Chapter 11

Good love songs all cost money; high-quality love doesn’t come cheap

Of course, the watch couldn’t be bought. According to the feedback from the costume room staff, most of the props from the department store had already been taken by other players. The counters were now bare, and they adamantly refused to let Hu Xiu buy it.

Hu Xiu sighed for days, staring at her empty wrist. Even though the same model was available, it wouldn’t have the same soul as the watch Qin Shaoyi put on her with love and acting.

In the old neighborhood next door, it seemed that a student was practicing piano every day. A simple Turkish March, played with ten fingers, felt like twenty. The sound made Hu Xiu more and more irritated. Was the piano rented, or were the hands borrowed? Was anyone chasing them away?

If you have no talent, don’t learn it. In parallel timelines, doing more practice problems might even get you into a good high school. The path of an art student? No chance.

Hu Xiu could almost imagine the girl’s withered talent and her inner anxiety.

No matter how she got involved with the piano, this was definitely not something she liked. People always have little patience for things they don’t want.

If Zhao Xiaorou was harsh because of superiority, Hu Xiu was sharp-tongued due to frustration. She didn’t have time to see Qin Shaoyi, and with the clingy Qian Jinxin around, it felt like she was being pushed toward a structured, cage-like marriage.

Qian Jinxin, who was introduced by her father, called Hu Xiu every night without fail.

Even after working late until midnight, he would dial her number, and if she didn’t pick up, he’d call her father’s phone — it was like a class monitor’s method.

The conversations were incredibly boring, about work, childhood memories, awkward moments from playing basketball on weekends — nothing that could spark Hu Xiu’s interest.

When he excitedly recounted stories of haunted buildings in the philosophy building of his university in Guangzhou for half an hour, Hu Xiu finally couldn’t stand the midnight phone marathons: “Mr. Qian, I have an 8 a.m. meeting tomorrow, I’m really tired.”

“Do you have time on Saturday? I’ll pick you up to play basketball. There’s a great pickled fish restaurant near the Yuan Shen Sports Center. I really like it, I’ll take you there.”

“I have a reproductive science conference, simultaneous interpreting all day.” Hu Xiu didn’t like fish and hated pickled vegetables, fiddling with the stress toy in her hand non-stop: “Mr. Qian, we don’t have to meet on weekends, and you don’t need to call my dad all the time.”

“We’re already on the verge of being a couple, I’m just trying to put in more effort.”

“I know you might not like me, but I’m really suited for marriage, no bad habits, you can tell from how I play basketball.”

Hu Xiu counted how many “I”s were in this sentence, rolling her eyes until she was tired, feeling like she was being possessed by Zhao Xiaorou: “Let’s talk about it later, Mr. Qian, I’m really tired, and my weekend is packed. Also, please, don’t call my dad again. If we’re talking about a relationship, it has to be mutual, right?”

But at 6 a.m. the next day, before she even had a chance to wake up, she received a call from her father, speaking earnestly: “Marriage is a lifelong commitment, it needs careful consideration. Even though Qian is reliable and practical, you can’t agree too soon.”

“You’ve only known him for less than a month, how can you be so frivolous? You should have this sorted out by 27. If you rush it, men will think you’re cheap.”

She could almost hear her father’s message with the back of her head, Qian Jinxin misunderstood the meaning of mutual consent and reported it to her father, who was eagerly waiting for progress.

It was bad enough to be misunderstood, but now, she was also being scolded early in the morning, the word “cheap” still ringing in her ears. Hu Xiu got more upset and bought a prop from Qin Shaoyi’s show, a 138-yuan shiny, diamond-encrusted watch, thinking of it as a talisman.

She had used this kind of psychological comfort before when she was a fan, buying a replica Tiffany bracelet similar to Lee Donghae’s for 88 yuan on Taobao. She wore it for five years, and her wrist veins had even changed shape.

Others said it was metal poisoning, but Hu Xiu thought of it as a mark from Lee Donghae in her youth, reminding her that she had endured many lonely times. And— the change from cheap replicas reminded her that high-quality love always costs more. Cheap folk methods, love advice, and horoscopes never bring unexpected and thrilling excitement.

She had once relaxed her guard and believed in universal love, only to fall hard. She couldn’t afford to make that mistake again.

The 138-yuan prop could never match the handsome and deep Qin Shaoyi from the show, nor could it measure the flutter he gave her on that rainy night. But right now, she needed something like this to ease her anxiety.

Her work at the hospital wasn’t unpleasant, but compared to dealing with cosmetics and skincare products, it felt much duller.

She helped hospital leaders host foreign guests, scheduled travel for doctors, coordinated meeting times and locations, and ran around fulfilling doctors’ requests. Each task could take hours.

After a month, Hu Xiu understood that administrative work at the hospital was at the bottom of the food chain. Intern doctors were trying to get promoted, doctors were busy with research papers and associate professor evaluations. Everyone was too busy to climb up to their rightful position, while she translated.

Though the pay for each translation session wasn’t low (half of what her senior sister earned), there was no room for advancement at the hospital.

Her father’s words rang in her ears: for an ordinary girl like her, just having a steady job was already half the battle. She just needed a man to complete the picture.

And Qian Jinxin thought the same way. Every week, he would take the subway to the hospital after work, find a restaurant, and send her the address. She could spot him waving from afar.

Despite rumors that he had a car, Qian Jinxin never drove in the city, claiming that small roads were unsuitable for driving.

Every time, Hu Xiu politely said goodbye near the office and then switched her phone to flight mode, just to avoid his calls.

A few days later, Hu Xiu received a delivery at work — a new phone.

The text message quickly followed: “Hey, did you get the package? I bought you a new phone.”

Outdated Qian Jinxin, trying to keep up with the younger generation, switched to a new way of addressing her after calling her “Miss Hu” enough times.

One of the senior sisters in the office turned around: “Oh, Hu Xiu got a new phone.”

Hu Xiu stared at the hot potato of a phone, feeling like her father’s call was just seconds away asking about the wedding date. She quickly called Qian Jinxin back, insisting that she couldn’t accept the phone, and suggested they meet at the Mark Rose Restaurant next door after work.

Her regular restaurant with Zhao Xiaorou was about to be exposed to an unwelcome man, and Hu Xiu’s mood soured. But she had to return the phone as soon as possible and clear things up.

She slipped out of her post early, her bag holding the phone like a ticking bomb.

She ordered an iced cola, her palms sweating just as much as the cup. Before Qian Jinxin entered the door, he paused by the China Merchants Bank 100-5 and Hu Xiu, finally making up her mind: This meal was definitely the last one.

This was the first time Hu Xiu took the initiative to invite him, and Qian Jinxin sat down, still a bit excited: “What do you want to eat? Hurry and order, once we’re done, let’s open the phone.”

“I can’t accept this phone.”

“Why?”

“The old one isn’t broken...”

“That’s nonsense, the old one is obviously broken, I can’t even get through to you.”

That’s not why. Hu Xiu didn’t bother to prepare herself: “Mr. Qian, I don’t think we’re... quite suited. My dad might have some misunderstandings about my views on choosing a partner, that’s why he introduced you, but this matter has nothing to do with me.”

“Ah?” Qian Jinxin finally noticed something off: “I don’t understand...”

“I’m not looking for a stable, patchwork marriage that just comes together. Maybe my dad thinks I need this, that we make a good match. But my ideal type isn’t... someone like you.”

“Then what kind of person do you like?”

In her mind, Qin Shaoyi appeared, but Hu Xiu couldn’t say it. The watch reflected the light, covering the curved, deformed veins on her wrist.

“I want expensive love, something with texture, something that can leave people dazzled. It’s something I can’t describe but will linger in my heart. Even if it’s only for a brief time, I don’t care about the outcome.”

After saying this, Hu Xiu seemed to have figured something out. All the possessions that had been thrown out of the window, all the unreturned youthful affections, and the unhappiness caused by rushing into commitments—all unraveled, and she realized that her unhappiness had always been tied to wanting results too badly.

Meanwhile, Qian Jinxin’s face grew increasingly unpleasant. He pointed at Hu Xiu’s nose, speaking with righteous anger: “Xiao Hu, today I’m going to educate you. Expensive love, with texture—why don’t you just tattoo ‘looking for a sugar daddy’ on your face directly?

“Briefly owning something? Even a mistress knows to hide it. How can you say something so embarrassing so proudly? How would Mr. Hu feel if he knew? You’ve really disappointed me!”

“Ah?”

“The things you just said would get roasted alive if they were posted on Hupu, do you believe that? It’s lucky that I’m the only one who heard it today.

“How can a girl like you exist? You fantasize about being with an old man for a luxurious life and can’t even settle down properly in a marriage.

“From now on, if you want to date me, you’ll have to let me discipline you properly. By the way, do you have a Shanghai hukou (a system of household registration used in mainland China)?”

Stunned. Hu Xiu was about to retort when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Zhao Xiaorou and Wang Guangming had come to the restaurant to eat, with a camera just turned off after finishing filming a vlog.

Wang Guangming, wearing a woolen hat, saw the formally dressed Qian Jinxin and eagerly shook his hand to greet him, sitting down to chat casually. Within a few sentences, they were talking about “shearing the sheep.”

Hu Xiu excused herself to go to the restroom and left the table. When she came out, Zhao Xiaorou was smoking outside.

The vapor from her e-cigarette was thicker than tobacco smoke. Zhao Xiaorou inhaled a few puffs, almost making it seem like a scene from the Monkey King’s Peach Banquet in Heaven.

When Hu Xiu got close to Zhao Xiaorou, she heard her say in the smoke, “I want a divorce.”

Hu Xiu was stunned: “What?”

“Look at how happily he’s chatting with your blind date boyfriend. Wang Guangming can only match with such friends. If I don’t get a divorce, I’ll be crazy.”

Hu Xiu still didn’t understand: “How can you just decide to divorce?”

“I can’t stand him. Just because he’s a husband of an internet celebrity, he thinks he’s something. He always wants to control me and make me give up everything I want.

“When I want to buy a bag, he buys me a knockoff. When I want Wagas, he forces me to get a cheap salad with discounts. When we drive, he avoids paying for gas by taking detours to save ten bucks. When we get home, he immediately falls asleep. That half hour detour is so noisy I can’t even record videos in peace without staying up late. He’s always calculating my money.

“He doesn’t save much but wastes my time. He’s going to hell, seriously!

“Even the Buddhist chants on NetEase Cloud Music cost money. What does that prove? Buddha doesn’t save poor fools!”

“Calm down,” Hu Xiu said. Zhao Xiaorou, who often filmed affectionate videos with Wang Guangming, seemed suspicious now.

“I can’t calm down. It’s not a problem that he’s stingy or likes to control me,” Zhao Xiaorou said with a hint of defiance. “Recently, he seems to be flirting with another small internet celebrity. The leftover money from the knockoffs and the detour gas money all go to gifts for another girl.

“The gift I bought for Qin Shaoyi is still in the trunk, it’s been decreasing lately.”

“So you suspect he’s cheating?” Hu Xiu was surprised. “No way… he’s done two wedding ceremonies with you, both got millions of views, and he’s always been good to you. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

“I definitely have proof.” Zhao Xiaorou’s eyes showed the familiar seriousness that always made Hu Xiu feel like disaster was imminent, yet there was nothing she could do to stop it. And she had a vague feeling that this time, the flames of war would burn her too.

Sure enough, Zhao Xiaorou spoke: “Hu Xiu, help me out.”