My Heart Beats - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next day, Xueman woke up to find herself sleeping on a sofa, wondering why she was on the sofa instead of a bed. She looked around and was startled to realize this wasn’t her home. She patted her forehead, remembering that she had apparently fallen into someone’s arms, but couldn’t recall what happened after that.

At that moment, all the symptoms of a hangover—headache and intense thirst—kicked in. Just as she was about to get up to pour herself a drink, she saw a mug on the coffee table with a note tucked underneath. She picked it up; the handwriting was quite beautiful. “I prepared honey water for you. It’s not poisoned. Yin Chi”

Xueman looked at the note, the image of that arrogant person appearing in her mind, and thought, Can’t she talk without being so annoying? But she still picked up the honey water and drank it; it was still warm. That person couldn’t have left long ago. After drinking, her headache felt less severe, and she kindly went into the kitchen to wash and dry the mug for her.

As she walked out to the living room, Xueman was drawn to the huge record shelf in front of her. She walked closer curiously. The records were categorized by different styles: Jazz, Rock, House, Bossanova, Trance… virtually everything she could think of was there.

She was amazed by the quantity and variety of the records, and even more surprised by that person’s passion and respect for music. The entire living room, including the kitchen’s decor, was very simple and plain, with nothing but a few necessary pieces of furniture. It was clear she had poured all her money into music.

Suddenly, she spotted a Carpenters record. She really liked this band, especially the song “Yesterday Once More.” She pulled out the record and examined it intently; it was one she had always wanted but was missing from her collection.

“Didn’t anyone tell you not to touch a stranger’s things?” Yin Chi stood at the doorway, a little angry. She hated it when people she didn’t know touched her possessions, especially her records. She had completely forgotten that the reason she came home was out of concern that the drunk lunatic might wake up hungry.

Yin Chi’s sudden appearance startled Xueman, and the record in her hand dropped to the floor with a thud. Before Xueman could react, Yin Chi had rushed past her to pick up the record. “Looks like you’re fully awake now. You can go home.”

There was that arrogant and cold expression again. Although this time it was her fault, she couldn’t stand her attitude, so she shot back: “You can let a stranger stay in your house all night, but you’re worried about things being touched?” With that, Xueman left Yin Chi’s apartment without looking back.

Recently, Xueman had been waiting for Henry’s call, hoping Teacher Huiyuan would finally agree to be her producer. Several days passed with no response. Sigh, forget it. Maybe I really need to start looking for other songs. She was shopping in the supermarket, her thoughts rambling. After paying, she walked into the elevator carrying a pile of groceries. Just as she pressed her floor button, she heard someone say, “Wait up.” Xueman immediately pressed the door-open button again. “Thank you.” What? It was her again! Their eyes met.

Yin Chi turned and pressed the door-close button. Seeing the large bags in Xueman’s hands, she started a conversation: “Going home to cook?” Hmph, mind your own business, Xueman thought. “You think I’m being nosy again, don’t you? I can tell by your expression,” Yin Chi said lightly, staring at the floor indicator.

“You’re getting off work this late?” Xueman asked, noting that it was past 8 o’clock. “Yeah. I’ve been a bit busy lately. I’m lucky to get home this early.”

Ding, the elevator reached the 10th floor. Yin Chi stood still, yielding some space. “You go first.” Xueman stepped out of the elevator, holding two bags in her left hand and rummaging wildly in her purse with her right. “Let me help you carry those. Take your time looking.” Yin Chi took the bags hanging from her arm. “These are heavy!” Xueman shot her a glance, preparing to open her door. “I didn’t ask you to carry them.” With that, she took the bags back.

No good deed goes unpunished. Yin Chi mumbled to herself as she opened her apartment door. Xueman watched her back, remembering how she had acted crazy at the other girl’s place two nights ago and hadn’t thanked her yet. So, she said softly, “Come over and eat together.”

Huh? Did I hear that right? Yin Chi was a bit surprised and turned to look at her suspiciously. “Are you coming or not?” Xueman replied with a friendly smile. Yin Chi’s heart skipped a beat, and she put aside her hesitation. “Okay. I haven’t cooked anyway.” So, she followed Xueman into her apartment.

Her apartment’s layout was similar to her own. However, it was clear that this was a warm and thoughtful girl. The room was decorated in warm tones, and fresh flowers were everywhere. Did her boyfriend send them? Yin Chi wondered privately.

The living room furniture was also very simple, but there was a set of super luxurious audio equipment, clearly belonging to an audiophile. Yin Chi quickly ran over, crouched down, and carefully touched the amplifier, peripherals, speakers, and mixing console with her fingers. “Wow! Seriously impressive. Dynaudio speakers. If you played ‘La vie en rose’ by the Queen of Bossanova on that subwoofer, it would be incredible!” Xueman walked over with a coffee. “You like Lisa Ono too? I have her record right here.” She said, pressing play, and “La vie en rose” immediately echoed through the room.

Xueman was busy in the kitchen, while Yin Chi paced around the room. She walked out onto the balcony. The evening breeze felt very comfortable on her face; she wasn’t sure if it was the good weather or her good mood. Suddenly, she realized she could see the living room of her own apartment next door from this spot. What? It was that close! Does that mean this woman has seen me walking around my house without pants on? Her slightly improved mood instantly turned glum.

“Alright, dinner’s ready.” Xueman placed the last dish on the table. Yin Chi sat down with a glum expression. “What’s wrong?” Xueman asked, puzzled. “Nothing. The wind outside is strong and gave me a headache.” She picked up a bite of food and put it in her mouth.

“Cough, cough, cough! Oh my god!” Yin Chi coughed as if her lungs were about to come out. “Why is it so spicy?” Xueman was startled, only then realizing she had forgotten to ask if she could handle spicy food. She was from Sichuan and was accustomed to cooking with heavy spice. “Are you okay?” Xueman patted her back continuously. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Yin Chi gulped down water. “What? We people from Sichuan eat like this all the time.” Yin Chi understood: “Oh, I see.” Xueman felt a little wronged, as if her good intentions had been misunderstood. “If you can’t eat it, forget it. I’ll order takeout.” “Hey, hey, don’t! I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat it.” Seeing her look so sad, Yin Chi felt a pang of sympathy. “My family is from Fujian, and I’ve lived in Guangzhou for years, so I don’t eat much spice. But I can handle this much.” With that, she picked up a piece of green vegetable, put it in her bowl, and ate it with rice. Oh my god! Why is every dish spicy? Yin Chi mumbled to herself silently.

The food on the plate and the rice in the bowl were all finished. Yin Chi wiped the sweat from her forehead. After thanking Xueman, she rushed back home. Holy crap! I’m burning up. She quickly opened the refrigerator and chugged an entire bottle of milk before she felt slightly better.