Act Wantonly Chapter 4

Chapter 4 White Moonlight

Tan Xingwei didn’t have any friends to meet.

On the walk from the roadside to the mall entrance, Tan Xingwei scrolled through her contacts until they were smoking, looking like she could call anyone, but feeling like no one was quite right.

Finally, she extended her claws to Xue Fu, a friend who owned a flower shop.

She had just had a customer in the afternoon, so surely Xue Fu wouldn’t mind being bothered in the evening, right? Okay, it was settled.

“Have you eaten?” Tan Xingwei asked as soon as the call connected.

Xue Fu: “Not yet, still busy, what’s up?”

Tan Xingwei: “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you and deliver it.”

Xue Fu: “Really? That’s so nice.”

Tan Xingwei: “I’m at Lide Plaza.”

Xue Fu: “Weren’t you going to pick someone up from the airport? Why aren’t you eating with your friend?”

Tan Xingwei: “I don’t know, when I got there, they said they weren’t covering food and lodging.”

Xue Fu, used to Tan Xingwei’s dark humor: “Just buy whatever you think looks good, I’m fine with anything. Thanks.”

Half an hour later, Tan Xingwei squeezed into Xue Fu’s messy flower shop, carrying a large bag of things.

“You’re here,” Xue Fu said, her hands busy wrapping flowers, “Why do you have time to visit me?”

Tan Xingwei: “It’s the weekend.”

“Don’t give me that,” Xue Fu gave her a look that said, I know you, “Spill it. Who did you pick up from the airport this afternoon?”

Tan Xingwei suddenly beamed, “Guess.”

Xue Fu: “Your white moonlight?”

Tan Xingwei gasped, “Wow, you’re good at guessing.”

The one who guessed correctly was actually surprised, she widened her eyes at Tan Xingwei: “Really? You actually went to pick up your white moonlight?”

Tan Xingwei: “Uh-huh,” she paused for effect, “Chapter One.”

Xue Fu chimed in: “Returning to the country.”

Xue Fu was a year ahead of her in school, and they became friends because they were both from Haicheng. Later, Xue Fu often took Tan Xingwei to the drama club, and they became close.

After finishing wrapping the bouquet in her hands, Xue Fu cleared a space on the table. Tan Xingwei unpacked the pizza and fried chicken and laid them out one by one across the table.

“So why didn’t you eat with him?” Xue Fu asked.

Tan Xingwei: “She has to go home, and she didn’t know I was picking her up.”

“He didn’t know?” Xue Fu’s surprised expression reappeared, “You, you’re so…” She thought for a long time, finally settling on the word that first came to mind: “Presumptuous.”

“It is quite presumptuous,” Tan Xingwei laughed herself, “But what can I do? She just spoils me like that.”

Xue Fu clicked her tongue: “What was his reaction when he saw you?”

Tan Xingwei thought for a moment: “Just the same as before, nothing different.”

Xue Fu: “You! Does he have no taste!”

Tan Xingwei shrugged: “He probably sees me as a younger sister.”

“Really?” Xue Fu made a face of disgust, “You’re not pretending to be clueless, are you?”

Tan Xingwei shook her head, definitely: “No.”

“What about you?” Xue Fu asked, “How did you feel when you saw him?”

Tan Xingwei sighed deeply: “It’s hard to describe.”

Xue Fu smiled: “Fallen in love again?”

Tan Xingwei neither confirmed nor denied: “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Xue Fu opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly lowered her head, fiddling with her drink, stopping herself.

“Say whatever you want to say,” Tan Xingwei urged.

Xue Fu: “It’s hard to imagine you liking a guy this much.”

Tan Xingwei paused.

“I always thought you hated guys, until you mentioned you had a white moonlight,” Xue Fu mumbled to herself, “Is it because of your white moonlight that you can’t stand anyone else? That you don’t want to date?” She nodded again: “That makes sense.”

Tan Xingwei: “…”

Now it was her turn to hesitate.

It’s impossible to explain to you straight girls.

Even worse, Xue Fu started singing while eating, “She’s just my sister…”

Tan Xingwei: “…”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop singing, I’ll stop,” Xue Fu laughed, then asked again: “Didn’t you say you hadn’t been in contact? How did you know he was back? And you even knew his flight details.”

Tan Xingwei nodded: “Good question.”

Back then, to avoid unnecessary trouble from revealing too much, Tan Xingwei had a different story for everyone, so she tested the waters: “Who did I tell you she was again?”

Xue Fu: “Your relative’s classmate.”

Tan Xingwei hummed in acknowledgment.

She told everyone about her maiden’s thoughts, but in reality, she told no one.

“My relative told me,” Tan Xingwei continued smoothly.

Xue Fu was curious: “Does your relative know you like her classmate?”

Tan Xingwei: “No, nobody knows.”

Xue Fu made an ‘oh’ sound, then another ‘oh,’ and after swallowing a bite of pizza, she suddenly laughed: “You really have a white moonlight? I always thought you made it up.”

Tan Xingwei was confused: “Why would I make that up?”

Xue Fu: “To ward off your suitors.”

Tan Xingwei remembered: “That’s true.”

Xue Fu laughed: “See? If Chen Zu had listened to me, he wouldn’t have asked me about you again.”

Tan Xingwei asked: “Who is Chen Zu?”

Xue Fu was about to explain, but stopped herself mid-sentence: “Forget it, it’s not important.” But then she quickly remembered: “Oh! You mean Zhao Xintao.”

Tan Xingwei nodded: “He used to tell me cheesy pickup lines every time he saw me, so greasy,” she thought for a moment and added, “After he found out about this, he deleted me on WeChat before the event even ended.”

Xue Fu: “…So easily defeated.”

Tan Xingwei: “Later, he added me again when he needed to pick up the script from my place.”

“Did you accept?” Xue Fu asked.

“No, I sent it to Lin Meng.”

“Hahaha,” Xue Fu burst out laughing, giving Tan Xingwei a thumbs-up: “Making him beg Lin Meng, that must be worse than death for him.”

Tan Xingwei: “Then it’s none of my business.”

Xue Fu: “You really didn’t do it on purpose?”

Tan Xingwei didn’t speak, but shook her head.

Xue Fu: “It’s you, you always get revenge.”

The two ate pizza in silence for a few more bites, then Xue Fu suddenly said: “I didn’t expect you to be interested in drama club too.”

Tan Xingwei chuckled twice.

She herself wasn’t actually interested, so why was she?

I suppose the smart friends have already guessed.

Yes, that’s right, it was because Su Xu was in the drama club.

Her going to see a play with Su Xu was on her last day staying at Su Xu’s place. Since she couldn’t think of any more reasons to keep staying, she decided to give herself a perfect ending, telling Su Xu she would go back after watching Sister A’Xu’s play.

Su Xu agreed.

Later, Tan Xingwei analyzed late at night that if she had stayed at Su Xu’s place without any reason, Su Xu probably wouldn’t have kicked her out.

But while regretting it, she also told herself that staying at someone else’s house for too long was bad for her image; she could easily become the annoying, clingy younger sister that no one could get rid of.

At least now, in Su Xu’s eyes, Tan Xingwei was beautiful, gracious, had good grades, and was very obedient.

For that play, Su Xu gave Tan Xingwei a very good seat. Although Tan Xingwei was there alone for the whole thing, and Su Xu wasn’t even performing, Tan Xingwei watched the entire performance very attentively.

In her eyes, Su Xu’s contribution permeated every line, every prop, every scene backdrop, so she watched with great focus and immersion. She felt very proud, and even felt that the drama club couldn’t function without Su Xu.

Later, she took on the same tasks in the drama club that Su Xu had experienced before.

She didn’t explain to herself why she did these things.

“So, what are you going to do?” Xue Fu took a sip of her drink and asked curiously, “He’s back now, are you going to pursue him?”

Tan Xingwei answered quickly: “No.”

Xue Fu asked: “Why not?”

Why not? That question stumped Tan Xingwei.

Tan Xingwei thought for a moment, then just said vaguely: “I’ll leave things as they are.”

Xue Fu: “That’s true, if anyone is going to pursue, it should be him pursuing you.”

Tan Xingwei almost spat out her drink because of Xue Fu’s bold statement.

Xue Fu: “What’s wrong! Is there something wrong with that!”

Tan Xingwei pulled out her phone: “I’ll call her right now,” she tapped a couple of times and handed the phone to Xue Fu: “You talk.”

Xue Fu, who had been sitting up straight, immediately slumped: “The chicken wings are really good tonight.”

Seemingly understanding that Tan Xingwei wasn’t going to say anything more, Xue Fu didn’t press about Tan Xingwei’s so-called white moonlight.

Speaking of white moonlight, that term was coined by Xue Fu. At first, Tan Xingwei found it extremely awkward and a bit shameful, but gradually she accepted it, and later, Tan Xingwei felt that no word was more fitting for Su Xu than white moonlight.

It was just a pity that since she wasn’t a mutual friend, no one else called Su Xu white moonlight.

This was a major regret in Tan Xingwei’s life.

After finishing the meal, Xue Fu went back to work. Tan Xingwei said goodbye to Xue Fu with the trash.

With no other plans for the evening, Tan Xingwei wandered around a nearby street before heading home. Only a small circle of lights was on in the living room, and Tan Yinqing was playing games on the sofa.

“Where are Mom and Dad?” Tan Xingwei asked as she entered.

Tan Yinqing: “Playing mahjong.”

Tan Xingwei nodded and headed toward her room. Tan Yinqing asked again: “Want to get a late-night snack together tonight?”

Tan Xingwei stopped in her tracks: “What are we eating?”

Tan Yinqing: “I don’t know, it hasn’t been decided yet. A’Xu invited us.”

Tan Xingwei instantly froze, taking half a step back: “She, also, invited me?”

“Not exactly,” Tan Yinqing’s fingers flew across the screen, “It’s not for anything big, just go if you want to. Just the four of us.”

Tan Xingwei hummed: “Sure,” then she walked toward her room, but couldn’t help but walk back: “I want grilled fish.”

Tan Yinqing: “Okay, I’ll tell them.”

Tan Xingwei returned to her room, closed the door, and took out her tablet. Over the past week, quite a few shows and variety programs she was following had been updated. She randomly selected one, opened the video app, flipped to her viewing history, and let it play.

After watching for a while, she tapped her phone.

After watching a bit more, she tapped her phone again.

How long had Tan Yinqing been playing that game? Had she told her friends yet or not?

The video was halfway through, and Tan Xingwei’s phone was still silent. She couldn’t stand it anymore, hit the pause button, and carried her tablet out.

Outside, Tan Yinqing had already finished her game and turned on the TV, continuing to watch the variety show from the afternoon.

Tan Yinqing sat down next to her, tucked her legs up, and placed her tablet on her lap.

“Did you tell them?” Tan Xingwei asked very casually.

“What?” Tan Yinqing paused, then remembered: “Oh, the late-night snack. I did. They said it’s fine, 10:30.”

Tan Xingwei pouted and hummed: “You told them and didn’t tell me?”

Tan Yinqing: “I’m telling you now. Are you that anxious?”

Tan Xingwei: “…”

Seriously, there was no talking to you straight girls!

Tan Xingwei dragged the progress bar on her tablet forward a bit.

“Hey, Sister A sent a Moments update,” Tan Yinqing said after a moment.

Tan Xingwei’s hand twitched, but she kept sitting with a furrowed brow, as if deeply engrossed in the plot.

“Someone actually went to pick her up today,” Tan Yinqing suddenly made an ineffable ‘ah~’ sound, not knowing what she saw.

Tan Xingwei couldn’t hold back.

She swept her hair back with her left hand and quickly pulled out her phone with her right, rapidly tapping into Moments.

She scrolled past several posts before finding Su Xu’s, posted ten minutes ago.

“The first surprise after getting off the plane was seeing my long-unseen younger sister. She’s grown up a lot, but she’s still the same as before.

I haven’t received flowers in a long time, I’m very happy, they’re beautiful, and I like them very much.”

The caption was accompanied by a photo.

It was the one Tan Xingwei had taken of Su Xu in the car.

Tan Xingwei’s gradually calmed mood after seeing Su Xu was stirred up again. Her palms and wrists were covered in a dense layer of goosebumps, her emotions taking over her nerves.

This was the second time Su Xu had posted about her on Moments.