Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 40

Chu Yunjing was quick to fulfill her promise. She bought a vanity table and replaced the flimsy, temporary wardrobe in the guest room with something more substantial. The original bed, a twin with a mattress as hard as a board was also swapped out for a plush queen-sized Simmons.

It finally felt like the place had a touch of warmth. Qi Ning was quite satisfied.

She moved in the night before her lease expired. Since the apartment was essentially “move-in ready,” she didn’t have much furniture to bring, mainly just clothes. However, those clothes filled several large crates.

By the time the last box was inside, both of them were drenched in sweat. Chu Yunjing wiped her forehead, her breathing still a bit ragged. “What on earth do you have in all of these?”

“Clothes,” Qi Ning replied.

“And that one?” Chu Yunjing pointed to an even larger cardboard box.

“Clothes.”

“…”

Chu Yunjing sighed and rubbed her temples, finally understanding exactly where Qi Ning’s monthly salary went. Noticing the expression, Qi Ning knew her friend was mentally judging her for being a “monthly spender.”

“Are you talking bad about me in your head again?” she asked, sounding miffed.

“No,” Chu Yunjing denied immediately, her survival instinct kicking in.

Qi Ning huffed. “I hardly ever see you buy new clothes. I don’t even know what you’re doing with all that money you make.”

“It’s all in the bank.” After a brief rest, Chu Yunjing started lugging the boxes into the guest room.

Qi Ning followed, helping her lift. “Is that for your retirement fund?”

“In a way.” Chu Yunjing spoke as she walked. “Renting isn’t a long-term solution. You only feel secure when you have a place of your own.”

Hearing this, Qi Ning stopped and frowned in thought. It took a moment before she stacked her box on top of the one Chu Yunjing had just set down.

“You… haven’t come out to your parents yet, have you?”

“…” Chu Yunjing’s expression shifted slightly. She paused for a second before nodding.

Qi Ning suddenly understood why Chu Yunjing worked so hard. Ever since college, she had never missed a scholarship opportunity, striving to save enough startup capital before graduation. Combined with the fact that she realized her orientation in college, it was clear she wanted to achieve financial independence as quickly as possible. That way, when she finally came out to her parents, she could do so with her head held high.

Qi Ning knew the Chu family’s dynamic well. Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of her own home, the Chu household was strict. Chu’s father was a teacher—a man who lived by the book and always played the “stern” role at home. Her mother was also a teacher, and though she was friendly with the neighbors, the father held the real weight in the house. It was a very traditional family.

Qi Ning remembered a time in elementary school when Chu Yunjing had scored in the 80s on a test. Her father made her kneel in the living room and copy the entire exam five times before she was allowed to eat. No matter how much her mother pleaded, it didn’t matter. Chu Yunjing wasn’t a child who knew how to beg or act spoiled; she finished the task before she touched her food.

The next day, her knees were bruised purple, and the marks didn’t fade for a week. From then on, she never scored below a 95. She became the “perfect child” that other parents envied. Only Qi Ning knew the crushing weight of expectation on her shoulders as an only child.

If she came out… Qi Ning could already imagine the father’s fury. And Chu Yunjing would have to carry that burden entirely alone.

The thought made Qi Ning feel a wave of inexplicable sadness.

Chu Yunjing noticed her friend standing there with a face that changed expressions every few seconds and found it a bit funny. She rested a hand on Qi Ning’s shoulder to snap her out of it.

“What are you thinking about? Your face is hilarious,” Chu Yunjing said, trying to keep her tone light, though the slight tension in her smile betrayed her.

Qi Ning looked up at her, silent for a few seconds, before saying out of the blue: “No matter what choice you make, I’ll support you!”

Chu Yunjing fell silent as well. She offered a small smile but changed the subject: “Let’s finish tidying up. We haven’t eaten yet.”

Some things didn’t need to be said explicitly; the understanding was built on years of shared history.

Although they had reconciled, neither of them had mentioned the “online dating” incident since that day. It was as if it never happened, and they had simply skipped ahead to the part where the secret of their orientation was out.

Qi Ning didn’t want to bring it up. It was her first time liking a girl; even if there was a “digital filter” involved, the feelings were real. To have the object of those feelings turn out to be her best friend made everything feel awkward. She preferred to act like it was all a dream.

However, other topics were fair game. While organizing the clothes, Chu Yunjing broke the silence. “Why did you download Zuire in the first place?”

“Uh…” Qi Ning’s hand froze mid-air with a hanger. It took two seconds before she resumed. Thinking back on the origin, she found it a bit ridiculous.

She had originally just wanted to see what a lesbian dating app looked like out of pure curiosity. Now she was “half-turned” and stuck in this mess.

“Just… curiosity, I guess.” To avoid sounding like a bored idiot, she quickly added, “Remember that Mr. Zhou I told you about? The gay client?”

“Yeah?”

“He was never happy with the designs, so a colleague suggested I read some same-sex novels. I read a few ‘Girl Love’ stories and thought they were pretty good. Then, I accidentally found a forum, wandered around, saw someone mention Zuire, and downloaded it.”

Chu Yunjing recalled that 70 (Qi Ning) had originally claimed to be bisexual. It made sense; a straight woman who had recently broken up with a man wouldn’t just turn “purely gay” overnight. If she had changed her orientation solely because of a “scumbag ex,” Chu Yunjing might have personally hunted the man down.

As someone already in the community, Chu Yunjing truly hadn’t wanted Qi Ning to walk this path. While Qi Ning’s parents were relaxed, coming out is rarely a smooth process. She had hoped Qi Ning would find a man who doted on her, it would be a much easier life than the uphill battle of being a “pioneer” in this society.

…Of course, finding a girlfriend only for her to be her best friend was its own kind of despair. Her feelings were just as complicated as Qi Ning’s.

“Actually… this path isn’t easy,” Chu Yunjing said after a long pause, her tone serious.

“I know,” Qi Ning replied. “I read the forums. Everyone says not to come out until you’re financially independent. That’s why you work so hard, right? To have the confidence of not needing anyone else’s permission.”

“As for me… I thought I was straight, but now I feel like I’m bi. I’m not repelled by the idea. But obviously, my experience with women is limited to chatting online. I have no idea if I could actually handle dating a woman in real life.”

Back when she was “dating” Yun Yu, she had been cautious. That’s why she waited so long to meet and never swapped photos. She didn’t want to be deceived by filters; she needed to know if she could accept a woman face-to-face.

She just didn’t expect the “crash” to be this spectacular.

Her nonchalant attitude finally put Chu Yunjing at ease. She would have felt terribly guilty if Qi Ning was still harboring resentment over the Yun Yu persona. The fact that Qi Ning’s first reaction after the reveal was “Why did you hide your orientation?” rather than “Why were you catfishing me?” showed that she valued their friendship above all else.

After an hour, Qi Ning finally finished putting her clothes away. The new wardrobe was a perfect fit. If it had been the old one, it probably would have collapsed within days.

Qi Ning nodded in satisfaction and hooked an arm around Chu Yunjing’s shoulder. “Thanks for the help! I’ll treat you to dinner this weekend to celebrate my housewarming!”

Chu Yunjing was amused by the term “housewarming” since she was just moving into a guest room, but she nodded along. Why turn down a free meal?

They ordered takeout for dinner and sat cross-legged on the floor, eating while watching TV.

“Is the new office all set up?” Qi Ning remembered the office building. It had been a while since they moved.

“We moved in a while ago.” Chu Yunjing took a sip of soup. “Sister Shu is great. Knowing our company does skincare, she even bought several crates of facial masks to give to her employees for National Day.”

“That’s fantastic!” Qi Ning laughed. Shu Mingyao had countless employees; that was basically free advertising. “If they like it, your Double 11 sales will be through the roof.”

“I hope so.” Chu Yunjing smiled. She was pinning her hopes on the Double 11 festival to carry her targets for the second half of the year.

“We should probably treat her to dinner then. She did us a huge favor with the office location. You’d never find that price for that area otherwise.”

Chu Yunjing looked at her. “Why don’t we invite her this weekend?”

After exchanging a look, Qi Ning quickly grabbed her phone. She had just posted a “housewarming” update on her social feed an hour ago, and it already had dozens of notifications. Most were likes, but a few friends including Shu Mingyao had commented with congratulations.

Shu Mingyao had jokingly asked if there would be a housewarming party. Qi Ning immediately clicked her profile and started a voice call. It was picked up almost instantly.

“Sister Shu, what are you up to?”

“I was just looking at my phone when you called,” the voice on the other end laughed. “Is there good news?”

“Yes! I’ve ‘moved house,’ so I want to treat you to dinner. We haven’t been out in ages.”

Shu Mingyao chuckled. “Really? I was just joking.”

“I’m serious!” Qi Ning stopped teasing. “You helped Yunjing so much with the office. We’re going out this weekend, so you should join us. And bring Xiao Ji along too!”

Once the invitation was accepted and the call ended, Qi Ning took a couple more bites of her food before suddenly stopping.

She turned to Chu Yunjing and asked: “So, which one do you think is the ‘top’ and which is the ‘bottom’ between Sister Shu and Xiao Ji?”

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