TBTTSP - Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Shang Yi Has a Story (14)
Xu Ancheng called, saying they should have dinner together that evening.
Shang Yi changed her clothes and headed out. While stuck in traffic on the overpass, the Old Girl called to say that Xu Wanqing was gone.
Gone?
How big was Xu Wanqing's world? The residential complex, at most.
The Old Girl wasn't the type to get worked up over nothing. For her to call at such a critical moment, right before Shang Yi's dinner with the Big Boss, she must have already searched and found nothing.
"Try to check the security footage, see if she went out."
"I already checked. She left through the north gate of the complex at 2:15 PM. She wasn't carrying anything. Then she crossed the road. It was hot, so there weren't many people around. A bunch of buses pulled up to the stop on the other side, and then Xu Wanqing just… vanished."
Xu Wanqing had actually managed to get on a bus!
It was impressive that she could still remember that skill after five hundred years!
Besides, Lotus County only had twelve bus routes in total, so it was impossible to get lost. But this was Beijing. Xu Wanqing couldn't have just hopped on the first bus she saw, could she? Where would she have gotten the cash!
Shang Yi didn't think Xu Wanqing was some kind of prodigy who had learned mobile payments and opened her own account… All expenses related to Xu Wanqing were handled through an account Shang Yi had opened in Ugly Boy's name, and Xu Wanqing had never withdrawn even a hundred yuan…
And besides, you need a destination to take a bus, right? When had Xu Wanqing ever mentioned wanting to go anywhere?
"Sister, I'll definitely find her! Don't worry!"
On the other end, the Old Girl sounded like a panicked eunuch, her voice cracking on the verge of tears.
"Hey, don't worry, don't worry. Take your time looking. She's a living person, she can't have just vanished into thin air. I'll go deal with this dinner first, then I'll contact you."
The traffic started to inch forward. Shang Yi tossed her phone aside and continued driving.
She hadn't been in contact with Xu Wanqing since their unpleasant parting. Xu Wanqing herself was very well-behaved and didn't wander around, and after the lesson from Xu Min, she wouldn't contact any strangers. Both Shang Yi and the Old Girl had let their guard down.
She couldn't have run away from home just because she was angry with her, could she?
But was there a delay on running away from home?
Perhaps Xu Wanqing, with nothing to do all day but write, read, and study modern life, had just sat there fuming, getting angrier and angrier the more she thought about it, and then just left.
Was she, Shang Yi, really that detestable? The ancient woman had poured her heart out, speaking with bold and reckless abandon, scaring Shang Yi into a confession of her own. The general idea had been: just stay here and behave, don't get any funny ideas, it's impossible between us… Were the words she'd said that day really so scummy?
Being confessed to by an ancient woman was lame enough, and now she was getting the cold shoulder. The ancient woman had just up and run away from home without a sound.
Shang Yi was so angry she nearly rammed her car into the rear end of the one in front of her.
Unbelievable.
Xu Ancheng was standing with his daughter. His daughter was toweringly tall; if she and Shang Yi were in a photo together, you'd have to crop Xu Min's head off and put it in the corner with a note labeling it.
They couldn't even fit in the same picture, let alone share a meal.
The Big Boss, unaware of his daughter's malicious intent or Shang Yi's ulterior motives, greeted her with a cheerful smile. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, took her hand warmly, and said, quite formally, "Minmin, you've met your Auntie Shang before. Don't be a stranger. Let's have a nice family meal."
Family… Shang Yi studied Xu Min. Xu Min might not have reacted, but Shang Yi's skin was crawling. She went over and gave Xu Min a brief hug. "You've gotten so tall."
"…Thank you…" Xu Min's expression was neutral. She stooped to return the hug. "Auntie Shang…"
At her age, being called "Auntie" was actually something to be happy about. Shang Yi smiled, then leaned on the Big Boss's shoulder and whispered coquettishly, "You didn't tell me you invited her, too."
"We'd have to eat together sooner or later."
"I never said I'd marry you. Your Minmin is not happy at all!" She whispered in his ear, her eyes glancing toward Xu Min. Xu Min, wearing a small, wine-red cocktail dress, was looking down at her phone as if she hadn't heard a thing.
The Big Boss chuckled. "She's just stubborn. Don't pay her any mind."
Good. For now, Xu Ancheng was still on her side. Shang Yi sat down, relieved.
Observing both Xu Ancheng and his daughter, Shang Yi figured Xu Min probably hadn't said anything. But even if she had, it wouldn't have mattered much.
Halfway through the meal, Xu Ancheng suddenly asked, "You went to Pingdu a while ago. I heard you were planning to adopt a child?"
At the time, she'd thought Xu Ancheng was in a coma and about to kick the bucket, so she hadn't been very guarded. It was no surprise the news had leaked. There was no such thing as a wall that didn't leak.
"Not exactly. It's just some charity work. There was a fatality on a project over there, and a left-behind child was orphaned. She seemed so pitiful, so I kept her with me."
Lies were only plausible when mixed with the truth. And she was telling the truth, just omitting the deeper connection between herself and Zhang Xu. Phrased this way, there were no loopholes.
"You want your own…"
"I'd be having a geriatric pregnancy if I had one now. No more kids for me." Shang Yi smiled and wiped her mouth. "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"Minmin mentioned it. I was wondering what there was to do in a poor, remote place like Pingdu."
"Just visiting the grassroots," Shang Yi said with a smile, her eyes flicking to Xu Min. Xu Min said nothing, just smiled along with her.
The news that Xu Min was flying to Pingdu that night arrived at the same time as the news that the Old Girl still hadn't found Xu Wanqing. She asked if she should file a missing person's report.
"No. Her identity is sensitive. It'll attract too much attention. She came out of a tomb, remember?"
"Then how are we supposed to find her if we can't attract attention!"
Shang Yi propped her head in her hand, feeling a splitting headache coming on. First, she made a call to try and slow Xu Min's progress, to keep her from finding Zhang Xu right away. But Pingdu was too close; the attempt failed. A moment later, a text from Zhang Xu came in.
Who is Xu Min?
Xu Min was useless at many things, but her ability to find and pester people was second to none. She had found Zhang Xu so quickly. Hopefully, Zhang Xu wouldn't be a blabbermouth and spill everything.
My enemy.
She replied curtly.
There was no time to deal with Xu Min. The two words "my enemy" encapsulated all her feelings. Even if Zhang Xu spouted some nonsense, Shang Yi was already prepared to pin a diagnosis of mental instability on the girl to clear her own name. But she couldn't shake off Xu Wanqing.
She was the one who had dragged this ancient woman out of a tomb. She was the one who had hidden Xu Wanqing in her own home to avoid a world-shaking scandal. She was the one who had arranged for the undocumented Xu Wanqing to get an ID card.
There was no way to extricate herself from any part of it.
Because Xu Min was watching, Shang Yi was very cautious during the first half of the night and didn't dare pull any strings. But in the latter half, she realized that if she waited any longer, she might never find her.
Ugly Boy was on the phone. "Yes, Director Zhou, it's me. Yes, that's right. My girlfriend is missing, and I'm worried something might have happened to her. Could you please help me look for her…"
Pretending Xu Wanqing was Ugly Boy's girlfriend was a temporary cover.
After all, it was a personal matter, and it was the middle of the night. By four in the morning, they still had nothing.
In the empty room, only Shang Yi was awake, the TV listlessly playing a late-night crime show. An actress was portraying a missing woman whose body was later found by a river, raped and then murdered.
The news anchor's voice rose and fell with dramatic cadence. Slumped on the sofa, Shang Yi suddenly felt a profound fear.
She dialed Zhang Xu's number.
At this hour, the sixteen-year-old Xu Wanqing should have already soul-transmigrated into Zhang Xu's body.
"Hm? You're Li Zhaodi? Is Zhang Xu there? Good, let's talk alone for a bit."
A sleepy, sluggish breath came from the other end, sounding utterly exhausted.
"Xu Wanqing!"
"Younger Sister… Shang…?" How could the sixteen-year-old Xu Wanqing know what was happening? She sounded dazed and obedient, but her voice was extremely weary, as if every word was an effort.
"I know this is going to sound completely random, and it feels a bit like cheating…"
Shang Yi held the phone to her ear, her fingers trembling so much she could barely hold on. She suppressed the empty, adrift sense of helplessness, held back the powerless tears, and forced herself to be calm.
"Listen to me. In the future, maybe many, many years from now, you might meet me again. I might say some stupid things, but, but, you must remember, don't leave me!"
The person on the other end couldn't possibly understand her current terror.
She knew she was pathetic. She liked someone, she'd said it, but she couldn't accept it. What kind of person two-times someone? She, Shang Yi, was just a cheap person. Any affection she wanted had to be exchanged for many other things. How could she possibly accept the affection Xu Wanqing gave her for free? She would only tarnish it.
She liked exchanges that reeked of money, where everyone knew what the other wanted. They hunted each other, love and desire were clearly delineated, and the price was calculated by the hour.
But Xu Wanqing was just so baffling. She offered her love but asked for nothing in return. It felt like someone had randomly invested five hundred million in her but wouldn't even accept a cup of tea.
Experience told her that behind those five hundred million, there was definitely a huge net waiting to swallow ten times that, a hundred times, or even everything she had.
Love and hate without motive were too illusory. Why couldn't Xu Wanqing understand that? If what Xu Wanqing said was true, then she was unworthy of it. If what Xu Wanqing said wasn't so resolute, Shang Yi would end up like a teenager in love, giving her all and getting horribly hurt. But she wasn't young anymore; she couldn't afford the cost of such a trial-and-error.
Why couldn't Xu Wanqing understand! Why did she have to throw a tantrum! Why did she have to run away from home!
And without even saying where she was going! No matter how gifted an ancient person was, she couldn't adapt immediately, could she? Even in modern times, plenty of people retreated to a pastoral life!
"Sister, we've got news. She's at the South Station."
"She's that capable! I'm on my way."
"She bought a ticket to Luoyang."
"Where did she get the money!"
"…It seems that… I was teaching her… how to buy tickets online…" the Old Girl's voice grew quiet. "I said I was just demonstrating, and she said, 'Then let's do Luoyang.' So I bought it for her… and forgot to cancel it. She actually managed to ask the staff and get the ticket printed… The staff thought she was a trafficking victim and helped her into the waiting room…"
"How did she ride the bus!"
"I asked around. They said she seemed to have some intellectual disability, so the ticket seller paid her fare…"
Shang Yi hastily threw on a coat, rushed downstairs, and got in her car. "Where is she now!"
"I've got her… Grandma, please don't go. No, I didn't call Shang Yi! I really didn't!"
"Hold on to her!"
Shang Yi raced to the train station. Xu Wanqing was being held tightly by the Old Girl. Unable to break free, Xu Wanqing could only sulk. The two of them were in a tug-of-war at a KFC before finally sitting opposite each other.
"Where were you going?" For a long-awaited reunion, Shang Yi's first words were very blunt.
"Home." Xu Wanqing turned her face away, refusing to look at her.
"Luoyang is all new construction now. You're going home? To dig into the ground?"
"Back to my tomb," Xu Wanqing added.
Shang Yi was suddenly speechless. The words tumbled around on the tip of her tongue for several moments before she swallowed them all back down.
The Old Girl quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Oh, my sister was so worried looking for you, she was crying…"
"I wasn't crying," Shang Yi corrected her, her voice cold and hard. Her tone was as jarring as a steel rod being shoved into a block of tofu, exceptionally hurtful. "Then go back. What time is your train? Don't get lost. Old Girl, you go with her. See her home."
"Sister…"
"As long as she's okay, right? She said her ancestral home is Luoyang. Everyone go your separate ways. You must be exhausted after being up all night. Send her back so she can rest properly. You stay there and teach her how to survive. I'll mail her manuscript over when I get back. If anything comes up, contact me. If she should publish a book, she'll publish a book. If she should surf the web, she'll surf the web. We Chinese are a nation of etiquette, right? We help when we should. Xu Wanqing, don't be polite. I dragged you out of a tomb, so this is all what I should do. Just accept it. You need these things for modern life."
Shang Yi turned and walked away. Only then did she realize she was wearing one high heel and one flat. She had walked all this way with an uneven gait and hadn't even twisted her ankle. She kicked off the high heel, then stepped out of the other shoe with her bare foot. Barefoot, she strode forward, head held high. The floor was smooth, so there was no danger. She just had to get to that little shop up ahead, buy a pair of slippers, and head back.
"Shang Yi!"
It was Xu Wanqing's voice.
Shang Yi didn't turn back. Her foot came down on a shard of glass.
Fuck.
The little shop was just ahead. She gritted her teeth and didn't look back, glancing around on her tiptoes. She realized the shard was the furthest piece that had flown from a glass ornament that had been smashed not far ahead.
The Old Girl rushed into the shop and bought a pair of soft slippers for her. Xu Wanqing followed behind, glancing down at her bleeding right foot, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Alright, we're even. Now I get to experience the pain of you feudal women with your bound feet. What are you looking at? Go home."
Shang Yi fiercely blocked Xu Wanqing's path. The cleaning lady panicked, but Shang Yi managed to calm her down and send her away.
A few drops of blood dotted the floor. The sole of her foot hurt so much Shang Yi wanted to curse.
So unlucky and so pathetic. What a goddamn failure.
The Old Girl found a nearby pharmacy and helped Shang Yi inside. Outside the glass door, Xu Wanqing stood helplessly like a child who had done something wrong, trying to curl her small, half-sized feet and shrink into herself, watching Shang Yi through the glass, surrounded by a crowd.
A little while later, Shang Yi came out, limping on her tiptoes, and came face-to-face with Xu Wanqing.
"I'm fine. Okay, I'm going home. You should go home too. Let me see your ticket…"
The ticket was handed over. Shang Yi let out a snort of laughter. "Your train already left two hours ago!"
Xu Wanqing probably hadn't understood the broadcast announcing the train number.
"I know." Xu Wanqing's voice was very small. She still looked down like she had done something wrong, wringing her hands. "You might not… remember. A long, long time ago, you said… if I couldn't go back, I should wait right where I was…"
Shang Yi couldn't laugh anymore.
She had said those exact words to the sixteen-year-old Xu Wanqing less than two hours ago.
Xu Wanqing had really remembered it for five hundred years.
"Why did you want to go back?" Shang Yi felt a little like crying.
"You said that everything has a price."
"And?"
"You treat me very well. I figured the price must be very high. In my tomb, inside my own coffin, there is a hidden compartment with some rare treasures. Perhaps they could…"
"I didn't say that. I didn't mean that. That's not what I meant…" She was becoming incoherent. "Why would you think that?"
"I was just angry!" Xu Wanqing finally regained her spirit. "I wished I could go home at once and never see you again in this lifetime! But then I was angry at myself for being so pathetic. So, fine, I waited here. And when you came, you tried to chase me away, saying such hurtful things with such ferocity. See? You turned around and stepped on glass. You got what you deserved. I'm very happy about it!"
"Ah, fine, fine, I deserved it. It's my retribution."
"Do you know where you went wrong?"
"I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."
"…" Xu Wanqing shook her head and walked away in a huff.
After walking a short distance, she came storming back. "I don't know the way. Aren't you going home? I've already learned how to buy a ticket! I'll go back right now and dig up my grave to see if I can find something to exchange for your kindness."
"Ah, don't. I haven't given you any kindness. And be realistic, even if your tomb had everything, it's probably all gone by now. The archaeological team has been there."
Xu Wanqing had misunderstood her meaning.
She was afraid she couldn't pay the price for this affection, and Xu Wanqing had actively taken that to heart, applied it to herself, and angrily prepared to go home to gather a dowry. Who could have imagined?
Who could have imagined that some ancient people, who seemed so gifted, decisive, and ready to leave at a moment's notice, were actually just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, managing to get on their way through sheer luck? She didn't even know how to get out of the train station. Xu Wanqing clutched Shang Yi's sleeve and looked around cautiously, as if trying to memorize the route.
Shang Yi deliberately provoked her. "There are several exits, you know. Next time you come, it won't be this way. This place is also connected to the subway station. Don't make a mistake and get on the subway next time!"
Limping, Shang Yi couldn't drive. She tossed the car keys to the Old Girl and got into the car. Beside her, Xu Wanqing sulked, staring at the scenery flashing by outside.
Shang Yi still couldn't respond to her.
Some ancient people looked gentle and weak, like a well-read lady from a noble family, but were actually pioneers of LGBTQ rights.
What a self-reliant woman.
If someone like her had been born in the modern era, she would be so much better than a woman like herself, who relied on a man to get ahead.
It was only because Xu Wanqing was born in ancient times, blinded by all the flashy things of the modern world, that she had blindly fallen for her.
She didn't deserve Xu Wanqing.
"Hey, how about this, Xu Wanqing? I'll introduce you to some handsome guys, every one of them much better than me. Why don't you consider changing your standards?"
"Even if I am still angry with you, I am not yet at the point of fickle affections."
"…" From the front seat, the Old Girl coughed. "Alright, you two. You're gonna blind me."
"Tsk, you're asking for it, aren't you?" Shang Yi kicked the back of the front seat. The Old Girl chuckled. "Sister, how about me? I've spent all this time with our Miss Wanqing, we've developed some feelings. Why don't you introduce me…"
"Get lost!" Shang Yi roared. "Just drive your car!"
"Sure, drive my car? You're giving me this car? Well, don't mind if I do."
"…" Shang Yi massaged her temples and took a deep breath. "Where's Ugly Boy?"
"He said since the person was found, he'd go to Pingdu to help you deal with the Xu Min situation."
"Learn from him," Shang Yi said, deliberately chatting more with the Old Girl to ignore the presence of the living person next to her.
Xu Wanqing glanced up slightly at the two of them talking nonsense, then squeezed Shang Yi's right hand.
Shang Yi subtly pulled her hand away, patted the back of Xu Wanqing's hand twice, then crossed her arms, hiding both her hands.
Xu Wanqing's hand seemed to play a phantom zither, tapping lightly in the air. Her knuckles were delicate, and faint, crisscrossing scars marked her pale fingers. Slowly, she withdrew her hand.
Her other hand finally chased after it. Shang Yi shifted closer to her and took one of her hands, holding it in her palm.
The ancient woman beside her glanced at her.
"This won't work," Shang Yi said.
The car stopped. The door opened. Shang Yi limped through the underground parking garage and took the elevator upstairs. With Xu Wanqing and the Old Girl on either side of her, she couldn't say much.
Once the door was open, and after confirming Xu Wanqing was inside and wouldn't fly back out, Shang Yi said in a low voice, "It's almost noon. You should rest."
"Sister, if you like her, just go for it. How can you be so conflicted?"
"Nunya business!" Shang Yi deliberately replied with a popular internet meme, a light smile on her lips.
After she pulled the door shut, locked it, took off her coat, and crawled into bed to await the noon soul transmigration, Xu Wanqing walked into her bedroom.
"This won't work." Shang Yi covered her face with the blanket. "You can't like me."
"What has that to do with me?"
"I can't like you." Shang Yi sat up straight, spreading her hands earnestly as if trying to negotiate. "I can't, Xu Wanqing. You have to understand, a modern person has to abide by many rules and regulations. For example, if I break up a family while also having an affair on the side, I'm supposed to be drowned in a pig cage."
"I have not asked you to like me."
Some ancient people looked gentle and weak, but were actually very unreasonable.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Protecting you." Xu Wanqing sat down primly on the edge of the bed, just like Ugly Boy usually did.
"Tch." Shang Yi turned her back to her and closed her eyes.
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