The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Warmth

Lin Xian put on her glasses, and her vision finally cleared. The hairdryer was in the bathroom, so to stop the water from dripping, she had to repeatedly towel-dry her hair. Inside, Fang Daiyu was showering. Amidst the splashing water, Lin Xian glanced around absentmindedly and suddenly caught a glimpse of pink peeking out from Daiyu’s bag.

Lin Xian’s heart skipped a beat. It was the color of a piece of underwear—a pale pink, seamless strap, neatly washed and folded inside a sealed bag. She quickly averted her gaze. A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Fang Daiyu walked out wearing the red anime T-shirt pajamas. Without her daytime styling, her curly hair draped softly over her snowy shoulders, and her slightly flushed cheeks made her look even younger.

Lin Xian stared, dazed. Feeling as though her hand drying her hair was awkwardly conspicuous, she set down the towel and headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to blow-dry my hair.”

Curly-haired Fang Daiyu nodded quietly. Standing next to Lin Xian, she actually looked like the younger one for once.

The thin, black-rimmed retro round glasses sat on Lin Xian’s delicate nose, lending her an air of intellectual elegance. Lin Xian naturally possessed a scholarly grace, though it was usually overshadowed by her fashionable styling. Most people, upon first meeting her, simply thought she was pretty, unable to place that subtle, scholarly charm.

With the glasses on, Lin Xian’s vivid beauty was toned down, replaced by the aura of a well-read student hidden behind the frames. She might not have looked “stunning” in the traditional sense from a distance, but she looked like a refined, elegant beauty. If the “gentle academic” type was meant to lure people in, Lin Xian was doing it perfectly. It was the first time Fang Daiyu had seen her like this, and it made her heart itch with a burning curiosity.

If she had met the “glasses” version of Lin Xian first, she might have been even more obsessed. That combination of prim-and-proper academic vibes makes one want to break through the shell to discover the hidden passion beneath.

Neat ear-length hair, retro round glasses, a reserved smile, and hesitant movements. Fang Daiyu watched Lin Xian without looking away, making Lin Xian feel increasingly self-conscious. Lin Xian checked herself over to make sure nothing was wrong before asking tentatively, “Do I look… really ugly in glasses?”

Regret flashed in Lin Xian’s eyes. While she could technically function for a night without them for the sake of beauty, she felt insecure. For a nearsighted person, losing their glasses isn’t just about going blind; it feels like all five senses vanish—hearing becomes dull, and even the sense of smell seems to dissipate.

Fang Daiyu didn’t have the habit of washing her hair at night, so she had only taken a quick shower. By the time Lin Xian came out, Daiyu had already straightened the bedsheets. Leaning back against the headboard and watching Lin Xian, she finally smiled and said, “You look beautiful.”

“Huh?” The shock on Lin Xian’s face was so obvious it practically screamed ‘Are you lying to me?’

Lin Xian sat on the other bed, facing Daiyu, her confidence wavering. “Don’t tease me. Ugly is ugly. I have a friend from the Northeast in my dorm who always tells me: ‘Lin Xian, can you please take those glasses off? You look like a stuffy old lady with those bookworm vibes. Who’s going to fall for you?'” Lin Xian mimicked her friend’s accent and laughed sheepishly.

Fang Daiyu was amused by the vivid imitation, then straightened her expression to speak seriously: “I’m not lying. Some people like the exterior, others like what’s inside. I think the ‘stuffy old lady’ version of you is very beautiful.”

It was the first time anyone had ever praised her for wearing glasses. Lin Xian’s heart felt light, as if she were walking on air. She unconsciously edged closer to Fang Daiyu. “Why?” she asked, earnest and sincere.

“Transcendent grace,” Fang Daiyu replied with just two words.

Lin Xian was a bit disappointed by the brevity, but two words of praise were enough. “Daiyu, I’ve noticed you speak very formally sometimes. Are you a liberal arts student?”

Fang Daiyu found this ironic. She countered, “Student Lin Xian, do you have no self-awareness? You’re the one who often speaks to me in semi-literary prose. I’ve wanted to ask for a while—is everyone who studies Chinese Literature like this?”

The two girls looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter. As they collapsed onto their respective beds, Lin Xian felt the bond between them grow even closer than it had been minutes ago.

Separated only by a small aisle between the beds, they lay on their backs. Lin Xian said, “Actually, you aren’t that much older than me. I was born in ’97, you in ’96. It’s only a year.”

Fang Daiyu calculated seriously: “September ’97 minus May ’96… Baby, we are 16 months apart. That means when I was already walking, eating, and talking, you were still a baby in your mother’s arms.”

Lin Xian argued stubbornly, “One year and four months… if you round it off, it’s basically a year!”

Fang Daiyu didn’t argue further, but a light chuckle drifted over to Lin Xian’s ears. Lin Xian felt mocked, but she knew it wasn’t malicious.

Taking a turn in the conversation, Lin Xian spoke from the heart: “Sister, you said children who lie should be punished, right?”

“Mhm.”

Lin Xian: “I observed you all day, ‘Sister.’ That 163cm height claim? You’re a liar, aren’t you?”

Fang Daiyu sat up abruptly. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Hey, don’t run away! That’s not fair!” Lin Xian shouted. If Daiyu remembered the “Sister” lie, Lin Xian certainly remembered the “Height” lie. She had been shocked by Daiyu’s tall figure earlier but had kept quiet to avoid being embarrassed about her own past boasting.

Now that the age lie was out, Lin Xian brought this up too. They were both “scammers”—didn’t Daiyu lie about being short?

Liar, liar, liar! Lin Xian waited quietly for Daiyu to come out, wondering how long she could hide in there.

Knock! Knock! Knock! A sudden, heavy pounding on the door broke their thoughts. Lin Xian walked toward the door to open it, but the sound of a toilet flushing was followed immediately by Daiyu’s voice: “Xianxian, don’t open it yet!”

“Is anyone in there?” called a gruff, middle-aged male voice.

Hearing a man knocking in the middle of the night made Lin Xian terrified, but she was suddenly grateful her girlfriend had stayed. She hid behind the door, barely daring to breathe. Fang Daiyu walked out of the bathroom, frowning. She called out loudly, “What is it?” while gripping Lin Xian’s shoulders firmly and whispering in her ear, “I’m here.”

Lin Xian suddenly felt a surge of courage and stood taller. The man outside shouted, “Maintenance. Is the ceiling leaking in there? Can you open the door for a second? It’ll only take two minutes of your time.”

Lin Xian looked at Daiyu hesitantly. Fang Daiyu glanced at her. “Wait a moment!” she called out. She ran to the bed, grabbed a bath towel, and draped it over Lin Xian. “Wrap yourself up tight,” she whispered.

“Huh?” Lin Xian didn’t think there was anything wrong with her pajamas, but she obediently wrapped herself up like a Russian nesting doll.

Fang Daiyu opened the door. Two maintenance workers and a hotel supervisor stood there. The supervisor walked in, apologizing profusely: “So sorry to bother you. The guest upstairs pulled down our waterproofing fixture. We need to check if your room is leaking.”

Lin Xian, wrapped tightly, was about to say “No, it’s not!”

Suddenly, she saw a wet patch forming on her pillow. The patch grew larger, and looking up, she saw water indeed dripping from above. She pointed it out, and the supervisor began cursing the guest upstairs for being “clumsy.” Fang Daiyu’s face darkened; she was not pleased that their first date was being interrupted by such an accident.

Suppressing her anger at the thought of Lin Xian potentially waking up to a face full of dirty water, she spoke coldly: “Change our room. This is the hotel’s responsibility!”

The supervisor forced a smile. “Of course, we will. But we’re a bit full right now. You might have to wait about half an hour, but don’t worry, it’ll be ready soon.”

Fang Daiyu sneered. “Half an hour? It’s almost 11 PM. Most people would be asleep. If we weren’t night owls, how would you compensate us for disturbing a guest’s rest?” The supervisor’s expression stiffened. He had thought these two young girls would be easy to handle, especially the one speaking who looked like a student. Students were usually the easiest to brush off, but he hadn’t expected to hit a brick wall.

Fang Daiyu didn’t want to waste more time with him. “Leave now. We need to pack. I expect that when I get to the front desk, I won’t be told to ‘wait a bit’ again.” Leaving him no room for negotiation, she ushered them out and closed the door.

Lin Xian sat on a chair, twisting her hands, wanting to speak but not daring to. If Fang Daiyu weren’t there, she probably would have just accepted the bad luck and waited foolishly for half an hour or more. She was too empathetic; the supervisor blamed the guest, so she would have seen the hotel as a victim too.

Until today, Lin Xian hadn’t realized she could fight for her own rights. However, Daiyu was truly fierce. Facing three middle-aged men, her presence only grew stronger. Lin Xian found it both cool and a little intimidating. Someone like this might be considered cold and unfeeling by others, she thought.

As Lin Xian was thinking, Fang Daiyu removed the towel from her shoulders and gently draped her own utility jacket from earlier over her. “It’ll be cold when we go out. Don’t catch a cold.”

Her voice was soft—completely different from a moment ago. She was once again the quiet, gentle Daiyu. Lin Xian felt that familiar comfort return and grew bold again. “You wear it; I’m not cold.” She stood up with a smile. “I’ll go pack our things.”

Fang Daiyu looked at those slender, exposed arms and legs. Lin Xian’s snowy skin seemed to glow under the night lights. Daiyu reached past her and pulled the jacket onto Lin Xian directly. “Listen to your Sister!”

Suddenly reminded of her earlier embarrassment regarding the “Sister” title, Lin Xian shut up.

As they finished packing and prepared to leave, Lin Xian—carrying their clothes—saw their shoes. She was about to crouch down when Daiyu picked up both pairs. Looking at the white and black high-top Converse, Lin Xian whispered, “Look, don’t they look like couple’s shoes?”

Fang Daiyu glanced at her with a clear smile. Lin Xian stopped talking and headed toward the front desk, only to be pressed against a corner by Daiyu. “Wait here for me. Don’t go out. I can handle this alone, understood?”

Lin Xian didn’t know why, but she nodded.

“Wait for me, okay?” Daiyu leaned in, her forehead gently bumping and rubbing against Lin Xian’s in a comforting gesture, before leaving with the armful of things and the shoes. Lin Xian watched her go and giggled. She had noticed how Daiyu’s gaze had lingered on her exposed legs before she left.

Was it because of that?

This was a “fairy” who usually sat on a cloud, someone who looked unapproachable on the street, yet here she was carrying shoes and working hard for her. A breeze blew through the corridor, making Lin Xian’s legs shiver, but her heart was quietly filled with warmth.