Self-Perception - Chapter 33

With some food in her stomach, her hunger had subsided significantly.

As the two of them headed downstairs together, Su Muqing emerged from a room not far away, her phone held to her ear.

Just then, Wen Jinyan’s phone rang. She looked at the person standing by the second floor railing peering downward and answered, “Hello?”

Su Muqing: “Where are you?”

“Look to your left.”

“What left?” The person in the distance turned her head. About three seconds later, the call was disconnected.

Su Muqing walked quickly toward her. “Jinyan, where did you go? I clearly saw you two hours ago, and then in the blink of an eye, you were gone.”

Having said that, she finally looked at the woman standing beside Wen Jinyan. The woman wore a mask and a bucket hat, revealing only a pair of eyes and long hair; she was about the same height as Wen Jinyan.

“Miss Su,” Gu Wansheng spoke, taking off her mask to reveal her face. She had applied makeup, so her face showed no signs of exhaustion or the effects of staying up late, she remained exquisitely flawless.

Su Muqing smiled. “So it’s Teacher Gu. That’s perfect, let’s go eat.”

She led the way downstairs, and the other two followed behind her.

Gu Wansheng put her mask back on and walked side by side with Wen Jinyan. In front of them, Su Muqing would occasionally turn around to ask, “Is Teacher Gu here for a vacation too?”

“You could say that,” Gu Wansheng replied.

Wen Jinyan poked Su Muqing’s shoulder, signaling her to watch the steps.

The group chose a relatively secluded spot. Gu Wansheng sat on the inside, while Su Muqing sat opposite them, effectively blocking Gu Wansheng from view.

[Meng Qiu]: Sister Gu, Party Secretary Lu wants to invite you to dinner. She’s asking when you’re free; she wants to thank you in person. Should I turn her down?

[Gu Wansheng]: Tell Secretary Lu I’ll come over this evening. No need for her to bother picking us up.

[Meng Qiu]: Okay.

[Gu Wansheng]: Have you eaten?

Far away in the small town, Meng Qiu replied: “No.”

Half a minute later, 500 yuan appeared in Meng Qiu’s digital wallet, followed by a message from Gu Wansheng:

Gu Wansheng: [Eat dinner]

Meng Qiu burst out laughing, drawing stares from people nearby. She quickly covered her mouth.

[Meng Qiu]: Boss is so generous! (Worship emoji)

The three finished their lunch. Gu Wansheng handed a napkin to Wen Jinyan first, then to Su Muqing, and asked, “What do you plan to do this afternoon?”

Wen Jinyan took it. “Go for a stroll in town.”

The environment here was quite nice. When she and Su Muqing arrived, they saw the town was hosting a fair. Coincidentally, she was currently experiencing writer’s block, so a walk was exactly what she needed.

Gu Wansheng let out a soft “Ah” and said, “Then I’ll go too.”

“Aren’t you a public figure?” What if she was recognized? What if she got mobbed?

Wen Jinyan had seen online that some extreme fans would rush their idols the moment they saw them, and there was no stopping them. If that happened, she figured that with the few self-defense and grappling moves she had learned, she could at least buy Gu Wansheng some time.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Gu Wansheng put on her mask and hat, pulling the brim low so that it, along with the mask, covered almost her entire face.

“Then stay close to me when the time comes,” Wen Jinyan said, staring at the eyes visible beneath the brim. She added, “If anything happens, hide behind me.”

Gu Wansheng’s eyes blinked softly, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She could vaguely guess why Wen Jinyan said that. Although she was no stranger to fanatical fans, especially during her first few years of fame, hearing Wen Jinyan say these words sent a strange flutter through her heart.

Beneath the mask, her dry lips were unconsciously moistened by her tongue.

I really want to… kiss her.

Because it was sunny outside, Wen Jinyan went to her room to change into a thin sweater paired with a bright yellow cardigan. The cardigan was mid-length, reaching about two-thirds down her thighs. Even though it was a very ordinary piece of clothing, it looked high-end on her, she was a total clothes horse.

Gu Wansheng took a few extra looks, rummaged through her luggage, and finally picked out a gray coat of a similar length.

“This one is a bit thicker. Even though it’s sunny, the wind is quite strong,” Wen Jinyan noted, her eyes drifting toward a white trench coat in Gu Wansheng’s open suitcase that was clearly much thicker than the one she was wearing.

“This one looks better,” Gu Wansheng said, her eyes curving upward.

Be that as it may, Wen Jinyan didn’t quite understand, as in her eyes, Gu Wansheng looked good in anything.

Gu Wansheng had once praised her for being beautiful, but she felt that Gu Wansheng was the truly beautiful one. Her eyes were beautiful, they told stories. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes would tilt up slightly, making it impossible to look away, making one want to discover what gave her eyes that bright, vivid color.

Most people are “vivid” because of their appearance, but Wen Jinyan thought that was likely wrong. Gu Wansheng’s vividness was in her eyes that unique gaze. When those eyes smiled unintentionally, they were full of charm; if they cried, they would likely evoke pity and tenderness.

“Tell me if you get cold. I’m wearing layers.”

“Let me feel your hand,” Gu Wansheng smiled.

Wen Jinyan subconsciously pursed her lips and reached out, her cold palm meeting a different temperature.

“I just changed my clothes, my temperature hasn’t come back yet,” Wen Jinyan explained.

Gu Wansheng didn’t point out the flaw in her logic. She simply gripped her hand tighter. “Okay. If I’m cold, you warm me up. If you’re cold, I’ll warm you up. We’ll help each other.”

Su Muqing didn’t want to disturb their time together and found an excuse to go for a walk on her own. Since the farmhouse was not far from the town, the two chose to walk there.

Perhaps because Wen Jinyan was so eye-catching, most people who passed them would take a glance. Later, a little girl stared at her. Wen Jinyan noticed the gaze and looked back. The little girl stood there staring at her with wide eyes, then walked over and handed her a wildflower.

“Sister, you are so beautiful, just like a fairy from a fairy tale. This flower is for you.” At an age where feelings can’t be hidden, a child’s “like” is simply “like” and if they like you, they say it.

Wen Jinyan knelt down to be at eye level with the little girl and accepted her kindness. “Thank you. You are very beautiful too.”

“Really? But I’m so dark, I don’t look like a princess on TV at all.”

“It’s not only fair skinned people who can be princesses. Only you can define yourself, what’s on TV isn’t always true,” Wen Jinyan said in a gentle voice. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gu Wansheng kneel down as well. She heard the woman’s voice say in her ear, “The beautiful sister is right. You are your own princess.”

The little girl seemed to only half-understand, but she was very happy to hear the beautiful sisters praise her. “Sister, you are so nice. I want to marry you when I grow up.”

Wen Jinyan laughed and instinctively looked at Gu Wansheng, whose expression was hidden by her mask.

Wen Jinyan asked softly: “Do you know what marriage is?”

“Marriage means I like you, and I want to see you more.”

Gu Wansheng: “That won’t work.”

The little girl got a bit anxious upon hearing this. “Why? Does the sister not like me?”

Gu Wansheng spoke softly, “Because this beautiful sister is already married to me. She is my wife now.”

The corners of Wen Jinyan’s mouth curved up slightly, but she quietly suppressed the smile when Gu Wansheng looked over.

The little girl didn’t quite believe it and quickly looked at Wen Jinyan. “Sister, is what that sister said true?”

With both pairs of eyes staring at her, Wen Jinyan nodded. “It’s true. I like you very much too, but I like you because you are cute. When you grow up, you will meet someone who treats you with all their heart. They will like you even more than I do, and they will be even more beautiful than I am.”

Gu Wansheng caught the word “even,” and her gaze toward Wen Jinyan softened.

So Wen Jinyan does like me; she has feelings for me.

After the little girl left, Wen Jinyan was still holding the flower. It was a small yellow flower with tiny petals. Wen Jinyan tucked it into her hair near her ear.

The two arrived in town. Street vendors were setting up stalls along both sides of the road, and music was already playing in preparation for the evening fair. As they reached a wide open space, the music faded. In the center stood a massive banyan tree. Under its shade, groups of children played while elderly people sat on small stools chatting or playing chess.

They walked aimlessly until a young flower girl approached them. Her basket was filled with bouquets. Seeing them, she ran up with a beaming smile. “Two beautiful sisters, would you like to buy some flowers?”

“How much?” Gu Wansheng asked.

“Ten yuan each. Since you’re both so beautiful, I’ll give them to you for eight yuan each.” The little girl set the basket down, letting Gu Wansheng choose.

Gu Wansheng’s brows arched, her voice muffled slightly by the mask. “Little one, where are your parents? Why are you selling flowers alone?”

“They are working hard at a stall over there. I want to help them out.”

The girl took a QR code hanging from her neck for Gu Wansheng to scan. Gu Wansheng picked ten lilies and scanned the payment, showing the girl the transaction record.

“There you go.” She then patted the girl’s shoulder. “You’re very impressive.”

After the girl left, Gu Wansheng handed the flowers to Wen Jinyan with both hands.

Wen Jinyan smiled. “For me?”

Gu Wansheng smiled back. “For the beautiful girl. I wonder if the beautiful girl is willing to accept them?”

Wen Jinyan took them and whispered, “I am.”

As night fell, the town began to bustle. After a short walk, the two returned from the town to the farmhouse.

Meng Qiu was sitting in a chair in the lobby. Seeing Gu Wansheng, she quickly walked over. “Sister Gu, Sister Jinyan,” Meng Qiu greeted them.

Seeing that Meng Qiu had business with Gu Wansheng, Wen Jinyan prepared to head up to the second floor. But before she left, she whispered in Gu Wansheng’s ear, “Can I sleep with you tonight? I can’t sleep well when you’re not there.”

Gu Wansheng let out a chuckle. “Of course.”

Only after Wen Jinyan’s figure disappeared did Gu Wansheng withdraw her gaze. “Let’s go. We’re going to visit Secretary Lu.”

Lijia Village was not far from the farmhouse, and Gu Wansheng chose to walk. The villagers made their living by growing fruits and vegetables, and even before reaching the village, the scent of fruit lingered in the air.

Further ahead, a light appeared. As they approached, a woman standing in the center of a crowd pointed a flashlight at the ground.

“Hello, Miss Gu. My name is Lu Shu. I sent you a message online before.”