One night in November 2012, Luo Ying sat alone in front of the window.
She supported her forehead with her left hand and opened a novel with her right hand.
The novel is called "Fingersmith" and depicts the love story between a lady and a maid.
When she read about the maid undressing the young lady, she felt as if she were there, and through the flickering candlelight she saw the souls of the two girls gradually approaching.
Then her fingers became numb, and the paper touched by her fingertips was like air. She heard the sound of falling rain, and countless raindrops were like pearls, sprinkled on her heart, and slowly slid along an unknown track.
At this moment, a message popped up on her phone screen: "Senior, I am working on a quantum programming platform. Are you interested in joining our research team?"
Luo Ying said absentmindedly: "Okay."
Lin Zhixia replied immediately: "Thank you, Senior!"
Luo Ying asked her: "How have you been recently?"
"Very good," Lin Zhixia asked, "How about you?"
Luo Ying answered irrelevantly: "I'm reading a novel."
Lin Zhixia was indeed curious: "What type of novel?"
Luo Ying described it vaguely and briefly: "Talking about love."
Lin Zhixia told her: "What a coincidence, I also watched a love movie last night, called "Stealing Hearts"."
Stealing hearts
Whose heart are you stealing
Luo Ying continued to ask: "What is the movie about?"
Lin Zhixia typed out a long paragraph: "The hero's wife is the heroine. The hero fell in love with the second heroine. The second heroine married the second hero. The second hero was interested in the heroine. The heroine cheated on the second heroine during his marriage. In the end, the second heroine reconciled with the second hero. The heroine was forced by the hero to ask whether she had slept with the second hero. The heroine finally realized that the hero did not love her and did not trust her, so she dumped him. How is it? Isn't the ending very interesting?"
Luo Ying only felt that her tone was lively and vivid, and that she softened the emotional entanglements in the movie.
Luo Ying said, "Wow, very interesting."
Whenever Luo Ying and Lin Zhixia chatted, the corners of Luo Ying's mouth would always curl up slightly. She could put down all the work at hand and gain great happiness from the short chat records.
Lin Zhixia is smart and optimistic, lively and cheerful, knowledgeable and talented, and a good listener... Luo Ying can easily list countless advantages, but none of them can explain her strange mentality at the moment.
She asked Lin Zhixia: "Do you believe in love?"
Lin Zhixia quickly replied: "I believe humans have rich emotions."
Luo Ying thought for a moment and slowly typed out a line of words: "You are still very rational."
Lin Zhixia added: "It's not rational. To be honest, love is not that important. It is not a stable and long-lasting state. It will change with time."
The beautiful feelings in Luo Ying's heart disappeared in an instant. She couldn't even tell whether Lin Zhixia did it intentionally or unintentionally.
She picked up the cup, took a sip of hot tea, and said, "Let's talk about your research group."
"Okay, senior!" Lin Zhixia agreed happily.
From that day on, Luo Ying officially joined Lin Zhixia's team - that was the best research team Luo Ying had ever seen. They respected each other, got along well, and even if they had different opinions, they could communicate calmly.
Lin Zhixia is the technical leader of the team, while Jiang Yubai is responsible for coordinating all parties and expanding the size of the team. He is very considerate in dealing with people, has a good temperament and cultivation, and he is probably Lin Zhixia's most capable partner.
Luo Ying was willing to join Lin Zhixia's company not only because she admired Lin Zhixia's abilities, but also because she trusted the entire startup team.
After working in China for a year, Luo Ying has become more and more adapted to her office life and can get pleasure and satisfaction from her work. The only drawback is that her parents often urge her to find a boyfriend.
She is almost thirty years old.
Her parents want to arrange a blind date for her.
Without asking Luo Ying's opinion, her mother gave her WeChat business card to a handsome young man from a wealthy family.
My mother said earnestly, "Aying, take a look at this boy. I have carefully selected him for you. He is a student in the United States. He is 1.85 meters tall and comes from a well-off family. He is five years younger than you. He is a good match for you and you have something in common."
Luo Ying was startled when she heard that.
Because Lin Zhixia is also five years younger than Luo Ying.
That night, the young man sent a WeChat message to Luo Ying: "Sister, are you still awake?"
Luo Ying maintained a polite attitude: "It's almost time to go to bed, good night."
The boy said, "The pinyin for good night is wanan, and the pinyin for the first letters of I love you is also wanan, hehe."
Luo Ying didn't reply.
The young man asked hurriedly: "What are you thinking about, sister?"
Luo Ying replied: "I miss women."
Young man: “What the hell?”
Luo Ying asked back: "Do you understand?"
Young man: "Hey, I can wear women's clothes, sister."
Luo Ying stared at the dark ceiling and suddenly made up her mind. She was almost thirty years old. The ancients often said, "At thirty, one should be able to establish oneself." She should take full control of her life, and no one could control her will. No matter what the consequences were, she was willing to bear them.
After figuring this out, Luo Ying reiterated, "I like girls very much."
The young man said nothing.
Luo Ying straightened out her position: "'Good night' is a polite word, just like 'goodbye'." - The message was not sent because the guy had deleted her.
She was very happy and slept well that night.
The next morning, Luo Ying's house was in an uproar.
It turned out that the young man took a screenshot of the chat history and sent it to Luo Ying's mother.
Mom and Dad questioned Luo Ying as if they were facing a great enemy, asking her what she meant by "I like girls very much"
Luo Ying dressed neatly and sat upright on the sofa in the living room. She answered sincerely and seriously: "You may not be able to accept it. But you are my closest people. If you don't accept me, where can I find recognition? I really like girls, I really like them. I want to find a girlfriend."
Mom was so shocked that she was speechless, while Dad held his forehead with both hands and remained calm for a long time.
Luo Ying remained calm and said, "You always urge me to go on blind dates, which wastes your time and that of those boys."
With the last glimmer of hope, her father asked her, "You don't want to go on a blind date, so make up an excuse? Mom and Dad won't force you..."
"Dad," Luo Ying interrupted him, "Do I look like I'm lying? I'm serious, you can feel it."
Dad was speechless.
Mom patted Dad on the back. She used her other hand to hold Luo Ying's wrist. Although Mom didn't say a word, Luo Ying saw understanding and support in her eyes. At this moment, Luo Ying's eyes were slightly moist. She was very grateful for her mother's understanding. However, her mother did much more for her.
A few days later, her mother told Luo Ying on WeChat: "Mom is looking for a girlfriend for you recently."
Luo Ying: “?”
Mom: "You need a companion, even a female one. Mom agrees."
Luo Ying: "Just let it be. I'm not in a hurry."
"That won't work," said my mother. "If you're late, they'll all be snatched up. You'll be so lonely in the future."
Luo Ying copied and pasted the words Lin Zhixia had sent her before: "Love is not that important. It is not a stable and long-lasting state. It will change with time."
After a long while, my mother finally replied, "Well, just go with the flow."
Luo Ying was lying on the bed, and she casually sent a message to her friends circle, which only contained two words: "Let it be" - she almost never posted to her friends circle, and this was her first update in half a year.
But within a few moments, Meng Liansi asked her via WeChat: "Is being lovers a good fate?"
Luo Ying sat up, half leaning against the head of the bed.
Luo Ying was deeply impressed by Meng Liansi.
Meng Liansi is a young associate professor and Lin Zhixia's colleague. Half a year ago, she added Luo Ying on WeChat and has been chatting with her frequently since then, but their conversations are limited to work.
Now, Meng Liansi suddenly asked such a question, Luo Ying could only follow her meaning and said: "Yes."
Meng Liansi asked again: "Do you want to cultivate good karma?"
She took a lot of detours, but in fact she was asking Luo Ying: "Do you want to fall in love?"
Luo Ying said implicitly: "A little bit."
Meng Liansi asked her to meet on Saturday.
Saturday is tomorrow.
Luo Ying agreed.
Afterwards, Luo Ying refreshed her Moments and saw that Meng Liansi had posted a group of selfies. In the photos, Meng Liansi had black hair, fair skin, red lips and white teeth, and his eyes were staring straight at her. She couldn't help but pause.
Meng Liansi added a line of words: "I just made a date with the person I have a crush on."
Luo Ying slowly hugged the pillow tightly.
The next morning, Luo Ying got up at eight o'clock and put on makeup. She dressed up and arrived at her destination ten minutes early, and Meng Liansi was already there.
Meng Liansi slowly approached Luo Ying and handed her a bunch of beautiful roses. The crimson petals blossomed gorgeously, just like the smile on Meng Liansi's lips.
Luo Ying accepted her flowers and said softly, "What a beautiful bouquet of roses. They smell so good. Thank you."
Meng Liansi smiled. She raised her hand and tucked her long black hair behind her ears. Luo Ying noticed her earrings - a pair of delicate pink cherry blossom earrings.
Luo Ying's gaze stayed for two or three seconds, and Meng Liansi let her hair down. They walked into a coffee shop on the corner and sat in a dimly lit corner.
Luo Ying opened the menu and asked gently, "Teacher Meng, what do you like to eat? Just order whatever you want. I'll treat you."
Meng Liansi said, "Only students call me Teacher Meng. You are not my student."
Luo Ying put the rose on her lap: "What's your nickname?"
Meng Liansi lowered his head and said nothing. Luo Ying guessed, "Sisi?"
Luo Ying's voice was melodious and pleasant, with a rising ending and a hint of smile. She only said "Sisi" once, and then asked Meng Liansi to drink a sip of iced lemonade in order to extinguish the strong flames in her heart.
Luo Ying no longer called her by her nickname.
Meng Liansi used the excuse of going to the bathroom and grabbed her phone. She secretly sent a message to Lin Zhixia: "Teacher Lin, your company is organizing a team building next week. Will your senior sister go?"
Lin Zhixia asked back: "I have many senior sisters, which one are you talking about?"
"The one you know." Meng Liansi said vaguely.
Lin Zhixia encouraged her enthusiastically: "Teacher Meng! Just ask Senior Sister Luo Ying directly! Don't be timid! Go forward boldly! I believe you can do it! You are an important member of our four-school research group! I warmly welcome you and Senior Sister to join our company's team building!"
It was the first time that Meng Liansi saw Lin Zhixia type so many exclamation marks.
She suspected that Lin Zhixia had already seen through everything.
She decided to adopt Lin Zhixia's suggestion.
She washed her hands, sprayed perfume, looked in the mirror, and then returned to Luo Ying.
Luo Ying was stirring a cup of coffee. She held a small silver spoon and paused with her fingertips: "Do you like life in a big city? Like Beijing, New York, etc."
Meng Liansi was a little surprised. She looked at Luo Ying and suddenly said, "I went to New York University with my supervisor to give a presentation. You were studying for your doctorate in New York at that time."
"I see," Luo Ying said with emotion, "I always feel like I've seen you a few years ago."
Meng Liansi changed the subject: "Will you participate in the company's team building next week?"
"Is Teacher Meng busy with work next week?" Luo Ying answered the question irrelevantly.
Meng Liansi took Luo Ying's question as a tactful invitation. She answered quickly without thinking: "I'm not busy. I don't have any classes this semester. I can take a public holiday next week."
As soon as she said this, she realized that she was too hasty.
She gently pushed the vase on the table, and a few crimson artificial flowers blocked her face. Through the gaps between the lush leaves, she and Luo Ying looked at each other for a few seconds, and Luo Ying actually smiled: "Let's go traveling together."
Luo Ying picked a rose and put it on her empty plate.
She said, "Okay." She added, "I know photography, I'll take a picture for you."
Luo Ying praised: "Teacher Meng is really talented."
Her call of "Teacher Meng" sounded more pleasant than "Sisi". Meng Liansi tightened the hem of her skirt with her left hand, took off a cherry blossom earring with her right hand, hung it on the root of the rose on the plate, and returned the rose to Luo Ying.
From that day on, Meng Liansi and Luo Ying chatted for at least two hours every day.
The content of their chat was varied, covering all kinds of fragmented information. Luo Ying found that Meng Liansi was smarter and cuter than she thought.
Luo Ying originally thought that Meng Liansi was a self-disciplined strong woman who was well-organized, but the reality was exactly the opposite of what Luo Ying imagined—Meng Liansi was a homebody and loved to sleep in. She could read a book for a whole day, forgetting to eat, and would lie on the sofa and watch movies when she was tired. Her favorite fruit was oranges, her favorite snack was chocolate, and her favorite movie genre was warm and touching anime like "Zootopia", "Coco", and "Natsume's Book of Friends".
So, the night before the company's team-building event, Luo Ying stuffed two large boxes of chocolates into her suitcase, and this action was noticed by Luo Ying's mother.
Her mother asked her indirectly, "Ah Ying, is there anything wrong? Why didn't you tell me? Tell me and let your father and I be happy. Your father's investment in the first half of this year was very successful. If you find a partner, our family will be even happier."
Luo Ying said, "She and I haven't reached that stage yet."
My mother advised, "I'm telling you, take your time. First give her some chocolates and stuffed toys. After two or three months, give her a cell phone, a necklace, and a diamond ring. Isn't that enough?"
Luo Ying pressed the suitcase with both hands and could almost touch the outline of the chocolate box in the suitcase.
Luo Ying’s mentality is very strange.
She didn't have any thoughts like "I want to fall in love quickly" or "I want to win her over". She just wanted to get to know Meng Liansi better before considering the next step.
The next morning, Luo Ying got up before dawn.
She put on exquisite makeup, wore a dress and windbreaker, put on pearl earrings, and used a little perfume that mixed the scent of kumquat, citrus and lemon - she guessed that Meng Liansi would probably like this scent.
Luo Ying guessed correctly.
On the way to the airport, Meng Liansi and Luo Ying sat in the same row.
When Meng Liansi smelled the fragrance of Luo Ying, she straightened her back. However, no matter how straight Meng Liansi stood, her heart was crooked, how could she hide it
During the two-hour drive from the company to the airport, Meng Liansi was a little nervous at first, but then she gradually relaxed. In addition, she woke up early today and felt sleepy, so she fell asleep unknowingly.
She had a dream.
She dreamed that Luo Ying stroked her hair and wrapped the black hair around her fingertips, forming a ring. She took Luo Ying home, and just as they were about to step into the house, a wine bottle fell from the sky and hit her on the head, causing her to see stars.
Meng Liansi opened his eyes.
The real world remains calm.
Luo Ying is listening to music.
"What are you listening to?" Meng Liansi asked her.
Luo Ying used her left hand to unplug one of the earphones. She put the earphone on Meng Liansi's right ear, her movements were gentle and her attitude was intimate. Meng Liansi could hear soothing piano music. She asked again, "What's the name of the song?"
"To Wild Rose." Luo Ying said to her.
To the Wild Rose—this is the name of the piano piece.
The mid-spring sun was bright and warm. The light shone through the window onto Luo Ying's neck and shoulders. Her skin was a little pale, and the warm light enhanced her beauty, making her look like a beauty from a painting.
Meng Liansi looked at her in a trance. She smiled again, took off the other earphone and gently put it on Meng Liansi's other ear.
This time, her fingertips briefly touched the tip of Meng Liansi's ear.
She seemed to scratch it inadvertently.
Meng Liansi raised her left hand and covered her cheek tightly. She felt itchy and relaxed, as if she had just been tickled by a feather and then fell into a pool of rippling hot spring water. Those complex and unfamiliar feelings intertwined, making her bite her lips involuntarily.
After the tour bus arrived at the airport, everyone got off the bus and boarded a large passenger plane to head directly to the destination, Penglai Mountain, a place renowned for its magnificent landscapes, steep peaks, dense shades covering the sky, and clear lakes. It was truly a beautiful place.
Lin Zhixia and her employees stayed in a local hotel.
The hotel is called "Rose in the Mountain", and the environment is extremely elegant and quiet. There is a circle of beautiful roses around the fountain in the center of the lobby. Meng Liansi bent down to admire the roses, and Luo Ying walked by her, so she said, "The roses are beautiful."
Luo Ying didn't look back.
But she responded: "You too."
What she meant was—you are beautiful too.
Meng Liansi became even more confused.
She watched Luo Ying walk towards Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia talked to Luo Ying for a few words, and a smile appeared in Luo Ying's eyes.
Lin Zhixia also helped Luo Ying get the room card. She handed the room card to Luo Ying in person, and Luo Ying's eyes met hers. She patted Luo Ying's shoulder like a brother. Jiang Yubai suddenly appeared behind Lin Zhixia and took her away without leaving a trace, leaving Luo Ying standing alone.
Luo Ying lowered her head and checked the room card.
Her long wavy hair blocked her face, and Meng Liansi could not see her expression at all.
What is she doing
What is she thinking about
The questions about her were endless, like a group of deadly ants, gnawing at Meng Liansi's good mood - this couldn't go on. Meng Liansi turned his head, changed his perspective, and looked out the window at the blue sky and white clouds.
Another minute later, Luo Ying's voice was close to my ear: "Teacher Meng, you and I live in the same room."
Teacher Meng still sat upright.
Luo Ying continued, "I just asked Lin Zhixia. If you don't want to stay with me, the hotel still has rooms available. Our company has booked the entire hotel."
Meng Liansi stood up, carrying her suitcase, and followed Luo Ying towards their bedroom.
Only after entering the room did Meng Liansi say, "Luo, Luo Ying."
Luo Ying said, "If you call me by my full name, I'll get nervous."
Meng Liansi hurriedly said, "Yingying."
Luo Ying smiled charmingly: "Is your next sentence '嘤嘤嘤'?"
Meng Liansi opened the suitcase and took out a gift box of skin care products. She knew Luo Ying loved roses the most, so she spent more than 2,000 yuan to buy a set of rose essence skin care products in a large shopping mall in the provincial capital. She quietly put the gift box on the sofa without saying a word or making a sound, but Luo Ying looked at her with a slightly surprised look.
Meng Liansi glanced at Luo Ying's half-open suitcase and suddenly noticed a few glass bottles stuffed in the corners of the suitcase - she also recognized the brand, which was completely out of her reach with her spending level.
She realized belatedly that the gift she gave to Luo Ying was inappropriate.
In desperation, she explained: "Don't touch them, I will use them all up."
Luo Ying sighed softly: "I thought this was a gift from you."
Meng Liansi only responded with a smile.
After a while, Luo Ying went to take a shower.
Meng Liansi took out his cell phone and asked Lin Zhixia sincerely: "Teacher Lin, I have a friend who has a stable job and an annual salary of about 400,000 after tax. The girl my friend likes comes from a wealthy family..."
Before Meng Liansi finished speaking, Lin Zhixia began to edit the message: "It's okay, Teacher Meng, don't worry about it. Your friend is not interested in money, but only in people, so ignore the money issue and first improve the relationship between people. Money is secondary, people are primary. Primary problems should be solved first."
After typing this, Lin Zhixia nodded and thought: This only applies to the situation of Luo Ying and Meng Liansi.
She pressed the send button and waited patiently for a reply like the matchmaker in The West Chamber.
She waited for a long time, but Meng Liansi didn't say anything.
What's going on
Is Teacher Meng still shy
Lin Zhixia was lying on the bed, flipping through her phone, while Jiang Yubai was diligently packing his luggage. His hard work attracted Lin Zhixia's attention, so she slapped the bed hard, trying to make him turn around and look at her.
Jiang Yubai not only didn't look back, but also walked backwards a few steps, bumped into the edge of the bed, and fell onto the soft big bed.
Lin Zhixia laughed out loud. She couldn't wait to open her arms to pounce on him, but he easily avoided her. They played a game of cat and mouse on the spacious bed, with Lin Zhixia playing the role of "cat".
Lin Zhixia's physical strength is not as good as Jiang Yubai's, so chasing him is not a solution. In order to catch Jiang Yubai as soon as possible, Lin Zhixia picked up the soft quilt and covered Jiang Yubai like a net. However, Jiang Yubai came over under the quilt, and the roles of the "cat and mouse game" were instantly reversed. Lin Zhixia lifted the quilt and wanted to escape, but it was too late. She could only say: "You broke the rules. You didn't run away when you saw me."
Jiang Yubai clasped his hands around her waist, smiled and kissed her, "We just started playing, and we haven't set the rules yet. How can you say I broke the rules?"
Jiang Yubai's words made sense. And Lin Zhixia has always been a reasonable person. She said, "Then I will make the rules of the game now."
Jiang Yubai looked straight at her. She moved towards the head of the bed, but he sat still, responding to all changes with his unchanging attitude.
Lin Zhixia glanced at the ceiling. There was a rose-shaped chandelier hanging in the bedroom. She said casually, "I remembered an ancient European poem from seven hundred years ago."
Before Lin Zhixia announced the rules of the game, she turned the topic to an ancient poem written seven hundred years ago. Fortunately, Jiang Yubai was already accustomed to her imaginative way of thinking.
Jiang Yubai took off his coat and reached out to grab her. Following her line of sight, he saw a rose chandelier. He recited a line from Shakespeare's sonnet with understanding: "For natural beauties we ask for prosperity, so that the rose of beauty will never wither..."
When he said "natural beauty", his hand slipped into her collar.
Lin Zhixia paused for a moment. She held his wrist.
Jiang Yubai was still determined to do it. He whispered in her ear, "Teacher Lin."
Lin Zhixia calmly concluded: "You often use this kind of voice to bait me."
Jiang Yubai bit her earlobe and said, "I was on a business trip last week and I didn't see you for six days." His words implied that the relationship between husband and wife needed to be repaired. His right hand became the hand of a repairman, groping her back through her clothes.
It didn't take him long, Lin Zhixia was about to take the bait, but he asked at this time: "Which poem did you think of just now?"
Lin Zhixia told the truth: "It's an English poem, and its Chinese name is 'All Night By The Rose'."
She recited the poem in full: “All night by the rose, all night I lay by the rose, I dared not steal the rose, but I plucked this flower[1].”
After saying that, she leaned close to Jiang Yubai's ear and said, "I remembered a word: deflower."
Generally speaking, the prefix "de" in English words can mean "delete, deny, take away, leave", etc. "flower" means flower, while "deflower" can imply "defile".
The word "deflower" led Jiang Yubai astray. He looked at Lin Zhixia with a very complicated look, and Lin Zhixia immediately shook open the quilt, covered him, and said: "You have to appreciate the poem from a literary perspective."
Jiang Yubai said in his quilt: "I just want to pick a flower, Teacher Lin."
Lin Zhixia quickly put herself into the role: "No, you are not learning well by doing this."
Jiang Yubai lifted the quilt in a casual manner: "No matter how well you study, there will be no reward."
Lin Zhixia stood up slightly and kissed the corner of his lips. He held her waist and fell on the bed. The phone beside the pillow slipped off. Lin Zhixia heard the phone fall on the soft carpet with a soft "dong" sound.
At the same time, Luo Ying and Meng Liansi went out together.
They were wearing dresses of similar colors and walking on the green mountain road.
The mountain road was winding and rugged, and Meng Liansi was carrying a SLR camera. She raised the camera and took pictures everywhere, and Luo Ying appeared in the camera from time to time. Luo Ying in the camera was even more beautiful in the interweaving light and shadow, and Meng Liansi was almost stunned.
"Be careful," Luo Ying reminded her, "the stairs are steep."
Meng Liansi hurriedly said, "Okay, you should be careful too."
She inadvertently stretched out her hand and Luo Ying supported her.
She never let go.
They walked halfway up the mountain and saw a small market.
The thin white mist had not yet dissipated, and the wind rustled the leaves. Meng Liansi felt as if she was in a fairyland. The market in front of her was also arranged by the fairies in heaven to make tourists forget all the troubles in life - Meng Liansi almost forgot the paper she published last week.
Luo Ying pulled Meng Liansi to sit down in front of a wonton stall.
The stall owner was an old lady in her seventies with gray hair and kind eyes. Although she looked a little old, she worked very quickly. After a while, she brought two bowls of steaming wontons to Luo Ying and Meng Liansi's table.
Luo Ying broke open the bamboo chopsticks and took a sip of the wontons. It had been a long time since she had such a good appetite. The wontons were stuffed with pork, and the soup was filled with seaweed, bean sprouts and dried shrimps, giving off a fresh aroma.
Luo Ying picked up a wonton and took a bite. Her tongue was almost numbed by the burning. Her eyes were filled with tears. Meng Liansi immediately handed her a bottle of mineral water and said, "Spit out the wonton and drink the water."
Luo Ying took a few minutes to calm down, drank half a bottle of mineral water, and then said self-deprecatingly: "I can't even eat."
"I brought some vitamin E," Meng Liansi said, still concerned about her injury. "Take some vitamin E these few days, and your tongue will heal faster."
The breeze in the forest was refreshing, and the hot soup was cooled down. Luo Ying lowered her head and continued to eat wontons, saying, "I brought some chocolate for you."
Meng Liansi put down his chopsticks and asked: "Specially for me?"
"Yes," Luo Ying said, "Red wine sandwich, your favorite."
The wonton that Meng Liansi had picked up halfway fell back into the bowl.
An old man with a cane walked along the boulevard. He was wearing a straw hat, a loose sweatshirt and long pants, and a plastic lunch box in his hand. He handed the lunch box to the stall owner, and then helped the old lady, who picked up a handkerchief to wipe his sweat - the two were obviously a couple.
Meng Liansi looked at him for a while, then asked absentmindedly, "Did you have anyone you liked before?"
Luo Ying took a sip of soup and said, "Yes."
Meng Liansi felt a little sad and couldn't help asking, "Who is it?"
Luo Ying asked her back: "Have you ever had someone you liked?"
Meng Liansi is not as frank as Luo Ying.
She changed her hand to hold the chopsticks, and Luo Ying realized that she could use both hands flexibly. She was neither left-handed nor right-handed.
Luo Ying was about to express her admiration when she said, "I also liked a girl..."
She emphasized the word "female" and looked up at Luo Ying. If Luo Ying's expression was wrong, it would mean that she had misunderstood her all along. Luo Ying just wanted to treat her as an ordinary same-sex friend - this assumption made her nervous, so she looked up very quickly. Fortunately, Luo Ying's expression was not strange at all. She still looked at Meng Liansi intently.
Meng Liansi then continued, "I was a freshman at the time and joined a school club. I worked with a roommate until the early morning. She finished her coffee and drank beer, kissed me twice, and asked me to be her girlfriend."
"Did you do it?" Luo Ying asked.
Meng Liansi suddenly laughed: "When I went home on the weekend, I told my parents that I wanted to be a girl's girlfriend..."
Luo Ying used her own family's example as a reference and speculated: "Did your parents agree?"
Meng Liansi's tone was still very gentle: "My father kicked me and said that I was abnormal and that I had tarnished the whole family and brought shame to the whole family. The female classmate also told me that she was joking and I scared her by taking it seriously."
Luo Ying let out a long sigh.
Meng Liansi ate another wonton. "Later, I studied for a master's degree and a doctorate, published papers, and applied for patents. I am not very sociable and always stay at home. My parents arranged blind dates for me, but I had no impulse at all. What could a blind date show you? I always told the blind date that my family was in debt and that my job was not a formal position. If I repeated the lie a few times, no one would want to meet me anymore."
Luo Ying tried to liven up the atmosphere: "You're quite clever."
Meng Liansi smiled and asked, "How was your first relationship?"
Luo Ying thought for a moment and then confessed: "I've never been in a relationship. I just had a crush on someone."
Meng Liansi didn't expect that a girl like Luo Ying had also suffered from secret love - it was very likely that she fell in love with a straight girl.
As expected, Luo Ying briefly described: "My former crush was a very pretty and lovely girl. Her boyfriend was also very good, and the two of us were a good match. Later, I let it go."
Meng Liansi said: "I am a little envious."
"Hmm?" Luo Ying looked up.
Meng Liansi changed his words: "The wontons are really delicious."
Luo Ying lowered her head again.
On this day, Luo Ying still remembered the words of her family members who scolded her, as told by Meng Liansi: "You are abnormal. You have tarnished the whole family and brought shame to the whole family."
Meng Liansi and Luo Ying are close in age. Their parents were born in the 1950s and 1960s, and their ideas are conservative and their style is old-fashioned, which is understandable.
However, parents' merciless denigration and scolding will always hurt their children's hearts. It is hard to understand why parents, knowing this, wantonly humiliate their children.
The company’s team-building activities lasted for four days.
During these four days, Luo Ying and Meng Liansi were inseparable and got along very well.
Meng Liansi took a lot of photos. After returning to the provincial capital, she developed some of the photos, put them one by one into a beautiful album, and then gave the album to Luo Ying as a gift.
When Luo Ying received the photo album, she seemed to be able to glimpse her delicate and rich emotions from the photos.
As spring turned to summer and the temperature gradually rose, Luo Ying and Meng Liansi met more and more frequently and got along more and more harmoniously.
After dating for half a year, Luo Ying bought a house near the university town. She and Meng Liansi moved into their new home and raised two cats together. However, they both kept a low profile, and almost no one knew their true relationship except their relatives and friends.
Luo Ying's parents had already accepted Meng Liansi and treated her as another daughter.
Meng Liansi's family situation is more difficult. Her parents, especially her father, have very traditional ideas. When he heard that Meng Liansi was dating a girl, he was furious and unilaterally cut off his contact with Meng Liansi. He did not answer his daughter's phone calls or reply to her messages. He only said: "When you get back on track, I will have a good talk with you. Aren't you afraid that your colleagues and students will find out? You are a teacher! What will people say about you behind your back! Everyone will poke your spine to death!"
In short, my father described the consequences as very serious.
Luo Ying wanted to go back to Meng's house with Meng Liansi, but Meng Liansi refused to agree no matter what.
Meng Liansi was afraid that the elders would say something unpleasant and it would leave a shadow on Luo Ying.
Luo Ying did not insist. She and Meng Liansi sat side by side on the balcony bench, watching the sunset. The two cats at home lay on their legs. When the sunset filled the sky, Luo Ying picked up her teacup and clinked glasses with Meng Liansi.
"My father..." Meng Liansi hesitated to speak.
"It's okay," Luo Ying said, "When your dad thinks it through and is willing to talk to us, we'll have a good talk with him."
Meng Liansi took a sip of rose tea, and the aroma of the tea was refreshing. She also relaxed, looking at the distant view and said: "I am living a good life now, the kind of good I dare not imagine before. It doesn't matter if my father can't figure it out, I have made up my mind a long time ago..."
Luo Ying grabbed the back of her hand, and they looked at each other in the afterglow of the setting sun. There was no need for extra words. They interlocked their fingers and smiled at each other in tacit understanding.
Luo Ying recalled that Meng Liansi's father said his daughter had "tarnished" the family's reputation.
The word "tainted" is too strong. Her heart is pure and innocent, and so is her love. Even if past experiences have left a tiny shadow in her heart, there is also a rose in full bloom in that shadow.
The author has something to say: [1] Excerpted from the Rawlinson Codex (Bodleian Library Rawlinson D.913, Fol.1v)
———
Before the next chapter is updated, all comments with more than 15 words and 2 points will receive red envelopes. Thank you for reading!