The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Angry

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were seven days left until the National Day holiday. Lin Xian counted them on her fingers, marking each day with a sticky note on her desk.

Today was the third day before she was set to meet Fang Daiyu. After returning home from her evening self-study session, Lin Xian couldn’t resist trying on her newly purchased outfits again. It was autumn, and the temperature difference between day and night in Beijing was significant. The city’s autumn had one face in the morning, another at noon, and yet another at night. In this fickle season, the streets were a mix of women huddled in trench coats, trendy girls showing off their long legs, and “exaggerated creatures” like Lin Xian—wearing a jacket in the morning, a T-shirt at noon, and a heavy coat with a scarf at night.

She had three outfits in total. The first was a lotus-root-colored crewneck sweater—moderately thick, heavier than a cardigan but lighter than a standard sweater—paired with milk-tea-colored wide-leg trousers. This look was artistic and well-behaved, but Lin Xian worried it might be too cold at night, as she wasn’t sure if she and Daiyu would be staying out late. Yaya and Nannan liked this one best.

The second was a short, black leather jacket made of thin, minimalist leather, paired with a low-saturation sage green high-neck knit base and dark grey high-waisted straight-leg suit pants. This look was stylish and cool, subtly exuding an “attacker” (top) vibe. He Yao’s eyes lit up when she saw Lin Xian change into it: “Beautiful! Why didn’t you dress like this before?”

The third was a JK uniform—a daily-wear green blazer with a white shirt, a green bow tie, and a knee-length dark grey pleated skirt. Out of a personal whim, Lin Xian thought that since Daiyu looked so “Japanese-style,” she might have a soft spot for the JK schoolgirl look. When Lin Xian walked out in the uniform, the girls shrieked. No girl is immune to the charm of a uniform; it’s just that they usually don’t wear them due to their personal styles.

Once the shouting died down, they reached a unanimous verdict: “Not this one!”

Lin Xian dejectedly tossed the uniform into the closet. She was so annoyed; it was her most expensive set, and she had even bought leather shoes to match, which were still somewhere in the mail. Though Lin Xian was usually labeled as a “tomboyish slob,” she actually possessed a hidden “maiden’s heart.”

While Lin Xian was sulking, He Yao, who had come over for a visit, sucked on a popsicle and said, “Are you stupid? Really? Do you think you can ‘return to school in one piece’ if you wear that?”

“Huh?” Lin Xian didn’t understand. What did she mean by “return to school in one piece”?

He Yao felt she had to be blunt, otherwise this “little white rabbit” would get lured into a trap: “She’s a professional in society, and you’re a college student who hasn’t even left the campus gate. Haven’t you considered you might be scammed?” He Yao tossed her popsicle stick and flopped onto Lin Xian’s bed. “The lesbian circle is very messy. Sigh, tsk tsk tsk… I’m telling you, even if it’s love at first sight, be careful. Beautiful women find it easier to deceive; by the time you realize it, you’ll be out of money and ‘purity’.”

Lin Xian didn’t react much to this. From their days of chatting, and given that she was the one who initiated the pursuit, she didn’t think Daiyu fit the profile of a legendary scammer. In other words, if scammers all looked like that, she’d be happy to be scammed.

Jingjing, Yaya, and Nannan were different. Never having been in the “circle” themselves, they took He Yao’s word as gospel. They asked fearfully, “Maybe you shouldn’t go, Xianxian? Or take us with you? This sounds terrifying.”

“Yeah, yeah, take us along.”

Lin Xian shot He Yao a look: You caused this mess, you fix it.

He Yao scratched the back of her head and got off the bed reluctantly. “Well, since it’s the first time, you could verify her identity. But who takes a crowd on a date? If she really is a stunning sister, wouldn’t Xianxian be hitting the jackpot?”

He Yao turned to Xianxian: “By the way, what was that sister’s name again? Xiangyun? Baochai?…”

Lin Xian rolled her eyes: “Daiyu.”

He Yao smirked mischievously. “Oh~ so it really is ‘Little Sister Lin’ (Lin Meimei)!”

Lin Xian ignored her, letting out a simple “Mhm.”

He Yao covered her mouth and giggled: “What a coincidence for the two of you.”

Hearing this, Jingjing chimed in: “Isn’t it? Back in the day, our Xianxian’s famous nickname was ‘Little Sister Lin.’ What’s this? Two ‘Little Sister Lins’ meeting to form a true Lin Daiyu?”

Yaya gesticulated wildly, eager to add to the chaos: “This is the legendary—”

Nannan laughed: “Match made in heaven!”

Yaya laughed at the same time: “Destined soulmates!”

The two looked at each other: “No chemistry at all!”

Being teased by her friends about her romance was standard procedure, and it made Lin Xian feel both sweet and happy. She used to be the bystander teasing Jingjing about her love life; who would have thought she’d finally be the one in the game?

With two days left until the date, and under the group’s advice, Lin Xian finally decided on the first outfit—the “pure, artistic, and well-behaved student” look. The reason was that the white shoes for the second outfit hadn’t arrived yet.

Cursed shipping. Lin Xian had used an unreliable proxy buyer, and the shoes were currently circling somewhere across the ocean.

The first outfit was much simpler. Lin Xian bought a corduroy crossbody bag and paired it with white Converse high-tops. The milk tea and lotus root colors were in the same family—very gentle autumn/winter tones. The sweater and trousers were both loose, “lazy” styles that looked very slimming and elegant.

“My god, you’re the literal definition of an artistic girl. I love it,” Yaya praised her.

The tips of Lin Xian’s ears turned red again. “Do you think… she’ll like it?”

Nannan suggested: “I don’t know if she’ll ‘like’ it, but I definitely wouldn’t hate it. I’d even steal a few extra glances.”

Jingjing remembered something: “Xianxian, remember to keep your mouth closed when eating. You know how you occasionally smack your lips when you get excited?”

Lin Xian felt a jolt of alarm and instinctively clamped her mouth shut. “I know,” she whispered. “I’ll take small bites and chew slowly. I’ll stay as quiet as possible.” Being from the south and raised by her grandparents while her parents were away, she had picked up her grandfather’s habit of smacking her lips. It wasn’t until she went to boarding school in junior high that she realized it bothered people. Since then, she had been mindful and worked hard to change the habit.

But a habit is a habit. When no one was around, she still ate and chewed heartily, as if that was the only way to truly enjoy a meal.

Lin Xian envied girls who were well-disciplined by their families from a young age. However, as she grew up and found her confidence, she realized one thing: she was herself, and she didn’t want to become anyone else.

It was okay to have flaws that others disliked, as long as they didn’t affect others. If she liked it, she could accept it, even if others thought it was “wrong.”

She didn’t know if Fang Daiyu would mind the lip-smacking. Thinking about it, her habit wasn’t dramatic or loud—just a tiny sound. If Daiyu minded, she’d just have to endure it.

Lin Xian made a grim resolution to sacrifice for love.

She gave Jingjing a grateful look and instructed the others: “You guys must send me WeChat reminders at all times—things like ‘don’t slouch,’ ‘don’t smack your lips,’ ‘don’t scratch your hair,’ and all that tomboy stuff.”

The group set their alarms, nodding solemnly as if sending a warrior off to battle.

In the five days leading up to the date, Lin Xian scrubbed her entire body with bath salts every day and applied body lotion afterward. Yaya had recommended the lotion; the top notes were pleasant but quite strong. After applying it and putting on her pajamas, even her clothes smelled like it. After an hour or two, the strong scent would fade, leaving behind a light, natural fragrance that was only noticeable if someone sniffed her skin or clothes closely.

Lin Xian had never understood the use of body lotion before, but these few days were an epiphany. She thanked Yaya multiple times for the recommendation.

“Be a fragrant girl!” That was Lin Xian’s first goal before meeting Fang Daiyu. She had heard that all girls were “fragrant and soft.” She wasn’t soft enough, so she definitely couldn’t be smelly or scentless.

She trimmed her fingernails and toenails, and even went to a salon to get her face threaded. She used a face mask every day. The night before, she showered, put on her clothes for the next day, and hopped around the room, hoping to infuse the scent into the fabric. Only after leaning in and smelling the faint fragrance did she take the clothes off, hang them up, and go to sleep.

While Lin Xian was sleeping like a log, Fang Daiyu was experiencing an unprecedented bout of insomnia.

She stood before her closet, looking left and right, but nothing satisfied her. She suddenly regretted not thinking to buy new clothes in advance.

Fang Daiyu was frustrated with herself. She sat on her balcony lounge chair and watched the stars for half the night. Having just returned from Qinhuangdao, she should have been exhausted, but her irritation kept her mind sharp.

It wasn’t until dawn that she finally couldn’t hold out anymore and collapsed onto her bed.

…

As the first ray of morning sun entered the room, Lin Xian had already pulled back the curtains and started her face mask and makeup routine.

Debating whether to get dressed or do her makeup first, she removed the mask, washed her face, and checked her WeChat.

Hmm, Sister Daiyu doesn’t seem to be up yet.

Her heart was pounding. It was 7:00 AM on National Day morning. Her roommates, unable to handle the crowds in Beijing, had already decided not to stray further than 500 meters from their home.

By 7:30, Lin Xian had finished breakfast and ran to brush her teeth again. After taking off her pajamas and secretly putting on lace lingerie, her heart raced. A few days ago, she couldn’t help herself and bought several sets of French-style lingerie behind everyone’s back. They were too beautiful. After searching online about how comfortable French lingerie was, she was completely sold.

She had secretly washed and dried them over the past few days. Putting them on for the first time felt incredibly light and comfortable. This was going to be a great day!

She exhaled; it was the fresh scent of toothpaste. Lin Xian used some mint mouth spray for an extra kick and put on daily contact lenses she hadn’t worn in a long time.

She couldn’t guarantee her breath would smell like lilies, but at least it was fresh now. Little Daiyu shouldn’t mind. For someone like Lin Xian, who used to brush her teeth if convenient but otherwise just used mouthwash or forgot entirely, it was unthinkable that she would one day be this meticulous for a single person.

She even spent half an hour trimming her eyebrows and applied the most delicate makeup of her life. But then, the bangs she had spent so much effort blow-drying the night before were suddenly sticking straight up…

A disaster!

It was already 9:00 AM. Lin Xian had a date with Daiyu at Wangfujing at 12:00. She bolted out of the apartment complex and into a hair salon. Finding a stylist, she sat down hurriedly: “Excuse me, can you style my hair?”

Twenty minutes later, after getting her hair washed and styled again, Lin Xian finally reached a flower shop by taxi, appearing flawless.

In her hand, she carried the “Liuliu” plushie she had worked so hard to get. At the shop, she picked up a long box of beautiful red roses and satisfiedly closed the lid. Holding the gift box with one arm and the plushie with the other, she began the battle of the crowded National Day buses and subways.

By the time she emerged from the subway exit, she felt like she was covered in sweat. Wearing a sweater in this heat was a nightmare. Looking at the dense crowds under the blazing sun, she struggled to pull out her phone and messaged Fang Daiyu: “Little Daiyu, which subway exit are you at?”

After waiting for two or three minutes, during which she was pushed around by the crowd, she finally received a voice message from Fang Daiyu.

The subway station was deafeningly loud. Lin Xian held the phone to her ear and listened several times before she could make out what Fang Daiyu was saying: “I’m so sorry, Xianxian. My boss called me back to the office this morning for some urgent business. The traffic for taxis is a nightmare. I’m about to switch to the subway; I’m still nine stations away from Wangfujing.”

It was like a stone sinking into a pond without a single ripple.

Lin Xian followed the crowd out of a subway exit in a daze. Outside, the sun was fierce and blinding. Everywhere she looked, people were squinting and sweating. Lin Xian placed the gift box on a nearby step and rubbed her wrists.

It’s so heavy. My arms are so sore.

The sun beat down on her face without any shade; Lin Xian felt like she was melting.

The crowds flowed past like swarms of fish. Lin Xian thought about how wonderful it would be to be lying at home right now, eating watermelon and watching dramas.

She felt sweat trickling down her back. She gritted her teeth and waited.

Wait. Just wait a little longer. It’s only nine stations. Ten or twenty minutes and she’ll be here.

Lin Xian took out a small mirror to check her makeup. One or two passersby gave her surprised looks. Feeling embarrassed, she put the mirror back in her pocket.

She stood straight, maintaining her best posture, fearing that Fang Daiyu might appear at any second.

By the way, what will Daiyu look like?

Lin Xian couldn’t quite imagine it.

After a while, she thought: Will someone who just finished overtime be dressed very casually? Will she look a bit disheveled from rushing over?

If it were her, she would never let herself look like that when meeting her girlfriend.

Lin Xian felt a bit aggrieved, though she couldn’t say exactly why. Before coming, she was full of joy and anticipation, feeling like her preparations weren’t good enough. Now, she started to regret preparing too much.

For this date, she had spent over 4,000 yuan—two months’ worth of living expenses. Lin Xian suddenly felt the sting of the cost.

She hadn’t felt it before, but now she did. She also felt a pang of regret about buying the roses and the plushie.

Maybe Fang Daiyu didn’t value her that much. Was her grand gesture just going to make her look foolish?

Fortunately, Fang Daiyu didn’t know the other things she had done—those things were even stupider.

Half an hour passed.

Lin Xian checked her phone. There were several messages from Fang Daiyu: “The subway is packed; I haven’t been able to squeeze onto the last few trains. I’m so sorry, Xianxian.”

“Xianxian, wait for me a little longer.”

“Xianxian, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Find a place for yourself first. Be good, I’ll be there soon.”

…

Lin Xian’s heart sank further. She moved to a different spot. Not far ahead was a police car, and near it was a large willow tree. She stood near the car, feeling a slight breeze under the tree.

She replied to Fang Daiyu: “It’s okay.”

Whenever Lin Xian said “it’s okay,” she usually meant she was unhappy. All her friends knew this.

Lin Xian thought to herself: Forget it. Whether she’s a beauty or just a hormonal impulse, to hell with it! I don’t want a girlfriend who doesn’t care about me!

Out of basic courtesy, she’d finish the date and then say goodbye for good. Can I even remember what Fang Daiyu looks like?

Lin Xian pushed the thought aside. Who knows!