The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Zhang Ying

This was Lin Xian’s first time at Fang Daiyu’s home, and she felt a bit constrained. Upon entering, she saw the foyer and the kitchen, and further in was a large living room with a bar counter, a massive leather sofa, and a liquid crystal TV. Lin Xian’s eyes flickered with a small spark of surprise. Beyond that was a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and next to it was a small guest room and a communal bathroom. Walking further, she saw a winding staircase. Fang Daiyu noticed Lin Xian staring at the stairs thoughtfully. “Upstairs is a small loft. I turned it into a study. Want to take a look?”

Lin Xian nodded and stepped onto the wooden stairs, with Fang Daiyu following close behind. The loft had a skylight, and the moonlight poured down, casting shadows on the wooden floor. Two rows of bookshelves lined the walls; some were leisure reads, but most were professional books on computer science. A small desk sat on the floor with a chessboard set up on it, flanked by round cushions. Lin Xian knelt on a cushion and spotted a tube of lipstick on the corner of the table. She picked it up, her face expressionless, though her eyes held a trace of a forced smile. “Sister, is this yours?”

Lin Xian knew Fang Daiyu didn’t wear lipstick, let alone a MAC “Chili” shade. To think this vibrant color belonged to Fang Daiyu would be to believe in ghosts.

Fang Daiyu’s eyes flashed with displeasure when she saw the lipstick. She took a deep breath to calm her emotions, then took the lipstick and tossed it into the trash can. “A friend of mine has been staying in the guest room for the past two days. She probably left it behind.”

Lin Xian fell silent, her gaze fixed on the lipstick in the bin.

After a long while, she smiled again. “It’s a perfectly good lipstick, and you just throw it away? Couldn’t you just give it back the next time she visits?”

Fang Daiyu tried to take Lin Xian’s hand, but Lin Xian pulled away. Daiyu reached out again and held it firmly. “Xianxian, there won’t be a next time.”

“Hmph.” A sound of disdain escaped Lin Xian’s nose. She ignored Fang Daiyu, pulled her hand back, and walked downstairs. Her heart was a mix of anger and jealousy. How “good” a friend must she be to be invited to stay at her home? While Fang Daiyu hadn’t contacted her for two days, it turned out she was “hiding a beauty in a golden house.” Lin Xian suddenly found the whole house an eyesore. She had never even stayed here, yet someone else already had.

While Lin Xian sat on the sofa sulking, Fang Daiyu walked over with a glass of warm milk. “Drink the milk first, then listen to my explanation, okay?”

Lin Xian took the milk, and only then did Fang Daiyu speak slowly. “First, regarding our argument this afternoon. I didn’t want you to come because I was worried about your safety, and I felt there was no rush. But yes, I was also feeling guilty, and I apologize for that. Two days ago, after learning about Wen Chao, my college friend Zhang Ying happened to arrive in Beijing. Part of me wanted to act out of spite against you, but more importantly, Xianxian, I didn’t know how to explain Zhang Ying to you.”

Lin Xian looked at Fang Daiyu, watching her intently with doubt in her eyes.

Fang Daiyu looked pained. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa. “Just like Wen Chao is to you, Zhang Ying was my college roommate for four years. We trained together, fought together, and did drills together. You know I attended the police academy. Because of that, I didn’t know how to face you.”

Fang Daiyu opened her eyes with a look of embarrassment. “Zhang Ying confessed to me—right when I picked her up from the airport to stay at my place.”

Lin Xian’s face went white instantly. Her fingers holding the glass trembled. She set the milk down on the table. “And so?” The words felt as heavy as lead.

So, during the two days you didn’t contact me, were you considering whether to accept her?

“At the time, I just found it ridiculous and unbelievable, but I immediately thought of you. Xianxian, isn’t it strange how we had such a whirlwind romance? We are so similar; even the problems we face are identical. I don’t like Zhang Ying that way, but my friendship and gratitude toward her are real. I once considered her my best friend, like a sister. I told myself I couldn’t cut off that friendship, yet not long ago, I demanded that of you. I didn’t know how to tell you about Zhang Ying, and I didn’t know how to face the choice.”

The so-called “choice” was merely about fairness. She had asked Lin Xian to cut ties, so she naturally assumed she had to do the same. All the beauty of love struggles under such scrutiny.

Lin Xian was relieved that Fang Daiyu didn’t like Zhang Ying, but she was saddened by Fang Daiyu’s two days of hesitation. She didn’t know what to say. Since no one is a saint, should she really be so harsh as to demand Fang Daiyu be perfect? Yet, the disappointment in her heart wouldn’t just vanish.

Seeing Lin Xian hadn’t responded, Fang Daiyu continued. “I didn’t want you to come because I was afraid you’d see Zhang Ying. Xianxian, I planned to tell you later, but I didn’t expect to be exposed as a selfish jerk so soon. It was my fault for not comforting you immediately after our fight this afternoon, but my plan was to go straight to you after finishing my overtime.” Fang Daiyu pulled up a screenshot of her ride-hailing app. It showed a pre-booked car for 9:30 PM to Lin Xian’s neighborhood, booked at 6:00 PM—right when Lin Xian had finished arguing and was preparing to leave.

“Seeing you tonight brought me so much surprise and happiness. I realized then that being loved is a very romantic thing.” Fang Daiyu slid the gold ring off her finger and placed it in Lin Xian’s hand. “I’ve been an irresponsible lover. Xianxian, can you forgive this ‘rookie’ girlfriend and give her a chance to be ‘trained’ and redeem herself?”

After Fang Daiyu finished, Lin Xian’s eyes grew red. She remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded and dove into Fang Daiyu’s arms.

Tears soaked Fang Daiyu’s clothes. Feeling the girl in her arms crying uncontrollably, Fang Daiyu could only reach out and gently pat her back. She pressed her lips to Lin Xian’s ear and whispered an apology. “Never again, Xianxian. From now on, I will remember all your preferences and never make you cry again.” Her thin lips kissed the curve of Lin Xian’s ear, the gentle sensation comforting the girl’s despondent heart.

Once she had cried her fill, Lin Xian pulled back to wipe her eyes. She spoke to Fang Daiyu with mock sternness. “Don’t think I’ve truly forgiven you yet. I’m only doing this because I love you, you know?” Just as she finished, a snot bubble accidentally popped out. She glared at Fang Daiyu, who quickly turned her head away, though the corners of her mouth were twitching.

Lin Xian hurriedly grabbed some tissues to blow her nose and threatened fiercely, “Don’t you dare laugh!”

Fang Daiyu’s voice was muffled, sounding a bit aggrieved. “Wife, I’m not.”

Lin Xian’s entire face flushed red. “Don’t call me that!”

“Call you what?” Fang Daiyu turned back with a laugh and pulled the little one back into her arms.

Lin Xian tucked her neck in, afraid Fang Daiyu would take the chance to “attack.” “Anyway, you can’t just call me that. I’m just your girlfriend.”

“That means you’re my wife,” Fang Daiyu said again. “Wife.”

Lin Xian sniffled, exasperated. “Look at you, still doing it! Aren’t you ashamed? We aren’t even married yet!”

Fang Daiyu acted shamelessly. “Let’s go get the certificate tomorrow! Tomorrow!”

Lin Xian ignored her, pulling herself out of Daiyu’s arms with an air of “haughty” dignity. She looked down at Fang Daiyu with a serious expression. “I’ve realized you aren’t the Daiyu I first met. My ‘Sister’ was cold and aloof, not like this.” Lin Xian felt a bit “sad.” Being shameless was supposed to be her thing. When they first met, Daiyu was poised and noble, but the longer they spent together, the more Lin Xian felt she was losing the upper hand.

How could there be a girlfriend in this world with thicker skin than mine?

“Don’t make jokes about getting a certificate again,” Lin Xian warned solemnly. “Same-sex marriage is only legal in other regions for now, and I have no plans to emigrate yet.”

Since Lin Xian had mentioned marriage, Fang Daiyu asked curiously, “What about the future? If I insisted on marrying you in the future, what would we do?”

“Have you come out?” Lin Xian saw the light in Fang Daiyu’s eyes dim and knew the answer was no. A small pang of disappointment hit her, but she waved it off. “See, society is realistic. I like the romance of ‘wind, flowers, snow, and moon,’ but you haven’t even reached the stage of coming out. How can we talk about marriage?”

Lin Xian smiled. “But as for me, my entire school knows I’m out!” Lin Xian spoke so lightly. It was the first time Fang Daiyu had heard her talk seriously about her sexual orientation. She couldn’t help but wonder, “You’re just a kid. Where did you get the courage to come out? What were you after?”

What was she after?

Over the past few years, countless people had asked her that, and countless people had mocked her. Lin Xian had asked herself the same thing. But now, she told Fang Daiyu proudly, “What I’m after is the ‘now.’ When my girlfriend wants to marry me, she won’t have to fight a grand battle just to come out. Who knows if coming out would lead to a breakup anyway?”

“Growing up, I heard so many stories about lovers being torn apart because of coming out. It seems all families believe that if you just break up, everything will go back to ‘normal,’ but that’s wrong. What does coming out have to do with whether I have a partner or not? I just want to tell people: I am gay, I was born this way, it cannot be changed, and it has nothing to do with anyone’s ‘seduction’ or ‘instigation.’ Whether I have a partner in the future or not, I only like girls. I have the right to a fair choice, no different from anyone else.”

These words seemed to have been bottled up in her heart for a long time, coming out with a sharp, argumentative edge, as if there were a world before Lin Xian’s eyes that had never understood her. After saying this, Lin Xian deflated, as if all her energy had been spent, feeling a bit embarrassed by her aggressive speech.

Later that night, after showering and lying in bed with Fang Daiyu, Daiyu asked her, “Xianxian, when did you first realize your orientation was different?”

Fang Daiyu thought: Maybe it was like me—entering this circle because you fell in love with someone. The age of falling in love is usually middle school or high school.

She didn’t expect Lin Xian’s answer to be so firm: “Fifth grade. In fifth grade, I finally confirmed I liked girls, and at the same time, I realized one thing: being gay is not a disease.”

The night was long. This was the first time Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu talked about those hidden pasts—the confusing or unspeakable secrets. Secrets deepened their understanding of one another and gave each a new perspective on the person beside them.