back. “Honestly, I think so too.”
Long before she could revel in the pure joy of being together, she had already tasted sorrow because of her.
Tao Tianran’s fingertips gently brushed the bangs from Cheng Xiang’s forehead. “Because we are two different people. Neither of us should bottle up our feelings. We are going to have many, many arguments down the road. We will cry, and you might even throw me out and say, ‘Tao Tianran, I never want to see you again.'”
Cheng Xiang shook her head. “I won’t kick you out. I’ll just run away from home.”
Tao Tianran smiled. “Mm, because you are a soft-hearted girl.”
“Sigh,” Cheng Xiang let out a breath. “I know we are very different. Just look at us—you grew up in a wealthy family on Gangdao, while I grew up in Beicheng’s alleys. Even our tastes in food and speaking habits are completely different. You don’t even know how to use erhua, to say nothing of our thoughts. They are bound to clash sometimes.”
“But I really won’t throw you out.” Cheng Xiang shook her head slightly. “I’ll just run away. I’ll be absolutely fuming, and I’ll keep walking and walking down the street until my legs are completely sore.”
She looked up at Tao Tianran. “Will you come find me?”
Tao Tianran nodded. “I will.”
“What if you can’t find me?” Cheng Xiang pressed. “I might walk a very long way, to the point where even I don’t know where I’ve ended up. I may not look like it, but I have a terrible sense of direction.”
Tao Tianran continued to smooth the hair on Cheng Xiang’s forehead. “Then you can wait for me under the apple tree7.”
Cheng Xiang was taken aback. “There are so many apple trees in Beicheng, though.”
“Not just in Beicheng.” Tao Tianran’s thumb gently caressed Cheng Xiang’s forehead. “Anywhere in the world, or even in our dreams. If we ever lose each other, just find the nearest apple tree and wait for me under it.”
“Honestly…” Cheng Xiang laughed. “Will you be able to find it?”
“I will.” Tao Tianran slid her hand down to grasp Cheng Xiang’s, giving her palm a gentle squeeze. “If I can’t find you, I’ll search tree by tree until I do.”
Just as Cheng Xiang’s eyes were starting to prickle, a soft click came from the wooden door behind her.
“Whoa!” Cheng Xiang’s shoulders shot up, and she nearly leaped out of her skin. “So, Doctor, how’s my pulse? Do you think I have too much dampness in my system? I’ve been dealing with constipation, insomnia, and dark circles under my eyes lately…”
Then she noticed Tao Tianran’s lips curling up into a faint smile.
All was quiet by the wooden door; no one had actually come out. It had likely just been a neighbor passing by on a late-night trip to the bathroom.
“Scared me to death,” Cheng Xiang whispered, patting her chest. “I thought my mom was coming out.”
“So obedient?”
“Huh?”
“Afraid of your mom.” Cheng Xiang’s hand was still held in Tao Tianran’s, who gently massaged her palm.
Oh my gosh. How did Tao Tianran manage to make those words sound so utterly devastating in her cool, crisp tone?
A soft blush crept from Cheng Xiang’s earlobes down along her jawline. “It’s not exactly that I’m afraid of my mom. I was actually pretty wild when I was a kid, you know? Scaling walls, climbing trees, that sort of thing…”
Wait, what was she even talking about?
“It’s just… we’re both girls. My mom is bound to have objections.” Cheng Xiang looked up. “What about your mother? Won’t she feel the same?”
“I rarely go home,” Tao Tianran replied simply.
“Ah?”
“My relationship with my family is rather distant.”
“Oh.” Cheng Xiang dipped her chin. “So your situation is a bit different from mine. I’ve always been very close to my mom. And then there’s Ziqiao—we’ve shared everything since we were kids. To be honest with you, Ziqiao is a bit worried about us being together.”
“It’s not that she has any personal issue with you.” Cheng Xiang waved her hands frantically in explanation. “She’s just… she looks out for me, you know? The gap between us is so wide, so she naturally worries.”
“I understand.” Tao Tianran nodded.
Cheng Xiang had no idea, but Tao Tianran knew exactly where Qin Ziqiao’s intuition came from. The way she had behaved when she was with Cheng Xiang in past timelines must have made her look rather like a heartbreaker to Qin Ziqiao.
“So, what should we do?” Cheng Xiang asked, her hand still held in Tao Tianran’s as she looked up with soft, inquiring eyes.
Look at her, Tao Tianran thought. She is growing bolder, learning how to tease me now.
Tao Tianran stepped back slightly, matching her gaze. “Yes, what should we do?”
Cheng Xiang grew slightly anxious. “You have to think of something yourself!”
Tao Tianran paused for a couple of seconds before replying unhurriedly, “How about I treat her to dinner?”
Cheng Xiang let out a breath, putting on a slightly haughty display. “Well, since you’ve suggested it, I suppose I could trouble myself to make the arrangements.”
Footnotes
- A cool, mature, or elegant older sister archetype in modern Chinese subculture.
- A common beverage promotion in China where finding this phrase under a bottle cap wins a free replacement bottle.
- An internet slang term for a romance scam where a victim is lured into financial investments or travel under false romantic pretenses.
- Short for 'character pairing,' a common Chinese internet term for shipping two people or fictional characters as a couple.
- A playful, teasing address used to mock an unusually close and complex dynamic between family members or partners, literally meaning paternal grand-aunt.
- A colloquial term for going to a second venue, extending a hangout session, or heading to a next round.
- A romantic promise and emotional meeting point between the main characters, representing a safe haven to reconnect if they ever part or lose their way.
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