Chapter 44: Extra 8 Part 2

Qiu Shuxue watched Luo Qingmeng’s expression closely. Luo Qingmeng let out a doubtful “Ah,” hesitating deeply. Her lips moved without forming words—it was clear she still fretted over her poor impression from last time. Qiu Shuxue nearly laughed but held it in. “You should come too.”

Luo Qingmeng said, “I’ll think about it.”

“A little scared.”

“Then forget about him.”

“Wait just a bit longer,” Luo Qingmeng said. “If you want to see them, I’ll go with you.”

“Okay.”

“This is our first real outing.”

Luo Qingmeng felt they didn’t need to hole up at home every weekend like hermits. They could tour the whole country, then head abroad. She said to Qiu Shuxue, “Next week, let’s get our Hong Kong-Macau-Taiwan Travel Permits sorted.”

Qiu Shuxue hummed in agreement. “Got it.”

Luo Qingmeng gave a soft smile.

What was so funny?

Of course she knew Qiu Shuxue kept her close to her heart.

That entire summer, Luo Qingmeng and Qiu Shuxue road-tripped across the country, exploring everywhere.

Winter arrived swiftly. As soon as the weather chilled, before any holiday rolled around, Qiu Shuxue gifted her a scarf and took her shopping for a thick woolen overcoat.

She made Luo Qingmeng look stunning—she’d wanted to dress her up like this for ages. Qiu Shuxue tugged the scarf up to cover her cheeks.

Then she leaned in and planted a kiss on her face.

“Other gifts on the holidays.”

Luo Qingmeng’s birthday fell the day after New Year’s Day. Last New Year’s, a minor incident had left her agonizing over whether to dump Li An.

She and Li An had rung in the New Year together, watching the fireworks over the bridge from a little square, then grabbing dinner. Li An had fiddled with his phone nonstop; he was swamped back then, texting through meals, on calls mid-stride. That New Year’s Eve, Luo Qingmeng stayed up until midnight but got no message from Li An—instead, Qiu Shuxue’s pinged through.

Qiu Shuxue wrote: “Happy New Year, sister! I like you even more this coming year. So happy I met you.”

Curious, Luo Qingmeng had asked if she was out having fun. Qiu Shuxue replied that she was single with no one to party with. She said her sister must be thrilled, out somewhere with her boyfriend—not like her, alone at home. She envied sister and Brother Li so much, so romantic with such a solid relationship.

But being solo had its perks too—do whatever you want. Her sister must be way happier than her.

Luo Qingmeng felt pierced by the message. She tossed and turned that night, realizing, yeah, I’m alone too. Dating him felt no different from being single—not as free as Qiu Shuxue.

Online wisdom chimed in: true love fades to routine; it’s a young person’s fancy. Let it settle into everyday life—no pipe dreams.

That crystallized it for her.

Folks in their twenties weren’t so different from those in their forties. They just dressed up the same old line—”Marry a decent guy and call it a day; that’s how I did it, so don’t rock the boat”—in winding, faux-profound prose.

Worse yet, they wielded their so-called wisdom to torment themselves and drag everyone else down, smothering their own breath while yanking others off the cliff to drown.

But Luo Qingmeng stayed wide-eyed in the dark. She knew the right path but couldn’t forecast the happiness, too timid to decide.

She told herself that if Li An pulled the same stunt as her parents—lumping New Year’s and her birthday into one day—she wouldn’t wait. She’d end it on the spot.

During her rough patch after the divorce, she’d suspected Li An spent those days with Qiu Shuxue, only buttering her up later. She was dead certain they had something going and that she’d been strung along.

Now she saw the truth: Li An was the one played back then. Qiu Shuxue had hogged his time, and he’d chased after her like a lovesick puppy.

Luo Qingmeng was the quiet type and hated airing her business. If she’d been tighter with Qiu Shuxue then and spilled that she wanted to break up, Qiu Shuxue would’ve ensured Li An got the boot.

Luo Qingmeng never told her. Qiu Shuxue would beat herself up over it, sulk in and out of bed, hire someone to slap Li An twice, and mope for weeks, sighing all day.

On New Year’s Day itself, Luo Qingmeng took her to the amusement park. They ordered a massive cake and cut it together. She had gifts ready too—a custom-made violin.

Luo Qingmeng loved it. Things like this had always felt out of reach before, something to glimpse from afar. Holding it now felt like squandering treasure; she was still a beginner, and it was too lavish. She got Qiu Shuxue presents in return: a handmade music box, plus New Year flight tickets abroad and a hotel booking.

“As long as you like it,” Qiu Shuxue told her. “With me, don’t sweat the cost. Just enjoy.”

Luo Qingmeng was nothing but enjoying it all—enjoying so much she hardly knew what to do with herself.

As for the birthday the next day…

Luo Qingmeng never mentioned it to Qiu Shuxue, not a word. Deep down, though, she hoped to see what else she’d get.

The moment she opened her eyes that morning, Qiu Shuxue greeted her with a sweet kiss laced with peach scent. “Winter’s here.”

Luo Qingmeng hummed, and Qiu Shuxue snuggled closer. “And happy birthday, Qingmeng sister.”

Luo Qingmeng froze. When Qiu Shuxue leaned in for another kiss, she flushed with embarrassment and burrowed under the covers. Her eyes still hazy, she mumbled, “How are you up so early?”

“You’re the lazy one. I told you to take the day off and celebrate properly, but you won’t.”

“How can I? It’s a workday…”

Even as she said it, Luo Qingmeng rolled over and scrambled out of bed. Qiu Shuxue had breakfast all ready—lavish, prepared by a chef and delivered first thing. All her favorites.

That morning, Qiu Shuxue drove her to work amid brutal traffic. “No worries,” Qiu Shuxue said. “We’ll move somewhere else later, and it’ll be fine.”

Luo Qingmeng checked herself in the rearview mirror, lightly touching up her makeup. Qiu Shuxue caught it from the corner of her eye. Luo Qingmeng dodged her gaze and said, “What if you skip work and suddenly show up with some… surprise? I need to be ready.”

Qiu Shuxue bit her lip, sighing inwardly. She’s just too adorable.

Once the car was ready to go, Luo Qingmeng put away her lip gloss and cautioned her, “Don’t get too steamy in your texts.”

“I’m driving, sis.”

“Mm.” Luo Qingmeng nodded.

When she arrived at the store, Luo Qingmeng received congratulations from several employees. Of course, they didn’t know it was her birthday and simply wished her a Happy New Year.

Luo Qingmeng nodded back and smiled at them.

There wasn’t much work that day. She made a round of inspections before coordinating with the bookstore. Her phone kept chiming nonstop.

They had only just parted, yet Qiu Shuxue kept texting her—whether she had something to say or not—asking if she was busy. Luo Qingmeng couldn’t figure out what she was up to, but she replied to every message. The employees teased her with knowing smiles, asking what was going on that had her checking her girlfriend’s texts multiple times a day.

After work, she thought Qiu Shuxue would come pick her up, but she didn’t show. Luo Qingmeng took a cab home on her own. She wasn’t upset—instead, she spent the whole ride guessing that Qiu Shuxue must be plotting some kind of surprise.

It would probably be really romantic. She was looking forward to it so much.

Even the smoggy weather felt a touch sweeter. She leaned lightly against the car window. This was different from before, when she’d feared others forgetting her birthday. Now, her heart was filled only with anticipation.

At the doorstep, she paused for a few seconds before opening the door. She poked her head inside slightly and caught a whiff of a fragrant yet slightly bitter aroma. Glancing toward the kitchen, Luo Qingmeng saw Qiu Shuxue cooking, with two people wearing chef’s hats in there as well.

“Wow,” Luo Qingmeng exclaimed. Qiu Shuxue glanced over at the sound. Luo Qingmeng hurriedly changed her shoes and asked in delighted surprise, “What are you doing cooking?”

“Cooking a birthday dinner for my girlfriend.” As Qiu Shuxue spoke, she squeezed her eyes shut, overcome by the fumes. “…Why are you back so early?”

“It’s already three in the afternoon.”

Luo Qingmeng smiled at the two people in chef’s hats, then walked to the kitchen doorway and peered through the glass. “Need any help?”

Qiu Shuxue shook her head. “Just savor the unique flavor that I made myself.”

She fiddled around a bit longer, hands on her hips, a black apron tied around her waist. “I’ve been practicing for a whole week, but I still can’t get the knack of it. I thought I’d mastered it.”

Luo Qingmeng said, “Maybe you’ve gotten rusty.”

One of the chefs was checking the oven outside and gave Luo Qingmeng a small smile. Qiu Shuxue bustled back and forth. Luo Qingmeng guessed that she must have planned to cook her a nice meal today and then pick her up afterward.

She hadn’t realized cooking would be so tough—it had eaten up her entire day.

Luo Qingmeng picked up the remote and turned on the TV, her eyes on the screen while her thumbs pressed together lightly, pinching at each other.

The living room filled with the milky aroma of baking. Qiu Shuxue kept at it in the kitchen. After half an hour, she brought out a pot of soup, followed by a plate of stir-fried beef and the green pepper eggs that Luo Qingmeng loved.

Luo Qingmeng looked at her. “Want me to take over?”

Qiu Shuxue insisted, saying solemnly, “I have to handle everything for your birthday every time.”

She got all the dishes on the table. The two chefs exchanged a few words with her before leaving. Qiu Shuxue lifted her sleeve and sniffed it. “Sorry, sis. You took care of me all last year. I didn’t realize the smell of oil and smoke was so strong.”

Luo Qingmeng thought to herself: You’ve helped out in the kitchen for me too.

Qiu Shuxue took a quick shower, and then the two of them sat down to eat. “There’s dessert too—we’ll have that after dinner,” she said. She wiped the bowls and chopsticks clean and handed them to Luo Qingmeng, who took them with a “thank you.”

As they ate, Qiu Shuxue fetched a red box and gave it to her. Luo Qingmeng asked curiously what it was, but she soon froze. Inside was a stack of documents needing her signature—a house deed.

“Here’s your gift,” Qiu Shuxue said.

“After we eat, we can go get the red book.”

“The marriage certificate?” Luo Qingmeng asked.

Qiu Shuxue’s lips curved in a smile. “The Property Ownership Certificate—the house deed.”

Luo Qingmeng’s lips parted. Qiu Shuxue continued, “We’ll get a lawyer to handle it later. It’s a voluntary gift, your birthday present. No matter what happens, it’ll be your private property. I brought you here, so I’m giving you a home right here.”

What Luo Qingmeng feared most was a life of wandering, fighting with others and being abandoned with nowhere to turn.

“But could you let me stay here for now? Shelter me a little?” Qiu Shuxue blinked.

Luo Qingmeng’s eyes reddened, on the verge of tears. Qiu Shuxue said, “You can be touched, but…”

Tears spilled from Luo Qingmeng’s eyes. Qiu Shuxue couldn’t hold back anymore. “You can cry.”

Luo Qingmeng kept her head down and continued eating. She reached for a napkin, and Qiu Shuxue handed her one. Luo Qingmeng wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

As a child, she rarely celebrated her birthday alone because it fell just one day after New Year’s Day. On New Year’s, she got an extra boiled egg.

If the family made tangyuan, they gave her some first, but then there was no egg. That day made her feel a little special, like she had some meaning in the world—even though she didn’t like tangyuan and even though her little sister and brother got cake.

Luo Qingmeng looked up at Qiu Shuxue. “It’s pretty good…”

Qiu Shuxue had slaved over it all day, and Luo Qingmeng thought it tasted great. She was looking forward to cake later too. Qiu Shuxue had only made the cake base and wanted to frost it together with her.

After dinner, Qiu Shuxue handed her a pen. Luo Qingmeng signed the documents, tears falling again. There were more steps after signing.

Qiu Shuxue had an appointment lined up for later. Luo Qingmeng shook her head and said to wait.

Luo Qingmeng went to the bathroom to freshen up.

Then she headed to the bedroom.

Qiu Shuxue waited outside for her to change. When she didn’t come out, she knocked once and pushed the door open.

Luo Qingmeng sat awkwardly on the bed. When she saw her, she averted her gaze slightly.

She was tying a red ribbon around her wrist. Faint black tattoos peeked out at her chest and thighs.

Qiu Shuxue froze in the doorway.

Luo Qingmeng bit at the ribbon’s knot, accidentally fraying it a little. The trailing end grew damp. She looked up at Qiu Shuxue in a panic, just as unprepared as Qiu Shuxue had been with the cooking.

In her haste, she’d tied the knot too tight.

“Sis…” Qiu Shuxue gazed at her.

Luo Qingmeng didn’t dare meet her eyes. Her own were red, her wet lashes unable to hold back the tears. She murmured an “mm,” and on her ankle was a white bell. Her hands weren’t covering her chest, where the words “Xuexue” were tattooed. Slowly, she revealed her thigh too—”QSX.”

“It’s… really embarrassing,” she said. “I felt like these spots could only be done separately, so I got them secretly on my own.”

Her lips parted and closed, growing moist. Whenever Luo Qingmeng received a gift, she always felt like she had to give something back. She didn’t know how to match this one, so she decided to give her what she wanted, what she needed. “…If you want me… that would be my best birthday gift. I’m packaging myself up for you…”

One leg bent, her toes rubbed lightly against the fuzzy blanket. The bell on her ankle jingled—ding ding ding.

She kept showing Qiu Shuxue the tattoos.

Lying back, tense and shy, she asked:

“Do you want it?”