The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Dali

“Saw Big Watermelon today!”

“Who’s Big Watermelon?”

“My high school buddy! The trees on campus have grown all the way to the roof. I really want to show you the ancient trees at our school!”

“Okay.”

“Had cold rice noodles and erkuai today. Oh my god, so delicious!”

“What’s erkuai?”

“It’s made of glutinous rice. A staple breakfast for us Dali people.”

“Is it sweet?”

“Silly, erkuai is savory and spicy, smeared with fermented bean curd! When you come to Dali, I’ll take you to eat the most authentic food!”

“Okay.”

“Pangpang and I ran into Faye Wong in the Ancient City today. She was running in front, and a crowd was chasing her. It was so funny.”

“Who’s Pangpang now?”

“Another high school friend.”

“Alright, you little troublemaker. You’re having so much fun you’ve probably forgotten all about me, haven’t you?”

“This afternoon we’re going to tour Erhai Lake. Fanfan’s family owns an inn that rents out scooters, and he’s lending them to us all for free~”

Fang Daiyu picked up her phone as a new notification popped up. Just as she was about to ask “Who’s Fanfan?”, another message from the girl jumped out: “By the way, Fanfan is also part of our high school squad!”

A knock came at her office door. “Come in,” she called out.

She replied to Lin Xian: “Have fun, stay happy!”

A-Liang from the Tech Department had been walking on eggshells lately. Starting a week ago, their boss—who used to have a faint smile and a relaxed brow—had reverted to the cold, merciless “Mother Wolf” persona, perhaps even grimmer than before. He handed the proposal for the new project to Fang Daiyu, not daring to speak. He peeked up and was shocked to catch a lingering trace of tenderness in the corners of her eyes.

This discovery nearly made A-Liang bolt. The Wolf Queen showing tenderness? Truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Even more surprising was that the proposal, which usually faced grueling scrutiny, passed effortlessly. Daiyu’s fingers brushed the edge of the A4 paper as she handed the document back. “This was well-prepared. Good job.”

That short sentence was the limit of her rare praise.

Buoyed by the director’s compliment, A-Liang felt light as air. Suddenly, Daiyu didn’t seem so scary; he felt he could work overtime for another week straight. She’s not fierce at all, he thought. I don’t know why everyone spreads those rumors about her being a cruel wolf.

He dithered for a second, only to hear Daiyu ask, “Can you work overtime next week? I have an emergency at home and need to take leave. I’ll have Engineer Liu fill in for me, but I see you have a good attitude.” A-Liang’s mouth fell open. For the director to tell him this meant…?

“If you’re willing, train under Engineer Liu for a bit. Let him teach you the ropes of what he handles.” Though phrased as a suggestion, it was clear she was grooming him for promotion.

A-Liang was flustered with excitement. “I’m willing! Di—Director!” He finished with a red face and lowered his head sheepishly.

With a faint smile, Daiyu waved him out.

Just as A-Liang was about to open the door, Daiyu remembered something important. “Wait!”

A-Liang froze and turned back, terrified she had changed her mind. He held his breath, his body tense. Seeing his reaction, Daiyu softened her voice. “I just wanted to ask a personal favor. Nothing serious.”

His shoulders slumped in relief. “Anything, Director!”

“I heard you have a side gig booking flight tickets? Can you help me book one to Dali for next week? A round trip for about a week. I’ve checked the main apps and they’re all sold out.”

A-Liang agreed instantly. “Consider it done!” Doing his side hustle for the boss—was he a genius or what?

…

The weather in the South was chilly. A few days ago, while watching TV, Lin Xian had complained to Daiyu that her feet were freezing. Two days later, a large wooden foot warmer arrived—the kind you can practically sit inside. Lin Jian, the younger sister, had just finished school and helped Lin Xian lug the heavy thing into the living room. “Sis, this wasn’t cheap. Who sent it?”

Asked about a “partner” for the first time since coming home, Lin Xian hesitated. She wasn’t sure how her family felt about her being with a woman. She looked at her phone; Pangpang had just invited her for spicy crab. “Pangpang, remember her? She bought it for me.”

Lin Jian felt her worldview shatter. Pangpang? The girl who came over last time to eat everything and stole her small toy?

Could she have misjudged her? He Pangpang did not look like the generous type. She had thought her sister had finally landed a partner, given how radiant and healthy she looked this semester. Lin Jian clicked her tongue in disapproval, grabbed her blanket, plugged in the heater, and prepared to lie in it.

Seeing her sister occupy the gift from Daiyu so naturally, Lin Xian got annoyed. She tugged at the blanket. “What are you doing? Was this bought for you? Why are you lying in it?”

“Hey!” Lin Jian sat firmly in the heater like a squatter. “Pangpang bought it, why can’t I use it?” She tilted her chin up, looking exactly like Lin Xian in her pride. “She stole my toy last time; she owes me this!”

When it came to stubborn logic, Lin Jian was the only one in the house who could rival Lin Xian. After all, she had been influenced by her sister since childhood.

“Pangpang bought it, my foot!” Lin Xian snapped. With her family, she reverted to being a child. She almost blurted out, “Pangpang is a cheapskate, she wouldn’t buy me this,” but she caught Lin Jian’s suspicious gaze and pivoted. “Fine, keep acting like a little tyrant. I feel sorry for whoever marries you. Poor guy.”

Lin Xian sat in the corner of the sofa, hugging a cushion poutily. “Just for today! Don’t touch my stuff tomorrow!”

“We’ll see!” Lin Jian saw her sister’s teary-eyed look and felt a bit guilty. she scooted over to leave half the space for Lin Xian’s feet, but as she moved, the phone on the coffee table rang.

Lin Jian picked it up habitually. She knew all of her sister’s old classmates. She looked at the caller ID: “Sister Daiyu.” Lin Jian chuckled. “Sis, who’s Sister Daiyu? Some sickly character who cries all day?”

As she spoke, a voice came through the speaker simultaneously: “Hello, wifey? I’ve arrived in Dali. Give me your home address.”

The voice had a slight boyish magnetism, but it was clearly a young woman. Lin Jian was so startled by the word “wifey” that she dropped the phone under the coffee table.

Lin Xian scrambled to the floor to retrieve it, her mind in a panic. She couldn’t even look at Lin Jian. How could she be so careless as to leave the phone on the table?

Daiyu’s voice kept coming through the receiver: “Xianxian? Xianxian?”

The loud “bang” had worried Daiyu; she thought Lin Xian had fallen or something had happened. She also thought she heard another girl’s voice. Daiyu stood at the Dali airport exit with her suitcase, while a taxi driver with a thick local accent prodded her: “Hurry up, where to?”

Daiyu took a 100-yuan note from her wallet and handed it to the driver, gesturing for him to wait.

The driver took the money and shut up, though he was baffled. “What does giving me a hundred mean? Can’t speak clearly, what a blockhead,” he muttered in the local dialect, assuming she couldn’t understand.

Lin Xian finally fished the phone out and ran into her bedroom, locking the door. “The phone fell under the table. Daiyu, what did you just say? I didn’t hear.”

Relieved she was okay, Daiyu looked up at the blue sky and white clouds. Her mood brightened. “I’m in Dali, Xianxian.”

Lin Xian thought she was hallucinating. “What did you say?”

“I wanted to surprise you, but I only had the location of your courier drop-off point, not your actual address.” Daiyu’s voice was calm—calm because she was relaxed, knowing she’d see Lin Xian soon.

Lin Xian was ecstatic. To make sure she wasn’t dreaming, she bit her finger. It hurt!

She flopped onto the bed and rolled around, sounding foolishly happy as she gave Daiyu the address. But then she caught her reflection in the wardrobe mirror and panicked.

Oh no! Daiyu is coming, and the house is a mess!

Grandmother was back in the countryside, and her mother was at the shop. Since coming home, Lin Xian had completely let herself go, making a mess of the house with Lin Jian. She threw open the door, nearly knocking over Lin Jian, who had been eavesdropping.

Caught in the act, Lin Jian didn’t even feel embarrassed. “Sis, who is Sister Daiyu?” She leaned against the doorframe, her tone teasing, and blew a kiss at Lin Xian.

Lin Xian didn’t have time to argue. She grabbed her sister’s shoulders. “Jianjian, a very important friend of mine is coming over. Clean up the house. Now.”

She didn’t use nicknames like “brat” or “runt.” She used “Jianjian,” which made the younger girl even more curious about this “Sister Daiyu.” Curiosity aside, Lin Xian’s authority as the elder sister remained; Lin Jian begrudgingly headed for the broom and mop.

When it came to saving face, both sisters inherited it from their mother.

Once this “Sister Daiyu” arrived, the truth would surely come out.

…

“Coming for a vacation, little sister?” The taxi driver saw the destination was near the scenic area and his local pride kicked in. “You picked the right place. Dali is like spring all year round. Mountains, water, scenery—it’s beautiful. Especially those shops in the Ancient City; young people love them. My daughter goes there every day.”

In the back seat, Daiyu had the window down. A faint floral scent drifted in the wind. She replied with a sense of leisure, “You’re right. Dali is wonderful.” Thinking of Lin Xian, she smiled. “Is it true that in Dali, the mountains are beautiful, the water is beautiful, but the people are even more beautiful?”

“Of course! We have the ‘Five Golden Flowers,’ the ‘A-Pengs,’ and the four wonders: the wind, the flowers, the snow, and the moon…” The driver stopped talking as heavy trucks passed, focusing on the road.

When she got out, the driver handed her a musical instrument. “You gave me so much for the fare. I just bought this hulusi (gourd flute) a few days ago. Take it!”

Before Daiyu could hesitate, it was shoved into her hand. “You’re still a student, right? Enjoy the scenery, but stay safe. Don’t believe those rumors about ‘romantic encounters’ here. Only lowlifes look for that kind of trouble.”

Lin Xian’s house was right in front of her. Sorry, driver, she thought, I really am here for a ‘romantic encounter’ with a Dali Golden Flower.

The driver gave one last warning: “You don’t look convinced. Watch out! Your parents worked hard to raise you; focus on your studies, okay?” From the start, he had pegged her as a quiet, obedient girl who was blindly traveling for “love.” What is the world coming to? he sighed. It’s always the smart girls who get scammed easiest.

He drove away, looking back in his rearview mirror as the “foolish girl” stood there for a moment before heading into the residential area with her suitcase.

That’s not a tourist spot, the driver thought, already imagining another young girl’s downfall.

Fang “Wayward Girl” Daiyu, oblivious to the driver’s label, followed the house numbers. The houses here were all similar—small white buildings with ink-wash style paintings on the walls.

In Daiyu’s eyes, it was quite unique.

She found the number. It was a three-story building with a flower bed out front filled with mint and roses. Even in this season, a few rosebuds were blooming—yellow, pink, red, and purple—adding life to the pale walls.

Taking a deep breath, and bracing herself to meet Lin Xian’s family, she knocked on the door.