The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Subject One

The night, veiled by the curtains, was still and deep. Fang Daiyu’s voice was like a low-pitched lute, slowly playing her melody: “When I was in eighth grade, a senior girl walked into my classroom, stopped me at my seat, and kissed my cheek. She was beautiful, and my heart fluttered. She made me realize I was gay, but by the time I sought her out, I discovered she already had a boyfriend. Later, people found out I had confessed to a girl. In those days, everyone thought homosexuality was a sickness. After that… after that, I didn’t dare provoke any girl. Over all these years, you are the first. Xianxian, you should know how important you are.”

That night, Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu slept in each other’s arms. Before falling asleep, held face-to-face, she gave Daiyu her first real kiss. It was a warm, heart-stirring kiss tasting of minty toothpaste. Her tongue felt weak, and a soft whimper escaped her. Overwhelmed by a sweet shame, she hid under the covers to sleep. When she woke the next day, Lin Xian was her vibrant self again, with no trace of the previous night’s gloom.

When she saw Fang Daiyu off, her smile was as bright as a ray of autumn sunshine. She not only took Daiyu on a tour of the campus but also shared her college memories bit by bit:

“Look! This is our Fourth Canteen—’Lily Delicacies,’ hahaha! I don’t know which school leader picked that name; anyone who didn’t know better would think it’s a restaurant exclusive to lesbians!” (Note: ‘Lily’ is Chinese slang for lesbian). Standing before the canteen, Lin Xian chatted away. “The Fourth Canteen serves small stir-fries. They used to say it was a private canteen for teachers, but now students can use their cards too. The sweet and sour pork, ribs, and wings here are the best!”

“Look, look! Our school swimming pool! We used to have an outdoor one, but they built this indoor one. In my freshman year, swimming class was so awkward, being squeezed in with a bunch of guys. I ended up being used as a model by the teacher. He said, ‘Sigh, look at Lin Xian’s figure, she keeps it so well!'” At this, Lin Xian lifted her head proudly. “My figure really is quite good!”

Fang Daiyu smiled slightly, her eyes full of doting. “I know.”

With someone validating her, Lin Xian’s pride soared. Every flower and tree along the road seemed to have witnessed her past. She never used to think her school was that great, but walking Fang Daiyu from north to south, she felt a sudden wave of sentiment. “Daiyu, I’ve suddenly realized university is actually quite nice.” A hint of loneliness crossed her face; in a few months, she would be graduating.

Fang Daiyu pointed to the nearby faculty housing area, which had a fitness park. She gently hooked her hand into Lin Xian’s. “It’s nice because you were happy here. I love that you’re sharing this with me. It’s as if I’m getting to experience college life all over again. It’s been a long time.”

Lin Xian beamed. “I want you to know me, Daiyu!” The large willow trees by the fitness park swayed in the breeze. Under the sunlight, a giant Sheepdog and a blue-and-white Husky were sprinting across the lush green grass.

Lin Xian leaned closer to Fang Daiyu, a bit afraid but also curious and fond. “So cute!”

Fang Daiyu gave a muffled laugh, glancing at Lin Xian, who was clutching her sleeve. “Are you afraid of dogs?”

Lin Xian looked embarrassed but stayed defiant. “I’ve never raised one! Doesn’t mean I can’t like them! I love watching Husky videos online.” So she was a “cloud petter.” Fang Daiyu comforted her: “Dogs don’t usually bite without reason. Look!”

Saying this, Fang Daiyu walked up to the two dogs alone to play with them, smoothing their fur and shaking their paws. Lin Xian watched with envious, eager eyes. She stared blankly at Fang Daiyu, her gaze a silent plea for help.

Then, a pair of hands supported her wrists, and Lin Xian successfully felt the Husky’s soft, fluffy fur. The Husky tilted its head, shook it comfortably, and flopped onto the ground—an obvious invitation for Lin Xian to scratch its back.

Lin Xian slowly let her guard down. Oh my god, petting a dog in real life for the first time is amazing. Her impression of Fang Daiyu jumped another five stars. Having a girlfriend who helped her overcome her fears made her the happiest person in the world.

This was a day for Lin Xian to be a child. After petting the dogs to her heart’s content, Fang Daiyu led her to play on the seesaw and the swings. Lin Xian was delighted. “The last time I did this was in fourth grade!” Her eyes sparkled as she waited for a response. She thought Daiyu must be very cool to play with children’s equipment so shamelessly.

Fang Daiyu cleared her throat. “I never got to play with these when I was little. I’ve always wanted to try, but I was too embarrassed.”

“Then why today…” Before Lin Xian could finish, Fang Daiyu replied: “I brought a kid with me. It’s normal to play with a kid.”

“Where’s the kid?” Lin Xian looked around. There were only the two of them and two dogs. Fang Daiyu said nothing, just looked at her.

As Daiyu pushed her on the swing, Lin Xian looked up at the clear blue sky, feeling wonderful. “Don’t you worry I’ll think you’re childish for taking me to play with these?” she called out as she swung high. As the swing came back, she heard Daiyu’s reply: “Don’t you like it? You look like you’re having a lot of fun.”

Lin Xian lifted her chin proudly. “Of course. Who could refuse a seesaw or a swing? Every kid loved them.”

After Fang Daiyu played along with her, Lin Xian felt much more relaxed. After seeing Daiyu to her car, she walked back thinking about them playing together. Her eyes curved into crescents. Then, a phrase echoed in her mind: “Playing with a kid.”

Lin Xian stopped in her tracks. Fang Daiyu had said as she left: “I had a lot of fun playing with Xianxian today. Next time, I’ll take you to the amusement park!”

Lin Xian’s expression shifted. “Who’s a kid? She was the one who wanted to play, hmph!”

Clearly, Daiyu was the one having the most fun, even admitting she’d always wanted to try. She probably only dared to let loose because there were no acquaintances around. Lin Xian felt she had found the truth. Then she suddenly thought: A Daiyu who secretly loves swings and seesaws is actually so cute. But why hadn’t she played with them as a child?

Thinking of the story Daiyu told last night, she felt a pang of sadness. She sent a text: “The Sister who likes Xianxian, let’s do more happy things together in the future!” Wait… that sounds like a hollow goal.

Lin Xian thought for a moment. How could they quickly increase their emotional bond and understanding?

“Starting from our next meeting, let’s check off the ‘100 Romantic Things for Couples to Do’ together, okay?” As soon as she sent it, she giggled to herself, thinking of all the romantic fantasies she’d had since she was young.

But that wasn’t enough. How do girls… act together? If only there was a tutorial!

On her way home, Fang Daiyu received a new message: “Sister, since neither of us has dated before, let’s learn to be better together. Next time, let’s watch ‘Les’ movies together. Starting from the basics, it’ll be like a ‘Couple’s Driver’s License.’ Let’s study for Subject One (Theory)!”

Outside the car window, the tall plane trees whirled by, their falling leaves signaling a bleak autumn, yet Fang Daiyu felt the world was beautiful. She, who used to hide in dark corners, mocked and cursed, thinking herself a monster with a mental illness.

She never thought a ray of burning sunshine would one day burst into her world.

Last night, the Xianxian who wiped away her tears after hearing her story and hugged her tightly. The Xianxian who would smile and tell her “I love you” proactively. The Xianxian who made her long-held composure crumble until she couldn’t help but kiss her.

“Okay,” she replied. Though for “Subject One” and “Subject Four,” she considered herself to have already passed with full marks in secret.

…

The days of being in love felt like they were on fast-forward. Fang Daiyu worked Monday to Friday; even though they were in the same city, they could only meet once a week. During the week, they learned to video call like other couples. As soon as Daiyu got off work, Lin Xian’s phone would ring. They’d talk from 7 PM to 9 PM, never feeling it was enough.

Lin Xian searched online for things couples do: cook a meal for each other; wear each other’s pajamas; sleep in each other’s arms; blow-dry each other’s hair; travel together; eat watermelon in an air-conditioned room in summer; walk in the snow in winter; go to the supermarket together; warm each other’s hands and bed in winter…

Lin Xian smiled at the pictures. Soon, the video call came. She could see Daiyu was on her bed. She started with a compliment: “Sister looks super beautiful today!” It was flattery, but it was true.

On the screen, Fang Daiyu’s skin was fair; even the front camera without a filter couldn’t dim her beauty. She smiled. “Your daily opening line?” She touched her long bangs. “When we meet this weekend, will you go with me to get a haircut?”

Long-haired Daiyu looked like an elf; Lin Xian couldn’t bear the thought and changed the subject. “I’m going to wash my face.” She propped her phone on the vanity. “I’ll be right back.”

By the time she returned, Daiyu had forgotten about the haircut. Lin Xian sent her a list of movie titles.

“Blue Is the Warmest Color,” “Carol,” “The Handmaiden”… Sister, pick one for this week’s ‘Subject One’ lesson.

A certain someone with “rich theoretical knowledge” remembered certain scenes and her eyes darkened. “Has Xianxian seen these?”

Lin Xian: “Of course not! If I had, we wouldn’t need to study ‘Subject One’ together. These are just starter movies recommended by people online.”

Starter movies? Fang Daiyu thought of certain scenes. Fine. Starter. She picked one: “Have you seen ‘Yes or No’? It’s a pretty sweet, refreshing movie. Good for a start.”

Sure enough, Lin Xian happily went to download the movie, looking perfectly innocent and clueless.

…

Fang Daiyu usually left to find Lin Xian on Saturday mornings. However, on Friday, after Lin Xian finished class, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Lying on the bed, pale-faced, she suddenly felt a wave of self-pity. Jingjing was beside her, making brown sugar water. “Ask your mentor for the afternoon off. You can’t do an internship like this.”

Lin Xian felt listless. “Jingjing, do you and your boyfriend miss each other?”

Jingjing rolled her eyes. “Him? We see each other every day. I wish I had a few days of peace.”

Lin Xian felt sad again. “I guess people need space…” Jingjing saw her state was clearly wrong—dejected, just like a while ago…

After feeding Lin Xian the brown sugar water, Jingjing couldn’t help but worry: “Xianxian, are you still going to the counseling center? Or is it just period blues? You’re always in so much pain, sigh. You need care right now. Where’s your Sister Daiyu?”

A wave of warmth hit Lin Xian’s heart. She hesitated on the bed. “The doctor said I’ve been in a good state lately, so I didn’t go this week or last. I’m not depressed.” She felt a bit embarrassed. “I miss Daiyu so much, but it takes two hours to get from her place to mine. By the time she gets here, it’ll be night. She might even have to work overtime today.”

“I miss her,” Lin Xian whimpered, clutching her heating pad.

“If you miss her, say so! Tell her to come over!” Jingjing felt there was no need for debate.

I can’t. She wanted to be a considerate girlfriend. Daiyu was a girl too; it would be dark by the time she arrived. Autumn nights were cold. And besides, they had never met on a Friday before.

Seeing Lin Xian’s conflicted look, Jingjing knew she was scared. “You treat your Sister Daiyu like a precious pearl. Does she even know? You didn’t tell her when you cut your hand the other day, did you? Now you can’t even move from your period. If you miss her and want care, say it! My boyfriend—we see each other every day, but if I call him during a holiday and he doesn’t come, I’d get mad at him!”

“It’s different,” Lin Xian murmured. “It’s too dramatic. We haven’t been together that long. She’s a girl; I should be the one protecting her.” Saying this made her feel better, as if she’d convinced herself. She gritted her teeth against the pain and fell into a fitful sleep.

At 1 PM, she woke from the pain. No one was home. She supported herself against the wall to go to the bathroom and then lay back on the bed, feeling nauseous. The cramping was unbearable. Suddenly, she thought of Fang Daiyu again. If Daiyu came today, she could see her.

She wanted to be taken care of. Even without care, just having Daiyu around would make her happy. Huge waves of loneliness surged into her heart, and tears leaked from her eyes. Her resolve finally broke. She pulled out her phone and sent a message: “I miss you. Can you come tonight?”

After sending it, she was too ashamed to look at the phone. Then she began to worry—she’d heard many couples broke up because one person was too demanding. She opened the app to withdraw the message.

“Okay! Wait for me!” “I’ll come over as soon as I finish work today!” “What’s wrong, baby? Are you upset?”

Her nose tingled; happiness washed away her self-inflicted grievance. Lin Xian felt another benefit of being in love: when you miss that person, you can selfishly ask to see them, and they will come as promised.

At 8 PM, Fang Daiyu hadn’t arrived yet. Lin Xian worried about her safety; happiness was replaced by regret, and regret was hidden behind anticipation. Finally, Daiyu replied: “One kilometer away.” Lin Xian struggled out of bed. “I’ll go meet you!”

“The night wind is strong. You aren’t allowed!”

Lin Xian didn’t care. Her heart was full of guilt; she grabbed her coat and started changing despite the pain, as if her body held infinite energy. Just as she put on the coat, there was a knock. Lin Xian ran to the living room, thinking her roommates were back.

She opened the door to a gust of cold wind. Fang Daiyu stood outside, bringing the chill with her, her nose pink from the cold. Lin Xian stood frozen, almost closing the door in shock.

Fang Daiyu held the door open with one hand, her eyes soft as water. “Xianxian, I’m here.”

She pinched the dazed girl’s cheek. “It’s so cold outside. I looked for this place for a long time and almost got the unit number wrong.”

Lin Xian grabbed those frozen, red hands. She knew how cold autumn nights in the capital could be. The chill made her shiver, and she quickly pulled Daiyu inside. Before Daiyu could even stand firm, Lin Xian threw her warm body into a tight hug. She smelled of Lin Xian’s sweet body lotion, like fruit candy.

Lin Xian’s face emerged from Daiyu’s embrace, and she suddenly pecked Daiyu’s lips. Then she buried her fluffy head back in the hug, her voice muffled and soft: “I miss you so much, Sister!”