Song Xinya: "In the twenty-nine years before Qin Yuhe married me, he managed fine on his own."
Tiantianquan: "Well, how do you think he managed? The guy's a total hunk, and loaded too. You're not telling me he just lay in bed every night, dropped his pants, and took care of business with his five-finger fairy, are you?"
Song Xinya thought about it. The mental image was too abstract. Unlikely.
Tiantianquan: "President Qin wasn't a virgin when he married you, was he?"
Song Xinya: "No."
Tiantianquan: "There you go. Other women took care of his physical needs."
Song Xinya thought about Qin Yuhe's moves in bed — the kind of effortless, highly skilled technique that could drive a woman out of her mind, the kind that made a woman an addict after just one taste. That skill had probably been honed on other women.
It wasn't just men who had possessiveness. Women had it too.
The thought of sharing the same tool with other women left a sour taste in Song Xinya's mouth.
Her heart felt sour, like it had been soaked in lemon water.
Sour as it was, Song Xinya was no longer a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. She had slept with other men before marrying Qin Yuhe, so demanding he be a virgin wouldn't be fair.
If she held that against him, and he shot back, "Didn't you have other men before we married?" — that would be awkward.
They were already married. To obsess over the fact that he'd slept with other women and pick fights over it — that would ruin their life together.
Arguments get heated. When emotions run high, people lash out with barbs, saying harsh things, hurtful things, extreme things.
Language is the sharpest weapon there is. In a moment, it can scar the heart.
Being tolerant of the one you love is a lifelong lesson.
Song Xinya: "How Qin Yuhe handled his physical needs in the past — that's the past. Yesterday's sun can't dry today's clothes. When it's time to turn the page, turn the page. Let the past be the past. Life is about looking forward. If you keep clinging to what's behind you, you're just draining yourself. Compared to the past, I'd rather focus on living well in the present."
Tiantianquan: "This mindset. This awareness. This open-mindedness. No wonder you sleep like a baby every night."
She leaned her head toward Song Xinya: "So tell me — how does President Qin handle his physical needs now?"
Song Xinya thought about it, then replied: "Probably with his five-finger fairy."
Tiantianquan imagined the scene and found it amusing: "Poor President Qin. Rough life."
Song Xinya: "What's so rough about it? What man hasn't given his five-finger fairy a workout?"
Tiantianquan had a sudden impulse and picked up her phone: "I'll ask Chen Siyan."
Song Xinya: "You can ask about stuff like that?"
Tiantianquan: "Chen Siyan and I talk about everything. Once, when he was jacking off, he asked if I wanted a live stream."
Song Xinya was in the middle of eating strawberry cake. On hearing that, she nearly swallowed her spoon.
Eating with Tiantianquan is a high-risk activity. Do not try this at home.
The call went through. It rang for less than a second before Chen Siyan picked up instantly.
Tiantianquan: "You're faster than China's high-speed rail."
Chen Siyan: "Seeing your call makes me happier than seeing my own dad."
Tiantianquan: "Does your dad know about that?"
Chen Siyan: "Want me to call him and tell him?"
Tiantianquan: "I don't care if you get yourself called an unfilial son, but don't drag me into being called a seductress."
Chen Siyan: "Don't worry. For the sake of your reputation, I'll keep my dad in the dark for the rest of his life."
Tiantianquan: "Got a question for you — you're a single man. How do you normally take care of your physical needs?"
Tiantianquan had never called him on her own initiative before. And the first thing she calls to ask about is something like this? This must be—
This must be—
This must be—
She must be offering to help him out with his physical needs!
Instantly, Chen Siyan's voice became thrilled, dripping with anticipation: "Quanquan, don't be so coy. Asking a question like that — what are you getting at? Just say it!"
Tiantianquan: "Fine. I'll say it straight."
Chen Siyan nodded like a pecking chicken: "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes."
Tiantianquan: "Do you do manual work every night?"
Chen Siyan: "?"
He refused to give up: "Are you trying to say you want to help me do manual work? I know you're a shy girl and can't bring yourself to say it. Don't worry. Brother Yan is very considerate — I've already said it for you. All you need to do is let out a quiet 'yes.' Action — start — go — yes."
Tiantianquan: "I'll 'yes' your big head."
Chen Siyan: "That metaphor is spot on. Brother Yan's is indeed not small."
Tiantianquan considered herself a pretty pure yellow person, but compared to Chen Siyan, she felt she still had a ways to go.
"I'm not that selfless. Do I look like someone with nothing better to do?"
Chen Siyan: "Don't use the phrase 'nothing better to do' to describe yourself. You don't even have the equipment."
Tiantianquan: "Holy shit."
Chen Siyan: "You only have the receiving end."
Tiantianquan, who was very good at rendering others speechless, was — rarely — rendered speechless herself.
After a long pause, Tiantianquan said: "Don't overthink it. I mean literally what I said — I'm asking how a man handles his physical needs."
Chen Siyan: "Inflatable doll."
Tiantianquan's voice shot up: "WHAT?!"
Chen Siyan repeated: "Inflatable doll."
Tiantianquan felt like she'd been struck by lightning, her scalp tingling: "I figured you were at most doing manual work. But you go straight for an inflatable doll."
Chen Siyan: "Wait — why do I feel like you're angry?"
Tiantianquan felt uncomfortable just thinking about Chen Siyan pressing a plastic human-shaped doll under his body every night.
"Chen Siyan, you're a pervert! A big pervert! A dead pervert! A stinking pervert! Ptooey! Ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey!"
Chen Siyan: "We were talking fine, and suddenly you're cursing me?"
Tiantianquan: "Nine steamrollers broke down, eight started rolling — a freak like you must have been reborn from a Japanese spawn. Ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey!"
Chen Siyan's head was buzzing from all the spitting: "Tiantianquan, why are you reacting so violently? It's me using the inflatable doll, not you. I'm pressing the doll under me, not you. You're over here spitting and cursing — what did I do to you?"
Tiantianquan: "Go. Go now. It's getting dark. Every night is worth a fortune in gold — hurry up and get that inflatable doll under you and get busy. Don't bother marrying a wife later. Just marry the inflatable doll as your wife. Have the inflatable doll give you a little inflatable baby. A lovely family of three — two plastic and one human. Go live your happy life!"
Chen Siyan: "Whoa, now you won't even let me marry a wife? Marrying a wife is a man's lifelong dream. That's just cruel. I haven't done anything wrong. Tiantianquan, why are you suddenly blowing up?"
Tiantianquan: "Scram, you super mega pervert!"
Slap! She hung up.
Tiantianquan was gasping for air, huffing and puffing, looking utterly furious.
Song Xinya had been watching the whole scene unfold from the sidelines.
How had things taken such a strange turn? One moment they were talking about how Qin Yuhe handled his physical needs, and the next, Tiantianquan and Chen Siyan were at each other's throats.
Tiantianquan tossed her phone back into her bag with a heavy thud. "I'm in a bad mood, babe. Come with me to the bar for a drink."
Song Xinya recalled the last time they went to a bar—when she got caught by Qin Yuhe watching a male model open a bottle cap with his abs—and replied, "Are there male models there?"
Tiantianquan: "Don't worry, order whatever you want. Your husband isn't home anyway."
Song Xinya: "...That's not what I meant."
Tiantianquan winked and gave her a knowing look, as if to say "I get you": "You mean one male model isn't enough—you want to order eight to serve you all at once."
Song Xinya: "If you're thinking dirty thoughts yourself, fine, but don't go splashing your filthy ideas all over me."
Tiantianquan slammed the table and stood up: "That creep Chen Siyan uses a blow-up doll, and it's got me steamed. Big sis is going to order eight male models to cool off."
Tiantianquan was all talk, though. When they actually got to the bar, she didn't order a single male model.
She was afraid of catching some nasty disease.
These days, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes—they were running rampant.
Who knows what kind of clients those male models had serviced? What if she got unlucky and caught something filthy?
She was genuinely a ho for good looks, but she was also genuinely cautious. When it came to hormonal imbalance versus a full infection panel, she knew exactly which was which. You could question her romantic loyalty, but you better believe it—she was terrified of dying!
What she was guarding wasn't her virtue—it was her lady parts!
Tiantianquan downed a Bloody Mary cocktail and then ran off to the dance floor to shake it.
Song Xinya sat in the booth, slowly savoring a cocktail called "See You Tomorrow."
In the clear glass, the sky-blue liquor sparkled, clean and bright, topped with a floating slice of yellow lemon. It looked dreamy, like a refreshing summer drink.
The first sip was mildly sweet—a fruity flavor mixed with the tangy zest of lemon, smooth and full-bodied.
As the blue liquid went down her throat, the mellow punch of mixed liquors—vodka, gin, rum, and more—exploded quickly, delivering a sharp kick. The contrast between the initial taste and the afterburn was huge.
By the time you registered the alcohol's strength, you were already half-tipsy, ready to say "see you tomorrow."
Song Xinya snapped a photo of the cocktail, sent it to Qin Yuhe, and typed a line:
["I want to see you tomorrow."]
