The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Going Home

When Fang Daiyu walked into the lobby and saw Lin Xian, the younger girl was pacing under the lights with her small brown leather bag on her back. Her polished black leather shoes stepped rhythmically on the marble floor tiles, lifting her feet in an awkward, childishly adorable manner.

Fang Daiyu’s heart softened. She realized she had been wrong; seeing a long-awaited lover appear out of the blue truly brought a surge of joy and emotion. This was the same Xianxian who, just over two hours ago, had screamed at her over the phone: “You’re a stinky person! I’m never going to love you again, Fang Daiyu!”

On the phone, she had been as fierce as a firecracker ready to explode, yet here she was, waiting at the company gates looking soft and obedient. Fang Daiyu signaled her work ID to the security guard and thanked him. Passing through the turnstile, she walked up behind Lin Xian and quietly took her wrist.

Lin Xian’s back arched as she spun around in fright. Seeing it was Fang Daiyu, she let out a breath of relief. But as Daiyu led her through the lobby toward the elevator, Lin Xian suddenly remembered they were mid-fight. She yanked her hand away, her eyes filling with grievance and dissatisfaction. Pouting, she turned her body away, intending to ignore her.

A cold, crisp fragrance approached. Before she could react, Fang Daiyu was pressed against her, pinning Lin Xian into the corner of the elevator. Lin Xian’s pupils dilated in shock as a soft kiss landed on the corner of her lips. Then, the intensity increased. Her shoulder blades were gripped tight as the heavy, minty passionfruit scent of the other woman clung to her teeth and lips. Without a chance to struggle, she was held firmly in Fang Daiyu’s arms and tasted thoroughly.

Her ear was licked unexpectedly, sending a shiver of electricity through her chest. Lin Xian could hear her own unsteady, heavy breathing.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened. The arms holding her loosened as if nothing had happened. Fang Daiyu wrapped one arm around Lin Xian’s shoulders and led her into the Tech Department on the 18th floor.

While most of the building was empty at night, the Tech Department was brightly lit. Overtime was the norm for these programmers, and any small “spice” in their daily routine became instant gossip.

The whole department had heard the security guard’s shout earlier. A little kid? Everyone craned their necks to look. When Fang Daiyu walked in with a “little fairy”—a rare sight in this male-dominated office—the men erupted into cheers: “Whoa, Director Fang, aren’t you going to introduce the little beauty?”

Fang Daiyu cast a cold, sharp glance toward the hecklers. The man who spoke immediately shut up and traded looks with his colleagues.

“Oh, look at that, I still have work to do.” Everyone turned back to their computers with varying degrees of forced focus.

Fang Daiyu didn’t stop. she took Lin Xian directly into her private office. As soon as the door closed, heads popped up again: “Hey, is this the first time she’s brought someone to the workplace?”

“Director Fang is always lecturing us about separating public and private life. She says the company is for work, not for bringing friends. Talk about a slap in the face! Hahaha,” laughed one man who was often on the receiving end of her strictness.

Another team leader spoke up: “So what if it’s a slap in the face? As long as she’s in charge of this department, do you dare say a word against it?”

…

Inside the office, Fang Daiyu couldn’t hear the gossip. She sat Lin Xian down on the sofa, took off her backpack, and handed her her own teacup. Lin Xian looked down and saw a few goji berries floating in the water.

A lyric popped into her head: “Soaking goji berries in a thermos!” She shook her head to clear the random thoughts.

Fang Daiyu pulled a large bag of snacks from a cabinet—chips, yogurt, ham sausages, jelly. She placed them on the table. “Eat something first. If you’re tired, sleep for a bit. I have two hours of work left.”

Lin Xian kept her head down, her hands resting on her knees, neither speaking nor cooperating. Fang Daiyu sighed, opened a bag of chips, and unscrewed a bottle of yogurt. “Here, drink some yogurt, baby.”

A pair of angry eyes suddenly looked up. Lin Xian tilted her chin up stubbornly, her tone sharp: “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” She looked puffed up with anger, like a little pufferfish.

Fang Daiyu set the yogurt down. She put her hands on Lin Xian’s shoulders and crouched down to look her in the eye patiently. “I was wrong, Xianxian. I’m very happy you came.”

Lin Xian’s expression softened slightly, but she still refused to look at her. “And the rest?”

Fang Daiyu raised her hand. “I swear, I don’t like anyone else but you.”

“Hmph!” Lin Xian turned her head away, pretending not to believe her, though she felt better hearing the promise. Her tone softened: “I don’t think you like me at all. If you did, how could you ignore me for two days? If you liked me, why didn’t you explain the woman’s voice on the phone? If you liked me, why wouldn’t you let me come see you?”

Lin Xian’s voice trailed off. The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Fang Daiyu doesn’t love her! Angrily, she reached for the chips, but seeing the flavor, she burst into tears: “I told you last time I like Lime flavor, but you bought Cucumber flavor—the one I hate most!”

A bag of chips became the fuse. She picked up the yogurt and pouted even harder: “I don’t like yellow peach yogurt at all, did you know? No, I don’t even like yogurt! I only learned to accept it because you like it!” She took a big, angry gulp of the yogurt, getting a white smudge on her lip. Fang Daiyu carefully wiped it away with a tissue.

As Lin Xian cried, Fang Daiyu listened intently. Once the crying subsided, she hugged the girl tightly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Reflecting on this sudden romance, Fang Daiyu had felt excitement and novelty, but Lin Xian’s accusations were entirely true. She had tried to learn how to care for a girlfriend. She noticed that the girl didn’t cry when they fought, or when she traveled halfway across the city in the middle of the night—yet she sobbed over the flavor of a bag of chips. Fang Daiyu suddenly realized what was wrong. Truly loving someone means keeping them in your heart and remembering every small detail.

She realized she might not be as good at loving Lin Xian as she had imagined. She thought finishing work and taking a taxi to see her was enough “responsibility,” and she had even used a delivery service to buy snacks without specifying Lin Xian’s preferences.

“I was wrong,” she whispered, filled with regret and self-reproach.

She finally understood that the irritable temper wasn’t random—the two days of silence were the cause, and Zhang Ying (the woman’s voice) was the catalyst. She kissed Lin Xian’s forehead and promised: “I will tell you everything you want to know tonight, okay?”

Lin Xian hesitated. Fang Daiyu added: “Your girlfriend is at your disposal.”

“Hmph!” All that talk of breaking up with her roommates was just a defensive mechanism. Like a hedgehog, when threatened, she showed all her spines—not to hurt others, but to protect herself.

Deep down, Lin Xian had been desperate for an explanation. She was more afraid of misunderstanding her girlfriend than anyone else. Jingjing had told her: “She gave no explanation. If I were you, I’d give her the cold shoulder for days until she admits she’s wrong.”

Lin Xian acted tough, but what girl doesn’t want to be a pampered princess in a relationship? Jingjing called coming here “debasing herself.” The “Devil” in Lin Xian’s mind had screamed: “Go then! You won’t wake up until you fall flat on your face!”

But she had come, purely out of love. Fortunately, Fang Daiyu’s apology gave them both a second chance.

…

Lin Xian hadn’t eaten dinner, and her stomach began to growl. After finishing the yogurt, she looked around the office.

A private office, an aura of authority—Fang Daiyu, sitting at her desk, would look up and give her a faint smile from time to time. Today, Daiyu was wearing a plain black hoodie, which made the skin of her collarbone and neck look startlingly white.

Lin Xian had heard that a man is most charming when working seriously; she realized it was the same for women. She watched Daiyu’s long, slender fingers fly across the black keyboard. Colleagues occasionally knocked and entered, consulting her with respect. Lin Xian didn’t understand their technical jargon, but every unfamiliar word made Daiyu seem more impressive and extraordinary.

She was a king in her professional domain, a leader people believed in. This version of Fang Daiyu made Lin Xian’s breath hitch, but it also strangely gave her a sense of distance. They felt like two parallel lines that had intersected by accident. Would they drift further apart in the future?

Lost in her worries, she didn’t notice Fang Daiyu tidying her desk and standing up.

“Today’s tasks are finished early. Let’s go, Xianxian.” Fang Daiyu picked up Lin Xian’s backpack and pulled the dazed girl to her feet. She draped her own denim jacket over Lin Xian’s shoulders. Outside the lobby, the cold night wind howled. The uncle in the security booth was dozing off as Fang Daiyu led Lin Xian into a waiting taxi.

Inside the car, Lin Xian realized Fang Daiyu was only wearing her thin black hoodie; her skin had developed goosebumps. She stubbornly took off the denim jacket and forced Fang Daiyu to wear it. Then, Lin Xian turned to look out the window.

The dark, wide streets were quieter than during the day. The trees lining the road looked like black shadows. Lin Xian couldn’t help but grip Fang Daiyu’s hand.

“Where are we going?”

Fang Daiyu gently rested Lin Xian’s head on her shoulder. “Home.”