The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Snow

Fang Daiyu left Dali after a short week, and once again, the days became a grueling test of endurance.

Fortunately, New Year’s Eve was fast approaching. On the day before the eve, Daiyu finally clocked out of her company, changed her clothes, and took an overnight bus from the capital back to her small hometown in the Northwest.

That night, knowing Daiyu was on the road, Lin Xian stayed glued to her WeChat. She curled up on the sofa under a small woolen blanket Daiyu had sent her, while Lin Jian sat nearby, huddled in front of a space heater Daiyu had bought, engrossed in a manga. Grandma and Mom were watching the K-drama Reply 1988 and discussing the plot. When Lin Fangyun saw the characters Sun-woo and Bo-ra kiss, she quickly covered Lin Jian’s eyes.

“Mom, I’m reading a manga!” Lin Jian complained, swatting her mother’s hand away.

Grandma squinted with a smile. “Look at those two. It took so many episodes just for one little kiss.” Lin Fangyun agreed: “Exactly, Mom. You see, if even Sung Bo-ra can find a boyfriend, surely our Lin Xian can too!”

Hearing this familiar roast, Lin Xian looked up helplessly. “Mom, you said that the first time you watched 1988, and you’re saying it again now!”

Lin Fangyun smacked her lips in mock disdain. “See? So fierce!” She pursed her lips and shared a secret look with Lin Jian. She whispered, “Your sister’s personality is exactly like Sung Bo-ra’s. No one in this house dares to argue with her.”

Lin Jian whispered back, “Exactly, exactly.”

Lin Xian sighed. “I can hear you!” Feeling a bit huffy, she couldn’t help but vent to Fang Daiyu. Her fingers flew across the screen as she sent a message:

“In my mom’s eyes, I have the exact same personality as Sung Bo-ra. Can you believe that?”

When Daiyu received the message, she laughed out loud. She typed a reply, imagining Lin Xian’s reaction, her smile brightening the dark night bus.

“Your mother-in-law seems to be quite right. You are a bit bossy.”

“Hmph!” Sure enough, when Lin Xian saw the message, she was so “angry” she tossed her phone onto the sofa. Lin Fangyun quickly scooted over to avoid being hit by the “weapon.”

The clever little devil Lin Jian snuck a look at the phone. The words “Mother-in-law” flashed on the screen, nearly blinding her. Before Lin Xian noticed, she turned the screen off and carefully placed it back on the sofa.

Burning with gossip, she immediately poked her friend Lailai on WeChat: “I’ve got the real scoop! My sister and Daiyu are 100% together!”

After tossing the phone, Lin Xian regretted it. She picked it back up begrudgingly, only to see Daiyu’s follow-up message: “I’m just like Sun-woo—a total ‘ra-er-duo’ (henpecked).”

Ra-er-duo is Sichuan slang, but it was used in Lin Xian’s hometown dialect as well. Daiyu was applying her local knowledge to coax her “wife.”

Lin Xian didn’t plan on letting her off that easily. After a moment, she replied: “If you keep talking like that, I’m canceling my train ticket.”

“What train ticket?” Daiyu was sharp.

Lin Xian kicked her feet up on the sofa, looking triumphant—though to Lin Fangyun, she just looked like a smug little brat. Lin Xian typed slowly: “A train ticket that arrives in Beijing exactly on Valentine’s Day.”

When Daiyu saw this, she nearly cheered. In the cold Northern night bus, she suddenly didn’t feel the chill at all.

Valentine’s Day, February 14th. She suddenly remembered something.

“Don’t cancel the ticket! Xianxian, I was wrong. When you get back, I’ll kneel on the remote control as punishment.”

“You said it yourself, now.”

“I said it. But you’re leaving home before the Lantern Festival is even over—won’t Grandma and Mom be sad to see you go?”

Lin Xian looked at her grandmother and mother immersed in the TV, and then at her sister happily playing on her phone. “Probably, but I’ve stayed home long enough. It’s time to go find my love!”

…

This was Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu’s first Spring Festival together. On New Year’s Eve, after finishing the reunion dinner, Daiyu made a video call to Lin Xian.

When the call connected, Daiyu—whose hair had grown noticeably longer—was standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. She pointed the camera outside. “Xianxian, look. It’s snowing. The first snow of the year back home.”

For some reason, Lin Xian remembered a small wish Daiyu once shared: she wanted to hold Lin Xian in a warm room, sitting by a window watching the snow, while Lin Xian told her fairy tales.

Lin Xian’s voice turned nostalgic. “Daiyu, do you think it will snow in Beijing?”

Daiyu checked the weather forecast and replied with a hint of regret: “It’s a bit of a long shot.”

“It would be so nice if it snowed, Daiyu.” Then I could watch the snow with you at home, or go see the Forbidden City in the white.

“Since our Xianxian made a wish, it will definitely happen.” The phone grew warm in her palm.

As the midnight bells of the Spring Festival Gala rang, Daiyu looked at Lin Xian through the screen. “Xianxian, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, Daiyu!” Lin Xian beamed, her eyes curving with happiness. she transferred some money to Daiyu. “Luck money.”

To her surprise, as soon as she sent it, her Alipay showed an incoming transfer from Daiyu with the note: “Luck money.”

“What a coincidence,” Lin Xian said, her joy overflowing. “This is the first time I’ve received luck money from a girlfriend. You don’t know how jealous I used to be seeing my roommates get luck money from their boyfriends.”

Just as she finished speaking, another transfer hit her Alipay. The amount was so large it shocked her. “Daiyu, did you send the wrong amount?”

On the screen, Daiyu looked elegant in her dark blue striped pajamas. She walked to the window to close it tight. “Don’t be envious of others. I’m making up for all the luck money from the last twenty years, and I’m covering a lifetime’s worth for the future.” Hearing this, Lin Xian’s heart swelled with warmth.

She was touched and shy, but she returned the large sum. “You know what I was envious of was the joy of two people celebrating together.” The money Daiyu had sent was enough to cover most of her university tuition.

Daiyu smiled. “That’s fine! All my money belongs to my wife eventually, anyway.”

…

The journey from Dali to Beijing involved a high-speed rail transfer to a “green-skin” slow train. Thinking about her upcoming graduation, Lin Xian had started pinching pennies. She even refused Lin Fangyun’s offer to pay for a flight, which shocked her mother. She remembered that Lin Xian used to cry and complain about how slow the train was; why had she suddenly become so sensible?

Lin Xian didn’t explain. She was too embarrassed to tell her mom that since she was almost a graduate, she felt bad taking travel money from her. Besides, her own savings were meager, and in the future, she wanted to earn money to support her “wife”!

The train rumbled slowly. Leaving on the night of the 12th, she didn’t arrive in Beijing until the early hours of the 14th. It was a workday, and Daiyu was already busy. Even as a Director, she was just a “high-level corporate slave” with only a week off for Spring Festival.

After the holiday, the technical department was back in full swing. The entire department relied on her oversight; she had to supervise every program and operation with a sharp eye.

When Lin Xian stepped out of the station, it was only 6:00 AM. Standing by the square, the world was a blanket of white. The air was so cold it made her bones shiver. Fortunately, she had changed into a thick wool coat on the train, but the massive temperature difference between the North and South still made her feet freeze.

A few scattered snowflakes drifted from the sky. Lin Xian pulled her large suitcase and looked around; there were only a few scattered pedestrians and cars. The city hadn’t yet returned to its bustling state after the holiday; it felt as if it had been hollowed out.

Her shoes crunched on the accumulated snow. She blew on her hands to warm them and called Daiyu. The phone was picked up instantly. “Xianxian, are you here?”

Lin Xian watched the drifting snow, her voice feeling light and slightly chilled. “Daiyu, it’s snowing.”

“Remember? You said if I wished for it, it would snow in Beijing.” Seeing no one around, she let her excitement show and did a little hop on the pavement. “It’s snowing! It’s snowing! Today is definitely going to be lucky!”

Daiyu’s expression softened instantly. She could imagine the girl’s delight. “It is lucky. My Xianxian is back!”

“I’ve already called a taxi for you. You’re at the West Station, right?”

“Mhm!” Lin Xian gave her the specific location.

“The key is under the mat. I’ve already turned on the water heater. Rest when you get home. It’s been a long journey, and my little ‘Fatty’ must be exhausted!”

“I’m not fat!” Since the Spring Festival, Lin Xian’s weight had increased slightly. In her video calls with Daiyu, her face had gone from its usual shape to a pale, soft roundness.

The taxi arrived quickly. On this snowy day, the roads were clear, and she soon arrived at Daiyu’s home.

As Lin Xian was lugging her suitcase into the building, she ran into an elderly man about to leave. He was dressed impeccably in a suit and a vintage felt hat, his leather shoes polished to a shine. Even his walking stick featured a finely carved eagle’s head.

Lin Xian was just thinking how stylish the old man was when they came face-to-face. The old man smiled. “Little girl, you’re back?”

Lin Xian found him familiar but couldn’t place the name. She gave an awkward smile and a nod. “Hello, Grandpa!”

“Hello, hello! Come visit my place when you have time. Don’t just stay cooped up in the room with Daiyu all the time.” The old man waved and left. Lin Xian remembered then—this was Daiyu’s landlord, the very wealthy grandfather.

She immediately turned respectful. “I will!”

After the small encounter, Lin Xian struggled to carry her suitcase to the door. She found the key under the mat and opened the door.

The familiar scent filled the air. The spacious living room, the neatly arranged belongings… and right by the door sat a pair of snow-white, plush bunny slippers. The quiet apartment had been meticulously prepared by Fang Daiyu, as if waiting for its other owner to come home.