Her Wild Rose - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: The Last Straw

Su Qian stared blankly as the girl in the dress walked up to her and held out her hand, two dimples appearing on her cheeks as she smiled.

“What are you still standing there for? Let’s go already. I know a really good restaurant nearby.”

But… all those readers…

It was probably the first time she’d met someone this unruly. Su Qian looked at the hand reaching out to her with a mix of surprise and delight—but she still didn’t dare to move.

She was terrified of the things people said online, like they were monstrous floods and beasts that could devour her whole at any moment.

“Come on, it’s just getting off work—it’s like skipping class. What’s there to hesitate about?” Tang Tang grabbed Su Qian’s hand without waiting for a reply and decisively pulled her away from the signing table. “It’s already the end of your scheduled work hours. Besides, the people who like you would never want you to sacrifice your time to please them, and the ones who don’t like you will always call it pandering no matter what you do. Either way, it’s wrong—so you might as well just be happy.”

Tang Tang’s words were persuasive. Su Qian looked up abruptly and saw nothing but sincerity and boldness in those dark pupils.

Maybe Tang Tang had a swordsman’s soul deep inside her. Su Qian chuckled at her own wandering thoughts even in a moment like this. She grabbed her handbag clumsily as Tang Tang dragged her out the bookstore entrance.

“Brothers and sisters, no more lining up! Your author’s off work now—her time belongs to me!”

Tang Tang whisked Su Qian away like the wind, still remembering to say goodbye on her behalf to the crowd. Dissatisfaction and farewells echoed in a growing chorus, loud enough to blur into a sea of indistinguishable noise. Su Qian let herself be pulled along, dazed, as they ran through the packed crowd, past towering bookshelves, down the long red carpet, through time itself that had been tied up by countless rules and routines—until they finally stopped at the entrance to a small alley.

The two of them crouched down on the sidewalk, looking at each other’s sweat-soaked hair, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder, attracting sideways glances from passersby who thought the two girls had gone mad.

“They probably think we’re crazy.”

Tang Tang pointed at the crowd, speaking freely. “That’s how boring adults are. They think we should be proper and ladylike, should learn to swallow our pride, should become the ‘nice girl’ everyone expects. But I don’t want to be like that. I think we should live for ourselves—no matter what kind of judgment or feedback we get now or in the future.”

A beam of sunlight hit Tang Tang’s face, and for a moment Su Qian found it hard to look away.

“So… were you okay with them bullying you?” Su Qian asked absentmindedly, then realized a second later that she’d just asked a very dangerous question. “I mean… what do they mean to you?”

“Just a bunch of kids.” Tang Tang laughed first after saying that. She shook her head, her tone growing more subdued. “I didn’t make a fuss because of someone important to me. I didn’t want to fall out with her.”

“How important?”

For a moment, Su Qian’s question was shockingly direct.

“Like… stars can’t live without the moon, I guess.”

Then she shook her head again and gave a somewhat forced smile. “At least, that’s how it used to be.”

This was the first time Su Qian had met someone like Tang Tang. At first, she thought she was just helping a helpless victim of bullying. Then she found out the girl was a fan and gave her a bit more kindness, feeling justified in making her a little sidekick. But now, she realized Tang Tang had a strong mind of her own—and often brought new, refreshing perspectives. It was like Tang Tang was quietly reshaping her entire worldview.

“What are you spacing out for? Let’s go—I’ll take you to the food stall.”

The sorrow on Tang Tang’s face only lasted a few seconds. She seemed to be very good at adjusting her emotions and always kept herself in a stable, upward-looking state.

“Okay.”

Seeing Tang Tang reach out to her again, Su Qian didn’t hesitate this time. She took her hand, and the warmth in that palm seemed to burn her on contact.

The alley road wasn’t as straight as those outside. The two of them turned here and there, winding through several streets until they finally stopped in front of a small shop.

“This is it,” Tang Tang said proudly, tilting her head with a smug smile. “It took me forever to find this place. I don’t bring just anyone here.”

“This place?”

Su Qian looked slightly puzzled. Five years ago, she would’ve come to this kind of place with friends. But ever since her first book was published, her parents had put her under strict supervision. She hadn’t stepped into a place like this since.

“Yup, this is the one.”

Tang Tang nodded and pulled out a chair for her. “Boss! Two bowls of wontons and two bottles of Hongbao Lai.”

The steaming wontons arrived quickly. Tang Tang opened the soda bottles, and the crisp lychee scent instantly cut through the summer heat.

“Thanks for today, Su Qian. If not for you, I wouldn’t have known how to get out of that mess.”

She poured the soda into a glass and took a hearty gulp. “Today’s a day worth remembering. It’s my first time meeting a real author.”

A real author? Just someone who types for a living.

Su Qian smiled helplessly. The fatigue in her eyes almost overflowed. She had long grown tired of this life—but the thing she hated most was something others dreamed of.

“And you know,” Tang Tang continued, eyes sparkling with sincerity, “I used to imagine what kind of person the author of Little Candy might be. Maybe someone cold or arrogant. I never thought you’d be this kind.”

She raised her glass toward Su Qian. “Let’s toast—to our meeting.”

“To our meeting,” Su Qian echoed with a smile. She watched the mist form on the glass and took a gentle sip. “Thanks for helping me get off work early today.”

She didn’t know what she’d be facing when she returned—but having these few carefree hours was rare enough.

“Ah, it was nothing.” Tang Tang waved a hand, completely nonchalant. “Life is short. There’ll be plenty of days ahead where we have to bow to clients. For now, let’s enjoy ourselves while we still can.”

This girl always had something to say that lit Su Qian up inside. She quietly studied Tang Tang’s glowing face and, for a brief moment, felt an urge to understand her even more deeply—to see how someone who spoke so many hard truths actually lived.

“Xiao Tang, you’re not alone today.”

The shopkeeper, an elderly woman with graying hair, chatted with Tang Tang while cleaning up the table next to them. “I remember three years ago, you used to come with a really pretty girl. Haven’t seen her around lately.”

“We fell out.” Tang Tang scooped up a wonton, her voice muffled. “We were young, always a mix of love and hate.”

“You young folks and your drama…” The old woman sighed but held back the rest of what she wanted to say. Elderly people could often see things more clearly, but those in the midst of it rarely could. “So, Xiao Tang, are you graduating soon? What do you plan to study next?”

“Not sure. Probably going to Liao’an University.”

Tang Tang answered vaguely, “I like both literature and philosophy, so it’ll depend on my scores. Oh, Grandma, this is Su Qian—she’s a big star.”

“A big star?” The old lady stared at Su Qian in surprise, even forgetting the cloth in her hands. “You mean, one of those you see on TV?”

“She’s not an actress—she’s a writer,” Tang Tang grinned, pointing to the physical book on the table. “The kind who publishes books and does signings!”

“Tang Tang!”

Su Qian flushed slightly under the old woman’s amazed gaze. She tugged Tang Tang’s sleeve, motioning for her to stop talking nonsense. “I’m just a writer. Nothing worth mentioning.”

“Not worth mentioning?” Tang Tang jumped up theatrically. “You actually have fans! I couldn’t be more envious!”

What’s there to be envious of? Su Qian thought dismissively. But seeing the sincere sparkle in the girl’s eyes, she couldn’t help but smile. “If you want to write, I can teach you. We can do signings together someday.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Su Qian nodded without hesitation. “If you want to, I’ll help. Though I’m not that great either.”

Over the years, living under the spotlight had changed her. Even her modesty had become a bit formulaic. Words that were once sincere now felt like carefully crafted PR.

She’d never really thought about what her next steps should be. It always felt like she would just keep writing books similar to Blazing Hot, telling stories with the same kinds of characters, saying the right things, doing what everyone else wanted—until eventually, all her fire and passion burned out. Then maybe she could finally live freely.

Just like what she once wrote in her middle school yearbook:

I, Su Qian, will one day become someone as free as the wind.

But after meeting Tang Tang, those gloomy thoughts didn’t seem so convincing anymore. She found herself hoping for change. She even started to wonder—could Tang Tang be the reason her life might take a different path?

At the very least, it wouldn’t remain still and stagnant.

“Thank you, Qian Qian!” Tang Tang beamed, her smile pure and sincere. She stared at Su Qian without hiding her admiration. “You really are such a wonderful, wonderful person—the best I’ve ever met.”

“Am I?”

Even though she’d just been given the “good person” card, Su Qian wasn’t the least bit annoyed. She gazed at Tang Tang as if she could never see her enough. Maybe… maybe this girl was her last straw—the one that could pull her out of her current life.

Just then, the phone on the table began to vibrate. Su Qian looked at the name on the screen, and her expression shifted drastically.

It was her mother.

She might have to go back now.