Top-Tier Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Chilblains

After sending the message, Pei You paused, a wave of uncertainty washing over her.

She felt a little confused.

Were she and Huo Yichi really that close?

She’d just invited Huo Yichi to her birthday.

Before Huo Yichi could reply, she almost regretted it, her finger hovering over the "withdraw" button, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She and Huo Yichi were supposed to be a couple, after all; it would be awkward if Huo Yichi wasn't there on her birthday.

During their two years of pretending in college, they’d always celebrated each other’s birthdays.

This thought made Pei You suddenly realize something.

She didn't know when Huo Yichi's birthday was.

She hadn't forgotten; she'd never known. It had always been Huo Yichi who reminded her when they were putting on their act.

The air seemed colder today. Pei You touched her face, trying to focus.

She vaguely remembered Huo Yichi’s birthday was during summer break, but she couldn't recall the exact date.

It was still early; there was no rush.

Pei You breathed a sigh of relief.

She had time to figure it out.

As she stepped out of the elevator, Huo Yichi replied: 【Okay.】

Then added: 【Your birthday is on a Friday this year, so I should be free by then.】

Pei You's birthday was on January 17th, a Friday, exactly half a month away.

Pei You stared at the message, stopping in the hallway.

She suddenly realized that her relationship with Huo Yichi had always been… unbalanced.

It was always Pei You who needed something, and Huo Yichi who provided.

And it was always Huo Yichi who was more invested.

For instance, Huo Yichi remembered her birthday, even knew it was on a Friday.

Pei You hadn’t told her the exact date, just that it was "in half a month.”

Half a month wasn't necessarily fifteen days; it could be fourteen or sixteen.

But Huo Yichi's information was precise.

Pei You bit her lip, then simply replied with an "okay.”

A strange feeling was budding within her, something buried deep, something she couldn’t quite grasp.

With Ding Tang at the office, Pei You had someone new to talk to. They were the same age, shared similar interests, and could easily chat about anything and everything. They often had lunch together during their break, and Ding Tang’s cheerful stories often brought a smile to Pei You's face.

It had been a week since she’d last seen Huo Yichi. Pei You’s daily routine was the same, yet she felt a strange sense of… something missing.

It was odd, considering Huo Yichi had only been driving her to and from work for a short time.

"Xiao You-jie," Ding Tang said, returning from downstairs with a cup of milk tea, "drink it while it's hot.”

Pei You took out her phone to pay her back. "Thanks.”

Ding Tang tilted her head, placing her hand over Pei You's phone, a look of disapproval on her face. "It’s just a milk tea; it's on me.”

Pei You shook her head. "I can’t accept that."

Ding Tang’s eyes, round and grape-like, widened. "Why not?" she asked, retracting her hand. "You can buy me one next time.”

Pei You looked at her, then, after a moment of hesitation, put away her phone. "Fine.”

She didn't usually accept such gestures of “kindness,” except from Huo Yichi.

Huo Yichi had bought her milk tea several times, and she’d never paid her back.

Thinking about it now, Pei You realized she owed Huo Yichi quite a bit. Milk tea wasn't cheap; with prices so high these days, a single cup cost twenty to thirty yuan. Huo Yichi must have spent over a hundred yuan on her.

Money was money, after all.

And the milk tea Ding Tang had bought was a flavor she didn't particularly like, but refusing it in front of Ding Tang would have been rude.

So, she held the cup without drinking it.

It was their lunch break; they were sitting in the office pantry.

Ding Tang, with her headphones on, was watching a video on her phone, happily sipping her milk tea.

After finishing most of her drink, she noticed that Pei You hadn’t touched hers. She took off her headphones. "Xiao You-jie, it’ll get cold soon.”

Pei You waved her hand dismissively. "It’s okay, I like it cold.”

"Cold drinks are bad for you," Ding Tang said, looking concerned.

Feeling awkward, Pei You offered another excuse. "It's the perfect temperature for warming my hands.”

Ding Tang gasped. "Oh, I see!"

She reached out and placed her hand over Pei You's, which was holding the milk tea cup. "Is this better?” she asked with a smile.

Pei You subtly pulled her hand away, forcing a smile. "Tangtang, you go ahead and finish your drink. I need to use the restroom.”

Pei You went to wash her hands.

Ding Tang’s gesture had surprised her, and she felt… uncomfortable.

Over the years, very few people, aside from close friends and family, had been so… physically affectionate towards her.

The only person she’d been comfortable with doing such things was Huo Yichi.

Just like her aversion to sharing blankets, Huo Yichi had been the only exception.

But that had been years ago.

That was why she'd changed the subject when Tian Jia had asked about it.

After washing and drying her hands, Pei You returned to the pantry.

A few older colleagues were also there, while she and Ding Tang, the two youngest, sat at a table together.

Ding Tang seemed to realize she’d overstepped. She’d taken off her headphones and placed them on the table, her eyes wide and innocent. As Pei You sat down, she asked cautiously, “Xiao You-jie, did I… do something wrong just now?”

Pei You paused, surprised by Ding Tang's perceptiveness.

She didn’t deny it. "It wasn’t that you did anything wrong; it’s just… I’m not used to it.”

Pei You paused again, then added, "I'm a bit of a germaphobe.”

"Okay, okay, Xiao You-jie, I won’t do it again," Ding Tang said apologetically. "I’m sorry; I didn't know.”

"It’s fine, it’s not that serious,” Pei You said, even though her aversion was mainly directed at people.

For example, she hadn’t minded holding Huo Yichi's hand.

She’d been thinking about Huo Yichi a lot lately, perhaps too much. Pei You knew this.

But it was just… thinking. They hadn’t spoken since she’d sent that birthday invitation.

They had just agreed to be friends, and now they were both busy with their own lives, which felt a little unreal to Pei You.

She wanted to message Huo Yichi but didn't know what to say.

And Huo Yichi must be really busy, Pei You thought, staring at their chat window.

So busy she hadn’t even sent a proper message.

Huo Yichi was indeed very busy. Her new video project required her to travel for an immersive experience, not even in Yuncheng, but in another province, Liucheng.

The theme of her video was simple: what’s it like to be a street vendor outside Liucheng University?

The weather in Liucheng was even colder than in Yuncheng, and it had been snowing since mid-December.

With finals approaching, most students were in the library or study rooms; few were outside.

But there were still many street vendors. Huo Yichi and a colleague were among them.

Her colleague was also a woman. To avoid being filmed, they both wore masks, for both safety and hygiene.

It was past noon, and they finally had a break, sitting down by their stall.

The snow continued to fall. Huo Yichi rubbed her hands together.

Her colleague, Xiao Yin, was also rubbing her hands. Their stall seemed to sell a little bit of everything, but a standing plushie concealed a hidden camera.

It wouldn't capture their faces, just their interactions and conversations with customers, which was all they needed.

Xiao Yin blew warm air onto her hands. "It's so cold in Liucheng!"

"It is," Huo Yichi said, looking at the chilblains that had formed on her hands. "My hands are so cold I have chilblains now.”

Creating popular videos required a lot of effort.

Chen Ziyan had suggested she reveal her face; it would be an easy way to boost views.

After all, everyone loved a pretty face.

But Huo Yichi had always refused; showing her face would defeat the purpose of her online persona.

Xiao Yin looked at her own hands. "Luckily, I don’t have any," she said, taking out her phone, her fingers stiff from the cold as she typed.

Huo Yichi, seeing her struggle, chuckled. "Your hands are frozen, huh?”

"Yeah," Xiao Yin smiled. "But I still have to message my boyfriend.”

She painstakingly typed a message and sent it, then turned to Huo Yichi. "Chi-jie, do you not like using your phone?"

"What? Does anyone not like using their phone these days? But I rarely see you use yours.”

Huo Yichi and Xiao Yin were on a business trip, sharing a hotel room and spending almost every waking moment together.

Capturing good footage wasn't easy; the interesting anecdotes and interactions with customers were the selling points of these videos.

Huo Yichi, hearing Xiao Yin’s question, paused. "Really?"

Xiao Yin nodded emphatically. "Yeah, you have incredible self-control."

Huo Yichi pursed her lips, smiling faintly. "Maybe… it’s because I'm not getting the messages I want."

Xiao Yin gasped, her eyes shining with curiosity. "From someone you like?"

Huo Yichi got along well with her colleagues, but she was notoriously private about her love life, especially now that she was a minor celebrity. Hearing her admit this was a rare opportunity for Xiao Yin.

"Yes," Huo Yichi confirmed.

Xiao Yin was indignant. "What's wrong with that person? Chi-jie, you’re so amazing! Why aren’t they messaging you?”

Huo Yichi echoed her words. "Exactly! I’m amazing! Why aren’t they messaging me?”

A student stopped at their stall. Xiao Yin immediately stood up to greet him, while Huo Yichi remained seated.

After a while, she took out her phone, snapped a photo of her chilblained fingers, and posted it on WeChat Moments.

Pei You saw the post after work. It already had many comments, some expressing concern, some asking how she’d gotten chilblains.

They had many mutual friends; the comments filled an entire page.

Pei You stared at the photo.

She’d never had chilblains, but a friend who had described how they felt.

Itchy and painful.

And you couldn’t scratch them.

And… it seemed that she and Huo Yichi were drifting apart.

Huo Yichi had posted about her chilblains on Moments instead of telling her directly.

Pei You frowned.

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