Chapter 82

She noticed Bo Ranying’s fingertips trembling faintly, the two tickets swaying precariously in mid-air and taking on a desolate air.

Then her mind conjured up the various practice-room vlog versions that Bo Ranying had recorded for this tour and sent her via WeChat. The girl’s coquettish, wheedling voice still lingered in her ears, imploring her over and over to watch them during breaks from work, to give her honest feedback—no fewer than a hundred words each time.

Truth be told, every one of the girl’s dances was performed with total commitment, every movement and expression managed with textbook precision, the differences between takes so minute as to be negligible. For anyone else, the task would have been pure agony—like nitpicking eggshells or scraping together fresh compliments to avoid repetition.

But for Nan Qi, it was a sweet burden.

She could never tire of Bo Ranying’s dancing.

Bo Ranying didn’t even need to ask twice; Nan Qi already had a whole basket of thoughts bottled up inside her—thoughts of shock and sweetness, cheesiness and joy, heart-fluttering excitement… A thousand words wouldn’t have covered half of it.

She always secretly savored the girl’s wheedling, feigning reluctance even as she eagerly dove into the task every time a new stage clip arrived, far exceeding the required word count.

Scenes like that now felt like relics from another lifetime.

Nan Qi could easily picture Bo Ranying on stage in an arena packed with thousands, her captivating grace leaving the audience spellbound, awestruck, utterly immersed in the story her dance wove.

Just like back then, when Nan Qi had known next to nothing, utterly entranced outside the physics lab by Bo Ranying’s every motion, convinced she was ringed in an aura, the most beautiful girl alive.

In the old days, Nan Qi wouldn’t have waited for Bo Ranying to ask—she’d have secured comp tickets ages ago and shown up at every performance.

But now…

Going to Bo Ranying’s show would feel too deliberate.

A flurry of thoughts raced through Nan Qi’s mind.

They finally settled on that morning’s scene: Tang Lian feigning jealousy, all serious, over the mere prospect of Nan Qi dining with Bo Ranying.

Nan Qi turned sideways, dodging the path of Bo Ranying’s outstretched hand. She had no intention of taking the tickets.

Her lips pressed thin as she met Bo Ranying’s eyes, choking back the ache in her throat. Curtly, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

It was a gentle refusal.

Leaving the door open a crack was the least she could do for their friendship.

The words seemed to sap the courage Bo Ranying had spent so long mustering.

In that instant, a single thought consumed her mind.

Nan Qi didn’t want to go.

Didn’t want to see her perform.

The girl who had once skipped classes and rushed across distant cities just to watch her shows had become this: a woman basking in new love, drawing lines between them, voiding all their old promises.

So unfamiliar Bo Ranying could scarcely recognize her.

A rough hemp rope seemed to cinch around Bo Ranying’s chest, the pain sharp enough to bring tears. She wanted to wail, to throw a full-blown tantrum.

To seize Nan Qi by the collar and drag her back to how things used to be.

Not this calm poise, this faint indulgence in her gaze—like Bo Ranying was some petulant child.

Little Qi had already pulled away, but Bo Ranying lingered in place, desperate for her to turn back. She tried everything to catch her eye, even courting self-destruction in a mad bid for attention, letting the feral little beast inside her—her desires—run rampant.

All her efforts would probably just leave Little Qi exasperated.

Bo Ranying hated that look in Nan Qi’s eyes.

Her body shook as her fingers clenched together, desperately reining in the wild, weedy tangle of impulses that urged her to reach out and touch Nan Qi. Instead, she kept her head down, pleading endlessly for Nan Qi to take the tickets.

Her voice was pitiful.

Nan Qi’s heart twisted. She looked away, her resolve firm. “You should save them for someone who actually needs them…”

They stood locked in stalemate for what felt like ages, neither willing to yield.

Bo Ranying’s eyes darted everywhere first. She spotted Tang Lian across the street, carrying the milk teas she’d bought and preparing to cross.

With lightning speed, Bo Ranying shoved the tickets into Nan Qi’s pocket, brooking no refusal. “Just hold onto them for now—Tang Lian’s here.”

The tickets delivered, Bo Ranying waved at Tang Lian and hurried over, smoothly taking the milk teas from her hands and preempting any protests from Nan Qi.

She was out of options.

The priority now was getting Nan Qi to accept the tickets. Whether she’d actually show up at the concert? Bo Ranying had no guarantee.

“Sigh.”

Nan Qi eyed the bulge in her pocket and let out a breath.

She’d toss them at the first opportunity.

And keep the whole thing from Tang Lian.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it. A moment later, Tang Lian was at her side, straw inserted, holding out a milk tea to her lips. “Try it.”

Nan Qi leaned in instinctively and took a sip straight from Tang Lian’s hand.

“Tasty.”

“Then try mine.”

Tang Lian repeated the gesture with her own cup, pressing it to Nan Qi’s lips.

She always saved the first, best bites for Nan Qi.

“The one you got is nice and refreshing. Tasty too.”

Nan Qi took another sip, then handed it back to Tang Lian and claimed her own flavor, cradling it in both hands and sipping now and then.

Tang Lian watched her girlfriend with utter contentment, a smile playing constantly at her lips.

No matter what Nan Qi was doing, it delighted her.

She savored the straw Nan Qi had just used, the three-degree-sweet fruit tea blooming syrupy on her tongue—like it had been mixed with ten degrees of sugar.

During the meal, she stuck to Nan Qi like glue, sitting pressed right up against her.

Heads nearly touching as they scanned the menu, shoulders brushing.

Nan Qi squirmed a little, whispering in her ear, “You’re too close.”

Tang Lian brushed it off. Catching sight of Bo Ranying’s subdued expression across the table, she doubled down, leaning in until her ear met Nan Qi’s soft lips, warm breath ghosting over her cool earlobe.

Tang Lian was the one being kissed, but it was Nan Qi who flushed red.

Mission accomplished: Nan Qi’s murmurs silenced. Tang Lian settled back comfortably to study the menu.

Nan Qi had lost all interest in ordering. Propriety be damned, she scooted away a bit—then froze, glancing around like a thief in the night, her eyes lingering on Bo Ranying.

The other patrons ate on, oblivious; no one had noticed their little intimacy.

But had Bo Ranying?

As far as Nan Qi recalled, Bo Ranying hadn’t touched her phone once, her gaze fixed downward on her and Tang Lian the whole time.

Right then, Bo Ranying was pouring water from the teapot into their cups—perfectly timed to miss the moment.

Nan Qi fidgeted, on edge.

Bo Ranying sensed her stare and glanced up. “Water?” She reached out to pour.

Nan Qi snapped to, waving her off frantically. “No, no need.”

The knot in her chest eased. Bo Ranying’s reaction suggested she hadn’t seen.

Nan Qi let the worry go.

She stopped dodging Tang Lian’s endless stream of flirty gestures after that.

She got the message from her girlfriend loud and clear.

If she pushed back, Tang Lian would only ramp it up, teasing her into mortification.

Nan Qi knew Tang Lian’s mischievous side all too well: endlessly creative pranks, a wicked delight in her blushes—

She had Nan Qi dead to rights, exploiting her thin skin when it came to romance. Tang Lian always won.

Of course, every one of their little intimacies landed squarely in Bo Ranying’s view. Her appetite vanished, each scene a stab to the heart. She choked down the bitterness, mechanically shoveling food into her mouth for fear that stopping would unleash the sobs building in her throat. She couldn’t let her jealousy show.

Greedily, she committed this version of Nan Qi to memory.

Who knew when they’d meet again after this meal?

If she was lucky, it would be in the city of her concert.

If not, it might drag on until next year.

Casually during the meal, she’d let slip that her tour was imminent, with a flight booked for the day after tomorrow.

Tang Lian had asked after her with genuine concern and wished her a smooth show.

Bo Ranying had accepted the well-wishes with perfect politeness.

The meal passed without incident. At the restaurant door, Nan Qi and Tang Lian parted ways with Bo Ranying.

Bo Ranying fixed Nan Qi with a lingering gaze. Her lips parted, words hovering unspoken; in the end, she swallowed them and walked away, heart heavy.

Moments later, her phone chimed with a new message.

She opened it.

Nan Qi: 【I won’t see you off at the airport the day after tomorrow. Text me when you land safe.】

Bo Ranying stared at it in silence for a long while, then brushed away the glistening tears in her eyes and replied with a simple “Okay.”

Little Qi had spared her this one last crumb of gentleness.

It was enough.

Tang Lian leaned against Nan Qi. Before entering the neighborhood, she casually refreshed the app and discovered that most of the expedited packages she had ordered yesterday had already arrived at the delivery station. “Oh, all the stuff I bought for Niannian is at the post office. Let’s grab them before we head back.”

Hearing this, Nan Qi checked her own orders as well. She found that quite a few of the cat items she had purchased had arrived too, and she happily agreed.

Whenever they browsed products, anything cat-related struck them as utterly adorable, and they couldn’t resist snapping it up right away with express shipping—without a second thought.

In truth, Niannian’s needs weren’t that urgent. After her surgery, she still needed a few days of observation at the hospital, so regular shipping would have been plenty fast enough.

Raising a pet for the first time felt just like becoming a mother for the first time—wanting nothing but the absolute best for their little one.

With the cat supplies arriving early, they could help Niannian break them in ahead of time with a little quality testing.

The two of them hauled a stack of packages back to Tang Lian’s place on the 17th Floor.

They dumped the assorted boxes onto the floor, and the empty space around them was instantly filled with cardboard.

Tang Lian fetched two pairs of scissors and handed one to Nan Qi. Then they split up to tackle the express delivery blind box unboxing spree. Every time they sliced open a seal and pulled out an item, it brought a rush of delightful surprise.

Their purchases were all jumbled together by now, impossible to sort out who had ordered what.

Whoosh—

The blade scraped through the tape, and Nan Qi drew out a bundled-up cat teaser wand.

Once freed, it sprang back to its full length, quivering in the air. A little copper bell dangled beside the feathers, tinkling softly.

As Nan Qi unpacked the cat teaser wand, Tang Lian over there unpacked a variety of cat scratching boards in all sorts of shapes. They required assembly with the parts provided by the seller.

There were car-shaped ones, chaise lounge styles, even villa designs—dazzling variety, ridiculously luxurious. More than enough for Niannian to scratch her way across, honing her claws to a shiny gleam.

Nan Qi leaned over to help Tang Lian assemble the cat scratching boards. One read the instructions while the other put it together, their teamwork seamless.

Tang Lian was pretty handy with this kind of thing; assembling them was a breeze for her. But she glanced at the soft, beautiful girlfriend beside her and deliberately slowed her pace. When Nan Qi wasn’t paying attention, she gradually leaned against her bit by bit, savoring these sticky, clingy moments.

Unwittingly, Nan Qi had become Tang Lian’s human body pillow, supporting the graceful curves of her body.

They unpacked a mountain of cat supplies: bell balls, cat beds, cat scratching boards, teething chew sticks, outfits, and more. The haul was impressive, ranging from cute to cool designs, all exquisitely crafted. It made them wish they could shrink down and try them out themselves—and they couldn’t wait to see Niannian using them.

In the midst of unboxing, Tang Lian came across the cocktail shaker she had bought for mixing drinks.

Nan Qi sat beside her, chin resting on her shoulder, peering curiously. “What’s this?”

“It’s a tool for mixing cocktails. We have fruit and base liquor at home—want to try one I make, Big Sister?” Tang Lian’s tone was playfully teasing, her eyes sparkling with a seductive glint.

Nan Qi’s heart stirred. She blinked. “Sure.”

She couldn’t help but wonder just how many surprises her girlfriend still had up her sleeve.

As promised, Tang Lian stood up with the cocktail shaker, and Nan Qi followed right after her. “I’ll do it with you.” Excitement and eagerness danced in her eyes, utterly adorable without realizing it.

She trailed close behind, watching as Tang Lian took grapes, base liquor, ice cubes, and more from the fridge. She rinsed the tools and fruit clean, mashed the grape flesh, and poured it into the shaker along with the liquor and ice. She screwed on the lid and shook it vigorously.

After about two minutes of shaking, a layer of frost quickly formed on the outside of the shaker.

Nan Qi watched her every move intently, her expression focused.

Suddenly, Tang Lian grabbed her hand and placed the shaker in it, encouraging her. “It’s a bit cold. Shake it just like I did—don’t hold back, really go for it so the grape mixes thoroughly with the liquor.”

The chill of the shaker made Nan Qi shiver as it landed in her palm. She drew in a sharp breath, but excitement quickly overrode the discomfort. Gripping it with both hands, she shook it hard, mimicking Tang Lian’s motions.

If she listened closely, she could hear the ice clinking against the sides.

“Is this hard enough?” she asked while shaking.

Tang Lian couldn’t help but chuckle, a smile tugging at her lips as she nodded approvingly. “Big Sister’s got real talent for this.”

“Then I’ll shake it even harder.”

With Tang Lian’s approval, Nan Qi felt even more motivated.

Tang Lian smiled with narrowed eyes, but then her heart jolted. On second thought, this conversation had taken a naughty turn…

Her cheeks flushed faintly. She fetched a pitcher and set it aside, quietly directing Nan Qi to unscrew the lid and pour the contents in. Next, she added some fruit drink and cocktail mixer, adjusting it to a tangy lime flavor.

She poured a glass for Nan Qi first.

Nan Qi took a light sip, delight curving her eyes. “Delicious. I like it.”

The cool liquid slid down her throat, the sweet grape flesh brushing her teeth amid the fresh lemony cocktail aroma. It was like strolling through an ancient forest, catching the faint, invigorating scent of plant stems and eucalyptus leaves—refreshing yet potent.

“I want a little more.”

Nan Qi smacked her lips, clearly savoring the aftertaste.

Her pale pink lips glistened from the liquor, radiating a sweet, tempting allure—like a flower bud freshly bloomed on a branch, stirring an urge to pluck it.

Tang Lian’s heart skipped hard. She couldn’t tear her gaze from Nan Qi’s lips, her voice trembling softly. “Hold on.”

She carried the pitcher to the low table in the living room and grabbed a deck of playing cards. She selected the ones they needed and laid them out on the table.

Pushing aside her stray thoughts, she crooked a finger at Nan Qi. “Big Sister, let’s play a drinking game.”

She sat cross-legged and explained the rules to Nan Qi.

Nan Qi listened carefully and memorized them.

Tang Lian wasn’t sure about Nan Qi’s tolerance, so when mixing, she focused more on flavor than strength. Still, it had a bit of a kick that built up over time—not ideal for lightweights.

Harboring a touch of mischief, she didn’t go easy during the game either.

Nan Qi ended up coaxed into downing more than half the batch.

Her body swayed as she slumped against Tang Lian, hot breaths spilling out. The corners of her eyes flushed a captivating red, though her face remained composed. She could still clearly tell a defeated Tang Lian exactly how much she owed in drinks.

Tang Lian couldn’t tell if she was drunk or not.

So she went with the most direct approach.

She snatched the glass from her hand. “You’re drunk.”

Nan Qi turned to look at her in a daze, her gaze a little stiff. “I’m not.”

Nan Qi clutched the hem of her shirt. The alcohol coursed through her veins, pounding her erratic heartbeat. Her head spun, and Tang Lian’s figure split into countless overlapping shadows before her eyes. She couldn’t tell which was real, the thick, colorful lights dancing on Tang Lian’s pert nose tip, drawing her to capture it.

She mumbled, “Lianlian, don’t get too full of yourself.”

Then she reached out, pressed Tang Lian’s shoulders, giggled, leaned in close, and chased that pretty gleam—planting a smacking kiss right on Tang Lian’s nose.

In that instant, Tang Lian unconsciously gripped her glass tighter and tilted her head up to meet her.