The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Hug

“Does she have short hair?”

The junior nodded vigorously. “Very tall and thin, very fair skin, and she has such an elegant aura!”

“Any other features?” Lin Xian asked, still feeling uncertain.

“She’s carrying a large laptop bag and two big bags of stuff, and she’s holding a black umbrella.”

Laptop bag? Black umbrella? Two bags of stuff? These features didn’t quite sound like the “Fairy.” Besides, Lin Xian remembered Daiyu saying she’d arrive this morning; it was only noon now, and the trip from the airport to the school was a long one. It might not be her.

With a racing heart, Lin Xian pulled out her phone and dialed the number…

A ringtone vibrated in the corridor. A voice drifted from not far away: “Xianxian?” There was an echo—the voice from the phone and a voice in person. Lin Xian ran to the stairwell. The office was on the 12th floor; at the landing of the 11th, she saw Fang Daiyu holding her phone. Hearing Lin Xian’s voice and footsteps, Daiyu looked up. “Sister?”

Fang Daiyu looked up instinctively. Her eyes lingered for a long time as if it took a moment to recognize the person before her. Then, her voice turned warm and gentle: “Xianxian?” Lin Xian snapped out of it and rushed down. She hurriedly took the heavy bags from Fang Daiyu’s hands. Having not seen her for days, she felt a sudden surge of nervousness, swallowing hard.

Flashes of a pear-yellow figure crossed her vision, but she didn’t dare look at Daiyu directly. Her eyes were fixed on the floor. “I’ll take you up first. Wait for me a bit, and we can leave soon.”

The girl who used to follow behind Fang Daiyu had now taken the lead as the host.

Fang Daiyu followed close behind. At this point, Lin Xian didn’t have time to worry about her scruffy outfit. She felt awkward, and her interactions with the nearby junior became unusually polite and formal: “Thanks for running the errand for me!”

The junior looked at the senior who usually laughed boisterously and wrestled with the guys, and then at the lady-like version of her now, whose voice had softened by three degrees. He couldn’t help but shudder. “No problem! Goodbye, Senior!” Terrified as if he’d seen a ghost, he actually bowed to Lin Xian, turned around, and bolted as if his feet were greased.

Fang Daiyu smiled at the boy’s retreat. “He’s quite interesting!”

Lin Xian, dazed, asked, “What?”

Fang Daiyu: “That boy? Does he spend a lot of time with you?”

Lin Xian curled her lips. “True, he’s the class monitor for one of the sophomore classes. He often assists me. He’s a good kid—simple, innocent, and very respectful to his seniors.”

“Respectful?” Fang Daiyu recalled something. “Are juniors at your school allowed to answer their seniors’ phones whenever they like?”

“Of course not. That’s rude; who would…” Lin Xian stopped mid-sentence as a memory hit her: Not long ago, the first time Fang Daiyu had called her, hadn’t this very boy been the one to pick up?

Oh my god. Lin Xian didn’t know why, but a chill ran down her spine. Even though Fang Daiyu was smiling warmly right now, Lin Xian felt herself trembling inside. Am I naturally “whipped”?

She didn’t want to admit it. Facing Daiyu’s smile, she replied bravely, “Generally, they don’t. But in special circumstances, they might help out.”

“For example?” Fang Daiyu’s voice was light. There was no one else in the stairwell. She took a step forward, her lips only half a finger’s width from Lin Xian’s.

“For example… if the phone is left in the office and isn’t on silent, it might disturb the professors!” Lin Xian finished the sentence in one breath, feeling like she couldn’t catch the next one.

“Oh… I see…” Lin Xian could smell Fang Daiyu’s breath—it was like strawberry cream cake, or perhaps strawberry candy.

In the next moment, their lips touched. Lin Xian’s heart felt like it was going to leap right out of her chest!

She had no other thoughts except one: Broad daylight! In public! Professor Ji Feng is still in the office!

She instinctively pushed Fang Daiyu away and took several steps back, her cheeks flushing red enough to dye the evening clouds. She had been walking ahead, turning around to face Daiyu; this backward retreat actually moved her further toward the office door.

The office door was wide open. Ji Feng was inside eating. Hearing the noise, he looked up and joked: “Lin Xian, what’s with the theatrics? A senior should act like a senior! What is it? Is there a flood or a wild beast behind you?”

Lin Xian stood still and shook her head. “No!”

Ji Feng gestured toward the door. “Was that Jiang Yao at the door? What’s the good news? I heard something about a ‘beautiful girl’ looking for you. You aren’t dating behind my back, are you? Your mother strictly instructed me to keep an eye on you.”

Lin Xian gave an awkward laugh. “No, Professor, you heard wrong. A friend came to see me. Can I take the rest of the day off?”

Fang Daiyu heard every word of their conversation. She narrowed her eyes in thought.

Lin Xian turned back and waved Fang Daiyu forward. Only when Daiyu appeared before Ji Feng did Lin Xian smile pleasingly: “Professor, do you believe me now?”

Today, Fang Daiyu was wearing an oversized pear-yellow hoodie and deep blue straight-leg jeans. Her curly hair had grown a bit long, drooping over her eyebrows. Her flawless white face held a pair of clear eyes and a high-bridged nose, giving off a hint of youthful, innocent charm. She wore an old-fashioned laptop backpack, which—in its clunkiness—made her look like the most obedient student in a teacher’s eyes.

Ji Feng took an immediate liking to her. “Why are you standing at the door? Xianxian’s friend? You’re a student too, I assume?”

Fang Daiyu walked in with a steady pace, nodded respectfully to Ji Feng, and sat on an empty chair.

Ji Feng’s smile didn’t fade. This girl was the polar opposite of Lin Xian’s flighty, clever energy. However, she was exactly the type of student he liked.

Lin Xian introduced them: “Daiyu, this is my mentor, Professor Ji Feng.”

Then she introduced Daiyu to Ji Feng with a touch of affectionate playfulness: “Teacher, this is my very good friend, Fang Daiyu.” When she said “friend,” Lin Xian secretly squeezed Fang Daiyu’s palm, terrified that Daiyu would expose her.

Even though she was out, she didn’t want her professor to know the details of her love life yet. Fang Daiyu caught the hint instantly and nodded in cooperation.

“Daiyu?” Ji Feng smiled kindly. “Then your nickname must be ‘Pin-pin’ (Frowner), right?” Ji Feng often made these old-fashioned literary jokes that only he found funny—much like when he first met Jiang Binliu and asked, “Why didn’t Yun Zhifan come?”

Fang Daiyu was used to people making jokes about her name. Her mother loved Dream of the Red Chamber, and she had read it often herself, so she understood Ji Feng’s well-meaning joke. Her eyes crinkled with a smile. “Professor, you truly are impressive. My mother did give me that nickname, saying it came from the General Examination of Ancient and Modern Figures.”

This time, Ji Feng laughed heartily. He slapped his knee and sighed. “Lin Xian, you should stop trying to be ‘Sister Lin’; give the title to your friend. I think little Daiyu here looks more like a Chinese major than you do.” As he teased Lin Xian, she simply made a face.

Hearing the term “Sister Lin,” Fang Daiyu asked, “Sister Lin? Is that Xianxian’s nickname?”

The professor was a bit of a gossip, as Lin Xian had learned over the years. He immediately spilled the beans: “During Lin Xian’s first class, I asked her if she had read the Four Great Classical Novels. She said yes. I asked her to evaluate a character—any character. She blurted out: ‘Jia Baoyu has a head full of straw. Lin Daiyu is a Sister Lin who fell from the heavens.’ I was so fuming at the time; that’s hardly the talk of a Chinese Literature student!”

Mentioning her embarrassing moments—the ones that had followed her for four years—made Lin Xian roll her eyes at the ceiling.

She was having terrible luck today. She chose one day to be lazy and dress like a slob, only to be ambushed by her girlfriend. Then, she was exposed by her professor. Her “refined girl” image was shattered, and now even her “well-read Chinese major” persona was gone.

After leaving the office, Lin Xian was a bit sullen and quiet, simply leading Fang Daiyu forward. Once they exited the elevator and the teaching building, her wrist was suddenly caught by Fang Daiyu. “Are you angry?”

Fang Daiyu walked side-by-side with her. Lin Xian let herself be led like a wooden block, not squeezing back. She muttered, “No.”

As they walked through the school gates onto a quiet, deserted path, Fang Daiyu’s voice drifted clearly into Lin Xian’s ears:

“The Xianxian who couldn’t answer the questions is very cute.” “I used to have the nickname ‘Sister Lin’ too.” “I’m sorry for not being with my girlfriend for a week.” “Xianxian, my grandmother passed away.”

The hand Fang Daiyu was holding suddenly squeezed back. Warmth spread through their palms as Lin Xian gripped Daiyu’s fingers tightly. “Come home with me, Sister.”

Fang Daiyu looked at her. Lin Xian’s expression didn’t change, and her chin was tilted stubbornly, as if she were trying to hold something back. Lin Xian didn’t say it out loud, but her actions proved she wasn’t angry anymore.

The apartment complex where Lin Xian lived looked old, filled with tall poplars and plane trees. The autumn wind blew, scattering leaves everywhere. Lin Xian’s exposed arms and legs looked particularly striking in the chilly air.

“Xianxian, it’s getting cold,” Fang Daiyu said softly.

Lin Xian thought she was talking about the wind and nodded silently.

“Xianxian, it’s getting cold. Did I not say ‘remember to wear more clothes’?” Fang Daiyu spoke again, adding a final judgment: “You’re being disobedient.”

“You’re being disobedient.” It sounded like a mix of tenderness, scolding, and concern. Lin Xian knew she’d been caught red-handed. Her resolve softened, and she remained silent, still presenting a stubborn profile to Fang Daiyu.

In front of Building 18 sat a row of old sofas and chairs where a few elderly people were napping and chatting. Lin Xian pointed ahead. “We’re in Unit 3.”

The rental was on the third floor. To the left of the entrance was the bathroom; to the right was a sun-drenched side bedroom. Further in was a spacious living room of about thirty square meters. It was a bit empty due to the lack of furniture. The balcony and living room were connected, allowing light to flood in from the south. Facing the living room was a large kitchen with a dining area. A small foyer connected the living room to two roughly equal-sized bedrooms. Lin Xian lived on the left; Jingjing and her boyfriend lived in the other room.

Lin Xian opened her bedroom door and gestured for Fang Daiyu to enter. “Sister, come in.”

Fang Daiyu stepped inside. Lin Xian quietly closed the door and whispered, pointing to the room across: “My friend is probably still sleeping.”

Fang Daiyu looked around the room. It was about 25 square meters with a 1.5-meter bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and a floor-standing rack overflowing with clothes. The furniture was arranged in a U-shape, leaving a wide space in the middle. It was clean and organized. This is Xianxian’s room?

“Sister, have a seat.” Lin Xian pointed to the bed and chair, feeling a bit awkward. Fang Daiyu set down her backpack and bags, then turned and walked toward Lin Xian, who was standing by the bed.

She slid her arms around Lin Xian’s waist, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her voice sounded weary: “I missed you so much.” A massive sense of satisfaction wrapped around her body, turning into warmth that seeped into Lin Xian’s heart. Fang Daiyu rested her head on Lin Xian’s shoulder. They stood there, entwined, feeling each other’s warmth.

All the grievances vanished. With the fragrant, soft body in her arms, Lin Xian slowly tightened her hold on the woman she had longed for: “I missed you too.” Her eyes actually grew moist.