Chapter 23

Gift, Please Accept 

The entire performance of ounce ended, and with sharp words, Gu Yi let out a sigh of relief. Liang Daiwen wasn’t there—this was the first time she had looked forward to Liang Daiwen not being at the performance. Recently, Liang Daiwen had brought her a lot of emotional turmoil, which had sparked constant inspiration, and her spirit had been on edge. When she first met Liang Daiwen, Gu Yi thought he was a freak. When she saw silkworms in his house, she thought he was a pervert. When he secretly took care of her, she thought he was a robot sent by the heavens to protect her. After knowing he was sick, he became a patient... 

Had she never considered Liang Daiwen a human? 

But once she truly saw him as a person, especially—as a man, Gu Yi couldn’t stay in this house for even a minute. Though she had once felt fluttery, most of the time, she was able to treat Liang Daiwen like air. She could talk to him closely and even confide in him as a friend. When he appeared in front of the sofa, she thought he was her soulmate. But now, she started to doubt her understanding. The so-called “men’s ways” that she couldn’t make sense of before suddenly became clear. Even if Liang Daiwen didn’t show his emotions, it didn’t mean he didn’t have them. He had the competition and desires typical of men, just like a blind person whose hearing becomes abnormally sensitive. Liang Daiwen’s excellence seemed like a complement to her mind and body. 

She didn’t know which nerve was triggered, but this change surprised her. 

What was the second step of treatment she was supposed to do for Liang Daiwen again? 

Fortunately, she went home for the New Year. At home, it was all about eating and sleeping, completely an idyllic retreat, but Gu Yi’s mind was in turmoil. She couldn’t even sleep in her own bed. Only the sofa in Liang Daiwen’s house could bring her peaceful sleep. The other three people in their group were being vague, constantly sharing holiday updates. Guan Xingxin locked herself in her room at home, posting New Year’s blessings in the group before the live broadcast. Yu Dule posted a selfie from the day, showing a large bouquet of flowers he bought at a flower market, his face hidden, and his shadow resembling a crooked old tree. Lu Ming went skiing again, and despite not having the right to visit his daughter during the New Year, he went to work as a personal trainer and skied alone in the cold. Gu Yi and Liang Daiwen didn’t speak to each other, nor did they appear in the group, completely disappearing. 

Gu Yi held her phone, lighting firecrackers and throwing firecrackers on the ground. She gripped a bunch of sparklers in her hand like skewered meat. She resolutely didn’t share any updates. Isn’t it all about the sense of mystery? She had that too. The ear-piercing explosions from the firecrackers made her fingers blackened from handling them. There was no response from Liang Daiwen in the group. After sending a “Happy New Year” message to Liang Daiwen, she lit the sparklers one by one and chatted with Yu Dule, discussing the past stand-up comedians of ounce. When the last sparkler burned out, Liang Daiwen’s message finally appeared: “Happy New Year.” 

She shamelessly replied immediately: “Where are you?” 

“Shanghai.” 

“Didn’t go home?” 

“Mm.” 

The conversation died again. Gu Yi felt a dull ache in her chest, so she lit more firecrackers to usher in the God of Wealth for the fifth day of the new year. The explosions continued for a while, and she sent a distress message to Guan Xingxin: “Are you chatting with Yu Dule recently?” 

“Of course, I chat with him and Uncle Lu every day. You and Liang Daiwen haven’t been talking, have you?” 

“Yeah... If he doesn’t reach out, I won’t either. I realized he’s a man and he’s playing me, so I don’t know how to talk anymore. Anyway, if he doesn’t reach out, I’ll just move out. It’s like he’s lost a psychologist and soulmate.” 

After sending the message, she locked her phone and shoved it into her pocket. As her coat pressed against her chest, it vibrated, and she immediately took it out to read the reply that stung her eyes: “Wow, really high opinion of yourself.” 

It was Guan Xingxin’s reply. Gu Yi broke into a cold sweat, thinking she had sent it to the wrong person. “The other party is typing” appeared for several minutes, and a long message came from Guan Xingxin, booming like thunder: “I’ll say it directly. Liang Daiwen can indeed pull and push, but you’re not at the level where you can handle him. You’re staying on his sofa with zero progress. Don’t say he’s not romantic—you’re really not doing well either. You should be grateful he has emotional expression disorder, and at this rate, you might end up being lifelong good friends.” 

“He... He doesn’t talk to me!” 

“When he gets busy, he doesn’t check his phone. Have you ever seen him play on his phone when you’re at his house? He only remembers it’s a communication device when he needs to send a message, and he knows he doesn’t speak well and might hurt people, so he hardly speaks first.” 

“I’ve been considerate of his feelings and even added stickers to my messages.” 

“What stickers? Hearts?” 

“Dog, dog head…” 

“There’s still something wrong with your sense of humor as a stand-up comedian.” 

Gu Yi couldn’t respond, realizing that the stand-up comedian label had really messed things up for her. 

Guan Xingxin, however, was unusually patient and sent a 60-second voice message, sweet and soft as she spoke: “It’s okay. Liang Daiwen picked you out from the crowd and brought you home to be friends, and he even gets jealous—that’s already a beautiful start. Just because he’s not talking now doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. As long as he hasn’t closed off his heart, everything’s still possible. Talking to men is about asking questions, giving and taking. If you reply instantly and post selfies in your Moments, that’s like having physical touch with him while staying distant. You’re coming back in two days, right? First come to my house, and let Liang Daiwen come pick you up.” 

Gu Yi was burning with impatience in the bone-chilling -26°C wind: “Okay…” 

“One more thing.” 

“I’m all ears!” 

“Absolutely do not joke about cutting ties with Liang Daiwen. He will take it seriously and push you out of his heart. As Liang Daiwen’s old friend and as someone who shares life-or-death bonds with you, I truly hope you don’t mess this up.” 

Gu Yi’s memories of the Northeast only remained with fireworks in the snow and her mother’s parting words before she left: “You crazy girl, running off so fast.” She was eager to go back. The high-speed train station was packed, but she still managed to break through and finally arrived at Guan Xingxin’s house, where the warm air greeted her. Guan Xingxin seemed to have anticipated this and threw her a towel: “Go take a shower.” 

Her voice was low yet reproachful, and Gu Yi felt her bones melt—this was definitely more seductive than what Liang Daiwen ever did. Just as she was about to step into the bathtub, Guan Xingxin cracked the door open, tossed something into the water with a thud, and splashed Gu Yi’s face—it was a bath bomb. The rose-scented bubbles dissolved in the water, and Gu Yi asked, “Am I being too intense? Liang Daiwen’s not an idiot, he must feel it.”

“I didn’t want him to see, I just wanted you to be happy. Whether it’s with him or yourself, you can’t keep being unlucky, right?”

Gu Yi only felt one thing when she heard that: she was about to swoon.

Guan Xingxin handed Gu Yi a black velvet dress with a square neckline. It had thickness, draped beautifully, and exposed the neck and knees. Gu Yi’s jeans and hoodie were mercilessly tossed into the laundry basket. “Next time, take them with you.”

“I—I’ll take them back myself...”

“Please, from now on, Liang Daiwen’s house isn’t your home. It’s your stage.”

“I’m moving out in a few days, and it’s not necessary to be so deliberate. He’s already seen my comedian side. He probably knows all about me...”

“Well, the countdown’s started. Why not show him another side before you leave?” Guan Xingxin took out a light smoke-purple silk scarf, folded it into pleats, and tied it around Gu Yi’s neck. As she tied the knot, she said, “I heard from Dr. Shen that Liang Daiwen’s mother passed away when he was in sixth grade. On the first day of school, everyone wore the school uniform with a red collar, except for him. He sat in the last row, mourning. His personality began to change in middle school. One day, after skipping class, his dad caught him, slapped him across the face, and out of spite, he took a taxi alone to his mother’s grave to burn paper. His dad called all the parents in his class to look for him, and it wasn’t until dawn that they found him at the cemetery, the paper all burned up. He and his dad hugged and cried. That’s when all his emotions spilled with the tears. I don’t know the specifics, it’s private, but Liang Daiwen has been living alone in Shanghai. He only spends New Year at the Van Gogh Museum. He’s actually quite lonely and doesn’t really share this with you.”

Gu Yi listened quietly, unsure of how to respond. Guan Xingxin smoothly changed the subject: “The bow has to be at the back. You should hide it with your hair for now, but when you go downstairs, let the wind blow it to the other side, showing a bit of your neck. Luckily, we’re the same shoe size, or those sneakers would ruin everything.”

In the mirror, Gu Yi looked even more shy than when she was holding the cornflower. She muttered to herself, “I’m officially disqualified as a stand-up comedian today. I look like a living gift.”

“Love is a gift of life,” Guan Xingxin replied.

The bow on her neck made it hard for Gu Yi to breathe. “Can you take this decoration off...”

“Nope. Who said scarves are just decorations?”

Gu Yi didn’t understand. Guan Xingxin blinked, “Liang Daiwen might be slow to catch on, but he has a great memory. So rather than bombarding him with feelings, it’s better to leave him with movie-like memories.”

“What kind of movie memory could a scarf tied behind the neck create?”

Guan Xingxin smiled, “That’s for you to write. I’ll leave the movie to you.”

Before Gu Yi could react, the doorbell rang. Guan Xingxin gave her hair a quick tousle and said, “After the long journey, go rest on the sofa.”

When she opened the door, just hearing Liang Daiwen’s voice made Gu Yi feel like a steam engine. Seven days without seeing him—how was he? Had he become more handsome? Would he notice her scheme with Guan Xingxin?

As soon as Liang Daiwen stepped in and saw her face, he relaxed. His face was clean and quiet, without emotional feedback. A little disappointed, yet somewhat relieved. Well, if he was awkward too, the two of them would just return awkwardly, and who knows what kind of scene tonight would turn into. After chatting with Guan Xingxin for a while, Liang Daiwen started talking about Dr. Shen, saying that communication was all through emails, and that long-distance treatment was too ineffective. If it didn’t work, they might have to look for a new psychologist... Gu Yi’s body stiffened from waiting on the sofa—why wasn’t he coming in? This dress wasn’t holding her stomach in, and she could hardly breathe!

After a long wait, Liang Daiwen finally focused on her. He was a little slow to react, but didn’t know how to greet her. Gu Yi uncrossed her legs and asked casually, “You’re not going home for the New Year? Why didn’t you mention it in the group chat?”

That was a nice, casual way to ask.

Liang Daiwen, having just walked out of Guan Xingxin’s house, was kindly pushing her luggage and holding the elevator door when they collided. Such a wide door, yet they both went the same direction, and the skin that touched felt like an electric shock, her heart almost breaking. In the elevator, with just the two of them, Gu Yi realized how long the ride to the eighth floor took. She used to count by seconds, but now it felt like years.

Neither of them spoke. Gu Yi was about to explode—she used to dare look at Liang Daiwen, but now she couldn’t even move. Seven days apart, and the change was so overwhelming it was almost like a different world.

The building’s innermost block was five minutes’ walk. Guan Xingxin’s shoes were like Cinderella’s glass slippers, and Gu Yi was walking on the heels, making a click-clack sound, self-hypnotizing herself that it reduced the height difference, making kissing distances shorter. Guan Xingxin had said, “It’s like a movie!” Forget it, the 7-centimeter Japanese boots made her dizzy, her feet stiff, and her ankles couldn’t bend. Being paired with Liang Daiwen, one couldn’t laugh, and the other couldn’t walk. They were like two people, one incapable of smiling, the other stumbling. The streetlights were dim, and it seemed like she would step into a drain any moment. The fragrance from her body overwhelmed her senses. She felt tipsy as if she were an angel. If Liang Daiwen didn’t respond, she’d go home and immediately buy a pair of AJ shoes.

Liang Daiwen said, “During the seven days of New Year, I watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and also watched that variety show with Yu Dule’s contributions. Aren’t you looking for a house?”

Such a disjointed response. Gu Yi’s heart raced—was she nervous?

For a moment, she wanted to sell all her AJ shoes on a second-hand website. But she had to stay calm and respond, “Isn’t it true that those jokes don’t really make people laugh in real life? I told you before, it’s one thing to have a point and punchline, but it’s another thing entirely for the performance to land. Good speaking skills don’t beat strong acting.”

“Yeah. Yu Dule contributed to the show. Why don’t you try writing for them?”

“His work is more for creating content tailored to celebrities, where the relationship is between the client and the provider. It’s better to write and perform my own jokes.”

“Got it.”

“If I move out, I’ll be looking for a place soon. But don’t worry, they’re all friends, we’ll still hang out. Are you reluctant to part with me?”

“You’re different today.”

Gu Yi’s heart skipped a beat. “Where? What’s different?”

“Your skin is thicker than before.”

“……”

As they walked out of the neighborhood, the light began to brighten. She looked up at Liang Daiwen’s profile and noticed that he was secretly glancing at her too. Their eyes met, and Gu Yi’s breath trembled. The bow was too tight, making it hard to breathe. Liang Daiwen, his voice calm, asked, “Did you have a good rest at home during the New Year?”

“I was also urged by Uncle Yun to go on blind dates.”

“Oh?”

“My mom stopped it. Such a pity. I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s the right age for marriage, if I want to date, I can. I’m in demand. After I move out, I’ll need to buy a desk, write jokes seriously every day, and come up with topics to earn more money. Who knows, one day I might be a well-known scriptwriter. At that point, you’ll have to pay for advertising if you want to ride my traffic and promote accessible design.”

“Then you’ll need to write more emotionally.”

“Of course, no problem. I’m such a romantic. Want a drink? I’ll treat you.”

They had just walked a few steps when her hair blocked her vision, and a car suddenly sped by. Liang Daiwen quickly reached out his hand. The car swerved quickly and disappeared, but not really—the car just moved out of sight at a constant speed, while everything around her seemed to slow down. Liang Daiwen’s hand passed through her hair, his fingers hooking onto the bow. Something cool brushed against her neck—it was the silk scarf. With a mistaken thought, she had imagined that this scarf would only choke her, but no. Liang Daiwen had caught one corner, and the knot was undone, the scarf now held in his hand.

The motion was so ambiguous that Gu Yi wasn’t prepared for it at all. Liang Daiwen held the scarf, letting it blow in the wind, its curve carefree, brushing his lips for a moment. He stood still, and for an instant, the scent of the fabric must have rushed into his nose without him realizing. The street was empty of cars, and it felt as if the only background left was the sycamore trees and neon lights. A multitude of scenes flashed through Gu Yi’s mind—perhaps The Three Colors Trilogy, perhaps A Love Beyond Words, maybe the four seasons of the human world...

And all she could think of was: the gift, please check it.