◎I Want to Join Your Friend Circle◎
In that moment of ambiguity, even the clearest mind couldn’t refuse. Whether he’d truly been waiting for her was impossible to verify, but his words—”waiting for you”—made Li Xia grin in an instant.
Li Xia: 【What were you thinking while waiting for me?】
F: 【I was thinking, it’s nine o’clock at night Beijing time here in China—how are you still not off work?】
Li Xia teased deliberately: 【Maybe I am off work. I just didn’t come looking for you.】
F: 【I considered that possibility.】
Li Xia: 【Oh?】
F: 【But it would’ve ruined my mood.】
F: 【So I decided to trust you instead.】
Ruined his mood? Was it disappointment?
On her electric scooter, Li Xia caught her reflection in the two round, ear-like rearview mirrors. She was beaming, her face alight with joy.
Single for twenty-six years, truth be told, Li Xia hadn’t encountered many men worth her time.
Most were like shallow books—tedious after a couple of pages. Or flashy covers hiding empty pages within.
F was a book too, beautifully bound, drawing her in to read on her own.
And this first page? It set her heart blooming.
Li Xia had already inserted the key and twisted it to turn on the headlights. But within minutes, a couple of light-seeking mosquitoes had gathered in front of the beams, bumbling dazedly through the glow. She simply twisted it back out, pulled the key free, and focused on her phone instead.
Curious, she typed: 【Are you the type who can be won over by shameless persistence?】
She’d seen plenty of lines like that online lately—probably compliments for guys who seemed innocently pure.
F: 【Are you planning to chase me?】
Li Xia: 【But I can’t do shameless persistence.】
F: 【So how would you chase me?】
…
Li Xia thought for a moment: 【Give me a chance.】
F: 【What kind of chance?】
No more empty talk now. Li Xia had first noticed F because of his photos and lifestyle shots, but his profile shared so little—it couldn’t satisfy her urge to peek into his life or her curiosity.
Staying true to her goal: 【I want to join your friend circle.】
She added: 【I love every photo you take. I want to see more.】
Maybe the reason wasn’t convincing enough.
F clearly wasn’t satisfied.
He asked again: 【Just the photos?】
Fine, Li Xia admitted: 【I want to see you too.】
In that instant, Li Xia stood at the threshold of summer. Days stretching longer, fresh green on the treetops—everything brimmed with hope, welcoming the season ahead.
A gentle breeze brushed her cheek, carrying good news—
F sent a string of numbers and letters first.
Then two words: 【Your chance.】
–
With F’s WeChat code in hand, Li Xia didn’t rush to add him. Horns blared from a traffic jam at the nearby intersection, snapping her back to reality. She looked up, realizing she was still parked in the same spot. Suddenly, she truly understood what it meant to be so lost in bliss that home slipped her mind.
Riding home, Li Xia dashed up the stairs. The moment she stepped inside, Zhao Xiaolan glanced over from the kitchen. “Xia Xia’s back.”
Li Xia let out a cheerful “Ah!”
Zhao Xiaolan had made some fresh millet crisps. “Want some?” she asked.
Li Xia pinched one and popped it in her mouth, crunching happily. “Delicious! With skills like this, you could sell street snacks after retirement—perfect reemployment for seniors.”
Zhao Xiaolan beamed at the praise.
But Li Xia, having slipped off her shoes in the entryway, headed straight for her bedroom.
“Not having more?” Zhao Xiaolan called after her.
“Nah, I’m good.”
Zhao Xiaolan pressed: “What was that thing you wanted to tell me the other day? You said it was bad news.”
Li Xia halted abruptly, remembering her plan to confess the breakup and heartbreak. But right now? She couldn’t muster a single tear! Her mouth wouldn’t stop smiling.
Wrong timing.
Li Xia gave an awkward smile, mumbling evasively, “It’s nothing.”
“Sit down and tell me properly.”
“Really, it’s nothing—heading to my room!” Li Xia drew out her words, slipped inside, spun on tiptoe like a dancer, and shut the door.
Seeing her so happy, Zhao Xiaolan chuckled. “This girl never grows up.”
Qu Shuxin nibbled a crisp but gave up—her teeth couldn’t handle it. Watching TV from the side, she remarked, “Xia Xia seems in high spirits.”
Zhao Xiaolan nodded. “Rare sight.”
“Just hope this romance of hers is reliable.”
Qu Shuxin said, “As long as the kid’s moving forward, distracting herself instead of moping all day, it’s a good thing.”
Zhao Xiaolan agreed. “True. Still, I worry she’ll get hurt again.”
A pause, then she added, “Which makes me want to fill that missing piece for her even more.”
Zhao Xiaolan knew a whole child didn’t crave love—they just experienced it.
Qu Shuxin, ever laid-back, told her not to worry so much.
Middle-aged daughter and elderly mother—sitting together, they couldn’t help but sigh. A crisp crumb fell to the floor; Zhao Xiaolan picked it up and suddenly said, “Mom, don’t say Xia Xia was always crying before. Look at us now, sitting here snacking with no Bread causing chaos, scampering around stealing bites. The house feels so empty and cold.”
Qu Shuxin agreed. “Xia Xia’s a sentimental one.”
Age softened the eyes; she wiped at tears as she spoke. “The little sweater I was knitting for Bread for fall… it’s not even half done. Sigh.”
Zhao Xiaolan’s gaze darted to the sofa corner—a black plastic bag tied to a long crochet hook, stuffed with yarn balls. She lowered her voice. “Hurry and put that away, Mom. Don’t let Xia Xia see it—she’ll get upset all over again.”
Qu Shuxin sighed a couple times. “How’s that matter of yours going? Found anything?”
Zhao Xiaolan shook her head. “Not yet.”
“So you’re giving up?”
“Next week. Xiao Yong and I plan to visit their offline store in person.”
“How many days?”
“Three or four, round trip.”
“Ach, you and Xiao Yong aren’t young anymore. All that travel will wear you out.”
Zhao Xiaolan smiled faintly. “It’s fine. As long as Xia Xia’s happy.”
–
Li Xia changed into pajamas and flung herself onto the soft bed, unable to wait another second.
Holding her breath, she copied F’s personal code, switched to WeChat, searched, clicked add, and sent the friend request: 【It’s me.】
Like clutching a number tag, standing outside the door, waiting for it to open.
Li Xia rubbed her hands and searched again. F’s WeChat name was Finn too, his profile pic the album cover of a band she loved. Plenty to chat about, she thought.
He didn’t keep her waiting long.
Soon, the door swung open: 【I’ve approved your friend verification. We can chat now.】
Li Xia’s eyes lit up.
She fired off a milk tea mouse “Say Hi” sticker first, then got straight to it: 【Thrilled!】
Instant reply: 【Thrilled about what?】
Li Xia: 【You feel more real now.】
Not some distant, enviable Instagram influencer anymore—but someone real, right there in her WeChat list, ready for a chat anytime.
F: 【Wasn’t I real before?】
Li Xia: 【You were.】
Li Xia: 【But like a painting in a gallery, waiting for the right buyer.】
F: 【?】
Li Xia explained: 【It exists, sure. But it had nothing to do with me.】
F: 【And now?】
Li Xia quipped: 【Now I’m the one setting the price.】
F: 【Now I’m nervous.】
Li Xia: 【Scared of what?】
F: 【Dropping in value.】
Li Xia laughed uncontrollably, wondering whose mouth this was—stretching into a grin on its own.
She wasn’t an outsider anymore. Endless opportunities to inspect up close.
In the seconds that followed, her fingers outpaced her brain—she tapped into F’s friend circle for a full browse. But the system noted: Only the last month’s posts visible.
Goal unmet, a twinge of disappointment.
No beating around the bush; she blurted it out like a brute: 【Thought you’d have more photos in your friend circle. Didn’t expect one-month visibility.】
To emphasize her letdown, she added a sighing emoji.
She was probing what kind of person F was.
But F proved generous.
F: 【Should I open it to a few months?】
Li Xia: 【I’m not greedy. Six months.】
He vanished for a minute, then: 【Done.】
Whoa!
Li Xia dove into his profile pic to check. The page loaded with a flood of F’s past posts—images and captions galore. A quick scroll left her dizzy.
Happiness hit too fast.
She couldn’t help asking: 【Are you this nice to every random girl?】
Handing out WeChat so casually, opening up his friend circle just like that.
Of course, even as she typed, Li Xia realized she cared too much. Admire from afar, she reminded herself. From afar.
But one line from him struck her heart.
F: 【Are we strangers?】
F: 【We’ve been following each other for ages.】
Li Xia: 【True.】
F: 【Plus, we just discussed relationship stuff.】
…
So direct.
Li Xia pressed her lips together. Room empty, she rolled across the bed.
Flipping to type on her stomach: 【We’ve talked such deep topics, but I still don’t know what to call you.】
F: 【My surname’s Fang.】
Li Xia: 【Got it, Teacher Fang.】
F: 【And you?】
Li Xia: 【Li. Call me Lizi, or whatever.】
F: 【Got it, Teacher Lizi.】
Now knowing surnames, F asked about her WeChat name: 【Curious—why Chestnut Whirlwind?】
Li Xia rattled off: 【’Cause I love McWhirlwind ice cream, and when I skateboard, I feel like a little whirlwind.】
Li Xia: 【A bit fierce?】
Li Chun often said that Li Xia’s online handle didn’t match her at all. It had a tacky vibe, like a Ragdoll cat decked out in a Northeastern floral padded jacket. But Li Xia had no intention of changing it.
F: 【No】
F: 【Skateboarding is cool】
Li Xia: 【Looks like you’ve been checking out the pics I posted】
Li Xia’s Instagram page was simple to the point of emptiness—no full-face shots. But there were skateboarding photos that Li Chun had snapped of her, each one capturing her riding freely into the wind.
F: 【Of course】
He followed up by asking: 【Is that your dog in the profile pic?】
Li Xia’s profile picture was a half-face pet-and-owner selfie with Bread. Bread was on the left, she was on the right. Bread was a textbook example of a sweet-looking corgi, with a little tuft of black fur on the top of its head and a heart-shaped nose that made it instantly recognizable.
In the photo, Li Xia’s profile was pressed right up against it. Her eyes sparkled, and so did Bread’s—like two black grapes soaked in spring water. Bread had been extra cooperative for that shot, even grinning with just the tiniest bit of tongue peeking out.
Li Xia zoned out for a few seconds before replying to F: 【Yes, its name is Bread】
She didn’t elaborate.
F: 【So cute】
Li Xia: 【Thanks】
F: 【Is the name from its fur color?】
Li Xia was stunned for a split second: 【!! You figured it out!】
Someone had asked her before why she named it Bread. She’d explained: Look at it—so soft and fluffy, yellow and white all mixed together, just like a squishy little bun, with those black fuzzies like the scorched edges from baking.
Without thinking, Li Xia praised him: 【You’re so smart】
F: 【Pretty clever coincidence】
F: 【I have a little dog too, named Melon Seed. Guess the breed】
Li Xia pondered for a moment: 【Border collie?】
F shot back right away: 【Yep, you’re smart too】
Li Xia nearly burst out laughing in her room: 【So we name our pets the same way?】
F: 【Looks like it】
Li Xia: 【What a coincidence】
Li Xia: 【I haven’t seen you post any dog pics】
F: 【I’ll show you next time】
Li Xia: 【Great!】
In just a short while, it felt like she’d learned a little more about him. He had a dog too. Clutching her phone, Li Xia’s heart fluttered wildly. She wanted to roll around in a big pile of cotton candy.
It was hard to imagine that right now, in this very second, behind those heart-stirring words was a handsome face that made her heart race even more.
What did he look like at that moment? What was his mood?
Li Xia couldn’t help but fantasize further, wondering what F’s voice sounded like—whether it was pleasant to the ear.
Tonight, sleep was impossible. Li Xia brimmed with courage.
She cut straight to the chase: 【Teacher Fang, does your voice sound nice?】
After a long pause, F replied: 【I don’t know what qualifies as a nice voice】
He had a point.
Li Xia was about to suggest he send a voice message so she could hear.
But F was F, always one step ahead.
He wrote: 【Find some time, and you can hear for yourself?】
Li Xia wouldn’t dream of refusing. No, she’d raise the stakes—a few seconds of voice note was too dull. She wanted more.
Li Xia: 【Voice call?】
F: 【Sure】
F: 【But I’m working right now, not convenient】
He agreed so readily that Li Xia was screaming internally, though her fingers stayed polite and restrained: 【No rush. Tomorrow?】
F: 【I’m in France—six-hour time difference】
F: 【Whenever works for you】
How agreeable.
Li Xia didn’t hold back: 【I’ve got tons of time after work in the evenings】
F: 【Tomorrow night it is, then】
Tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night.
What beautiful words.
Li Xia felt like she was typing with her heartbeat, her leaping cells, and her irrepressible subconscious, crafting a perfect: 【Okay】
She’d actually tacked on an exclamation point at first, then shyly deleted it.
Finally, F said: 【Teacher Lizi, I’m about to drive now】
Li Xia released her grip right away: 【Okay, go ahead】
The warmth of their chat lingered, and Li Xia felt like she needed to say something to wrap it up. As she agonized over it, a new message popped up from him.
F asked: 【Tomorrow—you calling me, or…?】
For the first time that night, Li Xia felt a flush of shyness. She hemmed and hawed before typing: 【You want the girl to make the first move?】
F: 【Got it】
F: 【Then give me a signal?】
Her cheeks ached from smiling again. In her mind, she was nodding and dancing with excitement, but all she sent was one word: 【Mm】
Finally, F bid her goodnight.
The thought of tomorrow night sparked an idea in Li Xia—
Tomorrow night, she absolutely had to hear him say goodnight to her in person, over the phone.