Are you considering switching girlfriends? (catch bugs + modify the date)
Two days before Xiao Wanqing’s birthday, Wen Tong sent a birthday gift from Changze City. After all, it was a gift from a rival in love, and Lin Xian watched Xiao Wanqing unwrapping the present with more nervousness than Xiao Wanqing herself.
She… had spent most of her part-time earnings on this gift, and as soon as she revealed it to Xia Zhijin, Xia Zhijin couldn’t help but laugh. Even though she genuinely felt like Auntie Xiao would like it, having the usually aloof and dignified Sister Zhijin mock her gift couldn’t help but deal a blow to her confidence.
It wasn’t until Xiao Wanqing had completely opened the package, revealing a thick stack of books inside, that Lin Xian breathed a huge sigh of relief. The gift seemed very standard, nothing too flashy.
But just as she was about to fully relax, she saw Xiao Wanqing pull out from the stack a very ancient-looking book, lovingly caressing it before a different, brilliant light shone in her eyes.
Lin Xian scrutinized the book more closely and felt her heart “thump” suddenly. She bit her back teeth secretly and pretended to be nonchalant as she inquired Xiao Wanqing, “Auntie Xiao, do you really like this book?”
Xiao Wanqing’s lips curved into a clear arc of joy as she nodded and replied, “This book is out of print in the market now. I wanted to buy it last year, but when I saw the price being hiked up to an unimaginable degree, I hesitated and eventually didn’t buy it. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about it, and I mentioned it to Wen Tong during a casual chat some time ago. I didn’t expect she would remember.”
Unless she was away on business and had no choice, Xiao Wanqing preferred to carry e-books with her; otherwise, she still cherished paper books. Perhaps it was the influence of her family’s scholarly background, combined with her professional education, she had a nearly stringent pursuit when it came to editions of books.
Coincidentally, Wen Tong shared her passion. Thus, they often exchanged information about book collecting.
Lin Xian’s head drooped involuntarily. Wen Tong knew, but she didn’t.
In fact, thanks to the influence of her father and grandfather, her family had an extensive collection of books, including many old editions obtained from treasure hunts. Immersed in this environment from a young age, she had a fair bit of knowledge about such matters.
She collapsed on Xiao Wanqing’s shoulder, dejected, and muttered a complaint: “We talk so much every day, yet you never discussed with me that you wanted this book.”
Xiao Wanqing placed the book back on the coffee table, gave a wry smile, caressed the girl’s cheek, and consoled her, “I was afraid you wouldn’t be interested.”
Although Lin Xian maintained a certain amount of reading every week just like her, Xiao Wanqing had noticed that most of the books Lin Xian read were bestsellers available on the market. Naturally, Xiao Wanqing assumed that Lin Xian, who was not a liberal arts student, probably wouldn’t be interested in the pursuit of book hunting or paying high prices for editions due to stringent requirements, so she did not discuss this with her.
Unexpectedly, Lin Xian earnestly rebutted, “How do you know I am not interested if you don’t ask me?” During their recent interactions, she was actually starting to feel that Xiao Wanqing selectively chose topics to talk about with her. She didn’t know how many topics Xiao Wanqing had quietly excluded her from already.
Lifting her head, she communicated sincerely with Xiao Wanqing: “You didn’t ask me, so I couldn’t tell you that I’m actually very interested.” She carefully picked up the book and handed it back to Xiao Wanqing, smiling, “Check the first character on the first line of page one hundred and fifty-six — it’s the character ‘尺’, isn’t it?”
Xiao Wanqing was momentarily taken aback as she took the book from her hand and skeptically flipped to the page she had mentioned. Indeed, it was just as she said. When she looked up at Lin Xian, there was a warmth and astonishment in her eyes that Lin Xian had never seen before, making Lin Xian’s heart feel sweet and tender.
Suppressing her joy, Lin Xian met Xiao Wanqing’s gaze with calmness and explained, “My parents both love books, so we have this one at home too. A few years ago, during a summer break, I was practicing my calligraphy by copying this book, and not paying attention for a moment, I smudged most of the pages with the ink from my fountain pen. That day, my mom had been irritated by a student during her lesson and was in a bad mood, and I happened to catch the brunt of it; she scolded me, bringing up old issues as well, which left a deep impression on me.”
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Holding Xiao Wanqing’s hand gently, she smiled and said, “Later on, as I grew up, I would sometimes hear them discussing buying books at the dinner table, and gradually I came to appreciate the value of books that are difficult to reprint and understood their exacting demands for certain editions. My reading habits and book-buying tendencies started to align closely with theirs.”
“You see, actually, isn’t Lin Xiaoxian more knowledgeable and interested in things than you’d thought?”
Xiao Wanqing gazed deeply into Lin Xian’s eyes, a slight curve to her lips, as she earnestly admitted her fault, “It was me who had thought too little.” It was she who had taken things for granted.
However, Lin Xian was still not satisfied with just that. She revealed her pearly white teeth in a cute grin, and with the sternness of a teacher, she demanded, “You’ve asked too few questions, you’ve said too little. So, classmate Xiao Xiaowan, what are you going to do?”
With a tender lowering of her eyes and a gentle smile, Xiao Wanqing obediently promised her, “I will change.”
At that, Lin Xian’s heart swelled with satisfaction, dispelling her previous disheartenment. She happily planted a kiss on Xiao Wanqing’s lips.
Some things, some habits, are ingrained in personality. Lin Xian did not expect Xiao Wanqing to open up completely to her all at once, but she hoped that she could gradually, subtly, make Xiao Wanqing trust her more, thereby allowing her to enjoy and relax more in their relationship.
And her—she would continue to strive towards Xiao Wanqing, tirelessly working to grow into someone who could walk shoulder to shoulder with her.
On June 14th, Friday, the day before Xiao Wanqing’s birthday, bouquets started to arrive steadily at the magazine’s reception for her to sign for. She had kept her distance from everyone, but there were always those who felt too good about themselves, who swore by their own confidence, leaving Xiao Wanqing helpless.
As usual, she did not take a single bouquet, directing the receptionist to pass them on to anyone who wanted them. Even though the magazine was filled with the fragrance of flowers, it was surprisingly tinged with an undercover sourness.
Some gossipy folks were once again making sour comments behind her back.
An innocent man carries jade in his bosom, but he is accused of the crime1. Xiao Wanqing went from feeling inexplicably aggrieved at first to being numb to it all as it became the norm.
Therefore, every year she’d not look forward to her birthday, nor any special holiday for that matter, also not finding joy in them. But this year was different; this year, she felt a faint sense of anticipation for her birthday.
Because she had Lin Xian.
Although, until today, Lin Xian had never explicitly shown any knowledge that tomorrow was Xiao Wanqing’s birthday.
Early on Saturday morning, Lin Xian and Xiao Wanqing got up early to wash up and eat. Then each of them picked up a bag and headed out. Lin Xian’s bag was bulging, and it was unclear what all she had packed. Xiao Wanqing, worried that her bag might be too heavy, offered to take some of the stuff in her own bag, but Lin Xian flatly refused.
They had arranged to meet with Shi Man at 9:30. Xia Zhijin would pick up Chen Zhi and the others, and they would all meet at the entrance of a supermarket that they would pass on the way to the highway.
By the time Lin Xian and Xiao Wanqing came out of the supermarket, hand in hand, carrying bags full of snacks, they could already see from afar—Shi Man and Xia Zhijin and the others already standing on the plaza in front of the supermarket, looking out for them expectantly with their backs to them.
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Without even thinking, Xiao Wanqing glanced down at her hand, intertwined with Lin Xian’s fingers. Under her gaze, Lin Xian seemed to tighten her grip slightly.
She heard Lin Xian ask softly, “May I introduce you to them?”
What she meant by ‘introduce’, was left unsaid.
Xiao Wanqing looked into the girl’s sincere and expectant eyes, lowered her eyelids, and after a moment, she smiled gently with a sense of release, gripping Lin Xian’s hand tightly in response. She whispered, “Let’s go then.”
As soon as the words fell, she saw Lin Xian’s face break into a radiant smile. The girl, holding her hand, couldn’t wait to quicken her pace toward the four young women.
“Manman, Momo, over here…” Lin Xian’s voice announced her arrival before she appeared.
At the sound, Shi Man, Xia Zhijin, Chen Zhi, and Tang Mo all turned together, their gazes shifting towards the supermarket entrance. Upon seeing Xiao Wanqing by Lin Xian’s side, they all opened their mouths in unison, intending to greet the elder with respect: “Auntie X…”
However, they had barely uttered the “Xiao” when Lin Xian decisively cut them off: “Wait!”
They paused, mouths still agape, only to see Lin Xian lift up their intertwined hands and wave them in front of the group. The next second, they heard Lin Xian introduce with composure: “Let me introduce you – this is my girlfriend, Xiao Wanqing.”
Lin Xian’s clear voice, like an arrow piercing through the sky, made a “whoosh” in their minds, causing Chen Zhi and Tang Mo, with their mouths still hanging open, to completely forget to close them.
Their minds seemed to struggle to catch up.
Xiao Wanqing, well into her prime, had seen all walks of life, but hearing Lin Xian introduce her so solemnly to friends made her unexpectedly nervous like a young girl unaccustomed to the spotlight. Her heartbeat sped up, carrying a touch of shyness. Watching the youthful women before her, her fair complexion blushed a deeper shade of red, becoming even more charming.
Shi Man and Xia Zhijin were already in the know, so they weren’t surprised. They gave smiles and were about to greet Xiao Wanqing when Chen Zhi and Tang Mo, finally snapping back to reality, began slapping each other’s shoulders in disbelief, cursing in astonishment: “Holy sh*t, holy sh*t, holy sh*t! Am I hearing things, or is this a dream?”
“Ow, ow, ow, it’s not a dream!” Tang Mo retorted, avoiding Chen Zhi’s smacks.
Chen Zhi instantly got close to Lin Xian, grabbing her by the arm, excitedly exclaiming: “Ahhh!” Should she tell Lin Xian about her secret shipping of the two after learning that both Xiao Wanqing and Lin Xian were interested in women? Especially after that night when Lin Xian was caught and later, when she had asked Lin Xian about it, the rare, shy, and tender expression on Lin Xian’s face set her ‘shipper’ brain in full sail, leading her down a rabbit hole of fantasies. At that time, she felt almost sinfully indulgent in her daydreams, never expecting them to actually come true!
She clearly wanted to say more, but upon seeing Xiao Wanqing beside Lin Xian, she stopped short, regaining a bit of her ladylike composure. Pressing down her bubbling excitement, she greeted Xiao Wanqing with restrained politeness, “Aunt, ah…” Before she could finish, Tang Mo crowded in, saying endearingly, “Sister Xiao, hello!”
“Hahaha,” Shi Man couldn’t help but laugh. She had never before noticed how good Tang Mo was at currying favor, with such sweet talk.
Unexpectedly, Tang Mo’s next words were, “Sister, as Lin Xian’s good friend, I must be honest with you, Lin Xian is actually… not as cute as I am. Sister, why don’t you consider switching girlfriends, perhaps to someone like me?” She blinked earnestly at Xiao Wanqing, blatantly trying to undercut Lin Xian right in front of her, her sincerity unmatched.
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“Tang Momo, are you asking for a spanking? Spring has passed, and yet here you are, a peach tree in full bloom, thinking about climbing the wall? Someone, bring the scissors!” Lin Xian said, playfully threatening to tickle Tang Mo, who scampered behind Chen Zhi in fright.
The mood suddenly lightened.
Xiao Wanqing’s lips curled into a full smile; the previously slight sense of awkwardness in her heart dissipated with Tang Mo’s comical interlude and Lin Xian’s playful banter.
What she thought would lead to at least a moment’s embarrassment seemed to have been breezily and effortlessly digested by Lin Xian’s friends.
Sometimes, Xiao Wanqing felt that being with Lin Xian made everything seem more challenging.
But at other times, she also felt that being with Lin Xian made many things seem not as hard as she had imagined.
LP: Tang Mo is so real for that, getting brainrot from shipping kekw
Footnotes
- This proverb conveys the idea that even though someone may be innocent and virtuous, they might still be wrongly accused or suspected of wrongdoing. The mention of carrying jade in the bosom symbolizes purity and virtue, while being accused of a crime implies facing undeserved suspicion or blame.