Chapters 34 – Let’s Go on a Date (Part 1)

While packing her things, Xu Shiqi came across the jewelry box that Wen Jialuo had given her.

Inside was the pearl necklace. Wen Jialuo had placed it there, and unexpectedly, she had arranged the chain into a heart shape. However, once Xu Shiqi touched it, the shape was lost. This necklace had been a cherished item of hers for several years. She had originally intended to return it to Wen Jialuo but remembered that the girl had once mentioned wanting something similar. At the time, she had been too lost in her own thoughts to take it seriously.

She probably couldn’t have imagined the current situation back then. Xu Shiqi’s feelings were still complicated, but amidst those tangled emotions, some things gradually became clearer.

As she left the house, Wen Baohua insisted on seeing her off, while Wen Jialuo was already waiting for her in the car.

“Make sure you get my classmate home safely,” Wen Baohua reminded her cousin.

“Stop nagging!” Wen Jialuo shot her an impatient look before turning her head, suddenly displaying a playful expression, “Buckle up.”

Xu Shiqi avoided her classmate’s gaze, simply waving goodbye and telling Wen Jialuo, “Just take me home.”

Once the car pulled away, Wen Jialuo slowly said, “I won’t take you anywhere else.”

“Like you’ve never taken me elsewhere before,” Xu Shiqi shot back, giving her a pointed look.

Wen Jialuo didn’t respond, driving for a while before suddenly stopping.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Shiqi looked at her and then out the window.

“Last time I asked you to get in the car, you wouldn’t,” Wen Jialuo turned to her, staring blankly out the window as she quietly said, “You have no idea how heartbroken I was.”

Xu Shiqi was momentarily lost in thought. That day, one was in the car and the other on the roadside, not far apart but with entirely different feelings. All the past struggles felt like a vast chasm, and the girl’s gaze had captured them all.

“Actually, back then, you already knew we were the same kind of people, didn’t you?” Wen Jialuo continued, “But you were just pretending not to know.”

“How did you feel when you guessed I was like you?”

Xu Shiqi looked at Wen Jialuo, her eyes still complex: “…I don’t know.”

“Same here. When I first realized, my mind went blank for a moment.” Wen Jialuo smiled softly. “I initially had only a bit of interest in you, but after finding out you were like me, I kept wondering how you lived your life. I had never interacted with anyone else like us, so I was curious. I thought I could keep that little interest under control, so I ignored it, but it unexpectedly grew and became impossible to ignore.” She reached out and embraced Xu Shiqi, whispering in her ear, “Later on, I felt lucky you were, because that meant we could close the distance between us, and maybe I wouldn’t have to endure so much suffering. But I also felt that if you weren’t, I might have given up long ago. I thought I had self-control, so I wouldn’t feel so insecure and restless.”

“How contradictory,” Xu Shiqi chuckled softly. “We’re just struggling to overcome our own barriers.” It seemed that their feelings of interest in each other led them down the same path, yet they experienced it in completely different ways.

Wen Jialuo pulled back a bit, creating some distance between them, and gazed deeply into Xu Shiqi’s eyes: “Have we crossed over now?”

“The bridge is narrow, and the water flows rapidly beneath it.” Xu Shiqi smiled, “It’s not easy to cross, so you have to hold on tight to me.”

With that, Wen Jialuo tightly grasped her hand and leaned in.

The physical response was indeed more straightforward than thoughts. After a few kisses, they quickly developed an unspoken understanding. Their lips met in the air, briefly pulling back before entangling again. It felt like they were instinctively familiarizing themselves with each other’s unique scent, much like animals.

Perhaps this instinct was too openly displayed. Although they were in the car, there were still people passing by. Xu Shiqi began to retreat gradually, finally resting her hands on the girl’s shoulders. At that moment, her lips were rosy, and although her words were calm, the slightly hoarse yet gentle tone offered some comfort: “Alright… let’s drive.”

Wen Jialuo didn’t say a word, but she continued to hold Xu Shiqi’s hand tightly. Sometimes, when the feelings surged too fiercely, any self-control felt like self-deception. Yet this woman in front of her had been so difficult to connect with; she didn’t want her impulsiveness to scare her away. Furthermore, just sitting together quietly was already a source of comfort and even a pleasure. Physical intimacy was fleeting, and one couldn’t remain entangled without action for a lifetime.

Initially, she thought simply holding hands would be enough, but it seemed there was more to it than that. Humans are indeed greedy; the more one gains, the emptier one feels inside, and the completeness remained elusive.

But right now, this was good enough.

After sitting quietly for a while, Wen Jialuo started the car and drove Xu Shiqi home.

This time, she didn’t ask but followed her upstairs directly.

When Xu Shiqi opened the door and brought her bag into the room, she had a sense that Wen Jialuo was watching her from the doorway. The last time she hadn’t allowed her in wasn’t because there was something secretive inside; it was merely a reminder not to let the girl delve too deeply into her world.

Now, that reminder felt unnecessary. She took a deep breath, opened the door, smiled, and stood to the side, only to see the girl’s eyes light up before she rushed inside.

The room was actually quite simple. A bed, a built-in bookshelf, and a wardrobe were the main pieces of furniture. The rest could only be described as clean and tidy.

Xu Shiqi had always lived in the old house, but Wen Jialuo noticed that the bedding on her bed was complete and neatly folded, even the small checkered blanket on the edge of the bed was laid out properly, as if waiting for its owner to sit down at any moment.

“When I’m not home, my mom doesn’t let a speck of dust settle in this room,” Xu Shiqi said as she opened the wardrobe to put away her clothes.

On the windowsill, there were a few small pots containing cacti. Wen Jialuo pressed her fingertip against one; the spines were still quite hard. Although this plant probably didn’t need delicate care, the fact that not even a hint of dirt could be found on the pots made her feel a vague mixture of sweetness and bitterness. She had always had people around her, essentially never needing to lift a finger. However, those were hired hands, and their work was merely a job, not born from genuine affection. Yet seeing Xu Shiqi’s bright and clean room, she could truly understand the struggle and pain the other felt regarding their closeness.

Wen Jialuo realized she was clear about the suffering of being away from her parents. Deep down, she understood that nobody could hurt those who wholeheartedly cared for them, yet she knew that she wouldn’t let go despite the pain.

After Xu Shiqi put her things away, she turned and saw Wen Jialuo sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down in silence, even her hair seemed a bit disheveled. Xu Shiqi smiled and walked over to crouch in front of the girl, tilting her head and asking, “You still have a few days before you leave, right?”

Wen Jialuo looked up.

“Is there anything urgent you need to do before you leave?” Xu Shiqi hesitated for a moment. “I want to…”

“Nothing,” Wen Jialuo said quickly, the gray in her eyes fading. “I’m very free, totally free.”

Xu Shiqi raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile dancing at the corner of her lips: “Then… let’s go have some fun for a couple of days.”

Wen Jialuo held her breath, then laughed: “Alright, let’s go on a date. These next few days are all yours.”

It seemed like just yesterday the girl was still somewhat cold and reticent, but after being honest with herself, she transformed into someone who could speak freely. Meanwhile, Xu Shiqi found herself enjoying those conversations without even realizing it. With her heart no longer guarded, she became softer. When she first clearly understood the girl’s feelings for her, she had already shed tears and experienced pain. Now, she didn’t want to repeat those moments right as she began to dare to love. Having made a decision, she felt she should try to move forward. She had that determination.

Xu Shiqi took the initiative to suggest they go out for fun, which greatly encouraged Wen Jialuo. She excitedly started exploring the books of the room’s owner. To her surprise, this woman had kept many of her textbooks from childhood to adulthood. The neat handwriting had changed over the years, finally settling into a slightly flowing style.

“Seventeen?” Wen Jialuo suddenly spotted a name on the cover of a book, widening her eyes. “What name do you actually go by?”

“Didn’t you notice?” Xu Shiqi laughed. “Your cousins have always called me ‘Seventeen.’ I’ve gotten used to it.”

Wen Jialuo was speechless. She looked at Xu Shiqi and tentatively called out, “Seventeen?”

Xu Shiqi pulled the book from her hands. “It’s actually the same sound; there’s no difference.”

“Seventeen,” Wen Jialuo gestured in the air, “is probably… about this wide?”

Xu Shiqi stepped closer, standing opposite her, feeling the other’s breath, and could vaguely see herself reflected in her eyes. “It’s probably… the distance between us right now.”

Wen Jialuo dropped her hands. Xu Shiqi stood firmly in front of her, not too close, not too far, just like all the distances they had before. She really didn’t like this distance. With one swift motion, Wen Jialuo pulled Xu Shiqi close, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “That distance is too wide…”

Xu Shiqi wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling the thinness beneath the fluffy down jacket, as if it would break with just a pinch. It made her heart ache. She gently stroked the smooth fabric of the jacket, as if touching the girl’s delicate back, and immediately felt Wen Jialuo hold her tighter.

The winter clothes prevented them from being truly close. Xu Shiqi gently patted her and then released her hold. “Let’s discuss where to go these two days.”

Since their time was short, they both instinctively avoided the city, wanting to quietly share these two days together.

After a moment of thought, Wen Jialuo tossed down her pen and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I almost forgot, there’s a small villa on a mountain forty kilometers from the city, specifically for entertaining distinguished guests. It has hot springs and two equally sized hot pools. We used to go there a couple of years ago, but it felt too small, so we switched to another place. Let me call and see what the situation is with that villa now.”

Just the mention of a mountain and hot springs was enough to excite Xu Shiqi, and she couldn’t help but perk up. But when she heard Wen Jialuo call the other person “Secretary Nie” and mention “Dad,” she couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

The Wen family had always treated her well. Starting from Baohua, she hadn’t really seen them as people from a different world, which made her forget that the girl’s family background was quite extraordinary. She knew who Wen Jialuo’s father was; she occasionally saw him on TV, going somewhere for inspections or presiding over major meetings. She thought their relationship was simply straightforward, so she hadn’t paid much attention.

But now, the threads of fate had intertwined, and even if she hadn’t taken action, the girl would still create knots between them that couldn’t be undone. Xu Shiqi watched Wen Jialuo speaking calmly with the secretary, finally seeing a glimpse of a wealthy family child, which made her heart feel a chill, as the future suddenly became shrouded in an overwhelming fog.

After Wen Jialuo hung up, she saw Xu Shiqi hugging her arms, her lips slightly pale, and reached out to hold her, complaining, “Why is there no air conditioning? Are you cold?”

“Your family is powerful and influential, so of course, everything is well-equipped,” Xu Shiqi replied, biting her lower lip, unsure of what else to say.

Wen Jialuo squinted at her. “What’s wrong?”

Xu Shiqi shook her head, forcing a smile. “Like you, I’m feeling uncertain.”

“Silly.” Wen Jialuo leaned in to kiss her lips and then embraced her. “Tomorrow we’re going to the villa. You should pack tonight and prepare thicker clothes; it’ll probably be colder up there.”

“Got it.” Xu Shiqi rested against the soft down jacket, not thinking about anything for a moment.

Wen Jialuo held her, her eyes dimming with a dark light. She turned to look out the window, thinking about what was said on the phone.

“You and your dad really understand each other. He’s been too busy lately with meetings, so he just went up to the mountain for a night to rest. Coincidentally, someone will go up today to tidy things up. I told them to replace everything and have someone guard down at the mountain. You and your friend can enjoy yourselves without anyone bothering you.”

Even when home, he wouldn’t stay to visit. Was he really that busy? Wen Jialuo sighed. The call was made to her dad’s secretary, and if that was the case, her dad would probably find out soon that she had taken someone up the mountain to soak in the hot springs. She wondered if he would be interested to know who her companion was. Remembering how her dad had calmly once said he would support her for a lifetime, she realized he was indeed a man of his word. His way of showing affection was allowing her to live life on her own terms. Although they didn’t spend much time together, their father-daughter bond remained very close, albeit expressed somewhat more subtly due to their personalities.

When she first considered what her love life would look like, she had thought about whether her sexual orientation would affect his career. In the darkness of love, it was hard to endure, and once exposed to the sunlight, she couldn’t predict the consequences. At that time, she had nothing but fears, amplifying and complicating everything, which led to her retreat. Her sacrifices for her family had led her to deep self-pity, and not forcing her family to think about her future made her resolve to ensure they wouldn’t be hurt by her orientation.

But all of this was before she met Xu Shiqi.

And Wen Jialuo felt fortunate that before meeting Xu Shiqi, she had already found her way out of the confusion and ignorance and knew what she truly wanted.