It was the first time she’d seen Qiu Shuxue’s handwriting. Before, she’d only seen her signature at most. Her writing was somewhat cursive, like running script, and quite attractive.
Luo Qingmeng unpacked the delivery, turned on the TV, and ate while watching. It was a rare moment of quiet rest as she lay on the sofa, looking at that note.
She didn’t feel quite so bad anymore. Perhaps it was because someone had understood her a little.
Qiu Shuxue’s words were close but not quite. She didn’t always retreat—there was a threshold. If she got no response for a week or a month, no hearing “I’m sorry,” then she’d give up completely.
She’d once had a friend. Back then, the two of them had a great relationship, sharing everything, recommending books to each other, encouraging one another, leaning toward the future together. But later, they’d had a fight.
Over a book.
Her friend also knew that book had gotten her through the bitterest winter of her eighteenth year.
One day, her friend said, “I think the translation is better; the original author just didn’t write it well. You can’t deprive me of my preference.” Luo Qingmeng insisted it was a classic original, feeling that she hadn’t been respected. She told her friend, “You haven’t respected me.” Even ordinary people know to respect others’ preferences when no one is disparaging theirs.
The two of them ended up quarreling.
Luo Qingmeng began to panic, thinking she wasn’t any different from her parents—she hurt herself but never apologized, and she had always been the one to back down before.
By now, she no longer needed an apology from her friend, yet the friend was still trying to attack her without even fearing her anger.
Luo Qingmeng couldn’t tolerate having her in her contacts anymore. She always felt like this person knew exactly how to hurt and upset her, grasping her vulnerabilities like an enemy.
Luo Qingmeng was a real pushover; most of the time, she just wanted to hear a simple “I’m sorry.”
It was such a small request, but if the other person wouldn’t say it, she forced herself to be resolute—for a year, two years—forcing herself to forget.
The next morning, she woke up early. As she put clothes into the washing machine, she paused and glanced toward the bathroom. During that wild week when they’d been going at it nonstop, she had skipped washing clothes altogether. Qiu Shuxue would toss both of their outfits in after her showers, leaving Luo Qingmeng free to head to the kitchen and make breakfast.
One morning when she’d gotten up early, they had showered together with perfect coordination—and she’d even been pinned against the glass partition.
Luo Qingmeng cupped some water and scrubbed her face vigorously.
She hadn’t slept well the night before either. In her dream, the Store Manager’s face had floated there, earnestly negotiating with her: “Qingmeng, if you get together with me, the manager position is yours.”
Luo Qingmeng didn’t want to think too badly of the Store Manager, but she kept regretting not asking yesterday: If I don’t get together with you, is the manager position still mine?
Why hadn’t the Store Manager said it right away? Why wait until things were almost set in stone? She didn’t believe the Store Manager had no ulterior motives.
Irritated, she had no appetite. She grabbed her bag and prepared to head out to work. After changing into her shoes and stepping toward the door, she pushed it open and saw Qiu Shuxue standing sideways against the wall, holding an insulated lunch box in her hand.
Qiu Shuxue smiled faintly and said, “Here, for you.”
Luo Qingmeng hadn’t planned to acknowledge her, but her mouth moved quickly anyway. “What’s this?”
“Breakfast,” Qiu Shuxue said.
“Just you? You made breakfast? No way I’m eating that. I don’t want it.” Luo Qingmeng rejected her.
“I ordered from that restaurant you love—their dim sum.” Qiu Shuxue asked softly, “Sister, you don’t make breakfast anymore, right? Can I bring it for you from now on?”
Luo Qingmeng swallowed hard.
Qiu Shuxue placed the breakfast right into her hands, gripped her wrist, hung the bag on her fingers, and forcefully delivered her care. “There. Now, let me drive you to the company.”
Luo Qingmeng pressed her lips together tightly.
April’s weather had warmed up, and Qiu Shuxue wore a long shirt. Her neck was slender, adorned with a platinum necklace featuring a circle of pure white diamonds that looked stunning against her skin.
Suddenly, Luo Qingmeng wasn’t so angry anymore.
Qiu Shuxue’s silver bracelet was still at her place.
Qiu Shuxue drove her to the mall. When Luo Qingmeng unbuckled her seatbelt, Qiu Shuxue leaned in for a kiss. She tasted Luo Qingmeng’s lips and said, “Sister, why didn’t you put on lip balm today?”
They were in the parking garage, the light dim. Luo Qingmeng thought to herself, Have you gotten addicted to this?
She had deliberately skipped the lip balm to make herself less attractive, hoping the Store Manager would give up and not act on mere lust.
Qiu Shuxue said, “If I’ve upset you somehow and you’re unhappy, bite me. Vent it all out, okay? Don’t bottle it up and make yourself sick. I’m sorry, Sister. Let me apologize.”
Luo Qingmeng was like a puffed-up pufferfish, full of pent-up anger. She pressed her lips tight, then pulled open Qiu Shuxue’s collar and bit down hard on her collarbone.
Qiu Shuxue let out a muffled grunt. Luo Qingmeng bit upward from there, originally aiming for her neck, but she’d seen too many news stories about burst capillaries and held back.
She bit several more times, and Qiu Shuxue just let her, squinting her eyes as if she were enjoying it. Only when Qiu Shuxue finally said it hurt did Luo Qingmeng shove her away and quickly get out of the car to head upstairs.
Qiu Shuxue didn’t chase after her. She sat back in the driver’s seat, watching her go up. Her fingers rested on the steering wheel, then she stared at the red string on her wrist.
She really was down on her luck. Last year, she’d fallen for someone, and even now, it was nothing but disaster after disaster.
Luo Qingmeng was the first to arrive at the bookstore. She unlocked the door and had just stepped inside when Chen Xin showed up, yawning as she said she was going crazy—she’d run into the boss downstairs. Like seeing a ghost.
Luo Qingmeng felt like she’d seen a ghost too.
Her heart pounded fiercely.
She hurriedly prepared everything for the day, pulling out the recommended books. Her hands shook so badly from nerves that she botched several characters while writing the labels. By the time she finished and went out to set up the display board, she spotted the Store Manager approaching from afar with breakfast in hand—and at the same time, she saw Qiu Shuxue step out of the elevator.
Qiu Shuxue?
Wasn’t she going to work?
Luo Qingmeng suddenly remembered: it was Sunday today. Qiu Shuxue had weekends off.
She turned and hurried back into the store.
The Store Manager jogged over with a smile. “Qingmeng, have you had breakfast?” She held it out for Luo Qingmeng to see. Luo Qingmeng really didn’t want to take it. She stammered, “I already got some. I’ll eat it in a bit.”
As she said it, she remembered it was from Qiu Shuxue.
Qiu Shuxue was standing at the doorway too. She hadn’t come in, but unlike before, her collar was open, revealing a bunch of bite marks.
“…”
Pervert. Sick. Crazy.
“Qingmeng?” the Store Manager called her.
Luo Qingmeng flinched. She scurried behind the cash register and said in a tiny voice, “I’ve got food already… You, uh, give it to Chen Xin. She probably hasn’t eaten.”
“I brought it specially for you.” The Store Manager stepped beside the cash register and rested her arm on it.
At first, Luo Qingmeng hadn’t stood out, but the Store Manager always thought that her unassuming quality was appealing—quiet, gentle, the type suited for everyday life. Her movements drew the eye.
But Luo Qingmeng was too straightforward. She yearned for romance, had a whirlwind relationship heading straight for marriage, and then got married right away.
So the Store Manager tamped down her stirring feelings.
“Try a bit of mine,” the Store Manager said. “I waited in line for it.”
She’d bought from the most popular soup dumpling spot. She glanced casually at the bag in Luo Qingmeng’s hand and was surprised: Luo Qingmeng’s breakfast was in a plain transparent plastic bag holding an ordinary insulated lunch box. When opened, it revealed highly rated Hong Kong-style dim sum from a starred kitchen.
This made no sense—such an expensive dish packed so simply, and Luo Qingmeng wouldn’t buy something that pricey herself.
The Store Manager didn’t push it further, assuming Luo Qingmeng had made it herself. She deliberately wanted some alone time with her, to chat and ease any pressure.
Luo Qingmeng was very perceptive, with a temperament like a rabbit’s—too much noise and she’d scare to death. The Store Manager tried her best to approach carefully.
Luo Qingmeng’s breathing grew tight. She didn’t know what to say. The Store Manager mentioned interviewing for manager that afternoon and offered to take her shopping in the morning if she felt stressed—but Luo Qingmeng kept imagining the Store Manager wanted to take her to a hotel.
The Store Manager was a proper person; she probably wouldn’t do that.
But she was too nervous, her breaths shallow and ragged, her mind a mess. Why had the Store Manager only confessed now?
Luo Qingmeng blamed herself again. She should’ve just held back yesterday and not asked.
Her silence made it seem like anyone could read her mind. Qiu Shuxue had picked up on it before, and now the Store Manager too.
The Store Manager said softly, “I didn’t say anything earlier because you’d just gotten divorced and your emotions were unstable. I thought blurting it out wouldn’t show sincerity, so I waited for the right moment. Don’t feel pressured. The manager position isn’t really tied to this—don’t give it up.”
They kept their voices low while discussing business, making it feel intimate. Qiu Shuxue must have misunderstood yesterday, thinking the Store Manager had cooked for her. And with how guilty she felt, Qiu Shuxue would probably notice—the Store Manager had confessed to her.
Luo Qingmeng was terribly anxious. She didn’t quite believe the Store Manager. She was also afraid Qiu Shuxue would stir up trouble; Qiu Shuxue clearly had a possessive streak and got jealous easily.
