I Woke Up And My Girlfriend Was Gone - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

As the year-end approached, the bus advertisements were plastered in traditional retro red, and the interior was decorated with various New Year elements.

Zuo Yin looked at the handrail she was holding; a “Prosperity” sticker was pasted on it. She thought she was quite dedicated herself—she had been so busy for the past six months that she barely rested, rivaling the intensity of a high school senior.

Having just finished her exam week, Zuo Yin had spent the last half-month soaking in the studio to meet the exhibition deadline. Meanwhile, Shen Qingzi was frequently away on business trips as the year closed. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly two weeks; their only intersection was the photos Zuo Yin sent of her finished oil paintings.

The bus stopped near Yiji Studio, and Zuo Yin got off. The holiday atmosphere here was much thicker than near her home. Small lanterns hung at intervals along the station sign, their unique scent of fresh packaging bringing New Year blessings to every passenger.

Sun Yuqing had organized a pre-holiday dinner at the studio before everyone headed home for the New Year. Standing under the red light at the intersection, Zuo Yin pulled out her phone. In the group chat, Sun Yuqing was tagging Shen Qingzi, asking why she hadn’t arrived yet.

Knowing Shen Qingzi had returned to S City yesterday, Zuo Yin assumed she would definitely attend. She felt a pang of loss; she had been so tired after cleaning the studio yesterday that she forgot to ask if Shen Qingzi was coming.

Suddenly, Zuo Yin’s phone vibrated. A rabbit avatar popped up with a message: 【Look up】

Zuo Yin’s heart skipped a beat. She raised her head as instructed. Across the dense festive atmosphere, at the other end of the road, stood Shen Qingzi. She was wearing a grey-blue coat Zuo Yin hadn’t seen before, her soft hair draped over her shoulders, faintly revealing her slender, elegant neck. Her face was touched with light makeup, and the dusty rose lip color made her look even more gentle.

“Xiao Yin.” Shen Qingzi smiled and waved.

As the light turned green, Zuo Yin walked over quickly. “Teacher.”

Shen Qingzi looked at the girl and noticed she had trimmed her hair; the jaw-length cut immediately pulled her back to their first meeting in Dunhuang. Rebellious, unconstrained—yet so endearing.

“Long time no see,” Shen Qingzi smiled.

“Long time no see.” Zuo Yin suppressed the urge to grin too widely. “Are you finished with your work?”

“Mhm. I’m back to get ready for the New Year. And you?”

“I’ve submitted my drafts, so I’m ready for a quiet holiday too,” Zuo Yin replied.

“That’s good.”

The two, each harboring their own thoughts, continued their conversation line by line, walking from the road outside the studio to the lakeside in front of the small villa. The winding pebble path was cast in dim yellow light, stretching their shadows until they intertwined on the ground.

From a distance, Zuo Yin saw someone standing at the entrance of the villa. She instinctively assumed it was Zhou Lin and slowed her pace.

“Wow, you two are way too late! Why are you walking so slowly?”

Suddenly, the “Zhou Lin” at the door shouted at them and ran over, wrapped in a pure white down jacket. The familiar voice made Zuo Yin blink; she quickly recognized the figure as Sun Yuqing.

“What, are you disappointed it’s me greeting you?” Sun Yuqing teased, seeing Zuo Yin let out a breath of relief.

“Not at all. I’m very pleased,” Zuo Yin said.

Sun Yuqing felt quite proud and bragged to Shen Qingzi, “See? I have a lot of face today.” She then added, “Since Xiao Yin is giving me so much face, Qingzi, can you do me a favor too?”

“Go on,” Shen Qingzi said.

“I want to have a couple of drinks with Xiao Yin, okay?” Sun Yuqing asked expectantly.

Hearing this, Zuo Yin glanced at Shen Qingzi. She didn’t feel annoyed about needing “permission” to drink; instead, a strange, inexplicable sweetness welled up inside her.

Shen Qingzi’s eyes curved. “Don’t drink too much,” she cautioned Zuo Yin.

“Mhm.” Zuo Yin nodded, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Sun Yuqing was a chatterbox, and her boisterous voice filled the quiet pebble path with warmth. The three of them soon reached the villa. It was the same building from six months ago, yet it felt different. The spicy aroma of a bubbling hot pot filled every breath Zuo Yin took. Seeing the familiar faces inside, she felt she integrated into the room much faster than before.

“Ah, Xiao Yin and Qingzi are here! Sit, sit, we were just waiting for you!” Wu Yuan said as he dumped a whole plate of lamb into the pot.

“Wu Yuan has been eyeing that meat for ages,” Li Ming laughed.

“If you’re hungry, just eat. No need to wait for us,” Shen Qingzi said, sitting down next to Zuo Yin with a casualness that felt long-planned.

Amidst the rolling steam and spice, a faint wisp of iris fragrance drifted over, making Zuo Yin’s heart pound.

“That won’t do. We can’t leave you two out,” Zhou Lin’s voice came from the small kitchen. The curtain over the doorway moved, and Zhou Lin emerged carrying chilled drinks. She was dressed up—a camel-colored wool dress highlighted her figure, her thick, wavy hair was soft, and her retro crimson lips made her look sophisticated and sexy.

Zuo Yin looked down at her own black sweater—chosen specifically because it wouldn’t show stains from hot pot—and tightened her grip on her chopsticks.

“Lin, let me help!” Sun Yuqing stood up to take the drinks.

Zhou Lin didn’t let her. She looked at Shen Qingzi sitting with Zuo Yin and placed several cans of beer in front of Sun Yuqing. “I actually saved a good seat for Qingzi, but it seems you’ve benefited instead.”

“Hehe.” Sun Yuqing laughed, her attention entirely on the alcohol, failing to catch the dissatisfaction in Zhou Lin’s voice.

“Hey, I heard from Yuqing that Xiao Yin entered the National Oil Painting Exhibition. How is it going?” Wu Yuan asked his “junior sister” while waiting for his meat to cook.

“I’ve already shown the drafts to Teacher. I submitted them last week and received an email this morning saying I passed the preliminary selection,” Zuo Yin replied, her voice calm and steady.

Wu Yuan gasped. “Incredible! You’re reaching Teacher Shen’s level!”

“Not at all.” Zuo Yin took a small sip of her drink, feeling a bit shy, while stealing a glance at Shen Qingzi’s reaction.

The warm yellow lights dispelled the winter chill. The corners of Shen Qingzi’s mouth lifted as she told Wu Yuan, “She can surpass me.”

“Wow! The teacher has spoken!” Wu Yuan cheered. “Xiao Yin, shouldn’t you make a pledge or something? Come on!” He reached out to top off Zuo Yin’s glass.

Shen Qingzi was faster. She pressed her hand down on Zuo Yin’s glass before he could pour. “No need for pledges. She will definitely do it.”

The heat of the alcohol seemed to explode on Zuo Yin’s tongue. An electric current sparked from where her fingers overlapped with Shen Qingzi’s, sending a tingle of numbness through her. Before she’d even finished her drink, Zuo Yin felt her cheeks flushing.

“See that? The teacher has spoken! Qingzi, you’re being too protective!” Li Ming joked. The room was filled with his and Wu Yuan’s hearty laughter.

The atmosphere was instantly ignited. The bubbling hot pot added to the liveliness. Everyone was talking and laughing; even Zuo Yin shared a couple of drinks with Sun Yuqing. Only Zhou Lin kept her head down, drinking glass after glass in silence.

The broth was topped up again and again until the plates were empty. As the gathering wound down, Wu Yuan leaned back, patting his stomach. “I’m done. Can’t move. Today was great!”

Sun Yuqing teased him about his weight, and they started a bet over how many pounds he’d gain. “Xiao Yin, you be the witness. We’re betting… a box of 36-color professional paints!”

“Okay,” Zuo Yin nodded.

The room, which had been winding down, filled with noise once more. Shen Qingzi sat in her spot, sipping her drink and watching Zuo Yin caught in the middle of the banter, a doting smile in her eyes.

Clink, clink.

The sound of a glass being tapped twice rang out. The room fell silent instantly. Zhou Lin stood up from her seat and raised her glass. “Since we won’t see each other after the New Year, I’d like to propose a toast to everyone.”

Sun Yuqing blinked. “Lin, are you going on a trip or a sketching tour?”

Zhou Lin shook her head slightly. “Neither.”

“I’ve resigned.”

The words were like a bomb dropped into a deep sea. After a second of dead silence, it exploded. Zuo Yin looked at Shen Qingzi; her usually calm pupils were trembling, her face a mask of disbelief.

Sun Yuqing stood up abruptly. “You’re joking, right?”

“Of course not. I completed the paperwork with HR this morning.” Zhou Lin was smiling, but it was a smile that made everyone uncomfortable. She downed her drink in one go and looked at Shen Qingzi.

“Can we go outside? I have a lot to tell you.”