Chapter 20: The Bet

ᰔ”We both made the right bet, Yu Ran.” ᰔ

Their beginning was quite ordinary, without grand confessions or widely known vows. They simply held hands on a night when the timing was right, in the most comfortable way possible.

The dinner went smoothly, and next, they were heading to watch the movie Shen Suhui had booked earlier.

“I actually don’t come to the cinema often. The last time was in high school.”

“Was it with the four of you?”

“Yeah.”

Shen Suhui smiled. “What did you watch?”

“I don’t remember. It was a Hollywood action movie, and Jiang Shiluo and Lu Yushan were really excited about it.”

“What about you?”

Yu Ran smiled. “I’m fine with anything, as long as it has a good story. I like both action movies and romance films. What about you?”

“Me…” Shen Suhui paused, thinking back to the past before slowly replying, “I almost never come to the cinema.”

“…” Realizing something, Yu Ran closed her mouth and didn’t bring it up.

“As you know, watching movies was a luxury for me back then. I’ve only watched them in class… The English teacher would often play Western movies for us.”

Arriving at the cinema, they picked up their tickets, and Yu Ran bought coffee and popcorn.

“Are there any movies you like to watch?”

Shen Suhui thought for a moment. “I liked all the ones the English teacher played for us. The Shawshank Redemption, Jane Eyre, Coco, Pride and Prejudice.”

Shen Suhui counted them off on her fingers, one by one.

Yu Ran smiled softly, her eyes gentle as she watched her.

“So, which one is your favorite?”

“My favorite is Pride and Prejudice!” Shen Suhui smiled even more brightly as she said this.

“I’ve admired Darcy and Elizabeth’s love since I was little. You know? In the end, one of them lets go of their pride, and the other lets go of their prejudice. Elizabeth says she likes to walk, and then Darcy walks toward her through the morning fog…”

“They’re a perfect match.”

When Shen Suhui was excited, her expression and movements were lively. Yu Ran knew that these contrasting reactions could be a sign of some emotional issues, but she just liked seeing Shen Suhui’s bright, sunny side.

Because it was rare, it made it even more precious.

The movie was about to start, so they entered. Shen Suhui had booked seats toward the back, at a corner, which felt very safe.

“This movie has been pretty popular lately. When I booked, the seats in front were already taken, so…”

Yu Ran raised her index finger and lightly scratched her reddened cheek, smiling as she said, “Let’s go.”

This is a youth romance movie about a secret crush, telling the emotional story between three girls.

The three girls are well-known best friends in high school. Lin secretly loves Shen, but Shen likes Yu. Thus, Lin witnesses Wen and Yu’s relationship, from getting to know each other, falling in love, to staying together. Their friendship could never be equal, and even outsiders could tell that Lin felt like the extra one.

But Lin didn’t mind. She buried all her emotions deep inside and silently stayed by her two best friends’ side.

She secretly loved for a long time, from Shen and Yu’s passionate love to their breakup, and then to Yu falling in love with someone else and getting married. Later, the three of them gathered for dinner, got drunk, and Lin watched as Wen, in her drunken state, embraced Yu and said, “I love you. This is the last time I’ll say I love you.”

At that moment, Lin felt like she was abandoned by the whole world.

The screen showed Lin rushing to buy medicine for Shen after learning she had a fever, only to run into the two of them kissing, marking the night when Shen and Yu confirmed their relationship.

Heavy rain fell at just the right time, expressing Shen’s turbulent love, calling out the name of the girl she liked.

And Lin silently stood in the rain, letting the cold rain soak her body, the sight before her piercing her chest.

—-

The actor’s performance was so good that you could feel Lin’s sadness even from behind the big screen. But acting is just acting, only someone like Shen Suhui, outside of the screen, could truly empathize.

So she cried, tears falling like rain.

Yu Ran had been watching intently in the beginning and felt sorry for the girl named Lin. She thought of Shen Suhui, and just as she turned to look at her, she saw those tears falling like pearls that had broken from their string.

“Shen Suhui.”

Yu Ran extended her hand and caught the falling tears, rubbing her fingers gently along the wet eyelashes.

“Shen Suhui…”

Shen Suhui forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

“…”

How could she be fine? The cinema was dim, and Yu Ran had to get closer to see Shen Suhui’s expression.

The closer she got, the more Shen Suhui’s negative emotions were exposed, looking pitiful, making Yu Ran’s heart ache.

“If you cry again, I’ll kiss you.”

Yu Ran suddenly said this.

At first, Shen Suhui tried to pretend she didn’t hear, but then realized that they were already in a relationship, and a laugh escaped her, the tears still hanging on her lashes, looking very disheveled.

“You’re not allowed to cry? How bad is that?”

“Because I want to kiss you,” Yu Ran raised her chin and pointed to her side. “Look, they can kiss. Why can’t we?”

Shen Suhui turned around and saw a lesbian couple hugging and whispering to each other, lost in their own world.

When their eyes met, Yu Ran had a mischievous smile in her eyes.

“I thought we were rare, but today I see there are quite a lot of us.”

Shen Suhui was confused. “…What do you mean?”

Yu Ran said, “I’m glad.”

“…Glad about what?”

“Everyone is as brave as I am.”

Yu Ran leaned closer to Shen Suhui, whispering, “Actually, I think if Lin were a little braver, maybe her wait wouldn’t have been so long.”

“You say it so easily…” Shen Suhui disagreed with Yu Ran’s words, but she didn’t dare to argue, her voice soft.

“Secret crushes are always cautious, and a lot of it has to do with personality. Lin is the quiet type, only sharing happy things and hiding her worries. She laughs and jokes with friends, but when something serious happens, she goes silent.”

“Her slight introversion means she isn’t brave enough. Rather than disturbing Wen’s world, she prefers this silent protection. Even though she wants to be with Wen, she waits patiently for the right time.”

“What’s the right time?” Yu Ran asked, “What if she never gets it?”

“…”

Shen Suhui took a deep breath and slowly spoke, “Then she will bury that secret and keep it in her heart for the rest of her life.”

Yu Ran looked at Shen Suhui’s serious face, feeling both sorry and heartbroken.

Such waiting was heartbreaking.

The movie finally came to an end, and Lin and Wen finally got together. Although Lin had loved for so long, getting Wen wasn’t as difficult as it seemed.

Perhaps this proved what Yu Ran said, that if Lin had been a little braver, they would have been together long ago.

Even knowing the ending, if it were Shen Suhui, she might still choose not to disturb Yu Ran’s world too soon.

She was a thorough coward.

“Stop thinking about it, okay?” Yu Ran started to act coquettish. “Eat some popcorn, I’ll feed you.”

Shen Suhui opened her mouth to take a bite. “It’s a bit sweet.”

Yu Ran handed her a straw with hot Americano. “Drink some hot coffee.”

“Mhm.”

Yu Ran patted her head. “Let’s go.”

Shen Suhui obediently let Yu Ran hold her hand, not asking where they were going, just silently following behind her, getting in the car.

“It’s almost 10 o’clock, are we going home?”

“No.” Shen Suhui’s answer surprised her. “I still want to drink.”

Yu Ran furrowed her brows. “Huh?”

“Just a little, okay?”

“Okay.” Yu Ran tapped her nose. “But just so you know, only you can drink. I have surgery tomorrow morning, so just a little.”

Shen Suhui nodded obediently. “Mhm.”

“Where are we drinking?”

“Let’s buy some at the convenience store. I’ll drink in the hotel.”

“Okay.”

After buying the drinks, Yu Ran booked a nearby hotel. While waiting in line to pay, Shen Suhui was staring at the contraceptive products on the counter, her cheeks turning red like a burning cloud.

Yu Ran followed her gaze and immediately smiled. She leaned closer to Shen Suhui’s ear and whispered, “We shouldn’t need these, should we?”

The warm breath hit the most sensitive spot, making Shen Suhui feel even more embarrassed.

“Why? Aren’t you a doctor? You should be more sensitive about hygiene,” Shen Suhui murmured, her voice barely audible, but Yu Ran heard her clearly.

“But I’m very innocent in this regard too,” Yu Ran pressed on. “I always feel like you know more about this than I do.”

“…”

“Have you looked into this privately?”

Yu Ran spoke with a smile, her tone relaxed, but Shen Suhui could sense the probing nature of her words.

She lowered her head, speaking carefully, “So… do you want to buy them?”

Yu Ran raised an eyebrow smugly, saying nothing, but she took two boxes of condoms and a bottle of lubricant.

At the hotel, Shen Suhui took a shower first while Yu Ran brought her laptop to work on her PowerPoint presentation. She had been giving lectures frequently these days and planned to finish her PPT while keeping Shen Suhui company for a drink.

The sound of water stopped, and Shen Suhui stepped out from the glass shower door, wearing a silk robe provided by the hotel. Her wet hair stuck to her skin.

Her body was truly stunning, with curves in all the right places. Her face, sweet and innocent, created a stark contrast that was utterly captivating.

“Still working this late?”

“Not much left, the PPT won’t take long.”

Shen Suhui blew her hair dry and sat beside her. Yu Ran opened all the bottles of alcohol and began mixing drinks in a sanitized wine glass.

Soon, she prepared a glass of pale blue sparkling wine.

The faint scent of soda and fruit mixed together, lingering in the air.

“Yu Ran, do you know why I suddenly agreed to you today?”

Yu Ran looked at her and smiled. “Wasn’t it a decision after thinking it over?”

Shen Suhui shook her head. “I didn’t expect to bump into you on the subway. If you hadn’t seen me, I might have continued avoiding you. I wasn’t ready to respond to you yet.”

“Then why did you agree to me all of a sudden?”

Shen Suhui looked at her. “Are you not angry at me for all this?”

Yu Ran just stared at her. “I told you, stop being so careful.”

“…”

“Shen Suhui, why?”

Yu Ran asked again.

Shen Suhui finished her sparkling wine in one gulp, and a faint, dreamy smile appeared on her face.

“I don’t know why, but even though the subway was about to leave when we locked eyes, I was certain you would chase after me and wait for me at the next stop, so I got off at the next stop.”

“So you were betting, right?”

“Mm-hmm. When you found me and grabbed my hand, saying ‘Got you,’ I silently vowed that unless you let go of me, nothing in this life—except for death—would make me let go of you.”

Shen Suhui leaned in and wrapped her arms around Yu Ran’s neck.

“We both bet right, Yu Ran.”