Her Wild Rose - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Be Good~
“So, we…”
Not getting the answer she was hoping for, Tang Tang pursed her lips in disappointment. Looking at the skewers almost finished in front of them, she furrowed her brows, unsure of what to do next.
Calling Su Qian out had been an impulsive decision. Now that the impulsiveness had faded, all that was left was the awkwardness.
“How about we just walk around a bit?” Tang Tang’s eyes lit up as she looked at the New Year lights that had been put up in advance. “We came all the way to Fengcheng. Wouldn’t it be such a pity if we didn’t take the time to explore the local culture and scenery?”
Well… that did make sense.
Su Qian’s thoughts were a mess, but seeing the anticipation in Tang Tang’s eyes, she nodded in agreement.
“Yay!”
Tang Tang stood up excitedly and generously paid the bill for both of them.
Fengcheng in January wasn’t too cold. Sitting between the north and south, the city embraced a blend of customs and cultures from both regions. Tang Tang and Su Qian walked side by side along the streets. Every now and then, Tang Tang would sneak glances at Su Qian.
She couldn’t deny it—she had her own selfish reasons. After all, the last time she’d gone out shopping with Su Qian was three years ago.
“That up ahead is Fengcheng Station, right?”
As the new year approached, the streets were less crowded. The two of them strolled alongside the city moat and somehow ended up near the train station.
Fengcheng didn’t have high-speed rail. As a fifth-tier city, the station was rather quiet. The dim yellow lights shining against the marble building, paired with the bright red lanterns at the entrance, gave it a unique charm.
“How about we take a photo up there?” Tang Tang suggested cheerfully, seeing how quiet Su Qian had been, most of her face hidden in her coat collar. “If we don’t take a photo at the train station, can we really say we’ve visited Fengcheng?”
Fair enough.
Su Qian’s usually calm eyes flickered. When she looked at Tang Tang, a hint of softness crept into her expression.
She knew she should be taking time alone to think and figure out how to handle the next steps with her team. But hearing Tang Tang’s constant chatter made her reluctant to leave.
“Alright.”
She nodded and took out her phone, intending to call her manager. But before she could dial, Tang Tang snatched her phone and walked toward a nearby elderly man out for a walk.
“Sir, this is our first time visiting here. Could you help us take a photo?” Tang Tang gave her signature sweet smile, her round eyes filled with hope.
The old man, who looked like he had been about to refuse, was immediately charmed into agreeing with a smile.
“Sure, just stand together, you two.”
Fengcheng locals were warm and hospitable to the core. The old man took the phone and assumed a standard photographer’s stance. “Come on, look at the camera.”
“How’d you convince him?” Su Qian asked, too far away to hear what Tang Tang had said. Watching Tang Tang’s glowing smile from a distance, she found it dazzling.
“Secret~” Tang Tang smiled mischievously at her, gave her a little push, and urged, “Come on, let’s take the picture.”
Taking pictures could be awkward, but not always. As actresses, they had long mastered the art of looking flawless in any photo. Still…
Now that it was just the two of them, both suddenly felt a little stiff.
“Hey hey hey, why are you two standing so far apart? Is there a great rift between you?” the old man called out, gesturing while holding the camera. “Stand closer—yes, shoulder to shoulder!”
Su Qian glanced sideways and silently stepped over with long strides until their shoulders were touching. It was a bit crowded.
“Why are you two standing so stiff? Are you being punished like schoolkids? Come on, act like you’re close friends!”
But… they weren’t just friends.
Both Tang Tang and Su Qian had their own thoughts. They looked at each other with subtle discomfort in their eyes.
Forget it. Su Qian had already made a concession earlier. If she didn’t do something in return, she’d seem too bratty.
As that thought passed through her mind, Tang Tang reached out and took Su Qian’s hand, pulling it out of her sleeve. Their slightly chilly fingertips intertwined, and Su Qian turned to look at her with a deep gaze.
“Not bad, not bad! Now that’s more like it.” The old man crouched a little and raised the phone. “Look here—one, two, three, cheese!”
The camera flash went off, capturing the moment in a single frame. Tang Tang thanked the old man and immediately opened the photo album to admire their picture.
“Looks pretty natural.” Su Qian smiled. “I’ll send it to you on WeChat.”
“Okay.”
Tang Tang nodded, carefully avoiding any mention of the handholding. She glanced at Su Qian using one hand to navigate her phone and stubbornly refused to let go of her hand.
Well, she didn’t pull away. Might as well enjoy it a bit longer.
Thinking that, the guilt in Tang Tang’s heart lightened a little. After all, they’d been getting along so well recently. As for what came after…
She could worry about that later.
Right now… they needed to figure out what to do about Tian Qingqing.
Just then, her phone buzzed. Tang Tang looked at the photo Su Qian had just sent and, unable to resist, opened her alt account and posted a message.
@宇宙最甜的糖糖吖: Us. [photo]
Su Qian, who was busy replying to messages from her staff, felt her phone vibrate again. She glanced at the screen and smiled the moment she saw the post.
@苏浅: Yes, it’s us.
“OMG, are they soft-launching their relationship??”
“Ahhhh, so sweet! This post is making my heart burst!”
“Is this Tang Tang’s secret account? She’s so cute!”
“See? I knew they were close. Otherwise how would they know each other’s alt accounts?”
“This is true love! I’m moving into the SuTang fandom forever.”
“Seriously, who’s sweeter than SuTang right now??”
…
Tang Tang’s phone kept vibrating in her coat pocket. At first, she thought it was just friends reacting to the post. But when the notifications didn’t stop, she finally checked Weibo.
The moment she saw Su Qian’s repost, she froze.
“You… aren’t you afraid this will end up on the trending list?” Tang Tang nervously looked at the growing flood of messages. “Maybe we should clarify things?”
After all, if marketing accounts picked up this vague and ambiguous post, it could impact Su Qian’s career.
“No need.”
Su Qian gave her a complicated look. She didn’t understand why, despite Tang Tang’s clear affection, she always insisted on keeping them confined to a ‘friendship.’
“Honestly, I don’t care what others say.” Su Qian sighed. Her pride stopped her from confessing her feelings too directly.
“Okay…” Tang Tang didn’t dwell too much on it either. Her focus was still on their tightly held hands, silently praying that Su Qian would forget about them holding hands at all.
“We’ll do our thing, and the fans can do theirs.”
Su Qian tugged her coat sleeve, hiding both their hands inside it. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should head back.”
On the way back, a breeze kicked up out of nowhere. It rippled across the unfrozen surface of the moat, creating gentle waves. Tang Tang was being pulled along by Su Qian, and for the first time, she felt a calm settle in her heart.
She quietly turned her head and traced Su Qian’s perfect features with her eyes—from her smooth forehead to her sharp nose, and finally…
To her rosy lips. Her gaze lingered there for just a second before she quickly looked away, her ears turning pink.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Qian noticed the trembling in Tang Tang’s fingers and turned around. The streetlight reflected in her light brown eyes, making her look unusually tender.
“N-Nothing.” Tang Tang’s heart pounded violently, her breathing quickened. She lowered her head and didn’t dare look at Su Qian. “Let’s head back. It’s really late.”
“Wait.”
Tang Tang obediently stopped. She saw Su Qian’s hand so close to hers, her face flushed as red as the maple leaves behind them. After what felt like a lifetime, Su Qian finally plucked a leaf from her hair.
“There was a leaf in your hair. I took it off for you.” Su Qian smiled and gently pulled on her hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”
“Su Qian,” maybe it was the mood, maybe it was just impulse, but Tang Tang once again voiced her worry, “about you and Tian Qingqing…”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it,” Su Qian’s smile didn’t waver. “Be good, okay?”