Drifting on a String - Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Learning their lesson from lunch, they left the community for dinner and found a random local food stall. It was one of the most satisfying restaurants of their trip. The seafood was cheap and fresh, and they got to pick it themselves from the seafood section.
Tao Jin watched as Chen Piaopiao calmly haggled with the owner, getting the five-yuan-per-dish preparation fee waived.
"Wow, junior, you're amazing." Tizi, sitting in front of the stir-fried razor clams, looked at Chen Piaopiao with new admiration.
Tao Jin held Chen Piaopiao's hand and smiled, turning it over to gently squeeze the back of it.
"I don't know what she's so smug about," Xiao Ma said to Lao Hai, taking a sip of coconut water.
"Neither do I," Lao Hai shrugged.
"Doi? What doi?" Xiao Ma snickered.
Chen Piaopiao blushed. Tao Jin sniffled, let go of her hand, and picked up a crayfish.
"Have you two done it?" Xiao Ma leaned toward the edge of the table and asked in a low voice.
Tao Jin shook her head.
Xiao Ma narrowed her eyes. "No way. Piaopiao?"
"We haven't," Chen Piaopiao also replied, shaking her head meekly. Tao Jin, wearing gloves, peeled the crayfish and placed it in her bowl.
Xiao Ma sighed. "Hmph."
They'd stayed overnight together so many times, yet still nothing. Lesbians must be lacking a bit of passion, I guess, she thought.
Full and satisfied, Xiao Ma and the others were a bit sleepy and went back to their room to rest early. Chen Piaopiao and Tao Jin, however, chose to go see a play. It was an open-air stage with dim lighting. The play happened to be about a rainy night, which, combined with the sound of the crashing waves, created a unique atmosphere. The play was free, and there weren't many people watching. They sat in small groups on the sand, with a bonfire burning outside a bar not far away.
There was also the faint sound of a guitar, like a perfectly matched BGM.
Tao Jin and Chen Piaopiao sat on the ground and opened two cans of beer. Chen Piaopiao leaned against Tao Jin, their hair sticking together, as did their exposed skin. After a day of being steamed by the sea breeze, it felt as if their very pores were full, yet they still craved each other.
"I can't really hear what they're saying," Chen Piaopiao said.
"Yeah, it's too noisy over here." Tao Jin gently nuzzled her with her head.
Chen Piaopiao took her hand and played with it, bending her ring finger down and then straightening it again. "When we get back, isn't your play going to the preliminary competition?"
"Yes, rehearsals are almost done."
Chen Piaopiao pressed the heel of her palm against Tao Jin's wrist. "When can I be your leading lady?"
Tao Jin, who had been watching the stage, smiled slowly. She looked down at her, the afterglow of the stage lights in her eyes. "You just joined the club. You've never even been on stage."
"So what?" Chen Piaopiao's neck intertwined with hers. "You're the director. Can't you decide who your leading lady is?"
She was like a slippery fish, her breathy voice carrying a hook—not to catch her, but to catch Tao Jin's ear.
This little fox was being very bad, like she was luring a whale ashore. Especially here in these free waters, they could be a little more unrestrained. The fine hairs on Tao Jin's neck stood on end, and her heart felt like it was being pawed at by a furry claw, again and again, thumping faster and faster.
"I believe that's called the 'unspoken rules'," she said to Chen Piaopiao in a low voice.
"Is that so?" Chen Piaopiao considered this carefully, then asked sincerely, enunciating each word into her ear, "Then how many resources do you owe me?"
Those words…
Tao Jin's ears tasted the alcohol in Chen Piaopiao's words, and so did her heart.
They didn't speak again. Chen Piaopiao rested her head on Tao Jin's shoulder, and they silently watched the rest of the inaudible play.
Occasionally, she would pick up the beer can beside her and take a sip.
Often, people drink to vent, whether it's sorrow, joy, or desire. The process of drinking is like inflating the body, watching as emotions swell bit by bit. The vessel, filled with hydrogen, begins to float. Reason wants to escape the Earth, to reach a higher, more oxygen-deprived place. Then, with a "bang," it explodes, like a sudden burst of fireworks.
The new couple on their first trip didn't miss this firework display. They kissed by the beach, and the faint light fell upon their faces in tiny fragments, like a flickering hope.
Grand, yet empty.
Chen Piaopiao tilted her head back to gaze at the fireworks over the sea, the rims of her eyes red as if stung by the smoke. Next time, she wanted to bring her grandma, or maybe go somewhere else.
Tao Jin turned her head to watch her. The expression on her face was clearly one of deep emotion, yet she didn't cheer, scream, or murmur, "So beautiful," like everyone else.
She just got teary-eyed, sniffled, and asked softly, "So many fireworks, and they set them off every day. Who pays for it?"
Tao Jin had never met a girl like this, one who would ask a question so practical it spoiled the mood, yet whose tone made it sound like she was talking about a fairy tale.
Who pays for this fairy tale?
The fireworks faded, and it was exactly midnight. They returned to the hotel, which had already fallen into a deep slumber. They tiptoed upstairs, showered, and then finished the remaining cans of "alcohol" in bed.
The scent of cedarwood filled the space between the pillows. Chen Piaopiao was enveloped, her hand climbing toward the peak where the cedarwood grew.
Tao Jin stopped her. The reflection in her pupils was woven from the seaside moonlight, so faint it seemed to have just been pulled from the water.
Her damp gaze was on the verge of drowning, and beneath her soft wrist, her pulse was throbbing.
When battling with reason, restrained tension is the most lethal. She pushed the words out with her breath: "They're downstairs."
So what?
The tipsy fox placed a light kiss on the corner of her eye. "Not upstairs, not downstairs? I was even thinking about the dorm…"
She covered Tao Jin's mouth, her fingertips pressing down slightly, like a warning.
Telling her what her next move would be.
Of course, the people downstairs would believe nothing had happened between them, just like at lunch.
She slept soundly, not waking until after 10 o'clock with an aching body. Chen Piaopiao got dressed, first throwing the wadded-up tissues on the floor into the trash can, then pressed the switch for the curtains.
To the slow sound of the track, warm sunlight spilled in, turning the blanket golden.
Tao Jin frowned and woke up, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She saw Chen Piaopiao slide open the glass door and go out, leaning on the balcony railing. "The weather's nice today. The water is much bluer."
She was very happy; even the strands of her hair seemed to dance with joy.
She took a couple of photos to send to her grandma, then heard Xiao Ma shouting from downstairs, "Are you guys up yet?"
"We're up, we're up!" Chen Piaopiao ran to the top of the stairs and looked down. "Are you all washed up?"
"Yeah, we didn't hear any noise from you, so we didn't call you. We've already finished breakfast," Tizi chimed in. "What do you want to eat? We bought some buns."
Just as Chen Piaopiao was about to answer, she heard Tao Jin say softly from inside, "I can't eat buns. Piaopiao, can you order some congee for me?"
"Oh, okay." Chen Piaopiao took out her phone to order delivery.
"I~ can't~ eat~ buns~," Xiao Ma mimicked in a snide tone, craning her neck to look upstairs. "I'm telling you, Piaopiao, are you just going to spoil her like that? Look at the time. You're already up, and she's still in bed."
"She was…" Chen Piaopiao bit her lip. "A little tired yesterday."
"She was driving," she thought for a moment, then added in a small voice.
"Who isn't tired? Lao Hai was driving too," Xiao Ma scoffed. "Baby Jin, hurry up and get up! We have to go to the scenic spots later."
"Getting up," came Tao Jin's hoarse voice from inside.
Chen Piaopiao sniffled, finished ordering the food, and went to pour Tao Jin a glass of water.
Throughout the day's itinerary, Tao Jin was very quiet, but she didn't spoil the fun. She would occasionally make a joke or two in a slightly nasal voice and help Chen Piaopiao take pictures. Everyone agreed that today's activities were much more enjoyable than yesterday's, which just went to show that you really need a plan.
Chen Piaopiao silently took photos of the scenery and jotted down key points in her notepad. In the afternoon, while the others went to do water sports, she sat with Tao Jin in a dessert shop, writing a guide on her phone and updating her social media account again.
When she opened her account, the little red dot showed over 500 notifications for likes and comments. It seemed yesterday's post had been promoted by the algorithm, attracting many new followers.
Chen Piaopiao was pleasantly surprised. She went through the comments one by one. Some said she was pretty, some tagged their friends saying they also wanted to go to Nanli, and some asked what it was like to visit at this time of year, if the sea was beautiful, if it was crowded, and about accommodation prices.
The most common question was where she bought her clothes. Chen Piaopiao initially wanted to reply directly with a link, but after thinking about it, she answered each one individually: "This isn't an ad, so it's not convenient for me to post the link directly. I'll send it to you in a private message."
She thought that if brands saw this traffic later, a reply like this would hint that she was open to sponsored posts.
After updating her content, Chen Piaopiao turned on notifications for private messages.
She glanced at her follower count again. Over 600. Still a long way to go before she could get sponsorships.
On the third day, she realized that one of the sunscreens she had brought was a popular and affordable influencer product that many people were asking for a review of. She found a front-facing photo taken on the balcony on their first day in Nanli, put on the same clothes, and had Tao Jin take another picture of her in the same spot. She made a comparison image, added the brand's tag, and published a product review.
She had no idea if she could actually become an influencer, but it was worth a try, and there was nothing to lose.
She put down her phone and was about to start packing for the return trip when she received a call.
It was from Le Chu.
Chen Piaopiao was very surprised. She walked out to the balcony to answer. "Boss, what's wrong?"
"Are you still coming in to work part-time these days?" Le Chu asked bluntly, her voice raspy as if it had been soaking in a liquor jar for years.
"It's not certain. I'm in Nanli right now. I'll have to see when I get back."
"If you have time, come by. I'm in trouble," Le Chu said.
Comments
Post a Comment