The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Waiting

After the masterpiece finished speaking, she sat back in her seat. Lin Xian’s heart rate, however, climbed steadily as if it were about to explode. That cold fragrance seemed to linger at the tip of her nose; though it was as light as water, it left her head spinning.

“Jiu… Jiu Wu, huh.” After a long while, she softly murmured the name back as a polite response. She tried her best to maintain her facade of calm, but her limbs had suddenly gone stiff, and she had lost all the courage she’d gathered to peek at the other woman’s WeChat profile.

Once that brief exchange ended, the two of them entered a “mute mode,” sharing no further communication.

The reader interaction was nearing its end. Those who had answered questions received anime throw pillows designed by Liu Liu. As her heart finally began to slow down, Lin Xian’s eyes turned red with envy at the sight of the cute, exquisite pillows. The host added fuel to the fire: “Readers who receive a pillow can find Liu Liu after the event for a personalized autograph!”

This announcement caused a stir. There were only six pillows in total, and with only two left, Lin Xian’s eyes grew desperate. The “warrior” spirit of a hardcore fan made her spring up from the crowd.

Standing up made Lin Xian exceptionally conspicuous. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Fortunately, Liu Liu kindly broke the awkwardness: “You want to interact with me, right?” The way she said “right” was soft and carried a hint of playfulness.

Stupid! How embarrassing and stupid!

What happened to her cool and reserved image? Lin Xian didn’t dare look at the masterpiece, much less at Liu Liu. For a split second, she cursed her disobedient legs. She decided to just roll with it, giving an awkward smile and a nod.

“You look like a familiar face,” Liu Liu said gently. This soft approach didn’t quite fit her public persona, and Lin Xian bit her lip.

Liu Liu was trying to soothe her embarrassment.

Instantly, gratitude mixed with self-reproach, and courage surged through her body like a ball of fire. Lin Xian adjusted her emotions, looking up with a gentle, obedient smile: “I really wanted to interact with you, Liu Liu. I’ve loved you for eleven years.”

Lin Xian spoke with poise, and Liu Liu responded easily: “So, are you that ‘Microscope Girl’?”

“Microscope Girl” was Lin Xian’s nickname in Liu Liu’s reader group. Lin Xian never expected Liu Liu to remember her; for a moment, she was dizzy with joy.

When she took the microphone from the staff, her hands were still trembling. She couldn’t show her panic, but the surprise in her eyes was impossible to hide. “Yes! I didn’t think you’d remember me, Great One.”

Liu Liu didn’t linger on small talk, skillfully steering the topic back: “Then name some of my works. Six will do.”

Liu Liu had been publishing since she was seventeen or eighteen and was now in her early thirties, though she looked like a college student in her twenties. The books she had written already filled half a wall in Lin Xian’s home.

Lin Xian answered fluently. Soon, she was back in her seat with a pillow packed in a tote bag, still slightly dazed by how easy it had been.

Only the masterpiece turned her gaze slightly, whispering a word of praise: “You did great.”

Whether that “great” was encouragement or comfort, it effectively dispelled all of Lin Xian’s previous worries about her awkwardness. Her lips curled up uncontrollably, and she felt like she was walking on air. With the masterpiece’s voice echoing in her head, Lin Xian’s eyes filled with a smile.

After the interaction came the signing session. Liu Liu was 360-degrees of fan-service, shaking hands and signing for every reader. When it was Lin Xian’s turn to present her new book, Liu Liu signed the pillow and drew a Q-version (chibi) avatar on the title page. As Lin Xian looked on in confusion, Liu Liu laughed: “A gift for you. It’s a bit messy, but I have a strong impression of you.”

Lin Xian shyly thanked her, never expecting to receive a “head-pat” from her idol. “No wonder I thought you looked familiar. You cut your hair, didn’t you?”

Lin Xian felt the tips of her hair where Liu Liu had touched them heating up. She answered with surprise, “How did you know, Liu Liu?”

“At the first fan meeting, you were a ‘Long-haired Ice Queen.’ How could I forget a beautiful girl staring at me with tears in her eyes? Right, little gold nuggets?” Liu Liu handed the book back after signing.

Having her “dark history” brought up made the tips of Lin Xian’s ears turn red again. This was exactly why she dressed so carefully and acted so cool and obedient every time she saw Liu Liu now.

She thought she had changed her look so much that no one would remember, never imagining she had left an impression from the very start.

Cough! Lin Xian muttered her thanks and wanted to flee immediately, wondering if she should wear a mask next time she saw Liu Liu.

As she turned around, her breath nearly stopped.

How did that snow-skinned masterpiece end up right behind her?

Lin Xian’s mind was a stampede of a thousand thoughts. With a forced, cool expression, she left the fan meeting, even forgetting the sun umbrella she had left at her seat.

The sun had been scorching when she arrived, but it was dinner time by the time she left. The afternoon sun was warm, and as Lin Xian walked, she felt her hands were unusually empty, but after thinking it through, she didn’t seem to have forgotten anything.

Liu Liu’s pillow? Got it. Liu Liu’s new book? Got it. Small brown square bag? Got it. Phone? Right here.

Lin Xian left the exhibition hall and, seeing no one around, began happily skipping down the road.

A hundred meters behind her, the masterpiece stared at the black sun umbrella in her hand.

Shouldn’t an obedient, lolita-type girl use a pink one?

Beside the masterpiece was the glamorous girl. She leaned her hands on the masterpiece’s shoulders, looking exhausted. “I am never wearing high heels again~” Her voice was as coquettishly whiny as ever.

The masterpiece coldly pulled her hands away. “Yin Tao, I think you should be clear that we are just ‘online friends’.”

Yin Tao shook her hand away dismissively. “Internet friends of three years… I’m embarrassed to even say it!”

The masterpiece hailed a taxi and nimbly ducked inside. As a parting gift, she said, “Don’t come to me to deal with your trashy boyfriends anymore. I’m not a repair shop for losers.”

As the taxi sped away, Yin Tao stamped her foot in anger. “Seriously! Then don’t help me! Zero chivalry, just a cold single-dog aura… No girl would ever want to be with you!”

After her tantrum, Yin Tao opened her phone to buy a high-speed rail ticket back to Shanghai, muttering to herself: “If we’re just ‘online friends,’ why do you let me stay at your place every time I come to Beijing? If we’re just ‘online friends,’ why do you always get justice for me when I’m hurt by scumbags? Fang Daiyu is so awkward. As a fellow lesbian, I’m truly worried about her love life.”

…

The subway station was over two kilometers from the venue. Even though the weather wasn’t hot, Lin Xian was covered in a thin layer of sweat by the time she passed security.

She was wearing a white chiffon blouse; once damp with sweat, the shape of her bra was visible from the back. As soon as she boarded the train, she noticed several ambiguous, lingering stares. Two middle-aged, beer-bellied men squeezed in next to her. One man’s belly pressed against her back, and with the jolting of the train, his stomach bumped her repeatedly.

Lin Xian gripped the handrail with one hand while holding her pillow, and with her other arm, she threw a hard elbow backward. She used a lot of force, and the man cursed in dissatisfaction: “What’s your problem? Is this subway your house? You’re hitting people now?”

Lin Xian turned around with a fake smile: “Sorry, Uncle. You’re glued to my back. I can’t move my arm without bumping into you. How about you move away?”

“Tsk!” The man swallowed his anger, his intentions exposed by Lin Xian’s implication. He muttered under his breath, “What a piece of work. Looks like a college student, but has no basic manners.”

Muttering to themselves, the two moved to the next carriage.

Lin Xian suppressed her anger. Only after they were gone did she unclench her fist. Her palm was covered in sweat. This wasn’t the first time she’d been harassed on the subway; single, beautiful girls always attract the attention of creeps.

Three years ago, when she first arrived in Beijing, someone had “accidentally” touched her butt on a crowded bus, and she had been too terrified to speak. Later, when it happened again, speaking out only brought insults and threats.

Lin Xian learned then that as long as they didn’t get away with it, being cursed at was a small price to pay. Beijing was a mix of all kinds of people, and most were just trying to survive in the cracks. There were too many taboos and too much “face” to maintain; one had to find a balance.

This time, the men just cursed and left. At the transfer station, the carriage emptied by half. Lin Xian sat down and opened her phone, suddenly seeing messages in the fan meeting WeChat group.

Organizer Mumu: Does anyone have private photos of Liu Liu? Please share them. The organizers need a few pictures but haven’t found any they like.

Lin Xian was a certified “face-con” fan of Liu Liu and had taken quite a few. She uploaded the photos one by one.

Jiu Wu: Good image quality.

Organizer Mumu: Ah, these are amazing! Thank you, cutie!

Following that was a crowd of readers fangirling over the photos.

Liu Liu didn’t earn the title “Friend of the Lesbians” for nothing; her beauty was the kind that even other women would bow down to.

Of all the messages, Lin Xian only stared at one.

Jiu Wu was the first to reply to me. Was it a coincidence? Or is she just very active?

Is ‘Jiu Wu’ just her online handle, or her real nickname? Does it have a meaning?

The masterpiece’s avatar was a silhouette of a black cat. Lin Xian cautiously tapped on her profile, feeling as nervous as a thief.

Location: Haidian, Beijing.

She lives in Haidian? That’s a bit far from my school—about an hour and a half drive.

Lin Xian stared at the “Add Friend” button as if she were possessed. To add or not to add, that was the question.

What if she really has a girlfriend? Will she think I have ulterior motives?

Another voice in her head said: Just add her, you have nothing to lose! If she has a girlfriend, you can just delete each other. Are you lacking this one friend?

No! The thought that the glamorous girl from earlier might be her girlfriend made Lin Xian’s heart ache. She couldn’t help but compare herself to that girl.

The other girl was softer, more coquettish, more glamorous, and cuter. Lin Xian’s “obedience” was an act; inside, she was a bit of a rough-neck. How could she compete?

She might not even be worthy of the masterpiece.

Sigh. Beauties, especially a rare masterpiece like that, should be admired from afar. Why bother trying to get close?

Did she even have the capital? Lin Xian, who had been single for seven years, felt a surge of insecurity and silently closed the profile.

Forty minutes had passed since her chat in the group. Lin Xian put away her phone and watched the scenery flash by the train window: darkness, advertisements, crowds, landscapes…

None of it mattered anymore.

It felt like a small piece of her heart was missing. Lin Xian sighed, resigned to her fate, and walked out of the subway station carrying her pillow.

“Seeing Liu Liu was enough, right?” Lin Xian asked herself, looking at the pillow. “A greedy child will end up with nothing. It’s not like your confessions haven’t failed before!”

Outside the station was a rare sight of blue sky and white clouds. Lin Xian took a deep breath and smiled. “I can’t let the girl from Northeast see through me when I get back.”

You can do this!

…

Forty minutes later, having returned home, Fang Daiyu (the masterpiece) had gone from sitting on the sofa to lying dejectedly on her bed, staring at her phone in deep thought.

She had been staring at it for nearly forty years—or so it felt. Why hadn’t the little lolita added her yet? Was asking for her group name really just a matter of politeness? Was it not a hint?

Fang Daiyu was baffled. Having considered herself a “veteran,” her heart had fluttered for the first time two years after graduation, yet she was beginning to doubt if her “lesbian radar” was malfunctioning.