Chapter 41 - A heart with a fierce tiger, yet gently sniffing the rose

The next day was Saturday. After dinner, just before heading to the gym with Xiao Wanqing, Lin Xian remembered she wanted to show her the revised script—updated after being selected and receiving guidance from the organizers.

The TV was on. Xiao Wanqing was sitting on the sofa, and Lin Xian dragged a small stool over, sitting across from her. With both hands, she offered up the script like a treasure and rested her chin on her hand, eyes full of anticipation as she waited for Xiao Wanqing’s thoughts.

Xiao Wanqing was completely focused while reading, silent throughout. She flipped through it quickly, then closed the script and smiled, complimenting Lin Xian:

“The story flows much better now. The logic feels complete, and the formatting is very proper too. Nicely done.”

As she spoke, she casually flipped the script in her hand. Her eyes caught something on the back—a few large characters written boldly.

She turned it over, and sure enough, the entire back page was a clean sheet with four strikingly artistic characters written in flowing calligraphy. On closer inspection, they seemed to say... “Slow-burn my way into her heart”.

Xiao Wanqing furrowed her brows slightly in confusion and asked, “Are you thinking of changing the title?”

Lin Xian was baffled and shook her head. “No, why would you ask that?”

Xiao Wanqing pushed the script toward her and pointed at the words with a light smile. “Did you write these? They actually look really nice.”

Lin Xian froze for a second, glanced down—and was instantly stunned.

Then she suddenly snapped out of it. In a dramatic motion, she snatched the script from Xiao Wanqing’s hands, jumped to her feet, and stammered out an explanation:

“No, I didn’t… Ah—yes, I did. I just randomly scribbled something… No, I mean, I had this idea during class when I was bored and grabbed a paper to jot it down…”

She was flustered and clearly panicking a little too much. Xiao Wanqing looked at her in amused confusion and chuckled.

“Why are you so nervous? It’s normal to get distracted during class sometimes. I’m not going to scold you.”

Lin Xian slowly lowered her arms, the paper clutched to her chest. She wasn’t sure if she felt relieved… or a little disappointed.

Right… why was she so nervous? Aunt Xiao didn’t know…

She didn’t know that these four characters were something Lin Xian had written after tossing and turning all night. In the end, unable to resist the swell of emotion in her chest, she had leapt out of bed, grabbed a pen under the moonlight, and poured her overflowing affection into those four words—her sweet and secret dream.

“Slow-burn my way into her heart” – A slow and gentle pursuit.
Her plan to win Xiao Wanqing’s heart.

Shiman had sent her the phrase: “A heart with a fierce tiger, yet gently sniffing the rose.” She hadn’t been able to sleep, her mind replaying every moment shared with Xiao Wanqing.

She remembered that moonlit confession that had left her retreating in fear. She recalled how she’d wanted to kiss away her tears earlier that day but only dared to pull her into a hug. Slowly, everything became clear.

There was indeed a fierce tiger in her heart—blazing, uncontainable love for Xiao Wanqing. Love that could warm her… or burn her.

The first time she pulled back, it was out of impulse and fear—fear that Xiao Wanqing, who didn’t like women, would be disturbed and feel guilty.
The second time, it was out of tenderness—knowing that Xiao Wanqing would push her away. That the time wasn’t right yet.

Between them lay gender, status, age.
Things that didn’t matter to Lin Xian in the face of love, but to a rational, unfeeling Xiao Wanqing who didn’t yet love her—they were insurmountable obstacles.

She couldn’t approach after triggering Xiao Wanqing’s defenses. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—force her.

So, all she could do was… sniff the rose.
Restrain her roaring flame. Trade it for a soft ember. Slowly, quietly, gently… light Xiao Wanqing’s heart without her even noticing.

In the face of true love, all the rest would fade away. So she would wait. Wait… for the day when Xiao Wanqing truly loved her back.

But when would that be?
What would make her fall in love with me...?

Lin Xian gazed deeply at Xiao Wanqing’s gentle, smiling eyes. Her own darkened slightly.

Seeing her every day, hearing her laugh, watching every gesture—it was like adding logs to a growing fire in her chest. And yet, she had to suppress it all.
It was agonizing.

Xiao Wanqing stood up, arching her brows in a gentle smile. “Alright, time to head to the gym.”

The cloudiness in Lin Xian’s eyes was washed away by the soft clarity of Xiao Wanqing’s.

Blame you for being too beautiful. Loving you… is too beautiful.

She lifted the corners of her lips into a warm, innocent smile and reached out to clasp Xiao Wanqing’s slender fingers, interlocking their hands.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Xiao Wanqing didn’t pull away, letting her hold her hand as if it were second nature.

After her first gym session with Xiao Wanqing, she’d asked Lin Xian if she wanted to join regularly and got her a gym card too. From then on, her weekly workout sessions with Wen Tong became a regular trio.

Everything today was just like usual. The three of them did thirty minutes of cardio together before starting strength training.

Wen Tong had better stamina and, as usual, did a few extra sets of crunches and side crunches before collapsing on her mat, unmoving.

Xiao Wanqing sat up after resting enough and moved closer to Wen Tong.

Seeing her sprawled out lazily, Xiao Wanqing playfully poked her stomach, pretending to lift her shirt.

“In the summer, I teased you a little when I saw your abs were gone, and you held a grudge. You’ve been training hard since. So? Are they back yet?”

Wen Tong swatted her hand away with a loud slap. “Probably still not up to your high standards. Let me check if yours are still there…” Her hands began to sneak toward Xiao Wanqing.

From the side, Lin Xian’s eyes lit up. Aunt Xiao has abs?! Ever since they’d started working out, Xiao Wanqing always dressed modestly. She’d never seen them!

She wanted to see them. But Wen Tong must not touch!

Fortunately, justice prevailed. Xiao Wanqing smacked Wen Tong’s hand away just as sharply. Lin Xian breathed a sigh of relief.

Wen Tong wasn’t upset. Her sharp, intense features softened with amusement.

She squinted and ordered, “Wipe my sweat, it’s dripping into my eyes.”

Xiao Wanqing picked up a towel and wiped Wen Tong’s forehead and face with practiced ease, grumbling, “You had plenty of strength to slap me—can’t wipe your own face?”

Wen Tong didn’t respond either, simply lying there and enjoying the way Xiao Wanqing gently wiped her down, her eyes soft as they quietly lingered on her...

She was clearly someone with such a commanding presence—so much so that when Lin Xian first met her, she’d felt completely overwhelmed. But now, strangely enough, Lin Xian found herself associating her with the words tender gaze...

Was this just her overthinking things? Why did she feel like there was something... very off about the way Wen Tong was looking?

Lin Xian’s heart gave a sudden, heavy thud.

On the drive back, Xiao Wanqing seemed to be in quite a good mood. She played some upbeat music, lips curved in a faint smile, eyes relaxed and cheerful. Lin Xian sat quietly, lips pressed together, head slightly lowered as if lost in thought. Noticing Lin Xian’s silence out of the corner of her eye, Xiao Wanqing asked with concern, “Xianxian, what’s wrong?”

Lin Xian bit her lip and, unable to suppress her curiosity about Wen Tong, asked, “Aunt Wen… does she have a boyfriend?”

Xiao Wanqing’s smile deepened, and she teased lightly, “Why, is your mom trying to matchmake for her too? I don’t thinkshe has one right now. But honestly, I’m not sure—her love life changes pretty quickly.”

When they first met, Xiao Wanqing recalled, Wen Tong had a boyfriend she'd dated since university—a two-year relationship that ended during grad school when they had to go long-distance. After their breakup in her second year of grad school, it seemed like Wen Tong never had another relationship that lasted more than half a year. At first, Xiao Wanqing would occasionally meet her new boyfriends, but later on, her flings became so brief that sometimes she’d hear about a new one, only for Wen Tong to mention a different guy just days later—before they’d even had the chance to meet.

Lin Xian pressed, “So… ‘not right now’? That means she has had some in the past?”

Hearing this, Xiao Wanqing’s hand on the steering wheel paused briefly. She glanced over at Lin Xian, a little surprised, and as if worried she’d misunderstood something, she quickly clarified, “Wen Tong and I are good friends, but we’re not the same. She’s always liked men—always. Of course she’s had boyfriends.”

As she absentmindedly recalled the names of the guys Wen Tong had mentioned before, she added silently in her mind, And there were quite a few. Totally straight.

She’s always liked men. Those words reassured Lin Xian, and she secretly let out a breath of relief. But then, the next moment, Xiao Wanqing casually dropped a bomb.

“Haha, you know, I just remembered something kinda funny.” Just after mentally labeling Wen Tong as “definitely straight,” Xiao Wanqing’s brain summoned up one of those rare exceptions. “A couple of years ago, she was heartbroken after a breakup and invited me to a bar to drink her sorrows away. Out of nowhere, she suddenly looked all enlightened and said, ‘Dating men is so pointless. Wanqing, do you think maybe… girls are just better suited for girls?’ I was still trying to figure out how to respond when she added, ‘Wanqing, if we’re both still single at thirty-five, should we just settle down together?’”

Lin Xian’s internal alarm exploded. She immediately tensed. “Did you say yes?!” That Wen Tong! I knew something was off! She’s totally up to something!

They reached a red light. Xiao Wanqing looked straight ahead, calmly easing the car to a stop. Unbothered, she replied, “It was just a joke. I told her we were way too close for that kind of thing—it’d never work. She thought about it for a second, laughed for ages, and then went off dancing with some guy who invited her.”

Maybe it was her writer’s imagination, but as soon as Wen Tong had said those words back then, an image had popped into Xiao Wanqing’s mind—of the two of them living together, sleeping in the same bed, sharing every moment. And instantly, a wave of goosebumps had hit her. Way too close. Friends are friends...

As the car came to a full stop, Lin Xian quietly studied Xiao Wanqing’s serene profile as she waited for the light to change. Her long lashes fluttered softly, catching the light, rising and falling. Then, in a gentle voice, Lin Xian asked, “Aunt Xiao… if you’re still single at thirty-five, let’s live together, okay?”

Her tone was soft, but far too serious for a joke. Xiao Wanqing’s eyes widened slightly as she turned to glance at Lin Xian—only to be caught by those warm, sincere eyes staring right into hers. For a moment, she felt herself drowning in the girl's gaze.

Just like that, her mind wandered... Lin Xian would be twenty-one by then, even more strikingly beautiful than she was now. What would she look like then...?

And then—a car behind them honked. The light had turned green two seconds ago. They were in front, still motionless.

Startled by the sound, Xiao Wanqing quickly snapped out of it, tore her gaze away, and stared firmly ahead as she restarted the car.

Lin Xian had been watching her the whole time and had seen it clearly—her moment of daze, and then the way a faint blush crept slowly up her ears once she turned away.

Like a little fox, Lin Xian’s eyes sparkled mischievously. But her voice was all innocence as she pressed on, pretending to be wronged. “Isn’t living together like this already kind of nice?”

Compared to how vividly she’d imagined living with Wen Tong back then, this time, Xiao Wanqing hadn’t even pictured anything. And yet… somehow, something felt off.

It’s… kinda warm in here…

She bit her lip and muttered awkwardly, “It’s... it’s nice.”

Lin Xian giggled quietly and said with a straight face, “Aunt Xiao, is it just me, or is it kinda stuffy in here? I feel a little hot...”

Ah, that’s it.

Xiao Wanqing relaxed her brows, cracked open the window, and replied evenly, “Yeah. It is a little.”