Self-Perception - Chapter 41

Gu Wansheng exited Weibo. Wen Jinyan had finished bathing and was sitting on the rug, blow-drying her hair.

The floor was covered with a carpet Gu Wansheng had specifically bought, she was afraid Wen Jinyan would get cold in the winter, as the woman loved walking barefoot. It was a habit Gu Wansheng couldn’t force her to change, but she could certainly do something to accommodate it.

Wen Jinyan draped her hair to one side. Because of her tilted head, she couldn’t see Gu Wansheng approaching.

Stepping onto the fluffy carpet felt comfortable. Gu Wansheng grabbed a small blanket from the sofa, draped it over Wen Jinyan’s legs, and reached for the hairdryer. Wen Jinyan looked up, her eyes meeting Gu Wansheng’s.

“Look forward,” Gu Wansheng said softly, sitting down behind her.

Wen Jinyan didn’t listen. She kept her head tilted back, her gaze locked with Gu Wansheng’s, her lips moving slightly in a silent invitation.

Seeing the invitation in her eyes, Gu Wansheng moved her hand down to rest on the side of Wen Jinyan’s neck, her thumb feeling the steady beat of the pulse. She leaned down to peck Wen Jinyan’s lips before standing up slightly to prop Wen Jinyan’s back against her thighs, continuing to dry her hair.

The moment was quiet and warm, a time belonging solely to them.

Only after Wen Jinyan’s hair was completely dry did Gu Wansheng head into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Wen Jinyan picked up the stray hairs from the carpet, rolled them into a ball to toss in the trash, and checked her messages.

When Gu Wansheng emerged from the bathroom trailing steam, Wen Jinyan walked toward her holding the hairdryer.

Gu Wansheng smiled silently, pulled over a chair, and wrapped herself in the blanket to accept the “return favor.”

“Are you busy lately?”

“Not really. I only have a few events left on my schedule. When the movie premieres near the New Year, there will be a few roadshows, and then the year is basically done.”

The two chatted idly. As the night grew late, they lay facing each other in bed, Gu Wansheng holding her close. Their heartbeats fell into the same rhythm.

The next day, Gu Wansheng headed out for an event. In the afternoon, during a break, she went to the mall to pick out a gift. Having little experience with first time gifts, she called Bai Jin for advice.

“Who is the gift for?” Bai Jin’s voice was drowned out by a lot of background noise.

“Wen Jinyan’s aunt is coming over for dinner tomorrow. I’m debating between a silk scarf or earrings.”

“The most important thing is the thought behind it. As long as the sentiment is there, it’s fine. Or why don’t you ask Wen Jinyan? Pong!”

“Are you playing Mahjong?”

“Yeah. Kong!”

Gu Wansheng hung up and walked into a shop. She eventually selected a pale blue silk scarf with gold thread patterns and had it wrapped. On her way home, she passed a bakery. Seeing a cake shaped like a hot spring in the window, she paused for a few seconds before turning inside.

Wen Jinyan didn’t wake up until the afternoon. She realized that as long as Gu Wansheng’s scent was around her, she could sleep deeply without the need for medication.

While waiting for her delivery, she opened her writing software and noticed a private message from a stranger. It was from a dubbing studio expressing interest in her work, asking if she would be interested in a commercial collaboration. They had attached their contact info.

Wen Jinyan didn’t immediately accept or refuse, simply replying that she would consider it.

She sent a message to Gu Wansheng asking when she’d be home. After ten minutes with no reply, the dubbing studio messaged back with a “Great.”

Half an hour after she finished her food, Gu Wansheng finally replied:

[I was busy just now and didn’t see the message. I’ll be back early today.]

[I’m heading to the supermarket. Is there anything you want to eat? I think we’re out of fruit. What do you want for dinner?]

Wen Jinyan took her copy of The Little Prince from the study and sat on the chaise lounge to reply:

[I want grapes. And I want your stewed tomato and pork rib soup for dinner.]

[Okay. Anything else? Snacks?] [No.]

Gu Wansheng knew her personality well, but the fact that she was now willing to proactively suggest a dish was a huge step forward. When they first met, Wen Jinyan’s answer to everything was “whatever,” as if she were indifferent to everything, including herself.

Gu Wansheng put on her mask and parked the car. In the snack aisle on the second floor, she snapped two photos.

Gu Wansheng: [Which flavor do you like?]

Wen Jinyan zoomed in. In the photos, Gu Wansheng wore a mask and a hat, revealing only her bright black eyes. In one hand, she held a bag of lime flavored chips, in the second photo, her pose was identical, but she held cucumber flavored chips.

Wen Jinyan: [Cucumber flavor.]

Gu Wansheng: [Okay.]

Wen Jinyan zoomed in again, looking at the pictures for a long time before saving both. A few minutes later, Gu Wansheng sent two more photos and a text.

Gu Wansheng: [Do you want sour plum candy or fruit candy?]

Wen Jinyan: [Neither.]

Wen Jinyan rarely ate candy, she felt it offered nothing beyond a fleeting moment of sweetness.

Gu Wansheng: [Really? Not even one?] (Puppy sighing .jpg)

Wen Jinyan: [If you buy them, you have to eat them.]

After that, Wen Jinyan’s phone didn’t stop vibrating. She felt helpless but happy.

Wen Jinyan: [Gu Wansheng, can you talk right now?]

Gu Wansheng: [I can.]

As soon as the message arrived, Wen Jinyan called her. Her voice held a smile she didn’t even notice. “Gu Wansheng, are you taking pictures of the items or of yourself?”

Wen Jinyan heard the sound of a shopping cart being pushed. A few seconds later, Gu Wansheng’s voice came through, unhurried: “I’m doing whichever one you think I’m doing.”

She threw the question back at Wen Jinyan.

Wen Jinyan laughed. “Gu Wansheng, how old are you?”

Gu Wansheng: “Exactly one year older than my wife.”

“Childish,” Wen Jinyan said.

“But do you like it?”

Do you like this childish person?

“Gu Wansheng.” She said, “I like you.”

Gu Wansheng licked her dry lips, her smile widening. “Yanyan, don’t hang up.”

Wen Jinyan pressed her lips together and spoke warmly, “Okay.”

Through the receiver, Wen Jinyan heard the rustle of bags, the background music of the supermarket, and Gu Wansheng’s voice asking for her opinion. It felt as if she were right there by Gu Wansheng’s side.

They didn’t hang up until Gu Wansheng got into the car. Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Wen Jinyan opened the door to help with the groceries, but noticed a cake in Gu Wansheng’s other hand.

A cake? It wasn’t Gu Wansheng’s birthday, nor was it hers. She searched her mind for a reason but found none.

“Is today a special occasion?”

Gu Wansheng replied playfully, “Guess?”

Wen Jinyan sighed. “I can’t.”

Gu Wansheng didn’t explain immediately. She walked to the table and set the cake down. “What do you think it looks like?”

Wen Jinyan studied it for a few seconds, then looked at Gu Wansheng. “A hot spring?”

Gu Wansheng began to unpack it. “The ‘Wen’ in hot spring (Wenquan) is the same ‘Wen’ as in Wen Jinyan.”

The bright yellow light from the dining room lamp fell across the table, illuminating Gu Wansheng’s hands, face, and hair, making everything look beautiful. Wen Jinyan was still processing Gu Wansheng’s words.

“Have some cake to tide you over. I’m going to cook.” Seeing her expression, Gu Wansheng didn’t disturb her thoughts further and headed into the kitchen once Wen Jinyan took the cake.

Wen Jinyan stared at the cake. It was blue, white, and green. The blue represented the water, the white was the rising steam, and the green represented the surrounding plants.

The reason for the cake wasn’t a special holiday, it was simply because a word describing a hot spring contained her surname.

Wen Jinyan blinked and looked toward the kitchen. Gu Wansheng’s love was deeper than she had imagined.

The next day arrived. Wen Jinyan called her aunt again to ask if she needed a ride, but her aunt declined.

Even so, Wen Jinyan timed her exit. Before leaving, she went to the bedroom and took a small red box from a drawer. Inside lay a pair of exquisite rings. Gu Wansheng had bought them after their flash marriage.

Wen Jinyan put one on her own finger and took the other to find Gu Wansheng.

Gu Wansheng was in the kitchen prepping ingredients. “Aren’t you going to pick up your aunt?”

Wen Jinyan said, “Give me your hand.”

Gu Wansheng was confused but reached out, palm up, still wet with droplets of water. Under Gu Wansheng’s gaze, Wen Jinyan produced the ring.

Gu Wansheng’s heart skipped a beat. A moment later, she felt Wen Jinyan take her hand and carefully slide the ring onto her ring finger.

“Why did you suddenly bring out the rings?” Gu Wansheng asked, her thumb brushing the edge of the ring, warming the metal with her body heat.

Wen Jinyan looked at her with sparkling eyes and spoke slowly, “You are my lady, and I am your wife. Isn’t it normal to wear rings?”

Gu Wansheng thought she might have imagined it, but Wen Jinyan’s ears seemed to turn red as she spoke.

Gu Wansheng teased, “But why today specifically?”

Wen Jinyan gave her a mock-glare. “Gu Wansheng!”

Gu Wansheng stopped teasing. She lifted Wen Jinyan’s left hand; the ring on Wen Jinyan’s finger was identical to hers. It seemed she had picked the perfect size back then.

“I’m going to get my aunt,” Wen Jinyan said before fleeing the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Wen Jinyan led Wen Qiuyi into the house.

Hearing the voices, Gu Wansheng hurried out of the kitchen. When she saw Wen Qiuyi, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. Before Wen Jinyan could introduce them, Gu Wansheng stepped forward and greeted her politely.

“Hello, Teacher Wen.”