Her Wild Rose - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Tang Tang

Why did she like Su Qian?

Tang Tang’s hand paused mid-stir, and the swirling brown in the delicate glass cup instantly vanished.

Yeah… why did she like Su Qian?

A question that had never once crossed her mind surfaced out of nowhere—like a stubborn seed that, the moment it found the tiniest crack, rooted and began to sprout.

The soft chime of a wind bell rang in her ears again. She turned her head just in time to see Su Qian pushing the door open and walking toward her. The elegant makeup on her face gradually merged with the slightly youthful features stored in Tang Tang’s memory. Tang Tang gazed at her in a daze and unconsciously murmured:

“Jiejie…”

The warm air from the convenience store’s heater brushed against her like the blazing heat of five years ago. Through misty eyes, Tang Tang recalled for the first and only time how the two of them had met.

…

“Have you heard? Blazing Heat is getting reprinted, and apparently Su Qian is coming back for a book signing!”

The sound of cicadas buzzed in the background. Even with the college entrance exam looming, whispered chatter still echoed through the classroom. The anticipation of growing up seemed to wash away everyone’s fear of the gaokao. Dreams of the future sprouted like wildflowers, taking root.

“Hey, Tang Tang. Su Qian’s signing is on the 10th—wanna come with me?”

Li Er, her deskmate, nudged her arm with rare sincerity. The two of them had never gotten along since day one. For Li Er to offer an invitation, it was either out of some nostalgic respect for their three years of high school, or because they shared a secret, unspoken identity—both were fans of Su Qian.

“…I’m not going.”

Something stirred in Tang Tang’s chest as the tip of her black gel pen left a streak across her test paper.

“Fine, don’t come. It’s not like we want you tagging along anyway.”

The girl beside Li Er huffed in annoyance and slammed her pencil case loudly onto the desk.

Truthfully, they didn’t like Tang Tang. No one had ever said it aloud, but the fake harmony had lasted all three years—now, on the brink of graduation, the cracks began to show.

“Hey, you guys in the back! Pay attention! If you don’t want to go to college, stop ruining it for everyone else!”

The teacher at the podium banged the blackboard in frustration. A piece of chalk flew from his hand, ricocheted off the wall, and landed squarely on Tang Tang’s head.

Hahahaha!

Laughter erupted across the room. Even the stern-faced teacher couldn’t help but chuckle. “You okay, Tang Tang? Why’d you insist on sitting in the back row when you could’ve taken a seat in front?”

“Obviously because Tang Tang goes better with the trash can!”

The teacher didn’t even get a chance to stop them before the classroom burst into deafening ridicule.

Tang Tang simply lowered her head amidst the mocking, trying to shrink herself out of existence. Her gaze drifted from the blackboard to the front row, where a girl sat upright and poised like a proud swan.

Her name was Shen Yu—Tang Tang’s good friend from middle school, and also the one who dragged her into a nightmare.

At eighteen, Tang Tang could never understand why a girl like Shen Yu, once a princess who pulled her out of the mud, would throw her into a deeper abyss just as she was about to find happiness.

Was it jealousy? Or something even more complicated—those unspeakable feelings of youth?

The math questions on the page suddenly seemed even more impossible. With a sigh, Tang Tang slowly pulled a book from under her desk.

It was Blazing Heat—her favorite book throughout high school.

Maybe… I’ll go to that signing. Just to catch a glimpse. Even from afar.

Tang Tang’s finger traced the gold-embossed title as she made a quiet promise to herself.

…

The summer after the college entrance exams was blisteringly hot, and the air was thick with laziness.

“Tang Tang? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”

In the alley leading to the city bookstore, Li Er stood blocking her path, lollipop in mouth. “Let’s see what you brought for Su Qian—candy? A handwritten letter? A plushie? Hahahaha! Tang Tang, do you seriously think Su Qian’s as childish as you? You’re not embarrassed giving her this stuff?”

With that, she hurled the items in Tang Tang’s face. Then she twirled a strand of Tang Tang’s hair between her fingers with a sneer. “You live like a joke. How do you still have the nerve to show up in front of others?”

Tang Tang watched as her carefully decorated gift box hit the ground. A high heel came down on her letter and the box, crushing everything she’d put her heart into. Her mind snapped as she felt an invisible wall crumble inside her—replaced by sheer rage.

Why did these people get to endlessly trample her feelings and dignity?

Why were they allowed to dictate her entire high school experience?

Why was it that even after she’d moved on, they still had the power to stomp her into the ground?

“Enough! I shouldn’t have to put up with this anymore!”

All the bottled-up frustration exploded at once. Tang Tang suddenly broke free, her hand lashing out to leave a loud, crisp slap on Li Er’s cheek. She stared at the red mark forming on her pale skin and said with biting sarcasm:

“Li Er, weren’t you always dying to know why I hate you? Well, here’s the answer—because from the moment I met you, I knew your heart was filthier than sewer water. I didn’t speak to you because just looking at you made me lose my appetite.”

“You—!”

Clearly stunned by Tang Tang’s outburst, Li Er trembled as she pointed at her, one hand clutching her burning cheek. Her voice faltered with shock. “Why are you all just standing there?! Get her! She’s not walking away from this!”

“Hold it.”

Just as the group was about to pounce again, a calm female voice sliced through the tension. Everyone turned—many instinctively stepped aside, awed by the newcomer’s presence.

Tang Tang stood in the center of the crowd, her ponytail in disarray and the seams of her skirt frayed. She lifted her head slowly, fury still burning in her eyes… only to meet a pair of serene, lake-like eyes.

She stared at the girl in a trance. The anger and humiliation melted away, replaced by a rising sense of shyness.

She didn’t know why she felt shy, only that the moment she looked into those eyes, the emotion bloomed—unmistakable.

“What’s with you kids? Not even as tall as a desk yet, but you fight like you’re climbing Everest.”

The woman in the dark green cheongsam swept a cold gaze across the group, pausing briefly on the torn gift box before her eyes landed on Tang Tang.

“Can you still walk? If so, then come with me—walk out of here with your head high.”

Her icy voice interrupted Tang Tang’s thoughts. The girl stared at her, then finally murmured:

“…Su Qian…”

“Mm. That’s me.”

Su Qian nodded, not the slightest trace of celebrity pride on her face. She crossed her arms, turned her phone to Li Er and snapped a close-up shot.

“I’ve got your faces saved. Next time I see you bullying someone, I’ll post your ugly mugs on Weibo. I might not have millions of followers, but a hundred thousand is plenty to land you on trending.”

Her voice was crisp and chilly. Her aura and identity made the girls around Li Er shrink back. Still trying to save face, Li Er snapped back, “You expect us to believe you’re Su Qian? I could say I am too! A photo’s nothing. Who are you trying to scare?”

“Scare?” Su Qian chuckled coldly. “Fine. Stick around for the signing and see for yourself if I’m the real deal.”

With that, she ignored the group and turned to Tang Tang, her voice suddenly gentle.

“Can you walk? I’ve got a change of clothes backstage.”

“I can.”

Tang Tang nodded, bracing against the wall to stand. Her knees were already bruised and swollen—each step stabbed like a knife—but she gritted her teeth and stayed silent. Only the damp fringe sticking to her forehead and her tense jaw betrayed her pain.

“Let’s go.”

Su Qian didn’t say much. She draped her coat over Tang Tang’s shoulders and held out a hand, silently inviting her to follow.

“I’ve got a few extra outfits in my dressing room. If you don’t mind, you can borrow one.”

The soft, cool touch on the back of her hand made Tang Tang feel like she was floating. Her eyes widened—Su Qian, the girl in the cheongsam, had saved her, offered her clothes, even taken her side.

Everything felt surreal, like she was wrapped in bubbles of disbelief. She could barely comprehend it.

“I… I really like your Blazing Heat,” she mumbled nervously after a while. “Especially the character Little Candy. I feel like we’re alike.”

Her voice was trembling—clearly anxious about Su Qian’s reaction.

“In middle school… I met someone who pulled me out of a dark place too. But later, I realized… she only dragged me into a deeper hell.”

As soon as she mentioned Shen Yu, tears started falling again. Tang Tang wasn’t even sure why she was crying. Maybe for that chapter of her life that could’ve been beautiful. Or maybe for the countless nights in high school where she cried herself to sleep. In Little Candy’s story, she saw herself.

“H-Hey, don’t cry.”

The once-imposing Su Qian visibly panicked. She fumbled for tissues, then gave up and wiped Tang Tang’s tears away with her hand.

“I’ll tell you what happened to Little Candy after the book ends… but only if you stop crying, okay?”

“…Okay.”

After a long while, the disheveled girl finally mumbled her reply. She felt embarrassed and quickly added, “By the way… my name is Tang Tang.”