Cross Lines

Chapter 21: Holiday

Maggie stood there in a daze for a moment, gave a self-deprecating smile, shook her head, and then walked towards her car. Her words weren’t a spur-of-the-moment thing, but she still felt a bit disoriented. As for Emily Luo’s reaction…

Well, it was what it was.

The car slowly rolled out of the garage. There were a few Yafu people still lingering outside, but with the late hour, the streets were rather deserted. Maggie locked the car and was about to turn onto the main road when suddenly, the headlights fell on a person standing on the curb in front of the hotel. The person was facing Maggie’s car, hands in coat pockets, smiling at her.

It was Lola. Maggie quickly rolled down the car window.

“What are you doing here?”

Lola smiled, but because of the cold, she was still huddling up.

“I’m hoping for a ride.”

Maggie looked at Lola’s reddened cheeks with a look of helplessness.

“Get in the car. We’ll talk about it inside.”

As soon as the car door closed, Lola sighed deeply.

“So warm…”

Maggie didn’t move, turned her face slightly, and looked at her meaningfully.

“Are you kidding me?”

“What?”

Lola looked back with an innocent expression, a question mark visible on her face.

“There should be at least one gentleman here who wants to give you a ride. Isn’t it a bit much for you to be standing here so late?”

“Tch!”

Lola put on an expression of disdain, raising her eyebrows at Maggie. “If you want to give me a ride, just do it.”

After getting familiar with each other, Lola’s demeanor had become more relaxed, and her little display of affectation amused Maggie, making her momentarily forget the earlier awkwardness.

“Should I thank you for the honor then?”

“Better get going!”

Lola’s playful attitude was evident, and Maggie couldn’t help but look away from her sparkling eyes.

“Roger that.”

With that, the car slowly started and headed home. They were silent for a while, and Lola then slowly spoke up.

“The performance today was amazing!”

Maggie looked ahead, her lips curling into a smile.

“You’re not refusing others’ offers just to say that, are you?”

“Of course not!”

Lola quickly retorted, and before Maggie could respond, she added.

“I wanted to say… Happy New Year…”

When those words left her lips softly, Maggie was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond. As if in response to the blessing, Maggie’s phone rang with a few New Year’s messages. She glanced at the screen and saw the date, January 1st.

Lola paused, her eyes still on the road, and smiled to herself.

“But the way you said it was really annoying!”

A feeling of intuition stirred in Maggie’s heart. Her earlier comment was just a casual joke, and she had thought Lola would take it lightly like before. However, Lola’s sudden shift in demeanor made the atmosphere slightly awkward. Maggie hesitated for a moment.

However, Maggie quickly shook off the mood, her smile widening.

“Happy New Year!”

Lola didn’t press further and quickly resumed her usual smile. The topic shifted to their New Year’s plans. The subtle tension that had built up between them dissipated quietly.

The next day, Maggie turned off her phone and slept until noon. She got up, made a bowl of noodles, and then went back upstairs to sleep. The past month had been so exhausting that her whole body felt sore.

When she woke up again, it was already evening. As soon as she turned on her phone, it was flooded with New Year’s messages. Before she could even check them, a call came in from her cousin, the screen flashing with the name. Maggie answered absentmindedly, holding the phone to her ear.

“Hello—”

“Where have you been hiding? The phone’s been off all day!”

The explosive voice from the receiver startled Maggie, making her quickly pull the phone away from her ear.

“Nothing, just sleeping.”

The sticky voice indicated that her cousin was used to this situation.

“My mom wants you to come over for dinner!”

“Ah?”

“What do you mean, ‘ah’? Get up, wash up, and get dressed! Don’t keep everyone waiting! Hurry up!”

The commanding tone left no room for argument, and the call ended abruptly. Maggie sat there stunned for a moment, then got up, poured herself a cup of warm water, and drank it in one go.

Putting down the cup, her mind cleared a bit. Maggie thought for a moment, then picked up the phone again, found the number, hesitated, and dialed it.

The ringtone rang for a while before someone answered. A warm, slightly hurried male voice came through.

“Maggie?”

“Yeah, Dad.”

“On vacation? I tried calling you this morning, but you were still asleep at home?”

“Hehe, yeah.”

As Maggie spoke, she descended the stairs. The background noise on the phone was chaotic, mixed with the sounds of children laughing, indicating a family gathering.

“Aunt Zhang wants you to come over for dinner…”

There was hesitation and a hint of apology in her father’s voice. Maggie caught the underlying meaning and quickly raised her voice.

“Dad, you should have told me earlier! Aunt Zhang invited me over, and I already told Yuyu I’d go! I’m leaving now.”

“Oh—”

Her father’s voice carried a mix of disappointment and relief. Unlike Maggie, who was an only child and single, his new spouse had three children, along with sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and grandsons. The family gatherings were always lively. During these times, Maggie’s presence felt awkward, as if she were an outsider in someone else’s family.

“Is Dad still the chef?”

Her father was quite skilled in cooking, which used to be one of Maggie’s greatest joys. However, now it felt like a source of discomfort.

“Yes…”

“Don’t overdo it, okay? Don’t tire yourself out.”

“Mm, I know. It’s fine.”

Since losing her mother, Maggie and her father had become somewhat distant. While the family bond remained, expressing it was no longer as natural as it was when Maggie was younger.

“Well… Dad, you go ahead and get busy. I’ll head to Aunt Zhang’s…”

“Okay… drive carefully.”

“I know, Dad. I’ll hang up now.”

“Alright.”

After the call ended, Maggie sat on the armrest of the sofa, lost in thought for a while. Fleeting images flashed through her mind, leaving her heart feeling heavy. However, Maggie was not one to let her emotions take over. She quickly ended her nostalgic reverie, took a shower, changed her clothes, and headed to the family gathering with a lighter mood.

Although her aunt’s house was also filled with family, the connection through blood made it feel much better. Maggie was scolded by her aunt and cousin for not having a boyfriend and getting married, then was stuffed with various delicious foods. Finally, she left with several bags of food, kissed her little niece’s apple cheeks, and said goodbye to her aunt’s family.

Though it was cold, the family had rolled down the car windows a bit, letting the chilly night air come in and quickly wake her up. Checking the time, it was just past eight. With nothing pressing back home, Maggie decided to change course and visit the Topo Bar.

Due to the holiday, there were more people than usual. The bar had simple decorations and looked quite lively. Eva was at the bar, smoking as usual, observing the people with a detached gaze. Occasionally, a familiar face would come by for a brief chat.

Maggie sat at the bar, her head resting on her arm, letting out a long sigh. The bartender, Xiao An, while busy with his tasks, joked with her.

“Maggie, did you lose your soul or something?”

Eva glanced at Maggie as she heard Xiao An’s comment but didn’t say anything. Maggie huffed.

“I’m heartbroken!”

Xiao An looked at his boss, suppressing a laugh.

“When did you even have a relationship? How could you be heartbroken so suddenly?”

He poured Maggie a glass of juice.

“Did you run into trouble with Emily Luo?”

Eva turned her head, blowing out a puff of smoke, and said lightly. Maggie looked up immediately.

“How did you know?”

Eva laughed disdainfully.

“Your emotions are written all over your face.”

“Really?”

Maggie straightened up but then slumped back down, feeling defeated.

“If even you can see it, yet she acts like she didn’t hear it.”

Seeing Eva shake her head, Maggie became curious.

“Do you know Emily Luo?”

“Mm.”

“Are you close?”

“Not particularly.”

Eva remained in her usual pose, showing no emotional change.

“Does she come here often?”

“Two or three times a month.”

Maggie’s curiosity grew.

“Why haven’t I seen her before?”

“You two’s schedules must have just missed each other. You usually leave before eleven, and she comes by late at night after finishing her shift.”

Eva patiently explained, which further piqued Maggie’s curiosity.

“Then tell me about the story between her and Qiqi. You know Qiqi, right?”

Eva paused, looked at Maggie, and extinguished her cigarette.

“There’s no story.”

Maggie made a face.

“Don’t be so stingy. Tell me something…”

Eva smiled.

“It's not about being stingy, it's just that there isn't anything to say. Emily Luo and Qiqi are just childhood friends, nothing more. I've seen them a few times, and Qiqi has an absolute aversion to relationships between women.”

“So you mean all the emotional entanglements between them are just Emily Luo's one-sided feelings?”

Eva didn't answer, but the expression on her face made the answer clear.

“Is she out of her mind?”

Thinking about the current relationships among herself, Emily Luo, and Qiqi, Maggie felt a wave of disillusionment wash over her, as if her worldview was being shaken.

Even after finishing half of her juice, Maggie remained absorbed in this revelation, lying on the bar and lamenting about life. Eva took out a cigarette from her pack, lit it with her lighter, and then tapped Maggie on the head. When Maggie looked up at her, Eva gave a nod toward the door.

Maggie turned around and saw Emily Luo, wrapped in a scarf, standing there with a blank expression, staring at her.