The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Nearsightedness

“You really want to stay in a hotel?” Fang Daiyu’s gaze grew dark and unfathomable.

To Lin Xian’s ears, this sounded like: Are you sure you don’t want to stay at my place?

Lin Xian nodded firmly. “Yes, I’ll book it right now, Daiyu. Tell me your address; I think it’ll be more convenient to book somewhere near your home.”

Fang Daiyu reached out to stop Lin Xian from taking out her phone. Her breathing hitched for half a beat. Lin Xian watched as Fang Daiyu took a deep breath before saying slowly, “I’ll book it!”

“That wouldn’t be right, would it?” Lin Xian looked at her, feeling conflicted. Fang Daiyu had paid for everything all day; letting her pay for a hotel too felt excessive. At that moment, Fang Daiyu’s restrained expression finally cracked. Her girlfriend had proactively suggested a hotel, and then the “kid” expected to pay for it herself?

How was that possible?

The taxi pulled up at the entrance of Fang Daiyu’s apartment complex. It was a worn-out high-rise, about a dozen stories high. Fang Daiyu led Lin Xian into the elevator lobby. The old elevator was tiny and cramped. Seeing this, Lin Xian’s heart ached for her: Fang Daiyu must be having such a hard time as a ‘North Drifter’ in Beijing. Living in such a dilapidated complex, she must be earning very little money.

Thinking this as they reached Fang Daiyu’s floor, Lin Xian stood in the hallway and waited obediently. “Daiyu, I won’t go in and bother you. I’ll wait here while you drop off your things, then we can go to dinner.”

Fang Daiyu, who had intended for Lin Xian to wait in the living room, was stunned. She thought Lin Xian was being shy, and then reconsidered that bringing someone home on the very first date might indeed seem a bit “predatory.”

“I’ll be out very soon then.” Fang Daiyu took the roses and the plushie inside.

Waiting in the corridor, Lin Xian noticed there were seven or eight units on this floor. She didn’t know if Daiyu had roommates. A surge of ambition rose in her chest: I must work hard to support Daiyu in the future. We’ll eat the best food and live in luxury—I absolutely won’t let her live in such a poor environment.

While waiting, she used her phone to find a nearby Home Inn. Seeing the price was 400 or 500 yuan, she winced and booked a “cheap” standard room for nearly 400 yuan. After booking, she looked around. A well-dressed, stylish elderly man stepped out of the unit opposite and glanced at her. “Little girl, are you new here?”

Lin Xian shook her head shyly. “No, my friend lives here. I’m just waiting for her.” She pointed at Daiyu’s door.

The grandfather had an epiphany. “Oh, Little Dai. Why leave a friend out in the hall? Really now. Child, why don’t you come into my place and rest for a bit?”

“Oh, there’s no need!” Lin Xian was on high alert. Just then, the door opened again, and a handsome young man stepped out. He was neatly dressed. Seeing his grandfather talking to a strange girl, he knew the old man’s “habit” was acting up again.

The young man calmly asked what was happening. Once he understood, he extended a hand. “Hello, I’m Feng Youjun, Fang Daiyu’s neighbor.”

Feng Youjun was perfectly polite. Despite her wariness, Lin Xian couldn’t ignore him since he knew Daiyu. Feeling puzzled, she politely shook his hand briefly. “Lin Xian. Nice to meet you.” She gave a formal smile. Seeing they looked ready to go out, she didn’t want to chat further. “Are you two heading out? Let me press the elevator for you.”

Like a busy little butterfly, Lin Xian flew to the elevator and pressed the button. When the doors opened, she nodded with a polite, slightly mischievous grin. “Grandpa, Neighbor, have a good one! Be safe!” She waved. Once the doors closed, she did a little hop of joy on the floor tiles, happy to have resolved the social interaction so smoothly.

Inside the elevator, Feng Shan looked at his grandson and laughed. “That girl is quite interesting. Isn’t she Little Dai’s friend? We should invite her over sometime.”

Feng Youjun shook his head helplessly. “Grandpa, you’re over seventy. If you keep inviting young boys and girls to the house all day, people will talk.”

Feng Shan’s face immediately hardened. “Who’s talking? Huh? Is it that stiff-necked grandfather of yours? He’s got one foot in the grave and still wants to ‘live by the sea’ (act like a boss)?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” You couldn’t argue with the old prankster. “My grandfather is being too controlling. I’ll scold him when I get back.”

Feng Shan patted his grandson’s shoulder. “Aha! That’s more like it!”

…

Inside, Fang Daiyu put the things away and packed two sets of pajamas. She remembered Lin Xian mentioned having germaphobia, so she figured the girl wouldn’t be comfortable with hotel linens. By the time she gathered towels, lotions, and other sundries, it was a large bag. While packing in the living room, she heard muffled voices outside. When she stepped out, she saw Lin Xian hopping on the floor tiles like a child.

Fang Daiyu suppressed a smile and walked toward her. Hearing the door, Lin Xian immediately became as quiet as a mouse. She shuffled over to Daiyu, wanting to mention the hotel booking but fearing Daiyu would be angry. She started by telling her about Feng Youjun.

“So you were chatting with Grandpa Feng?” Fang Daiyu remarked. “No wonder. I was wondering who would bother striking up a conversation with a young girl. If it’s Grandpa Feng, it’s not surprising.”

“Oh?” Lin Xian followed Daiyu into the elevator, her curiosity piqued. “Why is that?”

Fang Daiyu began to tell her Grandpa Feng’s story.

It turned out Grandpa Feng had been a military officer in his youth. Perhaps his active years were too intense, but in his old age, he suddenly became nostalgic for the beauty of youth. He loved being around pretty, cute, and energetic young people. On weekends, thanks to his grandson, he could always get a group of vibrant teenagers and students over for gatherings.

They would sing, dance, have BBQs, tell stories, and play games. Grandpa Feng was simply happy being around young people; he provided the space and food just for the joy of it. Because of this, he was a total “old prankster,” dressing in trendy clothes to maintain a youthful spirit.

“That’s so wonderful!” Lin Xian’s wariness vanished. “By the way, what does Feng Youjun do? Why is it thanks to him that Grandpa can find young people?”

“You know the High School Affiliated to Renmin University (RDFZ)?” Daiyu smiled. “It’s not far from here. Feng Youjun is a teacher there.”

“Wow!” Lin Xian was genuinely shocked. She leaned in to gossip. “I’m from a small town. I heard only PhDs and Masters can teach there. My local classmates talk about that school like it’s some mythical place.” To Lin Xian, if a chicken flew out of that school, it would be a golden phoenix.

Fang Daiyu didn’t share Lin Xian’s childlike temperament, but she knew Lin Xian had a strong curiosity about everything in Beijing—like a newborn baby looking at the world. Seeing her interest, Daiyu shared more “crumbs” of info about Grandpa Feng’s family, which was enough to keep Lin Xian excited for a long time.

“You know the floor we live on?” Fang Daiyu said as they sat in another taxi. “A quarter of the units on that floor belong to Grandpa Feng.”

“Holy—!” “Wow!”

Two voices spoke in unison. The first was the taxi driver; the second was Lin Xian. The driver chimed in: “Lass, you’re talking about your apartment complex? That’s a prime location. That Grandpa Feng you mentioned is a legendary figure.”

“How legendary?” Lin Xian leaned toward the front seat, her face practically screaming ‘Tell me, tell me!’

Fang Daiyu frowned slightly and gently pulled the girl’s wrist back. As the driver prepared a grand speech—”Well, back in the day…”—Daiyu interrupted. She leaned close to Lin Xian’s ear: “I know the facts; he only knows rumors. I’ll tell you quietly another time.”

Lin Xian’s ears turned red from the warm breath. She nodded obediently.

Fang Daiyu spoke up to the driver: “Master, look out! There’s a car coming ahead, be careful!”

The driver stopped talking. Looking up, a car really was about to cut them off at a turn. He jerked the steering wheel, his desire for small talk completely gone. He apologized to Daiyu after dropping them off. Daiyu paid and simply told him to drive carefully.

As they sat down for dinner, Lin Xian finally remembered she was supposed to tell Daiyu about the hotel. She had been too distracted by the gossip. She watched Daiyu’s face carefully, wondering if the “fairy” would be mad.

Lin Xian took a bite of food, her eyes lighting up. She offered some sincere “rainbow farts” (lavish praise): “Daiyu, this is so delicious!”

Lin Xian’s reaction was a bit exaggerated, but it pleased Fang Daiyu. She nodded: “I thought you’d like it. This is a place I visit often; the home-style cooking is very good.”

Seeing Daiyu was in a good mood, Lin Xian blurted it out: “Daiyu, I already booked a hotel.”

Fang Daiyu’s chopsticks froze in mid-air. she set them back on her bowl. “What did you say?” Her face was expressionless.

Lin Xian’s heart sank. After a day together, she was very satisfied with this quiet but attentive girlfriend. But she had also noticed something: her “fairy” had an unpredictable temper and wasn’t the type to wear her heart on her sleeve like Lin Xian did. More importantly, there was a trace of “dominance” in her personality. Lin Xian didn’t love dominance—she liked a gentle fairy—but so far, Daiyu’s dominance hadn’t been too overt.

Relationships require compromise. If we fit, we stay; if not, we part.

Lin Xian cast aside her timidness and looked Daiyu in the eye. Summoning her courage, she said: “I said, I already booked a hotel.”

Fang Daiyu said nothing. Okay, silence counts as consent, Lin Xian thought, quickly adding: “It’s been a long day and I’m a bit tired. I don’t really want to go to Houhai tonight. Can we go another time?”

Still, Daiyu said nothing. Lin Xian continued: “Actually, my eyes… they hurt a little.”

Finally, Fang Daiyu’s expression shifted to concern. She moved from across the table to Lin Xian’s side, her soft fingers lightly touching Lin Xian’s eyelids. A faint fragrance wafted from her. She inspected Lin Xian’s eyes with urgency. “So many red blood cells? Did you stay up late last night?”

Fang Daiyu was a bit angry—angry at herself for not noticing Lin Xian’s discomfort, and angry that Lin Xian had hidden it. She didn’t have the heart to argue about her own logic (like: I’m the one working, how could I let a student pay for things?). She felt guilty, like an “old auntie” who had led away an innocent child.

But right now, Lin Xian’s eyes were more important. Fang Daiyu grabbed Lin Xian’s wrist, pressing hard but being careful not to hurt her. “I’m taking you to the hospital!”

Lin Xian pulled her hand back and looked up at Daiyu with red, pitiful eyes—like a small animal acting spoiled. “I’m sorry, it’s not a medical emergency.”

Lin Xian felt a bit embarrassed. “It’s just that I’m nearsighted and I’m wearing colored contacts. My eyes hurt if I wear them too long. I got up early today, so I’ve been wearing them for over 8 hours. I just want to go to the hotel to take my glasses off.”

Being caught being nearsighted felt so humiliating. Lin Xian had planned to take this secret to her grave.

Fang Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief. “If you’re nearsighted, wouldn’t frame glasses be better? Do you have them with you?”

Lin Xian was awkward. How could she explain? I chose beauty over comfort and now I’m paying the price? She turned away to eat. “I have them.”

“Are they on you?” “Yes,” Lin Xian whispered. “Then you can take the contacts out in the restroom here and put on your glasses, right?”

The little person inside Lin Xian’s heart was crying. She didn’t want to wear “ugly” glasses and ruin the “pretty girl” persona she had maintained all day.

She shook her head, making excuses: “I need to wash the bacteria off my hands with soap, and I’m not used to taking them out without a mirror.”

Fang Daiyu was about to say the restaurant had a restroom, but then she saw Lin Xian’s flustered expression and had an epiphany.

The girl did it for beauty—just like Daiyu had dressed up to see her. They had just started dating; Xianxian obviously didn’t want her to see her in glasses yet. Everyone has their little secrets.

Thinking this, Fang Daiyu softened her tone. “Eat slowly. We won’t go to Houhai. Once you’re finished, I’ll take you to the hotel.”

“Okay!” Lin Xian’s heart lightened, and she finally gave a brilliant smile. She took the word “take” literally.

Fang Daiyu, however, was feeling restless. They were going to a hotel together. What happens when a couple goes to a hotel? Since she had never been in a relationship, was she going to let Lin Xian down?