As She Wished (GL) - Chapter 13

At the end of April, the bar’s half-month-long pre-event preparations were finally almost complete. Before going off duty, Fu Jing specifically instructed Tao Xian: “Remember to tell Gu Qingci to come tomorrow.”

“Why, though?” Tao Xian eyed her askance, smiling. “Are our little Fu Jing’s charms going to overshadow everyone again tomorrow?”

Fu Jing was slightly embarrassed: “Who could I overshadow…?”

Tomorrow, the venue would host a dance party.

Fu Jing was someone who could make even school calisthenics look like a robotic malfunction, so she had no intention of participating. She just planned to wear her work uniform, conscientiously mix drinks, and work her shift.

Fu Jing said, as if it were obvious, “Because tomorrow is May Day Labor Day! Shouldn’t she hurry up and labor?”

She was so idle usually; even just to join in the festive atmosphere, she should at least drop by.

Tao Xian understood what she meant and let out a chuckle: “That’s a very good reason! I’ll go call her and see.”

••••

The next day.

Fu Jing had discussed her paper with her professor for a long time at school, then ran into a former teacher and was dragged off to eat. She arrived at the bar just barely on time.

“Fu Jing, you’re here!” Ye Xinyi, sharp-eyed, spotted her and came over, smiling and lowering her voice to report, “Your beauty, Gu Qingci, actually came. It’s not even Thursday. Aren’t you surprised, aren’t you amazed?”

Fu Jing, full of vigor, nodded: “Surprised! Amazed!”

She hurried upstairs, standing at the door and looking inside, even feigning surprise and saying, “Why did you come today?”

Gu Qingci hadn’t even spoken yet.

Tao Xian smiled and ruthlessly exposed her: “Didn’t you say you absolutely had to call her over to labor?”

Gu Qingci looked up at her, impassive.

Tonight, she wore no makeup, her face fair and clean, her features delicate and soft. Dressed simply in a plain black T-shirt and jeans, her long hair flowed freely.

She looked like a beautiful young university student.

In the dim light, and due to her overly refined and sharp features, she subtly exuded an unapproachable aura.

She gently swirled a highball glass in her hand.

Like a noble princess invited to a cocktail party.

Fu Jing immediately shook her head and corrected herself: “What I meant was, Princess Qingci can come to supervise the labor! Yes, supervise!”

Gu Qingci: “…”

Tao Xian: “Pfft!” She couldn’t help but turn to look at Gu Qingci’s expression, saying teasingly, “How is it that coming hurriedly without makeup today earned her the title of princess?”

Gu Qingci raised an eyebrow, took a sip of wine, and looked at Fu Jing with a placid expression. “Little imp, don’t call me that.”

How did she get demoted to “little imp”?

Fu Jing said, aggrieved, “Alright, then I won’t call you that. Can I call you ‘Qingci darling’?”

“Gu Qingci.” Gu Qingci corrected her.

“Sister.”

“…”

Fu Jing reverted to her initial version, feeling a little disappointed, but still enthusiastically clinging to her, saying, “Then you can call me Xingxing, that’s my nickname. I used to be called Fu Jingxing, but later, because I was always getting sick, Grandma took me to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha. We met a fortune-teller who said I was too young to bear that name, so we changed one character…”

Her tone was cheerful. She rattled off everything, regardless of whether the other party was interested.

Gu Qingci quietly drank her wine, never interrupting her.

Tao Xian’s gaze flickered between them, enjoying the lively scene immensely. After a while, she raised her glass, took a sip, and continued her earlier conversation with Gu Qingci: “So, what do you think of that suggestion?”

Gu Qingci nodded, “Your operational ability is very good. You don’t need to consult me at all for anything you want to do. You should have some confidence in yourself.”

“Alright,” Tao Xian shrugged. “It’s just that when there’s a mountain nearby, you always want to lean on it. You’ve been steadfast in your goals since childhood, never failing. I’ve already come to regard you as a god.”

Listening, Fu Jing gazed at Gu Qingci with utmost reverence.

She had been worried that Gu Qingci might find it boring to only work two hours a week, but was this perhaps her goddess’s dream since childhood…?

Fu Jing: “People who can stick to their ideals are the most impressive!”

“Yes, indeed,” Tao Xian agreed, then shifted her gaze and asked, “Little Fu Jing, will you also continue to do research in the future? You said you’ve liked physics since childhood.”

Fu Jing affirmed: “Mm.”

Tao Xian sighed a little, “That’s really impressive. My childhood dream was to be a dancer, but that was just a thought. Now I can barely even do a split.”

Fu Jing didn’t find anything unusual in that: “When I was little, my first dream was to be a swordsman, but now I don’t even dare to kill a chicken.”

“…”

A strange angle of comfort.

Gu Qingci let out a soft chuckle.

Fu Jing quickly said, “Of course, if you, little Princess Qingci, like people who stick to their original dreams, I can go kill a chicken with a sword right now.”

Gu Qingci was choked by her words: “Is that what a swordsman is like?”

A few seconds later, she added helplessly, “I told you not to call me that.”

“Oh, okay,” Fu Jing smiled and nodded, then suddenly asked directly, “Sister, so what kind of person do you like? Can you tell me?”

Gu Qingci’s gaze fixed on her for a few seconds, then she said earnestly, “I like quiet people who don’t talk much.”

“…”

Fu Jing pursed her lips, immediately shrinking her head like a little quail, and put her hand to her mouth, making a gesture of zipping it shut.

Indicating that she completely understood.

Lu Jiuping ran up to call out: “Hey, gentlemen, why are you still chatting? Customers are practically overflowing! Come help! Hurry up!”

“Oh!” Fu Jing quickly followed her downstairs.

••••

The dance floor was filled with people dancing, the lights dim and flickering. From a slight distance, one couldn’t make out faces clearly. Looking from afar, almost everyone was slender and graceful, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

Fu Jing stayed at the bar, mixing drinks with swift movements.

She quickly relieved the flustered Lu Jiuping.

Lu Jiuping finally had time to chat: “How do you know this bottle is tequila? This just came from the warehouse. Gigi used to say this brand of tequila is rare and easily mistaken. You just grabbed it and used it; you must really know your liquor.”

Fu Jing shook her head, picking up a rag to wipe the condensation off the ice bucket. “I can recognize it because it has words written on the bottle.”

“You recognize it by the words? You can actually read these flowery, slanted bird-scratches?!!”

Bird-scratches…?

Fu Jing instantly fell silent.

She handed the mixed cocktail to the customer at the bar. Just as she picked up the tray, the customer’s bag suddenly tipped over, its flap open. Things spilled out onto the bar with a clatter.

Fu Jing: “…”

Holding the tray, she cautiously replayed the scene in her mind, then bent down to help pick up the items. She was certain she hadn’t touched the bag at all.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

The customer quickly smiled, a heavily made-up face, mature and glamorous. She brushed her stray hairs back, explaining awkwardly, “This bag’s design is flawed, and I packed too much inside. It just tips over on its own even without being touched…”

“It’s okay,” Fu Jing good-naturedly handed her things over, also pulling out a napkin for her. Her hand suddenly paused as she saw a familiar card. “Are you from Songjiang University?”

“Mm, what’s wrong?” The customer took her student ID, asked first, then looked closely at Fu Jing’s clear and beautiful face. “Are you too?”

Fu Jing smiled broadly, “Mm.”

“Oh, a junior student, huh?” The customer’s tone immediately became much friendlier. She wasn’t in a hurry to drink her wine, leaning in and staring at Fu Jing as she said, “I’m from the Math Department in the College of Science, third year. What about you? Freshman?”

“Senior student,” Fu Jing honestly replied: “I’m from the Physics Department, second-year graduate student.”

“…”

••••.

Gu Qingci walked downstairs, just in time to see the two of them exchanging WeChat contacts.

She passed the bar and sat down in the furthest empty corner, ordering a whiskey.

At this point, hardly anyone was ordering drinks anymore.

Fu Jing chatted with her schoolmate for a while, then watched her head into the dance floor. She quickly poured a whiskey and took it over to Gu Qingci. “Why did you come down?”

Gu Qingci raised an eyebrow, “Can’t I come down and sit?”

Fu Jing smiled and said, “Of course you can! If you come down, I can see you!”

“…”

Gu Qingci said nothing more and took a sip of her drink.

Fu Jing rested her chin in her hand, her elbow on the counter, gazing at Gu Qingci unblinkingly. She was truly just watching her intently.

Gu Qingci looked down, her lips a faint pink. Her bare, fair face, unadorned by makeup, lessened the sense of distance, yet she was still stunningly beautiful. Her long eyelashes were distinct, like tiny fans.

Every blink seemed to flutter into Fu Jing’s heart, tickling her.

Gu Qingci put down her glass, looked up, and smiled faintly at Fu Jing, “Do you like watching me that much?”

Their eyes met.

Her eyes were strikingly clear, truly too beautiful. When she gazed intently at someone, it was easy to get the illusion of being looked at with deep affection.

Fu Jing couldn’t quite snap out of it, and she didn’t even want to consider it an illusion.

“Mm,” she said, a little embarrassed, “…If you don’t like it, I won’t watch.”

Gu Qingci didn’t answer. Instead, her tone suddenly deepened slightly, and she asked, “Kid, why are you still giving your contact info to people who are trying to pick you up?”