The Changing Phases - Chapter 17 - Endless Longing

Liu Yuxin eventually didn’t agree to have dinner with Zhao Junyang. Instead, she made plans to dine with Wenhui and Susu and called Jin to inform her. Wearing high heels and standing tall, she left the company under Zhao Junyang’s disappointed gaze.

The dinner progressed smoothly. Jin and Wenhui got on very well, feeling an instant connection as if they were old friends. The people around them kept saying they were a match made in heaven.

Liu Yuxin continuously teased them with a smile, “Wenhui, Jin is usually very lazy! She often doesn’t tidy up her place.”

Jin immediately stopped Liu Yuxin from revealing more, “That’s not true. I just don’t have time. I work during the day and write books at night. Where would I find the time? Actually, I’m a very clean person.”

Liu Yuxin burst into laughter, and Jin kept giving her meaningful glances, asking her not to spill more secrets. Wenhui, smiling, poured drinks for everyone and raised his glass, “To our great writer, may all your books become hits.”

Jin stood up excitedly and slammed the table, “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I dream of becoming a big shot one day!” Seeing that some people seemed unfamiliar with the term, Liu Yuxin explained, “In general, someone who is exceptionally good at something is called a ‘big shot.'”

Wenhui joked, “Jin, if you jump around all day, does that make you a jumping big shot?”

Everyone burst into laughter. They then started teasing Jin, saying that her father should be called the Godfather, her husband the God-husband, and their daughter the Goddess. If Jin were the sixth child in her family, they would all call her ‘Six God.’

In the midst of their laughter and chatter, Jin suddenly said, “Liu Yuxin, where’s that boyfriend of yours who drives a BMW? You should have brought him over for everyone to see today.” Wen Hui chimed in, pretending to be an old Taoist priest, stroking an imaginary beard and speaking in a weathered voice, “Why are you hiding your boyfriend? What is your intention?” This left Liu Yuxin and the others both shocked and embarrassed.

Liu Yuxin, feeling a bit evasive, changed the subject, “Jin, you look really beautiful tonight. And Wenhui, you’re super handsome too.”

Jin waved her hand, “Liu Yuxin, don’t think you can change the subject!” She turned to everyone with a gossipy face, “Do you all know? Her boyfriend drives over every morning but doesn’t bring his BMW. Instead, he takes the bus with Liu Yuxin and picks her up from downstairs in the evening before driving home. What a great guy, right?”

Susu sneered in disbelief, “Why wouldn’t someone with a BMW take it to work and ride the bus instead?”

Jin quickly replied, “You still don’t know Liu Yuxin, do you? She’s very low-key, unlike us. If we see a rich and handsome guy, we’d be smitten immediately. I even remember the license plate number was XXXX.”

Liu Yuxin instantly interrupted her, “Enough, Jin, you’re too nosy!”

But someone on the other side shouted louder. The counter supervisor dropped a bone into her soup bowl, splashing soup all over herself, but she didn’t care. She said to Liu Yuxin, “I just remembered, that license number belongs to Mr. Zhao!” She stood up and pointed her chopsticks at Liu Yuxin, exclaiming, “Be honest, is Mr. Zhao your boyfriend?”

Liu Yuxin was startled, “No, he’s not!”

“Tell the truth!” others joined in, pointing their chopsticks at her.

Liu Yuxin, avoiding their eyes, explained, “That person… actually isn’t Mr. Zhao. It’s Mr. Zhao’s cousin! He borrowed Mr. Zhao’s car for a few days. We’re not in a relationship!”

Susu, serious-faced, held Liu Yuxin’s hand, “His cousin? Then you should stay far away from him!”

Liu Yuxin and Wenhui hadn’t been at the company very long, so they didn’t understand what she meant.

“Yes, Mr. Zhao’s cousin. He only has one, and he’s a playboy. Although you don’t have much to show off, you still need to be careful!”

Liu Yuxin was speechless. Zhao Junyang really did have a cousin; she had unknowingly hit the truth while lying. Besides, what did she mean by ‘don’t have much to show off’? Liu Yuxin could easily charm countless young men if she wanted to.

The counter supervisor took a deep breath and patted her chest, “I’m so relieved it’s not Zhao Junyang. Otherwise, I’d be heartbroken. I’m his fan. I am Flatfish.”

Jin, full of disdain, said, “That name is too pretentious. The fan club should pick a better name; calling yourself ‘Woodfish’ would be much cooler.”

Liu Yuxin, still intrigued, said, “Why not call it ‘Fish Eye Mixed with Pearls’?”

Suddenly, Susu slapped the table and exclaimed, “Speaking of Mr. Zhao, it reminds me-I saw ‘Two-faced’ the other day.” Everyone seemed quite interested, so Susu continued, “Apparently, she’s now a supervisor at a five-star restaurant, and I heard it was Mr. Zhao who introduced her. The manager there is a friend of Mr. Zhao. I think Mr. Zhao is pretty great, don’t you all agree?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Liu Yuxin silently stood aside, saying nothing, while thoughts of Zhao Junyang began to flood her mind. The longing in her heart spread like creeping vines, filling her chest, blossoming into a mix of sweet tenderness and slight heartache. It was like a shallow pond, with green banks and crystal-clear waters; a gentle breeze would ripple the surface softly. She wanted to suppress her feelings but could only let them envelop her completely.

In this same sky and earth, where in the city was he now? What was he doing? Was he thinking about her too?

After dinner, everyone decided to go sing karaoke. Wenhui led the counter supervisor, Susu, and others into a private room where they sang and danced to [Gangnam Style] Jin refused to join their antics and disdainfully remarked, “You all dance like a bunch of monkeys.”

Liu Yuxin wondered to herself, if Zhao Junyang were here, would she dance with them too? And if she did, what kind of an embarrassing sight would she be?

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message from Zhao Junyang: “Out having fun? What are you up to? I had a random thought today and tied my tie into a bow.”

Seeing the message, Liu Yuxin couldn’t help but smile. Trying to appear calm, she replied, “Your bow tie must be feeling really pitiful.”

It didn’t take long for Zhao Junyang to reply, “Following me around, it’s bound to do some work. Looking at it makes me think of you.”

Liu Yuxin’s cheeks flushed red as she typed back, “So it’s my back of the head you miss, not me.”

Although the room was dimly lit, the blush on Liu Yuxin’s face was glaringly noticeable. The sounds of singing and chatter around her faded as she felt herself enveloped by a sense of happiness. This feeling swirled within her, gathering until all she wanted was to look at her phone and grin foolishly.

It was the hidden joy of mutual longing, the electric connection of shared affection!