Chapter 50: Thinking of You

How could she be so cute?

Tan Qingya sighed. Unfortunately, they were in public, so she could only suppress her urge to kiss her and merely pinched Zhou Jianghao’s cheek. With a straight face, she said, “I’ll listen to you.”

If anyone who knew Tan Qingya heard those words, they would drop their glasses in shock. After all, she had never been the type to act so obedient.

But the one who heard it was Zhou Jianghao.

Zhou Jianghao, who had always been pampered in the palm of Tan Qingya’s hand.

So she merely blushed at the tips of her ears and didn’t overthink it. She nodded earnestly, then asked softly with a hidden little scheme in mind, “What do you like to eat?”

Tan Qingya was not one to show her preferences openly. Unlike herself, whose likes and dislikes were plain as day, Tan Qingya would sample almost every dish at the table without eating too much of any.

After spending so much time with her, Zhou Jianghao had only discovered that Tan Qingya couldn’t tolerate sour flavors. But that didn’t mean she hated them—Zhou Jianghao had seen her eat sour food with her a few times afterward.

“Me…” This question truly stumped Tan Qingya. From childhood onward, she didn’t seem to have any particularly favorite foods. Her status hadn’t allowed her to be picky either.

From a young age, the Old Madam had dragged her to all sorts of banquets and social events. Revealing herself as picky—this no, that no—would seem too childish. So even foods she disliked, she’d force down a bit, and even favorites she’d learn to restrain. Over the years, she had genuinely forgotten what she liked.

After pondering for a moment, she named a few ordinary dishes. “Kung Pao Chicken and Red Braised Pork—especially the Red Braised Pork.”

These were both dishes Zhou Jianghao had cooked that day she made dinner. Very homey, not much to look at, but full of flavor. It had been a while since she’d had them, and these were the first to come to mind.

“Really?” A smile touched Zhou Jianghao’s usually serene face, her tone rising ever so slightly. “I can make those.”

Since they were dishes she knew how to cook, Zhou Jianghao relaxed considerably. Together with Tan Qingya, she bought all the ingredients. Unfortunately, the carrots and cucumbers weren’t very fresh, so Zhou Jianghao had to give up on the Kung Pao Chicken for now.

With everything purchased, the two headed to the checkout.

Along the way, they passed the snack aisle, and Tan Qingya’s steps suddenly slowed.

“Let’s grab some snacks.” She looked at Zhou Jianghao. “You young girls all love these, right?”

At those words, Zhou Jianghao had a sudden flash of insight. “So you’re pandering to my tastes, trying to win me over by buying me snacks.”

Tan Qingya chuckled. “Not quite.”

She paused, then asked seriously, “You wouldn’t agree to someone’s pursuit just because they bought you a few snack packs, would you?”

Zhou Jianghao shook her head. “No.”

She didn’t particularly like snacks. Most of the time, she preferred a proper meal over them.

“Good. Never agree to someone just because of some trivial thing, no matter what it is.”

“Got it.” Zhou Jianghao nodded, then couldn’t help tugging at Tan Qingya’s sleeve. “No need to buy any. Let’s head back.”

“Alright.” Seeing that Zhou Jianghao really didn’t want any, Tan Qingya didn’t push. She wheeled the cart toward the checkout, where a short line had already formed.

Bored, Tan Qingya lowered her gaze, and her eyes suddenly paused on the shelf.

It was stocked with condoms and finger cots.

Every type imaginable, in all sorts of varieties. The packaging was discreet, yet somehow eye-catching at a glance.

The finger cots they’d used the last two times had been bought by Zhou Jianghao. The most recent time had been especially intense, and they’d used up the ones at home.

Logically, they should restock.

But she’d just declared she was going to pursue her—how could she drag her to bed before even succeeding?

With great difficulty, she tore her gaze away.

Before she could fully look away, a slender, beautiful hand entered her view. Without hesitation, it grabbed three or four boxes and tossed them into the cart.

Tan Qingya looked up in astonishment.

Zhou Jianghao’s little face was set in serious lines. After grabbing the items, she bowed her head, looking perfectly obedient—though the tips of her ears were red enough to bleed.

Hiss—

Tan Qingya drew in a sharp breath.

She’d forgotten: this girl’s enthusiasm for certain activities was no less than her own. After all, Zhou Jianghao had once snuck under the covers to watch adult videos. It was normal for her to be so keen on this stuff.

What if Zhou Jianghao wanted to?

She couldn’t exactly remain unmoved.

Memories of that dough-like softness and the warm, wet passage made Tan Qingya’s breathing grow heavier, a bit ragged. She quickly ducked her head to hide her emotions. At the same time, a twinge of shame crossed her mind. It wasn’t even evening yet—what kind of things was she filling her head with?

Owing to that shame, the moment they got home, she took it upon herself to cook and shooed Zhou Jianghao off to bathe.

“Doctor Zhou, you’ve been busy all day—go take a shower first.” As she spoke, she habitually picked out a set of pajamas for her. “Go on.”

No sooner had she said it than her hand tightened slightly on the pajamas.

This was the set she loved seeing Zhou Jianghao wear the most. Nothing special about it, except that it was revealing, in a bold color that made Zhou Jianghao’s delicate skin look even more snow-white and tempting.

She could still endure looking at her before. But now that she’d had a taste, just thinking about it made her blood surge.

“Never mind.” She quickly put it back and looked at the closet again. “I’ll pick something else for you.”

Unfortunately, all the pajamas were in her style—sexy and revealing. Finding one that covered more was proving difficult.

Zhou Jianghao waited quietly, watching Tan Qingya’s long-fingered hands flip through the pajamas, growing visibly frustrated as she went back and forth. Unable to hold back, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Cough, nothing.” Caught off guard by the question, Tan Qingya felt a pang of guilt and withdrew her hand. “Pick something yourself. I’ll head to the kitchen.”

At that, Zhou Jianghao pressed her lips together.

Ever since she’d grabbed those finger cots, Tan Qingya’s reactions had seemed a bit off.

She glanced back toward the living room, where the flowers Tan Qingya had given her sat. Pure and pristine white, reminiscent of peonies, with a hint of pink—like a cute porcelain doll, brimming with charm.

Before this, she’d always thought flowers for a lover were supposed to be flamboyantly gorgeous. This was the first time she’d seen something so adorably cute.

Yet its stems and leaves were a bit like roses, thorns and all.

It made her think of Tan Qingya—completely the opposite type. Tan Qingya seemed unattainably lofty on the surface, but was actually considerate and gentle. Just like this Cute Porcelain, full of delightful contrasts.

Even in bed.

Recalling their last time together, she ducked her head. Tan Qingya was very different in bed from her usual self. Zhou Jianghao loved it, but Tan Qingya probably didn’t like it as much.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so long without them doing it again.

Maybe that night, she hadn’t satisfied Tan Qingya.

But with matters like this, no amount of theoretical knowledge helped much. Practice made perfect, after all. She needed to experiment in the moment to improve.

With that in mind, her gaze swept over the pajamas—none quite satisfied her. After a moment’s thought, she pulled out a few lingerie sets she’d bought at the adult store that day.

The first time, it had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. She hadn’t even gotten to wear them before things heated up in the bathroom with Tan Qingya. Afterward, amid the chaos, they’d only used finger cots. She’d secretly washed the lingerie and hidden it, keeping it from Tan Qingya’s notice.

It was convenient for her now.

Dinner was sumptuous.

Tan Qingya’s cooking was excellent. Even though it wasn’t her favorite, the aroma tempted Zhou Jianghao. She found herself reaching for more bites than usual.

During the time they’d been living together, her appetite had grown from half a bowl to two full ones.

Remembering how late their last romp had gone, she hesitated, then thought about getting seconds. After all, if they ended up naked and embracing later and her stomach started growling like an empty fortress, it would be awkward.

With that, she stood with her bowl.

“Baby.” Tan Qingya caught her arm and, under her puzzled gaze, reminded her wryly, “You’ve already had two bowls. Any more and you’ll get indigestion.”

She was thrilled to see Zhou Jianghao eating more, but everything had its limits.

She’d realized now: this girl was single-minded. When she liked something, she couldn’t moderate herself—like an addict.

“Ah…” Zhou Jianghao glanced at the dishes on the table. “I think I can eat a bit more.”

There was still plenty left. Tan Qingya couldn’t possibly finish it all, and she never ate leftovers. Those dishes would end up in the trash.

“Sure?” Seeing her insistence, Tan Qingya wavered. It was normal to overeat when really hungry sometimes.

“Sure.”

Zhou Jianghao nodded firmly.

At that, Tan Qingya let go but still cautioned her uneasily. “Don’t eat too much.”

Unfortunately, Zhou Jianghao’s mind was full of evening plans and the food on the table. She didn’t take the warning to heart.

Only after dinner, when she stood up, did the discomfort in her stomach slowly emerge. Her movements grew sluggish. Tan Qingya, who was clearing the dishes, looked over. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Zhou Jianghao pressed her lips together, swallowing the unease and answering quickly.

Her ears were burning.

Tan Qingya had warned her, but she’d insisted. Now that she really was stuffed, her face burned with embarrassment. She didn’t dare let Tan Qingya know.

Owing to the discomfort and guilt, she didn’t even fight to wash the dishes.

While Tan Qingya cleaned up in the kitchen, she frowned and began pacing the living room to help digestion.

Her stomach felt bloated and miserable. She wanted to vomit but couldn’t.

Zhou Jianghao walked several laps around the room, but the discomfort in her stomach showed no signs of easing. Her head even began to spin, and her face slowly turned pale.

Sensing that Tan Qingya was about to emerge from the kitchen, she hurriedly sat down on the sofa and glanced toward her. “I’ll watch some TV. You go ahead and take care of your own stuff.”

“Together.” Instead of heading to the study as Zhou Jianghao had hoped, Tan Qingya settled beside her and pulled her into her arms. Seeing those slightly parted red lips, her heart stirred. She leaned down for a gentle kiss. “We haven’t watched TV together yet.”

Zhou Jianghao responded with a distracted hum.

The queasiness in her stomach persisted relentlessly. It felt like everything she’d eaten was lodged right at the back of her throat—one wrong move, and she’d throw up.

To make matters worse, Tan Qingya was sitting right there beside her. She couldn’t let her discomfort show.

“By the way, do you like the flowers I got you?” Tan Qingya’s gaze drifted to the Cute Porcelain bouquet in the vase, then back to Zhou Jianghao. “The moment the shop assistant mentioned the name, you immediately came to mind.”

So cute that anyone would want to cradle it in their arms every single day—yet fragile as fine porcelain, with a delicate frame that seemed like it might shatter at the slightest touch.

But Zhou Jianghao appeared utterly distracted. She replied with a flat, “Mm.”

Tan Qingya paused, momentarily taken aback.

Picking up on Zhou Jianghao’s cool detachment—and recalling how she’d just urged her to go off and busy herself—she hesitated before saying, “I just remembered, I still have some unfinished work. I’ll head to the study…”

“Good! No problem. I can watch TV by myself.”

The words were cut off midsentence. The irrepressible glee in that tone was impossible to hide. Tan Qingya looked up at her in disbelief, only to find Zhou Jianghao’s eyes sparkling brightly, her face practically screaming, Get out of here already!

—Could it be that Zhou Jianghao was starting to find her too clingy?