Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 39

The morning alarm blared through the room, making Qi Ning feel like her head was about to explode. She sat up, clutching her hair, and surveyed the familiar surroundings as she struggled to piece together the previous night.

She remembered dinner with colleagues, then karaoke, and a lot of alcohol. After that? Total blank. She looked down to see her clothes still on, caught a whiff of her collar, and winced. Pure booze.

She figured Ding HeGuang must have dropped her off. Rubbing her temples, she realized she had to move; if she didn’t shower and leave now, she’d be late. Oddly enough, Ding HeGuang was right screaming her lungs out and drinking had actually cleared her head. She even found herself humming a tune.

Until her landlord messaged her.

The notification popped up just as she reached the office: her lease was up this week. Did she want to renew or move out? Suddenly, her head started throbbing again. She remembered promising to move into Chu Yunjing’s apartment, but given the “Yun Yu” situation… she opened their WeChat. The last message was from the National Day holiday. Complete silence since then. A total stalemate.

“Morning!” Ding HeGuang greeted her as she walked in.

“Morning,” she mumbled, then paused. “By the way, thanks for getting me home last night.”

“No trouble at all!” Ding HeGuang grinned. “Though, I wasn’t actually the one who took you back.”

“Then who was it?”

“Your best friend.”

Qi Ning’s face stiffened. She didn’t say another word and walked straight into her private office.

“Sigh.”

That was Qi Ning’s fifteenth sigh of the day. She kept opening the chat window with Chu Yunjing, only to close it again. This cycle lasted until clock-out. She turned down dinner with You Man; she just wanted to be alone, but she didn’t want to go home yet.

She drove aimlessly until hunger finally forced her to stop at a large mall. After wandering the food courts on the third and fourth floors without finding anything that hit the spot, she suddenly craved Suancai fish (pickled cabbage fish). The best shop was too far away, and she found herself missing the version Chu Yunjing made.

Qi Ning was picky; most restaurants either used cabbage that was too sour or fish that wasn’t fresh. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she went down to the supermarket in the basement to buy the ingredients and a spice packet.

“It’s on the bottom shelf, under the soy sauce,” a staff member directed her.

Qi Ning headed for the shelf, but stopped dead in her tracks.

Chu Yunjing was standing right there, holding a bottle of soy sauce and checking the expiration date. Qi Ning hesitated—should she leave? But they had twenty-six years of history. Avoiding her now would only prove Chu Yunjing’s fears right: that their friendship couldn’t survive the truth.

Before she could decide, Chu Yunjing looked up.

The two froze. The silence was heavy for a moment before Qi Ning took the initiative to walk over. “What are you buying?”

“Soy sauce,” Chu Yunjing replied instinctively, lifting the bottle.

“…”

“And you?”

“Suancai fish.” Qi Ning pointed at the shelf and grabbed a random packet, only for Chu Yunjing to interject, “That brand isn’t good.”

Just like that, the ice broke. Since they had bumped into each other anyway, they decided to finish the shopping together and head back to Chu Yunjing’s place for dinner.

As they walked through the dim parking lot toward the apartment building, the atmosphere was quiet but no longer hostile.

“I’ve been thinking these last few days,” Qi Ning said suddenly. “I played a part in this too.”

Chu Yunjing turned to look at her, surprised.

“I didn’t give you enough reason to trust me,” Qi Ning continued. “You were worried I’d be repelled by the truth, so you didn’t feel safe telling me.”

Chu Yunjing felt a surge of complicated emotions. She had blamed herself, but here was Qi Ning taking a share of the weight. “When did you… realize?” Qi Ning asked softly.

“In college,” Chu Yunjing admitted, looking up at the night sky. She explained how she had tried dating a boy who pursued her, only to realize she felt nothing for him—or any man. It wasn’t until a girl confessed to her that everything clicked. “It’s been years now. I’ve been alone since then.”

Qi Ning stopped walking and looked at her. “Keeping that bottled up all this time must have been lonely.”

Something in Chu Yunjing’s chest tightened. Not even during the hardest days of starting her company, VER, had she felt this specific kind of ache. It was the feeling of someone finally finding you in a dark corner and saying: I’m here now.

Qi Ning stepped forward and hugged her, stroking the back of her head. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Though Qi Ning was only five minutes older and usually the one being looked after, in this moment, she seemed to have truly grown up.

Moving Forward

Back at the apartment, Chu Yunjing got to work on the fish while Qi Ning lounged in the living room. Bored, she opened Zuire for the first time in days. No new messages. She checked Chu Yunjing’s profile, a photo of the sea from their trip. A few likes, a polite reply to a comment. She closed the app.

When the fish was served, the aroma was intoxicating. Qi Ning reached for a piece but got her hand swatted away with chopsticks. “Wash your hands,” Chu Yunjing commanded.

“Fine…”

As they ate, Qi Ning watched Chu Yunjing composed, elegant, and a great cook. She thought to herself that whoever ended up as her friend’s real girlfriend would be very lucky.

“My lease is up,” Qi Ning mentioned casually between bites.

“Oh,” Chu Yunjing replied, her eyes fixed on her bowl.

“So, did you buy that vanity table you promised me?”

Chu Yunjing looked up, genuinely shocked. “You’re still moving in?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Qi Ning asked. “Unless you’re worried I’ll eavesdrop when you bring girls home?”

Chu Yunjing rolled her eyes, but a small, relieved smile touched her lips. She had assumed Qi Ning would keep her distance now.

“Sigh,” Qi Ning let out a dramatic breath. “Even though my ‘Yun Yu’ is gone, life goes on. It was a learning experience. Honestly, dating a girl felt pretty good way more attentive than guys. So, if you ever find a girl you truly love, you have my blessing.”

Chu Yunjing looked at her seriously. “Qi Ning, you’ve really grown up.”

Qi Ning kicked her under the table. “Shut up and eat!”

Support