Chapter 23

Qiu Shuxue successfully made it into her room, and this time, before she could even close the door, they were already locked in a kiss.

Luo Qingmeng pushed at her but couldn’t push her away. The mommy who had come home late was pinned against the door by her baby and thoroughly bullied once.

Qiu Shuxue didn’t stop there. Her attitude was a bit fierce as she insisted on making Luo Qingmeng explain where she had been. She even asked if she had taken a bath, and after the bath, she continued kissing her.

It was so intense that Luo Qingmeng couldn’t take it. She felt like this home was marked with Qiu Shuxue’s scent everywhere. Worst of all, she had spent the day facing the wall in remorse.

Luo Qingmeng was a little angry. Why did she have to tell Qiu Shuxue every little detail? She had her own freedom too, and they weren’t in any kind of relationship.

Every time her anger flared up, the waves of desire crashed over her first.

Her brain, starved of oxygen, first begged for mercy and then forgot all about her anger.

When Qiu Shuxue finally paused, she said to her in a resentful tone, “I haven’t even eaten dinner. I’m starving to death.”

Luo Qingmeng thought she was talking about what they were doing. Only later did she realize that she was just hungry—she had waited all evening without eating.

And yet she still had so much energy to toy with her.

What a miraculous person.

But Qiu Shuxue was also pretty stupid.

The two of them were resting now. Luo Qingmeng sat on the sofa, only to be pulled back into Qiu Shuxue’s lap.

Luo Qingmeng panted for breath while Qiu Shuxue wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. Their sweat mingled together, and Qiu Shuxue bit her shoulder. They were being very intimate now, doing nothing more than quietly leaning against each other.

Yet Luo Qingmeng knew that she was a very wild person.

Still… they had to eat.

Luo Qingmeng glared at her. “If you’re hungry, then eat. Let go of me.”

Luo Qingmeng tried to get up, but Qiu Shuxue hooked her neck and planted a kiss on her lips. “You’re worried about me, and I’m worried about you. I just devoured you completely—how could I let you go make food like that?”

Luo Qingmeng’s face flushed bright red. Earlier, Qiu Shuxue had made her look at herself. Recalling the images her eyes had taken in, her cheeks grew hot.

Qiu Shuxue fished out her phone and tapped in an order for delivery. She asked Luo Qingmeng if she wanted barbecue. Luo Qingmeng had no words for her. Her eyes were fixed on Qiu Shuxue—today she had made progress. She hadn’t cried; her eyes were just red.

Qiu Shuxue didn’t get an answer, so she leaned in and kissed the corner of her eye. Then she placed her own order. Luo Qingmeng felt she should eat something with her, so she reminded her, “Order enough for two.”

“I know.” Qiu Shuxue nuzzled against her and asked, “Want this one?”

Luo Qingmeng hadn’t planned to pay her any mind. To be honest, she had never ordered delivery this late before, let alone barbecue skewers with someone.

She glanced at the time. It was already past midnight.

They wouldn’t finish eating until very late.

Luo Qingmeng let out a heavy sigh. Qiu Shuxue said, “Then come home early tomorrow. You don’t have a night shift, so you can sleep after you’re done.”

“Who wants to sleep with you?” Luo Qingmeng felt her stamina had improved. Before, being toyed with like this by her always left her exhausted and collapsed. Now, no matter what Qiu Shuxue did, she could handle it.

The delivery was still forty minutes out. Luo Qingmeng collapsed onto the sofa and draped her nightgown over her waist and legs to cover her body. She planned to put it on properly when it was time to eat the barbecue. She lay on her side to sleep and told Qiu Shuxue, “I’m going to nap first. Wake me when it arrives.”

Qiu Shuxue turned on the TV and played Doraemon at the lowest volume. She glanced sideways at Luo Qingmeng. Luo Qingmeng had her eyes closed. Her body was so fatigued, and the anime was so soothing, that she fell asleep quickly.

Qiu Shuxue leaned over and kissed her swollen thin lips.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t resist.

The lips of someone in sleep had a bit of firmness to them. She didn’t part them, so the outside was dry, and the sweetness had diminished somewhat.

But Qiu Shuxue just wanted to kiss her anyway.

The nightgown only covered her waist and legs. Her arms and chest were covered in flushed red marks. Qiu Shuxue lay on her side, gazing at her, then covered those marks with kisses.

It was so addictive, so sweet—like she wanted to chew her up.

Luo Qingmeng’s breathing grew heavier. When Qiu Shuxue kissed harder, she let out a little hum. Knowing the delivery would arrive soon, Qiu Shuxue planned to wake her in her own way.

Forty minutes passed, and the delivery arrived right on time. Qiu Shuxue told the rider to hang it on the door handle. Once he was gone, she went out to retrieve it.

The barbecue was wrapped in tin foil and still felt hot to the touch.

She climbed onto the sofa and rolled Luo Qingmeng over, starting to kiss her. Luo Qingmeng woke up. She lowered her head and gazed at her in a daze, humming muzzily. Her eyes couldn’t focus, and her teeth bit her lower lip as she called her name: “Qiu Shuxue…”

Qiu Shuxue mumbled back indistinctly, “Mm? What’s wrong?”

“We have to brush our teeth before eating the barbecue later.”

Qiu Shuxue kissed her lips again. “Then you need to brush too.”

“You just ate me a minute ago.”

Luo Qingmeng obediently hummed in agreement. In that short forty minutes, she had fallen into a deep, groggy sleep. Without putting on the nightgown draped over her waist, she got up to rinse her mouth.

Afraid she’d be too alert if she washed her face, Luo Qingmeng slipped on the nightgown and ate the barbecue. This hazy state lasted a long time. She didn’t speak to Qiu Shuxue in a fierce tone. Her eyes kept drifting to Doraemon.

At that moment, their battle seemed to have paused. It was as if they could get along like this without arguing—quietly, harmoniously. They could lean against each other and sweetly munch on barbecue skewers while watching TV.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Sis, do you like watching cartoons?”

She had started playing from the TV’s history. Luo Qingmeng would watch while eating when she cooked for herself. She hadn’t watched these anime as a kid.

” Mm.”

As a child, Luo Qingmeng had heard others talk about the show. She always thought Nobita was so cute and outstanding, which was why he got Doraemon. That was why she herself didn’t have such a robot.

Now she no longer believed in robots or anything like that. Looking back, she actually liked Gian more.

Gian had a bunch of flaws and was always bullying people, but whenever his friends were in trouble, he was the first to charge ahead. He never ran or backed down. He stood up for his good friends and protected them.

And from his views on romance, he seemed like a bit of a henpecked husband—very attentive to the girls he liked.

Luo Qingmeng thought: Maybe I just like that he protects people.

She asked Qiu Shuxue, “Did you watch it as a kid?”

Qiu Shuxue said, “The son of my nanny looked just like Nobita. Every day, I wondered when Doraemon would kill him off.”

Luo Qingmeng thought again: So it wasn’t exaggeration—Qiu Shuxue really did have it rough. Too bad the blue cat didn’t kill anyone.

Neither of them—those who had watched it and those who hadn’t—had an easy time.

They had ordered too much barbecue, leaving quite a few skewers. Mainly because Luo Qingmeng had eaten a lot that evening and couldn’t finish. Luo Qingmeng said, “It’s fine. We’ll leave them and make rice balls with them tomorrow.”

The rice the shop had thrown in as a gift came in handy.

The two brushed their teeth and did a quick rinse before flopping into bed, where they quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Luo Qingmeng woke naturally. She got up first and went to the kitchen, where she put yesterday’s two bowls of rice into the rice cooker. She added extra ingredients and seasonings, mixed them well, and set it to cook for five minutes.

Qiu Shuxue smelled the aroma while brushing her teeth.

It teased her taste buds, and her stomach—which usually wasn’t hungry in the morning—felt like it had a hole poked in it. She was starving now.

After brushing her teeth, Qiu Shuxue helped hang the laundry. Luo Qingmeng went to the kitchen and grabbed an insulated lunch box and a disposable one.

She layered rice on the bottom, then added the trimmed barbecue skewers. She topped it with the remaining rice and sealed the lid. Seeing she still had time, she fried two eggs and laid them on top, finishing with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

The two had stayed up late the night before, but they worked well together. They weren’t groggy in the morning and felt quite energetic. Qiu Shuxue drove Luo Qingmeng to the bookstore. Luo Qingmeng didn’t have to squeeze onto the subway, saving more than twenty minutes. When they arrived at the bookstore, Luo Qingmeng handed the insulated lunch box to Qiu Shuxue as she got out.

Qiu Shuxue looked at her in confusion. Luo Qingmeng said, “I’ll go upstairs and eat right away. Your office is far—use this one. Just this once. I won’t give you another next time.”

The lunch box was Pluto-themed, in a warm blue—gentle and cute.

Qiu Shuxue nodded and took it.

She watched Luo Qingmeng walk into the mall until she was out of sight before driving off. When she got to the office and sat at her desk, she carefully unclipped the outer lid. Xiao Ninghe sat down and immediately smelled the fragrance.

Xiao Ninghe’s stomach growled with hunger. She tilted her head and asked, “Where’d you get that? A new place?”

Inside was a matching white spoon. Before packing it, Luo Qingmeng had washed it spotless and even wiped away every trace of moisture.

Qiu Shuxue scooped from the edge and brought it to her mouth. The heat scalded her tongue—Luo Qingmeng’s portion upstairs was probably cold by now. It had tender peas inside, and the skewers had been steamed right in the rice, keeping the meat juicy and tender. One bite released the peas’ juices along with the flavorful skewers.

The rice was perfectly seasoned. The fried eggs were delicious whether mixed in or eaten alone. Everything blended just right.

Qiu Shuxue chewed one bite thoroughly before telling Xiao Ninghe, “From childhood to now, in all my years of living, no one has ever prepared a meal for me. There was a time when I was especially envious of those kids from poor families. They’d save on meal money by bringing their own lunches. Sometimes it was just shredded radish on top, but the autumn radishes had a sweet taste—even cold, they were delicious.”

“…Uh, that exaggerated?”

For someone who had never been loved, even the tiniest bit of care seemed like a earth-shattering event.

“Did big sis make this for you?” Xiao Ninghe asked. Suddenly growing afraid, she said, “Qiu Shuxue, you weren’t tricked by some sleazy punk guy, were you? Wait—no, a sleazy punk girl? That’s not it… Who is this big sis anyway? Don’t get duped just because of some cheap meal she whipped up on the fly, okay?”

“No way. I’m the one scamming free meals.”

“?”

~~~

In the days that followed, Luo Qingmeng really did get busy. Her boss took her out to dinner and introduced her to several members of management. Thinking she needed to look more professional, she bought herself a few new outfits.

Since she was the one asking for favors over those dinners, she had to foot the bill. Between one thing and another, her expenses topped two thousand in just a few days, and she didn’t get home until very late each night.

A few times in between, she considered backing out. She never told anyone else what she was up to, so the only encouragement she got came from the store manager. But she had always been skeptical of the pie-in-the-sky promises the store manager painted.

Every time she felt like retreating without any positive feedback or encouragement, it left her feeling deeply depressed and lost.

She was always heading out early and coming back late. In the mornings, she would leave her lunchbox for Qiu Shuxue, who would return it to her late at night. When Qiu Shuxue asked where she had been, Luo Qingmeng wouldn’t say, and the two of them began to tangle. Her thoughts raced wildly. Sometimes, on the way home under the cover of night, she wondered if today would be the day it all came out.

Luo Qingmeng had a habit that was both very good and very bad.

She loved reflecting on herself. Why was it that even though she was handling something so important, she wouldn’t resist or explain when Qiu Shuxue went crazy clinging to her?

Deep down, she relished Qiu Shuxue’s anger on her behalf. She loved how Qiu Shuxue satisfied her need to feel loved in this way. Her body was addicted to the thrill of “sneaking around”—the risk of getting caught, the intense interrogation that kept her on edge. In that pleasure, she reached peak after peak.

When Qiu Shuxue loved her, her anxiety made that love pour out in full force, loving her to the heights of passion.

But if she didn’t love her—if she just had to stick close, figure her out, without even loving her—then she was pushing herself to those heights all on her own.

People were sharpest when they were at their worst.

When Luo Qingmeng indulged in it, she felt so clever. But the moment the endless nightly entanglements stopped and morning arrived, she knew this couldn’t go on. She was going to die like this.

It lasted a full week.

A week later, after wrapping up her business at Star Continent Plaza, Luo Qingmeng made plans with Xiao Tang to go check out a place over on their side.

Star Continent Plaza was on the opposite end of town from her workplace, north to south. She had Xiao Tang send her the location pin.

Comparing it, Xiao Tang was much closer to Star Continent Plaza than her current spot in the sports center. They both had free time that Saturday, so after Luo Qingmeng finished up, she headed straight over to see the apartment. Once they settled on a price, she planned to go hassle Li An for the money—even if it meant throwing a tantrum.

She was definitely grateful for Xiao Tang’s help. She had originally thought about treating her to dinner, but with the move coming up next month and a pile of miscellaneous expenses, she was short on cash. There were still plenty of good things in her rental that she couldn’t take with her. She gathered up a bunch of frozen goods from the fridge and sent Xiao Tang a photo, asking if she knew how to cook.

Xiao Tang: 【I can’t. I love ordering takeout—I’m lazy.】

Luo Qingmeng tried to push them back, but Xiao Tang messaged again: 【All seafood, right? I can borrow a pot from a friend. Sister Meng, you wouldn’t mind coming over to cook a meal, would you?】

The reply caught Luo Qingmeng off guard. She might as well just give them to Xiao Tang outright—cooking was such a hassle. She replied: 【They’re not thawed yet. The texture won’t be good.】

Xiao Tang: 【I’m not picky. I’ll go buy some hot pot base! Then we can just toss it all in and boil. Need any veggies or anything?】

With things said that far, Luo Qingmeng couldn’t refuse. Xiao Tang: 【It’s been forever since I had a home-cooked meal from Mom. Waaah, I really miss that taste.】

Luo Qingmeng stared at the word “Mom,” her brows furrowing tight. Had she spent too much time with Qiu Shuxue? Now even seeing “Mom” made her reflexively frown.

Just hot pot base wouldn’t give it that true homey flavor. Her heart softened anyway, and she typed back: 【If you really want that homey taste, grab some pork ribs too. Nothing too pricey. For three people, one rack will be plenty. Get some fresh ginger and scallions too. I’ll mix up the dry spices and bring them over—that way it’ll taste right.】

【Oh yeah, have the butcher chop the ribs for you.】

Xiao Tang: 【Sis, you’re like my real sis. I’m heading out now. Sis, once you move here, let’s be friends for real. Honestly, I’ve wanted to be friends with you forever—you’re always so tight with Chen Xin.】

Luo Qingmeng thought: Am I really that charming?

More like she just wants my cooking.

Luo Qingmeng replied: 【Quit the smooth talk. I’ll get things ready first. Mind meeting up later to check out apartments together? Got any single ones over there?】

Xiao Tang: 【I’ll ask around right now. I’ll tap every contact I have—you just wait. I’ll even check Douyin and Xiaohongshu for you.】

Luo Qingmeng got up to pack her things. She wondered where Xiao Tang was from—probably local to the province, since she could handle spicy food.

She had star anise, cinnamon bark, and Sichuan peppercorns at home. She sealed some in a small plastic bag and tossed it in her purse, packed up the frozen goods, and grabbed the lot.

As she headed out, she shut the door boldly this time. But passing Qiu Shuxue’s room, she moved with exaggerated caution, like she was sneaking out on some illicit affair. The feeling was completely different from that other kind of “sneaking” thrill.

The door opened, and Qiu Shuxue looked at her. Luo Qingmeng’s furtive manner was suspicious enough. Without a word, Qiu Shuxue’s gaze flicked to her hands.

…Off to cook for someone else, big sis?

Qiu Shuxue trailed silently behind her the whole way.

Luo Qingmeng fled down the stairs, her heart pounding wildly. She hadn’t felt it on the way out, but that instant passing the door—why had she felt so afraid, so anxious? Now that Qiu Shuxue knew she was off to cook for someone else, she even felt like backing out…