Two Faced Lover - Chapter 31

31: Testing the Waters

Meng Xuran’s expression was no different from the others’. Apart from a momentary daze when their eyes first met, Bo Mingyan had noticed a faint tension in her shoulders—but it disappeared almost instantly.

So quickly that it might have been an illusion.

Meng Xuran was the first to look away, calmly sipping her soda as if nothing had happened.

Bo Mingyan slowly withdrew her gaze, now even more uncertain—was this woman pretending not to remember, or had she genuinely forgotten?

“Who did you kiss? And where?” Lu Yo was baffled. She had never heard Bo Mingyan mention being involved with anyone, let alone skipping straight from zero flirtation to kissing. That was just absurd!

Bo Mingyan stayed silent.

Lu Yo’s thoughts spiraled further off track. Before starting the next round, she excused herself to the restroom and sent Bo Mingyan a text. When Bo Mingyan followed, Lu Yo pulled her into the back kitchen and asked worriedly, “Don’t tell me you got harassed after leaving my bar that night! I’ve heard rumors about people picking up drunk ‘shrimp’ around here in the early morning—”

“Wait, no. You weren’t even drunk that day.” Lu Yo quickly dismissed her own theory but still pressed, “So who harassed you?”

Seeing Lu Yo’s determination to get to the bottom of this, Bo Mingyan worried she might blame herself for not seeing her home that night. After a pause, she replied, “Picked up a drunk ‘shrimp’ and got harassed by it.”

Lu Yo’s jaw nearly hit the floor. She never expected someone as composed and restrained as Bo Mingyan—who had spent years abroad without a single slip-up—to dive into something so reckless right after returning. But then again, maybe years of singledom had left her craving some excitement. After a long silence, Lu Yo finally managed, “…How was their technique?”

After all, if the first experience was bad, it might ruin future attempts.

Thinking Lu Yo was asking about kissing skills, Bo Mingyan licked her lips and pondered before answering, “Can’t remember…”

Lu Yo let out a soft “Tch” and concluded, “So they were bad at it.”

“Mhm.” Bo Mingyan nodded solemnly. “Yeah, next time I’ll try someone else.”

“Cough, cough—”

Just then, a fit of coughing came from outside the door.

Probably someone passing by on their way to the restroom. Since the conversation had gone far enough, Bo Mingyan said, “If that’s all, I’m heading back.”

Her words were bold, but her tone was so flat that Lu Yo began doubting their truthfulness. She grabbed Bo Mingyan’s arm. “Wait, are you messing with me?”

Bo Mingyan raised an eyebrow and gently reminded her, “Those weren’t on the truth card.”

Meaning nothing she’d just said was necessarily true—it could all be a bluff.

“…” Lu Yo stared at her for two seconds before declaring, “You’ve gotten bad, Manman.”

“Learned it from someone—” Bo Mingyan lifted the kitchen curtain and froze when she saw that someone standing right outside. Her smile stiffened, and her voice trailed off. “…else.”

Past the kitchen was the restroom, with two trash bins placed in between. Meng Xuran stood in front of one, one hand covering her mouth as faint coughs escaped between her fingers, the other holding a drink bottle tilted over the bin. The bottle was slightly crushed, and her hand glistened with spilled liquid.

Just as Bo Mingyan uttered “someone else,” a droplet shook loose from Meng Xuran’s fingertips and fell. At the same time, Meng Xuran lowered her hand and turned to look at her.

The coughing must have been harsh—Meng Xuran’s eyes were rimmed red, tears shimmering like ripples on water. To an outsider, it might seem like she was on the verge of crying from some unknown grievance.

Bo Mingyan’s smoke-gray eyes darkened imperceptibly.

She didn’t know if Meng Xuran had overheard her conversation with Lu Yo. Not that it mattered either way. But the thought that she might have left Bo Mingyan inexplicably unsettled.

In the distance, the bartender and DJ’s laughter could still be heard, though their words were indistinct. The noise only made the heavy silence between them even more palpable.

Bo Mingyan parted her lips, wanting to say something—but no words came.

Meng Xuran was the first to look away. Her fingers loosened, and the bottle dropped into the bin.

Clang.

The sound shattered the stillness.

“Weren’t you going to the restroom? Why’d you end up in the kitchen?” Meng Xuran teased lightly, though her tone lacked its usual playful lilt. “Did you mistake it for a toilet?”

On the surface, it sounded like she hadn’t noticed their kitchen conversation. But if Bo Mingyan knew anything about Meng Xuran, this kind of sarcastic remark should have ended with an upward inflection.

Right now, her voice was flat—unreadable.

Bo Mingyan’s brow furrowed briefly before she explained, “Just had something to discuss with Lu Yo.”

“Oh.” Meng Xuran’s response was airy, as if she couldn’t care less about their topic. She didn’t press further, her face blank. Her gaze dropped to the sticky drink residue on her fingers, which she rubbed absently, lost in thought.

Bo Mingyan pulled a wet wipe from her pocket and offered it. Meng Xuran glanced at it and declined, “No need. I’ll just wash it off.”

With that, she turned and walked into the restroom. Bo Mingyan followed. One went to the sink to wash her hands, the other entered a stall—not a single word exchanged.

When Bo Mingyan came out of the stall, Meng Xuran was already gone. She washed her hands slowly, dried them under the blower, and finally left the restroom at a leisurely pace.

As she passed the kitchen, Lu Yo emerged carrying a plate of fruit and another of dried snacks. She called out, “There’s a pitcher of juice and a pack of unused cups on the table inside—mind bringing them out?”

Bo Mingyan entered the kitchen to retrieve the juice pitcher and paper cups, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the restroom once more.

Upon returning to the main hall, she saw Meng Xuran already seated at the round table, engaged in sporadic conversation with the female DJ. As Bo Mingyan approached to set down the juice and distribute cups, she caught fragments of their discussion—something about a certain challenge-based game.

Pouring herself a glass of juice, Bo Mingyan casually asked, “What game?”

Just as she placed the pitcher back, her peripheral vision caught Meng Xuran smoothly sliding the freshly poured drink toward herself, politely adding, “Thanks.”

Bo Mingyan: “…”

“Overcooked,” the DJ answered Bo Mingyan before leaning forward eagerly toward Meng Xuran. “Let’s add each other. We can play together sometime.”

Bo Mingyan frowned, instinctively recoiling from the intrusion of personal space.

Meng Xuran, mid-sip, noticed the DJ reaching past Bo Mingyan with her phone. Glancing at Bo Mingyan’s icy expression, she quickly set her cup down and pulled out her own phone to scan the DJ’s QR code.

“I’m usually free during the day,” the DJ said, eyes fixed on Meng Xuran’s profile. “Just message me whenever you want to play co-op.”

She had been drawn to Meng Xuran’s delicate features earlier but found her aloof. Now, after a few rounds of games, she wondered if Meng Xuran was simply slow to warm up.

More importantly, as a self-proclaimed voice connoisseur, she was utterly captivated by Meng Xuran’s tone—cool and crisp like spring water when detached, yet capable of melting into something cloud-soft when tender. Though Meng Xuran had never used the latter tone with her, the sight of Bo Mingyan’s flushed ears earlier had been telling enough.

Bo Mingyan abruptly leaned forward, lifting a cup to block the DJ’s line of sight. The DJ, intimidated, awkwardly averted her eyes.

“Added.” Meng Xuran said briskly.

Once the DJ withdrew her phone, Meng Xuran reached for her unfinished juice—only to grasp an empty, new cup.

She turned her head very, very slowly.

Bo Mingyan deliberately drained her own cup in front of her, then met her gaze with a look that said, “What? Pour your own.”

“…”

Choosing not to engage, Meng Xuran picked up the pitcher to refill her drink.

As she tilted it, Bo Mingyan slid her cup beneath the spout, nudging Meng Xuran’s aside.

The juice flowed entirely into Bo Mingyan’s cup. When finished, she mirrored Meng Xuran’s earlier politeness with exaggerated sweetness: “Thanks.”

“…Heh.” Meng Xuran smirked coldly. Before Bo Mingyan could react, she snatched the cup and drank directly from it.

The rim bore a slight dent—unconsciously gnawed by Bo Mingyan’s teeth earlier. By sheer coincidence, Meng Xuran’s lips now pressed against that very spot.

When she pulled away, the indentation had deepened, faint tooth marks visible.

Meng Xuran glanced sidelong at Bo Mingyan, one eyebrow arching. “You’re welcome~”

Bo Mingyan looked away, unconsciously biting her lower lip, teeth grazing slowly over the soft flesh.

After several more rounds of games, the group grew weary. Lu Yo brought out small cakes from the kitchen, and everyone lounged on the sofas, chatting between bites. The conversation eventually turned to travel.

The bartender, soon to be married, mentioned honeymoon plans in the U.S. but couldn’t decide on destinations.

Just as Bo Mingyan was about to suggest a few, Meng Xuran spoke up: “Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, and Everglades National Park are all great.”

Bo Mingyan froze.

These were the exact three places she had in mind—the only ones she’d visited during her four years in the U.S. She’d gone to the Everglades to clear her mind upon arrival, Yellowstone after grad school, and Niagara Falls right before returning home.

Though these were among America’s top ten landmarks, making Meng Xuran’s recommendations unremarkable, the coincidence was striking.

As the bartender asked follow-up questions, Meng Xuran answered patiently. Listening in, Bo Mingyan felt the dust of time lift from her own memories, the vivid landscapes resurfacing.

The overlaps in their travel histories nagged at her. She began mentally sifting through faceless crowds of tourists, wondering if Meng Xuran had ever been among them.

Yet nothing came to mind.

“But I went years ago,” Meng Xuran added. “You should check updated guides before your trip.”

Bo Mingyan’s breath hitched. Suppressing her thoughts, she asked casually, “Which years exactly?”

Meng Xuran’s lashes fluttered. “Two or three years back,” she answered vaguely.

Bo Mingyan rubbed her fingertips, quietly observing Meng Xuran.

Meng Xuran’s expression remained unchanged, meeting her gaze openly and tilting her head slightly. “What’s wrong?”

If they had really met, it wouldn’t make sense for both of them to have such bad memories that they couldn’t recall each other. The experiences during those trips weren’t particularly unique either—maybe it really was just a coincidence.

Bo Mingyan withdrew her thoughts and said, “It’s nothing.”

Author’s Note:

Meng Xuran: My skills aren’t good?! Try someone else, huh? Who do you want to try?

Bo Mingyan: Try someone sober—let’s see if your skills have improved.

Meng Xuran: Daily question: What to do when your wife is too infuriating?! (Furious!)