They lay in the same bed, but separated by a great distance—enough for another person to lie between them. Ming Li usually slept on her side with her back to Gu Qingshuang, but when she woke up in the morning, she would find herself holding her wife.
It seemed to be a natural habit her body had developed. Ming Li would carefully withdraw her arm and leave the room.
She had simplified her sleep schedule again, sleeping only five hours a day without feeling tired. She was like a machine that had been used for many years; even without maintenance, she could still run.
Gu Qingshuang’s state also seemed poor. Since leaving the hospital, she often wore a cold expression, frequently lost in thought. Ming Li had tried to talk to her once but got nowhere, so she suggested Gu Qingshuang meet up with Siwang, thinking it might help.
However, Gu Qingshuang showed no interest. In the past, Gu Qingshuang’s eyes would light up just hearing Siwang’s name, but now they remained dim and lifeless.
Ming Li had even sent a tentative message to Siwang on WeChat, asking if she and Gu Qingshuang had argued. Siwang denied it outright, explaining that she had been busy casting for a new movie and hadn’t contacted Gu Qingshuang in a while.
After exchanging some polite pleasantries, Ming Li learned that Siwang’s movie filming had been delayed. Ming Li didn’t have much of a reaction to this, only saying they should sync their schedules a week before filming starts so she could clear her time.
Siwang ended the conversation with a few cool emojis.
Ming Li couldn’t gather any information from Siwang, which left only one likely reason for Gu Qingshuang’s behavior—Shen Lideng.
Regarding that, Ming Li was truly powerless, so she simply ignored it.
When Ming Li returned to the bedroom with her laptop, she saw Gu Qingshuang sitting on the sofa reading a book—or at least, she appeared to be.
Two minutes later, the book was still on the same page. Gu Qingshuang hadn’t moved an inch; even her eyes remained fixed.
Ming Li thought she might have fallen asleep with her eyes open, but when she reached out to wave a hand in front of her, Gu Qingshuang suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Gu Qingshuang’s hand was as cold as ice, making Ming Li flinch from the chill.
It was already July, the start of a sweltering summer. Even the night breeze was muggy. Gu Qingshuang, who usually hated the heat, hadn’t turned on the air conditioning, yet her body temperature was the polar opposite of the outside world.
Ming Li was stunned for a moment before giving an awkward laugh. “So you weren’t asleep.”
“No.” Gu Qingshuang subconsciously rubbed Ming Li’s wrist, keeping her grip as if craving the warmth. “I was reading.”
Ming Li gave an “oh” and was about to ask if Gu Qingshuang was free tomorrow. Before she could speak, Gu Qingshuang closed the book and asked first, “Are you free tomorrow?”
“Why do you ask?” Ming Li raised an eyebrow, not answering directly.
“A fellow student from my grad school days is returning to the country tomorrow. There’s a gathering,” Gu Qingshuang said. “If you’re free… I hope you can attend with me.”
Gu Qingshuang rarely invited Ming Li to such gatherings. In fact, Gu Qingshuang rarely attended them herself.
Ming Li was initially flattered, but then expressed regret. “Tomorrow might not work.”
Gu Qingshuang’s brow twitched. “Oh?”
“I already made plans with Hanxing and the others to go to Lingying Mountain,” Ming Li explained slowly.
“Can’t you make it back by evening?”
In truth, she couldn’t, but since Gu Qingshuang had brought it up, Ming Li could have taken a car back—though it would be very late.
Ming Li shook her head. “I probably won’t be back until after ten.”
She discarded the question she had planned to ask. Since she already had a schedule, Gu Qingshuang certainly wouldn’t agree to join her trip. Why invite humiliation?
Gu Qingshuang’s brows were tightly knit as if she were struggling to find a solution. Ming Li decided to settle the matter. “Don’t drink too much at the gathering. If I get back early and you need me, just call. I’ll come pick you up.”
This was a way to satisfy both parties and save face for everyone. Most importantly, it saved face for Gu Qingshuang.
Gu Qingshuang nodded, then asked, “What are you going to Lingying Mountain to pray for?”
Ming Li hadn’t actually thought about it; she just wanted to pray for safety. She made something up on the spot. “Just praying for everything to go smoothly.”
She then asked if Gu Qingshuang wanted her to pray for anything on her behalf.
Gu Qingshuang shook her head indifferently. “I have nothing to ask for.”
Ming Li pursed her lips but said nothing. She thought to herself that Gu Qingshuang certainly looked like someone devoid of any desires.
Saturday was a rainy day.
Despite the brilliant sunset on Friday evening and Hanxing’s insistence in their new group chat that Saturday would definitely be sunny, the heavens had decided to slap her right in the face.
Ming Li woke up and put on the backpack she had packed the night before, ready to depart. Since she had an early appointment with Hanxing and the others, and Hanxing had promised to prepare breakfast, Ming Li didn’t plan on eating at home.
To her surprise, when she went downstairs, both Gu Xueqiang and Gu Qingshuang were already seated at the dining table.
Ming Li greeted them and was about to leave when Gu Qingshuang called out, “Wait.”
She picked up a white jacket from a nearby chair and handed it to Ming Li. “The temperature varies a lot on the mountain. Take an extra jacket.”
Ming Li stared at her intently, as if she were seeing this person for the first time, then smiled. “Thank you.”
Gu Qingshuang didn’t respond but turned to the maid. The maid dutifully produced a food bag; it didn’t look large, but it was quite heavy.
Ming Li asked, “What’s this?”
“Some food I prepared for you all,” Gu Qingshuang said. “Didn’t you say the drive would take a while?”
Ming Li froze. The words “Hanxing already prepared some” were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them when she saw the sincerity in Gu Qingshuang’s eyes. She accepted the bag with a smile and a word of thanks.
Outside, the rain was pitter-pattering, and Ming Li’s car was already waiting. Ming Li hesitated; she didn’t like the rain. Gu Qingshuang seemed to sense her reluctance and took an umbrella from the stand, then took the food bag from Ming Li’s hand.
Gu Qingshuang escorted her all the way to the car and even opened the door for her. This left Ming Li feeling quite overwhelmed, and she thanked her several times in a row.
The raindrops pattered against the transparent umbrella. Gu Qingshuang watched until Ming Li’s car disappeared before returning to the house, her body carrying a trace of the morning chill.
Gu Xueqiang immediately ordered someone to prepare ginger soup. Gu Qingshuang curled her lips. “I thought you were going to scold me.”
Gu Xueqiang recalled the tense conversation they’d had before Ming Li came downstairs and shot her a glare. “I scold you because you deserve it. Is wanting to die for a woman who doesn’t want you something to be proud of?”
“So you still think I did it because of Shen Lideng?” Gu Qingshuang looked at her calmly.
Gu Xueqiang didn’t want to discuss it further, fearing another argument would trigger Gu Qingshuang’s fragile mental state. She bluntly changed the subject. “But you did well just now. That deserves praise.”
“I didn’t do that so you would praise me,” Gu Qingshuang said coldly.
Gu Xueqiang’s brow furrowed, her anger barely suppressed. “Then why did you do it?”
“Ming Li has been working very hard lately,” Gu Qingshuang said. “It’s better if we don’t have conflict at home.”
Gu Xueqiang: “…”
Finally, Gu Xueqiang couldn’t resist a barb. “Do you know what part of a person stays hard even after they’re dead?”
Unsure why the elder woman was asking such a thing, Gu Qingshuang answered patiently, “Their bones?”
“No, your mouth.”
She clearly cared, yet refused to say it properly.
Having said her piece, Gu Xueqiang got up and left.
Gu Qingshuang sat in her seat, speechless.
