Living with My Aloof Ex-Wife After the Apocalypse - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: How Many Strokes are in the Name of the Person You Like?

Qing Meng snapped back to reality, slightly surprised by her win, and casually spun the bottle.

Fan Hua watched the mouth of the bottle with mischievous anticipation, wondering who the next lucky “victim” would be. The bottle slowed down and eventually pointed directly at Chen Xia.

The lucky victim herself: “…I choose Truth.”

Based on Chen Xia’s judgment, someone as ethereal and detached as Qing Meng would never ask anything truly scandalous. Truth was the safe bet.

Qing Meng tried her best to appear indifferent, as if she were just asking a casual question, but her slightly furrowed brows and tightly pressed lips betrayed her.

“Is there someone here that you like?”

She cared deeply about this question. Everyone silently reached that conclusion.

Chen Xia was surprised that Qing Meng would ask such a thing, though it wasn’t exactly out of line. She hadn’t officially introduced Fan Hua as her girlfriend yet, but she figured Qing Meng must have deduced something from their interactions.

Chen Xia answered frankly: “Yes.”

The round ended there. Fan Hua remained all smiles, as if she had just heard something very pleasant. Qing Meng’s heart, however, sank a little further, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her shirt.

Qing Meng had long noticed that Fan Hua was trying to play matchmaker between Chen Xia and Xing He. She had asked the question as a test, but didn’t expect Chen Xia to so openly admit to “liking Xing He” (or so Qing Meng assumed).

Compared to her—silent, awkward, and only daring to watch Xing He from a distance—Chen Xia was heroic, beautiful, and brave. She was capable and could provide real help to Xing He in critical moments. Anyone would know how to choose.

Most importantly, when Xing He and Chen Xia made eye contact just now, Qing Meng clearly saw the flicker of avoidance in Xing He’s eyes.

What is she thinking? Does she like Chen Xia?

Sitting closest, only Xing He noticed Qing Meng’s white-knuckled grip under the table. When she heard Qing Meng ask that question, her first reaction was shock. Once the shock passed, it was followed by an irrepressible wave of despondency.

In all their years of marriage, Xing He and Qing Meng had spent more time apart than together, usually only meeting during holidays. But after years of acquaintance, Xing He felt she knew Qing Meng.

Qing Meng rarely spent energy on meaningless things. This included inefficient methods, celebrity gossip, and social dogmas. Naturally, it also included prying into other people’s love lives.

To ask such a question so seriously… was Qing Meng falling for Fan Hua?

“But Fan Hua and Chen Xia are a couple… but…” Xing He muttered to herself, her voice so low only she could hear.

But what? Was it “But how could someone so celestial fall for a mere mortal?” or “But what should I do with my own restless feelings?”

Xing He realized she could no longer lie to her own heart. She could not accept Qing Meng being with someone else. She couldn’t stand the thought of her liking someone else even the mere possibility of it.

Each person at the table had their own hidden thoughts, but the game continued.

Distracted, both Qing Meng and Xing He were half a beat slow in the next round of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Fan Hua, who had been observing everyone like a hawk, seized the opportunity to win. It was a victory earned through observation rather than pure luck, but she wasn’t feeling guilty at all.

Fan Hua stood up triumphantly. “Finally my turn! Get ready for the storm!”

The bottle stopped on Qing Meng again. Truth or Dare?

Qing Meng tapped her finger on the table, a sign of deep thought. Since she couldn’t guarantee the target would always be Xing He, a “Dare” was probably enough for one night.

“I choose Truth.”

Fan Hua’s almond eyes sparkled with mischief. She grinned broadly, looking harmless, but those who knew her knew she was brewing trouble.

“Sister Qing Meng, here is the question: Is there someone in this room that you like?”

The very question Qing Meng had asked had come back to haunt her. Qing Meng’s heart skipped several beats. She had clearly anticipated this possibility, so she didn’t panic.

Xing He had never seen such a stunning expression on Qing Meng’s face. Qing Meng bit her lower lip slightly, her brows furrowed, her eyes shimmering like spring water, and her fair skin flushed with a bashful crimson.

Xing He’s eyes widened. She was conflicted; she desperately wanted to hear the answer, yet she was terrified of it.

“Yes.”

Everyone’s expression changed. Fan Hua’s was the most exaggerated the corners of her mouth nearly reached her ears. My ship is real! For Chen Xia, while not as obsessed as Fan Hua, she was happy to witness a beautiful connection in such desperate times.

Xing He was the most deflated. Qing Meng likes someone. Is it Fan Hua? Or Chen Xia? Her mind was a mess. One thing was clear: since Qing Meng had asked for a divorce, she surely didn’t like her.

During a break, Qing Meng went upstairs to get a blanket because she was cold. Chen Xia headed to the roof to check for any zombies attracted by their noise.

Feeling miserable, Xing He headed to the first-floor warehouse to get more beer without a word. Just as she entered, Fan Hua followed her in and nudged her with a shoulder.

“You’re unhappy?”

Xing He kept a grim face. “No.”

“Yes, you are.”

Xing He remained silent. Fan Hua rarely saw Xing He’s emotions so transparently displayed and decided to provoke her further.

“You guys aren’t a couple anyway. Why are you upset that Sister Qing Meng likes someone?”

Stung, Xing He replied sourly, “Keep an eye on your own girlfriend.”

Fan Hua shrugged. “No need. She won’t run away.”

Xing He said dryly, “Aren’t you afraid…”

“Afraid of what?” Fan Hua kicked a pebble on the floor, bored.

“You!” Xing He realized Fan Hua knew exactly what she was implying and was just here to annoy her.

Teasing Xing He was truly fun, but Fan Hua decided to show mercy to the “elderly.”

“Sister Qing Meng is so beautiful and capable. Why would she like someone as ordinary as me or Xia?” Fan Hua started walking out, hands behind her back. “When are you going to realize—”

She paused at the door and looked back at Xing He.

“The person Sister Qing Meng likes is you!”

This external validation hit Xing He like a sledgehammer. She could almost hear a dull echo in her chest.

Qing Meng likes… me?

Memories flooded back: the hurt in Qing Meng’s eyes at the hotel when she was told to leave; her frantic worry at the hospital checking for injuries; and that half-joking line in the courtyard: “Or, are you trying to get me to ask if we’ve remarried?”

As the fog lifted, everything became clear.

The game resumed. Rock-Paper-Scissors. Three rocks. Xing He threw paper.

The bottle on the table no longer felt like a toy; it felt like the key to Pandora’s box. Xing He didn’t know if fate would side with her this time, but she couldn’t wait for another round. She needed to know. Now.

Just as the bottle was about to pass Qing Meng’s section, Xing He reached out and stopped it manually.

Clang.

A knowing smile spread across Fan Hua’s face. Chen Xia was surprised, but seeing Fan Hua’s reaction, she pretended she hadn’t seen the blatant cheating.

Xing He’s action sent ripples through Qing Meng’s heart. She looked at Xing He, flustered and uncertain. Xing He gripped the bottle, her palms sweaty with nerves.

“Truth, is that okay?”

Sensing the weight of the coming question, Qing Meng bit her lip. “Okay.”

Xing He looked her straight in the eye. This woman, who never trembled even when facing a horde of zombies, now had a voice turned hoarse by nerves.

“The person you like… how many strokes are in their name?” (Note: refers to the number of strokes in Chinese characters)

Qing Meng looked back at her without flinching, as if trying to read the heart behind the question.

“Eleven.” (Note: Xing He consists of 11 strokes total: is 6, is 5).

In an instant, the person who had been looking like a wilted cabbage just moments ago had eyes full of fireworks.

Qing Meng couldn’t keep up with Xing He’s moods, which shifted faster than a summer thunderstorm, and she wasn’t sure if Xing He’s joy was because of her answer. But seeing those fireworks, her own furrowed brows relaxed, and the weight on her heart felt lighter.

The air was thick with “pink bubbles.” Fan Hua nodded in satisfaction, but she wasn’t done yet. She needed one more “strong dose” to heat up their relationship.

“We haven’t touched this beer yet,” Fan Hua said, squinting with a grin. “Let’s play another game. The loser drinks. How about it?”

“Let’s do it!” Xing He agreed immediately, riding the wave of massive joy. She would have agreed to walk through fire at this point. Qing Meng nodded as well.

Fan Hua introduced the rules: “I Have, You Haven’t. We’ll play in teams of two. Each round, a team says something they have done. If the other team hasn’t done it, the first team wins. If the other team has done it, the first team loses.”

“Xia and I are a team. You and Sister Qing Meng are a team,” Fan Hua said with a provocative look. “The losing team drinks!”

Xing He’s competitive spirit flared. Back at the Dawn Settlement, she was a veteran of post-battle drinking sessions. She might be a blank slate in romance, but in a drinking game? How could a little brat like Fan Hua beat her?

She was going to win her dignity back today! Xing He felt invincible, completely forgetting that this was a young person’s game, not an old veteran’s drinking bout.

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