Chapter 35

A light rain began to fall in the morning, and the sky hung heavy and overcast.

Wen Xin woke from her sleep and fumbled under her pillow for her phone. She unlocked the screen to find it was exactly six-thirty.

It was Friday, the last day of the workweek. The energy and excitement from Monday had long since faded. Wen Xin gazed blearily at the rain outside the window, closed her eyes, and lingered in bed for a while longer before finally getting up. She washed up as usual and pushed open the door to her room.

Before she could even take a step, the enticing aroma of food wafted into her nose.

She froze, suddenly remembering there was someone else at home—Shi Qianyu. Had she gotten up this early?

“You’re awake?” At that moment, Shi Qianyu emerged carrying breakfast. She had cooked noodles—a steaming bowl of thin noodles garnished with greens and an egg. It looked appetizing, perfect for a chilly, rainy day. “Have you washed up? Come have breakfast.”

“Okay.” Wen Xin nodded and smiled at her. “Coming right now…”

As she spoke, she walked forward, stealing a glance at the woman before her.

——She wondered just how much Shi Qianyu remembered from last night.

After that intimate kiss ended the previous evening, Shi Qianyu had simply turned over and gone to sleep, showing no lingering attachment. Wen Xin, however, had been left thoroughly flustered, her eyes misty with unshed tears and her body reacting intensely.

Every inch of skin Shi Qianyu had touched felt hypersensitive, a shameful physical response. The night was still long, but she couldn’t sleep. She lay there staring at the ceiling for ages before quietly slipping out of bed to take another shower.

When she returned, Shi Qianyu was still sleeping soundly.

“…”

How embarrassing. Truly mortifying.

Only then did it hit her. Up until this point, Wen Xin had only hoped to be needed—to provide Shi Qianyu with some emotional comfort. After all, the gap between them was vast, and in this lovers’ arrangement, she stood to benefit far more.

That was why she had ignored her own desires, willingly yielding to Shi Qianyu’s every request.

But now, it seemed she needed Shi Qianyu too. This realization left her flustered, unsure how to face her—like a thief with a guilty conscience.

Yet the woman before her acted as if nothing had changed, treating her just as she always had. Shi Qianyu smiled, pulled out a chair for Wen Xin, and even thoughtfully peeled the egg in her bowl, separating the yolk from the white and leaving only the soft white for her.

“Eat up. Then we can head to work together.”

“Okay.” Wen Xin lowered her eyes to her meal, forcing herself to calm down. “It’s delicious. Thank you, A-Yu.”

After breakfast, the two of them went downstairs and hailed a cab together.

The rain outside had lightened a bit, but rush hour meant running into familiar colleagues. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Wen Xin insisted on getting out at the nearest subway station and walking the rest of the way to the office.

“It’s still raining out there.” Even though she had an umbrella, Shi Qianyu tried to dissuade her gently. “Just this once—no one will suspect anything.”

“No, it’s fine.” Wen Xin was stubborn about these things. She shook her head and got out anyway.

With no choice, Shi Qianyu relented. “See you at the office, then.”

“Okay.” Wen Xin nodded, lowered her gaze, and walked slowly onward until she reached the company entrance.

She hadn’t even gone inside when she ran into a familiar face. Zhou Lele came running up from behind and lightly patted her shoulder. “Wenwen, morning!”

“Morning.” Wen Xin let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness she hadn’t arrived with Shi Qianyu, or someone surely would have noticed.

Zhou Lele was unusually early today. Seeing that she hadn’t brought an umbrella, Wen Xin shared hers, and they walked and chatted idly. “You’re here early.”

“No choice— I still had a file to finish from yesterday.” She sighed, lowering her voice to gripe to Wen Xin. “You know what our team leader’s like. She’s all no-nonsense efficiency. She was already hounding me on WeChat last night, multiple times, and then called me this morning.”

“If I didn’t hustle to get it done, she would’ve peeled my skin off.” Zhou Lele shook her head, counting on her fingers. “Oh, right—I’ve got to swing by the director’s office later. Need to report a few issues to Director Shi…”

By the time they finished talking, they had taken the elevator up and reached their workstations.

As Wen Xin put away her umbrella, she noticed her hair and shoulders were a bit damp. The umbrella was just big enough for one person; sharing made it cramped. She grabbed a few tissues and wiped herself off casually— it would dry soon enough.

Zhou Lele was already rushing around like her life depended on it: typing furiously at her keyboard, printing documents, dashing to the team leader’s desk to submit them, then hurrying back to grab a USB drive and head straight for Shi Qianyu’s office.

It took her quite a while to return.

It was still early, and with the rain keeping people away, only a handful of colleagues had arrived. Zhou Lele collapsed into a chair beside Wen Xin, panting like she’d escaped a disaster. “Finally done! Oh my god!”

“You worked hard.” Wen Xin comforted her quickly. “Take a good rest now.”

“If I procrastinate again, I’ll be a dog.” Zhou Lele slumped face-down on Wen Xin’s desk, looking every bit like a puppy. It wasn’t time to clock in yet, so she had plenty of time to ramble. “It’s all that new anime lately—way too addictive. I’ve been staying up late binge-watching episodes, and I’m useless during the day. It’s like… Hey, Wenwen, what’s that smell on you?”

She suddenly sat up, sniffing the air in front of Wen Xin. “So familiar. I’ve smelled it somewhere before. Oh yeah—it’s the same as Director Shi’s scent!”

Her words gave Wen Xin a real scare.

They had indeed used the same body wash last night, but its fragrance wasn’t strong, and it should have faded by morning. Wen Xin had thought no one would notice, but Zhou Lele had picked up on it.

She coughed lightly, trying to brush it off. “Nah…”

“It is!” Zhou Lele waved her hand, insisting she couldn’t be wrong. “My nose is super sharp.”

“What brand of body wash is that? Even Director Shi’s using it now.” She was a bit curious but didn’t overthink it, just pestering Wen Xin for the details. “Send me the link later? I want to try it too.”

“Oh, sure, sure.” Wen Xin nodded hurriedly and pulled out her phone.

Zhou Lele furrowed her brow, thinking. “Feels like I’m forgetting something…”

Wen Xin’s heart, which had just settled, leaped back into her throat. “What?”

Zhou Lele slapped her thigh. “Got it! Director Shi wants you to come see her!”

Her voice was a bit loud, drawing glances from nearby colleagues.

Wen Xin took a deep breath, feeling like she was on the verge of a heart attack.

~~~

Wen Xin knocked and entered the office, where Shi Qianyu was waiting for her.

As usual, she was wearing Wen Xin’s clothes—even her underwear. Glancing down, Wen Xin saw she had also switched to the pair of flats she had once bought for her.

Shi Qianyu cherished those shoes. Wen Xin had seen her wear them a few times, alternating with heels. They were white, a material that showed dirt easily, yet she kept them impeccably clean.

It gave Wen Xin the strange illusion that Shi Qianyu was hers from head to toe—including the woman herself.

“…”

Why think like that?

This sudden surge of possessiveness alarmed her. She tried to suppress the desire, but failed. Shi Qianyu approached slowly and lifted a hand to caress her cheek.

“So cold. You’re all damp?” Her palm was warm against the skin, so comforting that Wen Xin wanted to lean into it. “Didn’t you bring an umbrella on the way?”

“I did.” As Wen Xin answered, she inhaled softly and caught Shi Qianyu’s scent.

It was quite noticeable—and quite pleasant. No wonder someone had picked up on it.

The feeling was oddly thrilling. Wen Xin feared others might connect her to Shi Qianyu, yet she secretly wondered if anyone else would notice their secret, just like Zhou Lele had.

After all, the moment Zhou Lele mentioned “Shi Qianyu,” Wen Xin’s panic had been tinged with something else—something she couldn’t name, but not unpleasant.

Someone was guessing, wondering… but they couldn’t guess or wonder their way to the truth. Some hidden secrets were theirs alone to understand.

People really were the most complex and contradictory creatures on earth.

Shi Qianyu said nothing more. She turned, grabbed some tissues, and carefully wiped Wen Xin’s damp hair and shoulders. Her fingertips weren’t particularly warm, but compared to Wen Xin’s chilled skin, they felt toasty. Wen Xin couldn’t predict her next move; every spot Shi Qianyu touched tingled.

Work hours approached, and the office outside buzzed with voices and footsteps. But in this room, all was quiet. Neither spoke, yet the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

It was intimate. Suggestive. Enchanting.

Wen Xin waited quietly for her to finish wiping her face before finally speaking again. “A-Yu, what did you come to see me about?”

“It’s nothing major. I just wanted to ask what flavor of snack you feel like.” Shi Qianyu smiled and continued, “I’m heading out later and will pass right by that snack shop you love.”

“No, that’s okay.” Wen Xin shook her head. “Don’t spend money on me.”

“How could buying something for Sister count as spending money?” Shi Qianyu shook her head gently, draped an arm around her neck, and leaned in close, their noses almost touching.

“Please, let me buy it for you, okay?”

She was the one spending the money, yet she was also the one trying to please her.

After a long moment, Wen Xin gave in. “Then I’ll have the strawberry chocolate ones.”

“Don’t buy too many—it’s no good if they go to waste,” she said.

“Sure thing.” Shi Qianyu smiled and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

In that instant, Wen Xin’s heart began to race once more. The kiss brought back a flood of memories, including the things Shi Qianyu hadn’t finished doing to her the night before. Perhaps holding back for so long really did cause a rebound. Suddenly, Wen Xin felt estranged from herself, startled by those hidden desires bubbling up from the depths of her heart.

Even so, she spoke up, deliberately probing. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Nope.” Shi Qianyu curved her lips in a grin. “Why?”

Wen Xin licked her lips without thinking. “Then let me treat A-Yu to a movie.”

“As thanks for the cookies,” she added, lifting her eyes to meet Shi Qianyu’s gaze. The gloomy weather kept the light outside dim even now, but in the next moment, a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the sky. It lit up the world around them—and the spark of intent in the depths of Wen Xin’s eyes.

Before Shi Qianyu could respond, Wen Xin reflexively looked away.

~~~

She was afraid her intentions were too obvious, that the woman before her might see right through them.