The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Night Talk

That night, after finishing her self-study session, Lin Xian dragged her exhausted body back home. Tomorrow was Saturday, and she had asked Ji Feng for a day off to rest.

She recalled returning to the office earlier that afternoon, where the freshman underclassman had frantically explained why he had hung up her phone. She couldn’t help but smile, but then she checked the log: it was actually Fang Daiyu?

This was strange.

Lately, her chats with Fang Daiyu had been steady and persistent, but they were mostly limited to “Good morning” and “Goodnight,” with occasional chats about hobbies when they were free. Over these past few days, Lin Xian had gained a general understanding of Fang Daiyu’s situation: she was from the northwest of S Province, went to university in Tianjin, and had been working in Beijing for two years as an “IT dog.” In Fang Daiyu’s words, she “worked her life away every day for a few pennies.” As a Chinese major, Lin Xian didn’t know much about the IT industry, so she naturally assumed: Since the Goddess Sister has only been graduated for two years, it must be hard to make ends meet in Beijing. Salaries for fresh graduates are usually low. If we end up together, I must help support her.

Lin Xian lived a frugal life, but thanks to her foresight, she had a “little gold vault” saved up for renting after graduation, which now held a few tens of thousands of yuan.

Based on their chats over the last few days, the other woman’s attitude was ambiguous. If you called them just friends, they would occasionally share a little flirty joke. If you said she was interested, she could also be strictly professional at times.

The Northeast roommate had analyzed it for her: “You’ve got to be careful. Maybe she’s just lonely and needs a friend to talk to. Chatting is fine, but don’t fall too deep.”

Lacking any romantic experience, Lin Xian followed this advice to the letter, maintaining a polite distance for the past five or six days.

Why call suddenly? Is something wrong?

Lin Xian called back, but she was met with a long period of silence before the call timed out.

Forget it, maybe she dialed the wrong number.

Lin Xian pushed it to the back of her mind, but being home alone, she couldn’t help but feel a bit empty. She pulled her phone out again.

“Usually at this time, Sister Daiyu comes to chat with me.” Lin Xian poked at her screen, wishing a notification would pop up.

Lost in thought, she lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Her roommate always told her not to slack off on “playing the game” with Daiyu, but Lin Xian felt a faint unease. Her sixth sense told her that maybe Daiyu liked her at least a little bit. What she hadn’t said was that keeping a “polite distance” over the last few days was killing her.

When you’re added on WeChat by someone you like, you just want to shower them with attention every day. She wanted to know everything about Daiyu—her interests, her favorites, even a peek into her three daily meals.

Lin Xian felt like she was sick; otherwise, why would her thoughts be so “creepy”?

She even wanted to confess right now—to ask Daiyu if she liked girls and what she thought of her.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Lin Xian pulled a chair out to the balcony of the living room to watch the city lights of the high-rises in the autumn night.

The sound of the master bedroom door opening gave Lin Xian a start.

Just as she worried she was disturbing someone, she realized it was just Jingjing going to the bathroom. Jingjing saw Lin Xian sitting on the balcony and rubbed her sleepy eyes. “What are you doing?”

Lin Xian apologized sheepishly. “Did I wake you? I couldn’t sleep, so I came out to look around.”

“Not at all, you kid.” Jingjing had taken a gap year to travel and was now in the same grade as Lin Xian. Being two years older, she often acted like a big sister, always calling Lin Xian “this kid.”

After using the restroom, Jingjing actually pulled up a chair to sit beside her, wrapping a warm arm around Lin Xian’s back. “Is something on your mind? I’ve seen you moping around with your phone these past two days. In love?”

Lin Xian shook her head. “No.” Moping? Was that how she looked to Jingjing?

Jingjing patted her back. “Whatever it is, it’ll pass. Don’t be afraid.” Seeing Lin Xian so listless, she assumed it was either a romance or another fight with her family. Ever since Lin Xian came out, her mother had been running to the school constantly. At first, she vowed to change her daughter’s orientation. Later, seeing that Lin Xian remained a single dog who couldn’t find a partner, her mother stopped worrying and instead switched to calling every few days.

“I’ve fallen for someone,” Lin Xian’s voice floated faintly into the night.

“I like her so much, Jingjing. Do you believe in love at first sight? That racing heart, that feeling of fate where one glance makes you decide it’s her for life. I’m terrified of losing her, but also terrified of holding on too tight.” When Lin Xian spoke of her crush, the corners of her eyes lifted, her gaze became vivid, and she radiated a charming glow.

Jingjing smiled. “I believe in it, Xian-Xian. I’m an impulsive person, you know—otherwise, I wouldn’t have dropped out to travel for a year. And you, you’re destined to be impulsive too. I heard about a freshman who publicly came out. Back then, the few gay and lesbian students in our class admired you to no end. Everyone was guessing what kind of person you were. Want to guess what they said?”

Jingjing’s words piqued Lin Xian’s interest. She had always thought of her coming-out year as a chaotic mess. She assumed outsiders looked on with mockery and gossip; she never thought anyone had validated her.

“Tell me,” Lin Xian said, all ears.

“Some girls said you must be an ‘Iron T’ (butch), because everyone assumes only an Iron T could be that bold. And the gay guys guessed you were ‘crazy for love,’ that you must have a soul-stirring romance going on.” Jingjing found it amusing, remembering the old gossip.

“How could that be?” Lin Xian laughed and sighed. “I don’t know if I’m a T or a P (femme), or a Top or a Bottom. I’m just happy to be a soft, pretty girl who happens to love girls surrounded by fragrance. But what does that have to do with those labels?”

“True,” Jingjing looked at the night. “What does it matter? In society, there are people who chase fame and fortune, and there are people of true feeling. I used to be curious about your personality too, until I met you and realized I was wrong.”

“You look very soft on the outside, a delight to look at from afar. But once someone gets to know you, they find a frank, generous girl. It’s a complete contrast to your appearance. It’s exactly that contrast that makes you so attractive. Do you know that?”

“I’m attractive?” Lin Xian felt like she was hearing the joke of the century. If she were attractive, she wouldn’t be “one of the bros” with the guys while being intentionally distanced by the girls. As for why she came out back then… one of the reasons was actually for the sake of future love. She wanted to bear the pressure herself first, so that no matter who her partner was later—whether they wanted to stay in the closet or be open—the partner wouldn’t have to carry the burden.

And the result? Nearly four years later, her life was a mess, she’d been single for ages, and she’d become a bit of a local legend for nothing.

Jingjing looked at Lin Xian and knew she was in the dark. No one had ever dared to tell her the truth.