TSDT - 20

Jiang Ying arrived home before dark.

After settling dinner with takeout, she changed into comfortable clothes, unrolled her yoga mat, and planned to do some simple exercises. She chose one from numerous fitness videos and was about to hit play when a WeChat notification chimed. She opened it, and her heart skipped a beat unexpectedly.

His face had been darker than a pot bottom yesterday. She was still wondering what theme to choose for her WeChat Moments spell-casting to attract his attention. And he had contacted her after only one day.

Meng Jingshu: “Are you back?”

Jiang Ying curled her lips, thinking about what to reply to appear reserved yet not cold.

Before she could come up with anything, the screen changed—Huang Yanfei was video calling her.

It was another day where Huang Yanfei wanted to quit her job. The two of them complained to each other about the bitterness of working overtime on the weekend. Huang Yanfei was even more miserable: “You’re lucky, you’re idle more often than busy, and you don’t often work overtime. I’ve worked overtime for six days straight this week!”

Jiang Ying, while stretching her legs, advised, “Well, your salary is higher than mine.”

Huang Yanfei: “...That’s true... but not by much, and it’s really exhausting! The boss is so annoying, constantly listing demands, this style won’t do, that sentiment isn’t right. I think she doesn’t even know what she wants!”

Jiang Ying: “Your boss sounds as verbose as a client.”

Huang Yanfei: “Right!”

After venting their dissatisfaction with work, other things would definitely be brought up for吐槽 (tucao, complaining), that’s the meaning of sisterhood.

Influenced by Jiang Ying, Huang Yanfei also unrolled her yoga mat. The two of them stretched together across the screen, both feeling that their leg lines would become more beautiful.

Huang Yanfei said, “Xu Jiahong has been contacting me a lot lately, what do you think he means? Does he want to cultivate a backup in China?”

Jiang Ying couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her former class monitor: “You really think too highly of Xu Jiahong, he’s just a bit glib, not that much of a scumbag.”

“Then why is he flirting with me across the Pacific?”

“Maybe he genuinely wants to win you back.”

“A trans-Pacific relationship? No thanks. Didn’t we break up for that very reason back then?”

Huang Yanfei and Xu Jiahong had a very brief relationship during those feverish days after the college entrance exam, lasting about a week, and basically no one else knew about it.

It started with a rush of impulsive affection, and the reason for its end was simple: Huang Yanfei believed a cross-border relationship wouldn’t work. She felt that Xu Jiahong, knowing he was going abroad for many years, still tried to hook up with her, making him a very irresponsible person.

Jiang Ying said, “Didn’t he tell you? He wants to come back to China to develop his career. He came back for an interview last time. Maybe he wants to tell you after he’s settled.”

Huang Yanfei was silent for a moment, then sighed, “It’s been so many years...”

Jiang Ying also said, “Yeah, it’s been so many years... We’re really a pair of unfortunate siblings, both broke up this year and then got involved with old classmates around the same time.”

Huang Yanfei feigned anger: “Hey, hey, watch your words, I didn’t get involved, you did!”

“Close enough. So, do you still like him? Besides being a bit talkative, he’s pretty good, right?”

“Can’t say for sure. I have a good impression, but it doesn’t feel like that kind of crush from when we were kids anymore. What about you? Have you finally captured your ‘white moonlight’ and don’t mind the past anymore?”

Jiang Ying pouted: “It’s just mutual need, not forcing it makes things a lot more comfortable.”

Huang Yanfei asked: “Friends with benefits?”

Jiang Ying: “You could say that, yes.”

Huang Yanfei: “You’re making me tempted too.”

Jiang Ying: “Great! Go corrupt Xu Jiahong, and then we’ll find a day to dump them both!”

Huang Yanfei: “Good idea!”

They chatted nonsensically, lingering for a long time before hanging up.

By the time Jiang Ying noticed Meng Jingshu’s message again, more than an hour had passed. She no longer felt like playing games and simply replied: “Yeah, I’m back.”

After that, there was no further message from him. Jiang Ying hummed twice, took a shower, and went to bed.

________________________________________

At the end of the month, on Halloween, Huang Yanfei’s company, for once, gave them a half-day off. She immediately invited Jiang Ying out for shopping. Jiang Ying had just wrapped up a case recently and was in a period of leisure. Seeing some colleagues leave early, she also snuck out ahead of time.

After getting ready at home, the two women complimented each other when they met.

To highlight the festive atmosphere, they dressed up meticulously, choosing seldom-worn academic style outfits from their wardrobes. Huang Yanfei’s was more British, neat and chic. Jiang Ying’s was more Japanese, with a pleated skirt and long socks. Their makeup was done while on a call, egging each other on, so one had a bewitching smoky eye, and the other had a hazy hangover look. Paired with their uniforms, the effect was undeniably striking. To go all out, Jiang Ying even tied two low ponytails. The two of them looked like ghosts as they left the house.

However, on such a day, the girls on the street were all competing for attention, so they weren’t too outlandish. They just found each other hilarious and were very happy.

When sisters go shopping, of course, they have to take photos and post them on Moments while their makeup is still intact. Before long, there were replies on Moments. Xu Jiahong liked both girls’ photos and replied uniformly: Beautiful!

Jiang Ying mischievously asked him: Who’s more beautiful?

Xu Jiahong replied with a smile. Huang Yanfei angrily pinched her.

After an early dinner, they found an arcade in the mall and went in. Even though it wasn’t the weekend, many young people were out having a blast, using the holiday as an excuse. The arcade was noisy with various sound effects.

Today, she was wearing a skirt, so it wasn’t suitable for racing motorcycles. They quickly snatched two arcade machines, controlling muscular men to fight each other to the death. After two rounds, each winning one, they were about to insert coins for the third time to decide the winner.

Just then, a familiar male voice called out to Jiang Ying. She turned her head at the sound.

“Zheng Yifeng, are you here too?”

Zheng Yifeng was still dressed in his office attire, clearly not having put much effort into primping for the night. In front of Jiang Ying and her friend, he seemed a bit awkward: “Uh... out with my college roommates.”

Jiang Ying smiled and said, “What a coincidence, I’m out with my high school roommate.” She introduced him to Huang Yanfei, “This is my colleague, we were trained by the same mentor.”

They exchanged quick greetings.

Just as the people occupying the machines next to them were leaving, Zheng Yifeng and his friends took their seats. The few of them played for a while side by side before scattering to play their own games.

The arcade was getting more and more crowded. Jiang Ying and her friend decided not to squeeze with others and planned to go shopping outside. As they left, they saw Zheng Yifeng returning with a bag of something. When they met, for some reason, he suddenly blushed.

Jiang Ying: “We’re going out to shop. Have fun~”

“Okay,” Zheng Yifeng handed them the bag, “It’s cool tonight, so I bought you some hot drinks. I didn’t know what you like, so I just bought something random.”

Jiang Ying glanced at the logo on the bag.

“Bought something random,” he said, from that trendy milk tea shop where the queue always snaked around like a greedy snake, “randomly” bought.

Considering the time, he probably went out to queue after they split up. He had just returned.

Jiang Ying suppressed her inner shock, took the milk tea, and thanked him steadily.

“Thanks, we’ll get going then, bye-bye.”

Zheng Yifeng: “Goodbye.”

After walking a distance, Jiang Ying and Huang Yanfei exchanged glances, their faces splitting into surprised smiles, eyebrows almost flying off.

Huang Yanfei: “Your colleague has a thing for you?”

Jiang Ying: “No way! I think we just looked too beautiful today!”

They stared at each other for two seconds: “Hahahahahahahahahahaha...”

________________________________________

Sipping milk tea while trying on colors at various cosmetic stores was the most pleasant activity. Jiang Ying was comparing the polarized effects of several eyeshadows on her hand when her phone unexpectedly vibrated.

It was a call from Meng Jingshu.

He was probably outside too; there was a noisy background on the phone.

“Hello?”

“Are you at Huan City Plaza? Building C, third floor?” He asked immediately.

Jiang Ying was startled. She stood up abruptly, looked around, and lowered her voice to ask him, “That’s terrifying. What corner are you hiding in, spying on me?”

“Do I even need to spy?” He sounded somewhat disdainful. “What are you wearing? It’s such a mess, it’s hard not to see you.”

He had seen her WeChat Moments earlier, which had stirred some ripples in his heart. Just now, as he rode the escalator up in the mall, she was coming out of the arcade, and he noticed her instantly.

Jiang Ying said coolly, “You called just to say that?”

He chuckled softly, then slowly said, “No. I wanted to ask, Miss Jiang, when you’re going back. I’ll give you a ride.”

Jiang Ying bit her lip: “I can go back by myself, no need to trouble you,” she turned and walked a few steps away from Huang Yanfei, then said word by word, “Mr. Meng.”

Meng Jingshu was on the fourth floor, watching her across the spacious atrium. He saw her pace in small steps out of the store, her head slightly bowed as she spoke into her phone, her toes occasionally lightly kicking at a wall seam. The reflective surface of the wall showed her calves tightly encased in long socks, and above that, a section of bare, translucent white skin, all curves tucked neatly into her dark grey miniskirt. The high-waisted pleated skirt outlined her slender waist and long legs, and her hair was styled beautifully, like a doll.

When he spoke again, his tone had changed: “Didn’t you tell me to ask you out once I was better? I’m better now.”

This man, he naturally didn’t look serious, and when he spoke in a lowered voice, it was even more so. All his intonations and pauses were hooks, captivating and dream-like.

Huang Yanfei was waving her over. She no longer played coy and quickly said, “Around 9:30 PM.”

Then she hung up.

She walked back into the store, blocked by others, and he couldn’t see her anymore. Meng Jingshu remained standing for a while, recalling her tone just now, and trying to infer her expression. When she was being disingenuous, she would purse her lips, her eyes slightly upturned at the corners, carrying a hint of small pride.

Meng Jingshu smiled to himself before entering the restaurant’s private room.

The group had already unceremoniously ordered a long list of dishes. He took his seat, scanned the menu, and then beckoned a waiter over, almost doubling the original order.

Everyone present cheered and applauded, with Wei Zhanfeng leading the charge: “Look, our Young Master Meng, who just landed a huge deal, is indeed brimming with generosity!”

“Alright, Old Meng!”

Tong Hao leisurely mocked Wei Zhanfeng: “Shufeng makes money and you get a share, why aren’t you brimming with generosity?”

“I’m just deliberately highlighting his glory, aren’t I?”

“Old Wei being stingy isn’t a new thing.”

“I think Boss Meng is unlucky in love but lucky in business.”

Meng Jingshu cursed with a smile: “You have food to eat, yet you can’t shut your mouths.”

Amidst the lively atmosphere, Meng Jingshu was thinking, it’s not even 8 PM yet, and he has to wait until 9:30 PM. The original amount wouldn’t be enough.

At 9:15 PM, Jiang Ying messaged him saying she’d need about ten more minutes and asked where they should meet later.

It was cold at night. Meng Jingshu thought of her bare legs and directly told her to take the elevator to the underground parking lot.

He settled the bill. The group of men, not yet satisfied, planned to move to another place for drinks.

But drinking was clearly not as interesting as the other matter at hand. Meng Jingshu waited by the elevator, parting ways with them: “Tonight’s on my tab for all of you, I won’t be joining.”

Everyone saw that he was waiting for someone and understood the situation, nodding in agreement, only offering one or two playful remarks at most.

Only Wei Zhanfeng, curious to death and particularly tactless, said: “You’ve changed completely after the breakup! You’ve got a date, don’t you? It’s been several times lately! Who is it? Sandy?”

Meng Jingshu checked the time and didn’t waste words with him: “Get lost.”

Wei Zhanfeng: “Can’t I see? Is it not Sandy? We’ve been brothers for so many years, can’t I know?”

Tong Hao, seeing Meng Jingshu’s temper rising, couldn’t help but laugh: “Old Wei, get a clue, let’s go. Old Meng and I never asked to know which woman you slept with.”

Wei Zhanfeng: “Hiss! This is different, isn’t it? Old Meng’s been sexually repressed for years and suddenly got unblocked...”

Meng Jingshu sneered: “Fine, it’s all on you tonight.”

Wei Zhanfeng: “No, no, I’ll go, alright! I still need to save money to support my Gulfstream jet!”