A Woman Who Hates Women (GL) - Chapter 2

The boxes piled in the hallway were quickly moved away.

“Hello.”

Even though she was annoyed, Li Jia politely said hello as she passed by. She unlocked and closed her door in one smooth motion, not really thinking much about it.

This new neighbor was pretty, but her face was a bit sour.

Cold, stern, and not very approachable.

The pretty woman, whom Li Jia thought was rude, watched Li Jia until the door of apartment 501 closed.

She silently looked at the door of 501 for a moment, then turned and went into 502.

Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but she had lost a lot of weight, and her demeanor seemed more mature than before.

Time was short, but longing was long.

The door of 502 closed, and the woman leaned against it, looking up with empty and confused eyes at a spot in the air.

Finally, we meet again…

The next day, Li Jia unexpectedly ran into her new neighbor in the supervisor’s office.

What was she doing here?!

Suppressing her curiosity, Li Jia calmly handed a folder to the supervisor.

“Supervisor Lu, here’s the information you asked for last time.”

“Oh, it’s Xiao Lu.”

Supervisor Lu, who was getting old and had gray hair, was a bit hard of hearing and didn’t notice Li Jia until she was right in front of him.

“Perfect timing.”

“Xiao Lu, this is Team Leader Li from our department, whom I was just telling you about.” Supervisor Liu took the folder and placed it on the desk, looking between the two young women. He began to introduce them, “And Li Jia, this is our new colleague Lu Qing, who has been transferred from headquarters. Xiao Wang resigned, so starting today, Xiao Lu will be taking his position. If you have time, perhaps you could show Xiao Lu around the company.”

The new neighbor and colleague extended a hand to Li Jia with a blank expression.

“Hello, I’m Lu Qing.”

“Hello… hello.” Li Jia shook her hand, offering a polite and insincere smile. “My name is Li Jia, Jia as in the reeds by the water.”

“Yes, I know.” Lu Qing frowned slightly, as if she had touched something dirty, and immediately withdrew her hand.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Li Jia silently lowered her hand, thinking that this seemed like a difficult new colleague…

Was she a germaphobe?

Just then, Lu Qing said coldly, “I’m really sorry, I personally don’t like physical contact with others.”

Supervisor Lu spoke up at this moment, “Li Jia, I remember you also graduated from Haiyue University, right?”

“Yes, Supervisor Lu,” Li Jia nodded.

Why was he suddenly mentioning this?

Li Jia had a sudden bad feeling.

Sitting in his swivel chair, Supervisor Liu took a sip from his large tea mug and then said with a smile, “Xiao Lu also graduated from Haiyue University for her bachelor’s degree and then went to the UK for her master’s. You two are university alumni.”

“What a coincidence!” Li Jia smiled at Lu Qing. “I graduated in 2018, and you?”

Lu Qing replied, “2020.”

Li Jia’s smile widened. “Oh, so you’re my junior!”

Lu Qing’s eyes held a hint of gloom, and her face remained expressionless.

“I will be relying on my senior colleague in the future.”

…

“Hahaha, let’s raise our glasses to congratulate Supervisor Lu!”

At the promotion banquet for the new supervisor, Lu Qing, dressed in a beige suit, looked neat and capable. She was surrounded by people, the center of attention.

“Congratulations, Supervisor Lu.” Li Jia went over, offered a smile and her congratulations, and then finished the red wine in her glass.

“…” Lu Qing’s gaze deepened as she looked at Li Jia, seeming to want to say something, but before she could speak, she was surrounded by another wave of people offering congratulations.

“Congratulations! Congratulations, Supervisor Lu! You truly are a talented individual sent from headquarters!”

“Congratulations!”

…

The noisy cheers made Li Jia uncomfortable, and she excused herself to the restroom.

“Sigh…” Li Jia sat on the toilet, looking at the bathroom ceiling light with a worried frown.

According to the normal procedure, Li Jia and Fang Hai were the candidates for the position of prospective supervisor. Wang Hai had moved to a larger company due to his personal plans, and almost everyone in the department thought that the supervisor position would go to Li Jia, and Li Jia herself thought so too.

Ah, she should have seen it coming, the sudden arrival from headquarters…

But what Li Jia didn’t expect was a direct internal appointment; she didn’t even have a chance to compete fairly.

Everything had happened too quickly. Just a few days ago, the person who called her senior colleague with every other word had suddenly become her direct superior.

It was truly bizarre.

The supervisor position that she thought was within her grasp had completely vanished. Li Jia lost her appetite for the dinner. Staying here would only make her a laughingstock, so she simply found an excuse, grabbed her bag, and left.

She was exhausted and needed to find a place to relax.

Luckily, this place was just across the street from her usual bar.

Wearing a black suit jacket, Li Jia pushed open the doors of the Butterfly Bar and walked in, feeling right at home.

This place was always so comfortable.

Calling it a bar didn’t quite capture it; it was more like a high-end club. The environment was simple and elegant, with a warm-toned bar. There was no loud, explosive dancing or music; even the air was filled with the mingled scent of alcohol and perfume.

It was still early, and there weren’t many people yet.

The short-haired bartender, Da Hua, who was wearing a black vest and wiping glasses, immediately saw Li Jia walk in. She continued wiping glasses but still called out loudly, “Yo~ What wind blew you in here today!”

“Cut the crap.”

Li Jia walked over and plopped down on a high stool. “Give me a drink.”

Da Hua could tell that Li Jia was probably in a bad mood, so she didn’t joke around. She just asked, “The usual?”

“Do I still have any of my stored wine left?”

“There are still two bottles. Which one do you want?”

Li Jia craned her neck to look at the words written in fluorescent marker on the small blackboard. “What’s this? Do you have new drinks here?”

“That’s right, we’ve got a few new ones, but they’re not officially on the menu yet.” Da Hua winked at Li Jia playfully. “You’re a regular, so it’s on the house. Want to try one?”

Da Hua was mixed-race, with deep eyes and a striking, glamorous, and somewhat aggressive appearance. Most young women couldn’t resist her flirtatious glances. Li Jia was attracted to beauty, not only narcissistic but also easily charmed by beautiful women. However, she was immune to Da Hua’s charms and had always found her a bit too slick.

“Really? Free drinks?” Never one to pass up a bargain, Li Jia unceremoniously took the small dish of peanuts in front of Da Hua.

“You really are not polite at all.” Da Hua wasn’t annoyed and started rummaging through the liquor cabinet with a smile.

Soon, a cocktail with a blue glow was placed in front of Li Jia.

The light blue liquid shimmered under the dim lighting, swirling in the glass like a flowing river.

It was a very beautiful drink.

Li Jia fiddled with the lemon slice on the rim of the glass and asked, “What’s this drink called?”

“The name of this drink…” Da Hua leaned closer on the bar with both hands propped up. “It’s called ‘Destined.'”

“Tsk~!” Li Jia clicked her tongue, complaining, “What an old-fashioned name!”

The tipsy Li Jia picked up the glass and took a sip, smacked her lips, and began to identify the ingredients. “The alcohol content isn’t high. Let me guess… there’s white wine, lime juice, mint leaves, blue curaçao, soda water…”

Da Hua nodded as she listened. When Li Jia stopped, she asked, “Anything else?”

“Anything else?” Li Jia took another sip of the drink, thought for a long time but couldn’t guess anymore. She asked Da Hua, who had a mischievous smile on her face, “What else is in it?”

“There’s also love…” Da Hua smiled brightly, stood up straight, and made a heart shape with her hands in front of her chest.

“It contains all my love for you~~~”

“…” Here we go again. This person loved everyone. Sometimes it was truly unbearable. Speechless, Li Jia grabbed a handful of peanuts and threw them at Da Hua, growling, “Get lost, you!!!”

But after this little commotion, Li Jia’s depressed mood had improved a lot.

Li Jia quickly finished the drink in her glass and commented,

“I have to say, this drink is quite good. It’s sweet and sour and very refreshing.”

“Of course it is. Look who made it!” Da Hua proudly raised her head. None of the drinks she made were bad; all the sisters who had tried them said they were great!

Only then did Da Hua ask, “Having a bad day?”

Li Jia had been quite unlucky lately. She swirled the empty glass in her hand and sighed, “Work isn’t going well…”

The worries of a working stiff were quite normal.

“Haha, no wonder you came in wearing that whole office-slave outfit, and you had such a sour face when you walked in. Come on, I’ll have a drink with you~!” Da Hua opened a can of cola for herself.

“Tch~ Who offers someone a drink and then has a cola themselves? No sincerity.” Li Jia looked at the can of cola with disdain.

“I’ve already had quite a few drinks from taste-testing. If I drink any more, I’ll really get drunk, and then how will I do business?” Da Hua shook her head, held up her cola, and said, “Next time, next time I’ll definitely have a proper drink with you.”

Da Hua then raised an eyebrow and winked at Li Jia. “But, since you’re unlucky in your career, maybe you’ll have better luck in love…”

Li Jia smiled helplessly. “Other people saying that is one thing, but you know my situation, don’t you?”

Da Hua took the empty glass Li Jia was playing with to wash it. While washing the glass, she said, “Oh well, people need to learn to let go. Out with the old, in with the new~ What, are you really planning to live alone forever?”

“…” Listening to this, Li Jia chewed the remaining peanuts in the dish blankly, suddenly feeling that there was some truth to what Da Hua said.

After Li Jia had two more new drinks, the bar started to get busy, and Da Hua began to work.

Li Jia took a drink and went to her usual booth in the corner.

The bar’s resident singer went on stage, and the lights in the bar became dreamy.

This new singer not only had a beautiful voice but was also very good-looking…

Ah, that face… it looks like that person…

So similar…

Li Jia was momentarily dazed, looking at the singer on stage with hazy eyes, wondering if she should ask for her WeChat after the set.

Maybe she could really try. Who in this world isn’t just passing through someone else’s life?

She really should move on from that unfinished relationship…

As the song ended, Li Jia was about to get up and ask for the singer’s WeChat.

“Excuse me, I hate women.” A cold female voice sounded not far away.

Oh snap!

How could someone say that in a lesbian bar!

Li Jia’s hand holding the wine glass trembled. She raised an eyebrow and heard the words, first laughing, and then realizing, this voice… why did it sound so familiar?!

No way…

An image of someone appeared in her mind, and Li Jia suddenly sobered up. The smile on her lips faded, and she turned her head in surprise towards the source of the voice.

Damn it! It really was Lu Qing!

What a persistent ghost…

Li Jia, who had just stood up, immediately sat back down. Once again, she had unluckily encountered her new neighbor, new colleague, and new boss.

Was Lu Qing some kind of strange NPC in a game?

Why was she everywhere?

And this time, the respawn point was a lesbian bar?!

What was she doing here? Shouldn’t she still be… wait?!

The pretty woman in front of Lu Qing seemed very angry.

While Li Jia was brainstorming, she watched Lu Qing seriously push away a hot-bodied beauty.

The pretty woman cursed, “You’re a lunatic! What are you doing in a lesbian bar if you don’t like women!”

Not only had her flirtation failed, but she had also been rejected in a lesbian bar with the bizarre excuse of ‘hating women.’ Feeling embarrassed, the pretty woman adjusted her collar and walked away muttering curses.

“Hahahaha…”

Unable to hold it in, Li Jia, who had already had two drinks, almost burst out laughing at this scene. But when she turned her head, the new neighbor and new boss, who had been standing in the distance, had already walked up to her.

“…Uh!” Li Jia hiccuped, startled.