Chapter 73: Such a Pushover

There were two drivers, and without needing any instructions from Tan Qingya, they had already shown plenty of initiative and begun hauling things out. Tan Qingya simply stepped behind Zhou Jianghao, placing her slender hands on the younger woman’s shoulders and gently kneading them.

Her gaze fell on Zhou Jianghao’s small room, and Tan Qingya’s eyes grew faintly cold. “This room of yours has terrible feng shui.”

The house sat at the foot of a mountain thick with towering pine trees that blocked out the sunlight entirely. The room felt oppressively chilly; Tan Qingya had only glanced inside, and already she could feel a chill creeping up from the soles of her feet.

It wasn’t just Zhou Jianghao’s room—the whole place outside was damp and cold too. They’d barely been there a moment, and her feet were already turning icy while a shiver ran through her body.

Anyone living in a place like this long-term would be lucky not to fall ill.

If Tan Qingya could sense it, then Zhou Jianghao—familiar as she was with the place—certainly felt that familiar yet alien chill as well. She turned back, grasping Tan Qingya’s hand. “Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.” Tan Qingya sighed. “Your hands are even colder than mine.”

Their hands clasped tightly, and they didn’t let go.

Once Zhou Jianghao had gathered her wits, she began packing up her things from the room. Zhou Qiu truly hadn’t touched any of her belongings; the space looked just as it had when she’d left at age ten. She retrieved everything from her old “secret base,” then glanced at the sky outside and tugged at Tan Qingya. “Let’s head out now.”

“Hm?” Tan Qingya blinked in surprise.

Zhou Jianghao laid out her reasoning. “If we leave now, we can make it to the county town before dark. The hotels there might not be as nice as the ones in the city, but they’re still better than this place.”

Tan Qingya gazed at her steadily. “Don’t change your plans just because of me.”

She remembered how, in the days leading up to their trip, Zhou Jianghao had spent ages preparing for this one night. She seemed genuinely excited about it.

“No, it’s not that.” Zhou Jianghao shook her head, eyeing the now-alien house with a furrowed brow. “I just don’t want to waste time here suffering needlessly.”

The house was clearly long abandoned.

Moss covered the ground, and a musty stench hung in the air everywhere. This wasn’t the result of just a few months empty—Zhou Qiu clearly hadn’t lived here in ages either.

Once she had her things, that was enough.

There was no need for attachment.

“I just want to get home as soon as possible.” She let out a soft sigh.

This wasn’t her home anymore. There was no point in putting herself through the discomfort for some pointless ordeal—it wasn’t worth it. It would just be self-indulgent sentimentality.

Her resolve was firm, and Tan Qingya mulled over those words about wanting to get home soon. Her heart softened completely, and she nodded. “Alright.”

She told the drivers to stop bothering. After all, Zhou Qiu had remarried and started her own family. There was no need to tidy up this place just for show.

They’d been there less than half an hour before they prepared to leave. Even Zhou Qiu was stunned, hurriedly grabbing at Zhou Jianghao. “Sweetie, it’s getting late—why not stay the night?”

After a moment’s thought, she asked cautiously, “Are you mad at me for remarrying?”

Zhou Jianghao looked at her steadily, a touch surprised. “No. Whether you remarry or not is your business. Pursuing your own happiness isn’t wrong, and I have no reason to be angry.”

She felt only a faint disappointment, overshadowed by relief.

In those early years after arriving at the Tan family, she’d missed home terribly. Even though there weren’t many happy memories here, she’d still longed for it. Now that she was back, aside from that initial wave of trepidation upon nearing her hometown, followed by disappointment and eventual relief, she realized she didn’t have much attachment to the place after all.

Since that was the case, there was no reason to stay and suffer.

She and Zhou Qiu each had their own homes now anyway.

Besides, Tan Qingya had only just recovered from her recent illness. Staying the night here might make her sick again, and Zhou Jianghao wasn’t willing to take that risk.

“Then you just think it’s too dirty here?” Zhou Qiu frowned. “Let me talk it over with your Uncle Li—maybe we can stay at his place for the night…”

Her brows knitted tighter as she spoke.

The Li family had never liked Zhou Jianghao. Back then, if she hadn’t sent the girl away, she might never have gotten through their door. Bringing it up now would probably make them unwilling.

“You sent me away long ago, and you’ve remarried. We each have our own lives now. You live yours, and I live mine. Our relationship isn’t close enough for constant contact or visiting each other’s homes.”

“Just like before—no need for further dealings.”

With that, she linked arms with Tan Qingya and boarded the car.

The drivers had already loaded Zhou Jianghao’s things. The vehicle slowly pulled away from the village.

“Hey! Why’d your Little Hao just leave like that?!” The mother of Zhou Jianghao’s neighbor, Zhou Qiaoqiao, panicked instantly. “My Qiaoqiao’s still here!”

Zhou Qiu shut the gate with a cold face, gathered her own things, and headed to Li Shengde’s house.

On the way back, the drivers were at least more familiar with the terrain now, so they drove faster than on the way in. They reached the county town before six o’clock.

The small county town truly lacked any major hotels. After checking several places, they finally found a passably clean guesthouse.

Zhou Jianghao had slept almost the entire day away in the car. After a hot shower and a short rest, she perked right up, full of energy. Hearing it was New Year’s Eve and that the town had various events going on, she insisted on playing host and taking Tan Qingya out to see the sights.

“You sure?” Tan Qingya pinched Zhou Jianghao’s cheek. “Your face looks pale. Rest here at the guesthouse.”

“I don’t want to lie around or sit anymore.” Zhou Jianghao sighed. “Now that I’ve sat down, I still feel like I’m in the car—dizzy as hell.”

She paused, her eyes sparkling. “Besides, this is our first New Year’s Eve together. Aren’t you looking forward to it?”

The location might be a bit remote, but as long as they were together, the surroundings didn’t matter.

“Of course I am.” Tan Qingya glanced out the window, a hint of warmth in her eyes. “Last year at this time, I was working alone out of town.”

She hadn’t imagined back then that this year, there’d be a little lady by her side.

“Last New Year’s, I was working alone too.” Recalling last New Year’s Day made Zhou Jianghao chatty. “I was part-timing at a bubble tea shop. Holidays bring crowds, and I was running around like crazy. I messed up, and the store manager chewed me out.”

Tan Qingya frowned. “Which bubble tea shop?”

She looked ready to settle the score on her behalf.

Seeing how serious she was, Zhou Jianghao smiled around pursed lips. “I really did screw up that day. The store manager had every right to yell at me.”

She hurriedly shook Tan Qingya’s hand. “Let’s go for a walk. Weren’t you planning to spend New Year’s Eve with me?”

If she hadn’t just seen Tang Tiantian’s WeChat message thanking her specially, she wouldn’t have known Tan Qingya had prepared a surprise for her.

The restaurant and everything had been booked well in advance, only for her sudden trip home to derail it. In the end, Tan Qingya had given tonight’s reservation to Assistant Chen and Tang Tiantian.

She pulled out their long padded coats, then dug out two fuzzy hats she’d prepared. Still crouched down, she looked back. “Why aren’t you wearing your scarf?”

Tan Qingya kept a straight face. “It’s dirty.”

In truth, she was afraid of ruining it. Hand-knitted things snagged so easily—who knew what they’d encounter on the way to Zhou Jianghao’s hometown? Sure, she wanted to flaunt that scarf in front of Zhou Qiaoqiao, but if it got damaged, it’d be a loss not worth the gain.

She wasn’t about to do something so foolish.

“Ah…”

Zhou Jianghao realized it then. She’d only knitted one scarf for Tan Qingya, so it wasn’t convenient. If it got dirty, there was no spare.

No wonder Tan Qingya had worn it every day lately without fail, only to go out today in a turtleneck sweater instead.

She’d have to find time to knit another one for her.

The thought had just occurred to her when Tan Qingya said, “Don’t even think about knitting me another one. It’s bad for your neck. We’ll go mall shopping together sometime, and you can buy me a new one then.”

Zhou Jianghao was skeptical. “If I buy it at the mall, will you even wear it?”

To think this girl would question her like that—Tan Qingya huffed in mock offense. “When have I ever not used something you bought me?”

No matter how ill-suited it was to her image, she’d always used it obediently. And now she was being doubted?

President Tan wore her irritation plain on her face.

Zhou Jianghao was a pro at reading moods. Seeing Tan Qingya was truly upset, she quickly hugged her, mimicking how Tan Qingya used to apologize back when roles were reversed. She ducked her head meekly. “I was wrong.”

Tan Qingya had still been fuming a second ago, but caught off guard by the girl’s pitiful expression, she hadn’t even processed it before all her annoyance evaporated.

“…”

Was she really this easy to placate?

Of course, she couldn’t let Zhou Jianghao know her anger had already faded. She schooled her face into a stern expression. “So, how do you plan to make it up to me?”

Zhou Jianghao was stumped, but right then, her mind was wholly on soothing Tan Qingya. She gazed at her pleadingly. “Anything you want—just don’t be mad, okay?”

Ah, even cuter.

She looked so easily duped.

Tan Qingya clenched her fist, forcing her voice steady as she played the mysterious card. “What do you think I want most?”

As a proper businesswoman, she couldn’t reveal her hand first—otherwise, she’d end up shortchanged. Better to let the other side bid.

Sure enough, Zhou Jianghao hesitated before finally speaking. “I… I’ll listen to Sister in bed twice, okay? Whatever Sister wants to do to me, however you want me to please you—I’ll do it.”

“Twice?” Tan Qingya arched a brow, feigning composure while her heart bubbled with excitement.

Zhou Jianghao instantly changed her tune. “Then three times?”

Tan Qingya’s pupils contracted slightly at those words. Out of rare kindness, she reminded her, “You’d better think this through. Last time, you almost couldn’t hold back after just one go. I hadn’t even gotten started properly before you began getting restless.”

Zhou Jianghao felt a bit unconvinced upon hearing that. “You used toys.”

That was blatant cheating.

It had been the third night after their return from the Tan Family Old Mansion. True to her word, Zhou Jianghao had handed complete control over to Tan Qingya. By coincidence, some toys that Tan Qingya had ordered from who-knows-where arrived at the house that very day, and they were put to use on her that night.

She could hardly remember how many toys they had gone through. That sensation of lying there like a fish on the chopping block, utterly at another’s mercy while being denied even a single taste of satisfaction herself, had been utterly maddening.

Eventually, she just couldn’t take it anymore. Her hands grew itchy.

But all she did was knead the dough a little. She hadn’t actually plucked the flower.

“What if I use toys every single time from now on? Think you could endure it three times?” Tan Qingya asked. Then, seeing the conflicted, wavering look on Zhou Jianghao’s face, she drew in a deep breath. She had the distinct feeling that she herself wouldn’t last much longer before breaking.

It took a good long while before Zhou Jianghao finally mumbled hesitantly, “Can these three times… not be all at once?”

She sounded so pitiful.

Tan Qingya broke in an instant. She pulled Zhou Jianghao into her arms and kissed her tenderly, a mix of affection and amusement bubbling up. “How are you so easy to bully?”