The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Phone

Fang Daiyu received the message and looked up. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony, the distant towering buildings seemed to border a sea of clouds. Pale yellow sparks of light emerged from the horizon like tinder, rising to hang between the floors. The rising golden light looked as if it had been filtered through ripples of water, rendering the entire sky in shades of red. The morning sun was not dazzling; on the contrary, it was full of hope. As the sun climbed higher, Fang Daiyu turned on her camera, having started recording the moment she saw the dawn. She walked slowly to the window and captured this rare, magnificent scene.

The exhaustion from staying up all night seemed to vanish instantly. On this new day, in this ancient and heavy northern city, she finally had a tether. Fang Daiyu smiled faintly, gazing at the morning light, and replied to Lin Xian: “I am very happy too, Xianxian.”

She sent the video of the sunrise to Lin Xian.

“I rarely manage to catch the sunrise in Beijing. I’ve waited at the window for many mornings before, only to find a moody sky or heavy mist.”

“Xianxian, you are my happiness. You are my morning sun.”

Lin Xian shyly opened the video. Her room was blocked by heavy blackout curtains, so she put on her slippers and walked to the window to pull back the darkness.

The morning air was fresh, and the light was perfect. Accompanied by the sunrise in the video, Lin Xian smiled privately: “Daiyu, we are enjoying the same sun.”

Fang Daiyu, sensing Lin Xian’s heart through some mysterious intuition, replied: “We are under the same sky. The feeling is quite magical.”

Lin Xian giggled foolishly: “I used to think the world was unchanging. Is this what being in love feels like?”

Fang Daiyu dialed the voice call.

The beep-beep of the waiting tone felt like it was thumping against their hearts.

The call connected. This was the first time the two had spoken on the phone. Hearing each other’s breathing right in their ears added an instant sense of intimacy. Yet, the underlying mystery of not knowing much about the other in reality brought a touch of excitement.

Having not slept all night, both of their voices sounded exceptionally gentle in the lingering atmosphere of the night.

“Xianxian,” Fang Daiyu pursed her lips. At the actual moment of the call, her heart couldn’t help but pound. She wanted to clear her throat but felt it might be ungraceful, so she could only suppress her lingering breathiness to continue the conversation.

“I’m listening.” Lin Xian’s voice was pure, like a pool of clear water. It was different from the high-pitched voice her friends usually heard; this was her most natural timbre.

Lin Xian’s response eased some of Fang Daiyu’s tension, and she finally found the courage to speak her mind: “Are you sure about the feeling now?”

Fang Daiyu’s voice was so low it swirled around the mind. For a moment, Lin Xian didn’t understand what she was saying: “Huh?” she uttered blankly.

Fang Daiyu guessed the little one’s confusion, and her voice held a hint of a smile: “The feeling of being in love. Are you sure now?” Her “huh” carried a low, deep tone, as if she were whispering right against Lin Xian’s ear.

Thinking back to what she had just said, Lin Xian’s heart suddenly slammed against her ribs. Just because she had asked, “Is this what being in love feels like?”, Fang Daiyu had called her.

From the deepest part of her heart, a sincere sense of comfort and happiness emerged—the happiness of being cared for and the small joy of mutual affection.

Lin Xian wanted to answer, “I’m sure.”

But somehow, she couldn’t open her mouth. She felt a bit embarrassed.

She squeezed her fingertips and gathered her courage: “Now I’m sure.” Her voice was sweet, making Fang Daiyu think of crisp, sweet wine. She suddenly wanted a drink.

It was unexpected that Lin Xian would be shy. Fang Daiyu thought that the lively Lin Xian, who was always so naturally familiar in chat, should be bold and proactive in love.

She was proactive, yes, but also far too shy.

A young girl in her first relationship is always easily stirred to a blushing face and racing heart. This sudden shyness caught Fang Daiyu off guard, making her own heart skip a beat, as if a secret cord had been plucked.

Fang Daiyu, though no longer a teenager, had never been in love, but she had seen plenty of books and videos. Her mind involuntarily conjured up some heart-racing fantasies—those moments of passion she usually found sordid or beneath her now seemed to tear open a small window in her mind.

Fang Daiyu let out a soft laugh and said, “It’s morning in the blink of an eye. Go to sleep, Xianxian, you silly girl.”

Lin Xian’s heart was overflowing with sweetness. Suddenly remembering Fang Daiyu’s job, she asked hurriedly: “Don’t you have work? I’m a student so I’m used to this, but I forgot you aren’t as free.”

“What are you thinking?” Daiyu chuckled softly. Her voice carried warmth and joy to Lin Xian’s side; Lin Xian could even imagine her smiling over there. “I was on a business trip to Shanghai a few days ago. It just so happens I don’t have work tomorrow. Little one, do you think adults have no control over their own schedules?” Fang Daiyu viewed Lin Xian as a child in her heart—after all, she was a girl who hadn’t left campus yet. Chatting with her always felt innocent and pure.

This kind of blind, beautiful innocence was something Fang Daiyu had long left behind. Once she couldn’t wait to escape it, but now, after struggling in society, she realized how precious it was.

Lin Xian really did have childish thoughts, focusing on points different from most people: “Call me Jiejie (older sister)! Who’s a child? You are.”

After grumbling, Lin Xian reluctantly said goodbye: “Then let’s go to sleep together. Bye-bye, Daiyu.”

“Mhm,” Fang Daiyu responded. She switched her phone to speaker mode, placed it on the sink, and began brushing her teeth. Thinking about turning her day and night upside down for love for the first time felt a bit thrilling. She actually had a girlfriend now—how incredible.

On the other end, Lin Xian felt sleepiness wash over her as soon as she said goodbye. However, she stubbornly kept her eyes open, waiting for Fang Daiyu to hang up.

One second, two seconds, half a minute passed. She heard the sound of rushing water over there. Slowly, small sounds moved closer to the receiver. Suddenly, the sound of a shower head filled the room, and Lin Xian hurriedly hung up the phone.

With a ding-dong, the call ended. Fang Daiyu heard it and smiled.

Lin Xian’s face was burning bright red. Falling into a hazy sleep that morning, she had a blurred, erotic dream. In the dream, there were warm red silk quilts and crimson veils. The veils fell, bringing a scent of cold fragrance. Slender, white fingers stroked her shoulder, bringing itchiness and tremors.

When she woke up, the noon sun was bright. The thin quilt had slipped from her shoulder. Lin Xian sat on the bed for a long time without moving. When she went to the bathroom, she suddenly discovered her underwear was stained with a thick, transparent white fluid. Lin Xian turned red with shame. It felt like she was carrying a scandalous little secret. Fortunately, her roommates weren’t there. She snuck back to her room to change into clean pants, then washed and hung the old ones to dry.

The white panties were dazzling under the balcony sun, set against the backdrop of the blue sky seen through the glass.

Driven by a strange psychological impulse, Lin Xian pulled the underwear down and returned to her room. She thought about throwing them in the trash but stopped. Eventually, she set up a small string in her room to air-dry them. From then on, Lin Xian never wore them again.

…

Around 1:00 PM, Yaya called Lin Xian. Yaya was one of her classmates who lived with her while studying for the postgraduate entrance exam. She spoke urgently as soon as the call connected: “Xianxian, are you awake? Nannan and I are at the market. Didn’t we agree to celebrate your birthday on Mid-Autumn Festival today and invite friends over for hotpot? Are you coming to find us, or are you staying home to prep?”

The lingering romantic thoughts were instantly swept away. “Keep shopping, I’ll be there in ten minutes!” Her heart jumped into her throat. Having almost missed the main event, Lin Xian sprinted out the door, not even having time to change her slippers. She threw on her backpack, hopped on her bike, and headed for the market.

The market was located behind the Yonghui Supermarket, where the flower/bird market and the vegetable market were joined. By the time Lin Xian found Yaya and Nannan, their hands were already full of fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat. Seeing her, Yaya waved hurriedly: “Xianxian, over here!”

When Lin Xian walked over, she was handed Yaya’s shopping list.

“We still need white tofu, beef rolls, mutton rolls, and hotpot seasoning. Buy them and head back yourself. Nannan and I are going home to prep the food first. We’ve notified everyone to come over at 4:30.” The late Lin Xian nodded obediently, losing her usual arrogant and lively demeanor.

Lin Xian added weakly: “My backpack is very big. Let me carry the heavy things back for you.”

Yaya rolled her eyes and let out a huff of laughter: “Fine, fine. If I were really worried, I would have woken you up with a dozen calls. Did you stay up all night? I only heard you washing up when I got up this morning.”

Lin Xian felt embarrassed, but she still snatched a large bag of meatballs from Yaya and put it in her backpack.

“You two aren’t as strong as me, let me do it.” With that, she said goodbye to them.

After buying everything, Lin Xian was afraid her phone might slip out, so she tossed it into her backpack and then shoved all the food in on top of it. She cycled home, where fresh vegetables were already being placed in basins on the table. She went into the kitchen to take the food out one by one, gasping for breath and joking with Yaya and Nannan. When she reached for her phone, she suddenly screamed involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” Jingjing happened to walk into the room. Everyone gathered around Lin Xian, wondering what she was shouting about.

Lin Xian’s heart broke. She held her soaking wet phone, wanting to cry but having no tears. The condensation from the frozen food at the bottom had accidentally soaked the phone. Combined with the bumps of the bike ride, the phone was ruined. Lin Xian tapped the screen carefully; there was no response at all.

Her foolish, pig-like mistake made her secretly regretful. The scene was so pathetic that the onlookers didn’t even know how to comment. Only Jingjing snapped out of it and urged her: “Don’t just stand there! We’ve got things covered here. Hurry to the school gate to get your phone fixed.”

Lin Xian dithered for a few seconds, not knowing whether to stay or go. Before she could decide, she was pushed out the door by the group.

“I…” She wanted to say something but couldn’t. Lin Xian hopped on her bike and headed to the repair shop, where she was inevitably scolded by the familiar middle-aged owner.

“You certainly keep me in business, but can’t you take care of your phone for once?” The man used a hairdryer to dry the surface moisture, then walked to his workbench and started dismantling the phone.

“Didn’t I just replace this for you six months ago? What’s the matter? A new model came out and you wanted to trash this one?” Upon hearing the circumstances, the owner just sighed, called his wife to get some parts, and began inspecting the phone.

“Look, the circuit board is completely fried. See that?” White crystals like lime scale covered the circuit board. Lin Xian couldn’t bear to look and turned her head away.

The owner: “Oh, so now you’re too scared to look? You were decisive enough when you threw the phone and the food into your backpack together!”

Lin Xian wanted to tell him to shut up, but she didn’t dare; she didn’t know if she would have to come back and beg him for help in the future. She could only wait obediently by his side and ask: “Uncle, can it be fixed?”

“Hard to say.” The man took out some alcohol and started cleaning the board. “Are you in a hurry?”

I’m just a student, and usually nobody calls me. Why would I be in a hurry?

Lin Xian replied sheepishly: “I’m not in a hurry.”

The owner: “I’ll take a look tonight. Lin Xian, considering our history—even though there are four or five students ahead of you—I’ll let you skip the line tomorrow. Come to the shop tomorrow and I’ll give you an update.”

Lin Xian said goodbye respectfully. On her bike ride home, she felt like she had forgotten something.

There shouldn’t be anything else, right? She thought back over her to-do list: “Oh, right! I need to call Jiang Binliu and Wenchao. I forgot to tell them to come over for dinner.”