On Monday at the office, Qian Fei seemed a bit out of sorts. At lunch, Jin Jie from the finance department invited her to eat together, and soon the conversation turned probing.
"Feifei, why so down lately? Still worn out from moving?"
Qian Fei forced a smile. "Yeah, haven't fully recovered yet."
Jin Jie studied her and asked, "Feifei, did you buy that apartment all by yourself?"
Qian Fei nodded. "Yes," she added candidly to spare herself from the itch of follow-up questions, "Jin Jie, I've been single for almost half a year now!"
Jin Jie put down her chopsticks and clapped her hands excitedly. "Good riddance! I always thought your ex didn’t know how to care for you! Remember those late nights we worked overtime? Everyone else’s partners came to pick them up, but you—you were the only one taking a cab home at 2 a.m. When asked, you said you didn’t want to bother him because he was tired from work. But did he ever consider you’re a woman too? Let me tell you, everyone in the office saw right through that guy! Breaking up was the best move—someone that inconsiderate should’ve been dumped ages ago!"
Qian Fei didn’t know how to respond. Though Jin Jie was speaking the truth and meant well, she couldn’t help but feel that as Wang Ruohai was being torn apart, her own judgment was being called into question too.
After all, she had chosen him.
Jin Jie continued, "I have a classmate who works at a hotel. She mentioned there’s a great single guy there and asked if I knew anyone suitable to set him up with. You were the first person I thought of! He’s really nice—I met him once, very handsome. Though he’s not a local, his salary’s decent. Plus, I heard their hotel is planning to go public—once that happens, he’ll be making even more! Since you’ve been single for half a year, why not meet him?"
Qian Fei thought back to running into Wang Ruohai on the subway. Since their breakup, he seemed to be living his best life—something that filled her with envy and resentment. Meanwhile, she was stuck with a mortgage, feeling lonely and empty. Her family had been urging her to move on, warning her not to let one heartbreak turn her into an unmarriageable leftover woman. Half a year had passed, and she was nearly 27. It was time to move forward.
She agreed.
"Jin Jie, please help arrange it. I’ll meet him!"
※※※※※※
That very afternoon, Jin Jie had already set things up between Qian Fei and the hotel guy.
"His name is Hu Zining, a year older than you—27. I gave him your number, and he’ll contact you soon. If you’re free tomorrow night, he’d like to take you out to dinner. He said to pick somewhere convenient for you—how about the Caijingjing Hot Pot at the Mingyuan Hotel near Fuxingmen?"
Qian Fei blinked, struggling to keep up with the speed of events.
"Jin Jie, your matchmaking efficiency is way too high! At least give me a few days to fix my hair before meeting someone!"
Jin Jie waved her off. "What’s there to fix? Curls like instant noodles aren’t even in style! You look great as you are—that ponytail’s so fresh and pure, just like the girl from You Are the Apple of My Eye ! Just put on some makeup tomorrow, and you’ll outshine her!"
Qian Fei rolled her eyes at the praise.A short while later, she received a text message. The sender introduced himself as Hu Zining, saying he wanted to get to know her and assuring her not to feel pressured—even if the blind date didn’t work out, they could still be friends. Since they were both from out of town, having one more friend in Beijing was always a good thing.
She found the message warm and comforting, and though she hadn’t met this Hu Zining yet, she already felt a faint sense of goodwill toward him.
※※※※※※
The next day, she finally took Sister Jin’s advice and didn’t just slap on some Dabao moisturizer after washing her face. Before leaving work, she borrowed a makeup kit from the secretary Xiao Yuan, washed her face, and started applying foundation.
Xiao Yuan’s cosmetics were all high-end products bought during trips abroad. Slathering these luxurious items on her face, Qian Fei felt it was impossible not to glow.
Looking at her refreshed reflection in the mirror, she suddenly felt uncertain.
Had it really been worth it—skimping on herself for years just to save money? She’d taken her youth for granted, believing she didn’t need makeup to look presentable, and had let Wang Ruohai face her sallow, makeup-free face day after day. After five years, he’d finally had enough.
Had she truly become unbearable without even realizing it?
She quickly shook her head, telling herself not to dwell on the messy past with Wang Ruohai. She needed to pull herself together and embrace a new life.
※※※※※※
By the end of the meal, Qian Fei had formed a favorable impression of Hu Zining. As Sister Jin had said, he was handsome and spirited, with a refined, scholarly air. She had always been drawn to such refined young men—it was the same quality that had made her accept Wang Ruohai’s advances back then. Hu Zining, too, seemed quite pleased with her. Over the course of an hour, they’d hit it off well.
When the bill came, Qian Fei instinctively reached for her wallet, but Hu Zining stopped her.
“How could I let a girl pay?”
Qian Fei froze for a moment.
As he took out his money, Hu Zining added, “Sister Jin mentioned you’re still paying off a mortgage! Save your money—this one’s on me.”
Her heart warmed instantly.
How long had it been since someone had been so considerate toward her?
Hu Zining rented an apartment in Muxidi, not far from the restaurant, so he could walk back. He asked Qian Fei where she lived and if she needed him to escort her home. She quickly declined, “No need! It’s still early—I’ll just take the subway. It’s only half an hour to my place!”
Hu Zining walked her to the subway station instead.
Before parting, he added her on WeChat.
Once on the train, Qian Fei received a voice message from him:
“I had a great time today. Take care on your way back, and let me know when you’re home. Let’s keep in touch!”
She replied with a smiley face and two words: ^_^ Okay.
※※※※※※
The next morning, as soon as Qian Fei arrived at the office, Sister Jin rushed over, her gossip antennae fully extended. “Feifei, how was it yesterday? Did you like the guy?”
Qian Fei nodded. “Not bad. He’s good-looking and seems nice.”
Sister Jin winked. “Want to know what he said about you?”
Qian Fei shook her head. “Nope.” She smirked at Sister Jin. “I’d rather let you burst from curiosity!”Sister Jin gave her a playful shove. "Oh, get out of here! Found a new flame and in a good mood, huh? Now you've got the energy to tease people! Let me tell you, that young man couldn’t stop praising you to my friend last night. He said you were a pure and generous girl, even fought to pay the bill! Not a hint of affectation—after dinner, he didn’t ask for a taxi ride or anything, just took the subway home by himself! He also said you were hilarious—he laughed so hard his stomach almost cramped!"
Qian Fei felt a warm glow inside. It was hard not to feel pleased when someone of the opposite sex praised her like that.
Sister Jin’s tone suddenly shifted. "What are you so smug about, Feifei? Don’t be silly! Listen, your personality has its pros and cons. At first, people might find you easygoing and approachable, but over time, men will start seeing you as one of the guys, not a woman! You need to learn to be gentle, more feminine, understand? To help you get it, here’s an example: if you’re working overtime till 2 a.m., why take a taxi home just to spare the guy? If you’re always worrying about him, who’s gonna worry about you?"
Qian Fei’s head throbbed at the same old lecture.
"Sister Jin, stop! I’m begging you—give me some courage and motivation to start a new life! Enough with the ancient history! I promise I’ll turn myself into a little enchantress from now on, okay?"
Sister Jin poked her forehead with a finger. "Take a page from Xiaoyuan’s book—look how she does her eyebrows and makeup every day. And look at yours! You don’t even pluck them—they’re practically down to your eyelids! That guy actually called you delicate and pretty yesterday. I’m starting to think the lights at Caijingjing must’ve been broken!"
Qian Fei tilted her head and pouted under the prodding. "Sister Jin, you don’t get it! More hair means more sex appeal!"
Sister Jin rolled her eyes. "Instead of growing hair, why not grow some curves? Treat that young man well, and don’t forget to repay your matchmaker when it works out!"
Qian Fei nodded solemnly. "Fine, I’ll waive your red envelope at my wedding!"
※※※※※※
During lunch break, Qian Fei told Yao Jingjing about the blind date.
Yao Jingjing expressed immense praise and approval for her bold move. "That’s my girl, little Feifei! Finally standing up to embrace a new life! Take it slow—no rush to marry. Once I bag that tycoon, I’ll give you a fat red envelope with his money!"
※※※※※※
Qian Fei was in high spirits all day—until she ran into Wang Ruohai while exiting the subway that evening.
She had planned to lower her head and slip past unnoticed, but Wang Ruohai’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Qian Fei!"
She halted and looked up, keeping her tone icy. "What do you want?"
Wang Ruohai pointed to the Fulicheng behind him. "Let’s grab a seat at the Pizza Hut on the first floor."
Qian Fei scoffed. "Is that really necessary?"
Wang Ruohai’s patience wore thin. "Qian Fei, can’t you talk to me properly? After all this time, can’t you fix that habit of snapping at people?"
She sidestepped him. "I don’t snap at others. With you, it’s different!"Wang Ruohai shouted after her, "Let me tell you something, Qian Fei! That pretty boy you met on the blind date is definitely after your apartment. Don't be so naive to think he actually likes you!"
Qian Fei was instantly furious. She turned around and marched back to Wang Ruohai. "Wang Ruohai, are you out of your mind? What, is it so impossible that someone might actually like me? Considering we were together for seven years, even after breaking up, I've never said anything too harsh to you! I hope you can learn to show some basic respect for others—especially your ex-girlfriend!"
Wang Ruohai looked at her and scoffed. "Qian Fei, you think I'm being too harsh? Well, I'm just telling the truth! If that guy is as great as Yao Jingjing claims, why would he even look at you? I came to warn you today out of consideration for our past. I don’t want to see you get hurt! But since you don’t appreciate it, fine—consider me a meddling fool. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you regret it later!"
With that, Wang Ruohai stormed off in a huff.
Qian Fei trembled with rage.
She pulled out her phone and called Yao Jingjing. "Did you tell Wang Ruohai about my blind date?"
Yao Jingjing responded enthusiastically, "Of course I did! How could I pass up such a perfect chance to piss him off? What, did he confront you? See, I told you—men are trash. Even when they’ve moved on to someone new, they can’t stand the thought of their ex moving on too! I made your blind date sound absolutely amazing, enough to crush his ego ten thousand times over. So? Did he turn green with jealousy?"
Qian Fei rubbed her temples. "I’m the one who’s about to explode here! Yao Jingjing, my dear, I’m begging you—please stop provoking Wang Ruohai, okay?"
Yao Jingjing scoffed. "Ungrateful! I was just trying to help you vent! Next time, don’t come crying to me for revenge!" She paused, then added, "Oh, by the way, Feifei, I applied for a business trip. The company’s opening a branch in Dalian, and I need to tag along to strengthen my ties with the big boss."
Qian Fei’s torrent of angry words died in her throat.
"You’re leaving for a while? So I’ll be all alone in Beijing? What am I supposed to do?"
Yao Jingjing said, "I’ll be gone, but my heart’s still with you! Besides, we can always stay in touch by phone."
Qian Fei suddenly felt a pang of loneliness.
Back at home, she looked around the empty apartment and felt utterly desolate.
Her boyfriend was gone, and now her best friend was leaving too.
In this sprawling city where she had no sense of belonging, all she had was this apartment—burdened with a mountain of debt.
The silence in the house was unbearable, so heavy it made her feel weak. She inexplicably felt like crying.
She found herself hoping Gui Lili and Li Yifei would move in soon.
Even if they were just tenants, at least she wouldn’t be alone anymore.
Author’s Note:
Thank you to the three lovely readers for the "landmines" (a form of tipping on Chinese platforms)—your kindness warms my heart!
Xiao Ci threw a landmine at: 2014-02-10 16:21:06
Qian Tang threw a landmine at: 2014-02-11 09:13:42
Gu Xiaozhi threw a landmine at: 2014-02-11 22:21:17Oh my beautiful readers, please shower Ninth Brother with some love!!! Yesterday, before sitting down to write, I couldn't help but refresh the page—no comments! Refreshed again—still no comments! I literally cried! Is anyone even reading this? Half the night passed with barely any comments! I was sobbing and didn't even want to write anymore TT
Ladies, give me some fighting spirit, please!!! Seeing your comments pumps me up like crazy and makes me love writing so much!!! When I refresh and see no comments but still have to keep writing, it's not just emptiness and loneliness—it makes me want to die!!!!
I reply to every single comment, yet you still don't leave any—how could you be so heartless? Covers face and runs away crying
If you don't comment, even the Professor will get mad—he's gonna roast you!!!
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