Chapter 76: Pt.1

On Friday night, Fang Qin called and invited Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi out for dinner. The venue was a Korean barbeque restaurant that opened up recently.

When Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi arrived at the restaurant, Fang Qin had already waited for half an hour.

However, Fang Qin didn't complain about the delay this time. Fang Qin was dressed casually tonight, and she looked very laid-back. Upon seeing Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi, she joked, "You two are so slow. You know you don't need to pay so much attention to dressing up when meeting with friends, right?"

Murong Shi pulled out a chair for Xu Chuanchuan.

Meanwhile, Xu Chuanchuan sat on the chair and awkwardly smiled, saying, "No, it's mainly because there were still too many people in the office just now. We had to wait for most of them to leave before we could leave ourselves. The traffic on the way here was quite congested as well."

Fang Qin's face froze for a second when she heard Xu Chuanchuan's words. Then, a gloomy expression appeared on her face as she said, "I guess we're all having it rough."

Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi looked at each other upon hearing Fang Qin's comment.

Then, Murong Shi looked toward the person sitting opposite of her and said, "I'll say it first, but no alcohol tonight."

It would be boring to eat barbeque without alcohol, so Fang Qin initially wanted to protest. However, after recalling a certain incident, she shrugged and said, "So be it. Life's tough, so let's have something sweet."

A sense of helplessness filled fang Qin's words. When Xu Chuanchuan saw that Fang Qin's current mental state mainly remained the same as it did during the drunken incident, she couldn't help but grow a little worried.

Meanwhile, sensing the worried gaze from Xu Chuanchuan, Fang Qin scratched her head and laughed. Then, she said, "What are you looking at me like that for? Did I botch my eyeliner? Or did I get some lipstick onto my teeth?"

"...No." Seeing as Fang Qin was smiling, Xu Chuanchuan forced herself to smile as well. Though, an awkward silence ensued as neither of them knew what to say in this situation.

When ordering the food, Murong Shi asked the other two at the table for their opinions. Then, when the ingredients and jug of coconut juice they ordered arrived, they started grilling the meat by themselves.

Although having to cook their own food meant that they would be spending a lot more time on their meal, this kind of atmosphere was perfect for holding conversations. So, Fang Qin started making conversation during the grilling process.

Murong Shi wasn't keen on eating barbeque, so she was mainly responsible for grilling. Once the food was ready, she would serve it to Xu Chuanchuan and Fang Qin.

Fang Qin wholeheartedly enjoyed the food. Then, when she saw Murong Shi skillfully tending to Xu Chuanchuan, she half-jokingly said, "You finally look more like a human."

Looking at her friend, Murong Shi calmly asked, "Was I a ghost previously?"

With food still in her mouth, Xu Chuanchuan covered her mouth and secretly smiled.

Fang Qin drank her glass of coconut juice like she was drinking alcohol. After downing the whole glass in one fell swoop, she let out a loud sigh of satisfaction. Then, she casually said, "You used to ignore everyone around you. You also looked like everyone in the world owes you money. Now, though, you look like a grandmother taking care of her granddaughter."

Feigning anger, Murong Shi said, "Who's a grandmother? You're several months older than me."

Then, Fang Qin looked at Xu Chuanchuan, who was silently enjoying the food and smiled, saying, "This is all thanks to you, Chuanchuan. It is you who changed Murong."

Xu Chuanchuan wiped the grease on her lips and said in embarrassment, "I don't have that kind of ability."

Meanwhile, Murong Shi smirked and said, "Fang Qin is right."

Xu Chuanchuan was rendered speechless this time, though her vanity was greatly satisfied. To express her happiness, she fed a piece of pork belly to Murong Shi.

Murong Shi took her time chewing on the meat. Then, she concluded, "It's not sufficiently grilled. It's also a little too greasy."

Xu Chuanchuan picked up the glass of coconut juice in front of her and served it to Murong Shi.

"Hey, hey, hey—" Fang Qin tapped her chopsticks against her bowl in protest. "Can you stop torturing my eyes?"

At this mention, Xu Chuanchuan decided to hold back a little.

Partway through the meal, Fang Qin suddenly asked, "When do you two plan on coming out?"

There were still other guests in the restaurant, so Fang Qin had spoken rather vaguely. Even so, the two people seated across her understood her words.

Xu Chuanchuan stopped eating and looked toward Murong Shi.

Murong Shi also looked toward Xu Chuanchuan, her gaze focused. Then, she firmly said, "I'm fine anytime."

Like so, Murong Shi threw the problem into Xu Chuanchuan's hands. Xu Chuanchuan's mind instantly went blank, and she opened and closed her mouth several times as she hesitated to speak. Then, she timidly said, "Let's wait a while longer…"

Hearing this, Murong Shi lightly chuckled and said, "Mhm, no rush."

Such in-depth topics were unsuitable to be discussed in such a public place, so Fang Qin quickly changed the topic, saying, "Actually, the main reason I invited you two out tonight is to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Surprise, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "Are you leaving?"

After placing a piece of raw meat onto the grill, Fang Qin casually said, "Mhm. I even applied for leave already."

Murong Shi had already heard about this before, so she wasn't too surprised by the news. While flipping the meat on the grill, she asked, "Where will you be going?"

Fang Qin pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm planning to head south first, though I won't be traveling very far away."

"By yourself?" Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but ask.

"By myself. I want to try being a backpacker."

"Won't it be...dangerous?"

Fang Qin knew that Xu Chuanchuan was worried about her, so she nonchalantly smiled and said, "It's exciting precisely because it's dangerous."

"Huh?" Xu Chuanchuan was shocked.

"I'm kidding," Fang Qin said, waving her hand. Then, she put on a serious expression and continued, "I think it's quite good to travel alone. I can do whatever I want and go wherever I want."

Although Fang Qin had spoken in a calm tone and wore a relaxed expression, the two people seated across her couldn't relax at all.

"I read a travel guide saying that Yunnan is a good place to visit and that the most recommended tourist spots are Dali and Lijiang. For now, I'm still considering which city I should visit first," Fang Qin said, a fascinated expression appearing on her face.

After watching her friend performing a one-man act for some time, Murong Shi said, "I heard Lijiang is a place for romantic encounters."

"I'll head to Lijiang first, then," Fang Qin said, smacking the table. "I've been single for so long now. It would be nice if I can have a romantic encounter as well."

Murong Shi took a long look at her friend. Then, she said, "Remember to pay attention to your safety."

"Don't worry."

…

The next day, Fang Qin started her journey toward the rumored "City of Romantic Encounters" Lijiang.

When Fang Qin's parting message arrived, Murong Shi and Xu Chuanchuan were still asleep. After waking up and seeing the message, Murong Shi called Fang Qin immediately, only to be notified that the other party had turned off her phone already. So, Murong Shi guessed that Fang Qin had probably gotten on a plane already.

Meanwhile, Xu Chuanchuan woke up with a yawn, her hair looking like a bird's nest. Then, after hearing about Fang Qin's departure from Murong Shi on their way to the bathroom, she hoarsely said, "Let's hope she returns with a girlfriend."

Murong Shi did not make any comments. After passing the electric toothbrush to Xu Chuanchuan, she said, "Little Yan's military training is over. I'm going to pick her up afterward."

With the electric toothbrush buzzing inside her mouth, Xu Chuanchuan vaguely said, "I'll go with you."

"Mhm."

After going through another week of military training, Little Yan's tan had gotten even darker, and she started complaining as soon as she got into the car. "The sun is terrifying! Look at my face and neck! Also, look at my arms and legs! This is just from two weeks of military training!"

While holding back her laughter, Xu Chuanchuan consoled the girl, saying, "It's alright. You'll recover during winter."

"I guess you're right," Little Yan said optimistically.

To celebrate Little Yan finishing her military training, Murong Shi offered to treat the girl to a lavish meal.

However, Little Yan said, "I don't want a lavish meal. I want to eat barbeque, the one Chuanchuan shared on social media last night. It looked so good!"

Smiling, Xu Chuanchuan said, "It was quite delicious."

To satisfy Little Yan's cravings, Murong Shi drove them to the same Korean barbeque restaurant without hesitation.

Seeing the sisterly relationship between Murong Shi and Little Yan, Xu Chuanchuan suddenly thought of Xu Xiangxiang. So, Xu Chuanchuan tried to call her little sister and ask if she wanted to join them for the barbeque.

However, Little Yan stopped Xu Chuanchuan and said, "No need to call her. I already talked to her just now. Xiangxiang should be getting ready to live stream right now."

"Live stream?" Xu Chuanchuan didn't know about this matter.

"That's right. She previously invited me to have fun at the water park, but I refused because I don't want to go to crowded places with how I look. Having nothing better to do, she decided to live stream during the weekend and earn some pocket money."

Xu Chuanchuan remained silent.

Ever since Xu Xiangxiang had transferred 20,000 yuan to her, asking her to return it to Murong Shi, Xu Chuanchuan had stopped opposing Xu Xiangxiang's decision to live stream. She was even moved by how Xu Xiangxiang had seemingly become more sensible.

However, after listening to Little Yan's words, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but grow a little worried. After all, the holidays were over already, and Xu Xiangxiang always had bad grades. What if her desire to earn money affected her studies?

Worried that she would be interrupting her little sister's live stream, Xu Chuanchuan switched to sending a WeChat message instead. In her message, she repeatedly reminded Xu Xiangxiang to focus on her studies and not put the cart before the horse.

However, Xu Xiangxiang did not reply to the message immediately.

After the meal, Little Yan revealed a contented expression. Then, Murong Shi asked her if there was anywhere else she wanted to visit.

While rubbing her belly, Little Yan said, "I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to go home to pet my cat and have a nap."

"You have a cat at home?" Xu Chuanchuan asked, pleasantly surprised.

Nodding eagerly, Little Yan said, "That's right. I own a British Shorthair. It's five years old now, and it's black and round. It's adorable, and I love sleeping while holding it in my arms. Though, it's been half a month since I went home. I wonder if it still remembers me?"

Xu Chuanchuan smiled.

"In that case, I'll send you home," Murong Shi said.

In response, Little Yan considerately said, "No need for that. It's the weekend right now, so you should spend your time with Chuanchuan. I'll take a taxi home."

Seeing Little Yan's insistence, Murong Shi had no choice but to agree.

Then, Little Yan grinned and said, "I'm leaving now, bye-bye! See you next time!"

"Bye-bye," Xu Chuanchuan waved at the girl.

Little Yan had long arms and legs, and she looked like a lovely little girl from the back. She also had a carefree personality, shown by how she was hopping and skipping toward the main road. However, partway through, she suddenly stopped and bounced back to Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi. Then, she said, "I almost forgot something important."

"Did you forget to bring money?" Murong Shi teased.

Shaking her head, Little Yan sighed and said, "Xiangxiang has started to suspect you two."

Xu Chuanchuan's heart thumped. Then, she hurriedly asked, "How do you know that?"

"She secretly asked me about it the last time you guys came to visit me. Though, I didn't tell her anything at the time," Little Yan said. Then, she paused for a moment and switched her gaze between the two people in front of her. "How long are you two going to keep her in the dark?"

Initially, Xu Chuanchuan had chosen to keep her relationship with Murong Shi a secret from Xu Xiangxiang because she worried that her little sister would accidentally reveal it to their parents. Now, though…Xu Chuanchuan felt that it was about time she told her little sister the truth.

No secret could be kept forever. Since Xu Chuanchuan had decided to be together with Murong Shi, they were bound to have to come out of the closet sooner or later. Although Xu Chuanchuan could list down many negatives about Xu Xiangxiang, she believed that her little sister would stand on her side.

She will, right?

Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi looked at each other, with the former thinking of an answer and the latter waiting for the former's answer.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Xu Chuanchuan let out a long sigh and said, "Let's find a suitable time to tell her, then."