Chapter 10

That night, after Luo Qingmeng changed into her nightgown, she immediately turned her back to Qiu Shuxue and went to sleep. Qiu Shuxue propped her hand under her chin as she lay on her side, unsure whether she was gazing at Luo Qingmeng’s silhouette or simply her back.

“Are you crying, Sister?” Qiu Shuxue asked.

Luo Qingmeng kept her eyes closed. She did feel a slight urge to sniffle, and her lips moved a little, but she said nothing. Qiu Shuxue lay down, gently resting her fingers on Luo Qingmeng’s waist. “Good night, Sister,” she said.

“Good night,” Luo Qingmeng murmured softly in response.

She kept her legs pressed tightly together, afraid to part them. That dense, tingling sensation still lingered on her thighs, and she found it terrifying—perhaps the flesh there was just too sensitive. Qiu Shuxue’s bites had been so vivid that the aftershocks remained.

The feeling was strange.

It felt like it could spiral out of control, itchy yet somehow addictive.

She wanted to remove Qiu Shuxue’s hand, but Qiu Shuxue was being particularly clingy, her fingers hooked against Luo Qingmeng’s lower abdomen, refusing to let go.

Even though Qiu Shuxue remained a nuisance that night, Luo Qingmeng slept very well.

In the morning, Qiu Shuxue woke to a tantalizing aroma.

She got out of bed. Luo Qingmeng was in the kitchen preparing breakfast—a homestyle dish of egg and shredded pork noodles, seasoned generously with ginger for a fragrant kick, and topped with a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

Of course, she only added them to one bowl.

Unsure if Qiu Shuxue liked green onions, Luo Qingmeng carried her own bowl to the tea table, turned on the TV, and started eating.

Qiu Shuxue stood in the bedroom doorway, looking at her with some bewilderment.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Luo Qingmeng said. “If not, forget it.”

“It’s fine.” Qiu Shuxue came back to her senses, her voice soft. “I just didn’t expect it, Sister—that you’d really make breakfast for me.”

Luo Qingmeng kept her head down, eating her noodles as if she hadn’t heard. Qiu Shuxue went on, “Yesterday, I said I wanted a hot breakfast every morning, to wake up to that smell—and you made it for me. You have such a kind heart.”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t want to admit it, but she had remembered Qiu Shuxue’s words and made the noodles for her; otherwise, she definitely would have only cooked for one.

Qiu Shuxue went to wash up, using a hair clip to tie her hair back. She washed her hands thoroughly before heading to the kitchen.

Luo Qingmeng thought to herself, I’m not as ruthless as you. I won’t skimp on food when it’s your due.

Qiu Shuxue brought out the bowl of noodles and even grabbed an extra spoon for Luo Qingmeng, who had been about to sip the broth.

After such praise that morning, the soup tasted even richer going down. Luo Qingmeng felt her cooking skills had improved another notch. That day, she didn’t chase Qiu Shuxue out. She tossed the clothes into the washing machine and read a book for a while.

For lunch, she made oyster and tofu soup, stir-fried squid, and rice for two. As she was wrapping up, she felt it needed a vegetable, so she whipped up some greens stir-fried in pork fat.

When she ate alone, her cooking was pretty half-hearted. Even though she had the skills for better meals, she’d buy cheap hot pot base for a few bucks and use a bit each day for simple boiled dishes. But now, cooking for two, she put real effort in, and the spread was hearty.

The two of them sat at the dining table to eat. Once again, Qiu Shuxue asked if Luo Qingmeng really wouldn’t consider letting her be her tutor. She said she was fluent in several languages.

Luo Qingmeng refused her quite seriously.

She also warned her that she had to go home after dinner, or she wouldn’t open the door next time.

Qiu Shuxue didn’t argue—after all, she could still stay for dinner, which was pretty good.

Qiu Shuxue lingered until after dinner before leaving. Luo Qingmeng had splurged thousands on groceries, stuffing the fridge to the brim.

That evening, Qiu Shuxue left quietly. Luo Qingmeng felt a twinge of nerves as she saw her out, half-expecting her to pull some trick.

Fortunately, Qiu Shuxue didn’t make a fuss. As she left, though, she asked, “Your clothes…”

Luo Qingmeng had spent over thirty thousand on her—those few pieces of clothing hardly mattered now.

She shut the door and said generously, “They’re yours.”

Qiu Shuxue gazed at the door and smiled faintly.

“Thank you for the hospitality, Sister,” she said softly. “The food was delicious.”

Once the door was fully closed, she even waved at the security camera.

Luo Qingmeng took a deep breath. She knew Qiu Shuxue had spotted her watching the feed. She quickly turned away, waited a few seconds, then turned back to keep looking.

Qiu Shuxue opened her own door and went inside.

Luo Qingmeng took another deep breath and walked into the living room. It felt strangely empty, like something was missing. She cleaned the place from top to bottom, wiped down the table, then lay motionless on the sofa to rest. Her phone on the tea table buzzed.

It was Qiu Shuxue adding her on WeChat, with a note:

【Thanks for the hospitality, Sister. The food was delicious.】

For a moment, Luo Qingmeng wasn’t sure what she meant.

The meals.

Or “her” hospitality.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t reply. She lay in bed scrolling on her phone, watching some fashion videos for a bit, then tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Suddenly, she felt bored.

Perhaps it was because she had so few people in her social circle she could really talk to. Midway through, she rolled over and stared at her phone again. Several times, she nearly approved Qiu Shuxue’s friend request, but ended up chatting idly with Chen Xin instead.

Luo Qingmeng reined herself in, fighting not to let loneliness overwhelm her. It wasn’t until the early hours that she finally drifted off. The next day was her day off anyway—no work, just rest.

In the morning, Qiu Shuxue’s friend request note had changed.

Qiu Shuxue: 【Want to go out shopping? Otherwise, it feels so boring.】

Luo Qingmeng thought about replying: Day after day—when I get off work, you do too; when I have a day off, so do you. Aren’t you ever busy?

But Luo Qingmeng ignored her and busied herself with her own things—though she didn’t really have much to do, just watching TV and reading.

Around five in the afternoon, she went downstairs to toss the trash. Standing there in a daze as dusk fell, she suddenly realized she’d accomplished nothing that day. Just as Qiu Shuxue had said, she’d wasted her hard-earned vacation cooped up at home. She should at least go out and catch a movie by herself.

On the way back, she walked carefully.

At her door, she spotted several delivery boxes.

Ever since the delivery guy kept leaving packages in the wrong spots, she hadn’t ordered much. She bent down to pick them up and saw they were the lingerie she’d bought.

Glancing back, she saw Qiu Shuxue leaning against her door, watching her. Luo Qingmeng hurriedly pressed her finger to the door lock, opened it, and hauled the packages inside.

Qiu Shuxue watched her with a gentle smile.

Luo Qingmeng shut the door, checked the camera feed, then stealthily turned it back on. Qiu Shuxue hadn’t been gone long before she came out to deliver the packages.

Qiu Shuxue closed her door and went back.

Luo Qingmeng moved the packages to the sofa. Except for the top one, which had been opened, the rest were intact.

After sorting them out, she checked the camera again. It clearly showed Qiu Shuxue leaving at seven-thirty that morning and returning at three-thirty in the afternoon—empty-handed on the way out, something in her hands on the way back. She didn’t seem to have gone to work.

In any case, she’d returned the lingerie soon after.

…So, was that the end of it?

Ending it was fine.

Luo Qingmeng thought. She was just here for revenge.

Not to get intimate with her.

In the morning, Luo Qingmeng made herself some food—one box to eat as lunch, another bag for breakfast on the go. She’d just closed her door when Qiu Shuxue emerged behind her.

Qiu Shuxue looked freshly tidied, her bangs still damp. As she changed her shoes at the door, her eyes locked intently on Luo Qingmeng. Luo Qingmeng kept her head down and hurried out. Qiu Shuxue shut her own door and called after her, “You didn’t close your door all the way.”

Luo Qingmeng paused, turned back to secure it. It was all her fault—if she hadn’t shown up suddenly, Luo Qingmeng wouldn’t have been distracted.

She closed the door, and the two of them headed to the elevator together. It was peak commuting hour, and the elevator had already gone down. They were on the twenty-fourth floor.

After waiting a bit, Qiu Shuxue said, “You’re not talking to me again.”

Luo Qingmeng pressed her lips together and thought, You didn’t greet me either.

As the saying goes, you don’t snub someone who’s smiling at you—if you’d said hello, I’d have said it back.

Strangely, as if reading her mind, Qiu Shuxue tilted her head and said, “Good morning, Sister.”

Luo Qingmeng’s eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

She really wanted to ask, Are you a translator or a psychologist?

How do you know everything?

The elevator arrived. Luo Qingmeng stepped in and glanced at the Wuliangye ad plastered on the elevator arm. In her mind, she replied, Yeah, good morning.

She looked over at Qiu Shuxue from the metal trim on the door frame. Qiu Shuxue’s lips curved into a sweet smile. She really was strikingly fair—especially in the morning light, her skin like it’d been steeped in milk, creamy and smooth.

At her age, working double shifts in the factory, Luo Qingmeng’s own skin had been dry and rough. She’d always thought her looks were plain. Once she had some savings after two years, she quit and found a job at a bookstore. The day she left the factory, under bright sunshine, she’d felt reborn—like the gears of her life’s fate had finally begun to turn.

Now…

The elevator reached the bottom. Luo Qingmeng stepped out and headed for the access gate. Qiu Shuxue’s hand landed on her shoulder.

Luo Qingmeng turned her head to look.

“I’ll give you a ride,” Qiu Shuxue said. “I’m driving. It’s rush hour— the subway will be packed.”

“The subway doesn’t have traffic jams. I’ll get there quick.”

Qiu Shuxue added, “That subway fare of 3.2 yuan? I’ll cover it for you. You won’t spend a single penny all day—you could even add an egg to your lunch, and if I pick you up tonight, you could treat yourself to a milk tea. Anyway, it’s on my way.”

“Is it really on your way?” Luo Qingmeng realized that she was pretty good at pinching pennies, calculating everything so precisely—even down to the exact subway fare.

“If it weren’t, would I deliberately drive halfway across the city to your bookstore every day? People always go for what’s closest,” Qiu Shuxue said.

Luo Qingmeng exited through the back door. She pulled out her phone to use the keycard lock, while Qiu Shuxue headed down to the underground garage. When Luo Qingmeng emerged, she was still torn. She mulled it over and decided she just couldn’t take her ride.

If she got in and they ended up confronting each other face-to-face later, she’d lose all her nerve. What kind of nonsense would that be? Would she have to go easy on Qiu Shuxue? She couldn’t throw away her pride over 3.2 yuan… no, make that 6.4.

In the end, Luo Qingmeng walked toward the elevator on her own. It wasn’t far anyway—just three or four minutes. But Qiu Shuxue’s car pulled up quickly, then slowed to match her pace. Qiu Shuxue kept honking at her and called out, “Sis, hurry up and stop! The cars behind are gonna start cursing any second. Come on!”

Luo Qingmeng frowned as she glanced at the line of cars honking behind them.

She wanted to snap, “Who are they cursing? You! You’re the rude one!”

“I’m done with you. Did all your schooling go straight to your gut? Qiu Shuxue, are you nuts? Do you have to wait for me?”

Qiu Shuxue let out an “Ah?” as if she hadn’t understood. She kept creeping along in her car and said, “Then just get in.”

Luo Qingmeng gritted her teeth amid the chorus of honks from behind. She yanked open the back door and said, “I’m done with you, you piece of shit.”

Qiu Shuxue didn’t get mad. Instead, she laughed.

“Fine, I’m a piece of shit.”