BSG - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
December arrived, and Yun Youqing's artwork won an award. She, Huo Xi, and a few familiar fellow contestants gathered for a celebratory meal. In the dead of winter, the group sat around a steaming hot pot table, laughing and chatting, celebrating Yun Youqing's win and their reunion. Finally, they took a group photo together.
Shen Wenxin saw the group photo. Yun Youqing sent it to her. A whole stream of photos flooded the chat: hot pot pictures, the group photo, solo shots, and even the certificate and trophy.
Shen Wenxin looked through them one by one in the order Yun Youqing sent them. The solo shot was taken by someone else for Yun Youqing, against an elegant wall. The wall was plain white, with a slender blue jacaranda placed in the corner. Yun Youqing stood beside the jacaranda. She wore a red coat, a black knitted maxi dress, a long white scarf, and a red painter's beret on her head. She exuded an artistic, transcendent aura—undoubtedly a beauty. The photo was also well-taken. Good composition, good texture, delivering a sense of depth. Quite profound, indeed. Just looking at the picture, one would really think she was a gentle, artistic beauty. No one would ever guess she could open her mouth, call you "girlie" with a slick tone, and then call herself "aunty."
Shen Wenxin tapped past the beautiful painter's photo and opened the next one—the certificate and trophy belonging to the beautiful painter.
[Shen Wenxin]: Congratulations. Our great painter Yun is truly impressive. She remembered the wooden shelf Yun Youqing had shown her before—besides the little trinkets, it also displayed trophies and medals, and quite a few at that. Earning so many honors—how could she not be impressive? She wasn't just a Magic Youth; she was a genius painter.
The impressive great painter Yun replied: [Need applause.]
Shen Wenxin sent her two clapping hand stickers. The great painter Yun wasn't satisfied: [No, clapping like that is too dry.]
Shen Wenxin: "?" [Then how should I clap so it's not dry?] Don't tell her she needed background music, too?
The great painter Yun said: [Come see me tomorrow. Clap right in front of me.] The great painter Yun also said: [That's more vivid.]
Shen Wenxin: "..." So this was the real intent, huh?
[Yun Youqing]: There's a museum exhibition tomorrow. I want to go see it. Are you free? Let's go together.
[Shen Wenxin]: Not free. On second thought, she added: [Can meet in the evening.]
Yun Youqing was happy. It didn't matter if they couldn't meet during the day; at least they could meet at night! She happily typed: [Okay. Let's have dinner together tomorrow!] Then asked: [But why didn't you compliment me a bit more?]
Shen Wenxin quoted her own line—"Our great painter Yun is truly impressive"—and attached a: ?
[Yun Youqing]: No, no, I didn't mean that. I meant this other thing. She pasted the photo of herself beside the blue jacaranda.
[Yun Youqing]: This one, this one. Doesn't this look amazing? Don't you want to compliment me a little, girlie?
The photo was taken by Huo Xi. She thought it was excellent. The composition, the outfit, the person—full marks! If Shen Wenxin didn't compliment her, then Shen Wenxin had no conscience!
Fortunately, Shen Wenxin complimented her. Shen Wenxin said: [Aunty is truly beautiful.]
These four words hit Yun Youqing's funny bone directly, making her laugh out loud for quite a while in the passenger seat. Shen Wenxin actually played along with her joke! Oh heavens, how could Shen Wenxin be this amusing!!
Driving, Huo Xi was puzzled by her laughter. "What are you laughing at?"
Having laughed enough, Yun Youqing sat up straight. "At Shen Wenxin."
Huo Xi: "Whoa, so bold. You dare laugh at President Shen?"
Yun Youqing was feeling arrogant and carefree. "There's nothing I wouldn't dare do with her~" She even dared to hug Shen Wenxin, chase after her, be greasy toward her, and be cheesy in front of her!
Huo Xi said, "Impressive."
Yun Youqing said, "Yes, yes, I'm very impressive. A genius painter." Then, very impressively, she started being greasy toward Shen Wenxin: [Girlie, aunty is very happy that you complimented her. Aunty doesn't have much to give you, so here, take this bit of grease.]
[Shen Wenxin]: Keep it for yourself. My family doesn't lack cooking oil.
[Yun Youqing]: Take it and sell it. This is crude oil. Very expensive.
[Shen Wenxin]: ? She felt a sense of admiration—for Yun Youqing's brain, which was so adept at making sharp turns.
[Shen Wenxin]: Truly impressive, Yun Youqing.
[Yun Youqing]: Yes, yes, I am very impressive!
Every time she won an award, her mood was a bit buoyant. She was just happy, she wanted to be cheerful! Even through the screen, Shen Wenxin could sense Yun Youqing's joyful spirit and could even imagine the expression and tone with which she said those words. Shen Wenxin couldn't help but smile, shaking her head slightly.
[Got work tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Good night.]
[Good night. Sweet dreams.] Yun Youqing's reply was light and cheerful. [See you tomorrow~] As if afraid she'd forget.
[See you tomorrow.] Shen Wenxin chuckled softly. She turned off the screen, put down her phone, and went to sleep. She wouldn't forget. There was still something she needed to tell her.
On the day Yun Youqing and Shen Wenxin met, it snowed. They met in the snowy night. The moment they met, Shen Wenxin took her hands out of her coat pockets and clapped twice right in front of Yun Youqing. Yun Youqing was bewildered.
Shen Wenxin calmly put her hands back in her pockets and asked, "Vivid enough?"
Yun Youqing instantly understood and smiled, linking arms with her. "Vivid, vivid. Super vivid!" Shen Wenxin still remembered what she said. Happy~
The table they had reserved at the restaurant happened to be by the window. Turning their heads, they could see the vast, fluttering snowflakes falling softly like feathers. Yun Youqing took a picture of the snowy scene outside and posted it to her Moments. Putting her phone down, she inadvertently noticed Shen Wenxin's hand, elegantly cutting her steak. The bones were distinct, the fingers long and graceful. She reopened her camera.
Shen Wenxin watched, speechless, as Yun Youqing aimed her phone at her hand without any attempt to hide it. Shen Wenxin: "... " Shen Wenxin: "What are you doing?"
Yun Youqing: "Taking a picture of the pretty older sister's hand. Hehe, girlfriend POV."
On the screen, the pretty older sister raised her fork. Yun Youqing immediately retracted her phone and, with a thick face, pretended nothing had happened. "Eating, eating."
Shen Wenxin also pretended nothing had happened and continued cutting her steak. After a moment, she spoke again. "There's something I need to tell you."
Yun Youqing lifted her eyes to her. "What?"
Shen Wenxin said calmly, "It's nearing the end of the year. I'll be extremely busy during this period, all the way until New Year's Day. So, I won't be able to meet with you frequently."
Hearing this, Yun Youqing asked, "Does this count as coming to tell me specially?"
Shen Wenxin thought for a moment. "I suppose it does." She looked at Yun Youqing. "Telling you in advance, so you don't let your imagination run wild."
Yun Youqing paused slightly, then smiled. Her little dimples appeared again, her eyes curved—unreasonably sweet. "So touching." Shen Wenxin still remembered her insecurities. Shen Wenxin was truly cherishing her as a friend.
Yun Youqing added, "But by telling me now, you're making me want to start letting my imagination run wild."
Shen Wenxin was confused. "Run wild about what?"
Yun Youqing sweetly cupped her own cheeks, smiling charmingly. "You're worried about me. You have me in your heart~" Here we go again.
Shen Wenxin didn't play along this time. Accustomed to it, she lifted her water glass and gave Yun Youqing a look that said, "Go on, let's see what else you can say."
Yun Youqing blurted out, "Looking at me? You like me?"
Shen Wenxin raised an eyebrow.
Yun Youqing: "Raising an eyebrow? Seduction."
Shen Wenxin stopped raising her eyebrows, stopped talking, and just looked at her silently. She wanted to see what other nonsense she could conjure up.
"You breathed," Yun Youqing said. "You like me!"
Shen Wenxin: "... " Fine. Can never predict it.
Shen Wenxin didn't pick up the thread, so Yun Youqing got bored playing alone and stopped. "Why aren't you talking?"
Then Shen Wenxin replied, "Don't dare to breathe."
Yun Youqing: "?"
Shen Wenxin: "Holding my breath, waiting to die."
Yun Youqing: "... Bad woman."
This time, Shen Wenxin laughed harder than she did.
Yun Youqing decided not to hold it against Shen Wenxin and focused on eating. She stuffed meat into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out, and started chewing. The taste was excellent, and she happily curved her eyes. Shen Wenxin watched this, the mirth in her eyes deepening. A diary of a cute squirrel eating.
"Really?" Tao Fangran's voice came through the phone. "Shen Wenxin actually went out of her way to tell you she'd be busy?"
"Really." Yun Youqing happily rolled around on her bed, her reply brimming with undisguised smugness.
"She treats you really well," Tao Fangran said. "Why does she have to be straight!"
Yun Youqing also sighed with regret. "Exactly! Why does she have to be straight!"
"You should turn her!"
"Haha, can't." This bad woman, Shen Wenxin, would rather hold her breath and die than like her. She was just really hard to turn! And besides, they'd agreed to just be friends... even though she kept saying those improper things, she still had to respect Shen Wenxin's feelings.
"Sigh..." Yun Youqing let out a long sigh. "No hope in this lifetime."
"No worries. Plenty of pretty older sisters out there. I'll be back after the New Year, and when your sister is back, she'll take you to meet new older sisters."
"Okay, okay."
Tao Fangran added, "But I'm really happy to see you so cheerful now." Even though Yun Youqing and Shen Wenxin weren't in a romantic relationship, Yun Youqing was genuinely happy when spending time with Shen Wenxin. This was a precious friendship. As long as Yun Youqing could move on from the past, make new friends, and feel happiness again, nothing else mattered.
"You don't think about Tang Yue anymore, do you?" Tang Yue—Yun Youqing's ex-girlfriend who claimed she didn't love her anymore, just like that.
Yun Youqing put on a dismissive expression. She opened her mouth, wanting to say, "Why would I think about her for no good reason?" But the words, upon reaching her lips, changed. "A small part of the time, maybe."
"Yun Youqing." Tao Fangran called her by her full name.
"Ah, well," Yun Youqing said, "It's not that I'm thinking about her. I just can't figure out the real reason for the breakup. I'm curious, you know. Some things, when you can't figure them out, tend to become obsessions. And with my situation..." —it was really hard not to be curious.
"Alright," Tao Fangran said in a serious tone. "I'll go grab her for you later and make her explain clearly. After she explains, she can get the hell out of your life for good."
Yun Youqing found it funny. "Alright, alright. I'll leave it to you."
Tao Fangran: "My pleasure." Tao Fangran: "My service fee is one hundred million, after tax. Remember to wire it to my account."
Yun Youqing: "Get lost."
Tao Fangran: "Hahaha!"
Tao Fangran actually didn't know where Tang Yue was either. They were just joking around again. But what she hadn't expected... was that she really did run into Tang Yue. On the first day of the New Year holiday. In the bustling streets of another city. She saw Tang Yue—and another woman.
Comments
Post a Comment