Paipai hadn’t slept much all night, and despite being forcibly awakened at eight o’clock the next morning, Chao Xin insisted that she couldn’t sleep and needed to get moving. Xiang Wan woke up around the same time and hailed a taxi to work after a quick brush and wash.
The play was a romance audio drama starring Peng Xiangzhi, with Xiang Wan making a guest appearance as the younger sister of the male lead. She didn’t have many scenes, so she finished work just after six p.m.
On her way home, she called Chao Xin, thinking that they would be going to the amusement park the next day. She wondered if they should go to the supermarket together and buy some food. She had never been to such a place and didn’t know if they could bring food in.
But Chao Xin didn’t pick up.
After a while, Chao Xin called back and asked her, “Done with work?”
“Yep, surprisingly early. Have you had dinner?”
If Chao Xin had already eaten, Xiang Wan would just grab a bowl of noodles outside.
“I made dinner early. Paipai has eaten, but there’s a lot left. You can warm it up when you get back if you want.”
Xiang Wan keenly caught onto the key piece of information that Paipai has already eaten.
So she asked, “What about you?”
“I have a dinner engagement tonight,” Chao Xin replied.
“Dinner engagement?”
Chao Xin rarely socialized, and this was the first time Xiang Wan had heard her mention a dinner engagement since they started living together.
“Yeah, I’m choosing a location for my studio. The offices I looked at online were all very expensive. A friend introduced me to a developer who can rent their commercial residential building to me at a discounted price. The location and size are both suitable, and I can do major renovations,” Chao Xin paused, “We have a dinner arrangement tonight to discuss it.”
There was a hint of weariness in her voice, and perhaps, a touch of distaste.
“Will you be back early? I was thinking, if we’re going to the amusemount park tomorrow, we need to set off early,” Xiang Wan said.
“Amusement park.” Chao Xin laughed.
With her laughter, the air on the other end of the phone felt livelier.
“Sorry, amusement park,” Xiang Wan corrected herself willingly.
“I’ll try,” Chao Xin replied, sounding languid.
“Okay, then I’ll hang up. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Not long after hanging up, Xiang Wan arrived at their community. As she opened the door, she saw Paipai dozing off on the sofa.
“Don’t sleep,” Xiang Wan called out to her in a gentle, sweet voice.
Paipai was dazed and seemed to think that Chao Xin had come back. Rubbing her eyes, she opened her mouth and called out, “Mom.”
Xiang Wan chuckled, shaking her head, “Paipai.”
“Oh, Miss Xiang,” Paipai woke up properly and smiled at her with puffy eyes.
“It’s still too early. Try to stay awake until around eight or nine,” Xiang Wan recalled Chao Xin’s advice.
“Let’s play some cards then, I really can’t stand it anymore,” Paipai said, yawning continuously.
“I don’t know how to play.”
“Miss Xiang… You’re really too boring,” Paipai commented. Xiang Wan couldn’t even play games, and when Paipai mentioned that Zhou Ziqi’s Li Bai was amazing, Xiang Wan had retorted by asking her how many of Li Bai’s poems she could recite.[1]
“I,” Normally Xiang Wan would ignore such remarks, but today she asked, “Am I really that boring?”
It seemed like she was not very popular.
Seeing that Xiang Wan was taking her comments to heart, Paipai hurriedly said, “No, actually, my aunt is even more boring.”
She whispered this, glancing around twice as if to act out the phrase ‘ears behind the walls.’[2]
“Your aunt isn’t boring,” Xiang Wan shook her head, seriously saying, “She’s great at dubbing and has a lot of experience. She often teaches me and gives me pointers. Her understanding of characters and how she handles them is also very meticulous. She’s a very charming person.”
Paipai looked at her with a sorrowful face. So this is your reason for being attracted to her? As a well-off sugar mama, you planned to live in our house by leasing it. Previously, you even meticulously became my teacher without charging anything, mentioning just attending language classes and meals. Now Paipai understands, isn’t it just to spend more time at auntie’s place?
“Yes,” Paipai lowered her head, clenching her hands, acting the part of a struggling tenant, “And she’s very beautiful.”
“She’s also an excellent cook and keeps everything in order, a woman who’s truly good at living.” Xiang Wan added.
“Yes,” Paipai glanced at her, “And she’s very beautiful.”
Xiang Wan felt that Paipai’s gaze was a bit strange, but she didn’t think much of it. She simply took it as a stubborn little girl’s praise, and agreed, “Yes, she’s very beautiful.”
Oh no, Paipai facepalmed in her mind.
Suddenly feeling melancholic, she checked the time, “It’s eight twenty, Miss Xiang.”
“Hmm, go take a bath and sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.” Xiang Wan smoothed out the little flowers on Paipai’s skirt.
“Goodnight, Miss Xiang.”
“Goodnight.”
After flipping through a few pages of her book and chatting with Yu Zhou and others in the group for a while, it was almost eleven. Xiang Wan was wondering why Chao Xin hadn’t come back yet and was about to send a message, when she received a call from Chao Xin.
Chao Xin’s voice was cold, so cold as if it’s in winter. Her words were crisp as well, lacking the usual laziness.
She asked, “Are you asleep?”
“No.”
“Can you pick me up?” Before asking this, she let out a slight sigh.
Xiang Wan sensed something was wrong, “Where are you?”
She unconsciously lowered her voice.
“33 Chengbei Road, Huangting KTV, I’ll wait for you at the entrance,” Chao Xin seemed to swallow a mouthful, then added, “Take a taxi there, tell him to wait by the roadside, and not to leave.”
After hanging up the phone, Xiang Wan quickly stripped off her home clothes before half-nakedly running to the door. She grabbed a T-shirt and jeans from the coat rack, snatched up her phone and wallet, and then dashed out the door.
Hailing a taxi at midnight was quick. After waiting for about a minute at the entrance of the residential area, the taxi arrived. Xiang Wan jumped in with a slightly rushed sound of the closing door, “Driver, please hurry.”
The taxi app showed it would take 15 minutes. Traffic conditions were good. Xiang Wan stared at the little car icon on the map, watching it crawl like a snail across the city’s crisscrossed roads.
Chengbei Road was a bustling night scene of neon lights and wine. Bars and KTVs clustered together. Deafening songs burst out from the pitch-black doorways, along with multicolored neon lights and occasionally a few red-faced, cigarette-clasping middle-aged men boasting loudly to their submissive minions as they slung their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Nearby, on the steps, a few young men and women were pressing cigarette butts into the ground, hugging, kissing, and then beginning to grope.
On the other side of the steps, in the dark alleyway, a drunk man lay on the ground, shirtless, vomiting as though he were about to suffocate.
Passersby, unable to bear the sight, helped him roll over, and then he lay there vomiting, at least he wouldn’t choke to death on his own vomit.
Chao Xin stood on the right side of the steps, dressed in a very professional white shirt and trousers. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her face was flushed, but she stood very upright.
Even if the heels of her high heels were drilling into her heels like nails, even if her knees were so weak that they were trembling slightly, even if the neon lights blurred into a patch every time she blinked.
But she knew she had to appear calm and rational. If she fell asleep here, within ten minutes, there might be some disguised “kind-hearted” people approaching, and then ‘picking up the corpse.’
At best, she would wake up in a cheap motel where every blanket had stubborn stains, at worst, she might be stripped and discarded in some restroom.
Her breath was heavy, she knew clearly, she had been forced to drink a lot, a lot of alcohol.
In the noisy world, there was suddenly a ‘bang’ sound, like a stick hitting her chaotic mind, and her blurred vision cleared up a bit.
Then she saw a girl who seemed out of place in the surrounding murkiness. The girl wore a simple white T-shirt, her clean hair cascading down. She got out of the car and ran directly up to her.
“Ms. Chao.”
Xiang Wan’s voice was so pleasing, it was no wonder she rose to fame so quickly, and no wonder she was the living signboard of SC Studio.
Chao Xin grasped her hand, the alcohol in her veins seemed to have been transferred away, or evaporated. She could feel her body temperature dropping rapidly, causing her to shudder.
Xiang Wan supported her shoulders, held her, and together they moved towards the car.
“Driver, back to Henghu International,” Xiang Wan held Chao Xin with her left hand, closed the door with her right, and then brushed away the hair scattered on her face.
Chao Xin didn’t lean on Xiang Wan, but instead habitually tilted her head back. Her neck was flushed a pretty pink, the curve of her jaw and neck beautiful. Paired with her slightly heavy breathing, she was even more attractive.
Her eyes were closed, but her eyebrows furrowed due to the start of the car, and then quickly relaxed. The mole on her face was smoothed out, yet due to the wine, it looked even more vibrant.
She sat very straight with her right hand gripping Xiang Wan’s tightly, holding on as if she didn’t care if it hurt.
She needed to use a bit of strength to release the faint trembling.
Xiang Wan was afraid she would fall asleep, and it would be difficult to get her up the stairs, so she started to talk to her, “Weren’t you eating? Why were you standing alone at the KTV entrance?”
“After dinner, they went to sing at KTV. I drank too much, said I was going to the bathroom, and ran off.” Chao Xin’s voice was still cold, and her seductive gaze was also cold.
Xiang Wan’s heart tightened, she wanted to say something but couldn’t express it, finally she said, “Okay, we’re almost there, don’t sleep.”
“I won’t sleep.” Chao Xin looked at her and gave a weak smile, “I won’t sleep.”
They quickly arrived at the residential area. Chao Xin’s actions were still quite nimble. They helped each other into the elevator, walked into a pitch-dark home, it was very quiet, Paipai must have already fallen asleep.
Not wanting to wake Paipai, Xiang Wan didn’t turn on the lights.
Chao Xin leaned against the wall to change shoes, when her foot touched the slippers, she steadied herself before asking Xiang Wan in a low voice, “Are we home?”
“We’re home.” Xiang Wan squatted down and moved her high heels aside.
“Good.” Chao Xin nodded, looked around at the home furnishings blankly before she headed to the bedroom.
Once inside, Xiang Wan gently closed the door, only then did she turn on a small table lamp. As she bent over to charge Chao Xin’s phone, she said, “Your pajamas are on the bed, change into them. Don’t worry about bathing, just rest, you can wash tomorrow.”
She deliberately slowed down her movements, her back to Chao Xin.
Chao Xin made a sound of acknowledgment, sat on the edge of the bed, first changed her pants, then put on the sleeves of the pajamas, and then… there was no more movement.
Xiang Wan turned her head and found that Chao Xin was looking down, her clothing slightly open at the front. She pulled the collar together, trying to button it up, but she couldn’t exert any strength.
Xiang Wan exhaled, walked in front of her, squatted down, and started to button up for her, one by one.
Half of Chao Xin’s chest and lower abdomen were exposed, glaringly white. As Xiang Wan buttoned up, her fingertips occasionally brushed against the cool skin, causing a shiver to run down Chao Xin’s neck.
When Xiang Wan buttoned down to the navel, Chao Xin shrunk back, her voice husky as she said, “Ticklish.”
Xiang Wan glanced at her but didn’t say anything, her hands continued to move.
Feeling her gaze, Chao Xin shrank back again.
Xiang Wan’s hand paused at the abdomen for a second or two, then she stood up, saying, “Okay, you should sleep now.”
Chao Xin tried to lie back, but the moment she moved, her head spun. She propped herself up using her arms, tilted her neck uncomfortably, and exhaled.
She wanted to smoke, she desperately wanted to smoke.
Xiang Wan swallowed, leaned over to hug her from behind, gently laying her down on the bed. Chao Xin took a couple of breaths, then her breathing gradually steadied.
Her eyes were closed yet her consciousness was struggling. She asked Xiang Wan again, “Am I home yet?”
“You’re home, you’re home now,” Xiang Wan whispered to her in a hugging posture.
Chao Xin frowned, her hand reaching down to feel her pants, asking clearly, “Am I wearing pants?”
“Yes, you are.”
“What about inside?”
The smell of alcohol blew on Xiang Wan’s face as she saw Chao Xin’s fingers nervously searching.
So she grabbed Chao Xin’s hand, slid it into her sleep pants, guided her to feel the edge of her underwear, and softly said, “You’re wearing them.”
“Chao Xin.”
She called her name in a low voice, calming her nervousness.
After a minute or two, Chao Xin withdrew her hand, nodded, steadied her thoughts, and then opened her eyes, saying, “I’m fine now, you should go to sleep.”
But Xiang Wan didn’t move. She frowned, unable to hold back, she asked, “Did… did you experience something?”
“No,” Chao Xin exhaled, smiled, “I just… feel a bit scared.”
She hadn’t experienced anything, but she had heard of such things. She had no one to rely on, which made her scared.
Xiang Wan also let out a sigh of relief, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
She was scared too.
As the most chaotic part of the drunkenness passed, Chao Xin also began to sweat. She raised her hand, touched Xiang Wan’s face, saying, “It’s okay, Wanwan.”
“Thank you.”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor for a good while. Then she reached out to adjust the blanket for Chao Xin, saying, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“See you tomorrow,” Chao Xin said.
- The Li Bai Paipai mentioned is a character in the popular game Honor of Kings, derived from the poet Li Bai (mentioned by Xiang Wan). [return to text]
- Means someone is listening behind the wall.t [return to text]
CNYuriTranslation 