“Like a puppy looking around, lively and clever… and protective of its food.”
—
“Golden shield forged from hot blood, showing skills in times of peril… showing skills…”
It was Saturday, just past ten o’clock, and Xiang Yu’s phone kept ringing nonstop in the bedroom. She had a toothbrush in her mouth and hurried from the bathroom to answer it.
As soon as she picked up, a loud shout blasted through, nearly deafening her ear.
“Captain Xiang~ Are you home raising fish? Hurry up and open the door for us~”
It was colleagues from the police station, coming to visit Xiang Yu. They’d been knocking for a while with no answer, so they’d called her.
“I…”
Xiang Yu had the toothbrush in her mouth, toothpaste foam spilling from the corner of her lips. She hemmed and hawed for a long time, not knowing what to say.
She looked up and saw Ren Sanliu standing at the door. She wore a white magnolia-patterned camisole nightgown with a thin cardigan draped over it. The bright sunlight hit her, making her figure look slender and graceful.
“Did I wake you?”
Xiang Yu felt a bit embarrassed. Her phone ringtone was indeed loud, but there was no helping it—police schedules were irregular. Sometimes if she slept too deeply, she might miss calls and delay things, so she set the volume extra high. She’d gotten used to it and forgotten to change it.
“No, I’d been awake for a while.” Ren Sanliu adjusted her cardigan and asked, “What’s up? Do you need to go out?”
“No, it’s colleagues from the police station coming to see me.”
“Then have them come here.”
Xiang Yu was stunned, her gaze lingering on Ren Sanliu’s face—
“Is that okay?”
“What’s not okay about it? Are you planning to hobble over there on one leg? Besides… they’re here to visit you. Don’t you have to treat them to a meal?”
“…”
“Don’t just stand there… hurry and change. We’ll go to the supermarket downstairs and buy some groceries together later.”
With that, Ren Sanliu turned and went back to the bedroom.
Xiang Yu watched the bedroom door across from her close before she hurriedly picked up the phone again, held it to her ear, and gave them the address.
—
Ren Sanliu lived alone and rarely cooked. When hungry, she’d order takeout or have instant noodles, so the kitchen looked practically brand new. It was only after Xiang Yu moved in that the fridge got filled and the kitchen started to have a lived-in feel.
The supermarket was right at the neighborhood entrance. As soon as the two entered, the owner greeted them warmly—
“Lawyer Ren, buying groceries?”
“Yeah.”
Ren Sanliu smiled at him, warm and gentle, not cold at all.
She picked up a basket with one hand and naturally hooked her other arm through Xiang Yu’s.
At first, Xiang Yu wasn’t used to her linking arms like that, but Ren Sanliu always did it. After so many times, she got accustomed to it.
“Just grab whatever… hotpot will do. They’re not picky,” Xiang Yu said.
“Okay.”
Ren Sanliu agreed verbally, but the things she put in the basket weren’t hotpot ingredients.
When they finished shopping and went to checkout, the owner stopped her hand—
“Lawyer Ren, no need to pay.”
“How could I not?”
“It’s nothing. If it weren’t for you, I might not even have this shop.”
It turned out that when the owner had rented this storefront, there was an issue with the contract. Knowing Ren Sanliu was a lawyer, he’d consulted her. She didn’t act superior and reviewed it on the spot. Contracts were her specialty, especially disputes like this. She quickly spotted the loophole and resolved it for him.
“I didn’t do much. Besides, business is business.”
As she spoke, Ren Sanliu scanned her phone to pay.
She turned her head and saw Xiang Yu staring at her.
“What?”
“Nothing, just… you’re so easygoing now.”
“Was I not easygoing before?” Ren Sanliu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Xiang Yu rolled her eyes—“Want the truth?”
Ren Sanliu hummed softly in affirmation.
“You weren’t. You were like a hedgehog before.”
Xiang Yu turned her head away, her mouth twitching.
She figured Ren Sanliu wouldn’t have a comeback—after all, it was the truth.
But then—
“I was wrong before. Now… I have to change, right?”
“…”
Xiang Yu was stunned.
Ren Sanliu linked arms with her again and said softly—
“Let’s go.”
Xiang Yu wondered if she’d seen it wrong… Had this woman just smiled?
…
When they got home, Ren Sanliu carried the groceries to the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and tied on an apron.
Watching her move so deftly around the stove, Xiang Yu couldn’t sit still. She hurried in, sidestepped, reached out, and nudged Ren Sanliu away from the counter.
“Let me do it.”
Ren Sanliu’s bare hands were still dripping water, glistening in the light. Though nudged aside, she didn’t leave. She gazed at Xiang Yu’s back, a faint smile curving her lips—
“I’ll assist you. Two people will be faster.”
Thud thud—
Thud thud thud—
“They must be here. I’ll get the door.” Xiang Yu was scooping food from the pan onto a plate when she heard the knocking. She glanced back to see Ren Sanliu heading out of the kitchen to open it, still wearing her apron.
As soon as the door opened, a crowd crammed at the entrance. There were fewer than ten in total, but they were all big guys. The tallest one’s head nearly brushed the doorframe; he had to duck a bit.
They’d planned to swarm Xiang Yu the moment they entered, hoisting her up and spinning her around. The two in front were raring to go, fists clenched. But then they saw a stranger—a beautiful woman at that. The two eager ones blushed instantly.
Everyone exchanged glances, stuck at the door… unsure whether to enter.
“Did we get the wrong place?” the tallest one spoke first.
“No, this is it.” Ren Sanliu turned and called inside, “Xiang Yu, they’re here.”
She smiled again—
“She’s in the kitchen. Come on in… no need to change shoes.”
Ren Sanliu stepped aside to let them in, apron still on, looking every bit the hostess. Especially that line, “Xiang Yu, they’re here”—to Xiang Yu’s ears, it even had a married-couple vibe.
As everyone filed in one by one, Ren Sanliu finally noticed the person who’d been blocked at the back—
It was her.
Xiao Ling and the others had all gone in, but she hadn’t budged. She stood at the entryway, staring straight at Ren Sanliu’s face, instinctively scanning inside with an appraising look.
Ren Sanliu was a lawyer; she’d seen all kinds. Xiao Ling was young, maybe twenty-five or twenty-six at most. At that age, any ulterior motives showed plainly on the face.
She didn’t dodge, still smiling warmly and gently.
While the two stood awkwardly at the door, the living room had already erupted. Xiang Yu was grabbed by the arms and spun off the ground several times.
Only then did Ren Sanliu leave the entryway, untying her apron as she walked in.
“You all sit. I’ll brew some tea.”
The group eyed Ren Sanliu curiously and asked Xiang Yu—
“Captain Xiang, who’s this?”
Over the years, Wei Zhi was the only friend they’d seen around Xiang Yu. Suddenly, Ren Sanliu appeared out of nowhere, so curiosity was natural.
Xiang Yu rubbed her hands on her pant seams. She didn’t know how to introduce Ren Sanliu or define their relationship.
Just then, Ren Sanliu came over with freshly brewed hot tea. Seeing everyone’s curious stares, she took the initiative—
“Xiang Yu got injured, and her little aunt asked me to take care of her.”
Jobs in the system were inconvenient for personal lives. Same-sex relationships weren’t mainstream; even with growing acceptance, it wasn’t fully there for sexual minorities. Ren Sanliu didn’t want to cause Xiang Yu trouble, but she also didn’t want to say they were just friends. This phrasing dodged “friends,” implied closeness, seemed fine at first glance—but was full of personal bias between the lines.
Xiang Yu stayed silent, tacitly agreeing.
No one thought much of it. Who’d assume two women living together meant they were lesbians?
Everyone except one person.
Xiao Ling’s eyes never left Xiang Yu. She caught the nuance in Ren Sanliu’s words that others missed.
Now, she shuffled toward Xiang Yu and tugged her arm—
“I need the bathroom.”
“Oh, sure.”
Xiang Yu told the group to start eating and led Xiao Ling to the bathroom.
But at the bathroom, Xiao Ling didn’t go in right away. She lowered her voice and murmured Xiang Yu’s name—
“Xiang Yu… is your little aunt abroad again?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you could have called me… I could take care of you.”
Xiao Ling was the daughter of the old bureau chief when Xiang Yu first joined the force. Four years younger, Xiang Yu had always seen her as a little sister. She didn’t know when Xiao Ling developed other feelings. Once Xiang Yu realized, she immediately kept her distance. But as the old chief’s daughter, Xiang Yu couldn’t make things too awkward. She figured as long as she stayed distant and unresponsive, Xiao Ling’s feelings would fade with time.
Clearly… Xiang Yu had misjudged. She’d underestimated a girl’s patience and determination for her first love.
“She can take care of you… I can too. And… I’d definitely do it better.”
Xiao Ling bit her lip, a shy flush on her face.
Truth be told, after yelling at Xiang Yu in the supermarket that day, she’d regretted it. Xiang Yu had never said if she was dating anyone. She’d basically pushed her away.
Xiao Ling had wanted a chance to talk to Xiang Yu. When the group planned to visit, she tagged along.
“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t gone to that training class, I wouldn’t have found out so late that you were hurt.” As she spoke, Xiao Ling reached to pull Xiang Yu’s arm. “Let me see, how’s your injury?”
But before her hand touched, a gentle female voice interrupted.
“Little Yu… let’s not drink today.” Ren Sanliu had come over unnoticed, her bare hands facing them as she spoke softly.
“Huh? No drinking.” Xiang Yu shook her head.
“Okay, go check the soup in the kitchen. I think it’s ready.”
Hearing this, Xiang Yu remembered the soup simmering on the stove. Afraid it’d burn, she hurried to the kitchen. Once there, she saw the fire was off. She paused, then realized belatedly…
What drinking? They hadn’t bought any alcohol.
And… what had she just called her?
—Little Yu?
