As She Wished (GL) - Chapter 9
Tao Xian glanced at Fu Jing and added, “Why do you get that silly grin on your face every time you see Gu Qingci?”
Fu Jing was oblivious. “Do I?”
The bar’s lights were dim, obscuring the time.
She counted the seconds, practically with a stopwatch, as she waited for her, so anxious and excited about their meeting, nervous about whether she would even show up.
The moment she saw Gu Qingci, an uninhibited, radiant smile would involuntarily light up her face.
Gu Qingci’s eyes flickered, seeming to hold a faint smile, her inky black gaze appearing much softer. Under the shifting glow of the colored lights, her composed black suit didn’t look quite so serious or unapproachable.
For some reason, Fu Jing blurted out, “Do you believe people have past lives?”
Gu Qingci calmly met her gaze for a few seconds, then quickly looked away, saying faintly, “Of course not.”
Fu Jing stared at her face, only blinking after a moment, then spoke quickly, “Hmm, Einstein also said that the idea of a person existing after their body perishes is idiotic cowardice.”
Gu Qingci said nothing more and started walking upstairs.
Fu Jing followed behind, quietly muttering, “But Qin Ziqin said that Einstein believed brainwaves could re-embody after death, taking over 150 years, which also counts as reincarnation.”
Although she didn’t know if Qin Ziqin was lying to her, Fu Jing suddenly felt a strong desire to believe it.
“What are you following me for?” Gu Qingci stopped, looked back at her, and then her eyes suddenly curved into a half-smile. “I’m going to talk to Tao Xian about the bar’s business.”
Fu Jing puffed out her chest. “I’m part of the bar too!”
“She’s involved too,” Tao Xian quickly walked over and explained. “Fu Jing is now managing all the bar’s accounts, and even the events are being planned and operated by her friends. The revenue from this weekend’s two-day event could match half a month’s usual takings. Our bar is about to hit it big!”
She was exaggerating a bit.
Fu Jing was indeed helping with the accounts, and Qin Ziqin had referred several capable individuals for event planning. The initial promotional efforts were good. But they were still a long way from “hitting it big.”
“Aren’t you a part-time bartender? How did you become the accountant?” Gu Qingci met Fu Jing’s eager gaze, her lips twitching. “What were you thinking?”
Fu Jing scratched her head. “Uh, uh? What was I thinking…”
What should she say???
*Because I’m bored and willing.* No, that attitude won’t work.
*Because I want to give you a bit of a career crisis?* That seems even worse.
A thought suddenly struck Fu Jing. She clenched her fist and lightly hit her palm, then said seriously and earnestly, “It’s for a comprehensive assessment of the operational status before acquiring the bar.”
Gu Qingci: “…?”
She couldn’t help but glance at Tao Xian.
Tao Xian slowly moved behind Fu Jing, pointed a finger at her own temple, and shrugged, indicating: *A genius’s thoughts are beyond my comprehension.*
“…”
In the end, Fu Jing joined them in the private room for the meeting.
Only then did she realize that Gu Qingci wasn’t actively working either. She was drinking the wine Tao Xian brought her, casually flipping through the bar’s business records, just chatting idly.
Fu Jing sat upright, listening intently.
Many of the things they discussed were related to financial figures. Normally, Gu Qingci would just say a few things, offering Tao Xian some pointers, and Tao Xian would simply listen.
Now, with Fu Jing joining, Tao Xian found herself unilaterally listening to the two of them converse. Every now and then, words would come up that she completely failed to understand. The longer it went on, the more she didn’t understand.
Tao Xian frowned, her face full of confusion. She suddenly felt as if she were sitting in a mountain temple, listening to two great monks discussing Zen riddles. The only difference was that the incomprehensible content was mysterious mathematics, not veiled words within hidden meanings.
“…”
••••
Eventually, it got late.
Tao Xian went downstairs to oversee the closing, and Gu Qingci also got up, preparing to leave.
Fu Jing, like a half-grown puppy, was enthusiastically clingy and reluctant to part with her. She followed closely, step by step: “Let me see you off.”
“No need,” Gu Qingci suddenly paused, seeing the heavy rain still pouring outside. She turned to Fu Jing and said, “Grab your things. I’ll drive you home.”
“Okay!”
Fu Jing’s face lit up, and she quickly ran to the staff changing room to grab her bag. She jogged back, but due to her excitement, coupled with the dim light and slippery floor, she tripped on the bar’s step.
It was her second time tripping there.
Fu Jing waved her arms in mid-air, trying to steady herself, stumbling a few steps forward, but then she suddenly fell right into Gu Qingci.
She couldn’t help but hug her tightly.
Finally steady.
This left her in a position where she was embracing Gu Qingci from behind.
“…”
Silence fell all around. All the eyewitnesses thought Fu Jing had done it on purpose.
Even Fu Jing herself suspected her subconscious…
She wanted to let go immediately and apologize, but the feeling of her embrace being filled with softness was too wonderful—Gu Qingci’s slender waist felt perfect to hold.
The warmth from the soft body transmitted to her, and she genuinely couldn’t bear to let go.
Fu Jing almost wanted to hug her like that forever.
She wondered if it was a delusion, but Gu Qingci didn’t struggle at all, seemingly not reacting negatively to being suddenly hugged by her.
After a few seconds of pause, the last bit of her rationality forced her to release her.
“S-sorry…”
Fu Jing stepped back, her face flushed red and lowered. Her nose seemed to still catch that faint, subtle fragrance from Gu Qingci’s neck, and the soft warmth still lingered in her arms. Her heart was beating too fast, and even her face felt a little numb.
She didn’t dare to look up at Gu Qingci’s expression.
She apologized repeatedly, saying, “I didn’t see that step and tripped. I’m so sorry…”
Not far away, Tao Xian’s jaw dropped. She stared intently at the scene before her, exclaiming, “Well, I thought Fu Jing wasn’t that bold!”
This was going to be awful.
She figured Gu Qingci’s already limited patience was truly about to run out.
What would follow would either be a cold warning or the tactic of smiling while verbally tearing her down until she cried—Tao Xian was familiar with this; she’d seen Gu Qingci reject overly persistent suitors with such tricks a few times before.
Just as Tao Xian stood up, attempting to smooth things over, and the other staff members, excited but confused, were about to applaud—
Gu Qingci turned around and gently, but firmly, tapped Fu Jing’s head with her five fingers held together.
Her expression was serious, her tone stern and low as she lectured, “How old are you? You still can’t watch your step properly when you walk? If I weren’t in front of you, would you have knocked out your front teeth?”
Fu Jing instinctively raised a hand to cover her head: “…”
She looked dazed, clearly not expecting to get a light chop to the head.
After a few seconds, she honestly shook her head and replied, “At most, I’d scrape my palm if I fell; I wouldn’t lose my front teeth.”
The observing staff members somewhat wanted to lament Gu Qingci’s lack of romance, yet they vaguely feared her and dared not tease or joke around freely.
They couldn’t help but turn to Tao Xian with expectant expressions, watching for a show.
But they found Tao Xian’s mouth slightly agape, her usually mature and charming face displaying a look of utter astonishment, as if deeply shocked.
“…”
Gu Qingci actually didn’t push her away. She neither delivered a poisonous tongue-lashing nor did she offer a fake smile while ridiculing and suppressing her.
Instead, she had the worried, caring expression of a virtuous wife and loving mother?!
Who exactly *is* this person now…?
“Little Fu Jing,” Tao Xian took a deep breath, staring at her from a distance. After a long while, she said in a profound tone, “Maybe you really are the ruthless one who’s going to make me eat orange peels!”
Fu Jing was still dazed: “Huh?”