Chapter 24

Luo Qingmeng used to completely ignore Qiu Shuxue, but now an inexplicable guilt arose in her heart. She repeatedly reminded herself to stay clear-headed: she was the mistress; she was the other woman.

Luo Qingmeng, had she gotten addicted to sleeping with the mistress, or to cooking for her and living together?

Yet the answer seemed to whisper: it felt like some kind of mother-daughter relationship.

Just as Qiu Shuxue walked over, the elevator doors closed shut.

Her phone buzzed with a message: 【Did you make food for the boss?】

Luo Qingmeng: 【No.】

The two of them still hadn’t added each other as friends; they chatted every day using text messages with added contact codes, as if the limit might run out at any moment and they’d be unable to talk anymore.

Luo Qingmeng bolted away at a sprint, racing straight to the subway station without so much as glancing back. The morning sun had risen, sending the temperature soaring and making her sweat. She hurried down the escalator into the station, hopped on a train, and found a seat near the front. She panted heavily, stealing a glance outside as the subway plunged into the tunnel. All the while, her mind raced: what if Qiu Shuxue actually came after her?

Should she go cook for Xiao Tang, then head back to cook for her too?

No more thinking about it, Luo Qingmeng.

She missed her stop while still peering out the window—one moment pitying how pathetic it would be if Qiu Shuxue chased after her on foot, the next wondering why she was so afraid of her. Everyone had their own life, after all.

Qiu Shuxue indeed hadn’t caught up; Luo Qingmeng had run faster than a rabbit and just barely made her train. Qiu Shuxue waited eight minutes for the next one and still couldn’t find her at the final stop.

Her face darkened as she typed out a message for Luo Qingmeng, only to pause and delete it.

What did Luo Qingmeng’s escape mean?

It meant she already cared, didn’t it?

After a forty-minute subway ride, Luo Qingmeng arrived at Xiao Tang’s place. She checked her phone upon exiting—no message from Qiu Shuxue. The tightness in her chest grew even worse; the phone’s silence felt like Qiu Shuxue accusing her: “Luo Qingmeng, you’re so heartless. I’m going to starve myself to death.”

Feeling both relieved and uneasy, she called Xiao Tang via voice chat right after getting off the subway. Xiao Tang told her to walk ahead and they’d meet at the supermarket up front.

Xiao Tang had just graduated at twenty-two, about the same age as Chen Xin. They bumped into Xiao Tang’s roommate at the neighborhood entrance; the roommate had bought some cola. As they walked, Xiao Tang pointed out which building was hers.

The overall neighborhood was nice. Not far from Xiao Tang’s place, Luo Qingmeng wanted to check out some rental listings, but Xiao Tang said, “I already took photos of them. We’ll look after we eat. I’ve added the landlord on my contacts.”

“Thanks,” Luo Qingmeng said with a smile.

“You’re the one working hard, cooking for us.”

Xiao Tang shared a place with a friend, splitting a 2400-yuan rent that was a great deal divided between them.

When Luo Qingmeng went inside, she saw they’d already blanched the ribs. She breathed a sigh of relief—it wasn’t like everything was left for her to do from scratch while they just waited to eat. On second thought, girls were generally thoughtful and pitched in; they had more class than guys.

They knew better than to feel awkward and helped with the chores, unlike some men who just sprawled out and spouted nonsense about gentlemen staying away from the kitchen without actually becoming gentlemen or saints.

Luo Qingmeng drained the ribs, added the seasonings, and placed the other ingredients she’d brought on the windowsill to thaw quickly in the sunlight.

Since they only had a hot pot cooker, she stir-fried the ribs and spices over high heat to bring out the flavors. The aroma was pungent, and the two girls kept giving her thumbs up.

Luo Qingmeng smiled and glanced outside, always feeling like something was off. That fool Qiu Shuxue wouldn’t really starve herself to death, would she?

“…I’m so done with her,” Luo Qingmeng muttered, stirring the pot with a wooden spoon.

“Sis, need anything?” the two girls outside called.

“It’s fine,” Luo Qingmeng said as she began braising the ribs.

“Can we eat it straight away?”

“No,” Luo Qingmeng replied. “The meat won’t be tender enough.”

After braising, she added more liquid and covered it to simmer.

It would take a while now, so standing around idly was a waste of time. Xiao Tang offered her some snacks; she ate two pieces of crispy rice but couldn’t sit still. “Let’s go check out the rental downstairs. This still needs about forty minutes.”

“Sure.”

The two headed straight to the building. The landlord’s parents were home; they explained they’d been in touch and wanted to see the place. The parents let them in. The security was good and everything was fine, but the stairs were a hassle.

They didn’t commit to renting on the spot; Luo Qingmeng still needed to think it over. If she decided to live there, she’d have to find a roommate first—over two thousand alone was more than she could swing.

She’d planned to rent once her salary hit, but now this promotion had popped up. Last month’s pay had dwindled to just 800 yuan.

Luo Qingmeng felt inevitably downcast, listening to Xiao Tang chat with her roommate and seeing their beaming smiles. It stirred memories of her own past.

They’d started from different places. To survive, at her age she’d become a factory girl, working overtime till eight or nine. When she wanted to quit, her parents scolded her endlessly.

They said she was crazy, that they’d raised her for nothing, that whether she lived or died had nothing to do with the family. Luo Qingmeng had grown distant from her family and no longer pictured her parents’ faces. Leaving the factory had made every breath taste sweet; she’d felt free. But back then, she often dreamed of her mother choking her throat, repeating, “Luo Qingmeng, go die. Luo Qingmeng, go die. You’re so cheap. Giving birth to you only added another day of suffering to my life. I don’t know what else you’re good for…”

Her father, on the surface mild-mannered, would say things like “Mengmeng’s had it tough” or “Mengmeng’s worked hard,” but really, he was just a gentle executioner.

“Meng-jie?”

“Hm? What’s up?” Luo Qingmeng turned to Xiao Tang.

“Didn’t you say we were going to the supermarket?”

“Oh, right.” Luo Qingmeng headed to the supermarket to buy ingredients.

Back upstairs, Xiao Tang felt bad leaving her out, so she asked if she played games. Luo Qingmeng didn’t play Honor of Kings or Eat Chicken, but Xiao Tang’s friend suggested Script Killing and had her connect to the Wi-Fi to download the app.

The three played a simple script. Luo Qingmeng snuck a glance at her phone. There was one message: 【I hate you so much.】

She shivered, got up to add the frozen ingredients to the pot, tied the green onions into knots and tossed them in, then rejoined them to play. Occasionally, she chatted with Xiao Tang and her friend, learning where they’d gone to college and about their family backgrounds.

Luo Qingmeng just said hers was average.

They set the hot pot on the table. Luo Qingmeng had them wait a moment while she packed two ribs into an insulated lunch box, picked out some seafood to add, and was just finishing up when her phone rang.

Her heart tightened. She stood quickly to answer, thinking it was Qiu Shuxue, but the screen showed it was the Store Manager.

The Store Manager asked, “Qingmeng, where are you right now? It’s your day off—got time? How come you didn’t come find me?”

Luo Qingmeng thought, no way—did days off still mean going out to eat? These past few days had been meal after meal, three or four people each time, at least four hundred-yuan a pop. She really didn’t have that kind of money. Xiao Tang had even bought the ribs herself, but the others just opened wide and chowed down.

Luo Qingmeng was the type who craved stability; even a slight breeze made her anxious. In today’s terms, with all the cutthroat competition, she might seem unambitious, but she couldn’t handle any big upheavals, not even a thrilling promotion.

She tried to remind herself that she’d already taken the first step, so she shouldn’t close herself off again. She was about to reply when Xiao Tang called out, “Sis, who’s that? Want me to plate some ribs for you?”

Luo Qingmeng said thanks.

The Store Manager overheard and said, “You’re with Xiao Tang? How’d you end up hanging out with her?”

Xiao Tang’s education wasn’t top-tier—just a third-rate university—but her family had property and cars, and she was pretty. She was just lazy about socializing, hence the easy job. Her parents covered her rent; they were formal employees at an oil field, and her grandparents had even been sent abroad officially. The Store Manager turned a blind eye to Xiao Tang because of her background. Her family had lined up a cushy government job for her, skipping exams and interviews come year’s end.

Luo Qingmeng had learned all this during the Script Killing game; she realized Xiao Tang was genuinely nice, warm-hearted, got along great with her friend—outwardly cute but soft inside.

“I’m asking her to help look at rentals,” Luo Qingmeng said. “I’m planning to move.”

“Yeah, that place you’re at—finding a roommate still leaves you covering over two thousand,” the Store Manager said. “But do you have enough cash to tide you over? You’ve been eating with management every day; that’s gotta cost a bit.”

Luo Qingmeng was definitely strapped for cash. She’d been mulling that she couldn’t move blindly like last time. That was after divorcing Li An; to keep him from taking anything, she’d hauled everything away in a huff. Qiu Shuxue had refurnished her place once before, so a lot was redundant. She planned to sell the used stuff secondhand.

“Wait a bit before moving,” the Store Manager said.

“I can’t; probably have to be out by the 15th.”

“That soon? Just a few days left. Let me think…”

Luo Qingmeng glanced at Xiao Tang and her friend, unsure how long the Store Manager would take. Ever since the talk of promoting her to manager, much of her personal time had been eaten up by the Store Manager.

“Come by my place this afternoon, and I’ll explain in detail,” the Store Manager said.

“I’ve got to look at rentals this afternoon,” Luo Qingmeng said awkwardly. “Is it something important?”

“Are you still eating? Did you make it?” the Store Manager asked.

Luo Qingmeng hummed in affirmation.

“Then… we’ll talk about it when you come to work. Your position is pretty much set.” The Store Manager paused for a long time before saying, “Don’t worry.”

Luo Qingmeng agreed. “Thank you, Store Manager.”

Even so, she still felt uneasy. She sensed that the Store Manager had more to say but was holding back, which irritated her greatly.

Luo Qingmeng hung up the phone and sat back down restlessly to continue eating.

“Sister Meng, this is super delicious, really super delicious,” Xiao Tang praised.

Xiao Tang’s friend poured Coke for the three of them again. They clinked glasses, and Xiao Tang bit into a rib before asking, “What’s wrong with you? Hey, I’m not kidding—the Store Manager really takes you for granted. You’re practically half a store manager already. Seriously, just quit and enjoy your meal. Anyone who sympathizes with the bosses is a fool.”

“No, it’s just… the Store Manager wants to transfer me to a new position. My salary will go up a bit.”

“Wow, that’s great!” Xiao Tang had no real concept of money. She was a spendthrift who lived off her family, carefree and without worries. She clinked glasses with Luo Qingmeng, oblivious to her distress.

Xiao Tang’s friend, however, picked up on it and asked, “Sis, is the boss making you do something weird? What position is it? What’s the pay and benefits like?”

Luo Qingmeng said, “It’s not certain yet. She always says it’s almost ready, but I don’t know if it really is.”

“Wait a sec—if they can’t get it done in a week, it’s not happening. Don’t take it to heart.”

Luo Qingmeng forced a smile. “Okay.”

After the meal, Xiao Tang said she’d show her around. They checked out some single apartments, but when Xiao Tang later suggested going out to have fun, Luo Qingmeng refused.

She had experience with the library manager position since she’d always been the one liaising with the library at the store.

Luo Qingmeng returned at three in the afternoon. As she exited the subway station, she remained paranoid, glancing everywhere for Qiu Shuxue’s car.

When she reached her apartment building, she hesitated to go upstairs, gripped by fear—though she couldn’t quite understand why she felt so terrified over something like this.

It felt just like if she had abandoned her child to elope with someone and become a stepmother, now facing her child consumed by guilt.

Luo Qingmeng paced the open space downstairs. The sun was shining brightly that day, and some parents were walking their large dogs. She wandered to the grassy area on the side of the building, basked in the sunlight for a bit, then moved to the shady side.

Her mind was a whirlwind of frustrations—frustrated with Qiu Shuxue, frustrated with the Store Manager. After mulling it over, she decided to call the Store Manager.

Luo Qingmeng couldn’t hold back any longer. It concerned her promotion, and if it fell through, she’d have to swallow her pride. Her current situation wasn’t bad, and she didn’t want to work herself to death only to end up empty-handed.

Work and her personal life were wearing her down.

The Store Manager sent back a video call. She had just washed her hair and was letting it dry, then immediately tied it up. Luo Qingmeng waited quietly as she finished, then gathered her thoughts and said directly, “Store Manager, this afternoon I felt like you didn’t finish what you were saying. Is it about work? Just tell me straight. I can accept any outcome.”

The Store Manager noticed her using polite language and fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “Are you really not getting what I mean?”

Luo Qingmeng truly didn’t understand and looked at her in confusion.

She said tactfully, “You might be sharper than me. I’m not the smartest person when it comes to work matters…”

Over the past few days of meeting with management, she had gotten to know the Store Manager better. The woman had started working young through sheer grit. She had married early right after college and opened a hotpot restaurant with her husband, only for him to cheat with one of the staff.

The Store Manager said, “I’ve been divorced for a year or two now. I don’t trust men anymore. You’re divorced too, right? If you don’t mind, why not move in with me?”

Luo Qingmeng’s eyes widened, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. They were both adults—she knew exactly what this meant. Panic surged through her, but she pretended not to understand.

She swallowed hard, unable to look at her phone any longer.

The Store Manager made it even clearer. “I get the sense you’re not opposed to women. I was thinking of making you store manager so we could both advance together. But then a demoted manager showed up. If you’re okay passing on the manager position, we can strive forward side by side. I’ve always liked you quite a bit.”

Liked… what the hell.

Luo Qingmeng trembled all over, staring at the Store Manager in horror. The Store Manager smiled at her. “Qingmeng, I’m not joking. I’m serious. I have a house, so no mortgage for you. My kid has a nanny. Once you’re manager, you can buy your own place—the salary’s enough to cover the loan. Having your own home gives you confidence. Think about us being together. You can live at my place.”

“So, come to the bookstore tomorrow, and we’ll talk properly.”

Luo Qingmeng felt thunderstruck. Her hand shook as she hung up the call. She didn’t know where to put her phone, and then the Store Manager sent a message: 【Tomorrow go for the interview. Once you pass, you’ll start as soon as the store launches. You need to get familiar with the workflow too—I’ll have Brother Zhao show you around.】

Luo Qingmeng read it and wondered if she should reply. As she unlocked her screen, another message came: 【I’m not joking. I really do like you.】

Do I look that gay?

Even a lesbian would find this creepy as hell.

Luo Qingmeng’s phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground. She stared at it blankly for a few seconds before picking it up. She swiped away the message forcefully and clutched her phone as she fumbled with the door access. She felt like bursting into tears. How had things gotten this insane?

The apartment building’s main door was yanked open from inside. Qiu Shuxue pulled it forcefully and stepped out, glaring at her darkly.