Girl Talk

Yu Zan's top New Year's resolution was to start working out. As a result, Sun Mei found herself getting dragged to daily yoga classes as soon as Mr. Wu got home every afternoon.

"Are you having fun at yoga?" Mr. Wu asked her right before she left home for her second lesson.

Sun Mei looked at him with a deadpan expression. "I'm so flexible, I'm having trouble sitting cross-legged on the mat comfortably."

Mr. Wu laughed. "So that's a no?"

"I'm just waiting it out until Yu Zan gets bored and hoping I don't break any limbs in the meantime."

"That's what best friends are for!" he told her with a wink.

Actually, what Sun Mei found the hardest was how quiet everyone had to be during the lesson. Although she was not a chatterbox, she had been trying in vain to find a chance to tell Yu Zan about her nap on the couch with Mr. Wu.

Unfortunately, she was barely able to get a few words in before the lesson started.

"I'm sore all over my body," Yu Zan told her as they spread down their mats on the wooden floor. "I think I've started using muscles I didn't even know I had."

"I'm actually okay," said Sun Mei in confusion. "I sweat like crazy while I'm here, but I'm not as sore as I thought I would be."

"Either you're doing something right or very wrong," Yu Zan said with a smile.

"I figured."

As Sun Mei started laughing at herself, the instructor walked in and everyone went silent.

During the first ten minutes of the lesson, Sun Mei regretted ever deciding to go. However, as time went by, she felt gradually better, even though she felt increasingly tired.

When the instructor told them to close their eyes and lie on their backs during the last five minutes of the session, Sun Mei relaxed so much that she nodded off.

"Sun Mei? Sun Mei! Wake up, you lazy bear! You're embarrassing me!"

Yu Zan's voice brought Sun Mei back to reality. She bolted upright immediately, rubbed her eyes and looked around her in shame.

"Where's everyone?" she asked in confusion.

"They are already in the locker room. You really nailed that last pose. They felt completely embarrassed."

"Which pose?"

"The sleeping one!"

Sun Mei smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I've been nailing that lately. Just ask Mr. Wu."

Yu Zan shook her head. "I'm not following."

"I'll explain. Can we go get a cup of coffee or something?"

"You don't need to ask. I can tell that you need it!"

They quickly left the yoga studio and ducked into a nearby coffeehouse. As soon as the waiter took their order, Sun Mei recounted the whole sleeping incident with Mr. Wu.

"You slept with your boss?" Yu Zan looked at her in amazement. Her voice was so loud that a couple of patrons turned to look at them.

"Would you lower your voice?" Sun Mei whispered to her. "Especially when that's not really what happened?"

"That is literally what happened."

"I know, but people tend to draw other conclusions!"

Yu Zan waved her hands impatiently. "Okay, spill. I have my own secrets to share. I need a turn!"