Her Wild Rose - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: She Runs, She Chases
!
What a disaster.
Su Qian stared at the medical insurance card in Tang Tang’s hand, the corner of her mouth twitching. She wished she could summon an eraser out of thin air and wipe this memory from Tang Tang’s mind.
Whatever line she had originally intended to say took a sharp turn in her throat. Su Qian stood there, mouth half-open, for the first time looking dumbfounded on a face that was usually so shrewd.
The air turned awkward thanks to that medical card. After a long pause, Tang Tang finally covered her mouth and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha, Su Qian, give me a second to catch my breath.”
Laughing all the while, Tang Tang slipped the medical card into her pocket. She shot a few mock glares at Su Qian, and her previously serious expression cracked again. Pulling Su Qian up, she teased, “Come on, get up—don’t end up actually needing that medical card.”
Though she was teasing, Tang Tang’s heart skipped a beat from Su Qian’s confession. She had dreamed about hearing these words for three years. Now that her wish had come true, it still felt a little unreal.
“Tang Tang, I mean it.”
The confession was sincere—and so was handing over those cards.
Su Qian let Tang Tang pull her up, but her confidence was starting to falter. All along, she’d believed she was the one in control of this relationship. But now, she was only just realizing how much Tang Tang’s reaction had her internally clawing at the walls.
“Mm, I know.”
Tang Tang nodded. To her surprise, she was a lot calmer than expected. No crying from joy, no dancing with glee. Su Qian’s confession felt as mundane as asking what’s for lunch—so ordinary it shocked her.
“You know?”
What did that mean?
Su Qian’s heart beat even faster. She sat nervously beside Tang Tang, back stiff like a newbie on their first day at work.
“Then…,” Su Qian cautiously asked, her tone filled with hope, “Will you consider giving me a chance?”
If a tabloid caught Su Qian in this state, tomorrow’s headline would be: “Shocking! Superstar Su Qian Humbly Confesses Her Love?”
Tang Tang twitched her lips, briefly amazed she could still be overthinking at a time like this.
“Su Qian, are you only doing this because of Chi Yu?” Tang Tang could sense Su Qian’s urgency and turned to her gently, “There’s really nothing going on between me and her. At most, we’re just ordinary friends. And besides, Chi Yu already has someone she loves.”
She already has someone?
Su Qian was stunned, but she still couldn’t relax.
Chi Yu’s appearance had made her painfully aware of a truth: her beloved silly girl had quietly grown into someone that everyone liked.
And if she didn’t fight for her, she might actually lose her.
Su Qian’s hesitation came off as frustration in Tang Tang’s eyes. Tang Tang tried to cheer her up by hooking their pinkies together.
What was she supposed to do—drunk Su Qian was impossible to please.
“Chi Yu’s partner passed away. She just told me that,” Tang Tang added, worried Su Qian wouldn’t believe her. She raised her right hand and swore solemnly, “So here, take these back. You’re not thinking clearly right now. You don’t need to make such an important decision when you’re not sober.”
…
Soaked in alcohol fumes, Su Qian regretted her little stunt more than ever. She pinched her thigh and silently wished she could distance herself from the drunk version of her.
“Tang Tang, I’m really sober. I truly want to be with you.”
Su Qian’s tone was heartfelt and honest. As if it still wasn’t enough, she even pointed to the ceiling’s shut-off cameras. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll say it on the show. I, Su Qian, want no one but you.”
!
This was not normal Su Qian!
Tang Tang quickly moved to block the wall camera, terrified that Su Qian would impulsively do something irreversible. She knew Su Qian valued her career more than anything—if she came out publicly while drunk, she’d probably want to bury herself when she sobered up.
“It’s really late,” Tang Tang said instead, choosing not to bring up the cards again. She stood, fetched a warm towel from the bathroom, and returned to gently wipe Su Qian’s face. “Let’s talk about this in the morning, okay?”
She made her case sweetly while calculating in her mind—Drunk people usually black out, right? Su Qian probably wouldn’t remember anything by morning.
“But Tang Tang, I really do like you.”
As if sensing that Tang Tang was trying to avoid things again, Su Qian grabbed her wrist, leaned down, and captured her lips.
Time seemed to freeze.
Tang Tang’s eyes widened in shock as Su Qian stole every last bit of oxygen with that mischievous kiss. The suffocating strangeness of it made her eyes water. Her body reacted before her mind, and she shoved Su Qian away with desperate force.
“Tang Tang, I’m not drunk. That kiss—was my answer. I really want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Su Qian wasn’t bothered by being pushed away. She reached out, brushed Tang Tang’s loose hair behind her ear, then gently touched her slightly swollen lips. Looking up, her brown eyes were filled with sincerity. “Please say yes. Will you?”
Will you?
She’d lost count of how many times she’d said that tonight.
Just like Tang Tang suspected, Su Qian badly needed an answer to put her heart at ease. She wanted to tell the world Tang Tang was hers—consequences be damned.
“I…”
For some reason, the words I will felt like burning coal in her mouth. Tang Tang looked at Su Qian apologetically, voice soft, “Can I give you an answer after I’ve thought it through?”
“Okay.”
Su Qian’s heart ached at the rejection, but she nodded and held on to their last shred of dignity. “Sleep on it. I can wait.”
…
Neither of them slept well after that failed confession. They woke up with matching dark circles and gave each other awkward smiles.
Recently, it seemed like Green Vine’s weather had it out for the crew. It had been clear when they were washing up, but the second filming began, snow started falling.
“Looks like we’re stuck inside again today,” Lu Piaopiao was first at the table, stuffing a dorayaki in her mouth. “Chi Yu-jie, I guess you’re not leaving tonight either?”
“Yeah, Green Vine’s weather just earned me some overtime.”
Chi Yu seemed unusually zen about it, twisting her hair into a casual bun with a hairpin before turning to call out to Tang Tang and Su Qian.
“Tang Tang, hurry up. There are those piggy buns you like.”
…
Tang Tang, crawling along behind Su Qian like a turtle, flinched. She ducked her head and gripped the culprit beside her tightly.
It wasn’t like she didn’t want to sit down—someone had practically turned into a wild boar last night and nearly kept her from leaving the room at all.
“? What’s wrong with Tang Tang? Why is she hiding behind Su Qian?”
“Is her mouth inflamed or something? Why is it so red?”
“To the person above—did you graduate or not? That’s clearly a post-kiss swollen lip! LOL”
“Pass it on: Tang Tang got her lips swollen from Su Qian’s kiss!”
“Guys, chill. Don’t they care about dignity?! Hahaha”
…
The stream chat exploded with laughter. Tang Tang didn’t even have to look to know how wild the trending topics were going to be today.
So she simply dropped her hand from her face, walked over confidently, and sat down. “Su Qian, get me one of those piggy buns.”
“Okay.”
Su Qian smiled sweetly and nodded. The sight of Tang Tang’s still-puffy lips floated around her vision, and she itched to kiss them again.
“Tang Tang, you two…” Lu Piaopiao could no longer suppress the volcanic gossip erupting inside her. “What did you guys do last night?”
“Su Qian confessed to me.”
Tang Tang wiped her mouth, completely ignoring the livestream audience. She figured there was no hiding the kiss marks anyway—might as well be blunt.
“!!! Holy crap! Confession!”
“AAAAA finally! My ship is sailing!”
“So… did she say yes?? Can we celebrate now?!”
“I don’t even know what to say, just throwing out a 99 in chat.”
…
The other guests were just as shocked as the chat. Everyone stared, waiting for Tang Tang’s next words—everyone except Chi Yu, who already knew the outcome. She just smiled, shook her head, and sipped her porridge.
A confession was one thing—actually being together was a whole different game.
“But I turned her down.”
Tang Tang seemed satisfied with the stunned reactions. She elegantly bit off half of a pink piggy bun, then grabbed Su Qian’s hand and exchanged a smile with her. “We decided to try things out. Whether or not we make it long-term… that’s up to time.”
“That’s fair! Gotta be sure first!”
“I nearly died from the suspense—this variety show is a rollercoaster.”
“Tang Tang is way too rational. If Su Qian, that goddess, confessed to me, I’d be moving in by sundown…”
…
“Trying it out is smart,” Chi Yu finally broke the silence with a warm smile. “At least you can pull back before doing anything you’ll regret.”
That was exactly what Tang Tang and Su Qian had agreed on.
She knew Su Qian’s love was passionate and real. Maybe three years ago, she would’ve jumped in like a moth to a flame. But now, more than being with Su Qian, what she really didn’t want was to lose her.
Whether as lovers or friends—just being able to keep talking was already a blessing.
Finally stepping into a subject she was well-versed in, Lu Piaopiao dropped her spoon and offered serious advice:
“Exactly, Tang Tang. You can’t say yes right away. Trust me—let her chase, let her try. The one who gives in first always ends up regretting it.”