Chapter 7

Luo Qingmeng came down from upstairs, followed by Qiu Shuxue, who was fiddling with her keychain. She wondered: Am I being scammed?

Qiu Shuxue drove her to the supermarket.

The car went quite a distance, straight to the largest mall on the commercial street ahead. As soon as they entered the kitchenware section, Luo Qingmeng’s eyes were glued. She wanted to buy everything. Every time she watched cooking videos online, she envied those cute, pristine kitchen tools.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Sister, how about buying an apron?”

“What would I need that for?” Luo Qingmeng thought. An apron was just too cheap.

Qiu Shuxue held up that pink teddy bear apron and said, “You’ll get your clothes dirty making food for me. If you don’t need it…”

Luo Qingmeng thought for a moment. It wasn’t her money anyway, so she immediately tossed it into the shopping cart.

As expected, they bought everything in the supermarket. Luo Qingmeng pushed the cart along, grabbing items left and right. In just a few minutes, it was stuffed full. As she picked things up, she mentally tallied the prices in her head. But then Qiu Shuxue tossed three boxes of finger cots into the basket, and Luo Qingmeng’s calculations went haywire. Were those on Qiu Shuxue’s tab, or hers?

On the other side of the supermarket was the intimate apparel section. Qiu Shuxue tossed in two pairs of black underwear made from especially thin fabric. Luo Qingmeng was just about to stop her when Qiu Shuxue added a 1,200-yuan skincare set. Luo Qingmeng pursed her lips. That one was definitely hers.

Luo Qingmeng grabbed a non-stick frying pan for 599 yuan. She’d been eyeing it for ages but had never splurged on it. Qiu Shuxue glanced at her, and she raised her eyebrows. “The dishes I want to make require this pan.”

“Okay.” Qiu Shuxue nodded.

Luo Qingmeng grabbed a blender. “This too—I’ll need it.” She followed up by stuffing in a purple clay pot, a hot pot set, and an oven.

She went for only the most expensive ones.

“These will all come in handy.”

“Are we eating a feast?” Qiu Shuxue licked the corner of her lips. “I’m a little eager already, Sister.”

“Then just wait and see.”

Luo Qingmeng kept buying and grabbing. She added top-of-the-line pots, bowls, and basins too, though she didn’t go purely for the priciest ones there—she preferred cute designs, like teddy bear plates, panda bowls, and strawberry spoons. She pictured these things arranged in her kitchen and felt happy. Really, her favorite spaces were the kitchen and bedroom. Living alone in the city, with eating and sleeping surrounded by things she loved—it was pure bliss.

She tentatively picked up some bedsheets and a duvet cover. Qiu Shuxue just looked without commenting, so she tossed them into the cart too. She tallied it all up carefully and had a sense of the total, but she felt it wasn’t enough. It was only about ten thousand yuan.

Luo Qingmeng smiled.

Ten thousand yuan, and I’d even used the word “only.”

Rich people really didn’t worry about prices. So carefree.

Once the big cart was stuffed full, she finally went to buy groceries. Although Luo Qingmeng cooked for herself, she actually stuck to affordable ingredients. Sure, she wanted premium stuff, but if she couldn’t cook it right, wouldn’t that be wasteful?

Her thrifty nature kicked in, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Qiu Shuxue eyed the fish swimming around in the tank and said, “Sister, you can make anything. Did you learn from videos online, or figure it out yourself?”

Right—online videos.

Buy, buy, buy!

Luo Qingmeng went straight to the vendor. “Give me a whole crate!”

They bought so much that even two carts couldn’t hold it all. A helpful supermarket staff member came over to push an extra one for them.

At the checkout, Qiu Shuxue asked her, “Anything else you want to get?”

Luo Qingmeng looked at everything they’d bought and stared at Qiu Shuxue in shock. After all this, she wanted to buy even more?

She even wanted to ask Qiu Shuxue what her job was.

Are you really this loaded?

Qiu Shuxue pulled out a card and held it between her fingers.

“These things look bulky, but you picked based on value for money. It probably won’t come to much.” She pressed her hand on the cart. “Buy whatever you want. You’ve been ignoring my invites, so with this rare chance to hang out…”

“…”

Luo Qingmeng fell silent. She felt like Qiu Shuxue was subtly shading her. Even if someone else was paying, it wasn’t much money. But at the same time, she sensed Qiu Shuxue was flirting with her, and her heart skipped a little beat.

“I want to buy more.” Luo Qingmeng took a deep breath. “This is just the first round.”

“Okay.” Qiu Shuxue nodded.

The only regret was that they didn’t sell books here, or she’d have grabbed a ton. This time, she didn’t hold back. She bought the best bedding, even a depilatory device for herself—something she’d been too embarrassed to get before. Seeing Qiu Shuxue say nothing, she went wild and bought boldly.

Lipsticks from Dior, Armani, and Saint Laurent that she’d always hesitated on, then Chanel perfume, and finally she eyed a bag priced at ten thousand yuan.

Qiu Shuxue didn’t say a word.

Luo Qingmeng touched it but put it back. “Meh.”

A ten-thousand-yuan bag—even then, she didn’t dare.

In the end, as they headed back, Qiu Shuxue swiped her card. The two cashiers helped tally it up: thirty-two thousand yuan. Qiu Shuxue didn’t blink as she entered her PIN. Luo Qingmeng glanced at her again. This woman was seriously attractive when she spent money.

The supermarket loaded their purchases into a cart and even provided staff to deliver it home. Qiu Shuxue drove, while Luo Qingmeng sat in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt.

She felt a bit dazed and stayed quiet the whole ride.

They went up to the 24th floor.

Luo Qingmeng remained silent. Qiu Shuxue directed the staff to deliver everything to her door. She looked at Luo Qingmeng. “Open up.”

Luo Qingmeng entered the code. The staff brought it all inside. Finally, Qiu Shuxue signed off, the staff left, and she closed the door. “Sister, ready to cook now?”

Luo Qingmeng really wanted to ask if all this was for her, but she felt that would make her seem like a country bumpkin. She figured she’d make Qiu Shuxue a lavish meal later. She convinced herself she was the victim here—this was the compensation she deserved. She had to enjoy it properly.

Luo Qingmeng unpacked things. On top was the smallest item, the depilatory device. It didn’t look big, but it cost four thousand five hundred-yuan. She dithered over where to put it when Qiu Shuxue walked by and said, “Sister, you don’t have much body hair. Why get this?”

Luo Qingmeng was caught off guard by her bluntness. How could she be so educated, back from overseas gilding, yet talk so crudely? She said, “Can’t you be more civilized?”

Qiu Shuxue paused, looked at her, and smiled. “You don’t have any? It feels pretty smooth… What were you thinking?”

Luo Qingmeng realized she was the crude one.

She took the depilatory device into the bedroom, then the bathroom, and finally into the adjacent room. Qiu Shuxue glanced at that room of hers.

The study had a tatami mat, there was a master bedroom, and Luo Qingmeng slept in the small middle one. From the side-lying position, she could see the sports center in the back.

Next month, a singer was coming for a concert.

Luo Qingmeng wasn’t sure if she’d still be living here then. She’d never been to a concert—even if she couldn’t get in and just watched from outside or from home, she’d be content.

She unpacked simply. Qiu Shuxue didn’t say anything and even helped with the boxes. Once Luo Qingmeng finished, she checked the time: noon already. She headed to the kitchen to start cooking.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Want to rest a bit?”

Luo Qingmeng said, “Didn’t you skip breakfast this morning?”

Qiu Shuxue laughed. “I thought you’d say eat quick and get lost.”

Luo Qingmeng couldn’t say that. After spending tens of thousands of the woman’s money, it’d be too vicious. Deep down, she was still too kind. She felt she should be more ruthless.

How ruthless?

If Li An didn’t pay her back, she’d poison him—kill that bastard.

Luo Qingmeng imagined it and took a deep breath. She went to grab the apron.

But she couldn’t go that far. It wasn’t worth it for a scumbag. Better to make a scene, ruin his job at the big foreign firm, humiliate him for life.

She tugged at her skirt hem and began clearing the counter. She washed her hands, pulled out her hair tie, gathered her long hair, twisted it into sections, flipped it over to secure the tie, and tied it up in a bun.

Standing in the kitchen like that, Luo Qingmeng had a certain charm. She held up her hands, pondering which dish to start with.

For two people, maybe not too many dishes.

But they’d bought so much.

Luo Qingmeng furrowed her brow and glanced sideways to find Qiu Shuxue watching her. Qiu Shuxue slid the door open and came in, saying she’d handle the remaining ingredients.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Thanks for cooking, Sister. You’ve worked hard. Mind if I help as your assistant?”

Luo Qingmeng saw right away that she was the type who never lifted a finger around the house. They’d bought shrimp and fish—totally unsuitable for her.

She said, “You go out. I can handle it.”

“How could I?” Qiu Shuxue shook her head. “I can’t just eat for free. Let me help with something.”

That hit a nerve. Luo Qingmeng remembered her own past foolishness—always cooking for Li An. One compliment from him, and she floated on air, slaving away after a long day to perfect new recipes.

“If oil splashes on you, don’t cry.” Luo Qingmeng wouldn’t pity her.

Qiu Shuxue said, “I won’t cry.”

Luo Qingmeng directed her without holding back. “Process the shrimp first. I saw you pick some out, so you must want them too.”

She added, “And grab my apron for me.”

Qiu Shuxue went out to fetch the apron and brought it back. She asked, “Need me to tie it on for you?”

Luo Qingmeng had planned to do it herself but mocked her instead, seeing how pristine her clothes were. “You can’t even tie an apron, can you?”

“Ah, you caught me.” Qiu Shuxue said.

Luo Qingmeng directed her. “Come tie the apron for me.”

Qiu Shuxue held the apron and walked over. She gently tied the strings around her waist, fashioning a bowknot over and over several times.

Qiu Shuxue said, “Sister, take off the clothes underneath. We don’t want to get them dirty. That’s how they always do it on TV.” She lifted one leg, pressing Luo Qingmeng against the kitchen counter with her fingers braced above.

Qiu Shuxue’s fingers didn’t stop. Her hand gently encircled her waist, slipping inside the apron. Luo Qingmeng couldn’t dodge in time and was thoroughly wrapped up by her. “What are you doing? Who ties an apron like this?”

“Don’t touch me. What kind of stuff have you been watching on TV?”

“Those super sweet little romances—they all take their clothes off.” As Qiu Shuxue spoke, she asked in return, “Has Sister ever watched any?”

Luo Qingmeng felt her drawing close again.

It seemed like she was about to kiss her.

She focused only on dodging Qiu Shuxue’s lips, forgetting to dodge her hands.

“I really want to eat the big meal Sister makes.” As she spoke, her fingers slipped inside her top. They pinched her waist, then moved to the center, hooking the V-neck and slowly tugging it downward. Luo Qingmeng twisted her body to push her away and tried to glare at her, but Qiu Shuxue kissed her neck.

“We bought so much stuff—satisfy me a little, Sister. I’ve never seen you cooking naked before. No one else is as alluring as you.”

As soon as she acted spoiled, Luo Qingmeng’s body went soft. She couldn’t even dodge. “So annoying, so annoying. I’ll do it myself.”