The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Brave

Lin Xian held a secret: within her body lived three people—Mangmang, Lin Xian, and the Devil. Mangmang was five years old, the simplest and most beautiful child in the world. Lin Xian was twenty, the primary controller of the body, someone who found joy in contentment but could still be crushed by reality. The Devil was two years older than Lin Xian, a genius—brilliant, calculating, and manipulative. Both the Devil and Lin Xian loved Mangmang. Unlike those with traditional split personalities, the three of them coexisted peacefully. Only when Lin Xian could no longer withstand a blow would the Devil emerge, and Lin Xian retained the right to know everything the Devil did.

Lin Xian closed her eyes. In her mind was a dim bedroom where Mangmang sat at a desk with her back turned, doing homework. Lin Xian wanted to call out for her to turn around, but the small, stubborn back remained stiff. When Lin Xian shifted her perspective to face her, she saw that the workbook on the desk was already soaked with tears.

Mangmang looked up, her large, clear eyes brimming with water. “Xianxian, let’s not leave Sister, okay?”

In the consultation room, Lin Xian furrowed her brow in pain, feeling her hands slowly being enveloped by Dr. Wang’s warm palms.

When Lin Xian opened her eyes again, the world outside was wrapped in misty blue. In the heavy, damp night, Lin Xian walked home with unsteady steps, shivering. The temperature inside the house was warmer, and Mangmang’s words echoed in her mind: “I like Sister; I want her to play with me!”

Lin Xian dialed Fang Daiyu’s number, surprised when it was answered instantly.

Fang Daiyu’s voice sounded weary. “Xianxian, I’m happy you called.” It felt like a needle pricking her heart. Lin Xian spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully: “Daiyu, Wen Chao has been my friend for four years, and you are my partner. Neither is easy to let go of. Give me some time, okay?”

After a long pause, the other end let out a long sigh of compromise. “Mhm.”

“Then… can I pick you up from work tomorrow afternoon?” Lin Xian asked tentatively.

Fang Daiyu refused without hesitation. “I’m working overtime tomorrow night. Xianxian, focus on your internship and don’t overthink. I’ll come to your school to find you on Saturday!”

“But I can wait for you.” Lin Xian was desperate to see her. One night—one night was enough to say so many things, to hold her as they slept.

“Be good, stay obedient! I’m still very busy with work, I have to hang up.” The call clicked into a dial tone. Lin Xian felt as if she had been doused with cold water. Her sensitive intuition picked up on something wrong. Something must have happened to Fang Daiyu these past two days.

She had thought the silence was just a cold war, but thinking back, the situation with Wen Chao wasn’t worth such coldness. If Daiyu didn’t want her to visit, was there a secret?

Before bed, Lin Xian brought up picking her up again. This time, Fang Daiyu was blunt: “I’m busy with work, I don’t have time to look after you.” Realizing the harshness, she added, “It takes over two hours to get from your school to my office. I don’t want you waiting in the cold wind, and I don’t want you traveling late at night. It’s not safe.”

“Then I’ll book a hotel right next to your company and wait there, okay?” Lin Xian whispered.

“No!” Fang Daiyu refused again. “Hotels in the capital are expensive. Xianxian, you’re a student, don’t waste money.”

Lin Xian found these excuses nonsensical. Was it wrong to want to see her?

“Do you not want to see me?” Lin Xian asked.

“I want to see you, but if love is meant to last, why must we be together every second?” Fang Daiyu comforted her like a child. “We have a long future ahead, Xianxian.”

“Wrong!” Lin Xian didn’t know if she was being unreasonable out of anxiety. “You’re clearly blocking me even though we can meet. The safety excuse doesn’t hold up!” Fang Daiyu went silent.

To Lin Xian, that silence was a sign of a guilty conscience. She spiraled into sadness: “You ignored me for two days. What did I do wrong? I’ve never flirted with anyone; I’m faithful to you. You just stop talking whenever you want. Daiyu, if I hadn’t called, would you have just abandoned me?”

“No…” Fang Daiyu hadn’t expected Lin Xian to think that way. She wanted nothing more than to hug her and tell her not to cry. As she sighed in frustration, her bedroom door was knocked on. A crisp female voice called out: “My little Daiyu, Sister has washed the apples for you. Why aren’t you coming out? What are you hiding in there for?”

Lin Xian vaguely heard the voice over the line. She couldn’t catch the words clearly, but she asked cautiously, “Sister, where are you right now?”

Fang Daiyu covered the receiver. Luckily, Xianxian was about to sleep and hadn’t asked for a video call. She whispered back, “At home, about to sleep.”

“Oh~” Xianxian’s laugh came through the phone. “I thought you were out at a dinner party with friends.”

…

For the first time, Lin Xian seriously told her roommates Jingjing, Yaya, and Nannan: “I think I’m going to break up with Fang Daiyu.” They jumped in shock, assuming something catastrophic had happened.

Lin Xian narrowed her eyes in thought. “Fang Daiyu lied to me last night.” She didn’t even use a nickname; the situation was grave.

She continued, “I’ve hated cheating and third parties since I was a child. Fang Daiyu was always considerate, then suddenly goes silent for two days. Yesterday, I offered to pick her up—something that usually makes her ecstatic—and she made up excuses about my safety to keep me away until Saturday.” Lin Xian pushed up her glasses.

“That’s not even the most suspicious part. At 10:30 PM, she told me she was at home getting ready for bed, but I heard a young woman’s voice. If their relationship were normal, she would have explained it. Instead, she covered it up.”

The roommates began to clap. Yaya was awestruck. “I finally understand why they say a woman in love has a terrifying IQ once she suspects something.”

Lin Xian raised her hand for silence. “I found her Weibo through her contacts, then found a girl she follows. That girl posted photos of a meal. The person sitting opposite her—showing only their lower body and hands—is Fang Daiyu. I would never mistake that ring with the red thread wrapped around it!”

Nannan gave her a thumbs up. “You are legendary!”

Only Jingjing looked at her with concern. “What are you going to do now?”

Lin Xian suddenly deflated like a popped balloon. “I don’t know. I’ll ask one more time if I can pick her up. If she still says no, I’m breaking up with her.”

“What if you’ve misunderstood?” Jingjing sighed. “You love her so much; don’t just throw it away.”

“Love is love, but principles are principles. If principles are broken, a clean break is better than long-term pain.” With that, Lin Xian left for her internship.

Jingjing asked the others, “Don’t you think her current state looks like when her depression was at its worst?”

The others gasped. Yaya realized, “She was like this back then—disappointed in humanity, full of pessimism, magnifying every detail into evidence of darkness!”

Nannan crossed her fingers. “Please, God, don’t let Xianxian have a relapse!”

…

As the cold night wind blew, Lin Xian stood at the bus stop. Her temperament was becoming irritable and uncontrollable again. Why had she suddenly picked a fight with Fang Daiyu?

In the afternoon, she had intended to test her calmly, but upon being rejected, she blurted out without thinking: “Are you seeing someone else behind my back? You’ve been cold for two days; you’ve wanted to break up for a long time, haven’t you?”

She was wearing an indigo academic-style wool coat over a bow-tie shirt, a pleated skirt, and leather shoes, with only knee-high socks for warmth. The bus to Haidian arrived, and she boarded.

Bus—Subway—Bus. The dim yellow streetlights illuminated every stop. Lin Xian thought she would likely never run herself ragged for another person like this ever again.

Before leaving, she told Jingjing, “This is the last time. I’m going to pick her up. If she shows any sign of being unwilling or gives me a cold face, I’ll let her go for good.” Jingjing saw it was 6:30 PM and felt a sense of awe. Life and vitality seemed to surge from Lin Xian. “Go,” she said. “You are a hundred times braver than I thought. Good luck, Xianxian!”

The streetlights shone on the gates of Xinxing Technology. This was it. Though Daiyu had never mentioned exactly where she worked, Lin Xian had seen a check-in post on her social media a year ago: Company!

Xinxing Technology was a famous domestic internet giant. The gates were grand, and the towers were numerous; rumor had it they owned the entire block. At the top of the building, the founder’s calligraphy was hung in glowing LED lights, dazzling in the dark. There was a security booth at the entrance as luxury cars flowed in and out. Lin Xian saw a small side path and, unsure if she could enter, tapped on the booth window.

She put on a bright smile. “Uncle, my friend works inside. Can I go in to find her?”

The security guard was a bit hard of hearing. Seeing her in what he assumed was a middle school uniform, he smiled kindly. “Little student, everyone has finished work!”

Lin Xian tapped again. The guard slid the window open, and the cold air rushed in. She looked pitiable. “Uncle, my friend is working overtime. Can I sit inside with you to wait? It’s a bit cold outside.”

This time he heard her clearly. He pointed to the office building. “Just go straight in. You can wait in the main lobby. Isn’t that more spacious than here?”

Lin Xian thanked him happily and walked in. Two young guards stood watch inside. There were security turnstiles that required a card. Lin Xian stood by the gate, looking around, unsure when Daiyu would finish.

After a long time, a guard couldn’t help but ask, “Little kid, are you waiting for your parents?”

Realizing he was talking to her, Lin Xian looked up with her standard “good girl” smile. “I’m waiting for a friend.”

“Overtime, huh? Do you know which department?”

Lin Xian thought. “Technological department, I think? I don’t really know, she does computer stuff.”

“What’s her name?”

“Fang Daiyu.”

As soon as she said it, the guard smiled warmly. “Director Fang! I know her!” He picked up his walkie-talkie. “Xiao Li, Xiao Li, come in.”

A rough male voice replied, “Copy that, Tech Department here.”

“Xiao Li, tell Director Fang that a little kid from her family is here to see her. She’s been wandering the lobby for half an hour; it’s quite heart-wrenching!”

The reply came back as a loud shout over the speaker: “Director Fang! There’s a little kid out here looking for you!”

Lin Xian: “…”