Running away from the Love-Brain

Colorful Leaf Taro

Q: Did you know that you're the only one who calls her Cui Muhuo?

A: Well, did you know? She's the only one who calls me Chi Buyu.

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But Chi Buyu has always been overly enthusiastic.

Like that song "Good Luck Comes" playing in her headphones, she is always filled with a vibrant energy, whether good or bad; it seems like she is perpetually in high spirits.

Cui Xijin thought in the sweltering heat of Bangkok—

People like Chi Buyu probably don't send mass New Year blessings.

Since it's not a mass message, there's probably a need for a response. Cui Xijin absentmindedly chewed on the last bite of her fried rice. Patiently waiting for Zhu Hai to finish singing the final line "Good luck comes from all directions," she sent a reply into the lingering echoes of 2023:

"Happy New Year, big beauty!"

"Big beauty, your mango ice is ready!"

Just as she hit send, a Chinese staff member in red brought over a cup of bright yellow mango ice, speaking with a thick accent.

Cui Xijin politely moved her fried rice aside, allowing the staff to place the shaved ice down, and said cheerfully, "Thank you."

The staff member smiled and waved her hand, awkwardly saying, "No need to thank me—Happy New Year!" Before leaving, she grinned widely and added, "Big beauty, your mood seems better now, huh?"

Mood better now... huh?

That judgment had a certain subjectivity that Cui Xijin didn't agree with.

She took a sip of the cold mango ice that went down to her throat. Her childhood doctor had always told her not to consume any cold drinks. But this was Thailand, and none of her doctors were Thai.

The fresh, juicy mango was smashed into bits, mixed with shaved ice, and drizzled with sweet coconut milk—a perfect balance of sweetness and chill that felt just right.

The indulgence felt surprisingly refreshing.

Her temporarily set-aside phone vibrated, and through the sweet, refreshing mango ice, she saw her message "Happy New Year, big beauty," along with the exclamation marks that popped up in the chat, followed by a "typing..." that lingered for a few seconds.

It seemed Chi Buyu was over there, scratching her head and probably wondering if she'd taken the wrong medicine.

Thinking of this situation made her laugh. She glanced at the avatar of Zhu Hai in the music sharing link.

The glass of mango ice was fogged up with condensation.

She tapped her finger on it, collecting some mist, and then typed a follow-up message on the screen:

"What I meant by big beauty was Zhu Hai."

The "typing..." on the other end instantly paused, followed by a penguin emoticon slapping someone. Two seconds later, another message appeared:

"Cui Muhuo, you're so annoying!"

Cui Xijin lifted her chin slightly, sipping her mango ice as she typed back: "Wasn't that song sung to me by the big beauty?"

On the evening of the first day of the New Year, Chi Buyu, feeling quite bored, quickly replied:

"Can't the one sending blessings also be the big beauty?"