The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Couples

In the fourth grade, Lin Xian stole a copy of Zhiyin magazine from her mother’s wardrobe. She loved reading, but at that age, she had no way of vetting the content. She flipped through it and found a story about the tragic romance of a lesbian sex worker. As a primary school student with a very “proper” mindset at the time, Lin Xian read it with a racing heart. Magazines for adults had no taboos; this was her first introduction to the reality of the sexes.

The blushing descriptions weren’t the main point; what mattered was that Lin Xian discovered the term “homosexual” for the first time and realized it matched all her own behaviors. Ever since she was little, she had felt strange. When other girls liked dolls, she liked Ultraman and Transformers. But that didn’t mean she didn’t like girls. On the contrary, every time she saw a pretty girl in class, she would be too shy to look them in the eye. She would secretly observe which girls were the prettiest and had the fairest skin, and she would even sneak pastries her mother made into the classroom to give to them.

When the little girls smiled, Lin Xian’s heart felt as sweet as a marshmallow, as if she were floating on a soft, fluffy cloud. When the girls pulled Lin Xian aside to talk about which boys in class were handsome, Lin Xian had no impression of them at all. Boys were just dirty and fought with her constantly. Thus, the magazine triggered an exploratory curiosity in her.

By the fifth grade, her family got their first computer. With her mother’s help, she learned how to type and use the internet. Children are naturally curious, and Lin Xian quickly became proficient. After browsing various forums and learning that homosexuality was innate rather than a mental illness, her sexual identity awakened. From then on, she learned to keep a distance from girls, learned to be a secret “protector of flowers,” and became more and more attentive to the LGBT community. With each discovery, she became more certain of her own nature.

Fang Daiyu listened to Lin Xian’s story thoughtfully. It was rare for someone so young to know exactly what they wanted without being swept away or corrupted by the broader environment of the “circle.” She knew all too well how many psychologically immature girls were seduced into “tasting the forbidden fruit,” eventually falling into patterns of promiscuity or unsafe behavior.

Involuntarily, Fang Daiyu hugged Lin Xian tighter, their warm skin pressed together. Perhaps the atmosphere today was too intimate, making them both feel more honest than ever before. It was unclear who initiated it, but by the time Lin Xian realized, their bodies—the warmest and most comfortable things they knew—were instinctively seeking heat from one another. Both felt the soul-shuddering thrill. Lin Xian couldn’t help but whisper in awe, “It feels so good… like being in ripples of water.”

Hearing Fang Daiyu’s muffled chuckle, Lin Xian felt a brief moment of embarrassment before the other woman tightened her hold. The smooth skin was like silk satin. Lin Xian finally understood why some girls online claimed to have “skin hunger.” She, too, had fallen ill with this “disease.”

Fang Daiyu kept her eyes tightly shut, which intensified her other senses. She felt like a sail drifting on the ocean; even simple skin-to-skin contact provided comfort to her spirit. She craved more but also felt afraid. If a mere taste was this exhilarating, she feared she wouldn’t be able to handle the pleasure of “devouring the feast.”

Perhaps savoring it slowly was the most respectful way to treat a precious treasure. Her fingers moved as if performing a sacred ritual, like the magical hands of an artist. Touch by touch, she traced the greatest work of art from head to toe. Toes were masterpieces of God that taught humans to walk upright; the hollow of the ankle was the most sexy and flexible joint. She pressed a kiss to this flawless work, climbing up the long, straight curves. The color was a white woven from moonlight; the touch was the softness of polished cream; the lines were cast by the Goddess of Beauty pulling from the edge of the horizon. Deep in the forest where water trickled was a clear, clean spring. Or perhaps, the rising and falling soft valleys were the masterpiece, the birthplace of bloodlines.

Setting out toward the most perfect creation of humanity.

The lamp cast a weak shadow on the wall, and that shadow swayed all night long. The weekday alarm, which they had forgotten to turn off, began to ring. A deep-sleeping Lin Xian opened her eyes. Fang Daiyu’s long eyelashes fluttered restlessly, stirring one’s heart. Lin Xian reached out to silence the alarm, her arm resting above the pillow. Finally, she couldn’t resist planting a kiss on those closed, quiet eyelids.

In the first half of the night, Lin Xian had been the happy one. When it was her turn to take the initiative in the second half, Daiyu had opened her eyes wide in shock. “You still have energy?” she had gasped, questioning her own life. When the “kitten” bit her ear and her whimpers were swallowed up, it was too late to struggle. She lay flat with a trace of lingering “grievance.”

To this, Lin Xian gave the perfect excuse to save Daiyu’s dignity: “I’m young.”

Fang Daiyu didn’t believe a word of it. Had she not been working overtime for several nights, she wouldn’t have exhausted her stamina in a few hours and been left at the other’s mercy. Once she woke up, she vowed to dig out that yearly gym membership card she had probably thrown under the bed.

…

By the time they woke up again, it was already 3:00 PM. Hunger rumbled in their stomachs. Fang Daiyu ordered takeout while they were still bleary-eyed; by the time they finished washing up, the food had arrived. After eating, Fang Daiyu asked Lin Xian where she wanted to go. After the night they’d had, the two were incredibly close. Lin Xian instinctively nestled into Daiyu’s arms, wrapping her arms around her waist to playfully tickle her. Feeling the skin she’d been longing for, she smiled like a satisfied cat that had stolen a treat. “I have a list of ‘One Hundred Small Things.’ Is Sister interested?”

Fang Daiyu opened her phone’s memo and her eyes lit up.

…

When Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu walked out of the mall, they were wearing matching couple’s outfits. It was just in time for autumn; they bought the same beige trench coat, though Lin Xian’s was long and Daiyu chose her usual short style. A bit more browsing resulted in matching trousers, shoes, hoodies, and two identical light gray wool scarves. There were many toy stores in the mall; Lin Xian couldn’t resist slipping away while Fang Daiyu was in the restroom to buy her a Winnie the Pooh keychain.

She shook her own matching one. “Look, we have the same one!” She smiled so wide her eyes disappeared.

“That’s not enough!” Fang Daiyu surveyed their attire, feeling something was missing. “Right, accessories!”

Bags, hats, gloves, phone cases, and a pair of cute couple’s earrings.

Lin Xian held the earrings, looking at them but unable to wear them. She pouted. “Daiyu, when can we go get our ears pierced together? I noticed you don’t have them either!”

It was strange; none of the lesbians Lin Xian knew lacked piercings. He Yao had four or five, and even Wen Chao had two on one side. Yet she and Fang Daiyu had two clean, translucent earlobes with nothing on them. Lin Xian pinched her own earlobe—thin and soft. Then she touched Fang Daiyu’s. As her fingertips brushed the skin, Fang Daiyu flinched. With people passing by, she coughed awkwardly. “Xianxian, don’t mess around. Let’s wait until we get home…”

“Daiyu, your earlobes are very thin too. I heard thin lobes are perfect for piercing! Let’s go together another day. I’m afraid of the pain if I go alone.”

Fang Daiyu had thought Lin Xian only bought the earrings because they looked nice. Hearing about the piercing, her skin felt like it was being pricked by needles already. Hiding her nervousness, she smiled calmly. “Sure. If Xianxian wants to do it, I’ll go with her.”

“Great! That way, my first piercing will be with my girlfriend! That’s our 101st small thing!” Lin Xian cheered, sounding impatient. “Should we go tomorrow? What do you think, Daiyu?”

Fang Daiyu’s gaze stiffened. “Tomorrow? Oh, have you heard? The coldest time of year is the Winter Solstice. They say it’s lucky to get piercings on the Winter Solstice. Wouldn’t it be more meaningful if we go then?”

Winter Solstice? Lin Xian thought of the dancing snowflakes and the silhouettes of couples walking hand-in-hand in the snow. Indeed, getting pierced on the Winter Solstice sounded very happy.

Lin Xian stuck out her pinky. “Then it’s a promise. Come on, pinky swear!” She blinked.

As God was her witness, Fang Daiyu hadn’t done a pinky swear since primary school. Helplessly, she extended her finger to make the promise. That wasn’t enough; Lin Xian extended her thumb, looking at Daiyu’s retreating hand. “And the rest?”

“What rest?” Fang Daiyu was confused.

Lin Xian took Daiyu’s hand and pressed her thumb against it. “Seal it! Once it’s sealed, you can’t escape for a lifetime.” (People who break their vows are destined to find no seasoning packets in their instant noodles.)

Hearing “a lifetime” spoken so lightly by Lin Xian filled Fang Daiyu with joy. She took Lin Xian’s hand. “We’ve bought our couple’s items. Where to next?”

“Of course!” Lin Xian smiled mischievously.

The autumn air was crisp. It was just after noon, and the sun cast long shadows of the passersby against the corners of the walls.

“How can you be in Beijing and not ride a ‘Yellow Bike’ through the hutongs? Let’s go exploring!” Lin Xian pulled Fang Daiyu along. She tied their shopping bags to the front basket of a shared bike. Stepping onto the pedal, she looked at Fang Daiyu, who was standing still. She suddenly looked puzzled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride a bike?”

“That’s not it.” Fang Daiyu walked around the bike. It was just… “I’ve never ridden a shared bike. Xianxian, how do I operate this?”

…

The roads were wide, and the fallen leaves were piled high, making a crisp cracking sound as the wheels rolled over them. Lin Xian rode in front, and Fang Daiyu followed behind. Lin Xian couldn’t stop laughing. Seriously? Fang Daiyu had been in Beijing for so long and had never ridden a bike? What a waste of the scenery.

When the traffic thinned out, they rode side by side. Upon being questioned, Fang Daiyu confessed the truth: “My commute is short, and for long distances I take a taxi. I’ve never needed a bike.”

Fang Daiyu was acting a bit sullen. She didn’t want to speak much, feeling that after last night, Xianxian was much more “uninhibited.” She was laughing more, but also becoming more blatantly bold. Look—one night hadn’t even passed and Lin Xian had already teased her multiple times.

To have her “dignity” damaged in her girlfriend’s eyes was something Fang Daiyu found hard to endure.

Lin Xian’s laughter was clear and bright. Seeing Fang Daiyu’s silence, she understood immediately. She explained: “Daiyu, I just think you’re very cute.”

“With a girlfriend this cute and straightforward, shouldn’t I feel lucky and unable to stop smiling?”