I Fell In Love With My Rival (GL) - Chapter 28.2
By the time the carving was complete, she was deeply satisfied. The piece was about 15 cm wide, smoothed and polished, with a clean hollow core. On the front were two smiling girls leaning close together; behind them, a sturdy red maple stretched its branches, one reaching forward like a gentle arm, casting a soft leafy shadow over the girls. It felt both harmonious and special.
Su Chunyin examined her work closely. Once she added a few more finishing touches, she could hand it over to the shop for varnishing, polishing, and drying. Then, it would finally be ready to be gifted.
Staring at the wooden pen holder, she thought to herself, Will Fu Erqiu like it?
She will, right?
And if she doesn’t…
Then what?
Su Chunyin couldn’t come up with an answer. In the end, she sighed a little:
If she doesn’t like it, I guess I’ll just have to carve something else she will.
During these days of carving, Fu Erqiu—despite her limited time at school—still kept her promise, regularly sending Su Chunyin study notes and summaries. Even though Su Chunyin was too busy carving to study them properly, she recognized the effort behind them. Without waiting for Fu Erqiu to bring it up, she asked Xu Yuhui to increase her tutoring fees significantly for the next month.
Naturally, Su Chunyin was also curious about what Fu Erqiu had been so busy with. She didn’t want to ask directly, so she reached out to “Qiu Ye” on WeChat instead, hoping for some subtle clues—and to her surprise, she got a real answer.
She eased into the conversation, starting with something they’d mentioned before:
“How’s your dad doing lately?”
Ever since learning that “Qiu Ye” was actually Fu Erqiu, Su Chunyin had been curious. She had visited the little laundry shop many times but never saw or heard a word about her father. Even when she had gone to her house with a hurt foot, there had been no trace of a man living there.
So, what was the story with this father?
She hadn’t expected much of a reply, but to her surprise, Qiu Ye answered quickly:
“Not doing well.”
Su Chunyin blurted out loud, “Huh?”
Not doing well—what did that mean?
Before she could think it through, another message came:
“He’s dying.”
This time, Su Chunyin was truly shocked. Last time, Qiu Ye had told her that her father was in a vegetative state. How could things have deteriorated so quickly—in just a matter of weeks?
When she thought of Fu Erqiu, Su Chunyin couldn’t help but recall how busy she had become ever since the end of summer break. On the rare occasions they saw each other, there were dark circles under her eyes that hadn’t faded even now. Had she been running around all this time for the sake of her father?
Su Chunyin then thought of her own father, Su Zhi. Though he was rarely home and their relationship—both with her and Xu Yuhui—was far from close, if he were on the verge of death, she knew she’d still be heartbroken. Putting herself in Fu Erqiu’s shoes, even if she hadn’t grown up with her father, he was still her biological parent. If he truly passed away… she would undoubtedly be devastated.
Su Chunyin wanted to offer some words of comfort, but she remembered the ambiguous way Fu Erqiu had reacted the last time she’d tried to wish her father well. So, after hesitating a while, she searched through her emoji folder and finally sent over a chubby cartoon bunny gently patting someone’s head with the words “pat-pat” on it.
On the other end of the screen, when Fu Erqiu saw the little boss send her a plump bunny with “pat-pat” on its belly, she chuckled silently. The adults around her were still arguing noisily, but that silly emoji brought her a rare moment of peace. In its simple cuteness, it soothed her weary heart.
After sending the emoji, Su Chunyin stared at her phone in silence. Maybe learning that Qiu Ye and Fu Erqiu were the same person did have its advantages. Just like earlier—if she’d asked Fu Erqiu directly, the girl probably would’ve kept quiet. But talking to her through the little boss persona, Qiu Ye had let her guard down, revealing bits and pieces and giving her a clearer picture of what was really going on.
Wiping her face, Su Chunyin picked up her phone again and contacted Song Rao. With Fu Erqiu’s father in critical condition and her birthday just around the corner, Su Chunyin was determined to make the celebration special—something that might ease a little of the pain she was going through.
If she could help create a beautiful memory for Fu Erqiu’s birthday, wouldn’t that also help her become… just a little more open to accepting her?
Fueled by this thought, Su Chunyin threw herself even more passionately into the birthday plans. She and Song Rao went over everything again and again, confirmed all the details, and Su Chunyin even visited the venue multiple times to experience and fine-tune everything. She handled the decorations and preparations personally, all to ensure that Fu Erqiu would feel nothing but joy that day.
Song Rao, dragged along day and night by this obsessive planning, rolled her eyes so hard they almost stuck: “Seriously, if someone didn’t know better, they’d think you were throwing a birthday party for your girlfriend.”
Su Chunyin ignored her and earnestly rehearsed the schedule for the big day.
By Friday morning, the wooden pen holder Su Chunyin had carved was finally delivered by the craftsman. The reddish-brown wood was smooth to the touch, its antique shape and texture giving it a unique charm.
After being varnished and carefully treated, the little figures and maple tree she had carved stood out vividly, lifelike in every detail. Su Chunyin was certain—just one glance, and Fu Erqiu would immediately recognize what had been carved into it and realize the time and heart she had poured into the piece.
She found a boutique shop, carefully wrapped the pen holder, and slipped a greeting card inside, filled with a heartfelt note that ran over half the page.
When the packaging was complete, Su Chunyin looked it over again and again, pleased with every angle. Then she made a final call to Song Rao for one last confirmation.
Everything was ready now—all that was left was for tomorrow to come: Fu Erqiu’s birthday.
Tomorrow!
Su Chunyin couldn’t help but smile, lips curling upward. She just hoped everything would go smoothly—and more than anything… that Fu Erqiu would be happy.