The Kindhearted Girl Gets a Wife 26

Chapter 26

Pei Yunle felt a huge white mushroom cloud explode in her head. She spread her arms wide and braced herself against the walls of the bathtub. The shower curtain sagged between them, covering most of their faces. Her gaze was like a drop of water, sliding down from the tip of Chen Qingtang’s nose to her full, moist lips.

Pei Yunle’s throat bobbed. She felt her salivary glands working overtime. Her knees, kneeling on the porcelain floor, began to ache. There were two ways to stop the pain from continuing. One was to push herself up from the bathtub wall. The other was to move forward and fall into the bathtub with Chen Qingtang.

Chen Qingtang’s back was against the cold, hard white porcelain. The two perpendicular walls trapped her in the corner. The stuffy shower curtain made the air in the irregular space even thinner.

A short, stout figure appeared on the colored glass door, followed by a slow knock. “Did one of you fall in there?”

Hearing this, Chen Qingtang’s heart was in a mess, as if she had been caught in an affair. She felt all her strength gather in her arms. She released the shoulder strap that was wrapped around her fingertips and pushed Pei Yunle back hard.

The shower curtain was lifted, and the white light instantly swallowed the surrounding dim yellow. The ambiguous atmosphere dissipated. What came into view was no longer the creamy white of each other’s skin, but the water heater on the wall and the blue panels of the ceiling.

Pei Yunle stood up from the floor, but she couldn’t get up from the bathtub.

Pei Yunle didn’t care if her bra was adjusted properly. She pulled her clothes from the plastic hook and put them on over her head. “No, no, the bathroom floor is a little slippery, I just bumped into it. It’s okay, Grandma.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Hearing the footsteps go from near to far, gradually disappearing from her ears, Pei Yunle shook her wrist. The sore and weak discomfort immediately spread from her wrist. She looked back and saw that Chen Qingtang was still half-lying in the bathtub. She had fallen too quickly and couldn’t stand up.

Pei Yunle couldn’t help but laugh a few times. She grabbed Chen Qingtang’s ankle, but the other person lightly kicked her on the shoulder. She wasn’t angry. “Are you okay? Did you fall anywhere?”

She wasn’t injured, but the edge of the bathtub was pressing against her bones, and her thighs and spine were sore. Chen Qingtang lowered her eyes and shook her head.

Pei Yunle looked over and felt that Chen Qingtang was not very happy. She thought it was because she hadn’t helped her up, so she stepped into the bathtub and, with her other hand around Chen Qingtang’s slender waist, her biceps showing a smooth shape, she lifted Chen Qingtang out of the bathtub.

The bathroom was not big enough for two people. A single turn would brush against each other. Pei Yunle opened the door, first poked her head out to see if there was anyone outside, and was about to go out when the door was slammed shut. A gust of wind blew on her face, and she shivered.

Chen Qingtang pressed over from the side and poked her own lips with her fingertip. The light shone on her face, casting shadows of varying depths.

Pei Yunle was taken aback. She looked from her eyebrows down to her chin. “What’s wrong with your mouth? Did you hit it just now?”

Seeing that her lips were an unnatural red, as if they were redder than usual, Pei Yunle cupped her face and looked at her again and again.

Chen Qingtang shook her head. Why was this person like a block of wood? Couldn’t she tell she wanted a kiss?!

Pei Yunle was taller than her, so she had to stand on her tiptoes.

“What’s wrong? Did you fall on your foot?” Pei Yunle bent down to touch her calf. “Did you twist your ankle or hit your thigh?”

Chen Qingtang lifted her calf and kicked her on the butt.

Pei Yunle covered the spot that had just been kicked. “What’s wrong? Where are you uncomfortable? Now my butt is uncomfortable too.”

Chen Qingtang’s hands hung by her sides, and she frowned at this block of wood.

“Okay, then you go out first. I’ll go out later.”

The two of them looked at each other under the bright light bulb for a while. Chen Qingtang flung her hand and left.

The bathroom door was open, and the outside air rushed in, sweeping away the heat in the room. It was as if nothing had happened just now.

Pei Yunle went back to her room. When she passed by Chen Qingtang’s room, she stood there for a while. She pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear something, but there was nothing.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” The old woman stood at the top of the stairs with her hands behind her back, quietly watching her against the light.

Pei Yunle coughed, spread her arms, and leaned against the wall, her face still pressed against it. “This wall is so wall-like. My ears are a little hot, I’ll just cool them down.”

“When are you leaving? Your mother said you’re going back to take the exam for a job.”

Pei Yunle glanced at the door. The walls here had such poor soundproofing, let alone this old wooden door. It was probably like a surround sound system.

“I’m not taking the exam, and I’m not leaving.”

“Eh, are you going to live here for the rest of your life?” Grandma Liu walked over, her face full of wrinkles, like the gullies of eroded soil.

“Can’t I?” Pei Yunle replied sheepishly, her voice growing smaller and smaller.

“What about your mother?”

Pei Yunle was at a loss for words. The written exam was in a few months, and she hadn’t thought about those things yet. Besides, Lin Zilan didn’t need her.

“Good luck.” Grandma Liu said with a chuckle and went back to her room.

Pei Yunle scratched her head. She had only gone back for a meal, which Lin Zilan had invited her to out of courtesy. But whether she went or not was her own business.

She sullenly went back to her room. The nightdress she was wearing was still the dirty one from the day, but there were two sets of clothes folded on the bed, one was pajamas, and the other was normal casual wear.

…

The roosters crowed continuously in the morning, from far to near, and then from near to far.

The main gate was still open. She heard the sound of someone splashing water outside from time to time.

Chen Qingtang held a small piece of toast in one hand and a carton of pure milk in the other.

The two large bags of bread were finally being eaten, but after two days, some of the bread was no longer fresh and was a little dry and hard. Even so, Chen Qingtang still ate it mouthful by mouthful.

Pei Yunle moved a small stool and sat next to her, opening her mouth. “Ah~”

Chen Qingtang was about to take another piece from the bag, but her hand was caught by Pei Yunle. “I want the one in your hand.”

There was no other way. Chen Qingtang broke off a small piece of the bread in her hand and threw it into Pei Yunle’s mouth.

After chewing a few times, Pei Yunle swallowed. “It’s not fresh anymore, and you’re still eating it.” With that, she took Chen Qingtang’s milk carton and took two big gulps from the straw.

“It’s not because I bought it, is it?”

Chen Qingtang glanced at her and stuffed the rest of the bread into her mouth.

“Hey, let’s go get our hair dyed today. My black roots are already showing, it’s so ugly.” Pei Yunle grabbed a handful of dry hair ends and looked at them. “And it’s already starting to turn yellow.”

Chen Qingtang looked up slightly. The head had three colors: pink, yellow, and black.

—Do you have money?

These four words dampened Pei Yunle’s enthusiasm. She took out her phone and looked at her balance. “It should be enough, right? It can’t be more expensive here than in Anyang, can it?”

Chen Qingtang shook her head. She didn’t know either. Other than a wash, cut, and blow-dry, she had never dyed her hair before, let alone knew the price.

The two of them said goodbye to Grandma Liu and went to the nearest hair salon on West Street.

There was no Tony with a walkie-talkie, no creative director, just a female owner with yellow hair.

The paint on the walls of the store was peeling, and there were a few water-damaged spots in the corners. Pei Yunle lay in the shampoo chair, her fingers clenched.

The owner applied the dye to her hair in sections and then went to play on her phone.

Chen Qingtang looked at the several patches of white dye, wondering if it could really be dyed pink. She bent down for a closer look, but the pungent smell made her straighten up again.

Pei Yunle was amused by her appearance. “Do you want to dye yours too? I have pink hair, the owner has yellow hair. You can go and dye yours a different color.”

Chen Qingtang had wanted to refuse. If she walked down the street with a head of colored hair, she would definitely attract a lot of attention, like a monkey in a zoo.

But the person in the chair had never considered this aspect. She just felt happy and went to get it dyed.

—What color do you think I should dye it?

Pei Yunle raised an eyebrow. She had just said it casually, not expecting Chen Qingtang to actually have this idea.

“Um… yellow is unnecessary, and it will fade to yellow in the end anyway. Brown is too common. You should dye your hair green, it matches your name so well.”

Chen Qingtang couldn’t imagine what she would look like with a head of green hair, standing there like a tree. But she also felt that Pei Yunle was right. Since she had decided to dye it, there was no need to choose a color that was not noticeable or too common.

“Do you want to get a perm?”

The owner popped out from the side.

“No, I’m tired of things like wool rolls.”

“Hey, we have a perming technique here that you’ve definitely never tried before.”

“Ah? What technique?” Pei Yunle didn’t believe her.

The owner took out a pair of fire tongs from the back room. “We use this to perm. People used to do it like this in the old days.”

Chen Qingtang saw Pei Yunle’s mouth drop open in the mirror. “Is this for perming pig skin?”

“Not that bad. I’ll give you a free try, I guarantee it will look good.”

“Okay! Then you can perm it.” Pei Yunle agreed readily. She wanted to try everything.

“Then I’ll go and heat this up first. You wait for me.”

The owner left with the fire tongs. After a long time, she came back with the red-hot tongs.

She placed them at the ends of Pei Yunle’s hair. “I’m starting now.”

Pei Yunle had a bad feeling, but she also wanted to see what kind of monster this was. “Go ahead.”

Steam rose from the pink hair. Pei Yunle felt a wave of heat on her scalp. Although it didn’t burn her skin, she still watched the whole process with a grimace.

“Actually, it looks okay.” The owner released the fire tongs and looked from a distance. Perhaps she hadn’t controlled the heat well. Although the hair wasn’t burned off, the curls were not uniform, with varying lengths, a bit like the small curls that old ladies permed all over their heads.

Chen Qingtang wanted to close her eyes. It was so ugly.

A silence filled the store. Pei Yunle, sitting in the peeling chair, looked and looked, turning her head from side to side. “Don’t say it, really don’t say it.”

“Actually, it’s quite fun. I should have bought a pair of fire tongs to take back and perm my mom’s hair.”

Chen Qingtang was silent, only able to force a smile and pretend to be calm.

The owner gave Pei Yunle a 50% discount as compensation.

It was already dark when the two of them left the store. When they looked up, the sky was full of stars.

Pei Yunle walked by the water, silent until the next street corner. She suddenly stopped. Chen Qingtang was pulled by her arm and looked back. Pei Yunle was squatting on the ground, her head buried in her arms, her eyes full of tears. “It’s so ugly, it’s so ugly.”

The moment she started to cry, Chen Qingtang wanted to laugh.

“It’s more hideously ugly than the solid-color manicure I got for 129 yuan last time. If you have a conscience, you shouldn’t open a store!”

Chen Qingtang wanted to pat her head, but the head full of curls made her hesitate. Her hand just hovered in mid-air.

“I’m going to find a piece of cardboard to make a hat, it’s so ugly…”

Chen Qingtang also squatted down next to her and hugged her, patting her back.

Pei Yunle suddenly lifted her head. “I don’t care, you have to accompany me.”

Chen Qingtang was at a loss. What did she have to pay her for?

Pei Yunle pulled her back to the hair salon. The owner was about to close up. She didn’t know why they had come back and was wondering if she should give them a full refund.

The two of them sat in the peeling chairs for another two hours. When they came out of the store again, the night market street was already lit up.

Walking down the street, one with a head of green hair, the other with a head of pink curls. The two bright sights attracted the attention of the people eating late-night snacks.

Pei Yunle was like a proud peacock. Looking at Chen Qingtang, who wanted to bury her head in the ground, she said, “Hey, look at us, pink and green, what a perfect match. Isn’t that the color scheme of flowers?”

Chen Qingtang lifted her head a little. In her peripheral vision, she could only see a mischievous smile on Pei Yunle’s face. Forget it, at least she had this person with her.

With that thought, she lifted her head completely and, like Pei Yunle, accepted the gazes of others with an open mind.

When they got home, Grandma was already in her room.

The two of them locked the main door and put the fried potatoes and grilled squid they had bought on a plate.

Pei Yunle took out a few more slices of toast and put the late-night snack in between. The cold bread slices pressed tightly against the potato slices and squid tentacles, exuding a hot steam.

“Do you want some?” She handed the hodgepodge to Chen Qingtang.

Chen Qingtang looked at the strange combination. In the past, she would definitely have refused something she had never seen before. But seeing Pei Yunle’s slender fingers pinching the bread, the blue veins on the back of her hand visible, she couldn’t help but lean over and take a bite.

Hot, spicy, fragrant.

The excess red oil soaked into the soft bread, making it less greasy.

Chen Qingtang used a toothpick to spear a potato and feed it to Pei Yunle, while she herself ate the remaining carrots.

Pei Yunle watched her cheeks bulge and, following her example, chewed the air a few times.

Seeing this, Chen Qingtang stared at her, a hint of confusion on her face.

Pei Yunle pointed at her own cheek, intending to tell her that she was just imitating her. It wasn’t until the light above her head was suddenly blocked that a soft warmth, like a dragonfly landing on water, touched her cheek.

Chen Qingtang had kissed her on the cheek.

Pei Yunle’s eyes widened slightly. Why had Chen Qingtang kissed her? Was the confession that day really a dream from when she was delirious with fever? The potatoes and bread in her mouth instantly lost their taste, like chewing wax.

The fragmented thoughts connected into a single thread at this moment. She remembered that in the bathroom yesterday, Chen Qingtang had also pointed at her own mouth. But what had she said? She had asked her if her mouth hurt.

Pei Yunle scratched her face, speechless at herself for the first time.

Chen Qingtang tilted her head and looked at her. Seeing that the person’s face showed surprise instead of happiness, why? She touched her own lips. They were burning from the chili, but she had indeed wiped her mouth and there was no oil left.

Whatever Pei Yunle was thinking, she was a little unhappy now.

One was clueless, the other was unhappy. They both sat at the table, each with their own thoughts.

Pei Yunle finished the last skewer of squid tentacles, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her mouth again and again. She rolled the paper into strips with her fingers, and her fingertips were covered in paper scraps.

“Chen Qingtang.”

The person who was called lifted her eyelids and glanced at her.

She heard Pei Yunle mumble a string of words, not understanding anything.

Pei Yunle crooked her finger at her. “Did you not hear me clearly? Come over.”

Chen Qingtang lifted her small stool and moved over little by little. The moment their knees touched, she heard Pei Yunle’s voice float over with the wind, “Did you want me to kiss you yesterday?”

Chen Qingtang’s snowy cheeks gradually flushed. She was too thin-skinned. She didn’t want to shake her head, but she didn’t dare to nod either.

Seeing her like this, Pei Yunle already knew the answer. She lowered her head even further to look at Chen Qingtang’s face. It had always been her who took the initiative. She had never seen this person take the initiative before. Like a bad person tempting her, she said, “Yes?”

Chen Qingtang didn’t move, like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand.

“Oh~ then it’s a no.”

If you want to kiss, then kiss. Why was someone so annoying? Chen Qingtang was even more angry. She lifted her head slightly and saw Pei Yunle with a smile on her lips, her elbows resting on her knees, looking at her with anticipation.

Their gazes began to meet in mid-air, gradually becoming sticky and entangled. Pei Yunle rested one side of her face in her palm, her fingers slightly hooked, occasionally brushing against her face. Her little finger touched her lips, then tapped them.

“Do you want to come and kiss me?”

In just a second, Chen Qingtang gave her the answer she wanted.

Unhappy kissed clueless.

They both had thin lips. Chen Qingtang wanted to feel the other person through the annoying softness and hardness. The other person’s ragged breathing was a good stimulant. As their lips and teeth touched, she opened her lips without being taught, her tongue naturally exploring.

Pei Yunle’s hands were guided, no longer content to stay on her knees. Instead, she used her fingertips to explore every inch of the other person’s unfamiliar skin. Feeling the skin tremble for her, she was no longer satisfied with the faint touch. Her fingertips used a little force, wanting to pinch Chen Qingtang’s thigh.

The two swaying chairs creaked, as if they couldn’t bear the desire above them.

It wasn’t until she heard a creak from above that Chen Qingtang’s reaction was much faster than Pei Yunle’s. She suddenly opened her eyes and pushed her away.

A basin of water was poured from above, all of it falling into the flowerpot next to them.

“You’re not asleep yet?” Grandma Liu stood above them with a water basin, looking down.

Pei Yunle’s soul was almost extinguished by that basin of water. One hand was still on her still-unsatisfied lips, and the other was still on Chen Qingtang’s thigh.

“No, no, we’re just having a late-night snack. We’re going to bed soon.”

“Oh, oh, go to bed soon. Qingtang, why did you dye your hair green?”

Chen Qingtang shivered and slapped away Pei Yunle’s still-mischievous hand. She didn’t know what to do. She just felt like her brain was like an erupting volcano, burning away all her reason.

Helpless, she could only force a smile at Grandma.

Grandma Liu went back to her room. The chirping of cicadas suddenly sounded around them.

Pei Yunle threw the rest of the trash into the trash can and looked at Chen Qingtang like a puppy. “Still want to kiss?”

Looking at her watery lips, it was as if she was sending an invitation.

Chen Qingtang’s dark pupils looked even deeper in the moonlight. She went to the flowerpot and picked up a wooden stick. The tip of the stick was wet with water from the water pipe. She wrote two words on the concrete floor, stroke by stroke.

—Upstairs.