Chapter 26

“That guy must be blind as a bat, crashing right into her lips like that.” Someone who had just come in to watch couldn’t help but mutter a complaint.

Luo Qingmeng’s face flushed bright red. The inner auditorium was so dark, but she could clearly see that Qiu Shuxue had timed it perfectly. Not to mention the light from the big screen had flashed right over her body at that moment, and Qiu Shuxue had leaned in for the kiss exactly on cue.

Luo Qingmeng really couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed hard at Qiu Shuxue. The Store Manager didn’t react at first, but when she saw Luo Qingmeng struggling, she reached over to shove Qiu Shuxue aside. Qiu Shuxue bit down on Luo Qingmeng’s lip before propping herself up on the armrest of the seat and standing straight. Then she said seriously, “Sorry.”

The Store Manager asked Luo Qingmeng with concern, “Are you okay?”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t speak. She raised the back of her hand to her mouth while keeping her head lowered, wiping at her lips. Her heart ached terribly, but she didn’t dare say a word.

Luo Qingmeng broke down completely. She felt like not only the Store Manager was watching her, but everyone was staring. She kept wiping her mouth over and over.

After a long while, the movie was about to start.

The Store Manager tilted her head to stare at her and asked with some complicated emotions, “Do you need a tissue?”

“No need…” Luo Qingmeng kept her head down. She had tissues in her bag, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to take them out.

Qiu Shuxue leaned toward her and kept apologizing in a hushed voice.

“Sorry, did I bite too hard? That was really an accident.”

“I have wet wipes if you want to clean up. Your lip’s broken.”

“Let me shine a light on it. Looks like it hit pretty hard. Hope you don’t get cheilitis.”

Her voice wasn’t too loud or too soft—loud enough for them to hear clearly over there. The Store Manager might not have been able to stand it anymore. She tilted her head again and said, “The movie’s about to start. Sorry, but could you stop talking?”

“Sure, I’ll be quiet.”

And so, once the movie started, she only touched Luo Qingmeng—no more talking.

In the darkness of the theater, her fingers slipped through.

She kept holding Luo Qingmeng’s hand. Luo Qingmeng wanted to pull away, but it was too much trouble, and any big movement might alert the others.

This was a movie theater, after all. Couldn’t she have a little decorum?

But saying it out loud would be pointless. Qiu Shuxue would just say something like, if you want decorum that badly, then do without me.

Luo Qingmeng clenched her hands tightly. She tried hard to focus on the movie. It was a restored version set against the backdrop of World War I, with a muted gray tone.

If the Store Manager had invited her to watch it before, she would have loved it. But now… she felt an intense guilt, caught between the two of them and torn in every direction.

Luo Qingmeng tried to convince herself that she was innocent—that these two kept scheming against her, leaving her stuck between a rock and a hard place, wishing she were dead.

Underneath, Qiu Shuxue secretly held her hand and rubbed the fleshy part of her thumb. Qiu Shuxue leaned closer, her breath clearly whispering, I really want to kiss you again. You’re so sweet. You’re too sweet right now, sis.

Luo Qingmeng knew her too well and understood exactly what she meant. She yanked her hand back hard. The Store Manager’s peripheral vision kept darting their way.

Luo Qingmeng pinched Qiu Shuxue hard. She used to have nails before, but now they were filed flat, so her pinches were more like tickles.

Qiu Shuxue let her pinch away. That little bit of movement seemed taboo to her. She allowed Luo Qingmeng to pinch her, then took advantage of Luo Qingmeng’s distraction to lean in close to her ear and whisper, “This movie…” before planting a kiss on Luo Qingmeng’s cheek.

Luo Qingmeng couldn’t even move. Her brain felt rusted solid. She shoved her away with her arm, wanting to curse her out but afraid the Store Manager would hear.

A moment later, the Store Manager turned toward her and suddenly said in a very gentle tone, “Qingmeng, have some popcorn.”

Luo Qingmeng held her breath, panting in short gasps. Her forehead felt hot. Not only had the Store Manager bought popcorn, but she had also gotten her a Fanta.

The Store Manager kept watching her. In her heart, she thought she should have told Luo Qingmeng earlier that the two of them should switch seats. Luo Qingmeng felt uncomfortable under her gaze—the pressure was too much to bear. She grabbed a piece of popcorn and popped it into her mouth. The sweet caramel butter melted against her lips.

The Store Manager finally turned back to watch the movie. Luo Qingmeng kept the melting popcorn in her mouth, just about to swallow when Qiu Shuxue hooked her finger. Luo Qingmeng let her hand drop to her lap, but Qiu Shuxue’s hand followed, insisting on pressing a piece of popcorn into her palm.

Luo Qingmeng pressed her lips together tightly.

It was absolute misery, utter torment.

The popcorn in her palm got sticky. Luo Qingmeng shoved it into her mouth and moved her hands, slipping her fingers into her pants pocket.

For today’s interview, she had dressed professionally: a blue lightweight jacket on top and long pants below. She hid her hands, but she kept hearing things in her ear like “Qingmeng,” “Sis,” “Qingmeng,” “Mommy,” “Have some popcorn,” “Want some Coke?”

The Store Manager would politely offer her some. Qiu Shuxue didn’t play by the rules—she’d shove it into her hand, and if she missed, straight into her mouth.

She finally couldn’t take it anymore. Luo Qingmeng thought she could leave early. She grabbed her bag and stood up. “Sorry, I… I need to use the restroom.”

Luo Qingmeng didn’t actually go to the restroom. She just bolted straight out of the theater. Her cheeks were flushed red. She wandered around aimlessly for a while before making her way out. As she went down the escalator, she sensed that the two of them had come out too.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t look back. She left the building and took a few more steps toward the subway entrance. Just as she was about to go in, the Store Manager caught up, holding the popcorn and calling out to her, “Qingmeng.”

Luo Qingmeng instinctively turned her neck a little.

But she didn’t look over. She took off her bag and put it through the security conveyor belt. She boarded the subway and sat in the car with her head down.

Those two both had cars—they probably wouldn’t chase her onto the subway. Still, Luo Qingmeng couldn’t help peeking outside until the train slid forward into the tunnel.

Luo Qingmeng sat there for half an hour before coming back to herself. She opened the map to check the route: switch at the next two stops and ride to the end.

During that time, her heart ached terribly.

How was she supposed to explain this to the Store Manager? What if the Store Manager didn’t give her the manager position? That would mean all her efforts were for nothing.

She had spent over three thousand on meals and gifts for this… and now she was dipping into her savings.

Luo Qingmeng tried to think of a smarter, smoother way. When she explained it to the Store Manager later, she would strike first and ask very seriously, “If I turn you down, can I still be a manager?”

The Store Manager didn’t seem like the type to pull shady moves.

But after all this, she felt like even she had become unserious. What if the Store Manager asked what her relationship with Qiu Shuxue was?

She got off the subway and pulled out her phone. It was completely quiet—no messages from anyone.

The Store Manager was effortlessly capable at work, proud yet measured. She probably wouldn’t play weird games chasing after women, so just clearing the air would be fine.

As for Qiu Shuxue… Qiu Shuxue had no boundaries at all. She definitely needed to lay into her and throw a fit. She’d gone way too far today—what gave her the right?

Yes, that was it.

Luo Qingmeng felt confident now.

The elevator signal was bad, so she took the stairs. As she emerged into the evening breeze, a terrifying thought hit her: with her gone, would Qiu Shuxue badmouth her to the boss? Or would the two of them think she had started a fight?

They probably wouldn’t. She wasn’t that irresistible, after all. And they were both adults—they had to have some pride.

She tugged at the silk scarf around her neck to let out the heat building up in her body.

She started looking for the boss’s phone number. She couldn’t call on WeChat—with the boss’s habits, she’d switch to video, and on video, Luo Qingmeng would stammer and not get a word out clearly.

Maybe send a message first to explain. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she began typing. She had just written [Store Manager, sorry, but I think work is more important right now. I haven’t gotten over the shadow of my marriage yet, so I don’t want to date for the time being. We can be friends—friends can still advance together…]

She planned to send more, buttering her up plenty: how great the boss was, thanks for everything lately, and so on.

Suddenly, a couple of horn honks rang in her ears. Luo Qingmeng jumped, her heart pounding. She slowly glanced to the side.

Two cars were parked right next to her.

The Store Manager knew where Luo Qingmeng lived. The moment Luo Qingmeng got off the subway, the two cars pulled up—one was the Store Manager’s, and behind it was Qiu Shuxue’s.

In comparison, Qiu Shuxue’s car was a bit bigger, like it could just roll forward and run her over. Luo Qingmeng felt numb all over. This was too much—what were these two doing, tailing her like this?

The Store Manager had also noticed Qiu Shuxue. She had come here to figure out what was really going on and get to the bottom of their relationship—were they dating? She hadn’t expected Qiu Shuxue to follow her too. She had even taken a detour to shake her off and parked here, only to find Qiu Shuxue had followed anyway.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman was a little crazy.

Luo Qingmeng kept swallowing hard, wishing she could rip off her face and swap it for a new one to hide. Why was this happening?

Her legs trembled, her heart racing on overload. What was she supposed to do?

She kept her head down and walked forward. There were no cars entering the neighborhood right now, and those two didn’t hurry to gun the engine. They just crept along slowly behind her.

Luo Qingmeng desperately wanted to duck into some alley.

Finally, she couldn’t take it. She stopped, then walked toward the boss’s car and said, “Boss, I still need to explain things clearly. I’m not thinking about dating right now.”

The Store Manager glanced back. “Hold on a second—who exactly is she?”

Qiu Shuxue’s car was parked there too. She spoke up first. “Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not dating. She’s just my mommy.”

“What?” The Store Manager clearly couldn’t process it. She pushed open her car door and stepped out, turning to look at Qiu Shuxue. The woman was obviously around twenty-five. What mommy? Her first thought was that Qiu Shuxue was some kind of pervert who’d taken a shine to Luo Qingmeng at the bookstore and had been hounding her ever since.

With Luo Qingmeng’s personality, she might have been putting up with the harassment without saying a word. Feeling protective, the Store Manager cut straight to it. “Are you sick in the head or something?”

Qiu Shuxue shot back, “And how spotless are you?”

Her tone was aggressive too. She narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “We’re all adults here. Who are you pretending to be, some saint on a high horse? If you’re claiming you have no ulterior motives, I flat-out don’t buy it. You still haven’t gotten my sister to sign a labor contract, have you?”

“What sister?” The Store Manager was even more baffled. She turned to Luo Qingmeng. “Who exactly is she…?”

Qiu Shuxue rested her hand on the car window. “The Store Manager, you still haven’t answered my question. Have you had her sign a labor contract? Got anything in writing to secure her position? Or are you just stringing her along, making her work like a dog? If not, then what exactly have you done for her?”

The Store Manager bit her lip, her brows furrowed tightly. “Do you even know how this industry works? She has no experience, no connections. These things take time, step by step. There has to be an internship period at least. You can’t just throw her in and have people talking behind her back later. She needs to build a solid foundation.”

“The position she interviewed for should have been higher than what she’s got now—at the very least, a manager or supervisor role. Those get contracts signed on the spot. If there isn’t one, you’re just stringing her along,” Qiu Shuxue said. “So how long is the probation period?”

She added, “I’m crazy—what does that make you, some saint?”

“Are you really planning to give her the manager spot, or are you just keeping her dangling so you can spend time with her?”

The Store Manager gave a cold laugh. “And you’re no better. You knew today was her interview day, and you still pulled this stunt. You’re chasing her, but you haven’t caught her, have you? Mommy-sister must be filling in for whatever’s missing in that twisted dynamic of yours.” She was increasingly convinced Qiu Shuxue was a total psycho.

“The way you talk is like a kid’s. Got any real-world experience? Rich family, so you just play around however you want?”

The two went back and forth, trading barbs. Luo Qingmeng felt like she was going insane. She’d wanted to stay out of it and let them hash it out, but she couldn’t. She walked over and positioned herself between them. “Stop fighting, please. I don’t have anything to do with either of you.”

Qiu Shuxue turned to the Store Manager and arched a brow. She tacked on, “Sorry, I live here. If you wouldn’t mind leaving?”

The Store Manager froze. She clearly hadn’t expected Qiu Shuxue to live there. She quickly turned to Luo Qingmeng, assuming the two were living together.

Or maybe Qiu Shuxue was her roommate.

She needed to figure out which it was. She looked at Luo Qingmeng. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Luo Qingmeng just wanted them to go their separate ways. There were shops around—pretty soon, people would start gathering. “No, Store Manager, you should just…”

Before she could finish, the Store Manager let out a scornful laugh and shot Qiu Shuxue a disdainful look. “You’re not her girlfriend. What gives you the right to talk to me like that?”

“Stop fighting… please stop…” Luo Qingmeng was dizzy with frustration. She didn’t know whose side to take. The Store Manager stood there below, her expression furious, while Qiu Shuxue stayed in the car on purpose, and the two just kept at it.

“So what if I’m not her girlfriend? You know she wants to turn you down, right? You’re just pressuring her, and she won’t push back because she needs the job. You’ve got her over a barrel.”

Since the Store Manager had no idea who Qiu Shuxue really was or what her relationship with Luo Qingmeng was, she kept painting her as a pervert, a nutcase.

The Store Manager admitted it readily enough. Sure, liking someone came with selfish motives, but she absolutely wasn’t trying to coerce Luo Qingmeng. Even if they didn’t end up together, Luo Qingmeng wouldn’t lose out on the position.

Qiu Shuxue’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Really? You actually have the pull to make that happen?”

Their voices rose higher with every exchange. Luo Qingmeng had no idea how to stop them. If she walked away, they might come to blows. Helplessly, she said, “Please, don’t do this. We can hop on a video call later and talk it out.”

The Store Manager was totally worked up now. She grabbed Luo Qingmeng’s arm. “Don’t move, Qingmeng. If you don’t like her, she’s harassing you. Call the cops—haul this psycho away.”

“We can’t call the police.” That would be even more humiliating.

Luo Qingmeng’s eyes turned red. “Can’t we just… stop fighting? If you really like me, then quit it. There’s nothing about me worth liking anyway. Please, keep it down.”

The Store Manager actually felt like she’d been played. She struggled to rein in her anger. She didn’t want to keep arguing, but she knew Luo Qingmeng wasn’t the type to put up with this. “If she’s not your girlfriend, and you don’t want her around, then reject her. Don’t let her take an inch and demand a mile, Qingmeng. You can’t let that slide.”

“No, she’s really not my girlfriend.”

“Is she chasing you?” The Store Manager softened a bit and added, “Your thing must go back a ways, huh?”

She tried to keep her tone gentle, though her expression was a complicated mess she couldn’t hide. Luo Qingmeng had been letting her talk, not wanting any misunderstanding to cost her the manager job. But now she said, “Our relationship is awful. It’s complicated anyway, and…”

“And what?”

“I am a little uncomfortable, actually. You keep bringing up the manager thing. I just want to know—if I don’t get together with you, will you make sure I never get it? If I hadn’t said anything today and you’d gotten upset, I’d be out of options. The pressure every day is huge…” Luo Qingmeng felt like her heart was about to explode. It was so stifling, like she was bending over backward for nothing. Mainly because she was broke and had no money—otherwise, she’d tell the manager job to shove it.

No money meant she didn’t even have the strength to push back. Saying it out loud now felt so much better, like a weight off her chest. No more sucking up to the Store Manager.

Luo Qingmeng was on the verge of tears. No tears fell, but her eyes were red and puffy. Fine, whatever—no more explaining, no more hiding. She said, “…Wah, she’s my husband’s mistress.”

She immediately realized that wasn’t right. With a choked sob, she hurriedly corrected herself. “Ex-husband. My ex-husband’s mistress.”

The Store Manager felt like she was cracking apart at the seams upon hearing the whole thing. “What?”

“You… your husband…”

“Yeah, a mistress. My ex-husband’s mistress…” Luo Qingmeng wanted to crawl into a hole. She couldn’t face the Store Manager anymore. She shot Qiu Shuxue a fierce glare, itching to shove her. But Qiu Shuxue had seen it coming. She knew if she got out, Luo Qingmeng would push her away and undermine her position in the argument, so she stayed put in the car.

With that out, Luo Qingmeng covered her face with her bag and bolted. Now that it was clear, she washed her hands of it. Done.

The Store Manager’s own marriage had been wrecked by a mistress. She couldn’t wrap her head around this.

A mistress and the wife?

She cracked all over again.

Luo Qingmeng covered her face as she ran, but after a few steps, she heard them arguing anew behind her. The Store Manager was saying something about shameless homewreckers still chasing Qingmeng, while Qiu Shuxue apparently shot back that busybodies should get lost because she needed to get home—and yeah, with their relationship, they were having dinner together.

Wait, why wasn’t it over?

It sounded even more explosive than before, more heated. Luo Qingmeng ran back. “Can you two really not stop fighting?!”