Chapter 30 Part 2

She listened to her breathing grow steadier and steadier, and knew she had fallen asleep.

In the darkness, Lin Xuqing wanted to roll over and face outward—afraid of waking her, yet also feeling that lying like this… looked rather ill-intentioned. So she held still, lying flat on her back, not knowing when she finally sank into heavy sleep.

When she woke, it was only six thirty in the morning.

She had slept poorly, dreaming all night, and in the half-dream half-wake she’d had the vague sense she’d talked in her sleep. She did indeed have that bad habit—though whether she’d actually done it last night, she had no way of knowing.

She wanted to lie there a while longer, reluctant to leave the warm room. After long hesitation, she pulled back the covers, picked up her pillow, and tiptoed out of bed—not even daring to put on her shoes, carrying them out in her hand.

Before opening the door, she turned her head, and only then dared to look at the sleeping woman.

Jiang Min lay on her side, facing her.

Her long hair had slipped loose; she was still deep in sweet dreams, her sleeping face quiet and gentle.

Lin Xuqing forced herself to look away.

Open the door. Leave.

At eight thirty, the alarm rang, and Jiang Min reached out and shut it off.

Though already awake, she kept her eyes closed and dozed a while longer.

She hadn’t slept this well in ages.

The sound of the water heating had bothered her at first, but once she’d fallen deep asleep, she hadn’t heard a thing.

She glanced over—the other bed was empty, the covers neatly remade.

How is Lin Xuqing up this early, without making a sound?

She got up and got ready. Coming downstairs, she saw people already at the dining table on the ground floor.

“Morning, A-Min.” Jiang Xuezi set down her milk and greeted her.

“Morning. You’re all up early.”

“I went to bed too early last night, so I woke early. Mi Wei, apparently, was woken by hunger. Huihui and Little Yu are still asleep.”

“Where’s Mi Wei?”

“In the kitchen. Little Lin is making breakfast, and Mi Wei is helping.”

“They don’t provide breakfast here?”

“The Head Chef doesn’t come on until eleven. They provided milk, coffee, bread slices, and butter. Mi Wei said she couldn’t stomach ‘white people food,’ so Little Lin asked the kitchen what ingredients they had and said she’d cook noodles herself.”

“She never does fear the trouble…”

No wonder she was up so early—she’d gotten up to make breakfast for everyone.

“Senior Sister, you’re up too!” Mi Wei poked her head halfway out of the kitchen to greet her. “Breakfast is almost ready, just a moment~”

Jiang Min said it was fine. “I wasn’t woken by hunger either.”

“It’s barely morning and you’re already teasing me!”

Amid the laughter, You Hui and Tang Xiaoyu came downstairs one after the other.

“Smells amazing! What are you making?”

“Perfect timing! Breakfast is served, breakfast is served!”

Mi Wei made several trips, ferrying the food to the table.

You Hui marveled, “Fried eggs, congee, bamboo-shoot and shredded pork noodles, spicy beef noodles, blanched lettuce, steamed corn, steamed sweet potato… This breakfast is way too lavish, isn’t it?”

Tang Xiaoyu let out a wow. “Oho, I can’t even imagine—whoever marries our Sister Little Lin, how lucky would she be.”

Mi Wei nodded furiously. “Right, right, so right.”

Wife?

Jiang Min’s brow creased. She couldn’t quite picture Lin Xuqing married to anyone.

“Talking nonsense,” Lin Xuqing said, finally finished, coming out of the kitchen and pulling off her apron, hanging it casually to one side.

“Hard work, Little Lin, cooking all this time.”

“It’s nothing. Most of it was ready-made; I just cooked it. Dig in—no need to wait for me.”

“No way. You did all the cooking, of course we wait. Don’t tell me you got up at five?”

Lin Xuqing said, “No. I woke a little after six, came down around seven.”

Jiang Min picked up the thread casually. “Seven—so early. No wonder I didn’t hear anything.”

You Hui was puzzled. “You? Hear anything?”

“Oh, last night Little Lin and the others were talking in the corridor—said her room’s heating was broken, so she stayed over in my room for the night.”

Jiang Xuezi asked, “‘They’?”

Tang Xiaoyu: “Oh… she called me first, so we chatted in the corridor for a bit.”

Mi Wei, just finishing off a bowl of bamboo-shoot noodles, said, “Then why didn’t she stay in your room?”

Tang Xiaoyu: “I—I disturb people when I sleep.”

She was starting to panic. Miss, I’m begging you, stop asking! Any further and even the Yellow River couldn’t wash me clean!

But Mi Wei caught none of her signals. “Disturb people? Do you snore, or talk in your sleep? Or sleepwalk?”

Tang Xiaoyu, through gritted teeth: “I. Snore.”

Mi Wei nodded. “Ohh, ohh.”

You Hui laughed as she listened. “Wouldn’t have guessed. You don’t look the type.”

Tang Xiaoyu wanted to cry with no tears to shed, and nearly buried her face in her noodle bowl.

Jiang Xuezi asked with a smile, “So how did you and Little Lin sleep last night?”

“About as expected.”

Jiang Min felt something odd about the phrasing. What did “slept together” even mean—they weren’t sharing a bed.

Lin Xuqing listened to their chatter, too embarrassed to join in, still turning over in her mind: had she disturbed Jiang Min last night?

She wanted to ask, but didn’t dare.

Afraid she might have said something she shouldn’t have while asleep.

After breakfast, Mi Wei said she still wanted to ski, and Jiang Xuezi, ever dutiful, went with her to keep practicing.

Jiang Min and You Hui stood at the entrance, eyeing the little hills nearby. A morning hike—nothing better.

Seeing Tang Xiaoyu looking deflated, Lin Xuqing felt a twinge of guilt. “Should I go say something to You Hui-jie?”

“No need,” Tang Xiaoyu refused flatly. “I’ll say it myself. You’d only make it worse.”

Eldest Miss Tang was a woman of action—once her mind was made up, she moved. Just then Jiang Min walked back toward the front desk lady, and Tang Xiaoyu headed toward You Hui.

Jiang Min asked, “Is she coming hiking too?”

“Maybe.” Lin Xuqing paused. “Last night—did I disturb you?”

“Disturb me?”

Jiang Min had no idea where she’d gotten that idea, and decided to tease her. “You did.”

Lin Xuqing asked at once, “Then what did I do?”

Jiang Min answered breezily, “Guess.”

With that, she stepped around her and went in to find the front desk lady, asking which hiking route would be better.

Lin Xuqing stood rooted in place, at a loss.

Outside the main gate.

Tang Xiaoyu planted herself in front of You Hui. “Jiejie, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well…”

You Hui watched her fingers unconsciously pinch at the hem of her jacket, puzzled, and softened her voice. “What’s wrong? Go ahead.”

“I—” Tang Xiaoyu drew a deep breath, words speeding up, “I don’t like sharing a room with other people. Even though Lin Xuqing and I are roommates, at home we each have our own rooms, you know?”

“Hm? So?”

“So, last night—I was afraid she’d think I looked down on her and feel hurt. The snoring was a made-up excuse! I’m completely quiet when I sleep!”

“I see…”

Tang Xiaoyu worked up the courage to get through that whole speech, her ear tips red.

You Hui looked at her ears and thought: Why does she care so much about what I think?

“For the sake of my lifelong reputation, I had to set the record straight. That’s all—okay then. I’m going skiing later too. You all enjoy your hike.”

“Oh… okay.”

You Hui watched the girl’s retreating figure—light on her feet, seemingly in high spirits.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

You Hui hastily pulled her gaze back. “What did the front desk say?”

Jiang Min answered, “She says we can hike it. She recommends the middle path. Little Lin says she’s not going. Shall we?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Lin Xuqing watched Tang Xiaoyu return, astonished at her execution speed. “You actually told her?”

Tang Xiaoyu nodded grandly. “Told her. You think everyone’s like you?”

“Like me, how?”

“Slow as molasses, that’s what. So tell me—how was last night?”

Lin Xuqing’s cheeks burned. “How was what?”

Tang Xiaoyu was getting anxious. “Hey! Lin Xuqing! I went through all that trouble to create an opportunity for you, at the cost of my own dignity, and you two even slept in the same room—and there’s nothing? No follow-up?”

“‘Slept together’? It was one room. Watch your words.”

“Yes, yes, one room, that’s all. So you didn’t even hug her? Holding hands, at least?”

Lin Xuqing stayed silent.

After a long while, she shook her head.

Tang Xiaoyu: “…”

AAAAARGH, she could strangle her!

“I hate that you’re a block of wood!”

Lin Xuqing lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Being able to stay by her side now, watching her from even a distance—that was already enough. She didn’t dare imagine what would become of them if she ever said it out loud.

Would she be disgusted by her? She didn’t know. She didn’t dare gamble on it.

And she couldn’t afford that quiet, unspoken distance.

Tang Xiaoyu sighed. “You know, you still care about her too much.”

Lin Xuqing smiled. “I can’t help it.”

“All right, enough of that. Let’s go ski some more.”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

The little mountain wasn’t tall—forty minutes one way. By the time Jiang Min and You Hui finished their hike and came down, it was exactly eleven thirty. After lunch they’d head back, with plenty of time to spare.

Jiang Min loaded her luggage into the trunk and saw Lin Xuqing standing a short distance away, brow furrowed, looking like she wanted to ask something but was too embarrassed to.

Jiang Min froze for a beat.

She can’t still be hung up on that one throwaway line of mine, can she?

“Lin Xuqing. Come here.”

“What is it?”

Hearing her voice, Lin Xuqing walked over as if granted a pardon, her dark eyes quietly fixed on her.

Jiang Min found her both pitiable and funny. Don’t tell me she’s been carrying that casual joke of mine around all day, miserable over it?

Before Jiang Min could speak, Lin Xuqing couldn’t hold back. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jiang Min reached out and pinched her cheek, saying softly, “I was lying to you.”

Pinched on the cheek, Lin Xuqing instinctively wanted to step back two paces—she held herself in check, and asked in a muffled voice, “Lied to me about what?”

“You didn’t disturb me at all. I made it up.” Jiang Min released her fingers, looking at her with smiling eyes.

“Stop going around with a face like a drawn bow all day,” her warm palm brushed along her cheek. “Smile a little. Be happy.”