Drifting on a String - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Beicheng was a city with a wide spectrum of lifestyles. It had pigeon coops so cramped you could barely breathe just looking at them, and it had villa communities with waterways large enough for boats. It had the extravagant, exquisite estates of the nouveau riche, and the low-key, reserved manors of old money. Tao Jin's home, by any measure, belonged to the latter.
Newly minted tycoons or celebrities usually lived in the east or the north, far from the hustle and bustle, with convenient transportation. Tao Jin's family, however, lived in the west. At the foot of the mountains along the city's central axis, amidst lush, dense trees, a white villa was nestled in the greenery, reachable only after navigating several turns on an asphalt road and passing through a few gates.
This residential community was quite old, built in '06. The stone on the exterior walls had yellowed slightly, and it lacked the high-end, imposing feel of modern villas. A stone tile at the entrance had even been patched. But with its high percentage of green space and open, airy floor plans, it was very comfortable to live in, and property values had remained consistently high.
However, units in this community almost never appeared on the market, because a single one was nearly impossible to come by.
Its rare geographical location and its neighbors—all either rich or powerful—created a social circle of such value that many wealthy people would fight tooth and nail for one of these "old houses."
"Time to eat, Jinjin."
The housekeeper, who had been working for the family longer than Tao Jin had been alive, set the table and called for Tao Jin to eat.
She never called Tao Jin's parents, because they rarely ate at home, and Tao Jin's father disliked sudden noises in the house.
If he planned to come home for dinner, his driver would inform the housekeeper of his approximate arrival time and when to serve the meal, and she would prepare everything accordingly.
Tao Jin came down from upstairs, washed her hands, and sat down to eat.
After replying to a handwritten message, Father Tao also put down his phone and took his seat.
The housekeeper served them each a bowl of soup. Mother Tao arrived fashionably late, saying as she sat down, "Jinjin, I can't figure out that translation. When you have time back at school, help me take a look."
"Okay."
Tao Jin's mother was from Jiangcheng, and her speech carried a hint of a southern accent, melodious and pleasant. After a few sips of soup, she added, "I was thinking, should we install an elevator in the house?"
"My legs have been hurting lately, and I don't feel like climbing the stairs anymore."
Tao Jin's father placed a piece of food in her bowl. "Eat."
"Oh, alright. We'll talk after we eat," Mother Tao said, focusing on her meal.
They finished the meal in a quiet where every breath was audible. The housekeeper washed the dishes, and Tao Jin helped for a bit before asking her to pack up the extra dishes that had been prepared in advance.
Wiping her hands, she came out and sat on the sofa to chat with her mother for a while. When the driver arrived, Tao Jin put on her jacket, slung her bag over her shoulder, and picked up the takeout containers to head back to school.
"Be safe," Father Tao said, looking up from the sofa. He called out to the driver, "Xiao Yang."
"Yes, I know," Xiao Yang nodded.
Reassured, Father Tao turned back to his phone, holding it far away with a frown.
Her mother walked her to the door, tidied her clothes, and asked in a low voice, "That little apartment of yours, you're still renting it, right?"
"I am," Tao Jin said softly.
"Don't tell your father. And don't tell Uncle Xiao Yang if he asks. If your father finds out, he'll get upset again and say you're being wasteful." Her mother picked a piece of lint off her clothes.
"I know." Tao Jin smiled and gave her a hug.
The car door closed and the vehicle pulled away slowly. Passing through layers of tree shadows and returning to the bustling traffic, Tao Jin gazed at the worldly scenery outside the window and let out an imperceptible sigh.
In the rearview mirror, the driver, Xiao Yang, kept glancing at her. Tao Jin pretended not to notice, lowered her head, and opened her phone to look at her messages with Chen Piaopiao.
The little fox had been quiet for a few days, so quiet it felt unsettling.
She wanted to talk to her but worried that if she smiled at her phone, Xiao Yang would find it strange.
Just a little longer.
Tao Jin expressionlessly exited the chat and opened her Moments, scrolling through quickly. Still unable to resist, she opened a group chat to see if there were any messages from Chen Piaopiao.
Nothing. She hadn't even popped up in the group chat.
Tao Jin traced the edge of her phone with her index finger, as if stroking Chen Piaopiao's soft, fluffy fox ears.
The car stopped at a corner near the university. Tao Jin said, "Uncle Xiao Yang, you can drop me here."
She didn't want him to drive onto campus, and Xiao Yang knew her habit. He pulled over, waited for her to get out, and watched as she, carrying a casual crossbody bag and four takeout containers, said goodbye and walked alone toward the campus.
After waiting for the red light, just as Tao Jin's figure disappeared through the school gate, Xiao Yang started the car and made a U-turn.
Two minutes later, Tao Jin walked out of the school gate with the containers and headed in the opposite direction.
This time, her steps were much lighter. She even gave an unconscious little hop as she went up the steps. She took out her phone, intending to call Chen Piaopiao, but just then she passed the restaurant where they had eaten roast duck. She caught her reflection in the window, smiled, and put the phone back in her pocket.
The elevator to the apartment was slow. Tao Jin looked up, lips pursed, watching the numbers change.
Luckily, no one else got on or off. It should be a pleasant reunion.
She pressed her fingerprint on the lock and opened the door. Bright sunlight slanted in first. She instinctively turned to look at the sofa. Chen Piaopiao, hair in a topknot and wearing a nightgown, was sitting cross-legged. Seeing Tao Jin, she paused for a moment, then her foxy eyes crinkled into a smile as she bent down to put on her slippers. "You're pretty early."
Her mumble was soft, yet it brought the entire world to life.
She walked over, not looking at Tao Jin, but craning her neck to see the food containers. "You really brought some?"
"Besides the Cola Chicken Wings, what else is there?" She looked up, glancing at Tao Jin with a grin, then looked down again.
She was actually a little shy.
Tao Jin was too. She opened the bag to show her. "Sweet and sour pork ribs, Cola Chicken Wings, tomato-braised beef brisket—the kind without ketchup—and a small stir-fried chicken."
"I'm not sure if it's the way you make it back home. I told the housekeeper to use a black-bone chicken, and she said she'd never stir-fried such a dark chicken before," Tao Jin chuckled, placing the containers on the table. "The housekeeper is very worried someone will question her skills because of its appearance."
"How did you know our stir-fried chicken uses black-bone chicken?" Chen Piaopiao went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks. When a person knowingly asks a question they already know the answer to, their voice tends to turn a little coy.
"I looked it up online," Tao Jin said, her eyelashes lowered.
Her heart melted again, like she was holding a cup of soft-serve ice cream. Chen Piaopiao arranged the tableware and said in a soft voice, "This looks so delicious, it must have been expensive. I don't have money to pay for it. Is a kiss enough?"
She looked at her with all her heart and soul.
Tao Jin leaned down and kissed her on the cheek first. "It's enough."
Their faces brushed against each other, both smelling fragrant.
Tao Jin ate with Chen Piaopiao again and asked what she had been up to the past two days. Chen Piaopiao said she had been reading and had learned how to do a topknot. She touched her hair, which was tied up with a hair tie she bought at a flea market.
"It's beautiful."
Resting her chin on her hand, Tao Jin watched her eat, then reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Chen Piaopiao's ear.
In truth, Chen Piaopiao didn't have much of an appetite. The hangover had left her with heartburn, but seeing Tao Jin made every cell in her body rejoice, and she couldn't help but smile. She used to think the trope in TV shows where someone secretly saves up money to buy their beloved a gift was cheesy, but now that she was in a relationship, she understood it was a very happy feeling.
Liking someone was probably like this: being able to do something for them was even more satisfying than receiving something from them.
After eating, they cuddled and watched a movie. Chen Piaopiao asked her how often she went home. Tao Jin said it was uncertain; her parents were very busy, and sometimes when they missed her, they would ask her to come back.
Later that evening, they sat on cattail cushions in front of the coffee table and video-chatted with Grandma.
Grandma was so close to the camera that all they could see were her eyebrows. Chen Piaopiao couldn't stop laughing, and Tao Jin had to steady her, afraid she would knock her head on the coffee table.
They were both a bit tired that night, so they didn't do anything, just held each other in bed and whispered secrets.
Tao Jin said, "You've been too quiet these past two days. You haven't even been on the forums."
Chen Piaopiao was surprised. "You're still checking my forum ID?"
She thought she was the only one who did things like observing someone's activity through their account.
She sighed contentedly and hugged Tao Jin. "I already told you. Ever since I got together with you, I don't like playing with anything else."
…So, can you stay with me forever? Look for me anytime, anywhere, and think of me every single second?
She didn't say those words. She didn't know when she would ever be able to make such demands of Tao Jin with confidence.
The week passed peacefully. That brief separation and Chen Piaopiao's fleeting anxiety seemed like a minor interlude that could be glossed over.
They gradually grew dissatisfied with only living together on weekends and would occasionally stay a night or two at other times, like when they ate late at the Snack Street. Chen Piaopiao finally got to try the Bacon Rolls from the hot pot place Tao Jin recommended. They were indeed delicious. She also finally confessed to Tao Jin that she didn't actually love Bacon Rolls that much.
At the end of November, the residents of dorm 1105 planned a trip to Nanli. It was the closest seaside spot to Beicheng, developed into a rather artsy large-scale community. The plan was to drive there on Friday night and return on Sunday night, a two-day, two-night trip that would be just enough time to see everything.
They invited Chen Piaopiao in their mahjong group chat. Chen Piaopiao had almost never traveled before, and it had to be said, she was quite thrilled.
She looked up some travel guides online and sent them to the group for discussion. Then she went on a shopping platform to buy a few photogenic beach dresses.
And a swimsuit. The quality online was inconsistent, so she asked An Ran to go with her to an export clothing market to hunt for one.
It was a Wednesday, and they had no classes in the afternoon. Chen Piaopiao successfully found clothes she liked and also bought a pair of beach sandals, which she carried back in a swinging bag. Passing by the cafeteria, An Ran said she was thirsty from all the walking and wanted to buy a bayberry slushie.
Chen Piaopiao waited for her by the roadside, playing on her phone. Bored, she took a couple of steps and turned her head, spotting a familiar figure in the coffee shop next door.
It was Tao Jin. She wasn't sitting by the window, but the campus coffee shop was small, and there was no one else inside, so she was very conspicuous.
Chen Piaopiao's feet felt glued to the spot. She didn't go in.
Because sitting across from Tao Jin was a strange girl. She was very beautiful—so beautiful that Chen Piaopiao couldn't recall anyone like her among Tao Jin's classmates or club members.
She wore a blouse with an effortless chic, paired with a skirt. It was a simple outfit, but her aura was exceptional. Her wavy hair was exquisitely styled. Sitting across from Tao Jin, they looked like they were in the middle of a high-fashion photoshoot.
They were talking seriously. Tao Jin seemed to be pondering something, raising her forearm to rub the crook of her elbow.
And the girl flicked her long hair, her gaze on Tao Jin incredibly soft.
That softness sent a jolt through Chen Piaopiao's heart.
She returned to the dorm with An Ran, lost in thought the entire way.
After putting her things down and sitting at her desk, something suddenly occurred to her. She picked up her phone and opened Weibo. Tao Jin had an account that she hadn't used in a long time, with only a few posts. Chen Piaopiao had glanced at it once when she was first pursuing her.
Acting on a hunch, she opened the "following" list. There were only a few dozen people. Holding her breath, she scrolled through them one by one and, at the very bottom, found an account with an English username.
The profile picture was a side profile of the girl from the coffee shop.
Chen Piaopiao clicked on it and spent two hours reading all of her original Weibo posts.
She was a third-year student from the neighboring Academy of Fine Arts. Two years ago, her account and Tao Jin's had interacted frequently. In one post, she had retweeted something and said: This little cat is so cute!!!!
Tao Jin had replied: It is cute.
She had replied: Let's get one in the future.
Tao Jin had said: Okay.
A lump formed in Chen Piaopiao's throat. She stared at the screen, her gaze fixed there for over ten minutes.
She found it hard to believe. Pursing her lips, she looked up at the wall and took a few quiet breaths. She opened her WeChat contacts, scrolled through them, and closed it again. She opened it once more, her eyes landing on Xiao Ma, with whom she had been chatting more frequently because of the upcoming trip. She blinked.
She made up her mind. Suppressing the tumultuous waves in her heart, she sent the English ID to Xiao Ma.
"Is this Tao Jin's ex-girlfriend?"
Xiao Ma first replied with a: "?"
A second message quickly followed.
"Did she contact you?"
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