I Love Her Because She’s Dim-Witted And Filthy Rich - Chapter 53

Su Miao picked up the pet carrier and walked toward the door.

Then, she heard the person behind her ask, “Do you want to go see Qingyang?”

Su Miao froze. She didn’t speak, but her feet stopped moving of their own accord.

Duan Bainian walked up to Su Miao and leaned in slightly, her eyes full of sincerity. “I’m going back to Qingyang tomorrow. Do you want to go see it?”

The scent of Duan Bainian’s perfume wafted over her. Su Miao stared blankly at the woman in front of her, unable to understand for the life of her why she would ask such a question at a time like this.

In the past, she naturally would have wanted to go; she had desperately wanted to see the place where Duan Bainian grew up. Last time, when they went to Dunhuang, Gansu, to shoot for a magazine, they hadn’t made it to Qingyang, and she had secretly harbored that regret in her heart for a long time.

But what would be the point of going to Qingyang now?

Su Miao quietly took a step back and looked down at the floor. “I don’t want to go anymore.”

A flash of disappointment crossed Duan Bainian’s eyes.

In truth, she didn’t quite understand why she had asked such an untimely question at that moment either. The thought had simply surged into her mind in an instant, and she had spoken it without thinking.

As expected, she was rejected by Su Miao.

Duan Bainian stepped aside to clear the path. “Alright then. Go home early and stay safe.”

Su Miao gave a small “mm” and disappeared past the door frame.

Hearing the ding of the elevator, Duan Bainian knew it was heading down. She stared blankly at the empty hallway outside the door. Gusts of drafty wind blew through, making the Spring Festival couplets—pasted there during the New Year—rustle loudly.

She suddenly remembered the scene of her and Su Miao putting up those couplets together.

She still remembered Su Miao asking her, “Why is the word ‘Fortune’ pasted upside down?”

Only a few months had passed. The once smooth and brand-new couplets had been weathered by the wind day after day, and were now reduced to tattered threads.

She stood there for a moment, gradually feeling the chill of the wind, and stepped forward to close the door.

Then, she saw a corner of pink fabric peeking out from behind the door frame.

Duan Bainian stepped outside and saw the person standing there. Surprised, she asked, “You didn’t leave?”

Su Miao’s eyes were full of internal struggle. “I thought about it, and I decided I still want to go see Qingyang.”

Duan Bainian let out a soft sigh of relief. “Okay. I’ll book your ticket.”

The next day, after dropping Ergou off at the pet shop for boarding, the two of them flew to Qingyang, Gansu, in the afternoon.

They hardly spoke. Su Miao slept from the moment she boarded the plane until they landed. Duan Bainian occasionally flipped through a magazine and remained mostly silent.

By the time they reached Qingyang, the sky was already dark. The old house hadn’t been lived in for years and couldn’t be cleaned up on short notice, so Duan Bainian found a guesthouse near her home to stay in.

After dropping their backpacks in the room, Duan Bainian took Su Miao out to eat.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at an inconspicuous shop on a street corner.

Duan Bainian smiled at Su Miao. “The ‘Earth Warm Pot’ here is very delicious; it’s a local specialty. I used to eat here all the time.”

Su Miao followed Duan Bainian into the shop without a word and found a seat in a corner.

Since it was past peak dining hours, there weren’t many people in the shop, and the pot was served quickly.

It was a type of pot Su Miao had never seen before—somewhat like a hot pot, but different. She was about to open her mouth to ask, but quickly shut it again.

The awkwardness of the person in front of her was plain to see in Duan Bainian’s eyes.

She smiled and placed a piece of food into Su Miao’s bowl. “Try it.”

Su Miao continued to eat in silence.

The long-lost tenderness of the woman before her made Su Miao waver more and more. Swallowing a piece of cabbage, she finally couldn’t help but ask.

“Why… why did you ask if I wanted to see Qingyang?”

Duan Bainian placed another piece of meat in Su Miao’s bowl. “Last time we went to Dunhuang for the magazine shoot, weren’t you constantly clamoring to see Qingyang?”

Su Miao felt a pang of disappointment.

Right, how could Duan Bainian possibly be looking to reconcile?

She had misinterpreted the intent.

After that brief exchange, the two lapsed back into silence, broken only by the sound of the shopkeeper nearby playing with his granddaughter.

Su Miao ate distractedly, then stood up wordlessly to follow Duan Bainian back to the guesthouse to rest.

Passing by a milk tea shop, Duan Bainian bought two pearl milk teas and handed one to Su Miao.

Su Miao took it silently and took a sip.

Duan Bainian asked softly, “How does it taste?”

Su Miao hummed. “It’s alright.”

Duan Bainian smiled slightly. “The high school I attended is right next door. I used to come to this shop for milk tea all the time. After all these years, the taste surprisingly hasn’t changed.”

Only then did Su Miao notice the school nearby, its teaching buildings brightly lit.

Seeing Su Miao looking at the buildings, Duan Bainian tilted her chin and pointed to the left. “I used to be on the third floor, in the classroom on the far left. My seat was under the second window; in the summer I’d be baked by the sun, and in the winter I’d be battered by the wind.”

Su Miao replied casually, “Then why didn’t you change seats?”

“From that spot, you can see the railway tracks not far away. Every now and then, a train would rumble past. Back then, I really wanted to go see the world outside. Watching those train carriages made me feel very happy.”

Looking at Duan Bainian’s gentle, smiling face, Su Miao fell into a daze. Was this the same person who had told her they were breaking up over the phone and to take the cat?

Was it the same person?

Su Miao interrupted her. “Duan Bainian.”

Duan Bainian turned her head in surprise. “What is it?”

Su Miao gritted her teeth and asked, “Do you hate me?”

Duan Bainian was silent for a moment. “I don’t hate you.”

Su Miao asked again, “Then why did you want to break up with me?”

Duan Bainian stopped talking.

What was she supposed to say? Should she say it was because Su Miao’s mother looked down on her?

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to say those words to Su Miao. In Su Miao’s eyes, she was a shining goddess.

After a long silence, she said, “My mind is entirely on my work now, and I simply don’t have the time to accompany you. I didn’t want to hold you back anymore.”

Su Miao countered, “If you didn’t want to hold me back, then why did you ask me to come to Qingyang? Aren’t you holding me back right now by making me misunderstand?”

Why did she ask Su Miao if she wanted to go to Qingyang?

Because in that instant, she realized that once Su Miao left with the cat, many things would truly be over. She didn’t want it to end, so she instinctively held her back.

However, when Su Miao actually agreed to return to Qingyang, she became confused again.

What did coming back to Qingyang together count as?

And what would happen after the trip was over?

Her mind was a mess. She felt that every step she took was the wrong one, yet she couldn’t find a better way.

Faced with Su Miao’s questioning, she found herself at a loss for words for the first time.

Someone passing by bumped into Duan Bainian; she snapped back to her senses and changed the subject. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back to the guesthouse to rest.”

By the time the milk tea in her hand had gone cold, Su Miao still hadn’t received the answer she wanted. Countless thoughts were warring in her head.

She thought she should have a bit more backbone.

She heard herself say, “Duan Bainian, I always wanted to see Qingyang because it’s where you grew up. I thought you asked me to come yesterday because you wanted to reconcile. But it seems I misunderstood. So, I’ve decided to head back to Beijing tomorrow morning.”

Duan Bainian said in surprise, “Why are you in such a hurry? You just got here; leaving now would be so exhausting.”

Su Miao shook her head. “Following you is what’s exhausting.”

Duan Bainian fell silent.

Su Miao looked at the intersection in the distance. “Is the way back to the guesthouse a left at that intersection? I don’t quite remember the way.”

Duan Bainian said softly, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”

Qinghai Lake

By the shore of the vast, endless lake, the wind was cold and damp. A person wearing sunglasses was laughing like an idiot. “Duan Bainian! Come here quickly! I’ll take a picture of you!”

Duan Bainian had originally disliked the muddiness of the lakeshore, but Su Miao’s invitation was so enthusiastic that she had no choice but to walk toward the water.

The sun was just right, and the surface of the lake shimmered with a greenish light. The white clouds looked like balls of cotton candy hanging overhead, almost within reach. The rapeseed flowers by the lake were just entering their blooming season, a sea of golden yellow.

Looking at the scenery, Duan Bainian felt her heart instantly open up. Yet none of the scenery was as bright as the smile on the person before her.

Duan Bainian said with slight mock-disapproval, “Can you watch your image? A fan might recognize you later.”

Su Miao chuckled and obediently pulled up her mask.

The two of them took a bunch of photos. As the sun began to set and it grew colder, they decided to call it a day and returned to their booked guesthouse.

Recalling that morning three days ago, Su Miao still couldn’t help but grin foolishly.

She had been washing up. When she came out of the bathroom and was about to put on her shoes to leave, Duan Bainian had grabbed her.

“Let’s make up.”

Su Miao swore it was the most beautiful sound she had heard in the past month! She even felt a slight sense of smugness, thinking that her “backbone” had actually worked.

Since Duan Bainian had spoken, Su Miao naturally took the opportunity to back down.

Then, they spent two days finding Bai Qilin and settling the house matters.

Afterward, when Su Miao complained that they hadn’t had fun together in a long time, Duan Bainian suggested renting a car for a road trip.

So, last night, the two of them flew to Xining. They rented an SUV locally and began this “go-as-you-please” journey.

Thinking back on everything that had happened over the last few days, Su Miao couldn’t help but broaden her grin.

Then, she felt a tap on her head from the person beside her.

“What are you thinking about, smiling like that?”

Su Miao smiled mischievously. “Not telling you.”

At the guesthouse entrance, Duan Bainian found a place to park, and they decided to eat at a small restaurant nearby.

Since it wasn’t peak tourist season yet, there weren’t many people; only three or four tables were occupied outside the restaurant.

While waiting for the food, Su Miao couldn’t help but sniffle.

Duan Bainian looked up. “What’s wrong? Is your nose uncomfortable?”

Su Miao gently rubbed her nose. “It feels so dry here. My nose is so dry it hurts; even breathing hurts.”

Duan Bainian paused, then couldn’t help but laugh. “The air is quite dry here. I’m used to it so I don’t notice. When we pass through the city tomorrow, I’ll buy you a spray. You can spray your nose whenever you need to.”

Su Miao nodded. She took a wet wipe from Duan Bainian, intending to wipe her nose for some relief.

To her surprise, there were traces of blood on the tissue. So, Su Miao silently put the tissue down.

After dinner, Su Miao complained she was too full, so Duan Bainian stayed to sit with her for a while before leaving.

Stuffed to the limit, Su Miao looked around aimlessly for lack of anything better to do.

Then, a foreign guy walked toward her.

The guy was very enthusiastic, speaking in less-than-perfect Mandarin. “Hello!”

Su Miao blinked, realizing he was speaking to her. She quickly replied, “Hello, hello.”

The guy flashed a row of white teeth. “I see you two are on a road trip, right? How many days are you planning to stay? We could team up.”

Su Miao’s expression turned strange. Neither she nor Duan Bainian were wearing masks at the moment. Judging by the guy’s attempt to flirt, had he not recognized either of them?

Su Miao asked, “Do you… do you know who we are?”

The guy hesitated. “Are you famous? I don’t think I know you.” He then smiled again. “You are very beautiful, so I wanted to get to know you.”

Su Miao was stunned. Eh? Being with Duan Bainian, this person didn’t praise Duan Bainian but praised her instead?

At the thought of having outshone Duan Bainian, Su Miao was incredibly proud, though she tried not to show it. She put on a front and said, “Thank you, you’re very handsome too.”

Seeing that Su Miao wasn’t rejecting him, the guy sat down beside her. “Do you use WeChat? We can exchange contact info. Over the next few days, we can play together. I have a DSLR camera and my photography skills are very good; I can take very beautiful photos for you.”

Su Miao said in surprise, “You know how to take photos? Did you take any today? Can I see?”

The guy said enthusiastically, “Of course. Here, these are the portraits and landscapes I took today.”

Su Miao leaned in to look. “Wow, they really are beautiful.”

The guy winked. “So tomorrow, let’s head out to the next place together?”

Only then did Su Miao remember Duan Bainian was right there. She looked at Duan Bainian with a questioning gaze.

Duan Bainian smiled. “Actually, no thank you. We’re fine taking photos ourselves. We don’t like traveling with others.”

The guy said regretfully, “Alright then. I wish you a pleasant journey.”

Duan Bainian nodded with a smile, then crooked her finger at Su Miao. “Let’s go, Su Miao.”

Su Miao got up and followed Duan Bainian, her expression still a bit regretful. “Why did you refuse? You didn’t see the photos he took; they were really great!”

Duan Bainian said half-smilingly, “Then why don’t you go with him?”

Su Miao finally realized the atmosphere wasn’t right. “Are you angry?”

Duan Bainian said in exasperation, “Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending? Couldn’t you tell he was trying to hit on you?”

Su Miao froze. “No way. He just wanted to travel together. How does that count as hitting on me?”

Duan Bainian felt that Su Miao was truly an oddity—how could she not understand such common sense? Thus, she stopped talking and went straight into the room.

Su Miao followed her inside.

After showering, Su Miao climbed into bed. She looked at Duan Bainian, who was playing with her phone, and still couldn’t help but want to brag.

“Hehe, Duan Bainian, look at that foreign guy. He actually praised me for being pretty, but he didn’t praise you! Is it possible that in the eyes of foreigners, I fit their aesthetic more?”

Duan Bainian was truly defeated. Can this dummy ever have a normal moment?

The bragging tone was so obvious, but the problem was—what exactly was there to brag about? And more importantly, bragging about it in front of your own girlfriend?

Duan Bainian put down her phone and rolled over to pin Su Miao beneath her. “Then do you think you’re prettier, or I am?”

Su Miao went quiet. Of course Duan Bainian was prettier.

But she wasn’t reconciled. She stubbornly insisted, “Anyway, that foreign guy said I was good-looking and didn’t mention you.”

Two hours later, Su Miao rubbed her aching thighs and sniffled.

She thought: Duan Bainian is still prettier.

Early the next morning, the two of them set off.

They planned to go to the city to buy the nasal spray before continuing to the next stop.

Passing a plaza, Su Miao suddenly shouted for her to stop the car.

Duan Bainian parked and saw that it seemed to be a local ethnic festival; there were performances happening in the plaza.

Su Miao’s eyes were glued to the scene. “Wow, Duan Bainian, so there are ethnic minorities here too? I feel like the girls from ethnic minorities are all so beautiful.”

Duan Bainian didn’t have much interest in local customs and folk culture. The girls were indeed pretty, but not enough to captivate her. She took a couple of casual glances and let her thoughts wander.

Su Miao was watching with great interest and simply got out of the car to squeeze into the crowd. To see more clearly, she even squeezed her way to the very front row.

Su Miao couldn’t help but marvel. Girls from ethnic minorities were just too well-endowed by nature! Their legs were so long and fair, almost rivaling Duan Bainian’s!

As she squeezed, Su Miao felt like her nose was running. Being a young girl in her early twenties, how embarrassing would it be if someone saw her with a runny nose?

She quickly turned and ran back to the car. “Duan Bainian, Duan Bainian! Give me some tissues quickly, my nose is running!”

Duan Bainian reflexively grabbed some tissues and handed them to Su Miao, her expression gradually becoming strange.

Su Miao asked curiously, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Duan Bainian said with a fake smile, “You have a nosebleed.”