The Chronicle Of Seducing A Mature Woman (GL) - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Conversation

Zhong Xiao-ou curled her lip and said, “Is the hierarchy in your company really that rigid? Four or five different levels?”

Chi Wei corrected her, “It’s our company. That’s just how it is. If you want to get close to her, you’ll have to work for it yourself.”

Discouraged, Zhong Xiao-ou sighed. She didn’t know how to pursue people, let alone a high-tier beauty who was likely straight. She lacked both the courage and the skill. Sipping her free lemon water, she grumbled, “Then why don’t you introduce someone to me?”

“Introduce someone?” Chi Wei countered. “I’ve been by your side for all these years—are you blind?”

“Stop it,” Xiao-ou replied. “I told you, you’re not my type.”

“What type am I then?”

“The ‘flirty’ type.”

“Screw you, Zhong Xiao-ou! You’re the flirty one!”

“No, I just mean… you’re just not what I’m looking for.”

…

Backstory: The Failed Confession

Xiao-ou ate her sushi and licked her fingers. She and Chi Wei had been roommates in college, sharing a bunk bed. Chi Wei had fallen for her on the very first day of freshman orientation but never dared to act on it. Firstly, she feared scaring Xiao-ou off; secondly, Chi Wei had a rule about not touching straight women. Falling for a straight woman was a descent into a personal purgatory, and she didn’t want to suffer. To her, loving women was something to be enjoyed. Having been in the “scene” for a long time, she had seen too many straight women terrified by the prospect of same-sex attraction.

She had observed Xiao-ou for a long time until she noticed her watching lesbian films and constantly tailing a certain senior (xuejie). Concluding that Xiao-ou must be into women, Chi Wei planned an elaborate, romantic confession during a summer break when their other roommates were away.

Music, roses, red wine—she had transformed their drab dorm room into something beautiful. She chose the dorm to avoid overwhelming Xiao-ou in public, yet she still managed to reduce her to tears. Years later, Chi Wei still teased her for being “unsophisticated,” but Xiao-ou’s tears hadn’t been from lack of experience; they were from the shock of having her deepest secret suddenly exposed. In the heat of that romantic setting, Chi Wei had leaned in for a kiss, and Xiao-ou had burst into tears.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Wei had asked.

“Why did you kiss me?” Xiao-ou sobbed.

“Because I like you. I’ve liked you since the first day of university.”

“I’m… I’m not [like that]…” Xiao-ou instinctively denied it.

“Not what? I see you staring at that senior every day. You eat with her, you study with her… just admit it.” “I don’t…”

“Forget it, Xiao-ou. Don’t deny it. I know you like girls. And if you like girls, you have to like me first. That senior has a boyfriend.” Youthful love—so naive, yet so simple.

“I don’t… even if I… even if I like her, I just want to be around her. I wasn’t going to do anything. And that was my first kiss…” Xiao-ou had wailed. That was eighteen-year-old Xiao-ou, freshly finished with her freshman year, facing the panic of someone knowing her orientation and her secret crush, compounded by the shock of losing her first kiss to Chi Wei. Naturally, the confession failed.

…

The List of Demands

Xiao-ou poked at her salad with a fork. “You know so many people in the scene and have so many resources. Why can’t you introduce me to someone? You change girlfriends like you change clothes, yet you’re content letting me stay single for all these years.”

“My dear lady, my ancestor,” Chi Wei sighed. “Is it that I haven’t introduced you? Let’s count. Since the beginning of this year—six months—how many have I set you up with? In the spring, there was that police officer, a famous ‘T’ (Tomboy) in Chengdu; you said she was too masculine. I found you a nurse; you complained she was too clingy. Last month, I found you a sophisticated yujie (mature/cool older sister type)—wealthy, beautiful, professional, and she was into you. What was wrong with her? Honestly, you’re pretty, but you can’t be this picky. At this rate, you won’t just be single at 26; you’ll be single at 36, 46—ouch!”

Xiao-ou pinched her arm. “Jinx! Keep cursing me then. But look at who you introduced! The cop was too masculine and a heavy drinker. The nurse lived entirely in a 2D/anime world; it was impossible to have a normal conversation. And that ‘sophisticated’ woman? She was still married! I didn’t even get a chance to tell you that.”

“What? She was married? I hadn’t heard that.”

“You hadn’t heard? I thought you said she was your friend!” Xiao-ou fumed.

“Well, a friend of a friend. I just mentioned I was looking for a girlfriend for someone, and they brought her along. I thought she looked decent and proper.”

“Proper? After dinner on our first meeting, she wanted to go to a hotel and…” Xiao-ou got angry just thinking about it. Married and aggressive—who asks to book a room on the first date?

“That wild? I guess beneath every ‘proper’ exterior lies a flirty heart,” Chi Wei remarked, glancing at Xiao-ou. Xiao-ou pinched her again for the hidden jab.

“Fine, fine, it’s in the past. Since I apparently owe you, tell me your specific requirements so your success rate improves.”

“I have no requirements anymore. As long as it’s a woman,” Xiao-ou said dejectedly.

Chi Wei didn’t buy it. She pulled out a pen and paper, waiting.

“But… preferably a beauty. A bit older than me, or the same age. Say, 26 to 32. Definitely not married. Feminine—the more womanly the better. Height between 168–172cm. A steady job. Not a player. Gentle, considerate, and can cook—because I can’t. She cooks, I’ll clean. Not too poor; my monthly salary isn’t even 10,000 yet. We can build a life together, but she can’t be a drag on me. They say $1 + 1$ should be $> 2$…”

“Wait, keep writing! Why are you staring at me?” Xiao-ou noticed Chi Wei was gawking again.

“Keep going. This paper is almost full,” Chi Wei said, waving her scribbled notes.

Interrupted, Xiao-ou opened her mouth, thought for a second, and realized she couldn’t think of anything else for the moment. Chi Wei let out a long, weary sigh. She finally understood why she wasn’t Xiao-ou’s type. Xiao-ou was too serious, too stiff; she made mountains out of molehills. She had been single her entire life—never even been in a relationship—yet she was acting like she was shopping for a spouse rather than a girlfriend. Plus, she wasn’t even out of the closet.

“What’s with that face?” Xiao-ou asked, annoyed by the constant sighing.

“I’ll do my best,” Chi Wei replied. “But you’re on your own.”

“Actually… that President Gu… do you know her well?” Xiao-ou asked suddenly.

“Not really. We don’t cross paths often.”

“Oh…” Xiao-ou drifted off, picturing President Gu in her white shirt on stage, her captivating voice… She shook her head at her own fangirling.

“You’re still thinking about her? I can try to sniff around, but don’t get your hopes up.”

…

Solitude

After dinner, Xiao-ou returned to her small one-bedroom apartment. As she showered, her mind was a blur of President Gu’s image and Manager Wen’s angry face. A wave of loneliness washed over her.

She felt like life was a struggle. Back in college, she had loved that senior, but she was too timid to ever speak up. she was there whenever the senior needed her and vanished when she didn’t. When the senior eventually started dating a guy from the architecture department, Xiao-ou vanished for good.

She wondered when she would finally meet “The One.” She wanted to be in love. She didn’t want to be alone. Xiao-ou pressed a towel against her face and let out a muffled, mournful wail.